#the follow up will include the fallout :3

[miscmonstro]

The Uno Reverse Adoption Saga 5

First: Chapter 1

Previous: Chapter 4

Next: Chapter 6

Halfa!Trio Au crossover with Batman

Current Characters: Sam Manson, Tucker Foley, Danny Fenton, Jason Todd (brief), Scarecrow

Summary: Forced to attend a gala by her parents as she is every year, Sam Manson was resigned to suffer through the stifling three-night gala until something pulled at her core. The something turned out to be a someone. Just who is Jason Todd and can the trio gain enough of his trust to help him before his struggling proto-core collapses?

👻 {Chapter 5 Below!)

Danny crept forward, thermos in hand. Sam flung out a mental arm and he stopped as though there were something physically holding him back.

“He can’t just disappear off the roof, we need a plan to distract everyone first,” Sam said. 

Sheepishly, Danny clipped the thermos to the waist of his suit. “I didn’t even think about that.”

It made everything much, much more complicated. 

“Is the hostage ok?” Danny asked instead, eyeing the incoming heroes. There were two of them and as they slowed their approach it seemed they were talking to the two who had already been at the wall of vapor. That made a tally of four. 

Sam corrected, “Hostages, plural. And there were at least seven crashers.”

“There are four back there,” Tucker observed, noting a flat section surrounded by the telltale yellow tinged haze, “and one hostage.”

Danny, however, peered closer at the heroes. They were still a good distance away and if it weren’t for their night vision, he wouldn’t have been able to discern them. One of the heroes was the Batman himself, looking quite disgruntled. The shorter figure by his side couldn’t be anyone besides the boy wonder, Robin. On Batman’s other side was, surprisingly, Nightwing. The fourth person, Tucker informed them, was Orphan.

“It looks like they have masks. Why not go through the gas?” he wondered, staring at the heroes. 

Tucker turned it over for a moment and Sam scoffed. “It’s obviously the hostages. They can’t get any further or the goons will gas them.”

“Wait,” Tucker said abruptly. “The manor didn’t have anyone in it. Anyone that wasn’t already gassed- no paramedics and whatnot. You don’t think…”

There were specific situations in which paramedics wouldn’t wade into a mess to help people, and considering everyone had masks and that the inside was free of any other danger… 

“They’ve taken the entire manor and everyone in it hostage,” Danny realized with horror. The paramedics wouldn’t go in because they couldn’t without warranting retaliation from the crashers.

“And I’m going to bet, from the match that ghost is waving around, that the gas is flammable,” Sam added dryly. “Great.” 

Tucker warily shared the ratios of power running through the Wayne property; if the building caught fire, even without the gas, it’d burn down quicker than a building of its size ought to. And with the gas? He wouldn’t be surprised if the manor went sky high.  

Sam decided she was going to steal that idea for later, a faded overlay of Vlad’s mansion eclipsing Wayne Manor for a moment. 

“Could we revisit plan a? Think I could overshadow that ghost?” Danny wondered, eyeing the being in question, though silently he did agree with Sam’s mental picture. He studied their opponent. The ghost was, visibly, reminiscent of a living scarecrow. Danny was sure they could take him.

“We have to be very careful here,” Tucker thought. “I think we should find the three missing goons first.” 

He thought about TV shows and how the villain always had a backup plan. If the ghost was working with the humans, who didn’t seem to be under any ghostly influences, then they couldn’t assume that taking out the ghost would resolve everything.

Even after years of knowing him, Sam found Tucker’s ability to connect anything to electronics and pop culture oddly engrossing, but she pushed that thought aside to focus on the problem at hand. She had seen two of the goons earlier, during her scan of the mansion, however both were alone and had been stationary. With no hostages and no reason to confront them she’d flown past, still searching for the ghost.

“I can go back and knock them out,” she offered, perhaps a tad too eager, after sharing the information.

With simultaneous agreement from the boys she dove through the roof, and a moment later Danny followed, intending to find the missing crasher. Tucker proceeded toward the four crashers on the roof, eyebrows furrowed as he took in the details of the scene. He poked at the other two.

“Uh. Guys? Another problem.”

“Ancients, what now?” Danny groaned as he phased through a wall.

“The hostage up here is Tim Wayne.”

Sam sighed, instantly picking up on the newfound issue. “And that means Jason is on the roof or nearby and unaccounted for. Great.”

Danny nonverbally requested Tucker to keep an eye out for the young ghost and he agreed before gently nudging back, reminding Danny to focus. He then looked back to the goons and their unfortunate victim.

Ghosts were, by nature, beings of emotion. As such, they were in tune to it. The mansion reeked of fear, and now that none of them were stuck experiencing it, it wasn’t bad at all. Still, fear was a reasonable human reaction to the situation at hand, and so when Tucker pushed his celebrity awe aside and realized that Tim Wayne did not feel any fear in his current predicament, he was puzzled. 

At most, the young CEO felt slightly nervous, not fearful.

Tucker’s eyes narrowed. It was something he’d have to revisit later. Right now he needed to find out if there was some way that the crashers were communicating with one another and if he could use that to locate the last one. At first glance the crashers didn’t have much, just their spraying devices, the attached tanks, and a gun each, but upon further inspection they had comms as well. They rested on the insides of their masks and disappeared into their shirts.

“Bingo,” Tucker grinned. He reached out, spectral fingers brushing the edge of a wire poking out from the bottom of the crasher’s mask, and followed the frequency it was attuned to.

“And… gottem’,” he said smugly, sharing the general locations of the other comms, and in all likelihood, the other crashers. It was best described as knowing where your hand was in utter pitch black; you knew it was there, even if you couldn’t see it. Sam tapped at the two that she recognized and Danny changed course to head towards the remaining crasher, who was tucked into a dusty attic just below the roof. The last crasher had a visible weapon holster, a tank strapped to her back, and a device of some kind in hand. Unlike the other two, she wasn’t alone. Petrified, just like the majority of the victims within the mansion, were four more hostages. Although they weren’t bound in any way it was clear they would be unable to escape in their current state. 

And then Danny felt it. 

A tug at his core.

“Oh,” he thought breathlessly. It was one thing to feel the pull secondhand and another to feel it for yourself. 

If Tucker sharing the general locations of the comms was akin to knowing your body, then feeling who could only be Jason was like walking into a dark room illuminated solely by a spotlight shining on the man in question- it was impossible to not know where he was.  

And he was there, in that attic somewhere. 

Danny launched himself at the crasher and with one solid swing, sent the woman sprawling to the ground. With her out of the way he was free to follow the slight pull that was growing in strength. He intended to do so but didn’t need to as the moment the woman hit the floor a figure stepped out from behind one of the stacks of old boxes.

“Jason, I presume,” Danny said, switching to the human spectrum. 

“Who the fuck are you?” Jason asked, cocking a gun. 

“I’m Phantom. Manes mentioned you, so I thought I’d lend a hand,” Danny introduced while motioning to the unconscious goon.

“I had it handled.”  With a scowl Jason slowly lowered the gun and glared at Danny, eyes full of scrutinizing mistrust.

Despite that Danny felt himself grinning, almost against his will. Jason was here, safe and in front of him, and while his little core was struggling Danny knew he generated enough ectoplasm to easily patch up the cracks he could sense even from six feet away. 

“Danny,” Sam said sharply at Tucker’s recoil, “no. I can feel your bad decision from here.” 

“Please don’t kidnap a child without consent. Don’t be like Vlad,” Tucker helpfully supplied.

He blinked owlishly. Then the implications of what he wanted to do, of giving Jason’s proto-core his ectoplasm washed over him and Danny backpedaled, physically and mentally. 

“I’m not kidnapping you,” he blurted. 

Sam snorted. “Kidnapping, by definition, lacks consent.”

“What?” Jason questioned, taken aback.

“I mean,” fumbled Danny, “it’s not like I’m a billionaire with a adoption problem?” 

Jason opened and closed his mouth once, then twice, then shut his jaw with an audible click.

Tucker, the traitor, just laughed at him. 

“He probably thinks you were talking about his dad!” he wheezed.

Even Sam chuckled. “Brucie Wayne has an adoption problem. Danny. Jason was adopted.”

“Oh Ancients, you’re adopted?” Danny asked, mortified. “I was talking about someone else, I swear.” 

“You might fit the bill, maybe-billionaire Mr. King,” Tucker said gleefully, sending the impression of a wink. They didn’t know exactly how much of Pariah Dark’s horde had become Danny’s when he’d bested the tyrant, but it was more than enough to fill several rooms of the old king’s lair. 

“I’m not Vlad,” Danny muttered crossly, swatting Tucker’s presence. Besides, what was ghost wealth in the living world?

Jason cleared his throat. “So, what are you planning to do?” he questioned haltingly. He spared an obvious glance at the prone crasher. 

Danny flipped back into hero mode so quickly it would’ve given most people whiplash. “Status?” he thought, followed by a memory list of important items they’d been keeping track of since the mission started: the gas, the hostages, the ghost, the other heroes.

“The stragglers are out,” Sam reported, feeling quite pleased with herself.

“I can’t take out the four here and free the Wayne without the ghost noticing,” Tucker observed. “So we either need to get rid of the gas or take out the ghost, but Batman and co have eyes on him…”

“We’re going to save the hostage on the roof,” Danny said, both to the other halfas and to Jason. “I can distract the scarecrow and Manes can grab the dude.” 

“The gas is flammable,” Jason said harshly, confirming their suspicion. “There are dozens of people who are going to be burned alive if you fuck up-”

“We took out the three inside and the last four are on the roof. We know what we’re doing,” Danny defended. The skeptic criticism of the abilities of team Phantom was constant and yet he still felt oddly ruffled by Jason’s doubt. 

“And the remote charges?” Jason demanded.

“The what now?” Sam demanded, followed by a mental meme full of question marks from Tucker. 

“Uhhhh. Um, no,” Danny admitted sheepishly. “But we can get right on that!” 

Thunder rumbled, rattling the lone circular window nearby, and Jason’s scowl deepened. “Leave it to the bats. They know what they’re doing,” he said, though it seemed to be with a good deal of reluctance.

The thunder gave Sam pause.

“You mean the bats that have been standing and staring at the wall of gas for the past six minutes?” Danny snarked. “Real productive.”

Jason scoffed. “They’re trained for this kid, and the Scarecrow is a menace. Don’t throw your ass into the line of fire when you don’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell of making it out alive.”

“Firstly, rude, I can totally handle myself,” Danny said, raising a finger for emphasis. Sam shared a memory from a few days ago of him tripping up the stairs to his room. Danny, like the mature teen he was, nonphysically jabbed her side. “Secondly,” he raised a second finger, “I’m a ghost. As in, not alive. They can’t exactly kill me a second time.” 

“Not to mention hell has a good amount of snow…” Tucker snorted.

Jason didn’t seem to know how to react to that. Something sobering seemed to settle over him, something bitter and resigned and agitated. “Being a hero isn’t fun,” he warned. “It’s not a game.”

Oh. He thought the Phantoms were newbies. With an over exaggerated eye roll Danny replied, “I’m well aware, believe me. This isn’t my first rodeo. But if it bothers you that much we’ll just clear a path for Batman and his team and leave the rest to them.”

The rest being the cleanup, which they wouldn’t have been able to handle without compromising themselves anyway given the sheer amount of people around.

Jason, still brimming with misgivings, questioned pointedly, “What can two kids do that the bats can’t?” 

Danny’s answering grin was sharp.

👻 {Boo!)

They were nerds.

It wasn’t easy for the other students of Casper High to see- since their freshmen year the trio’s grades had taken a nosedive following the accident. But before that they had been excellent students, and not due to any particular intent. They were smart, granted in different ways, and it showed in times like this where all the little bits of seemingly pointless information came together and culminated in something truly irreplicable.   

“Tuck sends a heat blast upwards, Danny sends a cold wave downwards, and bam. Instant rain. It should wash away the gas,” Sam explained. “It’s already pretty close to storming so we shouldn’t have to do much.”

“Huh?” the boys chorused intelligently. 

Sam slammed a diagram depicting the water cycle into their heads. It didn’t really help.

“Ow,” Tucker complained. 

Consolingly, Danny gave Tucker a mental pat.

“Ok,” Danny said to Sam, “that works for Tuck but wouldn’t I just, like, freeze the clouds? I mean, dropping frozen clouds doesn’t seem like a bad idea but clouds are big and there are a lot of bystanders.”

“Storm clouds can also be several miles tall,” Sam informed him dryly, “but somehow I doubt that would be a problem for you.”

“Wait Danny, do you still have the Spectorly Splatterer Ectoplasmic Energy Disperser?” Tucker asked.

“Er, this?” Danny responded, pulling up the Fenton device he’d strapped to his side before they’d left for the Zone. “What could I-“

Tucker supplied a memory of the elder Fentons talking about turning ghosts into an ectoplasm spray so fine they’d be unable to reform and the corresponding invention. Not that it worked- ghosts could reform so long as their core was unaffected, and while the Spectorly Splatterer was adept at obliterating a ghost’s form it was unable to harm a core.

“Shoot ice at the Spectorly Splatterer and it should be able to disperse the blast, right?”

“Ah,” Danny hummed in understanding.

Sam made an unhappy noise. “We are not calling it that.”

“SSEED sounds cool,” Danny offered as he fiddled with the output on the device.

“That’s just hiding the repulsive name behind an acronym,” she grumbled, though she accepted it a moment later. 

“Yeah,” Tucker agreed. “Spectorly Splatterer is way cooler than seeds.”

“It’s SSEED you-“

“Annnnd done,” Danny announced. “I’ve turned the output range up as high as it can go. Are we ready?” 

“Do you need me to come with you?” Sam enquired. It would probably be difficult to hold the SSEED and shoot at it at the same time, not to mention Danny was really, really bad at telekinesis.

“Nah, you get to the roof and find an opening to nab the ghost,” Danny said. Lurking beneath his statement was the confidence that he could make a copy last long enough to do the job.

The three split up from where they’d remerged on the roof. Sam got as close to the ghost as she dared while Tucker and Danny flew into the sky, but where Tucker stopped and hovered just below the clouds Danny shot into them, heading high up into the atmosphere. 

“Ready?“ Danny asked when he got above the stormy clouds. He made a copy of himself and handed it the SSEED. With a nod the copy flew upwards and held the device down at an angle. Danny charged up an ice beam and Tucker started heating up the air around himself.

“Of course,” he said. 

While the boys started manufacturing the weather they needed the bats had finally started to move. Orphan and Robin retreated and Batman and Nightwing stepped up, closer to the dangerous fumes. 

“Are you going to see reason Batman?” the ghost called with a grin that revealed his distorted teeth. “Fear is what drives you, fear is what controls you, controls all of us!”

“Enough Scarecrow,” Batman growled, actually growled. Sam was not expecting him to sound so gravely, though perhaps it was due to a throat injury. 

“We’re here to negotiate your demands,” Nightwing stepped in. He was nervous, though nothing physically betrayed that. 

“There will be no negotiation!” seethed the scarecrow ghost, holding up the lighter. “I-“

“Got it!” Danny grinned in their mind as thunder roared above them. A mere moment later rain began to fall in torrents. 

“No!” the ghost screamed. “But I still have a backup!” The four crashers trained their weapons on Tim Wayne. 

“Timmy here doesn’t really need his brain, does he?” Scarecrow taunted, though frustration bled into his words. “I also have four unlucky captives hidden inside the manor. One word from me and they’re lost, slaughtered like hopeless, frightened little animals.”

He then dug around his burlap getup and pulled out a rectangular device. “The rain certainly puts a damper on things!  But I am more than prepared. How much of the mansion do you think will burn before the rain puts it out?”

Sam knew it was risky but she couldn’t let him do that. She circled him and launched herself at him, telekinetically shoving at the remote and knocking it out of his grasp as she kicked out his legs, making him squawk and flail on the slick tiles. 

Suddenly, two of the crashers attacked the other two and seeing this as an opening, Batman and Nightwing rushed forward to secure the Scarecrow and help the hostage, who had scuttled away as his captors had begun fighting amongst themselves. They didn’t know it, but yellow and green were not the natural eye colors of the two goon traitors. Even if they had, the masks obscured the goon’s faces quite well.

Sam silently thanked the other two phantoms and uncapped the thermos as Batman swung at the ghost and was more than surprised when the blow landed. The two began to struggle, though it was clear Batman had the upper hand.

Unneeded as Nightwing was more than capable of finishing off the two disoriented crashers, Danny and Tucker floated over to her, eying the fight warily. 

“How are we supposed to separate them?” Danny wondered and winced as Batman delivered a particularly severe blow to the scarecrow’s skull. 

“I don’t think he’s a ghost,” Tucker piped up randomly.

Sam and Danny shared in their confusion.

“He’s ghost-like at least,” Tucker conceded, “maybe liminal, but he can’t be a ghost. Otherwise this,” he motioned to everything around them with a broad gesture, “wouldn’t be happening.”

Sam, to be contrary, leveled the thermos at the grappling duo and pushed the button.

Nothing happened.

Slowly, she lowered the thermos in quiet disbelief, thinking everything over. Tucker smacked his head.

“It was Jason,” he realized. “He set off your ghost sense before, right Sam?”

“… that makes sense…” she grudgingly admitted.

“But he looks so ghostly,” Danny whined. “It was an honest mistake.” 

“That means we could’ve just overshadowed him from the beginning!” Tucker huffed. 

They watched for another minute as the crashers and the not-a-ghost scarecrow were apprehended by the heroes.

“Well, I think we’re done here,” Danny groused, making a show of dusting his hands. 

“All in a night’s work,” grinned Tucker.

Sam rolled her eyes and despite the dark clouds blotting out the light above them, everything seemed to be brighter. 

👻 {Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it.)

Taglist time! If you want to be added, just say so!

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Chapter in a nutshell: Assumptions were made!

I wasn't planning on updating so soon. I wanted to post Sunday but I realized that I'll be at work Sunday and if I know myself I'm going to go straight to bed when I get home lol

Next: Chapter 6

[dcandmarvelimagines]

sweeter than you ever knew. (pt. 3)

Series: pt 1 pt 2 pt 3 pt 4 pt 5 Pairing: Wade Wilson x Logan Howlett x Fem!Reader Rating: Mature Word Count: 3.8k Warnings: AFAB reader (uses she/her pronouns), 1st person POV, non-mutant Reader, canon typical violence (mostly all off screen), descriptions of dead/dismembered bodies, reader is injured (leg injury and slapped), the kidnapper emotionally manipulates the reader, on page murder. Author's note: Thank you so much for all the support it's been crazy!!! This chapter is a bit intense, I'm not going to lie. We just need to hold hands and get through this. But I swear, the next part of this will be sooo tooth rottingly sweet. It's so long that I actually had to make this five parts lmao. I could not stop with the comfort and softness. ao3 Tags (if you would like to be included or removed, just let me know. If I forgot someone I'm so sorry!!): @fallout-girl219 @xolosimp @o0aligoth0o  @thedevilsaysthings @jaeyuni @redmitsuru5 @jeffs77 @spideybv28 @trumanbluee @jennapearce13 @chxrrybomb22 @7soulstars @what-the-jams @lostinheavensworld @purplestars222 @movieat @whiskeyghoul @paintballkid711 @unmotivated-artist164 @sun7lowxr @minniekitties @ceobuggy @amararoseblog @harryshousewhore

The first thing I felt was rough rope as it scraped against my skin. I worked my eyes open, the task feeling too great. I was strapped to an old chair. Nausea swirled in my head as I tried to take in my surroundings. It was a plain, nondescript gray room. The walls were concrete. In the middle of the room, directly in front of me, was a large iron door. It looked like something you would find in a bomb shelter. Around my chair were shafts of moonlight provided by a skylight above. There was a bite in the air that made me shiver. My breathing was uneven as I weakly struggled against the ropes. 

“I see you’re awake. Wonderful.” The man with ice cold eyes appeared from the corner of my vision, a folder in his hand. “I don’t want to waste either of our time.” He lugged a metal chair in front of me and I cringed at the horrible screech as it echoed around the room. “Where is Wade Wilson and Logan Howlett?” I blinked, my brain foggy. 

“I don't know who those people are.” The man tsked. There was a flash of anger across his calm face before it was replaced by cool indifference. 

“Bullshit, we see you coming in and out of their apartment.” My stomach churned, either from whatever they shot me with or from the creeping anxiety.

“Oh you mean Al’s roommates? I work for social services for her. I don’t know anything about them.” The man grinned. It was vicious and predatory. 

“You are a bad liar.”He sat on the chair, crossing one leg over the other. “Why do we have photos of you with both men? What? One not enough for you?” He flicked open the folder and pulled out two pictures. One was of Logan and I on the fire escape. It had been captured at the perfect moment to have clear shots of our profiles in it. The other was of Wade and I at the bar. No, not just the bar, the bathroom. I was half exposed, Wade’s face against my bare breast. The woman who interrupted us had worked for him. Now I was actually going to throw up. I had been followed for months at this point. “Now, I’m going to ask again. Where are they?” 

“They don’t tell me about their jobs, I swear. Please just let me go.” The man shook his head with a hum, sounding like a disappointed teacher, sliding the photos back into the folder. 

“I’ll leave you here for a couple days, see if that jogs your memory.” Days? 

“Wait no! Please!” But he had already disappeared through the metal door. In the doorway, I saw a woman waiting. I blinked in shock. The woman, the one from the dingy bar bathroom. She was the one who had taken our picture.  My kidnapper nodded at her before the heavy door thudded shut. Days did pass, the skylight allowing me to count by the motion of the sun. My body soon grew stiff and achy as I sat on the chair. I wanted to sleep, anything to pass the time, but I wasn’t able to calm my mind enough. The shadow of the woman never moved from the small window. I could feel her watching me, my arm hair standing up at the feeling. To distract myself, I thought of Wade and Logan, of them bursting in here and rescuing me in a blaze of glory. But as the days bled into one another, hope started to fade. 

The man reappeared after four days. He removed the chair from in front of me, opting to just stand. “Have you thought about your answer?” 

“I don’t know where they are.” It was the truth. They didn’t give me any information about their jobs. They could be on Everest for all I knew. 

“I don’t believe you!” He began to pace, wearing a line into the concrete floor. 

“I don’t care if you don’t believe me, it’s the truth.” He rushed at me suddenly, fingers digging brutally into my cheeks as he gripped me. My fists clenched as I forced myself not to jerk away. 

“Stop bullshitting me,” his voice was a venomous hiss. “Tell me now.”

“Do you not understand me?” My voice had lowered too, anger boiling inside me. “Get it through your fucking head that I. Don’t. Know. You are wasting your time. Let me go. Do it before they find me here. They’ll kill you before you can even try to fight back.” 

“Oh is that right?” I knew he was toying with me, but I fell stupidly into his trap anyways. I was angry and tired and so fucking scared. My brain was barely functioning. 

“Wade’s gonna make a necklace of your intestines.” 

The slap made a stomach churning crack. My mouth filled instantly with blood from my split lip. My cheek throbbed in the aftershocks. Tears pooled and trickled down my pulsating cheek. Another thunderous slap caught my other side. Blood splattered across my sweats. It was so hot, it practically burned through to my skin. 

“What a shame.” His hand wrapped in my hair, yanking my head back, neck stretched too far. The warm blood rushed down my throat and I gagged. “You had such a pretty face. I see why those two kept you around. It’s so nice to have some stress relief. But it seems that they’ve moved on to a better piece of meat now.” He winced when I spat at him, the saliva and blood sticking to his cheek. He touched it like he couldn’t believe it, rubbing it between his index finger and thumb. 

“When they get here they’re gonna eat you fucking alive!!” His face twisted in rage. His grip tore at my hair as he ripped my head to the side. Something pricked my neck, cool liquid rushing through my veins. My vision began to fog, body feeling too dense, brain going fuzzy. 

“Sleep well.” 

It had been days. 

I watched the sun beams make their slow progression across the dusty floor, only to be replaced by the darkness of night. My face still stung and my lip kept dripping blood. I called to the woman who was still standing there, hoping that she would take mercy and help me. But I might as well have been shouting at the wall. No one came. No one helped. All I could do was wallow in my pain and loneliness. Maybe they had really abandoned me. What was I to them anyways? Exactly what he said, stress relief. Nothing more than a convenient body. Something to pass the time. If I was worth anything, they would have been here.

My eyes had just slipped shut, head lolling to my shoulder, when the door opened. “Good morning!” It was him. My shoulders slumped, hoping I could just ignore him, that he was just some hallucination. “Your saviors haven’t appeared. So we have come up with a solution.” I opened my bleary eyes when I heard the chair in front of me creak. He clutched my phone in one hand and a wickedly sharp knife in the other. He swiped my phone open before clicking on the screen. I could hear ringing and then someone picked it up on the second one. My eyes were fixated on the knife as he flipped it, catching the hilt each time. 

“Baby cakes?! Where are you? What happened?” Wade’s voice was horrifyingly panicked. 

“Aw baby cakes?” The tip of his knife traced my cheekbone and I held my breath, hoping I wouldn't flinch and cut myself. “What a cute name.” 

“It’s not as cute when you say it,” I grumbled. My voice was thick through my swollen lip. 

“What happened? Why do you sound like you have cotton in your mouth?” The man pinched my busted lip, fresh blood bursting forward, and I whined in pain. My nails bit into my palms. Over the line, I heard a growl, letting me know Logan was also listening in. 

“Sometimes I just don’t know how to handle myself around such a pretty lady.” Wade let off a string of choice swears and Logan snarled. “She has such a naughty mouth. I see why you keep her around. But it seems you’ve left her for good, huh? She won’t be too pretty once I’m done with her.” 

“Don’t you dare fucking touch her,” Logan was spitting in rage. “If you do I swear I’ll rip that worm you call a dick and ram it down your throat.” I smiled despite myself, something warm unfurling in my chest. They were still trying to find me. After over a week, they were still hunting. 

“I told you,” I hissed, “they are going to eat you alive.” 

There was a split moment where I knew I had fucked up. His eyes snapped to me, lips pulled back in a horrifying smile.

Then the knife flashed.

The pain in my leg was indescribable. I thrashed, desperate to escape the blade stuck through my thigh. I knew I was screaming but I couldn’t hear it over the pounding in my ears. Fresh blood from my lip and tears traveled down my chin. More blood pooled under my thigh, soaking into my ruined pants. I was only faintly aware that others were shouting and someone was laughing. 

His hand hammered the knife in deeper, the wood seat cracking under me, the hilt flush with my leg. I wailed, pleading sobs of mercy clogging my throat. “Stop moving so much.” There was more shouting. My head knocked against the back of my chair. The corners of my vision grew dark. “Do you want to say goodbye? Who knows if you’ll make it to see them.” All I could do was weakly whimper. “She seems preoccupied. I’ll see you two soon.” He tapped my face, the force just under another slap. “You sound so nice screaming. Maybe I will actually keep you around.” 

He left me like this, bleeding, trembling, pinned to the chair like a piece of meat. More days passed and the bleeding didn’t stop. It wasn’t normal. I should have died like this. Cold was lingering on my skin and small shivers racked my body. My bare feet had long gone numb. Someone, my foggy vision only registered them as a blob of white, entered the room. They carefully removed the knife and then eased me out of my pants. They methodically stitched my skin together, the haze of shock covered the pain of the stitches. Once a thick white bandage covered the wound, they turned and left. 

On the fourteenth day, I heard shouting. Then gunshots. My head jerked from where I had been sleeping. Panic spiked. I needed to run. “Fuck,” I mumbled, looking around desperately for something, anything, to save me. The room was mostly bare besides a table against the opposite wall. Then I saw it. 

The knife. 

I tried to wiggle closer, but failed to move an inch. “Fuck,” I repeated, desperate now. More shouting and gunshots, closer this time. The more I fidgeted, the more of the seat fell away from under me. Think think think. I continued to sway, lifting the chair onto its sides before it cracked against the floor as it fell. Then I heard a splinter in one of the legs. I took a breath to steel myself before I tipped myself completely over. I nearly sobbed in relief when the chair leg connected to my uninjured leg was the one that snapped off. I awkwardly propelled myself across the scratchy ground, the exposed skin on my left side becoming ragged. The rope on my left wrist began to fray, just enough that when I got to the table, I was able to yank my hand off and reach blindly for the knife. The blade caught my palm but I gripped it tightly, ignoring the bite of pain. 

I made quick work of my other binds, the knife almost slipping from my wet grip, and rose to my freezing feet. My injured leg protested instantly, nearly giving out when I put weight down. But I had to run, had to escape. I limped toward the door, and looked through the small window. I couldn’t see anyone, but I heard screaming. I had to yank hard on the door to get it open. There was a dead end to the right and a long twisty hallway to my left. I took a few tentative steps out. When no alarm sounded, I sprinted. 

The stitches in my thigh ripped right away. I couldn’t think about the pain. Only escape. I clutched my stolen knife close and ducked into any small nook I could when I heard people thundering by. I should have followed them, maybe found an exit, but the squelching sounds of limbs being severed launched me forward. I turned left, left, right, middle at a fork, up a flight of stairs. I was hopelessly lost but all I could think of was escape, running on pure instinct to find it.  

The smell of blood hit me first as I turned a corner. Body parts were strewn across the wide room. Intestines dangled from the ceiling beams. Heads, half crushed, lolled away from their torsos. I wretched, nothing came up besides bile. But I could see outside through large bay windows. My legs were like water under me as I moved to the door. I stepped on an eyeball, the firm jelly bursting between my toes. Just keep going. My head was swimming, nausea from the gore around me mingling with the searing pain in my leg. 

I collapsed. I could barely feel the pain as my hands slammed down on broken glass. Then I heard two men’s voices. I scrambled to hide behind a stack of boxes, jamming my sore body into the smallest crack I could find. “I know she’s in here, can smell her.” My knuckles turned white around the knife. My breath was weak, I had lost too much blood. 

“Could you maybe sound less like a pervy vampire?” I heard boots lightly hitting the floor as they spread out. “Do you think this scared her?” He sounded timid, maybe even a little afraid. The first man laughed. 

“What do you think? You pulled this guy’s entire spine out! Of course she’s fucking scared!” The shout made me jump, huddling deeper into my hiding spot. “Fucking idiot.” A pair of red boots passed my hiding spot, then planted back in front of me. I sucked in a breath as fear rippled through me. My eyes closed tight.

“Hey,” the voice was soft, barely above a whisper. “There you are.” I was so on edge, so terrified, that the hand with the knife whipped out on pure impulse. The tip pushed through something firm, before that gave way to softness. It sunk deep, blood rapidly flowing over my hand. I couldn’t open my eyes. I had attacked someone and they were bleeding all over me. My victim barely made a noise when I stabbed them. 

“You can let go of the knife, you're okay.” A hand caressed my face and my teeth sunk into the leather glove, jaw latched tight. I felt like a cornered animal, ready to tear into anything that came near. “Sweetheart,” the name, the voice, pulled me back. I released the hand and opened my blurry eyes. Logan and Wade were squatted down in front of me. Their faces were covered but I recognized the suits. 

My knife was stuck through Wade’s neck. 

“Wade,” my voice shattered, tears welling. “I’m sorry, I-I didn’t see it was you.” He pulled the blade out with a little grunt. There was a hole straight through his throat. My stomach churned again but I held it back. The muscles and tendons laced together rapidly before the skin closed over it completely. 

“Don’t apologize. I said the height of romance was stabbing, didn't I?” Logan reached out again and brushed a strand of hair out of my eyes. A frown drew down his lips when he saw the bruises on my cheeks. “What do you say we get you out of here, yeah? I don’t think extreme violence is really your scene.” 

Logan was examining my leg the best he could without touching me. I could hear him sniffing as he leaned closer. “We need to take her to a doctor. She’s lost a lot of blood.”

“They stitched me up but I think all of them have ripped now.” My head felt so heavy. “My fingers are cold…is that normal?” 

“We have to carry you out, is that okay?” As Logan asked, Wade was already reaching for me. He scooped me into his arms and clutched me tight to him. I hissed as my thigh stretched, head falling heavily against Wade’s chest. Logan walked beside us and I reached blindly for his hand. He gave it a small kiss, but didn’t hold it. 

After two weeks, I was safe. 

I was safe. 

But we had to get out of this building first. Logan walked a head to peer down corners before signaling we could move forward. Wade moved slowly, keeping a firm hold on me. He stayed uncharacteristically quiet. I felt limp and weak in his arms, ready to sink into sleep as soon as I could. To keep myself conscious, I tried to remember all our turns, but it felt like there was an impossible amount. There was a round of clicking and the shuffle of feet as we rounded a corner. 

“Ah shit.” 

“Fuck.” 

My sore eyes opened to find rows and rows of armed men. In front of them was him. There was a cruel smile on his face as he took me in. The woman was tucked behind him, her eyes pinned on me. “I see you pulled your stitches. You should have waited for me to get you instead of trying to run off on your own.” Logan snarled as his claws extended. 

“Listen here bub. I don’t make idle threats. So best believe I’m going to follow through with skinning you alive.” Wade moved suddenly, his back to the men. He moved far quicker than he had before. I heard men readjusting their guns, their anxiousness clear.

“And where are you going Mister Wilson?” 

“First off, Mister Wilson is my father.” I groaned as Wade placed me on the hard concrete floor, safely tucked behind a stack of boxes. He stood, “you can call me Marvel Jesus.” I watched with an unfocused gaze as his hand snapped open a holster and handed me the gun that it held. “Just dropping off special cargo.” I took it, my hands shook at the light weight. There was a flash of gold along the black metal but my hazy brain couldn’t make out the text. I carefully tucked it under my leg to hide it from view. Once that was done, Wade traveled back to Logan’s side. “What do you say darling?”

“Let’s fucking go.” My hands slapped over my ears at the thunderous noise of all those guns firing. I was desperate to drown out the screams, the wet slap of limbs falling to the floor. My first instinct was to take deep, calming breaths, but my nose was too full of the scent of iron. The time stretched, the fight going for hours. 

Just as a sense of shaky calm fell over me, hands grabbed me. I recoiled instantly. “Don’t be difficult.” It was him. He was trying to pick me up, trying to move me. But my body was dead weight and he struggled to lift me. Something cool pressed under my thigh. 

Now don’t be afraid of it. If you show fear around guns, you’ll end up shooting yourself in the foot. 

Okay, see this little switch? No, not me you insatiable minx. This. Get a feel for it. If you are ever in danger you have to know where it is right away. 

He was distracted, watching something over the boxes next to me, his arms suspended in mid air. A female scream cut through the rest of the deep shouts. That rush of time, the feeling that wasn’t easy to explain, snapped. I blinked in confusion. With the man’s focus somewhere else, I put every ounce of concentration into my hands, willing them to stay still, as I lifted the gun. I found the safety and flicked it back.

Now don’t get any big action hero dreams of just pulling this trigger and letting bullets fly. It requires a lot of force, so you have to pull the hammer back first. Make sure you hold it with both hands, okay? Last thing you need is a concussion from it flying back and hitting you in the head. 

My sweaty thumb slipped from the hammer. The movement seemed to catch the man’s attention. There was a split moment where neither of us moved. Then, as if in slow motion, he reached for his own gun. I raised mine and pressed the barrel to his forehead. Both of my index fingers wrapped around the trigger. I squeezed with every ounce of strength I had left. 

You can’t look away, pumpkin. 

You gotta make sure anyone who is trying to hurt you is dead. 

I didn’t. 

One second his head was there, eyes bulging in fear. The next, just a cloud of red remained. Squishy chunks of brain, shards of skull, and a splatter of blood went everywhere. It was in my mouth, in my hair, across my bare legs. All sound died and was replaced by a dull ringing. His body slumped before it fell. I stared at it, dark red spluttering from the exposed veins of his neck, the liquid pooling on the floor. The concrete was quick to drink it up. Logan was the first to appear at my feet. He took me in, his face unreadable under his mask. I saw his mouth move but it was jumbled, words half broken. I shook my head, tapping my ears. It was like a dial slowly moving up on the radio. The sound of bullet casings hitting the ground, screams of pain, the thud of bodies. 

“You alright?” Logan sounded panicked, his loud gruff voice cutting through the renewed sound. I nodded. “We’ll get you out of here, don’t worry sweetheart.” I nodded again. There was one last shout of agony before silence fell again. Logan maneuvered the dead man off me, throwing the body carelessly away. He slipped the gun from my sticky hands before hoisting me into his arms. I buried my face in his neck, taking in his scent. Sweet, earthy, the tang of sweat. 

“We got you. I got you, sweetheart. Always will.” 

[meg-noel-art]

Arcane is a Masterclass in visual storytelling

I hate that a lot of the discourse post Arcane has been centered around it's focus on visual storytelling. Whether this be in regards to character interactions, or plot hints, etc, it seems that the genius of Fortiche and the writers is being criticized unnecessarily. This studio accomplishes what every artist DREAMS of excelling at. It's one of the things I appreciate most about the show. It uses its medium, animation, to its absolute fullest potential. It requires analysis and multiple rewatches and study to fully appreciate it. And I wanted to break down a specific moment that really does illustrate the control Fortiche has over every SECOND of this show (and one that's been controversial) Spoilers for Arcane S2 Episode 9

There is a set up in this final scene that lets us know what will happen to Jinx before it happens. And it lasts a single frame. Your eye and subconscious will register it before your brain ever does. As Jinx throws herself at Warwick/Vander and Vi pushes herself up to reach for her, a single frame focuses on the Hextech crystal in Vi's gauntlet.

Visually the scene could have cut from Vi's face, to her reaching for Jinx. But it shows us the Hextech purposefully - because it will be relevant to the scene. This is a visual cue for "remember this is here, remember what it does? It's about to have a payoff." And it's FAST, but on PURPOSE. And we see the payoff once Jinx uses it to depower the gauntlet moments later.

We knew as the audience, something would, because there was intentionality reminding us it was there. The way Jinx was going to fall was spelled out before it happened. Simultaneously, what they DON'T show in this scene is equally as relevant.

Jinx pulls out the bomb but we never see her deploy the pin. (She clearly DOES as there is an ensuing explosion). But this is different from the moment in season 1 on the bridge during her fight with Ekko, when we see the pin and bomb roll out of her hand before Ekko's reaction shot and the explosion. In that moment they gave us the visual indication of "there is no time" and indeed, they are both caught in the explosion.

But, in the S2 finale, the visual delay in her not removing the pin for us on screen, gives her canonically more time to escape its blast. It's a subtle visual nod to "Never found the body" trope. Hey never saw her pull the pin sooo ;) winkwinkwinknudgenudge. It's a hint to her survival due to nothing more than a single action of what we DON'T see. It needs to be subtle and tricky so that we DO have trouble believing it, but that we also still have a modicum of hope that we're right... That's awesome storytelling.

The next moment we are given a visual of the explosion we see a clear (incredibly fast) offshoot her shimmer abilities (as many have already pointed out.

Finally, in the final scene, Caitlyn nor Vi say a single word about the fallout of the battle. But we are given three visual cues to piece together what happened. Our minds are still purposefully meant to be processing the 'death' of Jinx, which as viewers, occurred 60 seconds ago.

The final battle occurred at the top of the Hexgate and Cait is looking at a blueprint of its construction.

2. The next cut is to the detonated head of the bomb we saw Jinx use while falling, meaning Cait is specifically thinking of the same moment we are. The single piece of bomb she's looking at also insinuates that's the only thing they "found" of her. Another nod to the "no body, no death" trope. But what is she thinking about it?

3. It shows us exactly what she sees and is thinking. A specific location within the Hexgates (which, notably, also includes the only TEXT we can visually make out. The line above it is pure scrawl.) 'air ducts'. An escape route in the same direction we saw Jinx's shimmer line go.

Jinx is likely alive and not a single line of dialogue was needed for that speculation to make sense or be followable.

Without a relevant line of dialogue (besides Cait's memorial-esque voiceover) since the battle, we can be relatively certain of three things:

1.) Jinx escaped the blast 2.) Jinx fled Piltover/Zaun 3.) Cait/Vi know this or suspect it (I believe Vi knows but that's a whole other meta of mine)

Whether or not that is your storytelling *preference*, this show needs to be appropriately commended for it's mastery of its art form. While I think it's fine and fair to say "I wish we had a bit of dialogue" regarding this or that, or a scene that laid x,y, or z out in a different way - it's not necessary. Not with the way the studio visually has told this entire story.

Anyway I don't even know how to end this, this is just a moment that stood out to me really hard, especially because people had such mixed feelings on the ending.

This studio is so god damn inspiring as someone who's dream is to work in storytelling and animation. Standing ovation.

[wasteland-wrecker]

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If you’re busy or something, just leave me an “OK” in chat and reach out to me later on. If you don’t show up I’ll pick the 2nd position and so on.

2. Provide me anything useful about his/her/their Sole Survivor, descriptions, pictures, drawings whatever you want within a week from the raffle. (If you feel lucky, prepare it first!)

If you don’t provide me the material I’ll pick the 2nd position and so on.

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[zahri-melitor]

I need to not let jokes irritate me, but for the record:

Tim's morality doesn't come 'from a list on the fridge from Batman' or 'not wanting to be gun Batman'.

Tim, at his core, decided that he could not be a bystander when things were going wrong, and chose to step up and help. When faced with the decision of "someone has to do this difficult thing" he said "I'm someone", after trying to get someone with more training and expertise to take the role. And when he was older and there were others who could take the support role he had found for himself, he chose again to stay with his allies and follow the mission and protect Gotham, because the job was not complete.

"[Dick] taught me to never back away from any possibility that might lead to the truth."

When Tim thought he'd killed a criminal in the course of arresting them? He beat himself up with guilt and trained harder and in even more investigative and fighting techniques to stop it happening again.

But the clone lab/Lazarus water/blowing up Ra's bases/Captain Boomerang! Yes, those are things that Tim did at his lowest, when he was hurting from an enormous amount of loss. And he: chose to stop attempting the cloning and apologised to Conner for it on Kon's return; poured out the Lazarus water; look was admittedly pretty dodgy here but it's not like it's the first time Bat characters have destroyed Lazarus Pits on purpose; and chose to save Boomerang. He did not go through with things when people close to him reached out and acknowledged his pain.

What, other people blew up Lazarus pits? Yeah for a while there Bruce was funding Bane to run around the world destroying them and handing over details of known ones...look it's a whole involved thing due to fallout from Legacy and a conspiracy to convince Bane that he was Bruce's half brother, don't worry about it.

Bruce and Dick have both had to be restrained from killing, on occasion, when caught in rage and despair. There have been deaths that they didn't intervene in, and guilt they ALSO carry over this. Babs' moral code includes working with criminals, stealing money from corrupt officials and international conglomerates and hacking processing power from the Pentagon. Cass, after swearing to never kill again, broke Shiva's neck and hung her over a Lazarus pit to fall in because that didn't QUITE meet her definition of killing. It's not about 'are your ethics pure at all times'. It's about the choices they've made, even after a mistake.

Tim fears he's become too like Bruce at his most rigid and analytical on occasion (16th birthday paranoia; developing protocols when he was older which he insisted he wouldn't when he was younger; 'testing' himself with Boomerang). His reaction has been that it was even MORE important to him to ensure that he's acting in an ethical manner, and he's consistently passed that test.

He's not fated to be evil. There are afaik three (3) future/alternate universe storylines where Tim 'goes evil'. One is DCAU, where he was made Joker Jr because the Diniverse doesn't HAVE a Jason, Tim there is a composite (plus you know, he was tortured to that point). The second is Earth-3, which is, I remind you, the 'good and evil are reversed' universe. The third is Titans of Tomorrow. Future Evil Tim gets occasional storylines because it's a compelling mirror to hold up to Tim's ACTUAL morality.

Plus, if there is one single person who could be said to determine Tim's ethics and appears at the centre of his moral code, it's OBVIOUSLY Dick, not Bruce *waves at Bruce Wayne: Murderer/Fugitive and Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul*

[starstruckbyacomet]

The Journalists (Part 1): Katey from But Why Tho

The Journalist who Takes No Bullshit from Other Journalists Paid Writers

(Part 2) (Part 3)

Katey Stoetzel wrote a review about episode 8x06 "Confessions":

So far, this article is my favorite 9-1-1 review. I feel like Katey was reading my mind while she was writing this piece. Things which she mentioned in it, among others:

"...the election results play into the strong reactions surrounding this breakup."

"...this explanation leans on biphobic stereotypes, such as bisexual people not knowing what they want, or needing to sleep around with a lot of people to know what they want."

"After referring to Buck exclusively by his first name, Evan, Tommy immediately distances himself from his intimate connection with Buck. And that feels pretty definitive."

"...thanks to Lou Ferrigno Jr’s performance in 9-1-1 Season 8 Episode 6, who layers so many nuances to Tommy in this scene that it would be a disgrace to not follow up on this character,..."

"...if we don’t then all the show has done is leave a gay man lost, heartbroken, and alone with seemingly no plans to resolve it."

Rarely, I found a piece of writing where almost every word was resonated with me. I could rave on and on about this review (I've told you that it was my favorite). However, it's better if you read it by yourself, if you haven't done it yet.

*********

Katey also interviewed Lou Ferrigno Jr. about the break up storyline.

For Tevan fans, this interview is like an oasis in the desert. First of all, it is the only interview with Lou after the break up, which is not saddled with Buddie questions 🙄. Secondly, Katey brought up Tevan fans' reaction to the discussion. Something which has been omitted by the paid writers who were pandering to toxic Buddie fans. The interview makes us feel seen. Probably, this is how we'd feel if we had a thoughtful queer story on TV, in which queer characters were not put aside, sad, alone, brokenhearted, or dead 😔.

*********

Initially, I thought I might be biased towards Katey, just because she also liked Tevan. Thus, I decided to read her review about episode 8x08 "Wannabes":

Oh boy, did she deliver! Every complaint about the episode which I've read on Tumblr is included in her review. And it's not just about Tevan:

"...[This episode] features a lot of Brad... is an odd choice, considering main characters like Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and Chimney (Kenneth Choi) have barely gotten to do anything this first half of the season. Eddie (Ryan Guzman), too, feels underutilized...."

"Brad gets regulated to chores (why is he getting more screen time at the 118 than anyone else again?)...."

"And there’s still the Shannon of it all. The fallout from the Hitchcock-inspired soap drama of 9-1-1 Season 7 hasn’t adequately addressed Eddie’s grief."

"...this part of the episode [how the suicidal man was saved] rings really hollow for a bit centered around suicide."

"...Episode 8 doesn’t have a mid-season vibe to it... besides Eddie potentially moving, there’s nothing juicy enough to send us off on a five-month hiatus. Bobby and Athena’s house situation hasn’t been discussed since Episode 4. Hen (Aisha Hinds) and Karen (Tracie Thoms) haven’t been around since 9-1-1 Season 8 Episode 5. While they got a lot of focus during the Ortiz storyline, Hen hasn’t had much to do in recent episodes."

"...Buck’s obvious want to call Tommy feels like he has unresolved issues with how things ended (we do, too.) However, the implication in interviews that it’s over between Buck and Tommy is CONFUSING... having Buck taking no action in the wake of this breakup so far, especially heading into hiatus, is a little frustrating."

I'm not the only one who resonates with Katey's review. At this point, I'm almost certain that Katey has been lurking on Tumblr, reading our rants one by one 😂. The mention of "Hitchcock-inspired soap", "the Shannon of it all", and "why is he [Brad] getting more screen time at the 118 than anyone else again?" made me laugh. Her articles show that this woman got brain, and a sharp tongue. I'm sure Katey could match firefighter pilot Thomas Kinard in a duel of words, and probably even won over him.

*********

@earthquakebi also praised another body of work from Katey: a Season 8A deep dive by Jose Cordova & Katey Stoetzel on Between TV podcast:

*********

However, Katey's bravest and most impressive article that I've read so far is a rather old one (recommended by @nqueso-emergency). It's not a review on any episodes of the show. It is about its fandom, and the press around it. The article was published on April 25. 2024, only 21 days after Buck's bisexual revelation first aired on April 4, 2024:

In this article, Katey criticized the paid writers who had been questioning "whether or not Buddie... is on the table", although it had "no basis in what’s happening on screen." She also pointed out that what those paid writers had been doing "creates a vicious cycle of misinterpretations, baiting, toxic fandom habits, and deciding that there’s only one way to interpret something." and "ridiculous expectations and assumptions all just centered around CLICKS and ENGAGEMENT."

It is interesting that she put the blame on the paid writers for FANNING TOXIC BEHAVIORS among fandom.

Katey didn't name names, but she inserted links to several articles and one video, while pointing out the baseless fandom pandering aspects on those bodies of work. And she certainly didn't mince her words 😂.

Her article is closed by a contemplative paragraph about journalism in the entertainment world:

"There’s a duty one has when sitting down for an interview with a cast, and that’s TO INQUIRE about the show that they have worked hard to bring us. And they definitely SHOULDN'T BE USED as an opportunity TO VALIDATE A FANDOM SHIP. That road just leads to disappointment, and an unfair insistence that if anyone disagrees, then they’re wrong. That’s not what fandom should be about. And it’s certainly not what entertainment journalism is about." 

[ghoulfuckersincorporated]

I’ve been a lurker for a little bit and I love your stuff, could we pretty please get some Headcanons for Charon or Gob. I’m on my knees over here they have like no fanfic or content 😭

What a coincidence, I literally just posted headcanons for Gob here (NSFW), and our favorite bouncer is next. I also have long-form works for both in the pipe, but the Charon piece already has some serious work done on it.

Charon's writing frustrates me endlessly tbh. He's so intriguing (and fuckable, obviously), but there's so little there in the canon to answer the questions you naturally have about him. So, I may be taking a few liberties here.

Charon (Fallout 3) NSFW Headcanons

I firmly believe he's prewar, and I think he's been enslaved/"under contract" since he became a ghoul. Regardless of how the whole contract thing works, he has the same issue as Gob where he hasn't been allowed to have desires or boundaries, just in a different way (Charon is obviously able to defend himself physically, and even technically has some manner of free will, but he knows that there are often unpleasant consequences for failing to obey his contract holder). The man IS a slave, but a strangely complicated one. If you want meaningless sex, he'll give it to you. Whether or not he actually wants or enjoys it, you'll never know without a real connection or a long, long time of studying his general behavior. He's incredibly hard to read up front, agreeable but not really warm or open.

His contract is supposed to entitle the holder to his labor in combat, so he's not really required to do anything else, as far as I can tell, including have sex with them if they ask, but I think he would use it as a sort of excuse to do so if he was already inclined.

You can't give him the contract or otherwise "free" him from his enslavement in the game, but in my opinion, that's silly. Sure, I think it would take a long time of him getting used to the idea of it, but I also think he'd certainly WANT to no longer be a slave at some point. Eventually, the contract is moreso an excuse. He never takes it from you when you offer it to him; he's following you because he has nowhere else to go, because he wants to. Eventually, he's following you because he's in love with you in his own way. But as long as you physically hold that piece of paper, he has the excuse.

If he does care about you, he will resist your physical advances, at least at first. He believes he's protecting you, as he always does, by sparing you from the social consequences of choosing to be with a ghoul. However, at the end of the day, he wants you, too, and eventually he won't be able to deny himself, especially if he knows you won't deny him. Even then, he'll kind of hate himself for being too weak to not fall in love with you, and he'll feel insanely guilty and selfish for not letting you go like he should. He's a fairly morose man overall, and I think he'd spend a lot of time pondering what the consequences of you two choosing one another this way will inevitably be.

Even with that under consideration, he'd still be happy with you. Keeping you safe and happy is pleasing to him (even if he likes to feign annoyance at your little peculiarities and your choices sometimes), and you'd get to slowly, painstakingly slowly begin to see him sort of begin to become his own man again. Over time, he'll talk more, but it's still almost always to ask about you, to remark about something that isn't himself.

Speaking of which, once he begins to "wake up", so to speak, become more aware of his newly-granted autonomy and his desires, as well as your own, he's gonna be rearing to go all the time. Slowly, he's gonna become fully cognizant of the fact that you really do want him as much as he wants you, so...why shouldn't you be fucking right this second, again? Doesn't really matter where you are. Who's gonna stop him from fucking you? Who's gonna succeed if they try? What I'm saying is this: I hope you're ready to basically be a free-use pocket pussy for this big-ass ghoul.

Some ghouls, like Cooper Howard, were once pretty serious ladies' men who've developed some hard edges over their long lives; despite this, that charisma often remains buried somewhere deep inside them, waiting to jump out at the right person. Charon is not that. This man had zero game before the war and he has less than none now. If you want traditional romantic gestures from him, you are going to have to specifically explain and request them, as unromantic as that may sound on its face. He wants to see you happy, but he's never really had to think romantically, so it doesn't come naturally to him at all. He knows about foreplay as a concept, but lacks patience and finesse when it comes to getting things started. Lots of shoving his hand up your shirt, down your pants sort of awkwardly in the beginning. Roughly groping you to signal he's in the mood to the point where it sort of hurts.

You know what they say about men? The dense ones fuck the hardest. Charon IS that; he's not unintelligent, just a very straightforward thinker. But he's obviously great at following directions, including when you beg him to fuck you until you can't stand.

He's just as quiet during sex as he is normally, save for a few grunts and growls and occasionally asking if you're okay, but you may notice over time that he's more physically affectionate. Likes to stroke your face, pet your hair, pepper you with kisses in a way he usually doesn't. I think he would see you being distracted by him rearranging your guts as an opportunity to be slightly more vulnerable.

Big fan of cockwarming. Already likes to just hold you in his arms while you both do something quiet, but he likes it even more when you're doing whatever you're doing slid down on his cock. His favorite is when you climb up into his lap, naked from the waist down, sink down on him, and immediately take a nap on his chest.

[nukaberries]

Heyo! If it's not too much trouble, could I get the FO4 companions reacting to a Sole who's super good with wild animals? Like the animal friend and wasteland whisperer perks but they're out here cuddling wild molerats and are able to pet Deathclaws. If that's not too much to ask, thank you muchly. Love your stuff!

I don't play around with Animal Friend and Wasteland Whisperer as much as I'd like to. I did once befriend a Deathclaw in Fallout 3, who died about five seconds later. He was great while he lasted though. Anyways, I'm glad you're enjoying the requests, thank you so much! I hope this one lives up to your expectations!

//

Companions React to an Animal Loving Sole (Includes: Cait, Codsworth, Curie, Danse, Deacon, Hancock, MacCready, Nick, Piper, Preston and X6-88)

Cait She'll immediately assume that Sole has some kind of death wish the first time she sees them carelessly approaching a wild Molerat with their hand held out. It's only when Sole doesn't lose a limb to the creature that Cait finds herself somewhat impressed, although, she makes a comment about how they'll probably catch all sorts of diseases from 'that rodent'. She doesn't think too much of it afterwards, that is until she finds Sole coming back into Sanctuary with a Deathclaw in tow, it's at that point that Cait will start to question Sole's sanity. Eventually, she gets used to finding Sole hanging out with Radscorpions, as though they aren't known for killing people without hesitation. She still finds it weird and she still isn't happy about that one time she woke up to a Radroach casually jumping around her head, but it becomes one of those things about Sole that she just accepts.

Codsworth Having known Sole for as long as he has, Codsworth is no stranger to his old friend's affinity for all different kinds of animals. He can still recall the amount of stray dogs and cats that Sole had brought into their home before the war, despite their spouse worrying that one might jump up at Shaun one day. If anything, Codsworth actually likes that this is something that hasn't changed about Sole - there's a lot of bad in the Wasteland and Codsworth knows better than any of the other companions how much this new world has changed Sole, so he finds it comforting to see some aspects of him are still the same. Of course, Codsworth is still sure to keep his distance from the creatures that Sole befriends; sure, they may like Sole, but who's to say they'll feel the same way about his robot companion?

Curie She loves having the opportunity to see the creatures of the Commonwealth up close and if Sole's happy to befriend every Mirelurk in sight, then Curie is more than happy to join him. Once Sole gets an animal to settle down, they usually tend to warm up to Curie immediately after - there was an incident with a Radstag kicking her over once, Curie doesn't like to talk about it. She also finds it interesting to see how the different animals in the wasteland have adapted and mutated to their environment and is more than happy to discuss it with Sole, if they're willing to listen.

Paladin Danse Initially, he thinks that stopping to pet every abomination that they come across is a waste of both their time and he makes this very clear to Sole. He tries to shut down Sole's attempts to befriend these animals as often as he can, although sometimes he can't help but find it quite mesmerising to watch a Deathclaw peacefully wander about right before his eyes. Still, it's only when Sole manages to tame a whole pack of rabid molerats that Danse wonders if their odd love for animals isn't so bad after all, not that he'd ever swallow his pride for long enough to admit that to Sole.

Deacon He does try to get used to the idea that Sole is going to pet every dangerous, man-eating creature that they come across, but it just freaks him out way too much. The stray mongrels following them around and wanting to play fetch are cute, even he can't deny that, although he'd prefer Dogmeat over them any day, but there's no way he'll ever get used to turning around and seeing a Deathclaw following after them like a big puppy. All Deacon asks is that Sole doesn't take it personal if he leaves them to fend for themselves when it comes to dealing with animals, he'd just prefer not to give a Molerat head scratches if he can help it.

Hancock Considering Sole chose to take him on their travels, he doesn't find it all that surprising that they'd want to pick up every other ugly stray they come across too. Admittedly, it's probably one of his favourite things about travelling with Sole, he'll never warm up to any of the bugs - Mirelurks are a firm no for him - that somehow become docile in Sole's presence, but he's got a soft spot for the Molerats. He'd love to bring one back home with him, for the sake of having some company and a mascot for Goodneighbor, but he gets the feeling nobody else in town would approve of that, so for now, it stays a simple daydream for him.

MacCready Once he gets over the shock of a pack of friendly Yaoi Guais swarming him and Sole, he's immediately jealous of this strange talent his friend has and wants to know how they do it. He refuses to take Sole not knowing for an answer and makes it his life goal to befriend at least one animal out in the Wasteland, of course, this ends with a dog bite on his arm and a bruised ego, especially when Sole manages to calm down the dog that had just attacked him. After that, he figures it's best for his own safety if he leaves the animal befriending to Sole, but he does ask for his own pet Deathclaw more times than he can count - not that it'd be very practical to have around Duncan, but a man can dream.

Nick Valentine There's not a lot left in the Commonwealth that can shock Nick Valentine, he's near enough seen it all and so, although Sole is expecting a much bigger reaction from the synth detective, he just accepts it. Besides, he once came across a girl roaming Boston Commons with a Sentry Bot for a best friend, a Mirelurk Queen isn't exactly that big of a surprise in comparison. That doesn't mean he won't go out of his way to pet any animals that Sole manages to tam on their travels, his favourite was probably the Radroach that Sole taught to roll over.

Piper Wright She genuinely thinks that she's having some kind of fever dream that first time she sees it, there's no way Sole would actually be sat at their campfire with a Mutant Hound sat on their lap peacefully. After pinching herself a few times and accepting the reality in front of her, Piper doesn't hesitate to dub Sole "The Wasteland Whisperer." If anything, she likes the bonus of not having to worry about fighting off any creatures whilst they're out on their travels, she just wishes that at least someone back in Diamond City would believe her when she told them about her Vault Dweller friend who can tame even the most vicious of creatures; even Nat thinks she's full of it.

Preston Garvey The first time that Preston saw Sole tame an animal was the Deathclaw back in Concord and for a moment, he was convinced that he was already dead and he just hadn't realised yet. At first, he wasn't sure how to bring it up to Sole to question it and so he decided not to question their odd talent at all, that was until he started travelling with them and they came across a Radroach nest. Preston still can't quite believe that there's someone out there that can befriend any animal they come across no matter what, but he finds it remarkable and he really doesn't mind when Sole brings animals back to Sanctuary. He's actually rather fond of the Yaoi Guai Sole brought back after going to clear out a settlement, he just hopes that they stay friendly, for everyone's sake.

X6-88 He doesn't see the point in befriending any of the creatures out in the Wasteland, it's far better to simply put them out of their misery after the generations of mutation they've had to endure. He makes this known to Sole immediately, which seems to offend his travelling companion, after that, he decides not to comment on it at all, aside from a few eye rolls and scoffs here and there. Of course, he doesn't complain too much when it comes to having the extra back up of a Deathclaw during a fight with raiders or Super Mutants.

[its-in-the-woods]

Coyote Head - Part 7 - Bloodied Kiss

master list

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

Pairing: Cooper Howard x Lucy Maclean 

Includes many other characters from Fallout

Synopsis: The nightmares are finally catching up to Lucy.

MINOR GET OUT. Rating/Warning:  Animal/people death, Blood, Gore, Body Horror,Violence, Nightmares, Monsters, Alternative Universe, Slow Burn, Death, Aging, Family Feuding, Older Man/Younger Woman

Note: that I will not be spoiling any of the reading. So you have been warned. I will keep my tags relevant without spoiling what is happening in the story.

*Mind the tags

*This had been clawing at my mind for dayssssss I needed to post it early or I was going to explode

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As the dust of the car faded, Lucy felt her shoulders drop, it was barely past mid-day and she was already feeling worn out. She was proud of herself, for not backing down and holding her ground. Max had been the first boy she’d really fallen for, and it sucked it had ended the way it did. It was time for her to move forward, to let that part of her life go. Move onto what was coming next for her, hopefully, something that won’t end as tragic.

Lucy turned to her two companions as they started to move, happy that they had stood at her back despite having no idea what was going on. She gave a weak smile at the two, trying to shake off the lingering feeling of dread.  

“Ya’doing okay?” Cooper asks as he moves towards her, the way the afternoon sun shone on his skin making her heart speed up. Her eyes unabashedly went over his body, the man was well-toned. The day-to-day work is evident on the hard lines of his muscles covering him; a crooked grin on his face when Lucy finally catches her eyes. 

Lucy glances away, as Dane grins at her, “Yeah, just, wasn’t expecting him to show up. Ever.”

“Well, shirtless. Could I get a hand movin’ some stuff around to get the mower.” Dane chuckles, Cooper smirking at the comment, the tips of his ears going pink. Lucy smiling at the two ribbing each other.

“Yeah, I can help the greasemonkey,” Cooper throws back, with raised eyebrows. “Shirt got wet. But pipes should be fine.” He said just loud enough for them to hear.

“Sure it did,” Dane rolls their eyes as turning to head to the other shed. Cooper gives them a sideways glance before following, a smile on his lips as he looks back at Lucy.

“I will go turn the water back on for the house,” Lucy chirps, her face was going to be stained beet red at this point. She was feeling happy that she had friends like these.

***

Lucy is once again sitting on the counter, the pipes are now running without leaks. Cooper had actually laid in water, which had given Lucy an excuse to toss his shirt into the dryer. She’d take any excuse to see the man move around her home and property shirtless. Dane had teased him endlessly about it much to Lucy’s amusement. Dane had taken off about an hour ago with the promise to come back on Monday to continue the work. Lucy had half a mind to figure out how to keep them on a more permanent basis. Something she’d run by Harris, see if it was worth doing, and if Dane wanted to stay of course. 

Cooper walks in, putting the caulking gun down beside the sink. He’d decide after finishing the pipe to fix up several issues around the sink. Lucy was positive she could have figured it out but Cooper was insistent. Really who was she to refuse the offer from a shirtless cowboy in her kitchen. She hands him a beer, he pops the top off with a ring on his middle finger. Lucy adds that to the list of things she found way too hot. 

“I can make up some dinner?” Lucy offers, she was pretty sure she could find something worth eating in the freezer. She also needed to make sure that she got Cooper some tallow too.

Cooper leans against the counter right beside her, taking a sip of the beer. Lucy can’t help but watch how he drinks it. “If ya don’t mind. Grandparents are taking the kidlets to d’pool and pizza after. Figured, we’re going to have a long day. ”

Lucy couldn’t help the smile that crosses her face, liking the idea of the two of them having an evening just for them. “Were you planning something, Cooper?”

Cooper’s sliding over so that he was leaning against Lucy, “Well, I was goin’ to ask ya out Ms. MacLean, but ya kinda jumped me.”

Lucy's head tipping back in a laugh, taking another sip of her beer. The two of them looked the other over, her eyes trying to memorize the way he looked out of his shirt.  “I don’t seem to remember you complaining,”

The man puts his beer down shifting so he is standing in front of Lucy, she swallows under his gaze. He leans forward putting a bare arm on either side of her, eyes wandering up her body, their face just inches from each other. Lucy’s breath catches in her chest as his hazel eyes stare into hers. 

“M’no, I certainly didn’t.” Cooper hushes, leaning forward to kiss her again. Lucy can’t help the little whine that escapes as she pushes back against him. Her hands ran up his arms, feeling his muscles twitch under the attention. He tastes so good, their tongues finding the other as they pull each other closer.

Her hands come up to cup his face, his hands resting on her thighs, fingers gripping against the flesh there. Lucy lets her legs open so that Cooper can move closer to her. He breaks the kiss, moving down along her jaw, small kisses down her neck. Lucy whimpers as he licks down her neck, his large hands rucking up her shirt. The callous on his fingers makes her body vibrate as he touches over her skin. 

“Cooper,” Lucy whimpers, her hands running up into his hair, as his hands cup her breast through her bra. “M’maybe we should-” His head ducks down, mouth going along her stomach. It feels so good, but it’s so fast. “Cooper, we shouldn’t-”

His teeth sink into her flesh, “Fuck- Ow- Cooper-” Lucy tries to pull him away but he bites in deeper, Lucy can feel her skin tearing. The sound of teeth in flesh, the wet sticky pop, her face twisting in a grimace. 

Lucy is scrambling, a scream finally leaving her throat at the pain, trying to get him off of her. “Stop. Stop-p it.” Lucy cries out, her hands finally pushing him off of her. The skin is not skin anymore, but rough and lizard-like under her hands. Cutting into her palm as she does her best to get it off of her. 

It’s not Cooper. Looking up at her, with blood painting its chin like a crimson river, is something that looks like Max. Its features are the same, but eyes instead of brown glow like orange flames, skin darker than shadows. Skin Covered in layers and layers of never-ending shifting scales that move in the light. A bloody grin spreads across its face. There are too many teeth, so sharp, in neverending rows, the pink spit glistening as it grinned up at her. Stomach oozing blood over her pants and dripping on the floor. 

“Just wanted a taste.” It growls at her, suddenly lunging forward to latch onto her neck.

Lucy is howling and fighting to get it off her struggling, as she falls to the floor. Her body protested as she hit the ground with a thud, the whole room going dark. She is pushing and struggling, but it’s soft now. Her hands are not grabbing at scales but material, eyes adjusting to the new surroundings. She was on the floor of her bedroom; chest heaving as she tries to make sense of where she was, and how she got there. 

Pushing the blanket off of her, she takes in the room around her. Her bedroom, she had fallen off the bed and landed on the floor. Lucy flips on the light and looks down, pulling up her shirt to look at her stomach. Hands running over where there should be torn tissue, before going up to her neck. Nothing. 

It had felt real, she could still feel the way it’s teeth had dug into her, the pain that had shot through her body. Looking at the bed Lucy expected to see blood, expected to see something. Throwing off the sheets there was nothing but sweat stains. 

Lucy collapsed onto the floor, her body trembling at the memory. It looked so much like Max, but it was all wrong. His face had been too round, eyes too far apart, hair too spiky, so many teeth. The eyes, orange fire-filled eyes, glowing like embers burning into her soul like hot ash on ice. Her hands scramble to the side of her table gabbing for her phone. 

For the first time, she doesn’t hesitate, hitting Cooper’s number. Pressing the phone to her ear, she hadn’t even looked at the time.

***

Cooper was there in a matter of minutes, Lucy opening the door for him, still in a state of shock. He had immediately gathered her up into his arms, hugging her tight against his chest, refusing to let her go until he got her over to the couch. He had her sit, covering her with several blankets, before moving into the kitchen. A hot cup of coffee with hot chocolate was put in front of her, along with some toast. He slid in beside her, bundling her up and tucking Lucy into his side. Her hands wrapping around him as she shivers, her whole body felt like it was frozen.

“You doing okay, sweetheart,” Cooper murmurs, his voice rumbling against the side of her head. Lucy could feel herself melting into his side, wanting to find some way to stay there forever.

Lucy swallows, nodding, “Just-” She wasn’t even sure how to put it all into words. It wasn’t exactly normal to have eighties horror movie dreams every night. “Nightmares have been really bad.” 

Cooper rubs his hand down her arm, Lucy lets her eyes close for a moment and enjoy the comfort.“How often have you been having them?”

Lucy snuggled in closer, reaching for the coffee mug and taking a sip. The warm caffeine and chocolate drink heating her insides. “Since the house got ransacked, it’s been nightly.”

Cooper’s chest grumbles at the words, arms somehow pulling her closer to him. “What was it about?”

“I don’t, I-” Lucy takes a sip of more coffee, before telling him what she’d dreamt about. Not skipping any details, the warmth of the coffee and his body made it easier to get it off her chest. 

Cooper hums, he takes his hat off, setting it beside him on the couch, hand running into his hair. He scratches at the stubble for a second. “Well, that wasn’t the dreams I’d hope you’d have of me.”

Lucy smacks his stomach at the joke, a small smile passing on her lips at the jest, “You think I like this? I’d much prefer no dreams, or well other dreams.”

Cooper grins, Lucy pouting a little, as he chuckles, “No, I don’t think that, I do worry about the nightmares. Can’t ‘member the last time I had a night-terror. Why you’re tired all the time?”

She nods, her eyelids weighing heavy despite the coffee and mind-bending visions.“I feel like I am losing my mind, Cooper.” 

“You’re not goin’ crazy, I think ya need sleep. Maybe some time away.” Cooper mumbles into her ear, pushing hair out of her face. “Why don’t ya let me take ya to my home.”

Lucy’s brows furrow, she didn’t want him to leave, but she also felt like she should stay. Why did she want to stay? The nightmares never stopped her, the shadows, the taping, the knocking? Yet the thought of leaving made her stomach turn, but when Lucy left she felt lighter. 

“You promise you don’t think I am going crazy?” Lucy whispers, wondering how much he would believe. How much did she even believe? None of this made sense, not really. 

He shifts so he can look right at her, eyebrows making his forehead wrinkle.“I promise I don’t think’ya’re goin’ crazy. Anymore than am goin’ crazy.”

“I feel like I am supposed to be here, even with all the nightmares, the shadows, the house being tossed. I keep comin’ back.” Lucy states, her fingers fiddling with the edge of the blanket. Saying it out loud made it seem even more ridiculous than it had in the confines of her mind.

Cooper nods, placing the mug on the coffee table, hand running up and down her arm more. “It’s not surprisin’, this place is your home. It’s where ya grew up.”

“It’s not just that,” Lucy said, sitting up a bit, clutching at the mug, trying to hold onto some shred of reality. “It’s like something is pulling me here. Like I can’t leave.”

“So, leavin’ would probably be wise,” Cooper replies, his hand finding hers. “You’re sleep-deprived, runnin’ on fumes, Lucy. We have a spare room ya can stay in. Until ya can catch up on sleep, have a better view on thin’s with a clear head.”

Lucy sat back, the thought of being off the farm made her stomach twist, but she also needed sleep. Actual sleep sounded amazing, to not feel like she was burning at both ends. 

She nods her head finally. “Yeah, maybe I do need to leave.” 

***

Lucy was sitting at her family's dinner table, watching the kids outside to play on the deck. She had slept most of the day away, her exhaustion not feeling nearly as pressing as it usually did. The spring air was warm today, the hints of summer shifting in the air. She’d slept most of the day, Cooper had brought her to his place at about three am, the two tiptoeing upstairs. Initially, he’d offered her the spare bedroom, but after opening the door and seeing a pile of laundry, his room was the next best. Cooper had insisted on sleeping downstairs, despite Lucy’s best attempt to get him to stay. Traumatizing the children wasn’t high on her list. She was a little peeved he hadn’t woken her up, but she was also grateful for the extended rest. 

Stephanie sat down across from her, glancing out at the kids. They were running back and forth across the deck, possibly paying tag. “How’s it going, Lucy.”

“I am doing okay,” Lucy lies, there was no reason anyone needed to know any more about her problems. “Did you ever talk to Betty?”

“Oh! Yes, Betty.” Stephanie smiled, digging through her phone. “I sent her the photos.” She lets out a sigh, “Unfortunately no dice. Seems like it’s still a mystery.”

“Dang was hopin’ we’d get somethin’ more,” Cooper said, sitting beside Lucy. She desperately wants to crawl onto his lap and fall asleep, but instead, she shuffles a little closer. Steph watching the two of them closely, one eyebrow up. 

“Yeah. probably something diggin’ like you said.” Steph says, shutting her phone off and leaning back into her chair. “Had any more weird stuff happen?” 

Lucy shook her head, not wanting to get into the details, “Nope, hoping it stays that way really.” 

Bert sat down beside Steph leaning in to give her a quick kiss, “Y’all heard about the Roths.”

Cooper and Lucy looking at each other, shaking their heads. It wasn’t like they had had a free moment lately.

“Last night something came and killed two calves. Did some damage to some of the cows too.” Bert sighs, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. “Like we needed more loss this year.”

Lucy's mind ran over the property map. The Roth's had a section leased from her that was back half on parkland and half onto her farm. There was also the nightmare last night.

“Which section was it?” Lucy asks, already knowing the answer.

“The section southwest of your place, actually,” Reg's brows furrowing. “Weird huh.”

“Do you know what time?” Cooper asks, his hands taping at the table.

Lucy realizing that Cooper was also putting two and two together. 

“Not sure, I know it was overnight.” Reg replied, “Why? Something happened with you guys too?”

Lucy swallowed, her hands going to cover her stomach. The feeling of her flesh ripping out, the haunting image of its eyes, the sound of its voice. 

“Nothing of note, we did have a mummified calf. But Barry figures it was just a bad pregnancy.” Cooper shrugs, the action supposed to be of disinterest, but his shoulders stay tight. Lucy is happy that he didn't bring up her nightmares until she got some more sleep it wasn’t worth mentioning. Right? 

“Maybe it's the weird spring. Warming up too fast. Animals reacting to it,” Steph adds, her hand covering Reg's. Her eyes looking between the two of them. 

Cooper is up and moving as the sliding door opens, Mathias holding a frog in his hand. The little boy had a grin from ear to ear as he holds it up to show his Dad the little critter he'd found.

“Can't bring it in here, buddy. Why don't we go take it to the pond,” Cooper tells him with a smile, petting the little creature his son held up. Lucy smiling as the two wander out of sight.

“So how long you two-” Steph raises an eyebrow, with a cheshire smile,

“Been a thing?” 

Lucy’s cheeks burn at the words, not realizing how obvious she had been. “No. Well. Yes. But not that long. Didn’t realize I was that transparent..” 

The couple chuckle, Steph smiling at her cousin, as she squeezes Reg’s hand. Free hand waving at Lucy as if it was nothing.

“You both need a little light in your lives,” Reg states smiling at Lucy, before looking at his wife. 

“Keeping things quiet for now. Haven't really talked about it much.” Lusy confesses, Marge coming over to sit at the table.

“Keeping what quiet hon?” Marge questions, holding a cup of tea in her hands. Cooper comes back in through the sliding door, walking over and kissing Lucy on the cheek. Marge chuckles and makes an ahh sound, Lucy doing her damndest not to slide under the table. 

“As long as you're both happy,” Harris says, patting Lucy on the shoulder. Lucy having a hard time keeping her cool, it wasn’t as if they’d put a label on things. They’d kissed once for crying out loud.

“Could I speak to you for a moment, Lucy?” Harris asks, kissing Marge on the top of her head before moving towards the hallway.

“Absolutely,” Lucy smiles, looking back at Coope who nods before following her Uncle into the big house. 

Down past the bedrooms a door leads into a well-lit office, the far wall has three large windows that face out into the backyard and forest line. A large old desk sat in the middle, along with several large filing cabinets and bookshelves. The room was bright against the dark wood, space big enough for two large overstuffed chairs beside the bookcases. On a well-worn stool were three faded bankers' boxes. Lucy recognizes her Grandpa's handwriting on the front. Harris puts a big hand on top of one rotating so he is facing Lucy.

“Me and Margie have,” He pauses looking out the large windows towards the forest. “Debated about whether we should give you these. Tim asked me to burn them. But it didn't feel right.”

Lucy crossed her arms, hugging herself a little as she looked at her Uncle. His usual nonchalant demeanor now scrunched together in tight lines across his face. Pacing back and forth in front of the window as he spoke. 

“These are Tim’s journals. Going back to a month after your Dad and Uncle went missing.” Harris replies, Lucy, feels a wave of dread wash over her as he moves over to his filing cabinet.

“They didn't go missing- '' Lucy goes to reply, Harris placing a newspaper in front of her. Headline read Two men killed in farm accident. “Yeah, this is what Tim showed me.”

“Flip to page four,” Harris said, Lucy did as he asked, unable to get a read on his emotions. Page four has a smaller blurb, Search for brothers ends. Lucy reads through the blurb, a cold pool of dread weighing in her guts. 

“They went missing in the forest. In the forest around my house.” Lucy whispers, her hands shaking as she rereads the words. “They never found the bodies.”

Harris meets her eyes as she looks up at him, “What is going on?” Lucy demands dropping the paper on top of the boxes. “Why? Why? Did no one tell me?”

“Tim made us promise,” Harris said, placing his big bear paw-sized hands on her shoulder, it felt like the weight of the news pressing down on her. “He didn’t want you or Norm to know. He figured that if you thought they were dead you could move on. In ways he never let himself move on.” 

Lucy moves away from Harris, a deep sense of betrayal washing over her. “You’re telling me he didn’t think they were dead? It’s been decades since they went missing.”

Harris had sat himself down in one of the overstuffed chairs. “We searched and searched for weeks. Even after search and rescue stopped, stuf-,” He rubs one of his big mitts across a day's worth of stubble. “Stuff happened during the search. Stuff that doesn’t make a lot of sense.”

Lucy sighs, flopping into the chair beside her Uncle, “Could we not be vague, please? I can handle whatever happened then.”

“While we were searching, people heard things.” Harris’s face went pale.

“They kept hearing Hank call out, or Shaun. It sounded like they were close, but we could never find them. It would go quiet for days, then Me and Tim would go out and hear them again.”

Lucy swallows, “Like it was calling you there.”

Harris looks at her, a knowing look passing over his face. “It scared some of the volunteers. Hearing them, but never finding them. Then a week before your Mom checked out it stopped. These journals are the first time I even had any idea that it had continued after you both got there.” 

“We spent our entire childhood in and out of those woods.” Lucy’s voice was raised, her heart thudding in her chest. “Why would he let us in there if he thought it was dangerous?”

Harris looking older than his year. “Lucy. If I thought you were in any danger I would have taken you and Norm out of there.” Lucy stands there staring at him, anger subsiding at the honesty in his words. “No one. Not one of us. Thought you were in any danger there.”

Lucy swallows, tears pricking at the corner of her eyes. “Once you kids arrived, Tim didn’t share anything. I thought. I thought he was dealing with the loss of his sons. In his own way, never finding the bodies made him want to hold on to hope. So I let him. Then when he got the cancer diagnosis he brought me these boxes. Telling me to burn them once he was dead. That it would all be over, I didn’t know what he meant. But it was like a weight had finally been lifted off of him. ” Lucy shifts in her chair, unsure how to feel. “When your place got tossed I pulled them out, I read a few.” Harris shifts in his chair, staring at the boxes. “I don’t know what I was expecting but you should read them.”

“What is in them?” Lucy pushes, feeling like she is waiting for a bomb to go off. Her hold on the world was sliding, and she wasn’t sure if she would make it.

“Memories, stuff about your childhood. But also. Other stuff. Stuff I don’t know if I can believe.” Harris’s voice going soft. “I should have told you a long time ago and I am sorry for that. But maybe this will help, maybe put things to rest finally.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

PART EIGHT

Tag list: @toogaytofunctiondangit , @hiddlebatchedloki , @whatsorceressisthis @dichromaniac @autumncryptids

*I am gonna say we are onto act 2... it's only gonna get darker from here < 3

**As always likes, comments, shares are soooo appreciated, you can find me Ao3 as well

** Want to be on the tag list let me know

[agentfuse]

Fallout's Electrical Grids

Inspired by Any Austin's videos on GTA IV & V (go watch them), I decided to map the path of every electrical pylon in Fallout 3, New Vegas, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76. It was an interesting experience that was sometimes fun and sometimes really dull and boring.

Now, these maps aren't full depictions of the electrical grid - I don't include utility poles for the most part (because there's too many and when I tried it was incredibly boring and dull) or underground cables (because I don't know whether or not they exist). But it does include the electrical pylons, which should give some interesting information about where power is coming from and how it's routed throughout the world.

The Capital Wasteland's Electrical Grid:

The pylons in FO3 are interesting - they're a lot more sporadic in their placement, but they're also pretty fun to follow. Also, almost every line was connected to a substation, which is neat. Fallout 3 also explicitly states that most of the power lines for DC are underground, so it's plausible that some of these lines could just go underground when they end, rather than just stopping.

The Mojave Wasteland's Electrical Grid:

New Vegas was honestly a little bit boring to do an electrical survey for. It was mostly just one long line of pylons going across a flat desert, so I found myself very bored while mapping this one. But regardless, it was interesting to see that the pylons form an *almost* complete line, with the exception of a few spots that don't connect.

Also, for New Vegas, I mapped out the utility poles of the world as well, mainly because the pylons didn't give much interesting information. Interestingly, the only utility pole that got anywhere near a substation (where they'd normally hook up to) was a short line nearby the Nevada Winds Solar Farm.

Fun fact, New Vegas also has the only clear indication of underground cables that I was able to find in any of the games. The El Dorado Substation has wires leading directly into the ground facing Helios One, and the substation attached to Helios One's power plant also has lines leading into the ground, facing the El Dorado. It's a neat detail! That's what the squiggly line between Helios One and the El Dorado Substation is meant to portray.

The Commonwealth's Electrical Grid

Fallout 4 was a bit disappointing - there were only 2 pylon lines in the whole Commonwealth, I expected there to be more. The main line at the top starts outside of the map near Sanctuary Hills and goes all the way to an unmarked destroyed power plant nearby County Crossing, where it just kinda... stops.

The other line at the bottom starts at an unmarked substation (which also has a Deathclaw v Behemoth fight) and goes into the Glowing Sea before unceremoniously ending in a single destroyed pylon, with no visible continuation of the line.

I did also start mapping out the utility poles for the Commonwealth like I did for the Mojave, but I got bored because there's a lot more and the Commonwealth is a lot bigger.

Appalachia's Electrical Grid

(You'll have to zoom in to see any detail, since 76's map is very big.)

This one was my favorite electrical grid survey to do, because 76's world is just so damn cool and well made. It's also very cool to see that 76 has the most accurate electrical infrastructure in the entire series! There are 3 pylon lines in Appalachia, each connecting to 3 different power plants across the regions, as well as multiple substations along the routes. Doubly interesting, the utility poles also actually connect to the substations, which is a first!

I was very impressed with the level of detail in 76's world, there's so many little details, like how in the forested regions, the area beneath the pylon wires is actually cleared out, like they are in real life. It was just cool to see the developers actually pay attention to that kind of thing, along with the aforementioned utility poles connecting to the substations.

Conclusion

Now, you may ask, "Why did you do this?" And my answer is, because I thought it'd be neat and I didn't have anything better to do. You might also ask, "What did we learn from this?", to which my answer is basically nothing but hey, at least we reaffirmed that Fallout 76 still has the best world map of the games.

[clip-the-simp]

Not Much Else [Pt.1]

Ao3

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6

Pairing: Cooper Howard/The Ghoul x Fem!Reader

Word count: 2,956

Warnings: canon typical violence, swearing, mention of drugs and surgery, (I’m bad at warning tags so just let me know if I need/should to add some)

Tags: Mild Proofreading, reader had bat wings, Bounty Hunting, deviation from TV show, pre!show events(?), (Again I'm bad at tags so let me know)

Summary: You're a vault experiment that makes it to the surface. Quickly you learn the lay of the land and a few years later end up working the same bounty as The Ghoul. You convince him to let you take a long after having a feeling that you just had to follow him. Where will this story lead? Only time (and my motivation) will tell.

A/N: this is cringy as shit so please forgive me. I’m trying to get back into writing and my current hyperfixation is Fallout. I've been a fan for years but a new found love was sparked with the show's release.

Be forewarned that this is going to be incredibly inaccurate to cannon events and really unrealistic honestly. But listen. If Lucy can have her finger zapped back on and working properly anything can happen.

The scientists of your vault had placed nearly 200 hundred people into cryo pods before the bombs had fallen. A few had been scientists, but most were test subjects. Those chosen to be experimented on were chosen from a vast array of different medical histories, genetic makeups, ages, and ethnicities which always resulted in different mutations. Only about one third of the subjects had volunteered, while the majority had been simply manipulated, kidnapped, and or drugged before being shoved into a cryopod.

You had been one of the majority that had been kidnapped. Before the bombs, you had been a star in HollyWood and went on to be in several films which included a western or two. You were still fairly young however, so when the threat of bombs falling had started to rise you had been cornered. A white cloth with chloroform was shoved into your face once you had gotten back to your film trailer after wrapping up the final scene for a movie you were co-starring in. You had only woken up for a brief moment after being kidnapped, which was right before they had shoved you into a pod and began the process to preserve your body for the next century or so.

When the scientist decided it was time to start experimenting, some wouldn’t survive the first round of injections but that never did stop the test. Even after death the bodies would continue to be used to determine different severities of treatments on human tissue.

However, those that didn’t have the fortune of passing within the first few rounds of chems being forced into their veins, they had far worse ahead of them. Which just so happened to be the group of unfortunate folks you wound up being.

It had been about 175 years after the bombs dropped before they dethawed you from your cryosleep and started on their process of testing and modifying your body. They had hoped, just like with all of their other experiments they had running, that you would be one of their best.

After the first initial round of chems they had started to cut into you and spliced your DNA with multiple different creatures. First it started with the removal and rewiring of your eyes. They had been replaced with those of a feline which had taken you months to recover from, but that didn’t stop the minor test they continued to perform.

The rewiring in your brain caused excruciating headaches for the first few months but soon you were able to view things from a new lens. Being able to see more than most at night was a great perk to have when the vaults tended to stay poorly lit. However this also caused you to have some sensitivities to bright lights, so in response to that the scientist designed specialized goggles to combat it but made them so they wouldn’t impair your ability to see at night with them still being on.

The next body modification came when a scorchbeast, a large mutated bat creature, had been killed and dragged into the vault. After careful consideration and candidate evaluation you had been chosen to be subjugated to the experiment. No one knew if your body would reject the new muscle and bones that had to be implanted, but your genes had the most likely success rate when looking at the data provided.

After a full year of recovery you had full mobility of the limbs, and with it having been a young scorchbeast, the wings hadn’t been to terribly large in comparison to your body. You had been due for more body installments but before the scientist had the opportunity to stick another knife in you all hell had broken loose.

One of the more aggressive test subjects had escaped from their enclosure and started wreaking havoc upon the vault. They had managed to set other people free while in a blind rage when they had broken into the control room. In doing so not only where you set free but so where all the others, including those in cryosleep.

However you hadn’t stuck around for long once everyone, mutated or not, had started attacking one another in a panic. Having seen map layouts of the vault in the halls on the way to your surgeries, you had been one of the first to make it to the surface and begin your trick through the waste land.

After a week you had managed to find your way to a town which was both a blessing and a curse. Outside the walls of the town there had been a dead man who still had his clothes on. Having realized you were still in your medical gown, you had stripped him of the garments, minus the underwear, and cut a large hole in the back of the shirt to accommodate for your wings. With pants and a shirt on you were now a little more confident when entering the settlement.

Even after getting more than a hospital gown on, people still had given you strange looks as you walked the streets. They snarled and ogled at the wings sprouting from your back, and even after tucking them under your arms while pulling them close to your sides, it didn’t stop the stairs. Your goggles had remained pulled over your eyes during the majority of your time on the surface, but you could tell people could still see the slits that were your pupils.

You had quickly learned the ways of the waste land. Caps controlled everything, violence was always the answer, and it was kill or be killed. So when a man suddenly cornered you in the alley way of that first town you were in, you quickly became a killer. Whether it was the animal genetics fused with your own or your will to survive, you had proceeded to rip that man's neck out with your teeth when he had gotten close enough.

In doing so you had gained a handful of caps, a slightly rusted knife, and a pistol that had enough ammo to mow down a small horde of ghouls. The only item of clothing you peeled from his body was a weathered trench coat made of leather. That had managed to cover your wings if you kept them tucked close enough, although a bet awkwardly.

With the handful of caps you had gathered you had managed to get some accentals and learned about bounty hunting. If you were going to survive in the world you had to adapt, and so you did.

Two years had passed since you first began living on the surface when you had encountered The Ghoul, face to face, for the first time. Both of you had been working the same job when the target in question got smart and hired a few armed guards. The two of you were knocked unconscious and tied up in a rotting building while the target and his goons ran off. You had come to when the splitting pain from being knocked out finally became too much for your body to suppress.

As you peeled your eyes open, you started to realize someone was tied to your back as you and the other person sat on the sand covered floor of the decaying house. Shuffling a bet you tried to grab the knife at your side but soon heard a groan from the person you were tied to. You hadn’t bothered before to try and see who it was, hoping to have gotten untied from one another before they had the chance to wake up and possibly kill you.

“Fucking hell.” You heard the man mumble as he tried to get his bearings as you had. Your heart made its way to your throat as you realized who it was. Although you had never met the man you recognized his voice from the rare occasion you had been in the same town together at the same time.

Fuck fuck fuck! You thought as you continued, more hastily this time, to try and get the knife at your side. You had never paid The Ghoul much attention, however you know of his reputation and that he was a gifted gun slinger. However, while you hadn't paid him much attention, he had been studying you. He had started to recognize you any time you just happened to be in the same town. It wasn't anything more than the fact you were exceedingly odd and always looked out of place from those shuffling around you. Although he was a ghoul and the farthest thing from normal looking, your wings would always take any and all attention from those around you. No matter how well hidden you tried to keep them.

“Stop fidgeting damn it.” Your body immediately froze as he spoke directly to you. A few shuffles of his own and he quickly had his hands on his own knife which sliced through the rope with relative ease. You fell forward slightly as the tension from the rope was released and you quickly stood to dust yourself off.

Turning around you saw The Ghoul doing the same thing as he stood. His duster was ripped to shreds but still served its purpose of covering him from the sun. The cowboy hat he held in his hands was quickly placed back on his head before he turned to glare at you. His spurs jingled a little as he faced you.

Everything in your body screamed at you to run before he could pull out his weapon, but his gaze had you pinned to your spot in the room. You swallowed hard before trying to move and look more relaxed then you really were. Crossing your arms you moved your eyes to meet his which started an immediate feeling of regret.

There was something about his eyes that held a feeling of familiarity but it was buried under the many years of being forced to live amongst the harsh conditions of the wasteland. The Ghoul’s eyes remained on your face for the longest time before traveling to the tips of your wings that peeked out from under your coat. You quickly tried to tuck them closer to hide them but that just led to him looking back to your face.

“Now how the hell you get those on your back?” The Ghoul pointed to where the wings had been showing just moments before. His question had brought you out of your frozen state as you tried justifying to yourself answering him truthfully. You didn’t figure it would hurt to be truthful, especially since it was only the two of you at that moment. Not to mention the odd feeling that you could rely on him to keep any information you needed to get off your chest.

“Vault experiments.” You answered plainly as you moved the extra appendages from under your coat and spread them a little farther out from your body as you stretched them. As you did this something shifted in his expression, almost a kin to pity. He looked back into your eyes as if trying to recognize you as you had done the same to him moments before. You had forgotten the fact your eyes were no longer human so whatever search he was on would be nearly impossible if he intended to find answers within them. Not to mention the fact that your goggles were currently tented from the light coming in from the setting sun.

“That’s unfortunate. Seems like those wings would be in the way of everything.” He stated while picking up some of his belongings that hadn’t been taken. You crossed your arms and leaned on one leg. Sure, the wings were annoying at first, but they had become useful as time went on. You always managed to travel farther than anyone else in the wasteland could in two days on foot.

“They’re actually quite helpful.” You stated as you began to check yourself for any belongings that might be missing. “People don’t expect an aerial assault nowadays. So ambushing people is quite the luxury when being a bounty hunter.” The Ghoul gave a low hum as he slung his bag back over his shoulder. Surprisingly enough they hadn’t stolen anything, but you assumed it was because they were more focused on getting out of there before the two of you woke up.

“Well sweetheart I must be on my way. That bounty is still out there and I don't need someone else getting my caps.” As he said this The Ghoul slung his leg over the wall of the decrepit house and began his trek to the target. Something in the back of your mind pricked at your thoughts as he walked away. The feeling that you needed to follow him into the wasteland grew stronger the farther he walked.

What was it about this guy that had you wanted to do nothing more than follow him like a lost puppy? You hadn’t meant to be working the same bounty but somehow it felt like it was meant to be. Kicking yourself mentally, you sprinted after him. He had only managed to get a few yards away before you abruptly sprinted up behind him.

Out of instinct The Ghoul pulled his gun on you and had it aimed directly at your head. Your chest was rising and falling rapidly as you tried to catch your breath from the short unexpected run you just had. The adrenaline pumping through your veins prevented you from freezing or seeing the gun held to your face as much of a threat at that moment. All your mind was trained on was convincing The Ghoul to take you with him on this job.

“Take me with you.” Was all you could blurt out. Your voice had been shaky which you hoped wouldn’t be too noticeable but The Ghoul definitely caught it. He lowered his gun to keep it aimed at your chest instead.

“Now why should I do that?” He asked as he raised a nonexistent eyebrow. The sun was getting low which caused a shadow to shroud most of The Ghoul’s face. A knot began to form in your stomach. You hadn’t thought this through at all but had to come up with an excuse fast.

“I can be of help. Like I stated before, aerial assault isn’t something most folks are prepared to fight against.” That was practically the only key advantage you had on most other people. You had other talents, sure, but that was back up information in case the main appeal didn’t go through.

The Ghoul lifted his gun to tip his hat out of his face to get direct eye contact with you. His gaze fell and rose as he examined your form. It made you partly embarrassed as you pulled your wings in closer. He stood there and contemplated for a while until you broke the silence.

You grabbed the goggles from your face and sat them on top of your head. Your vision quickly adjusted to the new light exposed to your eyes. As The Ghoul looked back to your face you saw a bet of shock appear on his face before it was quickly masked again.

“Listen,” You started as your hands quickly began to fidget with one another. “I don't know why but I feel as if I’m supposed to go with you. If I had an explanation of why I would tell you but I don’t except for saying it’s a gut feeling.” The Ghoul’s expression stayed the same which quickly diminished your hope of joining him. Your eyes fell to the ground as you continued to speak.

“I don’t require caps or any sort of compensation for joining since I’m doing this out of complete and utter selflessness.” You were about to continue rambling before The Ghoul let out an exasperated sigh. Your attention brought back to his form. The Ghoul was pinching between his eyebrows as he holstered his gun. A few mumbles left his lips before his gaze finally settled back upon you.

“If you slow me down-” He started to say. You quickly cut him off as the realization that he was actually taking you along settled in.

“I won’t! I promise.” You said cheerfully as your wings slightly lifted from your sides. Your demeanor was probably a bit too cheerful though with how his expression changed.

“We’ll see if you keep that promise.” The Ghoul grumbled as he looked at the setting sun. It had nearly disappeared over the horizon which had put the world in a deep shade of purplish pink. It wouldn't be long before the sun was completely gone to leave the two of you in complete darkness.

However, that didn’t stop the two of you from traveling a bet that night. Your night vision was impeccable and The Ghoul had a lamp to guide his way. You stayed silent as did The Ghoul which hadn’t surprised you much. It had been about four hours of traveling before he finally spoke to inform you that it was time to siddle for the night.

[tragedybunny]

To Make You Feel My Love - Chapter 3 of 3

༺Summary༻

Astarion and Serafina continue to pursue their relationship as the confrontation with Cazador looms, and then during the fallout afterward. A couple of chapters that explore their deepening bond and their struggle to build "something real".

༺Pairing༻ Astarion x Serafina (Female Tav/OC)

༺Warnings༻ Angst, Hurt / Comfort, Fluff / Smut.

༺Word Count༻ 2557

༺A/N༻ Thanks to @icybluepenguin - supporter of ear shenanigans and partner in crime (beta). Also this chapter surprised me and became smutty

Read on AO3

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

“Astarion,” Serafina called, glancing around the group's room at the Elfsong, and sighed. 

With Cazador dead, Astarion was revelling in his second chance at life, or unlife as it were. Sera was happy for his happiness, and for the fact that it included her, but he was more distractible and impulsive as well. It made it hard to keep him in one place, especially when he didn't have any particular task.  

Today Sera and Karlach had gone to see Dammon to trade off what they had looted from Bhaal temple. The thought of the place filled her nostrils with the fetid scent of rotted gore, but the loot traded for coin all the same. Now they were back and her darling vampire was nowhere to be found in the Elfsong. 

Karlach was occupied dumping the coin they’d made and items Dammon hadn't been interested in back into the large chest they had found early in their journey. Karlach hadn't needed the help carrying things; Sera had gone with her because despite her hopes, it felt like her friend's days were dwindling, and she wanted as much time as she could with her. Karlach, the unexpected kindness in the wilderness, soft heart in a devil's visage. Shadowheart's tales of dark cloisters and cold maternal figures had given her and the cleric immediate understanding that grew their bond, sisterhood in the shadows; Wyll was her hope; Lae'zel her strength; Gale her perseverance,  but it was the fierce tiefling that had given her a sense of warmth and even a bit of excitement about their journey. Astarion, well… Astarion had started as a necessary evil, someone who would act with ruthless efficiency if they should need it. Now…

“Fangs is probably up on the roof cat-napping on the sun,” Karlach interrupted her thoughts. She smiled as she stood back up from the trunk. “Right where he was yesterday. I think he’s making a habit of it, spoiling himself a bit,” she teased.

The words caused Sera to recall the sight of Astarion, kneeling on the floor of the Cazador’s dungeon, covered in blood, sobbing away the pain of centuries. “I suppose we can let him spoil himself a little.” She followed her words with a hesitant smile, not wanting Karlach to think she was angry at her. 

A hand came to rest on her shoulder and she looked up into those fiery eyes. “He absolutely deserves it,” she said, with all solemnity. Astarion would protest it, but Karlach was one of his first, fast friends among the group, and she’d been fighting for him almost as hard as Sera and Astarion himself. “Now go find him before he starts complaining you kept him waiting.”

As she climbed the ladder up to the rooftop of the Elfong, Sera was greeted by the unexpected sound of voices. Voices that were in fact familiar to her. Pausing before she emerged, she listened for a moment, making sure she wasn’t interrupting something personal. 

“Stop prevaricating, Wyll, and tell me which you like best!” Astarion was clearly agitated. 

“They all have their merits, my friend, but is this really the thing we should be worrying about at this moment?” Wyll spoke in a tone like one trying to reason with an ill-tempered cat; very fitting, she would admit.

“Of course it is! This may well determine my whole life after we take on this brain.”

Normally, she wouldn't consider intruding further, but when the man she loved was talking about the rest of his life, it felt like the conversation was relevant to her. Sera poked her head out of the hatch and glanced around. 

Wyll and Astarion were staring down at a table, facing away from her, the rays of the setting sun illuminating them and making Astarion almost seem to glow with an ethereal light. The two seemed to be studying something. Silently, she took the last step up onto the roof. 

“They’re all fine ideas, but wouldn’t a nice dinner here suffice, and make the least amount of distraction?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be a romantic, Wyll? Does the least amount of effort sound romantic to you? And in case you’ve forgotten, I don’t eat, so that will be a long, awkward evening,” Astarion snarled, and Sera thought maybe it was time to intervene in… whatever it was that was going on.

“Why is this so important now? It really can't wait?” Wyll continued with a patience that was nearly godlike.

“Of course not! I need to show I'm capable of this relationship, before these worms are out of our heads.” Astarion’s posture drooped, and Sera started toward him without thinking about it. “If I wait until after, she might rethink things; decide she wants something normal without the looming possibility of ceramorphosis.”

He really didn't understand yet. 

Thanks to his distraction, Sera managed to creep up behind him. “Love, if I wanted something normal, I would never have gone off into the woods with a vampire in the middle of the night.” 

Astarion stiffened and Wyll glanced behind his shoulder, giving a little snort laugh at her words. Astarion’s elbow met his ribs sharply and he glowered at their friend. 

“You know, I think it’s time for me to head downstairs,” Wyll said, cheerily, giving Sera a wave as walked away. “Wouldn’t want to keep Karlach waiting.”

“By all means,” Astarion turned to address Wyll’s back. “And thanks for all the help.” His voice was laced with faux sweetness. 

Wyll laughed again before vanishing below. 

When he was out of sight, Sera turned her attention to her uneasy lover, eyes glancing down at that paper strewn over the table. Phrases caught her eye, “bathhouse,” “stargazing,” that would be what the romance talk had been about. 

Astarion gazed down at her with a sheepish expression. Once he might have gotten defensive, but he’d come a long way. There was the slightest bit of pink coloring his cheeks, proof of his recent well-fed status. 

“Astarion…” she started.

“Sera, I-”

“Sit.” She gestured to the chair waiting behind him. 

He huffed but complied and Sera followed after, clambering into his lap, skirt riding up to her thighs, legs around his waist, hips settling against his, intimate. She was confident now he’d tell her if he didn’t want the closeness, the physicality. Instead, his arms came around her waist, tugging her closer, and his head rested on her chest. 

“What’s all this about?” One hand stroked through his hair, the other made small circles on his back. 

His first answer was a sigh and she kissed the top of his head. 

“We can stay like this all night until you talk.”

“Mmm, that is a terrible threat. How will I ever cope with such torture.” He nuzzled harder against her chest. 

Then he fell into that uncanny stillness he was capable of, no longer attempting to feign the qualities of the living; he was still as death. Sera didn't speak for a few minutes, allowing him whatever comfort he was seeking. 

Finally, he made a soft, contented noise.

“What are you doing?” she asked, hands having stilled to simply hold him close. 

“Listening to your heart. It's soothing.” That was new. Or maybe he'd never been comfortable enough to admit it before. 

“Really.”

“The steady rhythm, beating out the declaration that you're alive, and impossibly this close to me, over and over. Gods, that was saccharin.” He added a shaky laugh after his words. 

“It was, you must really be vexed.” She kissed the top of his head, face pressing into silken curls. 

“It's just, Wyll has done all these wonderfully romantic things for Karlach, and, provided we all survive, he'll be an ideal partner. He knows how to have a real relationship. And I -” 

“And you're ridiculous.” Sera heard him grumble in response to her words. “After everything, I'm hardly going to change my mind because we haven't had a conventionally romantic outing. Picnics in the park and candle-lit evenings wouldn't make you something you're not.”

“And I suppose you're happy to just keep rolling in the dirt and living in the dark?” 

“Are you there?”

“You're infuriating.” 

“No, I'm truthful. Now, kiss me you idiot.” 

To emphasize her point, Sera reached down, and tucking a hand under his chin, tilted his face to look up at her. Soft crimson eyes gazed up at her, making her heart flutter. She doubted that they would ever stop doing that to her. 

Astarion eagerly met her halfway, lips fervently seeking hers; the cooling blood in his veins leaving them just slightly warmer than a fresh corpse. His lips parted and Sera's tongue darted between them to tease his. Fingers dug into her sides and Astarion moaned into their kiss. 

Growing hardness pressed against her sex through the thin barrier of her small clothes, and instinctively she rolled her hips over it, tongue still ravaging Astarion’s mouth. They were supposed to be talking out whatever was bothering him, but maybe demonstrating was better. 

Breaking the kiss, she gripped the back of the chair to grind herself roughly against him, drawing out a needy whimper. 

“Sera…” he breathed out in a strangled gasp.

“Shh, let me take care of you.” She guided his hands to her shoulders where they were out of the way, her eyes kept on his to make sure he was comfortable with her taking charge.

Pushing her skirt further up, she reached for the laces to his breeches, deftly tugging them open to free his straining cock, already wet with precum. Fingers wrapped around it, stroking him with his own wetness. “You like that?” 

His eyes had fluttered shut, and he tilted his head back, exposing the elegant lines of his neck. Beautiful beyond words. “Gods, yes, darling, don't stop.” 

His hands remained obediently where she left them, fingers squeezing her shoulder ever so slightly. 

Between her legs, her own arousal was an empty ache but she would fill it soon. “You'll tell me if you don't want something, right?” She stopped her ministrations to give him space to answer. 

In typical Astarion fashion, he huffed, opening his eyes to stare at her indignantly. “Of course I will-” 

“Good boy,” she cut him off, and leaned forward to kiss that tempting neck of his before teasing the flesh between her teeth to suck and nibble at it. 

“Fuck.” His hips bucked up into her stilled hand. 

She loved it when he ran out of elegant words. 

Finding her way back to his lips, she reached between her legs, pulling her smalls to the side, to let the length of him rub along her naked clit, feeling her growing wetness. “See what you do to me, Astarion.”

When he tried to answer, she kissed him again, continuing to move her hips and create the most delicious friction. Moving from his lips, she traced a line of kisses along his jaw to his ear, a sinful idea in her mind. The tip of her tongue darted out to lap at his earlobe and Astarion gasped. Encouraged, she licked along the length of it, ever-so-gently, and Astarion outright whined, rolling his hips under her, obviously trying to thrust inside her waiting heat. 

One hand came up to tangle in his curls, stilling him, but not stopping any of the noises spilling out of him. He seemed to enjoy the rough touch, leaning into it. “Ask me nicely,” she whispered in his ear, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Taking charge was an unexpected turn for her, but not an unpleasant one. 

“Please,” he begged and she tugged his hair again. “Please fuck me.” 

“That’s better,” Sera purred and reached between them to guide him into her slick entrance. 

He sank into her with a moan, and to his credit, his hands still firmly grasped her shoulders. 

“You feel so good inside me,” she praised and felt his cock twitch in response. 

With slow, deliberate movements, she rolled her hips, not giving him much of what he wanted. She returned her attention to his ear, tongue lavishing along the length of it, while bringing her fingers up to stroke along the other one. 

It seemed like Astarion was going to say something but all that came out was a noise that sounded like, “mmgggn.” 

Gently, gauging his reaction, she closed her teeth around the edge of it. He yelped her name, every muscle quivering as though he were fighting the urge to thrust up into her. 

For a moment, she released the flesh she had been teasing and whispered, “You like that, love,” before taking it back between her teeth.

The high pitched whine that answered set her ablaze; thoughts of control spiraling away until there was only instinct and the vampire writhing beneath her. Her hips snapped, fucking herself on him just to hear more of those lovely sounds. She continued to suck and nibble his ear, working her way to the very tip, her other hand drawing circles around the other ear. 

“I… I’m going…” Astarion words were forced out between breathy gasps and whimpers. “Hells.” 

She looked at him, truly looked at him, lost in bliss, so different from their first night together. Had she been so blind, that she couldn't see the facade? She had known something was wrong, but how deeply wrong had eluded her. But here was his real beauty, shining like a star, the beauty of being safe, loved, cherished. It didn’t matter that she didn’t finish, only that he knew his worth to her. 

“Such a good boy, trying to wait. Come for me, love.” 

Astarion lost himself, crying out as she pressed herself tight against him, taking all of him. His head slumped against her shoulder and Sera idly played with his curls. 

“Gods below, what was that?” Astarion’s voice creaked a little, the aftereffect of his particularly vocal performance. 

“I thought showing was better than telling. And it worked, I bet you don’t even remember what you were moping about.” 

“Well, I was worried you would want a more normal relationship but given we’ve been up here fucking in this chair for the whole city to see, I think you might be a little more of a freak than I gave you credit for. I will miss the delusion of having seduced a very proper little noble lady.” He giggled against her neck before kissing it softly, and her heart overflowed with contentment.  

“Says the weirdo who let me believe he was a very suave vampire.” She planted a kiss on his temple. “Shall we go in and get cleaned up? We have a long day…” Her words trailed off as the icy tendrils of fear gripped her heart for a moment and she fought them back. They had started their moves against Gortash but nothing would be gained from breaking now, not when they’d come so far. 

“We do have a long day tomorrow, and our fearless leader needs her rest.” Astarion sat up to look in her eyes, his own brimming with concern and sincerity. “But no matter what happens, I’ll be at your side, my love.” 

Sera knew it was true. She and Astarion were bound to one another - whatever tomorrow would bring, the rest of her life would be spent with him.

@micropoe10  @writingmysanity @mxxny-lupin @azu21

Tag List:

 @tallymonster  @dependsonthedream @sunfire-ancunin 

@bambamwolf87 @fayeriess @lumienyx @lisrelly

@elora-the-slutty-songstress @bhaalbaaby @spacebarbarianweird

@satanicspinosaurus @darlingxdragon @astarionsbeloved

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@wickedwitchofthewilds @asterordinary @talented-bitch @waking-electric @snowfolly

[memescomicswriting]

It's Nice To Have A Friend

Chapter 3: Everything Has Changed

Summary: Fate is cruel on how it goes about obtaining its desires. It must be fate, because there is no other explanation for how perfectly molded Y/N and Helaena are to one another. They complement one another like opposite sides of a coin. Where Helaena is shy, Y/N is outgoing. Helaena has a photographic memory. Y/N has emotional inteligence. They have the right temperament to be the missing piece in one another’s lives. Ying and Yang. Then there are the boys. Love them or hate them, they’re there. Even the adults cannot escape the Targaryen chaos, and the fallout doesn’t spare the minors simply because they’re adolescents. Follow how Y/N and those around her carve out lives for themselves amongst the weight of the Targaryen legacy in a modern Westeros.

Word Count: 10.5k

Pairings: Aegon x Y/N, Aemond xY/N, hints of Jace x Y/N, Platonic! Helaena x Y/N, Father Figure! Harwin x Y/N, Mother Figure! Rhaneyra x Y/N, Mother Figure! Alicent x Y/N

Warnings: 18+ you’ve been warned

Lots of profanity, sexual innuendos, drug and alcohol use, boys being stupid jerks, infidelity, divorce, eventual smut

A/N 1: Chapters drop on Thursdays. Please, please, please, please share your thoughts. I wanna hear them. I don't bite, promise!

Sereies Masterlist

It’d been over two months since Harwin took custody of Y/N. They’d fallen into a certain routine. Y/N would attend therapy twice a week, once by herself and once with Harwin. After each session they’d enjoy some sort of treat. Days were spent sorting through Y/N’s things, making her room at Harwin’s her own, the gym, the park, and anywhere else Y/N wanted to go. After her therapy session, the one that included Harwin, they’d often have their treat with Rhaenyra and her boys.

They were loud, rowdy, and complete children. Y/N’s experience socializing with other kids was limited to exclusive centers at premier destinations where they were all of similar demeanor. To her, Rhaenyra’s boys were practically feral. For the first hour or two of socializing, Y/N enjoyed their company. The frenzy of boyish energy blurred the rest of the world like a distorted image. For the first few hours, it was just them and whatever adventure they embarked on. It was nice.

Then the boys would forget the manners expected with company and they’d rough house. Y/N wasn’t too fond of that. She’d make her way to baby Joffrey. Though he was a toddler, he still preferred being held and coddled. Y/N was happy to relieve Rhaenyra or Leanor from snuggling duty. Syrax the cat had a similar idea. She often hid from the chaos in the nursery.

That visit, Rhaenyra, Harwin, and Leanor were content keeping Joffrey. They’d pass the babe back and forth whenever he made grabby hands for the next adult. They seemed satisfied with their time together.

“Boys!” Rhaenyra called her sons into the primary living room. She gave Y/N a sweet and apologetic smile. Her attention quickly shifted to her two sons barreling into the room, squabbling over some shared toy.

“Isn’t this the time you usually bike to the park?” She questioned and realization passed over the boys’ features. It was around the hour they made their way to the park. “Your uncles and aunt arrived back from Oldtown yesterday. Why don’t you introduce Y/N to the family?”

“Oh yeah!” Luke jumped in excitement. “Y/N you gotta meet Aegon. He’s so cool. He comes up with fun games for us to play and tells funny jokes.”

“You’ll like him.” Jace chimed in. “Helaena’s alright. Aemond is Aemond, but Aegon is the coolest.”

Y/N looked back at Harwin wearily. She was already over the boy's outbursts of energy. Now she had to entertain their aunt and uncle? “I don’t have a bike.” Y/N excused.

“No worries.” Leanor assured her. “We have a spare for when the boys have friends over. Helmet included.” He stood and handed Joffrey off to Harwin. “To the garage children.”

Soon Y/N was riding down the sidewalk on a blue and black bike. Her hemet had blue flames on it. It was very… boy, but something about the air blowing on her face and moving her hair back brought her a sense of calm. The boys continued to rattle off about Aegon and all the games they’d play. All Y/N had to do was occasionally mumble some agreement but for the most part, tuned them out. Her interest was in the estates they passed. Sometimes she could see the large homes. Other times all she could gleam was were long driveways.

Y/N wasn’t a stranger to estates. Her parents often took her to several throughout the year. However, she spent most of her life in cities, penthouses with skyline views. A gated community was novel. She enjoyed the overwhelming amount of trees. Save for the sidewalk and road, it was all walls of greenery. With the trees came the smell of dew and flowers. Birds chirped. She saw countless squirrels. Even with the boy's exasperations, she found peace.

The journey took twenty minutes. Treelines opened to a large grassy field. There was a playground with metal joints, slides, swings. A rope climb and course sat off to the side. Restrooms and a picnic area took up a corner. The biggest draw it seemed, was the open field with nets and a dugout. The park wasn’t packed, but the majority of those in the park congregated on that open field.

Y/N followed the boys as they stacked the bikes on a rack. Their helmets clipped to the metal bars of the bike. Jace and Luke took either of Y/N’s hands and pulled her along to a pair of platinum blonde boys- the same platinum as Rhaenyra. One was taller than the other, both gangly, and sported long loose curls.

“Nephews!” The taller one greeted. “And here I thought I’d be stuck with Aemond for company.”

The shorter platinum boy, which had to be Aemond, grumbled and glared at his taller brother.

“Y/N this is Aegon.” Jace introduced. He’d dropped her hand and nudged her forward. “Aegon, this is Y/N, Harwin’s niece.”

“Niece, huh.” Aegon glanced her up and down with an approving hum. She couldn’t understand the extent of his smile. It wasn’t simply friendly, that was obvious, but why would anyone smile if not to be friendly. “So you must be cousins.”

“I’m his goddaughter.” Y/N corrected quietly. Her expression wasn’t unhappy, she still had a small smile, but she was cautious. She sensed something that wasn’t there with the younger boys.

“Oh…” Aegon scrunched his nose in confusion. Then realization washed it away. “Oh, your Harwin’s goddaughter. Mother mentioned you. Well, warned. She said we had to be nice, but I don’t understand why. I’m delightful.”

Aemond snorted. Y/N’s focus shifted to him and she grinned. His brother did sound absurd. Aegon elbowed Aemond. Aemond went to retaliate but Aegon made himself taller as a warning.

Aegon took Y/N’s free hand. Her hand holding Luke’s dropped. Aegon led her further into the grassy fields. “Come on, you can be on my team. Are you any good at tourney games? How old are you, ten? Aemond and Jace are ten and they’re alright.”

“I’m eleven and I haven’t played tourney in a few months. When I did I was a forward.”

“Eleven, I’m twelve, thirteen in five months. That’s okay though, I’ll go easy like I do with the others.”

Y/N shot him a questioning glance. He was either very confident or he really wanted to live up to Jace and Luke’s praises. The younger boys trailed behind them. Jace and Luke appeared more interested than Aemond. Y/N looked around the park. She hadn’t been to this one before. The parks Harwin took her to were nature preserves, no playgrounds. As she scanned the outer perimeter she caught sight of another platinum child.

“Is that your sister?” Y/N pointed to the girl on the very edge of the green.

“Ugh, Helaena.” Aegon confirmed. “Don’t pay attention to her. She’s boring. All she likes is bugs. She’s sketching the butterflies she sees.” He rolled his eyes and continued along, but was forced to halt when Y/N stopped moving.

“I like butterflies.” She stated, freed herself, and began walking in the girl’s direction.

“Y/N where are you going?” Luke asked, catching up to her.

“I’m going to go see butterflies.” Y/N ignored Aegon’s protests. The boys followed despite declarations that they wanted to play tourney games.

The five of them stopped in front of Helaena. The grass was high here but Helaena had a blanket beneath her holding the grass back. Their shadows caught Helaena’s attention and she gave them her acknowledgement but did not speak.

“Hi Helaena,” Jace waved. “This is Y/N,” He pointed at the new addition. “She’s Harwin’s niece.”

“Goddaughter.” Y/N clarified yet again, slightly annoyed. 

“Hello,” Helaena addressed Y/N and closed her sketch book. “I’m sorry about your parents.”

All the boys went wide eyed. She addressed the unspeakable. Don’t bring up Y/N’s parents. Helaena didn’t bat an eye at the boy's reproach. Despite their fear, Y/N didn’t melt into a puddle of tears. Her lips curved up in a sad but longing way.

“Thank you.” Y/N nodded and then dropped to her knees on the blanket. “They said you’re looking at butterflies.”

“There’s several species migrating through the area right now.” Helaena confirmed and pushed a book to Y/N. “I want to see as many as I can.”

“Like I said, boring.” Aegon interjected.

Y/N craned her neck to view Aegon’s folded arms of displeasure. “I don’t think so.”

The statement was unwavering. There wasn’t a drop of apprehension or inflection searching for approval. That’s how Aegon got the younger boys to comply. He couldn’t do that with Y/N. It irritated him. His smirk faded. Her confidence made his skin itch. Something ignited in him, he would impress her and she would follow along. For the moment though, he needed to to keep the boys in line.

“Very well.” Aegon sighed in false acceptance. “We’ll go play tourney. You’ll grow bored. Maybe we’ll let you join if you ask nicely.”

“Okay,” Y/N shrugged and went back to the butterfly book. Aemond caught Aegon’s flash of frustration though it was quick enough that neither Jace or Luke saw. This pleased Aemond.

“Can I see your sketches?” Y/N placed her hand over Helaena’s sketchbook. Helaena nodded and flipped to pages filled with butterfly drawings. “Woah…” Y/N breathed out as she pulled the book close to her chest. “You’re really good!” She wasn’t exaggerating, Helaena was exceptionally talented.

“Thank you.” Helaena hummed. She was fiddling in her backpack for something.

“How do you catch them to draw?” Y/N tried to see what Helaena was doing.

“With this.” Helaena pulled out a container of fresh cut melon. “They like the sweetness from the fruit but you have to stay still.”

“And they just come to you?” “They congregate in the tall grass and wildflowers.”

Y/N plucked a piece of mellon and held her hand to the grass. Patiently, she sat still and waited. After a moment or two, butterflies returned to Helaena’s blanket. One landed on Y/N’s piece of fruit. Two landed on Helaena's.

“This is so cool!” Y/N didn’t raise her voice’s volume so as to not startle the bugs, but her pitch rose and became breathy with excitement. “I think you’re the funnest person I’ve met here.”

“Really?” Helaena cocked her head to the side and frowned, but never looked up from her butterfly. It wasn’t something she heard, ever. She mostly heard Aegon’s adjectives of boring, lame, and weird. 

“Yeah!” Y/N hurriedly reaffirmed. “I mean, Harwin is great and can be fun. Jace and Luke are sweet, even though they can be crazy. My parents used to bring me to see all kinds of creatures on our trips. So this feels… this is cool.”

Helaena nodded along and turned to look at her companion. “What kind of animals did they take you to see?”

Y/N lit up. She really only got to talk about her parents in therapy. Everyone else was too afraid to mention them. Maybe they thought she’d burst into tears at their mention. Though she was desperately sad, and often cried herself to sleep, her memories made her feel better at times. 

“Well in Naath there are these giant butterflies! You have to be careful though, some are poisonous. Sothoreos has snakes as big as cars and wild beasts that can tear through you with their trunks. There’s tribes out there who catch and eat bugs the size of rodents. There were stone carvings of that on the Sothoreos vine covered ruins. Valyrian ruins still have small fire worms, so you can’t touch anything without gloves.” Y/N rambled on and Helaena gobbled up all the information she shared. She’d never left Westeros, so having someone in front of her who’d witnessed the beasts she’d only dreamed of was like having a private viewing of an unreleased nature documentary.

“Do you have pictures?” Helaena scooted closer to Y/N. Y/N didn’t notice nor mind.

“Yeah, I have some.” Y/N pulled out her smartphone, the latest model. It was a gift for her last birthday. Her parents didn’t allow much game or watch time, but they were happy she could chat with others and take pictures whenever she wanted. “I think there’s more on my parent’s cloud.”

Helaena nodded in understanding. When she went to take the phone, her fingers brushed one of Y/N’s many bracelets. This one in particular was woven. “What’s that?” Helaena turned Y/N’s hands back and forth to get the full view of all the bracelets. 

“Oh! These are my bracelets!” Y/N explained. She sat up on her knees and began removing them one by one to show. “Mom never liked me spending too much time on my phone so when we were stuck on long flights or delays we’d make friendship bracelets. She said giving them out was a nice way to say thank you to anyone we met while traveling. I kept my favorites though.”

“This one,” She held up the one that caught Helaena’s eye. “Is one I made with embroidery floss and a pattern book. It took forever to get the knots in order. Then I have ones with beads and ones with beads and floss. Do you like them?”

“I love them!” Helaena held one in each hand and enjoyed the way the bracelets passed between her fingers.

“You can have those two if you like.” Y/N offered.

“Can I?” Helaena’s eyes lit up with enjoyment. It wasn’t often she exchanged items with her peers. She couldn’t remember the last time someone her age gifted her with something outside her birthday.

“You keep those two and I’ll teach you how to make more. Then we can make ones to exchange with each other.”

“I’ll ask my mom if she can take us to get the supplies. I’m sure she will.”

“That’d be great! Harwin would get lost in a craft store.”

Both girls giggled at the thought of that bull of a man wandering around the store in search of embroidery floss and beads. 

Y/N glanced over at the park down the hill and something caught her eye. “Hey, I know you’re busy drawing your butterflies but maybe we could go on the swings and pretend we’re ones instead!”

“Pretend?” Helaena was in disbelief at the silly notion. “How can we pretend to be butterflies? We have no wings.”

“We don’t need them!” Y/N hurriedly exclaimed. “We just swing in the air like we’re flying, migrating butterflies. We could pretend we’re going anywhere you want!”

Helaena glanced at her books and then shrugged. Y/N was nice and thought she was fun. Y/N was kind enough to give her two of her bracelets. How could she say no?

“Okay.” Helaena agreed and began packing up her set up. Y/N helped as best she could, though Helaena preferred a particular order of things.

With everything packed and her backpack on, Y/N and Helaena made their way down to the swing. At some point, Y/N grabbed Helaena’s hand on the walk. Helaena just accepted it, though she’d normally pull away. The two hands clasped felt nice for a change. It helped that Y/N’s hands were soft and smooth, not sweaty.

Helaena put her bag down by the stationary beam and the girls hopped on their respective swings. Side by side, they kicked their legs out and in. The higher and faster they went, the louder their laughter got. They enjoyed the repetitive motion and the feeling of the breeze in their hair. Soon they were shouting out all the places they’d go. Starfall, Naath, Beyond the Wall, Yeeti, and more. If they went to Valyria though, they’d have to take Aemond or he’d never stop complaining. Then there was what they’d do, where they’d sleep, would they camp. It kept them entertained for quite a while.

Over on the field the boys were all kicking and scrambling after a tourney ball. Aegon cheated and shoved Aemond. What should’ve been a red flag, Aegon said, was Aemond running into him. He always did that. Anytime Aemond had the upper hand, Aegon had to ruin it so he always turned up on top. Sometimes, Aemond would give into the rage and try to fight Aegon or whomever the offender was. Usually it didn't go his way. Aegon was bigger and stronger. Jace and Luke protected one another. Aemond would be chased away with a new bruise or scrape. This time he elected to remove himself before his anger got the better of him. In a red faced huff, Aemond marched over the edge of the playground and took a seat in the shade where he could observe.

“Hey, isn’t that your brother?” Y/N pointed out the patch of platinum hair kicking at the dirt.

“That one’s Aemond. He’s probably mad at Aegon for something he did in the game.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, Aegon is rough with Aemond or comes up with all sorts of rules so Aemond doesn’t win. It makes him angry.”

“I’d be angry too.” Y/N agreed and then unexpectedly hopped off her swing mid flight. 

“What are you doing?” Helaena inquired. “Butterflies don’t crash land.”

“Don’t worry,” Y/N assured her new friend. “I’ll be right back. Hold my swing!”

Y/N walked over to Aemond’s sulking spot and sat down next to him. He either didn’t notice her approach or refused to address her.

“Hello.” Y/N greeted, facing the younger brother.

“Hello.” Aemond mumbled back. He didn’t say anything else, but Y/N remained there beaming at him.

“What do you want?” He asked rather rudely.

Ignoring his distasteful tone, Y/N continued her friendly gesture. “Helaena says you really like old Valyria.”

“I do.” Aemond eyed her with suspicion.

“I’ve gone a bunch of times with my parents. Helaena and I were talking about how we were going to go together someday.”

That got Aemond’s attention. With the mention that she’d actually been, she had him enraptured. His mother always said it was too dangerous for children to go, but here was someone only a year older than him who’d gone more than once! In his eyes, she was elevated to the incarnation of Tesserion or Tyraxes- Valyrian goddesses.

“You’ve been to the ruins?” It was more of an exclamation than a question. “What are they like?”

“Come swing with Helaena and I so I can tell you both.” Y/N offered. As soon as she was on her feet and walking, Aemond trailed her like an excited puppy. Aegon noticed.

The three spent a good half hour discussing the ruins of Old Valyria. Aemond had so many questions. Helaena had opinions. Y/N was more than compliant with sharing and listening. It was fun for Y/N. She liked talking with Helaena and Aemond. They were her age and didn’t become chaotic like Jace and Luke. She truly liked those boys, but even their mother said they were a lot to handle. The game must have ended or Aegon got tired of playing, because he, Jace, and Luke made their way over to those content on the swings. They had to have planned something on their way. Or better yet, Aegon did. They struted over with knowing smirks and hands hiding in full pockets.

“The evil dragons have captured the princess!” Luke shouted at the top of his lungs startling the trio. “We must free her!” Then the assault began.

To their credit, Helaena and Aemond dodged the majority of the acorns while swinging. Y/N figured she was the princess they referred to because none of the artillery was aimed at her. Jace and Aegon threw harder than Luke. To catch up, Luke began picking up mulch when retrieving his ammo. Helaena and Aemond were calling for them to stop, but as long as Aegon was laughing, the bombardment continued.

“Knock it off!” Y/N’s voice cut through the chaos and registered in the boys’ ears. It was loud and firm, deeper than her normal talking voice. Perhaps it was similar enough to Rhaenyra’s to make the boys pause. Aegon stopped when he noticed he was the only one left throwing their pellets.

“We’re just having fun.” Jace whined, attempting an explanation. “It’s a game.”

“But it’s not fun!” Y/N admonished Jace. “It’s not fun for them,” She waved at Helaena and Aemond. “The ones you’re pelting. You’re not having fun, you’re being mean, and cruel, and bullies!”

Small mouths opened agape and looks were exchanged. Was this actually mean? Aegon said it’d be fun and it was. Then Jace and Luke saw the disapproval from Y/N and the sadness from Helaena. Aemond was upset as well, but he was always upset. 

“I’m sorry.” Luke mumbled rather meekly.

“Yeah, sorry.” Jace agreed and kicked at the discarded acorns and mulch below to avoid the shame he’d feel from looking Y/N in the eyes.

“Oh quit being such babies.” Aegon ignored the feelings of regret Y/N tugged on. He rolled his eyes and his smirk grew. “If they want to escape the scorpion arrows then they need to relinquish the girl!”

He hoped that by capturing their imagination, he could win the younger boys back to his side. Y/N would surely follow once she saw how much fun they were having. To prove his point he threw several acorns at a time at Aemond and Helaena. He made the pitches harder than before. This time, rather than the majority failing to hit their mark or landing in their laps, this round hit hard. One caught Aemond in the eye. Helaena was hit in the center of the forehead, neck, and ear. She screeched in fright, lost her balance, and fell off her swing. Then she began to cry loud, wailing tears.

Y/N looked from Helaena, to Aemond, to Aegon who had a smug grin. Jace and Luke were shocked. They immediately went to comfort Helaena. As they were running towards the swing, Y/N used the height she acquired from swinging to leap away. She had airtime on her side, and good aim too. She tackled Aegon and knocked them both to the ground. Ignoring the shock to her body, Y/N began to wrestle with him. She wasn’t like Aemond who attacked but failed due to the size difference. She’d hit a growth spurt that Aegon had yet to reach. They were the same size and Y/N had Harwin for a guardian. He’d already begun his defense lessons with her, worried for how her first time in a school would go. They’d paid off. It was evident in the way she kicked Aegon’s ass.

Trying to crawl away, Aegon ended up rolling onto his stomach for leverage. Y/N dashed that hope by pinning him by the back of his neck and legs. He was hollering for Y/N to get off of him.

“Do you like that?” Y/N asked through gritted teeth. She was shoving his head into the mulch, dirt, and discarded acorns. “Do you like eating acorns? Is it fun for you now?”

“It’s not!” Aegon, still squirming, answered in hope of reprieve. His face was beat red. Later he’d claim that he let Y/N do this and he never shed a tear.

“Eat it! Eat it!” Y/N called over his wails, trying to shove an acorn in his mouth.

“Stop!” Aegon tried demanding. That didn’t work either. He switched back to pleading. “Get off of me, please!”

“Apologize.” Y/N shook him insistently.

“I’m sorry!” Aegon hollered into the ether.

“Say it to them!” Y/N forced Aegon by the hair to address his siblings.

“I’m sorry!” He repeated, louder. That was what Y/N needed to relent. She gave him one last shove downwards and swung out of her straddling position. She climbed off Aegon and stood, brushed past Jace and Luke and went to help Helaena up. She’d stopped her sobs but there were still tears in her eyes.

“Are you okay?” Y/N brushed the loose strands of hair clinging to Helaena’s tear soaked cheeks. Helaena nodded but kept her eyes downcast. It was enough for now.

Y/N went to check on Aemond next. “Are you okay?”

“My eye hurts, but I’ll be fine.” Aemond was holding his hand to his eye. Y/N lifted it to check. There was a scratch that trailed from above his brow to mid cheek and little welts of blood.

Y/N huffed, upset. She claimed Helaena’s backpack and tossed it over her shoulders. With that stubborn scowl she grabbed Aemond’s free hand and reached for Helaena. She led them to the bike racks. Luke and Jace attempted to follow, but with one stern glare from Y/N they backed off. Maybe she was scarier than their mother.

“We didn’t ride here.” Helaena whispered. Her tension had yet to disperse.

“Our house is only a five minute walk away.” Aemond clarified.

“Oh.” Y/N dropped either’s hand and stood conflicted. “Well I did.”

“You don’t have to go with us.” Helaena sniffled. “We’ll make it back okay and you can continue to play.”

“I don’t want to play with them.” Y/N’s lips pursed and twisted with confliction. She spoke slowly as she formed her ideas. “I’ll make sure you make it home safe and then I’ll bike back to Rhaenyra’s. Aemond, you’re hurt. Do you want to ride the bike back?” “I can’t ride with one hand and one eye.” Aemond scoffed at the suggestion.

“Right… Helaena, why don’t you ride. Maybe it will calm you down.” Y/N suggested.

“Okay.” Helaena agreed timidly.

The trio slowly made their way to the patriarchal Targaryen residence. There were very few houses on the way. Each house had more land than the next. 

“Why did you do that?” Aemond broke the silence which blanketed the triad.

“Do what?” Y/N hummed.

Aemond looked to his sister. They were used to making this walk back together. One, the other, or both were fed up with Aegon’s antics and decided they’d rather sit at home than spend another minute at the park. Helaena nodded for her brother to continue. 

“Stand up to Aegon.” He clarified. “You could’ve gotten hurt.”

“I’m not afraid of him.” Y/N found the thought amusing. “Especially now that I’ve seen him eat acorns.”

They all found humor in that. Aemond especially. “You’re my new favorite person.”

“Thank you.” Y/N bowed slightly, playing along, gleeful. “He’s obviously a jerk and I couldn’t just sit back and let him be one. Jace and Luke are dumb for finding him cool.”

“Ugh,” Aemond rolled his good eye. “They can’t think for themselves when they’re around him.”

“So I’ve gathered.” Y/N agreed. 

They stopped once they reached a massive gate enclosing another extensive driveway. Aemond pulled a key card from his pocket and held it to a metal box. The gate divided down the center. After what seemed like a mile, they reached the house. It was a mansion, but they called it a house. It was old and sophisticated. Constructed with Valyrian brick and marble that’d be too expensive for building most modern homes. It was adorned with fountains, balconies, lots of well kept greenery, and many implanted crests. Y/N’d seen buildings like this before. She didn’t go often, but both her mother and father owned family estates of similar magnitude.

The door wasn’t locked. It didn’t need to be when the property was walled up like a palace. Helaena left the bike and helmet by the door. Y/N returned her backpack.

“Mother’s not here.” Helaena stated woefully. “We’ll have to ask father about your eye.”

“No.” Aemond wouldn’t let his sister pass to whatever corridor she might find their father down. “He’ll be upset if we bother him.”

“Whenever I got something on my face or in my eye my parents made me wash it out.” Y/N offered some compromise.

“Let’s try the bathroom.” Helaena added in. “There’s bandaids and wipes there too.”

“Okay.” Aemond relented to the idea. In his opinion, it was better to avoid involving their father.

Once in the massive downstairs primary guest bathroom, Aemond went to the sink and began to flush out his eye. It agitated him at first but as the dirt started to dislodge it brought him comfort. Helaena found the first aid kit. The two girls went through it. They took out alcohol wipes, antibacterial cream, and bandages. Aemond questioned when he could stop rinsing. His hair was soaked. Y/N brought a hand towel to wrap around his shoulders so he didn’t get his shirt wet. Just like before, Y/N took charge. She made Aemond sit on the wall to wall countertop so she could dress his wounds. Helaena made herself comfortable next to her younger brother.

“If you don’t have to go right away, I can show you my other sketches. I’ve got a lot in my room, and books! Oh and you have to meet Dreamfyre!” Helaena clearly recuperated from her previous meltdown.

“Why are you so chatty all of a sudden?” Aemond attempted to look at his sister but Y/N kept his head from turning. It made him intently look at the face of the girl in front of him. The very same girl who beat up his brother. His hero. She was beautiful. He let out a shaky exhale. Y/N didn’t notice.

“I’m not suddenly chatty.” Helaena countered. “I just want to show my new friend all my things.”

“Well if you get to show her all of your things then I get to show her all of mine.” Aemond argued. His tone lost its edge when he addressed Y/N. “You’ll see all my stuff too, right? I’ve got replica swords, and maps of Valyria, and Vagar my lizard.”

“She won’t want to see that boring old beast.” Helaena kept Y/N from answering.

“She’s way more interesting than your drawings.” Aemond snickered.

“I’ll see both.” Y/N agreed once she finished touching up Aemond’s face. 

He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. “I look hideous with these bandages and red eye.”

Smirking, Y/N disagreed. “I think it makes you look tough. Like Aegon should think twice before attacking you again.”

Aemond blushed and turned his head to hide it. On doing so, he felt how wet his hair was. “It’s like I got waterboarded.”

“Okay hold still.” Y/N gathered his hair in the hand towel and began to gently ring it out.

“Maybe, since Y/N’s here we can convince Father to let us see his model Valyria.” Helaena voiced her wonder. “I mean, she’s been there so she can tell father if he’s got it right.”

“It’s a model of Old Valyria, like when it was still intact.” Aemond corrected.

“They had models there of what it looked like. They had one every time you came to a new group of buildings.”

“Okay but after you look at my maps.”

“And meet Dreamfyre.”

With the three lost in their conversation they did not hear the front door open and close nor the footsteps that grew louder as they came closer. Alicent noticed the bike on the front porch. It wasn’t one that belonged to her children. Maybe it was one of Rhaenyra’s brood. Or perhaps the children brought one of their playmates from school over. That was a rare occurrence. With Daeron on her hip she made her way towards the direction of young voices. She found it odd that they congregated in the bathroom of all places.

“Dearests, what’s going on?” Alicent asked while rounding the corner. She stopped when she caught an unfamiliar young girl drying her son’s wet hair. “Oh, hello.”

Aemond looked like a deer in the headlights. Something about his mother walking in on a girl showing him care unnerved him. Y/N was surprised but masked a larger reaction. Helaena kicked her feet as she had been doing before, unbothered.

“Hello mother.” Helaena began rambling again. There wasn’t a breath to be heard between sentences. “This is Y/N, Harwin Strong’s goddaughter, Y/N.”

Alicent recognized the name and relation. Viserys told her about this girl weeks ago when Rhaenyra told him. She felt terrible for the orphan. She was the same age Alicent was when she lost her mother. She empathized with the girl, though she wasn’t fond of her connection to Rhaenyra. Viserys already regurgitated the stories Rhaenyra shared like Y/N was one of his own grandchildren.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Alicent tried to make the introduction but Helaena continued talking over her. She was taken aback. This was something Helaena would do when she watched a new documentary or discovered a new book to fascinate her mind. When it came to others, school, her day she typically withheld herself.

“Y/N likes butterflies too mother. I taught her how to attract butterflies and then we pretended to be butterflies. We had so much fun talking about the places she’s been.”

“She’s been to the Valyrian ruins.” Aemond chimed in. Alicent noticed the bandages over his face and immediately placed Daeron down to investigate.

“Oh yeah, Aegon and our nephews were being mean and throwing acorns at us.” Helaena continued. “You should’ve seen Y/N mother. She made the boys stop and even got Aegon to apologize.”

“Apologize and eat dirt.” Aemond smugly added. When his mother continued to scout his face for injury he stepped back and nodded that he was alright enough. “Y/N bandaged it up for me.”

“And she gave me these bracelets!” Helaena shoved her bracelet clad wrist into her mother’s face. “It’s nice to have her as a friend.”

Alicent lowered her daughter’s arm back to her side. “I see sweetling. You’ve had an eventful day.” She went to address the unexpected house guest but when she did, she had to look further down than expected.

Y/N crouched down next to Daeron and kept him from crawling under the sink or to where his little fingers could be stepped on. She distracted him with large expressions and soft words. Alicent’s heart warmed and a motherly grin emerged from her lips.

“So you made my eldest eat dirt?” Alicent questioned in a teasing manner.

“It was actually acorns.” Helaena corrected her brother’s previous statement.

Y/N’s eyes widened in a bit of a panic as she searched for the right words. The fact Alicent was playing with the girl flew right over her head with the assumption of trouble.

“I’m sorry.” Y/N quickly stood but kept bending down to keep Daeron from crawling under the counter. “I know I shouldn’t of, and it was unkind.” Her words came out as fast as Helaena’s. “He wouldn’t stop pelting them and he, he hurt Aemond and made Helaena cry. And! And! It just made me really upset to see her cry. She was so nice and we were gonna make friendship bracelets.”

Alicent cut off the frantic girl with a loving squeeze to either of her shoulders. “It’s okay, Y/N. No more apologies are needed. I’m happy that someone stood up for my Aemond and Helaena.”

“Okay.” Y/N nodded but still unsure. “I’m sorry for coming over unexpectedly. I wanted to make sure they made it home alright and Aemond’s eye was okay.” She stared at the ground, avoiding eye contact, perceiving annoyance at her uninvited presence.

Alicent heard that the girl lived like a vagabond with her parents, traveling from one destination to the next. It explained her nerves at social protocol. This was a little more excessive than she would expect, but at least she was polite. That impressed Alicent more than it concerned her. Though she’d never admit it, it was better than her children would react in this situation.

“Like I said,” Alicent kept her friendliness. “No more apologies needed.”

“Mother,” Helaena gently tugged on her arm. “Can I show Y/N my room now?”

“Hold on dear, she can’t just disappear with you for hours on end. Harwin may not know where she is and is worried.” Alicent attempted to calm her daughter's increasing hyperfocused energy.

Helaena’s line of sight snapped to Y/N. “You can text or call him right? Then you’ll have permission!”

Alicent did not recognise the individual who had possessed Helaena’s body. Her quiet, introverted, particular daughter was bounding with energy for this new friend. Alicent almost fainted in shock when Helaena wrapped herself around Y/N’s arm.

“If Harwin approves, then yes, she may stay.” Alicent studied her daughter as she bounced up and down, giggling in Y/N’s ear.

“She’s been like this since they met.” Aemond moaned.

Alicent knowingly side-eyed her son. “You can join in their fun too.” Aemond again blushed and chased after the girls. Harwin must have responded with a quick yes, because in a blink of an eye they were out the bathroom door.

Alicent picked up Daeron and leaned against the counter. Perplexed was an understatement. Sometimes Helaena would preen like this when she had her father’s undivided attention. Which was rare. She’d have to consult one of her blogs about this sudden behavior. It had to be a good thing that Helaena made a new friend, no matter how quickly she became attached. It could’ve been Y/N’s protection that enraptured Helaena. She was safe and shared interests. Gods help them, maybe she could quell some of Helaena’s stemming.

Then there was Aegon. Should she be mortified that the girl became aggressive with her eldest, or pleased? On one hand, someone laid hands on her child. On another, It was Aegon and he had it coming. She’d need to admonish this behavior when he gained the courage to return home. Y/N captured Aemond’s affections rather than ire. That was surprising. A pleasant ease settled Alicent. Helaena was acting like a normal eleven year old girl, Aemond was in good spirits, and Aegon learned that he shouldn’t tease his siblings. And she was good with Daeron! She’d buy the house next door for Harwin if this was the typical day with Y/N around.

Aemond and Helaena took Y/N from one room to the next. They had to show her every book, picture, map, game, and creature in a bid to hold her attention. Y/N went along with them both. She saw Helaena’s other sketches. She had insects, birds, reptiles, and fish mainly. Aemond had over a dozen maps all neatly hung around his room. Others were in his books. There was the sword. She met Dreamfyre the cat who was very friendly and cuddly. Vagar the ancient looking behemoth of a lizard, not so much. Still, she accepted Aemond’s invitation to watch him feed her and held her tongue on how gross it was.

Eventually, the three exchanged hushed whispers behind Viserys’ study door. There was an aggressive whisper argument dragging on as the door swung open. Y/N couldn’t understand why Aemond had been so apprehensive about engaging with his father. The man who opened the door had kind eyes and a loving smile. He didn’t appear bothered.

“Well, well, well I thought I heard little dragons outside my door.” Viserys chuckled, addressing the three children.

“Father!” Helaena exclaimed while she dove in for a hug. To Y/N it looked like a hug you’d give someone after being parted for over a week. Aemond nervously smiled at Y/N’s side.

“Hello little love.” Viserys returned Helaena’s hug. Then he ruffled Aemond’s hair. “And my boy.”

Finally his gaze landed on Y/N. “And who might you be.”

“This is Y/N father.” Helaena answered for her friend with her head pressed into her father’s shirt. “She’s Harwin Strong’s goddaughter and she beat up Aegon.”

“She beat up Aegon?” Viserys raised his brows in surprise. “What did he do to earn the wrath of such a lovely girl?”

Again, Helaena answered. “Pelted us with acorns that scratched Aemond’s eye and made me cry. You should’ve seen her father.” Helaena looked up at her father with excitement in her eyes. “She jumped off the swing and landed right on him! She even made him apologize.”

“It was amazing.” Aemond nodded his head in sound agreement.

“Well then, the punishment fits the crime I’d say.” Viserys chuckled. Unlike Alicent, he didn’t question if he should be upset or not.

“She’s been to the Valyrian ruins, father.” Aemond piped up, bringing the focus back to why they were outside the study door.

“Really?” This piqued Viserys’ interest. “I heard you were well traveled, my dear, but I did not expect it to include the ruins.”

“I’ve been four times. My mother said it was important to know my heritage.” Y/N affirmed. 

“Right she was.” Viserys nodded. “Those descended from the empire should know where they come from.”

“Father,” Helaena was holding his hand now. “Can we show Y/N your models?”

“Certainly.” Viserys guided the three children into his study. It was warm. Beams of sun entered the room from large windowed doors. A balcony was beyond them. Tapestries hung from the ceiling. There was an empty fireplace against an exterior wall.

“Though this won’t look like the ruins as it is a model based on the height of the empire, you should be able to recognize several pieces.” Viserys stood back proudly as the children awed at his models.

“They had reconstructed diagrams at every ruin.” Y/N walked around the table identifying each city quadrant. “It’s very similar.”

“Similar?” Viseryes chuckled at her unabashed honesty. She’d get along with his youngest daughter, that was certain.

“I didn’t mean to be rude.” Y/N quickly looked at Viserys and then averted her gaze. “Just that they have diagrams from all ages of the Empire and they all look different.”

“Ah, so we have a Valaryian expert in our midst.” Viserys went to place a hand on Aemond’s shoulder. “Perhaps the two of you can use your maps and make your own reconstructions.”

Aemond gleamed in excitement at his father. “You’d give us the materials?”

“Certainly,” Viserys agreed by patting his middle son on the back. He then began nudging the girls along to the door. “You can draw up your plans after supper.”

There was a chorus of disappointed acceptance.

“You are staying for supper, Y/N?” Viserys looked down at his little guest.

“I’ll text Harwin. He won’t mind. He hates cooking unless it’s on a grill.” Y/N rushed to send out another text to her guardian. Viserys found her amusing. Between her quickness and willingness to rough up a bully like Aegon, she reminded him of his Rhaenyra.

Alicent was setting the table. Daeron was strapped in his highchair. Aegon returned and taken his spot at the table. He was pouting and refused to make eye contact.

“Since the staff is off for the day, it isn’t anything posh.” Alicent’s way of apologizing for a normal meal. “I hope you’re not opposed to roast chicken and veggies.” They were from the high end grocery store. Alicent rarely cooked these days.

Y/N wasn’t sure if Alicent was addressing her, but then after a moment of silence everyone looked to Y/N for a response. “I like it. I haven’t had a meal like this in a while.”

Alicent hummed disapprovingly. “Well you’re welcome to join us anytime you fancy a well prepared meal.”

Aegon tried to hold back his laughter. He knew his mother bought the food. It was well prepared, if you considered store bought catering well prepared. The breathy chuckles ceased under Alicent’s withering glare of motherly scrutiny. Everyone else took their seats and began passing around dishes of food. Helaena and Aemond attempted to squabble over who sat next to Y/N. Alicent shut it down with a snap of her fingers and the point for Aemond to sit next to his elder brother.

Y/N ate her food in bites while observing Daeron play with his. She’d learned much from her time with little Joffrey, so she helped break apart chunks for Dearon to better manage. Alicent tried to wave her off, but Y/N enjoyed the feeling of responsibility. Eventually, Alicent accepted the opportunity to eat her food while it remained warm.

“I heard there was a bit of fuss at the park today.” Viserys had a solid countenance but there was a hint of mischief in his eyes.

“Husband.” Alicent warned. “I’ve already spoken with Aegon.”

The eldest boy sank further into his chair, but his father continued. “That’s good.” Viserys nodded along. “However, I’d like to hear what Aegon learned from the scuffle.”

Y/N was avoiding eye contact as much as Aegon. She didn’t regret her actions, but it felt weird to review them with Aegon’s parents.

“Go on.” Viserys insisted.

“I shouldn’t make jokes out of hurting others.” Aegon’s voice was low and harder to hear since he was talking to his dinner plate. “I don’t enjoy it when it happens to me.”

“Very good.” Viserys accepted that answer. Then he turned to Y/N who became nerve wracked under his attention. “Y/N I appreciate your kindness to my Helaena and Aemond, but next time don’t make the trouble maker ingest bits of the park. Getting a stomach ache after his embarrassment would be a tad too cruel.”

No one, least of all Y/N, expected blanket permission to lay hands on Aegon. The boy’s eyes rounded like saucers and he fixed himself on Y/N. She mimicked his wide eyed surprise.

“Viserys.” Alicent scolded. “Do not encourage improper behavior.”

Viserys simply smirked and went about eating his dinner. Aemond smirked as well. He enjoyed the looming threat over his brother’s shoulders. Helaena paid no mind to it all. She was preoccupied with all the things she wanted to do with her new friend.

After dinner, Y/N, Helaena, and Aemond attempted to catch fireflies in the backyard. They ran to their hearts content trying to get as many lights as they could in their jar. Once the sun fully set, Alicent called them back inside.

“Alright sweetlings, you’ve had your fun, but I think it’s time for Y/N to go. I’m sure Harwin is wondering where she is.” At least Alicent hoped he was, rather than dumping his duties to the girl in favor of time with his biological children. Aemond and Helaena let their disappointment be known.

“But mother,” Helaena pulled at Alicent’s hands. “Can’t Y/N stay the night? Please? She can text Harwin like she has before.”

Aemond chimed in next. “I don’t want her to go yet, mother.”

Alicent bit her lower lip in contemplation. It’d been a while since she’d seen her middle children pleasantly act their age. Then again, this was all becoming a hassle.

Viserys stepped into the room with his arm draped across Aegon’s shoulders. Obviously they just finished a lengthy conversation. “Oh let them have their fun dear. I’ll call Harwin and fill him in on the budding friendships. I’m sure he’ll happily oblige to give up Y/N for the night. Let the children build forts and watch movies like you used to put on for Rhaenyra when she was their age.”

Alicent immediately frowned at the mention of her past as Rhaenyra’s older companion. Viserys didn’t care to notice and the children were oblivious. The excitement of a fort and movies kept them occupied.

“She does not have pajamas nor her toiletries.” Alicent objected.

“Bah,” Viserys disregarded his wife’s concerns. “Let her borrow from Helaena. How particular can one be at eleven?”

Alicent let out a sigh. Though she was displeased by old memories, she knew when she’d lost a fight. Their happiness had grown too strong for Alicent to shatter now. She liked Y/N, truly, which helped ease her resolve.

“Very well.” Alicent directed the children to go prepare for bed. “Helaena, be a dear and share your clothes with Y/N. I know you’re not fond of others touching your things, but-”

“Okay.” Helaena was unexpectedly accepting of the favor. Normally, she’d throw a fit at anyone doing anything to her possessions. Alicent was taken aback. Odd behavior from her odd girl. Maybe the two canceled eachother out.

Helaena pulled Y/N along to her room to fuss over what they’d wear. Aemond dressed faster and began his idea of a fort in what was dubbed the ‘kids room.’ The air mattress was retrieved from one of the storage cubbies and inflated. He’d begun attempting to make a tent with spare sheets, but it was not going well. The girls joined in on the construction. Pillows appeared, a stuffed animal, couch cushions stolen, and someone had the inventive idea to use a hair tie to hold the sheet to a standing lamp; thereby accomplishing Aemend’s tent goal.

Popcorn and candy appeared at some point. Alicent dubbed fruit leather candy, but Viserys snuck in the real deal along with some sodas. First up was Dragon Training. They all made it through that. Aegon appeared sometime during the movie. Though embarrassed by the day's events, he didn’t want to miss out on the fun. Fantastic Mr. Fox was the second selection. As she grew tired, Helaena furthered the gap between her body and the others. She preferred her space when she slept and wasn’t a fan of snuggling. Aegon claimed Helaena’s previous position next to Y/N. Aemond didn’t move, but he eventually succumbed to sleep as well. That left Aegon and Y/N to share the remnants of popcorn and candy.

After working up the nerve, Y/N addressed Aegon. “I’m sorry I tackled you.” It was a rapid blurt of words, but the best she could do.

Aegon had his knees to his chest, back reclined against cushions, and his arms around his legs. “It’s okay. I had it coming.” Aegon gave Y/N a weak smile. “I’m just sorry you hate me now. I really wanted you to like me.”

Y/N blinked in confusion. She couldn’t align his actions to his motives. “You have a weird way of getting people to like you.”

“Yeah, well.” Aegon shrugged. “It didn’t work either way.”

“I don’t hate you.” Y/N insisted. She leaned back onto the cushions herself so she could be face to face with Aegon. “I just hated what you chose to do.”

“Clearly,” Aegon snorted. “You jumped me and made me eat dirt and an acorn.”

“Hey,” Y/N defended herself. “Even you admitted you had it coming.”

“And I’ll take that to my grave.” The pair giggled at Aegon’s pledge. “Can we be friends then?”

“So long as you can be friendly.”

“I make no promises I can’t keep.”

“Then I won’t promise that you’ll survive this friendship without a bruise.”

“That’s fair.”

The two adolescents fell asleep before the movie ended. They slept side by side, no qualms in sharing body heat. For the first time in over a month Y/N felt whole again. Sandwiched between Aegon and Aemond with Helaena present as well, felt right. She felt like she was home again. No nightmares or midnight crying fits. She felt safe, secure, and loved. It was the best night's sleep she’d have for a while.

….

Rhaenyra was concerned for Y/N. No she wasn’t her mother, but she’d come to view Y/N as one of her own. This was the first time one of her own was away from home. She read that it was a good thing, Y/N not calling. If she were to call several times in one day, that meant she wasn’t adjusting well. Y/N of all people knew how to adjust. Also, rooming with Helaena was as familiar as breathing air to Y/N.

Still, Rhaenyra wanted an excuse to call her girl. Harwin came up with the idea of sending care packages. He’d received it from Y/N’s paternal grandmother, with her father, back when she was alive and they were in college. They never failed to brighten his day. He always made sure to call and express his thanks. It didn’t matter if he liked everything in it because someone took the time to think about him and what he might like. That meant more.

So there they were, in a general store, debating what candle Y/N would like more: coffee at dawn or imperial love. Weird names, but both smelled fantastic. They’d already picked up a few of the girl’s favorite snacks and some hair accessories. Someone rounded the corner with their cart. Rhaenyra paid no attention, going to move her cart to the side out of courtesy, but then she looked up.

Alicent seemed to have the same idea. Her cart was stacked with a variety of odds and ends a freshly independent college girl might need. Alicent couldn’t help but to smirk in that knowing, slanted smile.

“Great minds think alike.” Was her greeting.

“It seems so.” Rhaenyra acknowledged.

“Alicent.” Harwin nodded with a simple smile. He wasn’t fond of the woman, but she was forever in their lives and he preferred to be cordial when possible.

“Well, let’s compare our selections. If we send multiple of the same thing, it could overwhelm them.” Alicent went to sort her cart into an accountable state.

“Them?” Rhaenyra questioned. “You’re sending Y/N things as well?”

“Yes, I’m shopping for Aegon, Helaena, and Y/N. The latter live together and she might as well be the family’s bonus daughter.” Alicent shrugged as she thought it was obvious. She’d never leave Y/N out.

Rhaenyra grumbled under her breath, so Harwin spoke up. “I thought the girls should have a small handyman kit for repairs and small constructions. Lords knows Y/N and Helaena could pay for something to be put together or fixed, but you know how stubborn Y/N is with her independence.”

“Yes.” Alicent chuckled. “That she is. It’s a lovely idea. You’re caring, but not overstepping by giving her what she needs to live how she wants.”

Rhaenyra placed a hand to her chest in silent shock. Who was this person and what did they do with the Alicent they knew?

Harwin gave a quick peck to his wife’s forehead. “I’ll go see what I can find.” Avoiding Rhaenyra’s pleading eyes, ones that’d catch him before he could get away, he rounded the end of the aisle.

Rhaenyra cleared her throat. “I don’t know about sending Y/N two care packages. She appears to enjoy her newfound distance.”

“Really?” Alicent cocked her head. “On the phone with Helaena she was quite open about missing the boys and the bustling of the family being together.”

Rhaenyra gawked, mouth open in shock. “She calls you?”

Alicent nodded along, concerned with Rhaenyra’s surprise. “Not nearly as often as she just happens to be present when I talk to Helaena, but yes she has.”

“She’ll call us about once evry other week.” Rhaeynera revealed in amazement. 

Cautiously, Alicent explained her perceived reasoning. “She’s… more open, lighter since I made my amends with her.”

This was not how Rhaenyra expected her impromptu shopping trip to go. “Amends? What amends?”

Alicent sighed. She left the front of her cart and stepped into Rhaenyra’s space so she could be heard with a hushed voice. “After the recent holiday… debacle, I realized that I’d become someone I didn’t like. I’d, I’d hurt those whom I care about the most. So I started therapy.”

Rhaeynra’s eyes went impossibly wide and she squeeked trying to find her words. Alicent held up both hands to convince Rhaeynra to keep her initial response to herself. “Don’t be so shocked. Your words helped me find my direction.”

Rhaenyra couldn’t shake the idea of Alicent on a shrink’s couch. What an odyssey they had to unpack. Then again, Alicent was more tolerable of late. “So Y/N?” She tried to center the mess she waded into.

“I’ve made so many mistakes as a mother.” Alicent looked down to her nails, she was scratching at the skin around them. An old nervous habit that resurfaced. “I’m working to fix those. Y/N may not be mine, but she’s a good place to start. I apologize for the turmoil I caused when you and Leanor separated, and how I let her down.”

Rhaenyra went visibly rigid with the mention of her divorce. She’d grown past it, but every once in a while she’d remember how hurt her boys were and her anger would rise.

“And I know I owe you rectification too.” Alicent tried to jump in front of Rhaenyra’s racing thoughts. “But about Y/N… she eased when I took accountability for the pain I caused her.”

Alicent continued to gaze, lips curled inward like there was more she wanted to say. Rhaenyra crossed her arms, irritaed. “You point is?”

“I don’t know for certain.” Alicent was hesitant. “And I’m certainly not placing any blame on anyone, but I think she might be holding onto the pain she felt when she found you… in that way.”

Rhaenyra scoffed. “You can’t be serious.”

Alicent innocently shrugged. “Like I said, I can’t say anything for certain and I’m not trying to place blame or open old wounds. All I know is that she withdrawals whenever Leanor is brought up.”

Rhaenyra was over this Alicent. She could change, but the feelings she stirred hadn’t. Rhaenyra went to steer her cart away from this conversation. “Hm, well thank you for the information to consider.”

Alicent stepped in front of Rhaenyra’s cart, preventing her from moving. “Wait.” She placed her hands, holding the cart back. “I know I can’t unwind the years of distress I’ve brought on you, but maybe we can at least appear united, for the children.”

Rhaenyra exhales the energy she’d held throughout this interaction. She looked everywhere but Alicent. Anything to get her out of this conversation. Her phone buzzed and she thought that was her ticket out. When she clicked on her phone screen, it was a photo memory of her and Y/N together, the boys running in the background. She missed Y/N’s closeness.

Rhaenyra held her eyes closed for a moment. When she opened them, she gave into Alicent’s suggestion. “For the children.”

….

Helaena and Y/N were on their way back from the campus post office. Though they had cars and ample funds in their checking accounts, Alicent, Rhaenyra, and Harwin regularly sent care packages. At some point, the elder adults confused the one hour drive across the city to a ten hour time zone difference. Last week it was enough snacks and cold medicine to survive another Long Night. They were unsure what to expect this go round.

Each held a box in their hand as Helaena went to fetch her key card. For freshmen, they had one of the largest dorms on campus. They only needed to share a common space and a bathroom. They had their own bedrooms with walk in closets. Baela and Rheana had the same accommodations down the hall. Targaryen perks. The lights were off and the entry room was as dark as they had left it. Walking with familiarity, the girls placed their boxes down on the kitchen counter and flipped on a light. 

The light illuminated the majority of the common space. There on the couch sat Aegon, scrolling on his phone with a collection of snack wrappers. Helaena jumped and let out a shout at the unexpected visitor. Y/N rolled her eyes and threw a roll of paper towels at Aegon in annoyance.

“Thank you.” He said as the roll smacked into his chest. “My apartment ran out days ago.”

“How the hell did you even get in here?” Y/N demanded. Now she went to swipe the paper towels back since he wanted them. He shoved it between his body and the couch cushion.

“I have my ways.” He was sly and silver tongued. Neither girl doubted that they could change the keypad, add a lock, purchase a camera and he’d still manage to find a way in. 

“What do you want, Aegon?” Helaena sighed. She’d rather focus her energy on getting him out than finding how he got in.

“Can’t I visit my sweet sister and the prettiest pain in my ass.” Aegon mused. He was throwing M&Ms at Y/N, trying to land one down her shirt.

Y/N swatted him with a decorative pillow. “You’re such an ass.”

“And you get the better packages.” Aegon grabbed the pillow and held it against himself to prevent further assault.

Helaena hummed in a sweet tune. “If you called more or simply replied to a text, they’d send you more.”

“So they could pry further into my life or bore me to death with theirs? No thank you.” Aegon stood and went to look through this week's delivery. “I’d rather shop from what they send you.”

“That’s right, you’re a rideless urchin who relies on our handouts.” Y/N snatched her box away before Aegon could rifle through it.

“Yes, so you better start stockpiling now because I fully expect my every whim to be catered to when we’re stuck together this summer.”

“Ha! But I won’t be.”

“How so? You’ve yet to avoid me thus far and this will be our ninth summer together.”

“Oh, you didn’t hear.” Y/N delighted in busting his fun. “Leanor and Qarl bought the house next door so the pool house is free again, and as the only girl I got first dibs. So I’ll be camping out there while you have to sit through Alicent’s eat, pray, love slideshow tell all.”

Aegon scoffed. “You’ll make an appearance at some point. You’re like an infestation. No matter what toxic chemical is used, you always find a reason to reappear.”

“Nope, not this time.” Y/N pursed her lips together in a violently satisfied smile. “My only reason to be within a one-thousand foot perimeter of that house is Helaena and she’s welcome to camp out with me.”

Aegon looked to his sister for an explanation. “She’s still mad at Aemond.”

Aegon’s brows rose in surprise.  “Still? I thought you got over that months ago.”

Helaena let out a scoffing chuckle. “That wine must have kept you warm the entire holiday,  because the rest of us felt their icy chill all Yule.”

“I’ll get over it when he grows a pair and apologizes. And he learns to stop interfering with my life!” Y/N was pointing a finger to her chest, poking it, caught up in her anger.

“Damn!” Aegon’s lips downturned in a suggestive pout. “Fuck him then. I’m happy to make him miserable for you.” A devilish hint of glee hid within Aegon.

Y/N retrieved a bag of candy from Aegon’s clutches. “Like you need an excuse.”

Aegon shrugged and pocketed another when she wasn’t looking. “Offer still stands.”

A/N 2: This was such a cute chapter to write. I tried to keep their vocabulary and actions age appropriate. It required a lot of reflection on my childhood. Ages 10-13 you're caught between what you loved from your earlier years and society telling you it's time to mature your interests. So you're stuck in this weird limbo. You want to run around the playground and play pretend but you're supposed to be cooler than that. IDK, maybe that was just me.

Also, don't come for me for what the Valaryian gods have deminion over. It's not my fault the Targs couldn't remember other dragon names. I consulted the Wiki btw. So take it up with them.

I love writing Alicent. Like yeah she can be a shitty mom, but I wish my mom had been shitty in the way modern!Alicent is shitty.

Lastly, this chapter is no where near the last time we see the gang as children. Y'all will be fed.

Next Chapter

[foxes-that-run]

MH cried on stage about haylor?? I need to see this give me link

The TLDR is that the meltdown video: ramps up at 3:49, there is also this tumblr post by someone who was there about it and this news about it.

Maylor/Haylor storytime with too much info

Matty Healy's villain origin story is that he’s a nepo baby “Artiste” that was passed by the major labels. Meanwhile Harry grew up nearby and was signed for £20m by a major label off a TV show. MH has been low key obsessed with Harry, eventually dated his girlfriend, dumped her and she said she had temporary insanity. He said they never dated in 2014, doing so would be emasculating and he released a HS diss track at the time. In 2024 he said TTPD does not reflect the relationship they had.

MHs parents are actors Tim Healy and Denise Welch, overseas 1D fans may know his mum from this Loose Women interview with 1D. His parents had a messy public divorce covered in Tabloids.

1999 - When his mum was featured on This is Your Life, in this clip, 10 year old Matty said he wanted to be "a popstar and top class musician" with his mum looking tense.

2002 - the 1975 was formed with school friends in Manchester, it will be 10 years before they have success.

2009 - 1975 met and was unsigned by every major label. Their manager formed an independent label and signed them for £20.

2010 - One Direction is formed on X-Factor with Harry, 5 years younger also from Cheshire, 30 minutes drive from Mattys hometown of Wilmslow, both near Manchester. 1D becomes a national sensation and sign a £1m record deal with a major label.

2011 - One Direction continues to grow with the X-Factor tour, records Up All Night and starts their own tour.

2012 - What Makes You Beautiful is #1 in 16 countries including the UK and US. Harry starts dating Taylor Swift and the world loses it's mind over them and the band.

2012 - December - Halsey posts "That Haylor Song" on Tumblr which went viral, it mocks I Knew You Were Trouble

2013

2013, February - 1975 get their first top 20 song, Chocolate that reaches #19 (Teenage Kicks was on #6 in the same chart, on it's way down from #1).

2013, September 3 - Harry tweeted that he downloaded the self-titled 1975 album. Matty Healy told an interviewer that he went from 4k followers to 15k followers in 10 minutes. Matty said they became mates, he texted Harry to thank him. The 1975 covered What Makes You Beautiful:

2013, December 28 - Halsey posted to Tumblr photos with Matty Healy and in a hotel room with him, saying "Matty and I got close this year which was amazing"

All fab, or so it seems.

2014

2014 - January - Halsey starts writing about Matty Healy, later in 2014 she said she went to a concert and met him

2014, February - Taylor finishes 1989, Harry and Taylor start dating again and seem to for the rest of the year.

2014, March 20, fallout boy shares this photo of Matty Healy, fallout boy and 1d minus Harry to instagram captioned “London hangs.” I don’t know when the photo with Harry is from, the jacket is St Laurent 2014 and it first appeared on live journal June 2014. Harry wore the coat again in September.

2014, March - MH plays call or delete with Harry's BFF Nick Grimshaw and calls Niall and Harry, he says he has Niall’s number because he is writing a song for one direction and that he had never spoken to Harry before (but had his number and Harry recognised his voice and/or just would know Nick had the show on and who was on it.) MH asks to borrow £5k and Harry agrees. Harry probably knew he was on Nick Grimshaw.

2014, April - his mum says MH is writing a song for 1D and talks about Anne.

2014, April 24 - Halsey covered a 1975 song.

2014, May - Halsey writes about her hand in Matty's curls.

2014, May 8 - One Direction record Change Your Ticket in Fasano Hotel, the TV Special includes footage (2:12) of Julien and Niall figuring out the lyrics and melody in Rio De Janeiro. The band then toured

2014, May 24 - One Direction and the 1975 both play the Glasgow Big Weekend, though 1D fly in for just their show they are then in London.

2014, July - Anne tweets Denise with a throwback photo

At some point they play Change Your Ticket for Matty who Later said:

“They got me in and they said, ‘We really like your band. Would you write a song for us?’,” Matt revealed to Spin. “[But] they didn’t seem to be actually that interested. They just wanted to play me this song that they said was really, really inspired by us.", “Listen guys, fill your boots, the song doesn’t sound that much like ‘Girls’. But the guitar and the whole vibe of it is a complete lift, So take the guitars off and we’re good." “It would have been a bad 1975 song.”

2014 - October 27 - 1989 released. On the same day Halsey's debut 93, about Matty Healy also is released.

Taylor says to Rolling Stone that her publicist has said a relationship is not a good idea:

‘How long do we have on the clock — before something comes along and puts a wrench in it, or your publicist calls and says this isn’t a good idea?'” (bless you @cntfightmydemonsthyknowhowtoswim)

2014 - October 29 - Halsey gives an interview on the All Things Go podcast where she says she had met Matty. She talked about her debut single 93 and Matty Healy, she has posted to Tumblr indicating they were dating.

2014 - November 8 - Matty Healy wears a 1989 T-Shirt, Taylor likes a Tumblr post about it.

2014 - November 17 - FOUR comes out with Change Your Ticket including the 1975-esq guitar. In the Four Hangout Harry says "well done Tyler" (32:25) and Niall adds "your Boyfriends back", Liam adds "Your gonna get in trouble" Tyler is Taylor's name I n the Man video, the 1D band had rhyming or celebrity code names for themselves that they used in interviews (Harry = Susan Boyle, Zayn = Wayne)

2014 - November 19 - Harry, Taylor & Selena go to a 1975 concert together. This is often cited as the Maylor starting point, Harry was there and called her boyfriend by Niall 2 days before. Taylor posts a video of her, Selena and Harry is briefly seen. Video of Taylor and MH backstage.

2014 - November 28 - unverified rumour that Taylor was seen in an SUV at Chattanooga near the 1975 concert. She was in London 30th

2014 - December 2 - Harry and Taylor at Victoria's Secret After party and leave together in London. First time Style performed.

2014 - December 4 - Taylor at a 1975 concert in NYC, last till 2023. 1D in London, appeared on Graham Norton. Rumours Taylor dating Matty. he tweets they got his name wrong.

2014 - December 6 - Taylor has laryngitis at Jingle Bell Ball. Matty Healy does this on stage in Boston, crying and yelling at the audience:

8 December - Blind "The B- list celebrity offspring of two of the worst celebrity parents ever has been hooking up the past few weeks with the lead singer of the band that Taylor Swift loves. Apparently they sent Taylor a pic of themselves naked in bed together." (Ali Lohan (Dina and Michael)/Matty Healy “The 1975″)

2014 - December 9, after Twitter ran with the meltdown, coupled with Matty being linked to Taylor who the band knew to be with Harry. They go on more Four promo. One Direction was not getting on, Harry had broached the topic of the Hiatus a few weeks earlier. They appear on RTL in the Netherlands. Liam seems drunk and makes a beard joke at Harry.

24 December - Tabloid media about Ali Lohan/MH

And that's the end of the 2014, interaction, between Matty appearing in the 1989 t-shirt and the meltdown was 1 month, and Harry and Taylor were seen together in that time. Taylor did go to one 1975 concert without Harry, 2 days before Matty melted down.

13 December Taylor tweets asking the media to stop accusing her of dating her friends (kk & MH)

In this time Matty was also smoking heroin, from the New Yorker in May 2023:

In 2014, amid the early rush of fame and steady touring, Healy began smoking heroin, the only substance he found that could pull him down from the stratosphere. It was a secret, for a while; then the band staged an intervention. Healy resisted: he was the star, and the rest of them would have to get on board.

2015, November - Matty said to the Guardian:

On 6 December, onstage in Boston. “There was girl stuff,” he says. “There was family stuff. There was financial stuff. There was drug stuff. I remember hearing the crowd and having an identity crisis. I thought: ‘If you want to see a show, I’ll give you a fucking show. If you’ve come to see the jester drink himself into a slumber, I’ll give it to you.’ I felt like I’d become an idea as opposed to being a person.” At one point, a fan shouted, “I love you, Matty!” He’s ashamed of his response. “What did I say to the poor fucking girl? ‘You don’t have the right to love me. You don’t know me. I love you but you don’t get to love me.’ Jesus. Can you imagine your favourite band shouting that at you? What a dickhead. What a horrible thing to say to a kid who fucking does love me.”

2015

2015 - January - Matty also does this interview where he says it was all fake that he dated Taylor and there is noone in the world he knows less than Harry Styles

2015 - February 26 - Taylor pictured hugging Nick Grimshaw, Harry’s BFF, next to Matty Healy at the 2015 Brit awards after party. Harry was in Australia, he and Taylor had broken Up and this is the night she met and seemed to immediately start dating Calvin Harris’s until June 2016

2015 - April - Matty Healy and sources close gives a lot of interviews saying he is angry about Change Your Ticket and that One Direction stole the 1975's sound.

19 July 2015 - Matty Healy dates Halsey after she goes to a 1975 concert who shares the above instagram photo

2015- Matty starts dating model Gabriella Brooks, who he dates until 20 February 2019

Love Me

2015 - October - 1975 Love Me came out which is a rather direct Harry diss:

the lyrics reference Blank Space "Rumors Fly": "You've been reading about yourself on a plane".

"caught up in fashion, Karcrashian panache" a style reference and a diss to Kendall

music video where Matty makes out with the cardboard cutout of a 17 year old Harry Styles.

on stage he copies Harry's dancing in this song.

In the BTS Matty says "I just wanted to make a video that was about some kind of sexually confused rockstar type that who buys into his own nonsense really"

he also wore Chelsea looking boots and pointed them out in the BTS

Matty said he got permission from the celebrities, but also added that he did not plan to make out with Harry's. Meaning Harry did not give permission for how his cut out was used.

2016

2016, March to Q Magazine, (and widely reported) Matty said:

“I feel like I’m not very good at relationships,” he’d said, and I wondered why. Healy explained the jumble of reasons – insecurity, self-obsession, a fear of misrepresentation. Was it also, I asked, a fear of losing himself? He nodded. “Absolutely. And the reason I mention that is because if I had [properly] gone out with Taylor Swift the first thing I would’ve [thought was] ‘Fucking hell I am NOT being Taylor Swift’s boyfriend.’ You know, FUCK. THAT.” Then he had added an afterthought: “That’s also a man thing, a de-masculinating, emasculating thing.”

In 2016 Matty was dating Gabby and they posted to instagram a lot, like this photo of them at Coachella together in 2016. They seem happy and committed, they dated for another 3 years. He toured the whole year, (dates) South East Asia January, UK/Europe March - April. Coachella 24 April (they were in Canada on the 29th) then US & Canada until July. Back to SE Asia & UK in August, South America in September, US again in October with shows every other night.

12 November 2016 - to the Guardian Matty again mocks Haylor, with a reference to Hobama, also confirming they didn't even kiss:

"Did he have any relationship with her, I ask in my best Ken Starr voice. “No.” Sex? “No.” Did you kiss? “No.” So why the huge hoo-ha? “She came to a show and we hung out. We fancied each other, but then we couldn’t have it go any further, because it would be like going out with Barack Obama.” He says there was nothing misogynistic about his comments, he was simply being honest: he didn’t like the prospect of two giant egos clashing and him coming off second best."

2017

They continued touring constantly, (dates) Uk/europe January, February. South America March, April. US/Canada April - July.

2017 - November - Matty went to Rehab, they didn't tour till 2019. Matty was still dating Gabby.

I'm skipping ahead a few years, Matty brings Taylor and Harry up alot, like in random interviews with Zane Lowe, Nick Grimshaw etc. But the vibe is often separating him from success. I wonder if he is also reminding others he knows them.

12 April Harry maybe shades Matty in his Rolling Stone Interview:

 I had a really nice upbringing. I feel very lucky. I had a great family and always felt loved. There’s nothing worse than an inauthentic tortured person. ‘They took my allowance away, so I did heroin.’ It’s like – that’s not how it works. I don’t even remember what the question was.”

In May Taylor and Joe went public, dated till 2023.

September- Harry posted that he liked it when the 1975 covered What Makes you Beautiful. Matty responds saying "you. are. peng"

2019

2019 - February 19 Matty breaks up with Gabriella Brooks, who he dated since 2015.

3 January - MH asks to produce Harry's next album… via twitter…. and says Harry has blocked him.

4 October - Matty Healy interview where he says he wants to produce Taylors record (said about Harry earlier the year) and went on to say 'that taylor swift song about supporting gay people, when it came out we already knew that."

2020

2020, January 20 - Matty starts dating FKA Twigs, they dated until 2022

2020, February Taylor, Joe and Matty are at the NME Awards:

Healy said: “I went over to her. I was like, ‘Taylor, we need to make the record.’ No, I didn’t. She said hello to every single person. Obviously it’s Taylor Swift so everyone was saying hello. “She was just stood behind me. I mean, I haven’t seen Taylor in years so it was actually a really nice room. But it, unfortunately, wasn’t the time for me to pitch my post-rock Joni Mitchell project to [her].”

2022

2022, June 7 - Matty breaks up with FKA Twigs who he dated since 2020

Collaboration with Jack Antonoff

2022 - 5 January - 14 February - he works with Jack Antonoff. The band did not work with Jack before 5 January 2022. On 5 January they were in Real World Studios (i.e. not Electric Lady with Jack) and the record was complete by 14 February 2022. It is an album made to be played live and Jack did not write lyrics, under 6 weeks is about right. There are rumours of a collab which Matty both says it is fake news he worked on Midnights and then that he did but it wasn't used. Taylor never acknowledged.

2022 - 27 March DM Story Jack had an argument with FKA Twigs who was dating Matty after the Oscars.

2022 - midnights comes out, no 1975 collab.

2022, December - Matty starts dating model Charlotte Bliar D'Alessio. they had been dating 'for weeks' and date until the end of March.

2023

2023 - 12 January - Taylor performs anti-hero and The City at 1975 concert, multiple rumors Harry was also there: x, x, x

2023 - 15 January - MH invites HS to perform, H declines. MH makes inappropriate comments accusing Harry of Queerbaiting.

2023 - 11 February blind item:

2023 - March - Reps for Matty Healy's girlfriend Meredith says

“She did not see this coming at all. All the time Matty was in the studio with Taylor, she thought nothing of it. He’d spend the day in the studio and then come home to her. “Things were going well until around March 29 then, out of the blue, he stopped replying to messages and calls. “He just ghosted her and that was it. Then, four weeks later, he went public with Taylor.

2023 - March/April/May/June - Taylor touring the US. The 1975 touring Latin America in March, Asia and Australia in April and May, Europe in June. The only times they would have seen each other are the handful of times they were photographed.

2023 - 14 March - MH spotted with Dasha, said he was bad in bed and TS thing ended.

2023 - 10 April - Taylor and Joe's separation press release. MH delete socials said:

"everything happens in eras. The 1975 is a very eras band. The era of me being a f***ing a***hole is coming to an end. […] I can’t perform off the stage any more.”

2023 April 14 - MH cries on stage in I always wanna die, and puts his head in his hands during Love it if we make it in Sydney. Saying “You changed all the words on my set list to rude words,” he says, pointing off-stage, before admitting the culprit is “trying to cheer me up because I’ve been going through a bit”. Covered in news

2023 April 24 - MH introduces 'She's American' in Tokyo with: "When I picture it, there's like three places I picture people listening to it, there's Manchester, Pennsylvania, that’s a whole other thing don’t worry about that and Tokyo” 1975 was formed in Manchester. Matty and Harry are from nearby Wilmslow or Cheshire respectively.

2023 - May 3 - TS & MH mouth "this is about you, you know who you are. I love you" on stage. Before cardigan, a song Taylor wrote for Harry referencing Falling.

2023 5 May - MH at Eras tour, Sparks Fly and Teardrops on my guitar. He joined Phoebe Bridges on stage.

2023 6 May - OOTW/Fifteen. MH attends again

2023 11 May - MH and Taylor hold hands in NY

2023 12 May - Gold Rush & CBBH, Philli. MH on stage at Eras in skeleton costume. MH and Taylor at group dinner hold hands.

2023 13 May - TS This Love, no intro/Forever and Always (Philli) MH attends eras and seen with Scott Swift.

2023 15 May - Taylor leaving Electric Lady with MH

2023 16 and 18 May - Matty carries a bag to and from Taylor’s NY apartment, she’s seen at electric lady earlier in the day.

May - blinds about MH saying something shocking about Beyonce, shocking porn habits after podcast, hooking up with underaged girls, calling Andrea names, abuse of violent porn stars he watched. (referring to these comments in Adam Friedland podcast - DM link.) double down on racist comments because T doesn't care.

2023 24 May - People reports Taylor kissed MH at Zero bond, no photos of them arriving, no photos allowed in club. Last time reported to be seen together. 50 days since his ex said they were good.

2023 27 May - during the Radio 1 Big Weekend at Glasglow, a broadcast event, Matty Healy acted unusually and said "Try romanticising your life for a job, see how you like it". This section is cut from the BBC's official video of About You. Harry was also in Scotland in Edinburgh. Matty opened the show (wearing a lab coat he took off) with an apparent acknowledgement that the relationship wasn't sincere:

“Is it all a bit? Is it sincere? Will he ever address it?” he asked. “All of these questions and more will be ignored in the next hour. Ladies and gentleman, this is The 1975.”

2023 June 5 - MH break up reported by TMZ later confirmed no longer speaking. People:

"She had fun with him, but it was always casual," a source confirmed to PEOPLE on Monday. "They are no longer romantically involved." "They were never boyfriend-girlfriend or exclusive and were always just having fun," another insider tells PEOPLE. "There is no drama, and who knows what could happen again. It was a good time and ran its course."

2023 August 16 - MH back with the girl he dumped in March for …. That.

2023 September - Matty starts dating Gabby who he is still with.

I have no idea what happened in 2023, but I think the blind about him hating H is correct.

2024 February 15 - MH said on stage “Do not come for me. Trust me. You know who I’m talking to. Honestly, you know who you are. I’m as mental as I seem. I have the receipts. Don’t f**k with me. Trust me.”

2024 6 June to us weekly

“He loves the attention it’s brought to him, [but] he also thinks it’s hilarious because at no time [were they] ever serious,” the friend claims. Healy’s pal adds that the musician was “completely blindsided” by TTPD’s “lyrical content,” especially Swift’s allusions to her and a love interest discussing marriage and children. “For her to be saying things about baby carriages … and living together — he says it had never even come up,” the friend says.

2024 October 23 - Matty Healy on Doomscroll podcast likens Taylor to the Marvel of music because self-referential and implies it is not good. Says relationship was casual and will not write about her on the next album... after spending 2 hours complaining.

[modifiedmonster]

Part 7- II | II ~ Or read on AO3

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

·Jujutsu Kaisen Masterlist · Series Masterlist ·

♡Summary : Because of your boyfriend Megumis's mistake, you became the sought after prize of his criminal father Toji Fushiguro. However, what you never expected was to unearth certain secrets about the two men , and even yourself. ♡Word Count: 4,815 ♡Characters in this chapter : Toji, Megumi, Reader, Satoru Gojo ♡Warnings: 18+ MDNI ! Female reader, cheating, squirting, orgasm, toxicity , corruption kink, daddy k!nk, size k!nk, praise, fingering, toxicity, yandere behavior, PORN WITH A PLOT! DEAD DOVE: DO NOT EAT

♡Authors Note: I will eventually update the warnings section for each chapter but as of now it will remain the same. Please remember with is porn with a plot. ♡ IF YOU WANT TO BE IN THE TAGLIST FOR THIS SERIES REPLY TO THIS AND LET ME KNOW OR PUT IT IN MY ASK BOX

[@breadbaker69, ]

 !! TRIGGER WARNING !! The following themes will be included from this point forward:Sex/blasphemy/dubious consent/death (of minor characters)/Drug use/Rape/etc If you have a history of drug use/rape, etc- this story may trigger you.

DEAD DOVE: DO NOT EAT This is not a soft story. You have been warned. Begins below the cutt. 18+ — MINORS DO NOT INTERACT

The sterile scent of antiseptic and other chemical cleaning agents clung to the air, it had replaced the metallic smell of blood. 

Those were the few things you noticed before the sharp pain entered your neck, the needle once again inserted.

"It's okay. Just go back to sleep" Megumi softly pled while his shaky thumb was pressing on the plunger to once again sedate you. 

Though this was his father's orders, he also didn't want you to see the fallout of your actions, the actions that wouldn't have come to fruition had he not lied to you in the first place. 

It was like warm milk as a child right before bed, the solution to render you unconscious. Over and over you were forced back into a state of dreamless sleep by Megumi, there was no use in fighting. 

You wouldn’t win. 

There was no evidence of how long you’d been stuck here, cuffed to the bed that had become your own personal prison. 

That sterile smell was no longer as pungent, it no longer burnt your nostrils as you took in a fresh breath. Megumi was lost in his own head replaying every memory since the day you met, trying to find a reason to be angry with you, but he couldn’t. 

You both had betrayed each other and now you were both in your own personally made, hand-crafted prisons. 

It took a few tries over a few minutes to open your eyes, no longer did your eyelids feel far too heavy to be held open. 

It took about as much time to realize that the familiar prick of the needle had seized, someone was allowing you to wake up, to become aware. No more blood was visible on your body, you seemed unscathed.

”My resentments begun to outweigh my love for you, Megumi-”  

The words came out raspy and cold as you stared at the back of your boyfriend's head. There he was sitting at the edge of the bed, your prison. 

“I know.” His lips found themselves pursed, thanking whatever higher power that you decided to make your admission while he wasn’t facing you. 

Over the course of nearly 27 hours, he had worked tirelessly with Toji and a few other associates to disassemble and dispose of Nobaras body, a few vials of blood specimens collected from her, and dental records destroyed.

Megumi had emptied his stomach more times than he could count, dehydration making him dizzy. The anger and hatred toward his father still couldn’t trump the love and admiration he held for you, the need to save you,  yet all of those emotions had begun to blend together. 

He was traumatized, in survival mode, and knew he couldn’t actually let you nor Toji find out his true emotions or intent. His father was a man capable of many things, how far would be too far when it comes to bringing this situation up to Toji?

The metal cuffs clinked as you rustled around atop the plush covers. Why did you not feel anything about having taken the life of your best friend? 

During the few seconds of silence following Megumi's reply, that was the only thought in your head. 

“Can you-... let me out?” And before Megumi had a chance to answer, Toji stepped into the room and cleared his throat, eyeing Megumi and then you before walking toward you.

"That depends, darling. Are you going to hurt Megumi?" The question seemed absurd, given your current vulnerable position, but deep down, it was the most rational question to ask.

"Not physically," there was hesitation in your voice, your eyes locked with Toji's, sharing an unspoken understanding of the severity of the situation. There was a moment of what felt like a standoff, of intimidation between the two of you, a silent agreement that spoke volumes.

Toji knew you were cut out for this, he knew a lot more about you than your mind could conceive.

The dark and hungry feeling of your eyes shifted towards Megumi as Toji inserted the key into the locks, freeing you from your restraints. You winced as you moved, feeling the ache and burning sensation of circular bruises that marred all four of your limbs. 

Both Toji and Megumi eyed you with intrigue and slight concern as you couldn't help but grunt in pain as you rubbed the indents, realizing that no amount of rubbing would soothe the lingering discomfort.

"I know you're still foggy," Toji spoke softly, sitting close to you, closer than Megumi dared. He reached up and tenderly tucked away the loose strands of your hair, his touch gentle yet commanding. "But we have a plane to catch. Let's call it a vacation."

Your gaze shifted from Megumi's restless fingers with a slow blink, and your thick lashes fluttered back open, your attention now fixed on the smirk that adorned Toji's lips. 

Toji had recalibrated his plans, redirecting them from Megumi towards you. He had recognized your natural skill, the inherent talent you possessed.

In his eyes, you were a natural-born killer, possessing traits that harmonized with his own, making you the ideal candidate to not only carry on his legacy.

The traits you carried would blend well with his own to create the perfect heir to his dynasty. Sure there were obstacles in the way, but he had you now and there was no way Toji would let you escape him.

★・・・★

Half a day had passed since you found yourself on a plane for the first time in your life. Neither of you bothered to pay attention to the other men who had boarded and joined Toji in a separate room. 

Megumi's brows furrowed, creating creases on his forehead that revealed the complex emotions swirling within him. Across the cabin, his stare met yours, locked in a silent exchange of mixed feelings. 

This little game between you and Megumi had been going on for hours, with Toji observing your every move from a separate room on the company jet's video monitors.

The tension was palpable as you sat at the braced wooden table, your palm idly gliding across its surface, while the glass in your other hand tilted to your mouth, the intensity of your gaze unnerving Megumi. 

The cloudy sake cascaded over the ice cubes, its bitterness seeping into your throat as the engines roared louder, signifying the plane's ascent.

As the private jet soared through the sky, your outrageously expensive red-bottom heels tapped against the plush carpet beneath you, the hushed thuds adding an air of anticipation.

The flip in your stomach prompted you to hastily consume the last drop of the bitter alcohol, the ice pressing against your crimson lipstick, leaving a tingling sensation.

Earlier that day, you had been attended to by a woman who bathed you, styled your hair, and dressed you in an ensemble that cost more than your car.

Toji had made sure that an entire wardrobe was meticulously packed and brought onto the plane, further illustrating the opulence that now surrounded you.

It was in the moment when the corners of Megumi's mouth turned upward that the glass in your hand was abruptly whipped in his direction, shattering against the wall beside his head. Fragments of glass rained down, some landing on his shirt, a testament to the mounting tension between the two of you.

Toji's sudden emergence from the room sent a jolt of unease through the cabin. His eyes flickered with a mix of calculation and satisfaction as he glanced at both of you. 

There was no need for him to inquire about what had transpired; he had been watching, observing every move.

Tojis forest green eyes narrowed at Megumi briefly before moving and set on you, his brow raising just slightly along with the corner of his mouth. The teeth in your mouth were grinding against each other while his were visible in a clearly entertained grin. 

Megumi felt as if his heart had just gotten hooked on the edge of his rib when his father chuckled a bit, watching his deliberate and unsettling calm stride towards you.

Tojis thumb and pointer fingers hooked under your chin, directing your gaze to meet his intense stare. His eyes ran up and down your entire form, taking in the sight before he leaned in closer.

Fuck you were perfect. 

 “Be a good girl for now , okay?” It was less of a question than an order. Something about it made you strive to please him, earlier in the day he had informed you that he was going to be training you during the ‘vacation’ anyways.

“I think I can manage that , Sensei.” Tojis pupils grew larger at your tantalizing response. You were doing so well, maybe he wouldn’t have to resort to other methods.

Without hesitation, Toji pressed his lips against yours, the kiss starting with a deceptive tenderness before igniting a fierce passion that consumed the space between you. The intensity of the kiss left you breathless as if he was devouring the very air from your lungs, leaving you breathless and craving more.

 A depraved moan left your throat when Toji broke the kiss, his lips hovering near yours, eyes locked with yours.

Toji had made sure that Megumi would be getting the best view.

“Go get someone to clean this up, Megumi” 

His firm words reverberated into your mouth, sending chills down your spine. You knew Megumi well enough to sense the heat rising in his face. He felt a mix of embarrassment and frustration. 

Unable to tear his gaze away from the scene unfolding before him, his fists involuntarily clenched at his sides. With a strained throat clearing, he stood up, silently acknowledging his father's command, and made his way to find someone to attend to the shattered glass.

‘He deserves this. He deserves this.’ You repeated in your head as Megumi left the room.

 Toji effortlessly lifted your body onto the table, his strong arms supporting you as if you weighed nothing. Your arms instinctively wrapped around his neck, pulling you closer to him, while your legs found their place around his hips. The proximity between you intensified a physical connection that mirrored the underlying power dynamics at play.

The deep crimson hue of your maxi dress hugged your figure in all the right places, accentuating your curves with an undeniable allure. It matched the shade of your perfectly applied lipstick, a testament to your meticulous attention to detail. 

This was one of the qualities that Toji admired in you—the way you always made a conscious effort to present yourself flawlessly. And now, under his guidance, he would ensure that you were adorned with even more luxury and refinement.

“As much as i’d love to absolutely ravage you right here ,-” Toji pressed kisses to your neck , careful to avoid the bruises and needle holes on your neck.

“- I’d prefer to take my time with you and this is a short flight, Princess.” 

The air crackled with tension and anticipation as Toji held you close, his grip possessive yet protective.

“That's not fair.” The tips of your freshly manicured nails dug into his neck as you began to pout, and he couldn’t help but cock a brow in amusement.

“It’s hot when you talk back” Tojis's hand dipped down your inner thigh, between your parted legs to grab ahold of the thin, lacey panties you wore. Swiftly they were pulled down and skilled fingers made contact with your clit effortlessly, a breath pulled from you. 

“So wet..” Toji wore a devious smirk, his free hand tugged your panties all the way off and tucked them in his shirt pocket. 

“M’gonna be keeping these, and your thighs are shaking so much, princess. Be good and relax for me, I promise i’ll make it up later.”  Toji simultaneously gave each of your plush outer thighs a squeeze before your attention was quickly diverted as a familiar face caught your eye. It was the older woman who had attended to you earlier, the one who had taken care of your bathing and grooming.

“Mr Fushiguro, theres a call for you.” Toji deadpanned when his name was called by a familiar voice, one that made you feel nearly sick. Of course, Satoru would be here. Now. And likely knew what had transpired between you and Nobara. 

Your mind was reeling, and you couldn't help but wonder how you hadn't noticed the others boarding the plane. The games of revenge with Megumi had consumed your focus, blurring your perception of reality. Or maybe the drugs? ; Most likely a combination of both.

Toji turned his gaze back to you, his hand sliding up your back to rest at the nape of your neck. He gave a gentle squeeze, a silent reassurance. Before he broke away, he placed one last deep kiss on your lips, leaving you breathless and wanting more.

"Relax for now, my princess. We'll be in Kyoto in just a few minutes," Toji whispered, his voice laced with a mixture of comfort and anticipation. He gave you a knowing wink, and a forced grin formed on your lips as you glanced toward the doorframe.

And there he was, Gojo, peeking around with his smuggest smirk and a phone in hand, a clear sense of mischief in his eyes. The situation was becoming even more complicated and surreal.

After Toji rounded the corner and closed the door with Gojo, the older woman briefly inspected you before heading off in the same direction with the cleaning supplies. The sense of being watched pervaded the air, the black lenses of the cameras positioned in the corners serving as a constant reminder of the scrutiny surrounding you.

Your hands trembled slightly, urging you to hop down from the table and smooth out your dress. The need to escape the prying eyes pushed you towards the bathroom, which happened to be on the opposite side of the plane. You hurriedly made your way, almost tripping in your haste, until you reached the sanctuary of the bathroom. With a loud snap, the folding door closed behind you.

Sweaty palms pressed against the door, and your chest heaved rapidly as anxiety consumed you. You didn't think it could get any worse, but then you felt arms wrapping around you, a large hand covering your mouth.

The suddenness of the gesture sent shockwaves through your body, and you froze, except for the rapid rise and fall of your breathing.

"Shh, Y/N, please don't freak out. We just need to talk," Megumi's hushed voice filled the confined space. Your entire being tensed, your heart pounding against your ribcage.

Watery eyes met Megumi's as he turned you around to face him, his own eyes bloodshot, a telltale sign of tears shed—probably from crying, undoubtedly from crying.

Staring at Megumi, the anger bubbling up within you as his words sank in. A dirty look was cast his way, a mix of shock and frustration etched onto your features. What the hell was he thinking? How could he expect you to trust him after everything that had happened?

"Nod your head if you'll be quiet," he pleaded, voice growing louder with a sense of urgency. Reluctantly, you nodded, signaling your compliance. He slowly removed his hand from your mouth, allowing you to speak, but your wariness remained.

"Y/N, please, I don't give a shit if you slit my throat right here, but at least let me explain what happened... with Nobara and with my dad," Megumi pleaded desperately, his voice filled with raw emotion.

”You don’t get whats gonna happen over the next few weeks..” The gravity of the situation was evident in his words, but given the recent events and the tangled web of deceit, it was natural for you to question whether you should trust him now.

"Megumi, you cheated on me with my best friend," you retorted, your anger and hurt spilling over. Your fists clenched tightly, and Megumi's grip on your forearms tightened. Beads of sweat formed along his hairline, reflecting the intensity of the moment.

"For months," you added, the bitterness in your voice seeping through. The mere thought of him betraying you with your closest confidante caused an involuntary recoil, as you tried to pull away from him. But then, Megumi's words took a sharp turn, shocking you to your core. 

"You fucked my dad, gave him your virginity, and even relapsed," he fired back, the words biting with a mix of anger and pain. Audibly drawing a breath through his nose, he attempted to regain control of his emotions. "I... I'm sorry," he stammered, his voice laced with remorse.

Megumi's apology hung in the air, his words heavy with regret and remorse. You could see the pain etched on his face, mirroring the turmoil within your own heart. Despite the hurt and anger that consumed you, a part of you couldn't help but acknowledge the sincerity in his voice.

Silence filled the small bathroom, broken only by the sound of your ragged breaths. The weight of the situation settled upon you both, the truth laid bare and impossible to ignore. It was a moment of reckoning, where the choices made and the consequences faced collided in a collision of emotions.

Finally, you found the strength to speak, your words escaping in a fragile whisper. "Megumi... I don't know how to process all of this. We both messed up," you confessed, your voice tinged with vulnerability.

The pain of betrayal mingled with the remnants of love and the fragments of a bond that had once seemed unbreakable. "I... I killed her, and it felt... so easy."

Megumi's gaze softened as he reached out, his hand gently cupping your cheek, his touch causing you to wince ever so slightly. "I understand. But listen... just do whatever my dad tells you to do. Go with it, you have the natural talent for it anyways." he replied, his voice carrying a mix of sorrow and determination.

"I know I can't change the past, but I want to make things right. I want to earn back your trust, no matter how long it takes. To keep you alive and as safe as possible." There was a flicker of hope in his eyes, though his voice wavered slightly at the last sentence.

"In Kyoto, we'll be going to a private estate owned by the Fushiguro and Zenin families. Toji found something in you that he has been searching for, and it's not just about your looks, babe," Megumi explained, his voice filled with a mixture of uncertainty and significance.

"You're about to start training to take my place in the organization."

In that moment, the gravity of your situation began to weigh heavily upon you. Training to take Megumi's place? What was his role supposed to be? The memories of the night of Nobara's death were hazy as if veiled by a fog that clouded your thoughts.

A deep breath did little to alleviate the weight on your chest.

"Megumi, what was your intended role?" you asked with hesitation, your words laden with the weight of curiosity and trepidation. As a ding resonated through the entire vessel, signaling the plane's descent, the pressure in the room seemed to increase, amplifying the tension that filled the air.

The bathroom door swung open, ushering in a gust of cold air that grazed the exposed skin on your back, concealed by the fabric of your dress. You watched as Megumi's gaze drifted past you, his grip on your arms loosening.

"Hey, Megumi, whatcha doin here with my favorite girl?" Satoru's voice rang with false cheerfulness, his presence disrupting the fragile peace that had settled between you and Megumi. The danger that loomed over you intensified, fueling your curiosity about the secrets they held, the truths they concealed. The answer you were about to receive from Megumi was now left only to your imagination.

"Don't fucking touch me," you snapped, elbowing Gojo forcefully in the ribs as he attempted to drape his arm over your shoulders. Despite your resistance, he managed to grab hold of your hair, leaning in closer while catching his breath.

"Just sit down before Toji sees this. Consider it a favor, and remember it," Gojo whispered beside your ear, his cerulean eyes locked with Megumi. 

A seemingly calm Megumi could only watch as your face turned blank like a mirror, allowing Gojo to guide you back to your seat, positioning himself across the table from you. Megumi followed close behind and retook his previous seat, now clean from the mess of your rage.

As the plane descended toward Kyoto, a sense of anticipation filled the air, mingling with a touch of nervousness. The engines hummed in a steady rhythm, echoing the rhythm of your own racing heart.

The cabin door swung open, and Toji stepped into the space, emanating a commanding presence. The atmosphere shifted, the weight of his stature palpable. Megumi's eyes redirected to peer out the window avoiding the sight of his father joining them, emotions a mix of surprise and intrigue. 

Toji's gaze met yours, a hint of affection and concern flickering in his eyes. A gentle smile curved his lips, softening his typically stoic expression. There was a glass in his hand, your favorite pineapple sake inside. Toji placed it in front of you with a clink before taking a seat across from you, right beside Satoru.

“It’s your favorite.” Toji encouraged with a toothy grin. “But you need to drink all of it right now .” There was a sudden bump as the plane made contact with the runway, you gasped. The perfect distraction for you to shoot Megumi a glance, one he would recognize as you asking for his opinion . His eyes closed in disdain as he nodded his head to signal yes.

“Thank you so much, Toji...Sensei.”  His cock twitched and you bowed a bit before your hand clasped the glass, you guzzled down the drink as quickly as possible. Before setting it down you caught a glance of a white powder thinly pasted on the bottom.

Fuck, you had finally sobered up off these drugs. The plan was to arrive in Kyoto with a clear head.

Toji's expression turned serious once he saw you break the poker face you’d been upholding so well, his gaze piercing through you. 

"It's a necessary precaution, my dear," he replied, his tone calm yet tinged with an air of secrecy. 

"The substance in the drink will help you calm down and get rest for the activities during our time in Kyoto." Toji rubbed the back of his neck, Megumi just sighed to himself; he really hoped you could handle what you were about to endure.

With remarkable swiftness, the drug took effect, causing your vision to swiftly blur. Toji gently lifted your limp form and settled you in a nearby vehicle, placing your head upon Megumi's lap. However, to Megumi's dismay, Satoru unexpectedly joined the two of you in the backseat. 

The endeavor to carefully arrange your partially unconscious body across the two men within the moving vehicle proved to be more challenging than anticipated, causing a tinge of frustration to seep through their façade.

Just as Megumi began to find solace in the unsettling situation, a grin etched its way across his face as he felt the gentle nuzzling of your head against his lap. Oh, how he yearned to turn back time, to snatch you away from this wicked fate before your innocence could be further violated.

Intermittently, the sound of Toji indulging in his vices, sniffing cocaine, reverberated through the car. Gojo, unable to resist, would occasionally peek up to indulge in a bump himself, prompting Megumi to roll his eyes in exasperation yet deciding to join in.

Lost in his own contemplations, Megumi's fingers tenderly caressed your cheek, his eyes capturing every detail that passed by outside the car's window. Meanwhile, Gojo, seeking his own twisted amusement, dared to explore further. His hand trailed up and down your leg before daringly slipping beneath your dress.

‘Oh, no panties. How delightful.’ Gojo thought, his lip caught between his teeth, his gaze darting between Toji and Megumi to ensure he wasn't caught in the act. Oblivious to the vile scene unfolding, Toji remained engrossed in typing on his laptop, indulging in copious amounts of drugs.

All seemed to progress according to plan until a sweet groan escaped your lips, causing your back to arch involuntarily and your face to scrunch up in pleasure. 

Toji and Megumi's heads whipped around, alarmed to find you still partially unconscious. Satoru, quick and cunning, managed to withdraw his hand just in time to evade detection.

“Maybe i’ll share this little beauty with you if you Fix. The. Problem.” Emphasis stated on those words, but Megumi wasn’t focused on that . 

Instead, his attention diverted to the fact that his father was speaking as if you had no choice; and he knew you didn't , you were going to be going through hell mentally and physically over the next few weeks.

“Yes , Sir.” Megumi cleared his throat after speaking , the car coming to a halt at the front of the manor.

After roughly 15 minutes, the car arrived at its destination, pulling up to imposing gates that concealed most of the grand manor behind them. Despite its remote location, the place was heavily guarded, its 10-foot-tall fencing a testament to the fortifications in place.

In an attempt to rouse you, Megumi pinched at your cheek, desiring your increased alertness as the vehicle approached the opened gate. Swiftly, the gate closed, sealing you within the confines of this mysterious domain.

A muffled protest escaped your lips as Megumi persisted in his efforts to wake you. Toji, deadpan and observant, intervened.

"Knock it the fuck off. I don't think you want her hearing what I'm about to tell you," Toji snapped at Megumi, biting his words with severity as he forcefully closed his laptop.

“The blood analysis I had run on Nobara revealed she was pregnant…early, but knocked up nonetheless. Megumi you should be thanking your lucky goddamn stars that Y/N solved that issue for you, for us.” Toji pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose after sniffing another line, meanwhile, Gojo stared at Megumi with a look of shock on his face.

"The problem is that her mother was aware of the pregnancy, and now their daughter is missing," Toji grumbled in frustration. In Toji's eyes, this presented an opportunity for Megumi to prove his worth and involvement in the family business.

“Maybe i’ll share this little beauty with you if you Fix. The. Problem.” Words emphasized. However, Megumi's attention shifted. He realized his father was disregarding your agency, knowing full well that you had no say in the matter. Mentally and physically, you were destined to endure torment in the coming weeks. 

“Be warned that if you fail, there will be punishment.”

"Yes, Sir," Megumi cleared his throat, acknowledging his father's command, as the car came to a halt at the front of the foreboding manor.

Servants swarmed around the vehicles, attending to your car and the two behind it. Toji , Gojo, and Megumi opened their respective doors, but Toji blocked Megumi from exiting, claiming his own intentions.

"I'll be taking what's mine, son," Toji stated, raising an eyebrow before swiftly lifting you from the car, cradling you in his arms in a bridal fashion. As your drowsy eyes fluttered open, you caught a glimpse of the sun's orange hue before refocusing on Toji.

"We're here, bunny." Toji cooed to you, carrying you inside while disregarding any stray greetings. The air turned noticeably colder as he descended the stairs to the first level of the basement, consciousness wavered in and out, only beginning to fully awaken as you felt the softest blanket beneath your body.

Amidst the commotion, Toji was occupied with instructing others on where to place various suitcases and luggage, oblivious to your awakening. As you sat up as slung your legs over the side of the bed, your eyes widened in astonishment as you surveyed the room around you. 

Toji’s guard wasn’t down in the slightest when he walked over and stood next to the bed, your legs hanging off the bed.

“Oh, baby, you’re drooling everywhere.” Toji laughed after noticing, his thumb moved down to swipe the fluid from your chin and lip. Though he was surprised when your lips obediently parted for him.

"You'll wake up more in a bit," Toji continued, glancing down at his watch. 

"or at least, I hope you do, because we have training to attend to, and it's REALLY gonna suck for you if you can't pay attention, princess." The smirk Toji directed your way started to align with what Megumi had been trying to warn you about.

★・・・★

➜PART 8 ~ COMING SOON

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[hawkinasock]

TELL US ABOUT YOUR OTHER AUS (IF ABLE AND WILLING AND YOU WANT TO) ‼️‼️‼️

Tread carefully, Anon... Once I start yapping, I can't stop (jokes on you tho, I love yapping. Let's go)

I assume you mean aus for HSR specifically? I've got a lot more for genshin, but to stop myself from going on massive tangents, I'll just stick to HSR. I'll keep them all as summaries and go into more depth if there's any interest. Ok here we go:

Chimera Yanqing has kinda become my whole thing now, but I've never actually mentioned the other characters that I've also made chimera forms for. Namely Jing Yuan.

He doesn't really have any lore...? Unlike Yanqing, I was too focused on making him look pretty, which is easy because it's Jing Yuan. I'll make an update if I add anything more to his lore, cause I'd hate to just leave him unfinished forever. I do have a chimera Yunli au too, which I'll also save for another time. (Also keep in mind that he has wayyyy more fur than what I've shown. It just would've made his actual form unclear. He is very, very fluffy, canonically)

Mara-struck Yanqing (aka How the general ate the cabbage). Made a whole fic for this one, the plot is in the pudding, and by pudding I mean my ao3 lol. Instead of deflecting Jingliu's ult, Yanqing is instead killed and mara-stricken, and everything falls apart from there. Keeping it vague since it's still in progress. As of writing this, I'm three chapters in, so check it out if you're interested <3

Band au. I actually forgot about this one until I went through my list. Basically, It's a modern au where the high cloud quintet were a huge band back in ye olden days of the mid 1980s until their downfall, where the lead singer (Baiheng) is killed in an accident, triggering a series of unfortunate fates for 3 of the 4 remaining members. Jing Yuan is the only member still working in the industry and adopted Yanqing roughly 20 years after the the HCQ's fallout. One day, though, after years of no contact, Blade comes back into Jing Yuan's life, seeking refuge from law enforcement, and it all tumbles out of control from there after Jing Yuan accepts. The rest of the story would follow a very suspicious Yanqing wondering what the deal is with his dad's weird new boyfriend, and eventually reuniting the 4 remaining members (getting the band back together, as Phineas would say). There is SO much lore for this one, but it would take up this entire post to explain, so I'll probably just make it into its own post (with designs ofc). Tbh I haven't done as much work on this one as the others simply because I just don't know that much about music? Zel does though, so if I ever come back to it, I can go to him as a consultant.

Kind of an odd one, but I'm including it since it sorta counts, and I've become pretty fond of it over time. Mom Lumine au(s) Xiaother being Yanqing's dads is one of my favorite little crack aus. This au is the brainchild of imagining Yanqing as Lumine's child instead, but me as the author not enjoying xiaolumi as much. Thus, this was born. There's not really a story? Just a bunch of loosely put together concepts with multiple potential narratives that I find fun. Most of the time I default Childe as Yanqing's bio dad. In a weird way, it makes sense in my head? Yanqing resembles Lumine and uses a sword, and has that same go-getting, battle-hungry attitude as Childe, with all the knock-outs to boot. I mainly imagine chilumi as this interstellar crime duo; the Bonnie and Clyde of space, if you will. Because, honestly, if Yanqing's parents are ever to be revealed, would it not be the funniest thing for them to turn out to be criminals? I think it's hilarious, because Yanqing himself would be mortified.

Guardian Blade/Stellaron Hunter Yanqing au. These names are kinda lazy cause I usually don't make official titles for them unless their a fic, which this one happens to be. Here, Yanqing is an abomination of abundance, and as my interpretation usually goes, the only person who knows about this is Jing Yuan. Him and one other - blade, who was confided in the secret shortly after Jing Yuan had taken baby Yanqing in. Jing Yuan made Blade promise that, should the truth ever be uncovered and Jing Yuan punished, Blade is to take Yanqing and protect him. And years down the line, when the truth does finally reveal itself, Blade fulfills his promise. Theoretically, Yanqing would then join the stellaron hunters, albeit unenthusiastically. I haven't actually made any plans for that concept outside of a single one-shot. I still need to finish the actual fic first lmao.

Mara-struck Jing Yuan au. Probably the least original one I have to offer, because there's nothing particularly unique about it aside from one little twist I added that I think differentiates it, and that's that Yanqing doesn't actually kill Jing Yuan, or vice versa. Instead, Jing Yuan, in his current state, attacks everyone and everything except for Yanqing, and actually goes out of his way to keep Yanqing away from danger. The way I rationalize this (and this is me stretching the mara lore a LOT) is that Yanqing is so important to Jing Yuan that he creates a sort of blind spot to the mara when present; he is both innately precious and harbors only positive memories in Jing Yuan's mind, so in a way, he retroactively contradicts the way mara-struck!Jing Yuan would normally perceive him, seeing Yanqing as something to protect rather than attack (i hope that made any sense </3). This would probably never actually happen in canon. I just really like the idea of Jing Yuan's love for his son being so strong that it stays with him even after he's gone mad and can no longer remember what Yanqing means to him.

Progenitor au. Saved this one for last because it's been occupying my entire brain for the past few days. It's based on Dillongoo's Progenitor Albedo series, and by based, I mean it's just the same au, same universe and everything, but HSR. I won't go into the details because I'm planning to make it its own dedicated post as well, but I think its safe to say its becoming my favorite au out of all of these. I already have some designs and original lore cooked up, so hopefully I can post about it soon.

I think that's all of them? Debatable if some of these even count as aus, but who cares. I hope you enjoyed my rambles and found my ideas interesting enough to read through. I'm hoping to eventually give them some more life and make actual content with them.

Till next time <3