#the only person who can trust this grandpa is master

[tobiasdrake]

Alright. We have one friend in trouble and one friend who left that's decidedly past trouble.

I am no longer as confident in my Wishful Thinking theory that there are multiple sets of the Master Detectives thanks to being UG homunculi rather than Amaterasu homunculi, so our versions of them are fine. But even if that's true, it still sucks that this fate befell the others.

Though whether these are our friends or not, if they are UG homunculi, then they'll regenerate fine. Only Amaterasu's shitty off-brand homunculi are defective, to our knowledge. We know Amaterasu homunculi have to consume human flesh in order to avoid going feral, and instantly and irrevocably go feral the first time they regenerate. But we know the latter does not apply to UG homunculi, and don't know if the former does or not.

But if they're human, then they're just fucked. Sorry, guys. Hope you'll get well soon.

Oh, we're about to learn about UG homunculi. Wanna bet Makoto's the first homunculus?

Sure sounds like she's talking about Makoto here. This would explain why he so adamantly shut down homunculus research at Amaterasu as soon as he seized control of the facility.

But if Makoto didn't create the Kanai Ward homunculi, who did? We can be pretty sure at this point that the feral homunculus outbreak from the facility is responsible for everyone dying, and then being remade as defective homunculi.

But who did that? If Makoto isn't responsible, then what happened during the Blank Week?

She's safe! And non-feral!

You probably did. Aiko died six months ago, but Blank Week was three years ago. So Aiko would be wandering around this place as a feral too. So would Karen, as a matter of fact. Basically the entire theater club is now roaming the Restricted Area as ferals.

...that's really sad. Those girls had hopes and dreams and futures. T_T I hope Feral Aiko meets up with Feral Waruna, Yoshiko, and Kurane, and they can form a pack.

God, this chapter is the bleakest thing Kodaka's ever written. And trust me, as a Danganronpa aficionado, that competition is steep.

Kurumi's taking all of this in stride. Her emotional fortitude is amazing. "We're surrounded by the zombies of everyone who's ever died in Kanai Ward? Wow, that's so interesting. OH, MY DEAD BESTIE! Hey, let's catch up!"

Put her in the "10/10 Would play a spinoff starring them" category alongside Halara and Fubuki. Also Vivia, technically, but why would you do that? Let the man rest.

...that's interesting. So maybe it's not everyone who was made into a homunculus. Vivia's report said that you can distinguish homunculi from humans based on undisclosed "special characteristics of their blood".

But if some people were human then they wouldn't have missing memories of the Blank Week, right? They'd remember what happened to everyone else. Wouldn't they?

They were taking this homunculus-testing deadly seriously.

Her grandpa also knew about the homunculi. Kurumi was the first person to tell us about them; She got that information from her missing grandfather.

So. Maybe. He was a human survivor of the Whatever Killed Everyone. Instead of testing for homunculi, the Peacekeepers may have been testing for humans hidden among the population. People who would know and remember what happened. People who were a threat to Yomi's information control.

Multiple people avoided the tests!? Who were the others!? Are they alive or did Yomi get them too?

Yeah. Okay. They were witch-hunting for human survivors.

Definitely feeling Yomi for the person responsible for the necropolis. He's a fascist but he was working directly with Huesca to sell company secrets for years. Maybe he knew enough to make this happen, but not enough to not make a city full of defective homunculi, oh my god.

Could that be--

... O.O Oh. My. God.

Oh my god.

Oh my god.

The blood tests were before the Blank Week. They weren't looking for homunculus or human DNA. They were taking samples. Samples for Huesca's rushed homunculus project, which created the defective homunculi that killed everyone.

That's what happened to Kurumi's grandpa. Nothing happened to Kurumi's grandpa. Or the others who got away from the testing. They got away with it. They never gave samples.

So when the city-load of homunculi were created, they were never copied with everyone else. To the perspective of everyone waking up and going "Huh, what happened?" one week after their human counterparts died horrifically, those select people simply dropped off the face of the universe, never to be seen again.

Kurumi's grandfather is not Number One. He's not Makoto. He's not anyone. He was devoured by ferals three years ago. Nothing more and nothing less.

That was the day you first woke up, in the image of a high school girl that died here.

Right now, my biggest burning question is: What became of the ferals that ate Kanai Ward? How did they come to no longer be eating the city. It's not like they could have simply left. If a roaming pack of regenerating immortal zombies was devouring cities across the globe, we would have heard about it.

Are they here in the Restricted Area with everyone else? If so, how did that happen? Did UG come in and clear them out? Did Yomi do it somehow?

Is that where these music-playing Ama-Pals with KANAI WARD SIGNATURE MEAT BUN steamers came in? Did whoever was left at Amaterasu use these to Pied Piper the ferals out of the city and herd them into the Restricted Area?

We have a strong understanding now of what happened during Blank Week but who and how still eludes us.

Oh, and we also don't know how that is involved. What part of this results in the Forever Rain? We have so many answers and so many questions and none of it links up to "Bizarre weather phenomenon causing endless rain".

Is it the testing site explosion? Did that fuck up the climate or something? The testing site is built over the ocean. Shinigami made a note of pointing that out so you'd assume it's relevant to something and Forever Rain is the only thing I can think of.

We've painted a very strong picture of what's happening here but we still don't know everything. Or why Makoto killed the Master Detectives and is now making us learn all of this.

Does he want us to find all the secrets so we can use the Mystery Labyrinth to kill him or something? Because that doesn't perma-kill homunculi. We've seen the evidence of that for ourselves.

[dream-meister-translations]

THE TALE OF FOOD

SPRING NIMBUS - PART 2

━

MASTER : Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?

MASTER : Ow... Why am I lying face-down on the ground and talking in such a cliché way?

??? : Pfft! I was wondering how a person could have fallen from the sky and landed on me!

An unfamiliar voice can be heard coming from beneath me.

SPRING ROLL : M-Master! Why do you have so many peach blossom branches under you? Get up already! It's not good to damage the plants...

??? : Peach blossom branches? Heh, are you secretly admiring my beauty, kid?

The person underneath me gets up, pats the dust from his body and looks me and Spring Roll up and down.

??? : I hail from Taohua Island and am regarded as Young Tao the nimble swallow! May I know where the two of you are from and where you are going?

The young man before us is dressed like a martial artist in a Chinese opera with extravagant embroidery patterns on his clothing. He is clearly unique. But what's up with the tone as if he's just come out of a martial arts novel...?

MASTER : So you're Young Tao! I've heard stories about you for as long as I can remember. Pleased to meet you! My name is Master and I am regarded as the diligent Master of Kongsang. I am on my way to seek out some friends.

YOUNG TAO : Kongsang?

The youth picks up one of the prints and glances over it in confusion.

YOUNG TAO : Where did you get this poster from? Do you perhaps know the owner of the tea mountain, Layman Longjing?

MASTER : It was a gift from a friend. Judging from your response, you wouldn't happen to know his whereabouts, would you?

YOUNG TAO : Hmph, but of course!

YOUNG TAO : The terrain here is complicated, and he lives high up in the sky! If you're searching on your own, it'll take you months, and you might still fail!

The youth answers calmly, obviously quite knowledgeable about this. The tea mountain stands tall among others and is surrounded by the clouds. Determining the path forward would certainly prove difficult.

MASTER : Hm. How odd...

YOUNG TAO : What's odd? You haven't answered my question yet.

MASTER : Are you truly from Taohua Island? I have heard the martial arts here are superb, and the people are very agile. If that were the case, how was I able to strike you?

YOUNG TAO : ...?!

MASTER : One should only trust what one sees. And it seems the rumors surrounding this amazing martial art do not ring true.

YOUNG TAO : You... fine! Select anywhere on the tea mountain and if I can't take you there, I'll give the title of "Young Tao" to you!

MASTER : Wow, how straightforward! I'll be waiting then!

We silently traverse the numerous treacherous green hills deftly. The higher we climb, the chillier it gets.

Among the wandering clouds, someone had planted a peach blossom forest spanning the entire landscape.

At the peak, there's an old and small pavilion standing deceptively tall amid the fog. It was akin to a single bird perched in a secluded jungle.

SPRING ROLL : Hey, there's a pavilion! So someone really lives this high up in the mountains...

Does my old friend actually live here? I can't help but feel uneasy at the thought of his unique disposition.

He's a strange one who tells me to savor tea and identify its quality. He is only willing to speak to me once I've given him the right answer.

YOUNG TAO : We- we're here! Get down, you rascals! Master, get your hands off my neck!

YOUNG TAO : Cough, cough-

Right after he lets us down, he starts coughing vigorously. For some reason, Young Tao's face seems incredibly translucent under the shine of the midday sun...

SPRING ROLL : Are you alright, Brother Tao? I brought Grandpa Dumpling's calming pill. Take it.

Young Tao takes the pill and stays quiet for a while. But he seems to have something to say.

YOUNG TAO : Buddha's Temptation, Dumpling, Spring Roll... All except for the Master of Kongsang, of whom I've never heard before, are famous dishes.

YOUNG TAO : You're Food Souls, aren't you?

MASTER : Huh? You know about Food Souls? You mean...

I had been so focused on inviting Longjing Shrimp back to Kongsang to meet Buddha's Temptation that I must have overlooked this person. He might have been drifting in the mortal realm alone....

MASTER : Actually, I'm not a Food Soul. I'm the Master temporarily in charge of Kongsang. My father, Yizhi, founded Kongsang with the purpose of providing a comfortable place for Food Souls. If you'd like to join...

YOUNG TAO : No. I'm... I'm not like you!

To my surprise, Young Tao's face falls, and he enters the pavilion without us, looking slightly forlorn.

I exchange a look with Spring Roll. All of a sudden, I hear a strange, dull thud from behind.

Young Tao seems to have triggered some kind of mechanism, and the peach blossom forest seems to shift. A path eventually forms.

YOUNG TAO : Hmph, as I thought. He's still using the defense techniques from Taohua Island. Well, so long as we can find what we're looking for...

He ignores us and heads straight into the forest. Just as I am feeling confused, he bends down and launches himself into the air.

YOUNG TAO : Argh!

Without a second thought, I jump and grab his hand.

MASTER : Quick, grab me! Whoaa, you're so heavy!!!

SPRING ROLL : Be careful, Master!

A slope suddenly appears from behind the third tree, and in my hurry to grab Young Tao, I lose my balance. The three of us fall into the forest maze below...

[bougainvillea-and-saltwater]

Top 10 Skyrim Characters

I was tagged by @blossom-adventures (thank you so much! 🥰) to share my top ten Skyrim characters, so here we go:

Miraak. Not only because I'm writing a fic about him, but because I truly believe he had potential both as a character alone and concerning his bond with the LDB. Bethesda did not do him justice and his story was written hastily and with many plot holes, however, this is why there are many wonderful fics with amazing headcanons that reconstruct his past and his personality, so he doesn't seem like the ultimate black villain with absolutely no motives for his actions.

Paarthurnax. He is this old and wise grandpa we all run for advice and in contrast with Miraak, Paarthurnax was written in-depth: even though a villainous dragon, he overcame his dominant nature through effort and was redeemed.

Vilkas & Farkas. The wolves of my heart! I love how they have been written with completely different personalities despite being twins, and I wish they were my best friends (or my protective big brothers! 🤗).

Brynjolf. He has big brotherly vibes too; he is this friend who will pick a cute nickname for you (this soft-voiced "lass" is everything, I swear!). What I love the most about his character is his loyalty to the Guild and his undying faith/trust in the Dragonborn from the first time he sees them until the very end when he declares them as Guild Master.

Speaking about the Guild, I absolutely love Karliah, too. I can't get enough of this melodious voice she has, and her beautiful purple eyes. Also, she is the reason why the Dragonborn is still alive after Mercer's betrayal and attack (nursing them back to health and all), plus, I adore her tragic romance with Gallus - calling her his "little nightingale" inspired me quite a lot for another cute bird-like term of endearment in my own fic... 😇

Serana. I mean, I am emotionally attached to her. Mostly because she has a veryveryvery similar personality to my own LDB (and a rather shared traumatic experience), but truly, Laura Bailey's soothing, smooth voice is amazing; I could listen to it all day! (Also, I think I can spoil this, Serana will make a big cameo in my fic, and she will play an important role in the story... 👀).

Teldryn Sero. My favorite follower in-game, and the best elven character in Skyrim. He has lived a long life himself, and he cannot help but be constantly snarky with witty remarks that make me want to smooch him! 😘 I love that he is also a spellsword, like Jia, and together they always make the perfect duo!

Delphine (& Esbern). Yes, I like Delphine. She may not maintain the best relations with my LDB, because of this Paarthurnax issue, but she is a character I admire, and I think she and Esbern are well-written. Despite their age, they don't hesitate to fight with fearlessness, they are brave and dedicated to their oath as Blades, and they hate the Thalmor. Anyone who hates the Thalmor is a friendly character.

Jarl Balgruuf & Jarl Idgrod. Probably the most likable, honorable Jarls. I love Balgruuf's wisdom and Idgrod's ability to see visions - despite being stigmatized by it.

Ulfric Stormcloak. The truth is, that the questline about the civil war I don't usually complete it, because I don't really want to choose a side. So, I'm neither an Imperial nor a Stormcloak. But Ulfric is the epitome of a gray character - he is not bad, per se, but he is not good either, and some of his motives are unclear. I personally love complex, gray characters that I end up loving to hate; makes me try to comprehend their deeper intentions, and thus I know that their development is meticulous and well-written.

Now for the tags! I tag: @miraakulous-cloud-district @illumiera @kiir-do-faal-rahhe @prettytamagnii @b-lizi to reveal their top 10 Skyrim characters! 🥰🥰

[axteroiddynamics]

Did Moriarty offer to help Ozymandias simply because he feels it’s easier to ingratiate himself with the pharoah than it is with the King of Heroes so that this could aid future schemes?

Yes, yes he did.

[andreafmn]

I’m Not Afraid - Chapter 2

Word Count: 4,585

Characters: Female Reader Argent Character, Original Male Argent Character, Derek Hale, Allison Argent, Scott McCall, Stiles Stilinski, Isaac Lahey, Lydia Martin, Chris Argent, Jackson Whittemore

Story Description: (Y/N) Argent arrived at Beacon Hills to put to rest her father’s sister, Kate Argent. For the first time, her family has decided to settle down and sustain a life in this interesting small town. After 17 years, (Y/N) has the opportunity to establish interpersonal relationships but will she be ready to face the complications that come with relating to her cousin’s, Allison, friends; especially, the infamous Derek Hale. She will face the adventure of being associated with the Derek and McCall pack as well as being faced with the discovery of certain aspects of her life she never imagined.

*DISCLAIMER* I do not own in any way Teen Wolf, all credits of the pre-established characters, script, and storyline belong to Jeff Davis and MTV Network. The only thing I own is Argent Reader insert, her immediate family, and her storyline, as well as her effects in the others’ storyline.

Chapter: 2/?

A/N:  SOFT DEREK, SOFT DEREK!!!!! If you enjoy my writing I’ll also be posting them in AO3 and Wattpad along with other stories (I also hope to start taking requests if ya’ll want) Hope you enjoy and all constructive criticism is encouraged.

<- Previous | Next ->

Chapter 2

5:00 am my phone read. 

It was usual for my brain to be awake at this hour. Since before I can remember it was part of the schedule I followed, everywhere I went. It was a small thing, but the sense of normalcy was a comforting friend. It made sense to follow a routine I could have anywhere. I was out of bed and into workout clothes, ready for a quick jog around the woods. 

I started off with a slow and comfortable trot before speeding up once I reached the tree-filled terrain. The smell of wet soil, the sound of birds chirping and leaves rustling, the crunching of leaves under my feet was oddly comforting. There was a strange pull that came from the heart of Beacon Hills. I had lived in many places in my short lifetime but this place was different, the atmosphere was different, the people were different. One of those people was Derek Hale, the mysterious, broody, sarcastic man that had bumped his way in. 

Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

"Why are you stopping?" He asked, a small chuckle escaping his mouth. 

"How did you get here? Where the hell did you come from?"

"You're not the only person who jogs in this town and this happens to be the trail I take. You know, you should work out on a trail that is closer to your house. Makes it easier to actually go back."

I looked around. Once again, I had trailed off and didn't know where I was. "Lucky for you, I have a great memory. We can finish off running and I'll instruct you back to your house."

"You know you sound like a stalker." We started to jog once again.

"How so?" 

"Well, you've only been there like two or three times and you already know the way back. Creepy!"

"Oh, come on, it means that I have a very sharp memory. Unlike you who can't seem to remember what house you live in."

"Touché."

The con and occasionally laughing at something. It felt good talking to him, almost natural. There was a supernatural attraction that I felt when I was near him, an unusual need for his closeness. Our relationship came easy, as the cliché would have it, it felt like I had known him all my life. 

We ran for about an hour and a half before we turned back. "I think it's time we went back. You have school in an hour."

"Whoa, take the stalking down a notch."

"Oh, come on, I went to that school before you, I think I know the schedule."

"Alright, grandpa. Let's head back. It's time for your breakfast smoothie and then some bingo."

"Very funny." He ruffled my hair whilst fake laughing.

"I try." We ran and ran until I came into view of the curb that led to the house. "Well, this is my exit. Would it be too much to ask for you to take me to school?"

"Not a problem. Meet you back here at 7:45?"

"That would be perfect." He kissed my cheek and left to run to where I believe was his house. My face turned red, and I ducked inside.

"Mom? Dad?" I entered the kitchen and noticed a note over a covered plate. "Left for work early. Eat your food and go to school." I read out loud.

I took my time getting ready for school. My bag was already packed, as was my lunch. A long shower and a slow breakfast were in store as I awaited Derek's black Camaro to roll into my driveway. 

"Thanks so much for the lift. I packed you some breakfast." 

"No problem and thank you." He smiled. "You know, maybe after school, I can finally give you a tour around town. So you can familiarize yourself."

"That would be wonderful." I checked my schedule. "Actually, you can pick me up an hour before school ends. I have study hall at that hour, and no one would care if I left."

"I think I can make that arrangement." He looked at me showing a perfect set of white teeth and a smile that would make anyone melt. "But wouldn't your parents know that you left school? I mean, you won't be there when they go pick you up."

"I'll just tell them Allison gave me a ride or walked home," I said thinking of more excuses I could tell my parents. Distracted by my thoughts, my hand started reaching out to the powered-off radio and I didn't notice that so did Derek's. A sharp current went up my arm as our hands make contact. We both quickly pulled away and I could feel the blood rushing to my face turning it a deep shade of red.

"Sorry, I shouldn't impose. It's your car." I spoke up, quick to start picking at the skin around my fingernails to busy my hands. Derek perceived the nervous nature of my actions and stopped my fussing by putting one of his hands over mine. 

"Don't worry it's fine. Just put the radio on whatever station you like." He smiled reassuringly and I reached to the radio and just turned it on, leaving it in the last station it had been on.

"Ugh, I absolutely dread going to school. Most of it I'm gonna forget either way."

"I'd tell you to ditch but that would be shame on me, so I won't. But think about it, this day you'll only get 7 hours of school and then you can hang out with me. Best present ever."

"Yeah, don't think so highly of yourself. Maybe I'll just wander around town until I find my way home."

"Very funny." He stopped at the drop-off zone. "This is your stop."

"Thanks again for the ride, awfully kind actions from such a sour wolf" I laughed at his scowl. "I'll see you in the afternoon."

"Looking forward to it." I exited the car and he waited till I was on the sidewalk to speed off.

"Was that Derek Hale that just dropped you off?" I turned around and was met face-to-face with Scott.

"Yeah. What's the problem?" Not that it will matter.

"You shouldn't trust him, he's bad news."

"Honestly, Scott, I understand your good intentions, but I'll sort out the wrong kind on my own terms." He looked taken aback at my response, probably thinking I would not talk back.

"I'm sorry if I offended you, but he is not a person that anyone should be with." With that, he left with worry evident on his face.

I understood that he was looking out for my "well-being”, but he didn't know me and I'm pretty sure he didn't know Derek either. Maybe that's what Derek meant when I met him. Everyone thinks he is a bad person, but he hasn't done anything wrong in my eyes.

I walked over to my locker and started exchanging my books. Closely next to me I could hear Scott talking to Allison about me and Derek, and my name should be out of his mouth. Once I finished with my locker, I slammed the door and they both stopped talking, noting my close presence. I walked past them feeling their worried stares burning my back. This was going to be a hell of a year. The only thing that could get me through it was the acquaintance relationship I have with Isaac. I did text him a bit last night but mostly helping him with homework. Lord knows he needs all the help he can get.  

We all stood around in gym class as Stiles and Erica climbed the rock wall. Everyone else had gone including Scott who mastered a great fall. Stiles appeared to have fun, but Erica would let out sounds of discomfort and shortness of breath as she climbed. At a point, she stopped. 

"Erica, are you dizzy?" Coach said. "Is it vertigo?" 

"Vertigo is the dysfunction of the vesicular system of the inner ear" Lydia stated in a mocking tone. "She's just freaking out." 

"Erica!" Coach screamed.

"coach, maybe it’s not safe. you know she's epileptic." Allison stated. How does no one care? 

"Wh-why does no one tell me this?!" Coach Finstock questioned annoyed. "Erica, just fall back, there's a mat that will catch you." 

She slowly let go of the wall and made her descent. No one seemed to care that the poor girl was shaken to the core; they all laughed.

When class was over everyone headed to their respective locker rooms to change. Something inside me kept pulling me back to the gym, so I walked back as I put on my shirt. As I opened the doors, I saw Erica fall from the wall and luckily into Scott's arms. He slowly put her on the floor as the class ran in behind us. 

"Put her on her side," I stated. 

"How did you know?" Allison whispered to Scott.

"I just felt it." He whispered back. 

After Erica had calmed, the coach called an ambulance to take her to be checked at the hospital and the day went by normally. I was currently in my "last" period. Tapping my nails in a rhythmic pattern waiting for the stupid bell to ring. Only 5 more minutes and I would be out of here. This was the first time I had done something like this. I always stick by the rules and make sure to follow all of them. My heart was racing, and my palms were sweating. In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Cue the bell. I grabbed all my things and stuffed them in my bag. I used to my advantage the fact that everyone was piled in the hallway and headed outside. Waiting for me was Derek in his black Camaro. Suddenly my heart steadied its pace and I felt relaxed.

"Hey there, rebel." He smirked at me as I entered the car and buckled my seatbelt.

"Don't make small talk. Just go." I said whilst trying to hide by burrowing in the seat. If I could I would have jumped into the trunk to avoid any hidden stares from authority figures.

"Don't tell me you've never done this before." I shook my head no and felt my face growing warmer by the second. "Aw, you're so innocent. For a big mouth that is." I slapped his arm as hard as I could.

"Don't be rude." I crossed my arms, slouched down, and pouted. He looked over at me and laughed. That made me slouch farther down.

"Oh, come on. Don't get mad." He ruffled my hair and laughed once again when I swatted his hand away. "Yeesh, feisty."

"So, where's our first pit stop?" I asked whilst looking out the window not wanting to look at his face.

"A small diner I know. Wouldn't want you to starve." He smirked. "Might make you angrier."

"I am not angry, just annoyed."

"Got some feelings hurt?" He said laughing.

"Derek, don't be rude. You will regret it."

"Oh, what could you do?"

"Is that a challenge?" He didn't answer, just laughed. I rolled down the window and stuck my head out. "HELP!! This man is kidnapping me!! HELP!! Bloody he...!" 

My sentence was cut short by Derek's hand pulling me down by my jacket and onto the seat again.

"Why did you do that?" I asked innocently. I had caused the faces of a few people on the street to look at the car in horror.

"You know why! That was totally uncalled for."

"I told you that being rude was something you would regret. I'm not one to say this a lot but, I told you so." 

He tried his best to keep a tight scowl on his face but in a matter of seconds, we were laughing at my past actions.

"Whatever, we're here." He turned off the car and went to the passenger side to open the door for me. 

"Why thank you," I said and took his extended hand to pull my weight up. 

"No problem." I smiled at his goofy courtesy but as we walked inside the establishment I could feel my heart beating faster by the second. "Table for two." Derek pointed at a booth made for two people exactly. Once we had sat down a lady maybe in her late thirties approached us to take our order.

"What do you want to order today, darlings?" She gave us a warm smile as she waited for our response.

"I'll have the bacon cheeseburger with some onion rings, a stack of pancakes, and some chicken fillets, a Diet Coke, and afterward some pie, please."

"Would you like the kitchen sink with that?" I said in shock. "I think I'll just get the, ummmm, bacon cheeseburger also with some onion rings and an iced tea. Maybe add some pie afterward too."

The lady laughed a bit, nodded, and smiled at us as she turned to the kitchen to put out our order. 

"So, someone's a bit hungry. Huh, sour wolf?" I chuckled.

"Why do you call me that?" He said somewhat annoyed.

"I don't know. It just fits you."

"How?"

"Cause you're very sour and you kind of look like a wolf. Hairy face and crazy hair. I don't know how to explain it. It's just a nickname, though. If it makes you mad I can just call you something else."

"I'm not mad. Just wondering." He slouched on the seat looking less tense. "How is it that I'm usually so bad with meeting people yet with you, I just clicked?"

"I don't know. I'm just special that way."

"Very funny."

"I know! I could take up a career in comedy." He chuckled as he threw a sugar packet at me. "So, since we are getting to know each other we should know basic things about one another. Let me start. What's your favorite color?"

"Maybe black or blue. What about you?"

"Totally red and black." The waitress came with our drinks. I took a sip of my iced tea and continued with the questions. "Favorite place to be?"

"That house in the woods where we met." I gave him a weird look.

"Why there? It barely stands with a foundation. What could possibly be there?"

"It's the house I used to live in before it burnt down. My family was in there." I choked on my drink when he said this.

"Oh my gosh, Derek. I'm so sorry I brought it up. We can drop the topic."

"Don't worry about it. It happened such a long time ago it's sometimes relieving talking about it." After there was an awkward silence, so Derek cleared his throat and asked a question. "Um, and what's your favorite place to be?"

"I'm not sure. Usually, I like places more because of the people I'm with. But if I had to choose probably the woods, it's the calmest place I know. The only place where you can actually be free."

"Wow, Ms. Argent. So poetic. It touched me." He pointed at his heart. "Right here."

"Very funny, now, favorite sport?" And the game went on even when our food served. Whilst eating we kept asking each other questions and getting to know each other profoundly. This has been the first time I had ever opened up to someone. It felt strange. Letting someone know small details about yourself. Making yourself vulnerable to them. Showing them how they could break you. But this was different. I felt like I was just becoming closer to him.

"We should do that someday. I mean the thought of just leaving for a whole day, not knowing where you are going, just finding an adventure."

"Definitely. You decide when the first time." I smiled at him.

"That's a deal." He looked down at his watch. "I think it's time I take you home. Don't want your parents to worry."

"Alright. Let's go." I grabbed my bag and was about to pay my part of the check, but he wouldn't let me. He grabbed the money I left and paid completely. "I don't understand the need of being such a gentleman if this wasn't a date. Just two people hanging out."

"So, this wasn't a date?"

"You thought it was?" I thought about it. "What do you classify a date per se?"

"An outing in which two people go out and get to know each other a little bit more." What he said made sense. It had never dawned on me that this could have been anything other than just a casual outing, but not being too well versed in normal social encounters, let alone dating encounters. 

"Alright, you win. I have officially gone on my first date."

"No way. This could not have been your first date." When he saw the serious look on my face, he stopped chuckling. "I'm so sorry you had to have given you such a crappy first date. I promise I'll make up for it one day."

"Deal." We even shook on it. "Now let's get going before my parents know I'm late."

During the drive back, he pointed out different key places I should know when going around Beacon Hills as well as easier routes to these places. Although I was heavily grateful for all the useful tips, my brain could hardly remember the first route he showed me. 

When we got to my house, I noticed that my father's car was not in there. I guess they haven't arrived yet. I said goodbye to Derek and entered the house, thanking him for a lovely afternoon. I changed into workout attire and, deciding to stay home, went to the basement and started working out. After half an hour of running and half an hour of physical training, I decided it was enough and went to take a shower. I noticed that my parents weren't home yet.

"I wonder what's holding them back?" After my shower, I continued my current read of Pride and Prejudice. But something was bothering me, a thought that wouldn't leave my head.

I'm leaving once the year is over. Getting close to Derek will fuck me up once I leave. I've never had to say goodbye to anyone. I can't start now. I'll need to start avoiding him. Don't know how, but I must try.

I went downstairs to get a glass of water when I heard a knock on the door. It was Uncle Chris.

"Hey, Uncle Chris. What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for your father. Is he here?"

"No, I haven't seen him. I got here and neither mom nor dad was here. Is something wrong?"

"No. Just couldn't reach his cell. I'm sure he's fine. Have a good night, sweetheart." He kissed my forehead and left. I started to worry. What if something had happened?

So, I decided to call him. Fortunately, he picked up.

"Dad, where are you?"

"Oh, honey, I forgot to tell you. Your mom and I will be out for the rest of the week. We left some money on the first drawer of the right side of the kitchen island and if you want you can stay with your uncle."

"But Uncle Chris came by and he didn't know where you were. Does he know you left?"

"Oh, I forgot to call him. I'll do that right now. Goodnight, munchkin, go to sleep."

"Goodnight, dad. Love you."

"Love you too." I hung up the phone and went upstairs completely forgetting about the glass of water I went to drink.

My phone buzzed and I looked at the caller ID signaling that Isaac was calling.

"Hey, Isaac."

"Hey, (Y/N). Um, do you think you can pick me up?" Isaac said in between short pants.

"Sure, where are you?" I asked. He told me where he was, and I took the keys to my mother's car to look for Isaac. He looked scared and frantic when I neared the spot, he told me about. His physique also looked different. Usually, he would walk cowering but now he stood tall and seemed a bit more buff. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just, um, do you think I could stay with you tonight?"

"I guess." I started driving to my house. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, totally. Just tired." I took the hint. He didn't want to talk, and I wasn't going to press on.

At my house, I arranged the guest room and got him spare clothes to change into. He thanked me and left for the bathroom. Something was wrong. But what?

***

Three days had passed.

Three days that I had stayed in my house for my daily workout.

Three days that my phone had been buzzing with messages from Derek asking where I was.

Because three nights before I had decided to avoid Derek at all costs.

The only way to leave it all behind is if you don't associate yourself with anyone. That way you won't feel any remorse or pain once you disappear. One time when I left was when I was approximately six or seven years old, and I had to say goodbye to Allison since we were sharing a room at that time. The second time was when I had to leave Josie. After that, I started familiarizing myself with the feeling of loneliness.  It wasn't that bad once you remembered the fact that you would always see your parents when you got home, and everything would be better. Although, these days I had housed Isaac in my house, rare was the occasion that we interacted other than doing homework. Isaac would come home late in the night and quickly went to sleep. But, he stayed in my spare room for two nights and told me he had found a place to stay. He left thanking me for my hospitality.

When I finished my workout, I ran upstairs and took a shower. I changed from my stinky workout clothes to a plain white shirt and black jeans, obviously paired with my leather jacket. Once dressed I went downstairs and grabbed some cash to buy myself a muffin and a big coffee. Finally, I found the keys to my beautiful matte black Harley Fat Bob. My father had gotten me this motorcycle about two years back when he noticed I just kept crashing cars. The only thing I never crashed was his motorcycle and because he was worried I would, he bought me my own. I tend to wreck a lot of stuff. It's not intentional, I'm just clumsy at times.

I opened the door to the garage and noticed it sitting in a corner covered by a blanket. Once I took it off, I smiled. I passed my hand over the beautiful color, the smooth surface, the cold metal. It all felt familiar. A part of me. I grabbed my helmet and got on it. Once I sat my body felt relaxed, at ease. A spark of adrenaline was shot through my body when the engine came to life.

I backed up from the garage and went to the local café store. While waiting to pick up my order I noticed Derek walking in with his jogging clothes on. He still hasn't noticed me, too busy looking at the menu. When my name was called, he looked at me and called my name, but I ran out of the café with my order ignoring him.

When I got to the school everyone was staring at me. The new chick was now badass. I walked in with my backpack slung over my shoulder easing towards my locker.

"Hey there, gorgeous." I closed the locker door to see Jackson standing next to me. I rolled my eyes.

"Hi, Jackson. What do you want?"

"I was just wondering when you were free."

"Oh, well from tomorrow to never gonna happen. Get down from the cloud, buddy."

"Oh, come on, we both know you want some of this." He motioned over his body.

"Get over yourself." I scoffed.

"Babe, it doesn't hurt to try."

"I believe she's not interested, Jackson." A strawberry blonde girl appeared. Her confidence struck me like lightning, a very apparent aura of dominance radiating from within her.

"Why don't you mind your own business, Lydia. I'm talking to her, not you. You've already ruined everything else."

"Well, I think she has no business with you so why don't you scram?" With a huff and a puff, Jackson finally gave in and I turned to greet my hero, who was surprisingly accompanied by Allison.

"Thank you, so much. He wouldn't take no for an answer."

"No problem. I'm Lydia, but you knew that."

"(Y/N). Argent." She motioned between Allison and me. "Cousins."

"Pleasure." Then the bell rang. "Guess I have a new best friend, (Y/N)." You guessed wrong.

I entered Mr. Harris' classroom and sat down next to Isaac and as usual Mr. Chatty Pants tried to hold a conversation from the table behind us. Seriously, how much can someone talk? I took out my notebook and started writing down everything the teacher was saying is the homework on the board. Stiles had finally gotten the hint and didn't talk to me the whole class. That was a relief. Maybe it was due to the fact he was too focused on the strawberry blonde who had saved my ass from Jackson.

The day went on quite smoothly except at lunch. It wasn't the same Erica that had fallen from the rock-climbing wall. She completely changed; a more confident walk, she was wearing makeup and tight-fitted clothing, and her hair was perfectly styled. She left the lunchroom after taking a bite off an apple seductively and Scott and Stiles followed, as did I. Curiosity had taken the best of me as to this overnight transformation.

She opened the front doors to the school and there he was. Derek Hale in his black Camaro with the biggest smirk on his face staring at Scott. When he directed his sight to me his smirk kind of fell but was brought up quickly. During that Erica had gotten inside the car and they left, together. I don't know why I was jealous because he meant nothing to me, but it broke my heart. I got nervous. I think Scott noticed because he looked at me worried.

"Are you okay, (Y/N)?" I nodded rapidly and out of breath. I had no idea what was happening.

"I think you're having a panic attack." Stiles pointed out handing me an inhaler.

"I used to have panic attacks, too." I inhaled a pump and my breathing seemed to normalize. "You okay now?"

"Yeah. Thanks." I handed him the inhaler.

"No, keep it. I don't need it anymore." I said a low thanks and walked back to school to head to my next class.

I felt extremely weird the rest of the day. Why did I feel that way when I saw Erica and Derek together? It wasn't like anything was going on between us. Also, he's far too old for me. Or maybe I'm too young. I don't know. But I couldn't shake off that sour taste of jealousy that the image of them left.

I knew I wanted to stay as far away as I could from hin but at this moment there was nothing more that I wanted than to be close to him.

Tag: @lokisgoddesofpower

<- Previous

A/N: Please check out my last post about the fandoms I’ll be writing for. 

[gender-void-partially-stars]

hello i would like to hear more about this hermitcraft you speak of. it i want to get into it where should i start?

ok so all of hermitcraft is on youtube, but right now unfortunately isn’t the best time. we’re at the tail end of season 7 right now, and some of the hermits are taking a week or two off before the next season starts! but you can look at some of the hermits still playing and their videos, or watch hermitcraft recap, which is a fan-run weekly yt show that recaps the week’s events. i’ll run down the whitelist here so you can check out some videos! (I’ll post a better version of this when season 8 starts!)

- bdoubleO100 (bdubs) - bdubs is a fantastic builder (imo the best on the server) and has a great sense of humor! (one of my favs!)

- cubfan135 (cub) - i don’t know a lot about cub but he’s very creative and has spent the entire year and a bit of season 7 building and decorating a giant pyramid

- docm77 (doc) - currently on hiatus bcuz of the birth of his son, but he’s one of the og minecraft players, and he once beat n*tch in a 1v1 pvp match

- ethoslab (etho) - another og minecrafter! there are redstone machines named after him, but he does a bit of everything, including lots of pranks (one of my favs!)

- falsesymmetry (false) - the first 2-time mcc champion, false is a pvp master and her current season 7 base is an extremely epic cyberpunk city build

- grian (grian) - if you’ve heard of only one of the hermits, it’s probably grian. he has a massive fanbase because he’s so damn chaotic and energetic, as well as a great builder

- goodtimeswithscar (scar) - scar is disabled (some kind of nerve disease i think?) but that doesn’t stop him from building gorgeous builds and being the best corrupt minecraft politician ever

- hypnotizd (hypno) - idk a lot about hypno but he’s on hiatus for hermitcraft right now

- ijevin (jevin) - same as hypno

- impulsesv (impulse) - impulse is the most dedicated person to ever play on hermitcraft. he once rebuilt his entire megabase one block higher because he didn’t like it (while working an irl job!!)

- iskall85 (iskall) - iskall is extremely creative and infectiously hilarious. like etho, he dabbles in everything, and is great at all of it

- joehills (joe) - joe is the tumblr favorite hermit; he sings his way through problems and is probably the most chaotic good person you’ll ever see (one of my favs!)

- keralis (keralis) - keralis is one of the funniest hermits, and one of the best builders too, with a creative spirit unmatched by anyone else, even if he is a (minecraft) capitalist

- mumbo jumbo (mumbo) - although he would say he’s not, mumbo is a redstone genius who can make anything happen. ever seen the walking house video? that was him

- rendog (ren) - everyone’s favorite furry (his skin is a man with dog ears), ren is hilarious and charming, as well as extremely dedicated, often taking a full week to complete a video to his liking

- stressmonster (stress) - everything stress does is happy and cheerful, as well as pink and sparkly. She brings that infectious joy to the server that everyone needs

- tangotek (tango) - tango is a madman. he built TWO giant high-tech minigames in the past year, one of which is a fully functioning(ish) among us game in survival. (one of my favs!)

- tinfoilchef (tfc) - tfc is the literal grandpa of the server. he looks like santa with a minecraft skin to match, and is just as jolly as the real deal. He doesn’t play a lot because he’s very busy irl

- vintagebeef (beef) - beef is just so fun and so cool and i honestly have a hard time describing him but trust me on this one he’s great

- xBcrafted (xb) - i don’t know a lot about xb sorry

- xisumavoid (xisuma) - Xisuma is the hermitcraft admin, and has the longest-running hermitcraft series at ONE THOUSAND episodes since hermitcraft 1 in 2012

- zedaphplays (zedaph) - zedaph is the zaniest motherfucker ever. he does whatever he wants and you CANNOT stop him no matter what

- zombiecleo (cleo) - cleo is a master of the armor stand datapack, creating awesome sculptures and dioramas (one of my favs!) (and not just because she’s bi)

also if you don’t wanna read that you can take this video quiz by hermitcraft recap

[dessarious]

What Makes a Family? Pt8

AO3   Beginning   Previous   Next

“How exactly is a billionaire businessman connected to the al Ghuls, and what does that have to do with my birth mother?” Marinette decided to take advantage of Alfred’s shock. She knew better than to think he’d just answer her question but she’d be able to get a lot of information from his reaction while he was off balance.

“How does a teenager from Paris even know who they are?” Deflection. Fairly standard move.

“I asked first.” She had to hide a smile at the eyeroll that produced. Finding his buttons was proving to be quite amusing.

“Master Bruce has business interests all over the world.” She just gave him a flat look. More deflection.

“No, that’s not it.” Alfred blinked at her for a moment. She’d admit he was very good at half truths, but not enough to fool her.

“I assure you Miss, Wayne Enterprises has ventures all over the world.”

“That may be true but it’s not how he’s connected to the League. Wait… Taila can’t be my mother. There’s no way she could have written that note given that the woman has no empathy.” After what happened that would be a literal nightmare. But there was also no reason for Talia to want to protect her from the League so it couldn’t be her… right?

“No, Talia isn’t your mother.” There was a slight emphasis on the word ‘your’ that most people would have missed. He wasn’t kidding when he said things were complicated.As far as she knew Talia only had one child. A child she claimed was fathered by some American superhero. What was his name? Dixon? No, Daren? No that wasn’t it. She’d gone on and on about her precious…

“Damian.” She didn’t mean to say it out loud but seeing Alfred’s expression she was glad she did. But if Bruce was Damian’s father as well, and Talia wasn’t just being grandiose, that meant he was a hero? “Where exactly does my father live?” She’d done her homework on other heroes in case she needed help or one of them ended up in Paris. Maybe she could narrow down the possibilities by location.

“Gotham, Miss.” Marinette heard a sound leave her throat that she couldn’t identify. Judging by Alfred’s expression he hadn’t heard anything like it before either.

“My father is Batman?” Alfred wasn’t able to hide his shock, but she wasn’t certain it was because she was right. At the same time all the pieces fit. Not to mention Tikki had told her that as a true chosen, fate and chance were always working overtime around her.

“Marinette, that is an interesting fancy. Just because a man lives in the same city as a notable vigilante doesn’t mean they’re the same person.” Alfred’s tone was a bit huffy and Marinette laughed out loud, earning her a glare.

“You have tells Grandpa Alfie. Using my name without prompting is definitely one of them. Don’t worry, the secret is safe with me.” She suddenly found herself on the receiving end of an extremely intense stare. It was a lot like the look her Maman gave her that made it feel like she could see everything Marinette had ever done wrong. When she was younger that stare made her start confessing to everything, even things she hadn’t done. By the time she became Ladybug she was able to hold it in though she couldn’t control her expressions. She honestly didn't know how she’d kept it secret for so long. Now though, she could simply sit there calmly and wait as Alfred seemed to weigh and measure every aspect of her life. She felt sorry for all her siblings who must be on the receiving end of this inspection on a regular basis.

“I would like to know how you came to that conclusion, why you think you can be trusted with such information if it were in fact true, and how you know about the League of Assassins.” The poor man sounded so tired. She could only imagine what he went through on a daily basis if she was right about her father. The only solid thought that went through her head was ‘give to get’ and as she examined her instincts she knew he could be trusted. Not to mention that at this point she’d had too many slip ups to avoid at least a partial explanation. Fate and chance once again conspiring to set her on a certain path. As much as she hated her hand being forced like this it wasn’t fair to take it out on her new found family.

“It’s complicated.” She giggled at the flat look he shot her as she echoed his own words back at him. “I have a lot more pieces of the puzzle than you’re aware of for starters so nothing you said or did would have outed him by itself. My conclusion is actually tied to how I know about the League of Assassins and that is a story that I need you to promise not to share, with anyone, unless you ask me first. No one knows the whole of it besides me because I don’t want to risk any Akuma’s or worse. But I trust you to keep it to yourself, given that you’re obviously experienced at keeping secrets.”

“I have a feeling you are as well.” She could only offer him a tired smile at that observation. If only he knew. His look softened considerably. “You have my word that nothing you say will be shared without your permission. Unless it’s a matter of life and death.” She let out a thoughtful hum before replying.

“That’s fair I suppose. Granted the whole life or death thing can be a bit subjective. I suppose I should start at the beginning, though I’m not sure I know where that is anymore. Remember how I said our heroes and villains are using Magical Artifacts to get their powers?”

“I do Miss.” She rolled her eyes, more in annoyance at herself than anything.

“You’re just going to refuse to use my name at all now that I called you on your tell aren’t you?” There was that almost smile again.

“I don’t know what you mean Miss.”

“Of course you don’t. Anyway, those Artifacts are highly coveted by certain groups. One of those groups is the League of Assassins. Given how little information gets out of Paris intact I’m still not sure how they found out the Miraculous were in circulation, but Ra’s and Talia came to Paris, about two years ago I believe, to try and take them.” That had started the worst week of her life, even if some of the lasting effects were some of the best things in her life currently. That week she’d found out that Adrien was Chat. That was the week Paris had been destroyed over a dozen times as she fought and Akumatized Ra’s al Ghul almost by herself. That was the week she’d given Chloe, Luka, and Kagami their Miraculous permanently. That was the week she’d seen everyone and everything she’d ever loved ripped apart. She still had nightmares that featured the lifeless stares of everyone she cared about. Yes she’d fixed it in the end, just like always, but unlike everyone else she didn’t have the luxury of forgetting. Suddenly she felt gentle hands on her own.

“You remind me so much of your father. You both carry burdens and refuse to share them. You both seem to think that the world is on your shoulders, and yours alone. You both have people all around you who would help, if only you’d let them.” His tone was an odd mixture of concern and censure.

“You’d be a good match for Wayzz. A calm and steadying presence full of wisdom yet willing to do whatever is necessary to protect those you care about.” She was just as surprised by the words as he was but she knew she was right. “But that is another complicated matter and I still owe you a proper explanation for the first round of confusion I sprang on you.”

AO3   Beginning   Previous    Next

Ko-Fi

@moonystars14 @ladybug-182 @elmokingkong @smolplantmum @jessigurl-design @trippingovermyfeet @its-salty-bug @whydoexamsexist @scorchdragon88 @alenee13 @lil-1254s-blog @sturchling @random-fandoms7 @fandom-writer642 @chylou34 @thewitchwhowaited @junarvion @laurcad123 @hakoirii @aestheticnpoetic @aegyobutpsycho2 @sassakitty @swiftie-miraculer13 @miraculous-simmer7 @peachedpocky @misslenamooney @shamefullove @user00000003 @18-fandoms-unite-08 @galla02006

[honorable-wanderings]

Word of Honor - Episode 2 Part 2 - Mirror Lake has more Fire than expected

In an interesting twist of fate Zhou Zishu decides to take the nice munchkin up on his offer to crash at his place for a while.

Thumbs up my dood

----------

Now the fuck are these guys?

Oh cool. Thanks.

---------

See? Children chants are creepy! Always!

But especially when driven by plort! (plort was a typo but I’m Keeping it.)

----------

Finally people treating our man with common decency and respect! Who knew he just needed a fancy bookmark?

Oop. Nevermind

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

I have discovered the joys of fucking with people and I’m never going back again

----------

A fuck this guy again. I’m assuming we’re not supposed to like him? But I don’t like him either way. He has no...  je ne sais quoi

He boring. Basic. Bland.

It ain’t good.

----------

Oh and also you know how you wanted us to keep tabs on Zhou ZiShu? Oh well um.. it’s going great! Great! Yeah... except for... we can’t find him.

-----------

Well if this ain’t a whole ass mood?

-----------

Midnight already? Time for the pain pins to poke me painfully!

This sure is a weird version of Cinderella

gross

----------

Okay okay so normally the 7 torture nails block your chi? I’m understanding? So you can no longer do martial arts. And he would rather die than lose all his martial arts so he put the nails in slowly so that he could still have SOME of his martial arts. But the point of the nails is still that he wants to die and feels he deserves to be punished as well? Right? So having his martial arts helps mediate the pain which lessons the punishment

and if it weren’t for the punishment aspect couldn’t he have just like... faked the nails? Or would they have been able to tell? I mean this is all dramatic and all but where are your motivations Zhou ZiShu?

work with me here

----------

Hey?! That’s not sunlight?!?

----------

Love me a good silhouette shot

----------

And suddenly everything is on fire???

----------

Rude

----------

After watching like 4 people get killed in front of him and a lot of fire and ransacking our protragonists finally thinks perhaps he should get himself involved.

----------

How is everything a fucking boomerang???

-----------

Pffffff I love it

Tunk thunk

----------

In another interesting development, the boat man from before is important?????

Also our boy is doing his best with that hat

----------

Okay I know he’s like a master of disguise and all but like he doesn’t seem to be doing much to actually... hide? Still love his wiggly sword style

----------

Um take the kid and fucking run maybe????

---------

*stalks you from a not very inconspicuous distance*

Didja miss me?

No

----------

Hate to see you leave but love to watch you go

----------

Fuck I hate being disarmed.

----------

This place looks strangely similar to the woodshed...

---------

The fuck are you?

Wouldn’t you like to know?

Yes I would. That’s why I asked

----------

There’s just nothing quite like a near death experience to bring people together.

----------

Take this kid and run!

But sir, you don’t seem to understand! I am the Best Boy! I simply cannot just leave you to die.

----------

Don’t worry kid! You can’t get in trouble anymore! Your dad is fuckin dead! Surely that’ll bring you some comfort!

----------

Random Local Boatman is surprisingly honorable and happens to be in debt to the father of the kid who was nice to you that morning.

Life sure is weird.

----------

He doing him best

---------

Though it is absolutely understandable, he reacts to being touched by that paper the way I react to walking into a spider web.

-------

Gramps is a badass

-----------

I do have to say these guys do seem to be much better trained than the usual evil henchmen. And you have to appreciate their aesthetic.

----------

Seriously!! The best boy!!!!!

This man has helped in a little bit exactly once to repay him for his own kindness an this little teenager is willing to just die for him without hesitation.

Like no, son, the two old men are doing this so that YOU live. You have it backwards.

----------

Surpriiiiise I’m stalking you too!

----------

Oh no the henchmen are falling into the drawing things out to emotionally torture their prey thing. Don’t y’all know that giving the protagonist time to recover and/or study your moves is how you die? Did you even GO to henchman school?

----------

ahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Just.. omg. The noise he made. “Dwaaah!!!”

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

Okay kid I know you’re young and under a lot of stress and never really got into the whole martial arts training thing but grandpa is doing better than you literally laying down and covered in cuts. Just sayin

----------

Aw nuts

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

*ding*

Please take your protagonist out of the oven as cooktime has been completed.

----------

The fighting editing style seems to be a weird splice of nice crisp slowmotion view of the action and spliced together jump cuts and zooms that make for an odd kinda hard to follow combination. But at least I guess they tend to end on ‘cool pose x”

----------

“Hey, Beggar! You’re good at martial arts. Somehow this surprises me even though I already knew that???”

----------

Unexpected trust fall ends better than anticipated

----------

Das gaee

----------

He’s bendin’ over backwards for you!!

--------

Unexpected but definitely varied emotional investments on the fact that Gramps is dying.

----------

Look at him being all humble.

----------

Ooh he could be in a medical drama. That is the perfect like sad close your eyes and head shake no I’m sorry he’s not gonna make it. Bravo.

Very delicate.

----------

“Don’t fuckin’ touch me”

----------

I’m guilt tripping you into a found family and you’re gonna like it punk

---------

Sick dude, whats your name? Shit no one’s asked me that before somehow I’m not ready..

Uh.uh... Zhou Xu.

Nailed it.

“Zhou Xu? Naw that doesn’t sound right.”

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

May you learn from this never to underestimate, rob, and otherwise harass your local old boat man for you never know when he may force you through guilt and honor into taking on a ward and a quest under penalty of being haunted by his old ass ghost forever

----------

Uncle Li has died and most of the group is much more upset about it than they would have anticipated that morning.

Poor ChenLing is having a rough day.

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

RIP Uncle Li. So much for living a carefree couple of years lying drunk in the sun.

It looks like even now you can’t escape your responsibilities Zhou Xu.

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

Group of hereto-unknown men arrive in poor time to stop the bonfire

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

“What’s wrong?” Um... maybe... fire??

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

I say again, thank you for labeling the people I’m supposed to remember.

Also, why did y’all have to wait for orders before checking out the fuckin boats?

Y’all dumb.

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

Hey, Wen KeXing, Not trying to throw off your groove or anything but maybe a funeral isn’t the best time for flirting? Perhaps? Maybe?

I know you don’t have an ‘off’ switch but maybe a pause button?

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

“are you done?”

“Never.”

----------

It deadass took y’all this long to introduce yourself? You’ve been stalking him all this time and you never thought to go “btw my name Wen KeXing? Comment t’appelles tu?” Come on man

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

Our best boy is having his not best day. D:

Don’t worry. Your new family will stalk/care for you.

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

“A-Xiang! Make some food!” “No shit Sherlock I already did.” “My ideas are the best. :D”

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

Eat your food!

Eat your food!

Eat your food!!

Eat your FOOD!!!

EAT YOUR FOOD!!!!

WILL SOMEONE PLEASE EAT YOUR GODDAMN FOOD?

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

“Oh my GOD we get it you can fucking read! Oh my god.”

---------

If I prove I can read too will you pass me a damn pancake?

Fuck yeah.

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

GOD DAMN IT SOMEONE EAT FOR THE LOVE OF FUCK

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

Um excuse you this group only has room for one little bitch and it ain’t fuckin you, you hear me little girl?

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

I am very sorry. Thank you for saving my life. I would like to re-assert my status as “best boy”.

HEY WHAT THE FUCK????

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

Wen KeXing: 👀

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

Please increase your friendship level before asking personal questions.

---------

Nya Nya you were useless when your home was burned to the ground and your family was killed waaaaah how pathetic are you!!

Can you fucking not?

My B.

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

BEST BOY INJURED THIS IS NOT A DRILL

----------

Our Man Zhou ZiShu respects bodily autonomy!

Do not touch my fuckin’ boy or I will fight you!

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

And we end the episode with Wen KeXing being horny on main!

Sir, keep it together. There are children present.

[angelkurenai]

Twisting the knife - Chris Evans x Reader

Title: Twisting the knife 

Pairing: Chris Evans x Reader, Ransom Drysdale x Reader (/Reader’s Character)

Warnings: None

Summary During an interview you are asked various questions about your role in the new “Knives Out” movie, alongside that of your husband’s. Although you had been originally cast as his character’s sister, you reveal that due to your chemistry, the role changed to an adopted sister who has a complicated relationship with his character. In between admiting all of that, however, it is impossible to hide your small crush on your other costar which inevitably makes your husband jealous. (Requested)

“Hey, little sis, going somewhere?” your way was blocked even before you could comprehend it, leaving you little choice as to where you should go. As expected, you couldn't spend more than ten minutes of peace and silence – well, almost silence when it concerned a party – in this house before it all came crushing down. And it always seemed to be by the same person every single time, how not surprising.

“For the sake of my poor sanity? As far away as possible from you, Ransom.” you didn't even look in his direction, making sure to fill your glass with just a bit more wine before moving to rest your weight against the doorframe and take a rather large sip of it. You felt like, if you could and if didn't draw too much attention from the family and even more so the man next to you, then you'd have downed the whole glass in one go. All the while, said man made sure to leave barely a couple inches of space between the two of you, just for the sake of making it worse and make you realize just how trapped you were.

“And yet, here you are, closer to me than ever before. How about that?” the smirk was as evident on his voice as it was on his face when you turned to give him the hardest glare you could master. Not that it had the effect you wanted it to because neither could you keep it up for long – your mind instantly being occupied with the thought of how you wanted to wipe that smug smile with a kiss more than a punch – nor did his smile fade in the least bit.

“I could answer that but trust me, you wouldn't like me to do so in front of the whole family. So for one, if it wasn't for grandpa's birthday I wouldn't even be here to see your face. But what can I do, we all must suffer a bit for those we love. And for another-” with a sudden move of your arm you actually managed to elbow him right in the stomach, making him let out a loud groan and almost double “Oops, sorry for that. Did I hurt you maybe?” you asked as innocently as you possibly could, loud enough for the family who was now looking at you to hear.

“Hey, what's going on there? Ransom, stop bothering your sister!” Linda was instantly speaking up in your defence, having a soft spot on you from the day she met you at the orphanage on one hand and on the other knowing her biological son all too well to know that whenever there was a fight between the two of you it was always his fault. Well, she wasn't entirely wrong.

“It's fine, ma. It's actually my fault, Ransom was a bit too close-” you looked at him from the corner of your eyes, trying to put as much meaning behind the words as possible for only him to understand “And I accidentally elbowed him. That's all.”

You heard a small scoff and laugh coming from Meg “If you could accidentally repeat it, don't think the rest of humanity would hold it against you.”

You could hardly hold back a laugh at the girl who felt more like your family than anybody else besides Linda and Harlan. While the woman would more often than not come off as stern and emotionless, she had shown you more love and compassion as a mother than your biological one ever had, let alone when she had abandoned you at a very young age. Richard too was a good father albeit absent most of the time he was caring, in his own way. You thought they were all caring in their own way, and as much as they could be, especially given when you had joined the family you were already 16. They had grown to accept you and you them. Well, almost all of them.

It was no secret to every member of the family that you and the older son didn't get along. While there had not been any major fights, not with any yelling for sure – Ransom surely didn't need to raise a voice to get under your skin and you, well, you didn't have the strength or patience to raise yours when it came to him – it was obvious that you could barely stand to be in the same room as him. Despite any efforts you had made at first to get along, all those years ago, it was obvious he wouldn't change so you too had stopped trying altogether.

As far as the rest of the family was concerned you didn't care whether he shut up because he died or... any other reason really, so long as he was no longer around you. As far as you were concerned, however, you cared because if he kept talking and kept getting closer to you, you might just shut him up with your lips and that would be a game you didn't want to play. Not again.

“Exactly.” the smile was back on his lips but certainly vanished from yours when you felt his arm around your shoulders “There's absolutely no harm done here, certainly no fight. If anything, (Y/n) and I are the closest we've been, we've grown past our differences and are ready to call truce once and for all. Make love not war, that's what they say. Isn't that right, little sister?” he squeezed your shoulder and you nearly broke the glass in your hand “Two very loving siblings!”

“You better.” Linda gave him a look before turning to the rest of the family, the other family members doing the same before slowly but certainly the conversation grew louder and you were quickly forgotten.

“What the hell do you think you're doing?” you hissed, grabbing his hand only to push it off your shoulder – although he did resist for a couple seconds.

“What?” he asked so innocently it got even more frustrating “I'm merely reassuring mother dearest that her son is on his best behavior and a loving big brother to his-”

“Alright, that's enough. Stop, just- stop it.” you all-but-growled at him, which really did nothing to lessen the smile that had turned into a smirk but you barely cared “I don't know what your problem is but I don't care to find out either. I'm living the best life I ever have, ever since I met you now that I am so many miles away from you. And if it wasn't for meetings like this I'd be perfectly content the whole year round. But I'm not about to shy away or not say a word like the little teen girl you first met, Ransom, and I can sure as fucking hell fight-”

“Whoa whoa easy little sis, I di-”

“I'm not your bloody sister!” you nearly yelled at him, oh how you wanted to scream it right in his face “I'm not and I will never be. And you're not my brother. Stop calling me that, just stop it. We both know very well that it is not how you see me, you never did and never will. And it sure is for the best because you and I-”

“Oh no, no please go ahead. You and I?” he smirked, taking another step closer to you again “I'd love to hear you finish that sentence with your own words. I sure have an idea or two in mind.”

You took in a deep breath, trying to gain some sort of courage but you realised very soon what a mistake that was. Standing so close to him you couldn't help but inhale his cologne, mixing with that significant aftershave and on top of the characteristic warmth of his body you were already feeling your knees go weak. It came in shaky and he noticed because his smirk got wider. It was as if he had won something and possibly he had.

That was the crazy or maybe even scary part of it all: You realized it too and instead of hating him more for it, you felt even more drawn to the man.

“You're right.” he straightened a bit, glancing at the family that were totally oblivious to the two of you “We're not siblings, and it's a really good thing we're not, because- well, we both know why. Just like we both know why... I'm going to keep calling you that, over and over and over again, even more so in front of our loving family. I'm going to keep saying it until you give in... again.”

“Listen here you bastard-” you hissed “I don't know what your game is and I don't care to anymore. Do your thing, as always, I don't give a damn. I'm actually bloody thankful I'm not related to you or your lifestyle in any sort of way and I plan to keep it that way, whatever you do. I'm not getting pulled into your game.”

“Oh really?” he grinned, getting so much closer there really was no room for you to back away and yet plenty enough for it to seem totally natural “And what are you going to do exactly? What do you think I am going to do?”

“None of your business. Look-” you let a short huff of air “I don't know if that's what you get off to, Ransom, I don't know if-”

“What? Oh (Y/n).” he actually laughed and you didn't know if you hated him more or found the sound too endearing for your poor heart “That's cute but calm down, will you? What I get off to? Oh no, no of course not. That's so far from the things I like.” he rolled his eyes playfully, before taking another dangerous step closer to you “Besides-” he smirked, leaning closer to your ear after a glance at the family “You do know better than anyone else what I get off to, don't you (Y/n/n)?”

If it wasn't the damn nickname he had come up with, if it wasn't the proximity, if it wasn't his breath fanning over cheek, if it wasn't his lips brushing over your ear as he whispered into it then it was certainly the combination which had you shaking. And you couldn't have been more thankful to Marta in your life for informing the man that his grandfather wanted to see him in his office, making him leave you alone for the rest of the party.

Not that he left you without his trademark wink that is.

And with that the screen faded to black and it didn't take longer than a second's silence before the crowd was erupting in cheers. You along with the rest of the cast clapped as well.

“Now I feel like-” you glanced at your husband with a wide smile “I have to say this, honey, I have to.” you told him before turning to the crowd “And in those last few seconds, I realized, he was no longer acting. But they kept it in the movie you see.”

“Wh-what?” your costars and husband were already laughing much like the host himself.

“I think- I think given that you've been married for a year you should know but uh-” Jimmy's words didn't really make it any easier but as the host he tried to keep a serious face and tone the laughter down “It is a great scene nonetheless, so we'll just-”

“Oh it is my favorite scene!” Ana spoke up though in between her laughter there was only so much she could do.

“Let's all agree it was a good scene and move on from it cause knowing (Y/n) she will have plenty of comments to make on it and therefore me in that scene. Please?” Chris spoke up too and you smiled even more widely.

“Come on you guys, it's not like I said 'Get you a man like Chris Evans: Steve Rogers by day and Ransom Drysdale by night.' or anything that might imply how he's in bed! Did I?” you asked so innocently that anyone - or at least anyone that was not your husband - would have easily believed it was nothing more than just a slip and certainly very true - part which you were not going to deny. But if it wasn't for your laughter, which you could hardly contain when the rest of the cast burst into laughter of their own and which in the end gave you away, you would have kept your act up and made them believe that you did none of it on purpose. Something which of course, again, you did.

“Alright this taking a turn for the-” Jimmy chuckled “For something we didn't expect, not that the fans will complain of course. I see- I see a few people there cheering!” he pointed at the audience.

“What? Want more details? With pleasure, I could go on for hours!” you said eagerly, making Chris look at you with horror on his face.

“Oh no. No no no! Absolutely not! Let's- Let's change the topic, yeah?” he tried to look serious but the wide smile on his lips was not helping, he was having fun even though he was already feeling embarrassed. The entire cast already knew it, probably the entire world too after so many years of working with Chris and so many years in relationship, but if there was one person that truly knew you and how far you could really go was Chris himself. So when he said that it was best if you changed the subject then he was absolutely right.

“Yes, I think it's best if we do change the subject. I think-” Jimmy chuckled as Chris tried to get everyone to calm down and not ask any more questions - despite Ana whining a bit and saying she wanted more details, just like the rest of the crowd you were sure “Calm down everyone, I'm sure she will share more details later.”

“Oh you bet!” you grinned, only for all of it to turn into laughter when you saw your husband hiding his face behind his hands mumbling “Oh no.” on repeat.

“Alright-” Jimmy cleared his throat, trying to get back on track as everyone else calmed down again “I think I had a few questions for you, (Y/n), concerning this scene. It was incredible by the way, so many things going on at the same time and you two manage to make it flow seamlessly. Can you- can you tell us a couple things about it?”

“Uhm yes of course.” you nodded your head “It was actually the first scene we had to shoot as our characters for the movie and I remember being so nervous about it, it's something I can't help every time, it gets really bad sometimes to the point I can't eat anything for the whole day until, you know, I calm down and the filming starts and I get told I'm doing ok-”

“Says the three-times-Oscar-winner.” your best friend gave you a look and you laughed, shrugging before Ana went on to add “But who cares about that when you've got Chris Evans to comfort you every five minutes, am I right?” she smirked as everyone laughed.

You couldn't help but grin as well, giving her a small punch on the shoulder “I mean, yes that did help a bit... lot.” you laughed “But I think it did just as much as having the scene itself with Chris. After so many years of working with him, friendship or relationship o-or marriage aside, we know the tricks and moves each other has. We know how the other one acts, in every detail it sometimes is scary for some-” you chuckled “And so to fall into synce is a piece of cake anymore. I mean, we could change the whole order of the lines but still find a way to include them all in the dialogue in a perfect flow without a single hesitation. So yes, on that aspect it was really helpful to be with Chris on that very first scene, I'm-I'm actually glad that the chemistry and all this uhm closeness came through in such a good way.”

“Why, yes, I think the fans were incredibly excited about that part! You two- you have quiet a few scenes together and- Let me ask, was that the original plan?”

“The original plan was uhm a bit more... simple and yet ten times more complicated. I auditioned for the role of his sister, his biological sister because that was the script at first. However, later there were many many changes made to the script so that my character was more of the adopted sister with little relations to the family and a questionable relation to Ransom because it felt like it fit more. See they really wanted me for the part, there was no questioning that, but uhm I think I could say it was discovered that uhm Chris and I couldn't get over the- what's the word. Uh well, I don't know how I could descri-”

“Sexual tension, just say it already!” Ana once more piped in, making you laugh just like everybody else “We all know it, it's always there! Just admit it, (Y/n).”

“Already, it might have been that. Maybe. I don't know.” you shrugged innocently “Who can blame me anyway? Look at this man!” you took hold of his face and kissed his cheek as he chuckled “But yes, yes Jimmy, I think that the chemistry came out as a little more uhm personal so they switched it up.”

“I- I don't think it was a problem, though.” Chris spoke up, a second afterwards “I think- because it seemed like they were all along planing to take it there. It was still the very first couple of days, no official filming had started out yet, and so (Y/n) and I were more comfortable so we didn't care if it came out our characters talking or us going through the lines of our characters. We were doing more of the second, you see, and they took notice of that and I suppose liked it enough to change it all.”

“Wow that's amazing then! Not just for you guys but for the fans as well.”

“Yeah, everyone went kind of nuts, and this one didn't help the case by posting photos all the time.” Chris chuckled, pointing at you.

“Were you excited about it (Y/n)?” Jimmy asked what was most likely a rhetorical question but you were already nodding anyway, seeing no harm in the simple question.

And leave it to Ana to make it worse “The real question should be why were you excited (Y/n)?”

“I hate you so much right now.” you told your friend and she giggled “I knew it was going to be a good movie and real fun to film. Just a look at all the cast and crew and script, which is is a masterpiece I had no doubt. I mean with my husband, my best friend and so many great actors why not-”

“So many, yes, of course. Cause she cared about all members of the cast equally. It's because of all of us she wanted to bein so much hmh.” she nodded her head, the smirk not leaving her lips and you hid your face behind your hands “Why, this is an oscar-worthy performance now.”

“You're the worst, literally the worst. Alright, fine-” you huffed “I will admit that I may or may have not accepted the role before even knowing half the thing I should about it. I received the first script and Chris had already gotten his role and we were talking a lot about the movie and he told me about the cast that I was totally sold just at hearing about them, you see. I kinda did it for all of them yes.”

“All of them, indeed.” Ana muttered not-so-silently.

“Wait, I don't get it. I, as well as I'm pretty sure every other fan out there, thought you auditioned for the movie because you'd get to be with Chris. Careful of your answer, don't break too many hearts!”

“I-” you laughed “Well, Chris knows it so I won't be breaking his, but no I didn't go for the role because of Chris himself. I just loved the idea of it all. Honestly, I was actually hoping I'd get to be Ana's character's wifey, but instead I got stuck with this guy yet again so I guess I had to play my part. I mean, they had that chance and it had so much potential-”

“So much!” your friend agreed passionately “We have been robbed! First time I got to be in a movie with my bestie and we've been robbed! I wanted that to happen too. Why should Chris be the only to brag he's married to Wonder Woman, I wanted that too! I was so sad we didn't get that. So sad.”

“Exactly.” you agreed “But no, I guess they were like: Chris Evans. Take it or leave it.” you shrugged “So yeah, I kind of rolled with that. Again.”

“You-” your husband couldn't contain his laughter “You say that like it's a bad thing! Wow, married life. Isn't it great? Maybe I should have really paid more attention to RDJ's speech. My own wife!”

“Come on, don't be a sore loser. Second place is just fine!” Ana said only half serious “You're on the top three of the people she loves most in the cast, that's what counts. I'm fine with third place!”

“Wait, did you just say third?” Jimmy asked the question many surely wanted, except for you.

“Oh you think she came to the movie for her best friend or husband? Oh no, no.” she grinned and your breath got caught in your throat, you knew that smile real well and you had been lucky to avoid it so far but apparently no more “Let's all be honest: great cast, amazing script, awesome director- Tha means shit,it fades into the background when-”

“No, Ana please don't-” you pleaded but you knew there was no use.

“It all means shit when Daniel Craig is going to be there!” she exclaimed and you squeaked, hiding your face behind your hands “She doesn't give a singe f for the rest of us. Nothing and nobody else exists! Daniel Craig, it's all about that man and I have facts when I tell you that she wanted to be in the movie for him!”

“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh. She said it. I can't believe she said it. I'm so glad he's not here to-”

“Do you think he's going to come on set today? Chris told me he's going to show up one of these days this week! What if he shows up today and the first scene they film it's the one we have together?! How will I do that? I'm not ready!” she mimicked you a little over the top and you literally yelped.

“But I don't sound like that!” your voice came out a bit high-pitched “And that's not what I said... entirely.”

“Not on a normal basis, but when it comes to Daniel Craig? Yes, yes you do!” she laughed as some of your co-stars chuckled. In fact all of them except for one: your husband.

“How come I didn't know any of that?” he did try to seem relaxed, but his smile wasn't his usual warm.

“It's no big deal-” you started, elbowing Ana who scoffed a laugh “I've kinda only told this traitor here, and it's not like I plan to talk about it again. I didn't...” but you trailed off, looking at your husband who had a raised eyebrow which made you bite your lip to keep yourself from grinning.

“And that, everyone-” you turned back to the audience “Is how his Ransome starts showing!”

[marblesarelost]

Caught up on TBoBF tonight.

If you're trying to avoid spoilers, there's a cut, because I'm'a go off now. Seriously. Here there be ranting and spoilers and opinions. You have been warned.

ARE YOU ABSOLUTELY FUCKING KIDDING ME

THEY TURNED LUKE INTO A GODDAMN NARCISSIST PARENT/SITH

NO.

"Only a Sith deals in absolutes." ~ IS THAT NOT CANON?

And yet.

And fucking yet.

"Here's your choices, kid. You can take the armor, which the only person you really trust in the galaxy left for you, and go wander out there in the scary scary galaxy which I have already pointed out to you is a scary scary place, or you can take this lightsaber, which was once Master Yoda's, and I will teach you to be a great hero and you will never be afraid again."

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK, WRITERS?

Also, hello, that was fucking mindrape. It sure did not look to me like Grogu was real enthusiastic about remembering that traumatic shit.

HELLO MASTER SKYWALKER YOU'RE SURE MAKING GRANDPA SHEEV PROUD.

Anakin should be fucking SCREAMING through the Force, "LUKE, NO, WHAT THE FUCK!"

Not to mention, HELLO HYPOCRISY.

A Jedi can't have attachments. Right?

So what's Leia? What's Han? What's Chewie? Why does he still have R2-D2 if a Jedi can't have attachments?

I'm just -- I can't even, are you kidding me right now.

*takes deep breath*

So yeah, that was not my favorite part of the show at all.

I liked the beginning. "Think twice." That's a damn good line. Damn good. And because I hang out here on the hellsite, I even knew who he was. (No, I still have not watched The Mandalorian)

I just.

That damn dumbass Deputy Dawg. I knew the second he didn't go back inside he was gonna end up dead. Boys like that don't live long enough to learn.

I just.

You know, I understand that the folks of Freetown needed a reason to go help Boba Fett and Din. I understood that perfectly well. No big.

But dammit. Did you have to beat us over the head with it, writers? I mean, couldn't we have a more elegant story? Come the fuck on, here.

Anyway, my rant above and five bucks will get you a coffee, I guess. Thanks for reading.

[emospritelet]

Twisted Fate - chapter 22

Sorry I’m taking ages with fic at the moment. Suffering from an extreme lack of spoons :(

Last time, Belle jumped Gold’s bones and they both enjoyed it :)

[AO3]

X

Belle decided she could get used to waking up with Gold. She was warm and comfortable, his body pressed against her back and his lips gently kissing her shoulders. She found herself smiling broadly as she stretched her legs, and he kissed the back of her neck, making her shiver.

“Morning,” she murmured sleepily.

“Morning.” Soft lips traced a line along her shoulder. “Did you sleep well?”

“Eventually,” she said, giggling a little. “That was quite a night.”

“Mmm.” Gold paused, pushing up on one elbow. “Are you alright? Was it a little too much?”

“No no,” she assured him, shifting to look over her shoulder. “It was good. It was perfect.”

He smiled broadly, and kissed her full on the lips. Belle pulled away with a sigh of frustration.

“But unfortunately I have to pee,” she grumbled, and he chuckled, patting her hip.

“I’ll make some tea.”

The sun had risen, the day bright and clear after the previous night’s storm, and Gold cooked omelettes with cheese and mushrooms, washed down with tea. Belle was hungry, and followed the omelette with a slice of toast with butter and honey. He watched in amusement as she used a finger to dab at the crumbs on her plate, catching every one.

“I could make you some more, you know,” he said.

“I think it’s enough,” she said, wrinkling her nose as if she was unsure. “Guess we worked up an appetite.”

“That must be the reason I feel as though I was beaten with something heavy last night,” he remarked, sipping his coffee, and she smirked.

“Well, your efforts were very much appreciated.”

He caught her eyes, grinning, and she found herself blushing a little. It felt good to be flirting with him again. It felt good to be a couple at last. She reached for her tea, taking a sip, and set down her cup.

“Are you going back to Storybrooke on Friday?” she asked, and he nodded.

“I have my appointment with Dr Hopper,” he said. “And there are a few enquiries from tenants I may have to deal with in person. Dove keeps me updated, and is very adept at enforcement if necessary, but it’s best to deal with these things before they become an issue.”

“At least tell me you’re not repossessing the flower shop,” she said, in a dry tone, and he pulled a face, his eyes glinting.

“Not this week.”

She gave him a very level look, and Gold sighed.

“Your father has no arrears that I’m aware of,” he said. “He’s managed to pay the rent each month since you left. Albeit at the last minute and with an extremely bad attitude.”

“Hmm.” Belle reached for her cup again. “Wonders will never cease.”

He grinned at that, and took a sip of his coffee.

“Will you be alright here by yourself?” he asked. “Ask Emma and Neal to come over. I’ll make extra food, you can invite them to dinner again.”

Belle hesitated.

“Actually, I thought I might come with you,” she said. “Is that okay?”

He looked surprised, but nodded.

“Of course,” he said. “In that case, why don’t we travel up the day before? It’ll save me an early start. We could take our time, get some dinner on the way, perhaps.”

“With me looking like I did twelve rounds of amateur boxing?” she remarked, gesturing at her bruises. “I was thinking takeout and an early night.”

“Well, I’m all in favour of that,” he said, his grin turning wicked, and she giggled.

There was silence for a moment as she turned back to her tea. Gold poured more coffee, the scent strong in the air, and glanced up at her.

“Any particular reason you wanted to go to Storybrooke?” he asked, and she put down her cup, pushing it across the table for him to refill.

“I thought I’d go and see my father,” she said.

An eyebrow flicked upwards, the only indication of his surprise.

“Alright,” he said, and took a sip of coffee. “How do you think he’ll react?”

“Don’t know,” she admitted. “But I’m going to speak to him. If he chooses to cut me off for trying to build a life with the father of my child, he can at least do it to my face.”

Gold frowned at that.

“You want me to come with you?”

She was shaking her head even before he had finished the sentence.

“I think that would only make things worse,” she said. “I’m going to tell him about us, but I think it’s best if I go alone.”

“Right.” He took another drink. “Perhaps when I have my appointment with Dr Hopper, then.”

“Yeah, okay.”

“It’ll give me something to talk about,” he added, and she smiled.

“You mean to say there’s nothing else you want to mention?”

He returned the smile.

“Maybe one or two other things.”

x

It was nice being happy, Belle reflected. She and Gold had spent a couple of days doing little but lounge around, eat and make love. They had also been talking, trying to rebuild everything that was broken between them. It was a slow process, but she felt that it was worthwhile. That they would be stronger for it. He had tentatively broached the subject of them getting therapy as a couple, and she had agreed readily, but suggested that they wait until the baby was born. Not that being pregnant was a barrier to it, far from it, but she wanted him to have a few more sessions on his own with Archie before they started delving into their issues. For one thing, she thought, he needed practice in how to open up.

Admittedly he was doing far better on that front, and had told her a little more about his son, and tiny snippets of his childhood. Her heart ached for him, and the son he loved so desperately. She had wished that there was something she could say to ease the pain, some miracle that she could work to find him. All she could do was reassure Gold that his son was safe and well, and urge him not to give up hope. He seemed to appreciate the words, whether he believed them or not.

By midweek, he had decided that there was business in Boston to attend to that couldn’t wait any longer, and had left her with Emma while he visited his lawyer.

“So.” Emma lounged back against the couch cushions, flicking her hair back over her shoulders. “You look better. Still bruised, still with a broken arm, but I’m sensing a thawing of relations with the father of your child.”

“Oh yeah?” Belle sent her a look. “You using your investigative superpowers again?”

“Maybe - dare I say - a heating up of relations?”

She was grinning, and Belle sighed, slumping in her seat.

“Fine,” she said. “We had sex.”

“I knew it!” Emma punched the air in triumph before falling back, cackling. “How was it?”

“Amazing.” Belle reached for the bag of chips between them, taking a handful. “I mean it always was amazing, but now it’s different, it’s - I don’t know. It feels different. Better. More - secure, I guess.”

“Sounds like you two made some real progress.”

“He told me he loved me,” she said, and Emma whistled.

“Mr I-Don’t-Care-About-Anyone said the ‘L’ word?”

“Said he always had, and he’d pushed me away out of fear,” said Belle, crunching chips.

“What a moron.”

“Yup.”

“So you guys are back together, then?”

“Well, we both want to make it work,” said Belle. “So assuming we can do that, yes.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah.”

Belle finished the chips in her hand, brushing off the salt and reaching for her hot chocolate.

“I’m afraid we can’t do dinner on Friday,” she added. “We’re heading to Storybrooke on Thursday.”

“You’re going back to Maine with him?”

“Only for the night,” said Belle. “He has therapy on Friday afternoon. We’ll come back Friday evening.”

“Long way to go to see a shrink,” observed Emma, reaching for the chips and popping some into her mouth.

“If he feels comfortable enough to actually sit down and talk to someone, I’m not raising any objections,” said Belle. “I think he trusts Dr Hopper. As much as he trusts anyone, I guess.”

Emma winced, sucking salt from her fingers.

“Well, that’s a statement and a half.”

Belle shrugged.

“Yeah. We have a lot to talk about on that front,” she admitted.

“I guess at least he wants to make it work,” said Emma. “He’s trying, right?”

“He really is,” said Belle. “He meant what he said, I could tell.”

“Well, I’m happy for you,” said Emma, reaching for the chips again. “So, how come you’re going with him? Thinking of moving back there?” 

Belle cradled her mug of hot chocolate in both hands, sinking back into the cushions a little.

“I don’t think so. I want to finish my Master’s first.” She took a sip. “Although I have to admit Storybrooke is a great place to raise kids. Maybe in a year or two.”

There was a silence for a moment. Belle put down her mug.

“I thought I’d go and see my dad,” she said hesitantly, and Emma raised her eyebrows.

“Yeah?” She sat forward a little. “How d’you think he’ll react?”

Belle pulled a face.

“I guess we’ll find out,” she said dryly. “I don’t want to cause a scene, but I’m tired of waiting around for him to call. I know how bloody stubborn he is. If I don’t make the first move, he never will.”

“You think he wants to make up?”

“Guess I’ll never know until I try.”

“Maybe he’ll be excited about being a grandpa,” suggested Emma.

“Yeah, maybe.” 

Belle chewed her lip, and Emma tilted her head.

“You gonna be okay?”

“He either wants a relationship with me or he doesn’t,” she said simply. “Not much I can do about it but reach out. The rest is up to him.”

“He can’t leave it too long,” said Emma. “The baby’ll be here soon. You got everything you need?”

“I think we’re as ready as we can be,” said Belle. “As far as baby accessories go, anyway. Actually being parents and - and a couple is kind of untested.”

“Just make sure you have your hospital bag packed and ready to go,” said Emma. “Nothing to say the baby’ll wait until May. Henry was two weeks early.”

Belle hesitated.

“Did you have anyone with you when you had Henry?” she asked. “I know Neal wasn’t around, but you weren’t alone, right?”

Emma smiled.

“I was living in Tallahassee,” she said. “Crappy one-bed in a crappy apartment block. There was an old lady called Mrs Bernstein who lived down the hall. She’d had something like eight kids, all grown up and moved all over. She kind of took me under her wing, tried to feed me up every time I stopped by. She gave me some of her grandkids’ things, like the crib and a high chair. Went to the hospital with me.”

“That’s so sweet.”

“Yeah.” Emma looked sad. “She passed not long after Henry was born. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so frightened as I was right then. But I got through it.”

“Trying to raise a kid alone must be so hard,” said Belle. “You think you and Neal will have any more, now you’re settled?”

Emma pulled a face.

“We’ve talked about it,” she admitted. “Can’t really afford it at the moment. Maybe when Neal qualifies, or when I get a decent job. In a couple of years, maybe.”

“There’s plenty of time,” agreed Belle, and Emma nudged her.

“What about you?” she asked. “Gold seems to like kids.”

Belle huffed out air in a sigh.

“I don’t know,” she said. “Let’s see how we do with this one first.”

“Guess it’s early days for you guys.”

“I haven’t wanted to kick him in the balls recently, though,” said Belle. “So that’s progress.”

“Maybe your dad wants to bury the hatchet,” suggested Emma. “Pretty soon you could have more family than you know what to do with.”

x

Driving into Storybrooke felt like coming home. Belle peered out of the window as they passed by Granny’s Diner, customers drinking and laughing as the waitresses handed around beers and plates of burgers and fries. She wondered how the townsfolk would react when they heard the news that she and Gold were expecting a child. Hopefully better than her father had. The car passed by the florist’s shop, but at this time of the evening it was dark and locked.

They drove straight to Gold’s house and he carried in the small overnight bag they had brought, locking the door behind them to shut out the cool night air. 

“Take a seat,” he said. “I’ll get you some tea.”

Belle walked into the lounge, looking around with interest to see what had changed since she had last been there. A few different antiques on the shelves and mantelpiece. A patterned silk shawl draped over the back of one of the couches. She smiled, inhaling deeply and pulling in the scent of beeswax polish. His house smelt a little like the shop, a comforting smell. Perhaps this will be our house, she thought. Storybrooke would be a nice place to raise our child, if I can get a librarian post. Perhaps the town library could open up again.

She shook her head, sitting down on the couch and folding her hands in her lap as she waited for Gold to return. They were a long way from settling down in Storybrooke as a happy family. But at least she knew he wanted to make it work.

x

They earned the curious stares of the townsfolk the next day in the diner. Belle had decided that it was best to start as they intended to go on, and had suggested lunch at Granny’s. Granny herself served them, doing a double-take when she saw Belle’s rounded belly but recovering quickly.

“You sit down right now, girl!” she ordered, waving them to a table. “Take the weight off your feet. How the hell did you get those bruises? Is the arm broken?”

“Accident at college,” said Belle. “I was pretty lucky, considering. At least the baby’s fine.”

Granny made a noise of agreement.

“Got it tucked up nice and safe,” she said. “I can’t believe Moe didn’t mention you were expecting!”

“Didn’t he?” said Belle dryly. “Hmm. Well, I’ll take a burger and an iced tea, please.” 

“No problem,” said Granny, scribbling rapidly. “When’s the baby due?”

“May fifth,” said Gold evenly. “We’re very excited.”

Granny eyed him over the top of her glasses as though she had just remembered he existed, and he showed his teeth. 

“I’ll have the same,” he added. “Don’t scrimp on the pickles.”

Her gaze hardened, but she merely nodded, sniffed, and bustled off to the kitchen with their order. Gold pulled out Belle’s chair, and she sat down with a sigh.

“Well, that went better than I expected,” she said, as he took the seat opposite.

“How are you enjoying going public?”

Belle pulled a face.

“So far, so awkward,” she said, and he chuckled.

“Not much happens in this town,” he said. “I’m afraid the gossip mill is going to be working overtime.”

“Good thing we’ll be in Boston,” she said. “Let them say whatever they want.”

The burgers were every bit as good as she remembered, the iced tea sweet and refreshing, and as she ate, she caught Gold watching her with a tiny smile on his face, as though he couldn’t quite believe she was real. 

“Do you want to see anyone else while we’re here?” he asked, and she pondered for a moment, dipping her last fry in ketchup and chewing it.

“I don’t think so,” she said. “It would be nice to see Mary Margaret, but she’ll be in school at this hour, and besides, I’m not sure I have the energy for a lengthy explanation of the changes in my life.”

He nodded his understanding.

“In that case,” he said. “How about I meet you at the shop after I’ve seen Dr Hopper? It should only be an hour.”

“Sounds great.”

She reached out to take his hand, smiling and Gold smiled back, his eyes crinkling as he lifted her hand to kiss her knuckles. Belle could feel the stares of the townsfolk around them, and it almost made her want to climb over the table and kiss Gold into a frenzy, just to give them a proper show. She settled for kissing his hand in turn, earning a soft-eyed grin. Storybrooke would get used to the idea.

x

Belle could feel her heart thump with anxiety as she stared up at the sign for Game of Thorns. Gold had walked her to the shop before kissing her goodbye and whispering words of encouragement. She took a deep breath, squaring her jaw. Well. Here goes.

She pushed open the door of the flower shop, the bell above tinkling merrily. Sunshine filtering through the leaves of potted houseplants threw dappled light across the floor, and she stood for a moment, breathing in the familiar scents of cut stems and fragrant blooms. She could hear noises from the back room, scrapes and rustles, and then the sound of heavy footsteps. After a moment, her father swung into view, a plastic bucket of flowers in each hand. He stopped dead as he saw her.

“Hi,” said Belle.

He stared at her for a long moment, eyes flicking to her belly and back up.

“So,” he said. “You’re back.”

She wasn’t sure if the brief light in his eyes was anger or hope.

“Just visiting,” she said. “Alex drove us up last night. We’re leaving this afternoon.”

He snorted, and set down the buckets of flowers. Belle raised her chin defiantly.

“Gold,” he said, mouth twisting around the name. “Back in your life, is he? I might have known.”

“We’re working things out, yes,” she said. “It’s early days, but he knows how much he hurt me, and he wants to fix it.”

Moe grunted, as though he doubted it.

“He give you those bruises?” he asked. 

“Don’t be ridiculous!” she snapped.

“You look like hell.”

“I fell down a set of bloody stairs at college,” she said coldly. “Broke my arm. Thanks for the sympathy.”

“And I’m only finding out about this now, am I?” he groused.

She threw up her free arm and let it fall, aghast.

“You haven’t spoken to me in five months!” she said. “If you were so desperate for an update on my life you could have picked up the damn phone! But as usual, I have to do all the work, right?”

He curled his lip, his expression somewhere between petulance and guilt.

“How’s the baby?” he asked, not quite looking at her.

“The baby’s fine,” she said. “Disappointed?”

Moe waved a hand, looking irritated.

“Oh, come on, I wouldn’t wish harm to the kid…”

“Really?” she said sarcastically. “When in our last conversation you pretty much cut me off because I wanted to keep it?”

Moe looked uncomfortable, shoulders hunching a little.

“That - that wasn’t my finest hour, okay?” he grumbled. “I was angry.”

“I was terrified!” she said, her voice shaking. “I needed you, and you weren’t there. I was alone and - and scared - and you just cut me out of your life like it was nothing. Like I didn’t matter.”

“Thought it might make you choose your own future,” he muttered. “You could have had a life, not been trapped!”

“And you think having a child is like being a prisoner, do you?” she said tartly. “Yeah, that’d be right!”

“I didn’t mean that!” he snapped. “I just meant - I didn’t want you tied to Gold, that’s all.”

“Well, we’re together, you’ll have to get used to it.”

“But he hurt you!”

“So did you.” She met his eyes, glaring until he looked away. “Luckily I’m a very forgiving person. When the apology is sincere. Pretty sure I’ll be getting one of those any moment now, hmm?”

He looked chastened then, shuffling his feet a little.

“Sorry, love,” he muttered. “Just - sorry. Things haven’t been right since you left. Not feeling so good.”

“What’s wrong?” she asked, her tone more sharp than she intended. He shrugged awkwardly.

“Dunno. Shop seems harder work than usual. Getting tired all the time.”

“Are you taking your medication?” she asked, and he waved an impatient hand.

“Course I am.”

“So what does the doctor say?”

There was silence, and she wanted to roll her eyes.

“You have been to the doctor, right?”

“Haven’t had time.”

“Dad…”

“Don’t nag me!” He waved a hand again. “I’ve been running this place on my own since you left! Hard to find the time for myself.”

“I left to go to college,” she said, her voice sharp again. “Which was always going to happen. Why don’t you get some help? You could afford a part-timer.”

Moe made a scoffing sound,

“You must be joking! We’re only just breaking even. Not like that - that man of yours would cut me any slack with the rent.”

“There’s no reason he should,” said Belle coolly. “Besides, I remember going through the books before I left. There are plenty of profits. It’s all in how you choose to spend them.”

“If you just came up here to tell me what a bloody failure I am—”

“I didn’t,” Belle sighed. “I came here to see if we could make peace. You’re about to be a grandfather, and I’d rather put my energy into getting ready for the baby than fighting with you.”

Moe was silent, and she glanced around the shop, lifting her free hand.

“D’you think we could sit down?” she asked. “Being on my feet isn’t too comfortable right now.”

Moe grunted, pulling the baseball cap from his head and using it to wipe his brow.

“You’d better come through to the back,” he said. “I’ll make some tea.”

x

Gold’s tread felt a little lighter than usual as he made his way up the steps to Dr Hopper’s office, and he even smiled at the man in greeting.

“So,” said Dr Hopper, when they were seated. “How have you been since we last met?”

“Things have been - good,” said Gold. “It - uh - it feels like progress.”

“That’s excellent news,” said Dr Hopper, and he sounded as though he meant it. “Can you tell me a little more?”

“Belle and I have been talking,” said Gold. “I - I was honest with her about how I felt, and - and why I did what I did. Why I pushed her away.”

“And how did she react to that?”

“She was hurt,” he admitted. “Angry. I don’t blame her, of course, she had every right to be. At first I thought she wouldn’t want to see me. I even offered to move out, get her some help that - that wasn’t me.”

“What was her reaction?”

Gold scratched the back of his head.

“I think she may have called me an idiot or something.”

Dr Hopper pressed his lips together, as though he was trying not to smile.

“So, then what happened?” he asked.

“We talked,” said Gold. “I told her I loved her. That I always had. And I apologised for everything I’ve ever done to hurt her.”

“How did she respond?” asked Dr Hopper, and Gold pulled a face.

“She asked me if I wanted to fix things,” he said. “Said that it was going to take time.”

“I suspect she’s right about that.”

“Yeah.” He dropped his gaze to his interlaced fingers. “It’s - well, things had been kind of up and down since then. Awkward, like we were stepping around each other. But then we had sex.”

“Ah.” Dr Hopper sat back a little. “Well, reestablishing intimacy is important.”

“Yes.”

“We talked about trust at an earlier session,” he added. “That the two of you need to build trust between you. Intimacy is part of that, certainly, but it won’t work on its own.”

“No, I understand that.” Gold rubbed the back of his neck with an awkward hand. “I - uh - I tried to talk to her a little. About my past.”

“I see.” Dr Hopper scribbled something. “And how did you find that?”

“It was - uncomfortable,” he admitted. “But afterwards I felt something like - well, it wasn’t quite relief, but I felt a little easier.”

“When you say your past,” said Dr Hopper. “What period do you mean?”

“A little about my childhood,” said Gold, shifting in his seat. “My parents.”

“Do you feel able to talk about them now?” asked Dr Hopper, and he felt his mouth twist.

“Can we skip past the part where my father never wanted me and blamed me for my mother’s death?”

He could hear the wry tone in his voice, his body tensing as it fought to take him out of his seat and away from the conversation, and Dr Hopper looked up.

“That sounds like something that we should probably talk about,” he said calmly. “But we don’t have to go into it today.”

Gold nodded, dropping his head a little.

“Good.”

“We’re going at your pace, not mine,” added Dr Hopper. 

“Alright.” Gold felt himself ease a little, his shoulders lowering from their slightly hunched position. “Thank you.”

“Getting back to your conversation with Belle,” said Dr Hopper. “You said you apologised, and opened up to her a little.”

“Yes.”

“And how are things between you now?”

“Better,” he admitted. “Less awkward. I know that she’s right, and that we have a lot to discuss. But she told me she wants to make it work. And - and so do I. I really do want to make it work.”

“Did the two of you talk about what that might look like?”

“Not in any great detail,” said Gold, resting his elbows on his knees and lacing his fingers together again. “We’re going to live together in Boston for the moment. The baby is due in early May.”

“Then I suspect the two of you are going to be pretty busy.”

“Yes.” Gold couldn’t help smiling. “I’m looking forward to it.”

[hesther-mcg]

blue dragons, part two + chapter fourteen

pairing: eventual asami sato x female oc 

character appearances: princess ursa, lord zuko

summary: the one where Zuko is there for Ursa on her going away trip; or the one where Zuko is there for Ursa like his uncle was there for him. 

warnings: none 

a/n: uh hey 

tag list: @talas-starlight​  @sokkas-honour​  @appa-gaangnam-style​  @strawberisapphic​  @orderofthebluelotus​  @graciefullygracie​  @appaair​  @shellyseashell​  @ewanssdjarins​  @biqherosix​  @briellebean​ 

+ part 4 

Ursa could see her breath in front of her when she exhaled, and her nose was icy cold, but nothing could put a damper on her mood. She stood on the deck of the ship that was taking her to the Avatar’s home, where she would be staying while she helped her master the element of fire, letting her thoughts run free. 

This would be the longest she’d been away from home ever, and it made her heart speed up and her stomach churn. She was both excited and nervous. And then the task at hand weighed on her, teaching the Avatar, the world's key to peace and balance, one of the elements they need to master in order to reach their full potential. It sounded far more daunting when she thought of it that way. 

It was much simpler to say that she was going away to train her best friend, Korra, in firebending, so that’s what she did. She was going to spend time with her friend, and teach her everything she knew about this element she loved. It had been a long time since they had seen one another in person, so it would be nice to reunite once again. Korra had also never seen the Dragon Spirit before, only hearing stories from White Lotus members and the Princess herself through letters and radio calls, so she highly anticipated her reaction. 

“The Captain says we shall arrive right on schedule tomorrow afternoon,” the deep rumble of her grandfather’s voice informed from behind her, growing closer and closer. 

“Perfect,” Ursa smiled as she turned around, her deep red cloak swishing around her ankles dramatically. “Thank you for seeing me off, Grandpa. I really appreciate it,” she thanked him sincerely; she had been slightly uneasy thinking about being on the trip alone, and her anxieties had only grown. Having Zuko with her eased her worries, and it helped that he reassured her that she would be perfectly okay away from home. 

“Of course, my Princess,” he nodded his head once and inched closer until they stood side by side, arms bumping one another, both of them facing the vast ocean before them. “I wanted to be able to speak with you, without any distractions, about your coming years,” he offered seriously, eyes squinted and lips pursed in a thin line. “Training the Avatar will not be an easy task—trust me, I speak from experience,” he chuckled lowly, the wrinkles on his face ever present and giving truth to his claims. “Korra is not from our nation, Ursa, and the styles that she is familiar with may clash with our own. But always remember—”

“That incorporating all element styles is crucial to truly mastering an element,” she finished for him, a knowing grin plastered on her face. 

“Precisely, Granddaughter,” he chuckled fondly. “I have complete confidence in your training abilities, you have exceeded my wildest dreams for you. And your friendship with Korra will, in some ways, make things easier, but it may also make them harder. It is easy for friends to butt heads, and even easier for Master and Student to do so. Try to keep a level head, and remember the responsibilities placed on the Avatar’s shoulders. I also trust you will not lose sight of your own while in the Southern Tribe,” his eyes flitted to her, gazing at her from the corner of his eye before looking back to the horizon. 

“Of course not, Grandpa. I know how important this is and how much is weighing on my shoulders, and I promise that I’ll do anything in my power to ensure Korra gets the best training she can. I won’t let anyone down,” she assured fiercely, brows furrows and eyes squinted, determination clear on her face. 

Zuko placed an aged hand on her tiny shoulder and squeezed. “I know you won’t, Little Dragon,” he mused, a kind and knowing lilt to his voice. “You couldn’t even if you tried.” He pulled the girl into him for a long hug, knowing that after this boat ride the chances of getting another weren’t very promising. 

He was fine, honestly, with her going off on her own. He did it when he was her age, running around the world with the Avatar and his friends, fighting for change. He was glad that the circumstances were different this go round, that she wasn’t carrying the pains and burdens that he was when it was his journey. 

“Never forget who you are, Princess Ursa. It would be a terrible shame for the world to lose you,” Zuko whispered to the young woman whose head rested lightly on his shoulder.

“I won’t, Grandpa,” she whispered back. “I’ll be exactly the person you taught me to be.” 

The pair separated, and smiled at one another. “Grandpa?” Ursa questioned. The older man hummed in response, hands reaching up to fix her topknot, which had loosened slightly during their hug—something that always happened when she hugged her grandfather. “Can we play a game of Pai Sho, and have some tea?” 

“My granddaughter, I thought you’d never ask.” 

[buckysbitch107]

Diffuse and Distract | Ransom Drysdale x Reader

Summary: It’s your first 4th of July with your son AND Ransom’s family under the same roof, and to say you’re nervous is an understatement. Ransom is known for his asshole-ish personality, and you’re just really hoping today goes smoothly. Everything seems to be going to plan, but when your son starts throwing a tantrum, you know exactly what to do.

Warnings: Swearing, mentions of sexual activity

Word Count: 1.7K

A/N: Hope you guys like this one! Sorry if it’s bad, I’m starting this at 3 AM. Classic Y/N trope, hope y’all understand the abbreviations. ~~~ means a time skip, because I’m not writing out every single detail. I don’t do that. But all in all, I hope you enjoy the first actual post on my tumblr!

“Y’know, I could turn the car around right now. Tell them Levi is sick and we wouldn’t have to go.” Ransom mentions, taking his eyes off of the road for only a second to look at you in the passenger seat. His hand lightly squeezes yours, bringing your clasped hands to his lips for a light kiss before setting them back on your thigh. You sigh and move your head, taking your eyes off the beautiful Massachusetts scenery around you to look at your husband.

“Sweetie, I know you hate your family, but Harlan loves Levi, plus he wants to see the fireworks. Isn’t that right, big guy?” You ask, peering at the rear view mirror to see your son excitedly bouncing up and down in his car seat.

“Wanna see the booms!” Levi exclaims, his words causing a soft smile to appear on Ransom’s face. Ransom once again turns his focus back to the road, occasionally looking in the rear view mirror to peek at the head of brown locks Levi inherited from him.

“Do you think he’s gonna like it there? I mean we know he likes Harlan, but what about everyone else?” Your husband whispers, growing a little more antsy as the scenery becomes more and more familiar.

“He’ll be fine. I’m sure they’ll love him, if they don’t already.” You respond, trying to reassure the worrying man next to you. It’s common knowledge that Linda and Richard aren’t exactly the most present grandparents, but you can’t exactly blame them. Harlan on the other hand, has taken his responsibility as great-grandfather to the max, being there every step of the way. You glance down at the ring on your finger, thinking back to the day you vowed to love the man next to you for the rest of your days. All too soon, you pull up to the esteemed Thrombey mansion. Ransom gets out of the car, opening the passenger side door for you like the gentleman he is (sometimes). You open the back door and take Levi out of his car seat, placing him on your hip before the three of you walk inside, dread already filling the back of your mind. Harlan almost immediately greets you, his smile growing a little wider once he sees Levi. The four of you walk outside to the patio, where the rest of the Thrombey/Drysdale family is scattered around the lawn.

“Y/N! So nice to see you!” Linda greets, her smile most likely fake based on her opinions about you. She doesn’t exactly like the fact that her son married someone of your background, whatever that means.

“Nice to see you too, Linda!” You reply, giving her a side hug while trying not to squish your son. She says hi to Levi before returning to her seat under the cabana by Richard, her husband giving you almost the exact same greeting. You sit down at the table next to Ransom, pulling a chair up next to you for Levi to sit in. Ransom strikes up a conversation with his uncle and his father, causing you to only slightly pay attention, most of your focus on the three year old in front of you.

“So Ransom, are you still depending on that trust fund?” Walt asks, obviously wanting to rile up your husband. Ransom just lets out a short laugh and runs his hand down his jaw, obviously not trying to get pissed off.

“Not anymore. I actually have a job at an international accounting firm in Boston. When I do use the trust fund money, it’s either for Levi or Y/N.” Walt is obviously surprised by this answer. As you wait for Walt’s response, Levi starts getting a little antsy, so you let him out of the chair to play with the dogs. They always get him passed out by 8 pm.

“That’s all it took huh? A dumb piece of arm candy pops out a kid and all of a sudden you’re Mr. Responsible?”

“Listen here you little-” Ransom is cut off when your elbow digs into his ribs, an obvious sign for him to shut up. His head snaps towards you where you are silently nodding your head towards the small child who stands only a few feet away from the conversation. Your husband sighs before leaning back in his chair, already predicting what’s going to happen. Walt has a smug grin on his face, as if he feels he’s won something. He doesn’t know who he messed with. Levi waves at you before running after the dogs, and once he’s out of earshot, you explode.

“Listen here you little piece of shit. I don’t know what your problem is with me, but here’s the deal. I am NOT arm candy. I did not work my way through high school, getting a bachelor’s degree AND getting a master’s degree for someone who relies on their own father’s company for money to call me dumb. I don’t know what world you live in, but not many women like being called arm candy. And as a matter of fact, I-” You would continue, if it weren’t for the almost inaudible whine coming from the grill area of the patio. “Excuse me.” You stand up and walk over to the small outdoor kitchen area, finding your son on the verge of tears. He’s standing next to the counter, his focus on the whole watermelon sitting next to the sink.

“Mama-” He whines, pointing at it. You squat down, Levi slightly calming down once you’re on his level. Tears form in his eyes, and it's evident that a tantrum is on the horizon. You think of the method you’ve used on him before and immediately put it into action, hoping he doesn’t start screaming.

“You want the watermelon?” Levi simply nods and you smile a bit, the plan already working. “Well the watermelon isn’t cut yet, so we have to wait.” The realization that he isn’t getting what he wants when he wants kicks in, and his legs start to wobble as he whines more. Just like his father.

“But mamaaaaa.” He cries, drawing a little more attention to the two of you.

“Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.” You whisper, wiping the tears off his cheeks. “There’s no need for tears. Are you hungry?” He nods and an idea pops in your head. “Why don’t we go get you some other food, and when Grandpa cuts the watermelon, we can get you some, okay?” Levi hiccups again before responding.

“Okay mama.” You stand up and grab his hand, leading him to the table full of classic 4th of July foods. Harlan immediately gets to work on cutting the watermelon, and you shoot him a short “thank you” over your shoulder. You pick Levi up, placing him on your hip in order for him to see all the food.

“Do you want a hamburger?”

“No.”

“Do you want a hot dog?” Your son thinks for a second before nodding, making you internally smile. You grab him a hot dog and some chips before walking over to the table. Unbeknownst to you, both Ransom and Walt were watching that entire interaction, and as you set Levi down in a chair with his cut up hot dog, you hear Walter whisper something.

“I’ve gotta admit, she’s a good mom.” A large smile appears on Ransom’s face as you walk over to the little kitchen area, coming back with a plate of watermelon for the three of you to share.

“She really is. I don’t know what I’d do without her.” Ransom whispers, watching his son eat all of his food before asking to go play again. You nod and once Levi leaves, Ransom turns to you with a look of awe on his face. “So how’d you do it?”

“Do what?” You ask, eating a piece of watermelon.

“Get him to not throw a tantrum.”

“I used a tactic called Diffuse and Distract.”

“Please explain.” Walt comments, honestly intrigued by how you did it. You let out a laugh before explaining your “mystical ways” as Ransom calls it.

“Toddlers aren’t exactly the best at explaining their emotions. So you have to think on their level. They want something. They can’t have that something. You have to explain the situation calmly, to diffuse the chance of a temper tantrum. Then you can provide other options to distract them until what they want is available, or until they forget about it.” You pause, stifling a laugh. “I use it on him all the time.” You point at Ransom, both you and Walt erupting into laughter.

“Wait what? When?!” Ransom exclaims.

“Literally today. You were whining about how you didn’t want to come today, so I explained that Levi really wants to see the firework to diffuse your tantrum, then I suggested that we talk about another kid when we got home so you wouldn’t be a big baby about going.” Ransom simply huffs at your statement, popping a piece of watermelon in his mouth while sending you a glare.

~~~

“Are you sure he’s gonna be okay?” Ransom questions, the three of you sitting on the grass waiting for the fireworks to start.

“He’s gonna do great, babe. He handled the thunderstorm on Sunday pretty well, I’m sure he’ll handle the fireworks well too.” Your husband simply nods and the fireworks begin, the sky illuminated in reds, blues, purples, greens, oranges, whites and yellows. Levi’s mouth is stuck open in awe as he looks up at the sky, the sight amazing him to his heart’s content. You and Ransom look at each other proudly, silently wondering how you got so lucky with such an amazing son.

~~~

“Oh yeah, he’s passed out.” You whisper, turning your head to face forward once again. Ransom’s hand rests on your thigh, a common occurrence when you two drive together. The ride home is mostly silent, Levi’s snores being the main noise in the car. The three of you arrive home and get out of the vehicle, Ransom carefully carrying your son to his bedroom. You tuck him in, giving him a kiss on his forehead and turning on his nightlight before sneaking out the door, quietly shutting it so as to not wake him. You turn around and run straight into Ransom’s chest, a sly grin resting on his face.

“So about that second kid.”

Permanent Tags: @wintersoldierslut @breakmy-bedbarnes @stuckys-hot-dogs

Please let me know if you have any requests! As I’ve mentioned, nothing is too fluffy, angsty, smutty, or gorey for me. I mainly write Marvel and its characters/actors. I can also write some characters from other things, you just have to ask! Also please let me know if you want to be a part of the Permanent Tags! But please, for now,

Call me Emily

[amandaklwrites]

TV Series Review: Miss Scarlet and the Duke (2019)

Genre: Historical Fiction/Murder Mystery/British Period Drama

Rating: 10/10

TV Show Review:

I. LOVE. THIS SHOW.

Pretty much this review will be me talking about everything I love this series, just a warning. I hope you love it too, so you can enjoy my blabbering and gushing!

I will do this review a bit differently, since it’s still relatively new, especially here in the US. I’ll talk about my general thoughts, and then I’ll do a “keep reading” when it goes down into spoilers for each episode.

So, here, for the spoiler-free part of my review:

Let me start out by saying that these characters make the whole damn show. Yes, the mysteries are great and all, but it’s the characters in this series, for me, that drives the whole thing. Eliza Scarlet is a masterful main character, and I love everything about her—from her determination, her willingness to fight the crowd to be what she wants, how she’s willing to admit some issues, that she still relies so heavily on her father after he passed away. Her humor is so incredible, and I think she’s just someone I wish I could be. Her feistiness is so wonderful. And then our Inspector Detective William “the Duke” Wellington is… one of my favorite leading men, fictional of course. I like that he’s overprotective of her (sometimes, to funny extents), that he does his job well and follows a lot of the right paths, that he doesn’t seem surprised by much of anything, and that he’s willing to fight even when he’s falling apart at the seams. And their relationship! They are so clearly in love with each other (probably have since that “chaste kiss” when they were teens…), they bicker like a married couple, and though they annoy the living hell out of each other, they would die for one another. I like that their relationship isn’t perfect and they take note of that in the show, but it feels real. It’s one of the most real relationships I have ever seen.

Moses and Rupert are such important characters and I LOVE their relationship with Eliza, their friendships that seem so different, but they just fit. I can’t go much into detail about either of them, or it will spoil entire plotlines of mysteries, but I will say that I love what the story does with their characters, how it gives them breaths of their own, that they become some of the most dynamic characters in the show with so much to them and that take a life of their own. That they feel real and important and interesting, and I love the representation. That’s all I’ll say about them in the spoiler-free review.

Now, the mysteries, were incredible. They kept me guessing through every episode, and I would have some feelings about things/people, but I wasn’t sure how it would get there. At times, I thought of the truth, but figured that they were going to trick me with it (my grandpa always told me that I have a brain for a detective, if I had some training, so that’s fun!). But still, they were so innovative and different from other mysteries that I had experienced. And I liked that each episode felt a bit different—we had a taste of ghost story feeling, even an intense thriller. They were really, really good mysteries, to me at least. And I do love me some mysteries.

Okay, so the costumes, sets and music. MY GOD. It was all SO BEAUTIFUL! Eliza’s clothes were magnificent and they had POCKETS!!! William was way too sexy in those clothes (can we bring those back??? We can leave out the discrimination that came with the time period, but let’s bring back the clothes at least!). Everyone had gorgeous clothes. And the sets were beautiful—those dirty, Victorian, coal covered streets… I loved it! (My mom says she’s not sure why I’m so in love with the dark atmosphere of the Victorian era, but I am!). The MUSIC. Can they just upload a damn soundtrack already? I need to listen to this music all the time! It sounds different and cool and I’m just so in love with it.

THE HUMOR! My god, I had never seen a murder mystery show set in another time that does humor so well. I love how they travel between scenes to make it funnier, the lines they say to one another. It makes me feel like these actors absolutely had a blast filming this show. They were so on point, and some of the funny scenes made me laugh harder than any comedy movie I’ve seen.

As you can see, I’m obsessed with this show altogether. I love it, and I want to watch it over and over. The vibe, the love stories, the characters, every. single. thing. is my jam. I know they’re planning a second season and I cannot wait for it. Ugh. My god. It’s wonderful.

So here ends my spoiler-free review. After this, I’m going to talk spoilers. So if you have seen the show and/or want to read the spoiler-y thoughts, please click on the “keep reading.” If not, see you around after your watch the show! It’s well worth it!

Let me start out by explaining more of my thoughts on the relationship between William and Eliza, because I worried that some of what I had said would give away possibly too much. So here’s that part:

The (hilarious) way that William mutters “oh jesus” whenever he finds Eliza waiting in his office, or the fact that Eliza calls herself his wife (or in one instance, something worse, but to save herself) to get what she wants also feels like a sly to personally agitate him. How that he would toss her into jail/into court when she went against things he said she shouldn’t do (though he released her/got her out at some point) never got old and even funnier to me each time. I told my mom, she was like a toddler—he couldn’t keep her in sight, so he had to lock her out. But I liked that she still argued with him despite it. Their back and forth was perfect.

I will say here, that I have seen people’s comments online how they wish that William was more on board with Eliza’s detective dreams and support her 100% much earlier on. And I get that, that he can seem like an ass at times. But honestly, I think he feels more realistic that he’s a little harder about it in the beginning. Trust me, I love this show and the way they play with characters and storylines, and that they are so forward (I mean, Eliza is so forward-thinking and modern, it’s amazing), but to me, if they made EVERYONE, i.e. William especially, it wouldn’t ground me into the time very well. I like that it was more gradual for him, to fully support her. And actually, I think for a man in the Victorian Era, with his position, he supported her as much as he could. Though he fought her on it at times, he eventually gave up trying to stop her. And I do think, in some respect, he was trying to protect her, because he does care for her. He was a man of his time, in his position, and he is changing. Can we at least give him that? Because, in all throughout history, it took a while for things to change. And it was men like William that started to understand, that started to recognize that, that helped make it happen. Plus, Eliza didn’t let him pull shit all the time, and she did fight him on it.

Now, I’m going to comment on each individual episode with my thoughts. I’ve never done this before so yay! Here it goes!

EPISODE ONE: Inheritance

I knew the weird uncle wasn’t the girl’s uncle. I didn’t expect that it was her husband (I should’ve!! We knew he was a cheat and a conartist!!), but I knew it wasn’t her rich uncle. I knew from the moment he came on screen—I remember thinking, this guy looks too young around his eyes. His beard and mustache look fake. So, I was right to an extent.

I can’t be the only one who was horrified to discover what the police did to women who worked as prostitutes or in dance halls—they could be arrested and searched for venereal disease? Seriously??? For men who were so obsessed with wanting their wives to “stay safe” and “be protected,” they sure were fine with flipping the case when it came to women that they would also gladly pay to sleep with? Why don’t they check the male clients who are PAYING for this industry. It was appalling and horrendous, and it made my skin literally crawl as they tried tying Eliza down to the chair.

On the note of that scene, Eliza calling herself William’s favorite whore to save herself is literally one of the funniest (though, darkly) things—especially in the next scene, when you see the two of them sitting in his office in silence and William is mortified, annoyed, and I think amused at the same time.

I loved how Eliza tricked that bastard husband—she set him up, AND she gave him laudanum to make him pass out? This woman knows what’s up!

Instantly from this first episode, I knew I loved this show and these characters. Eliza shows her charm and wit and humor and smarts. She’s skilled and I love her personality so much. Though I can see how she could be aggravating to others. William absolutely adores her. Rupert annoyed me a bit at the beginning, but by the end—when he asked Eliza to not marry him, I knew I would like him. And Moses! A Jamaican man brings in the race question of this dark, old world, but I love that he likes Eliza and finds her interesting. He’s terrifying, but I think he’s a good, decent man, he’s only trapped in this world because no one will let him be anything else. But he’s such a rich, interesting character.

EPISODE TWO: The Woman in Red

This episode brings in the reality of homosexuality in this world. That it has always been there (damn those bastards who think otherwise), but it has been hidden away. That men and women have to fear for their lives, and also marry people they do not want because they want to not be noticed. I loved finding out Rupert was gay—my mom called that one!—and the friendship he develops with Eliza. That he trusts her to tell a secret that could literally have him killed and ruined. And that Eliza doesn’t even blink, that she’s willing to keep his secret to the grave, and I cried when she basically told him that. It’s quite beautiful that Eliza even seemed to be grateful that he trusted her enough to give her that secret.

Which was used in interesting juxtaposition to the gay man, accused of murdering his lover, and his wife. I understand the woman’s hurt, that she loved this man and it turned out he didn’t love her in the same way. But that didn’t mean her willingness to let him die for a crime he didn’t commit was at all good or called for. With Eliza talking her down, to prove that the woman’s husband was innocent, I think proved that though she was hurt beyond reason, she did love that man who was her husband and didn’t want to see her die. It’s really a hard situation, especially during that time, when people were constantly shoved down their throats that homosexuality was bad. Not that I’m giving her a “it’s okay,” but I can understand the pain and confusion she went through. Especially because she pulled through.

Through this whole episode, we thought it was the wife that had murdered the lover (the other man). I was surprised to find out that he had killed himself, cut his own throat (which I had heard wasn’t possible to do—but my grandpa, who had worked as a detective, told me that is a myth people talk about, that it’s really easy to cut your own throat). That was a shock, and it made me so sad. That he was dying because he was unhappy, because he hated what he was, because of damn society telling him so. I actually started crying, because as someone who is bisexual, I would be condemned in this time during for openly being with men and women, though I couldn’t even compare to people who are gay or lesbian, because the situation is not the same. But I could connect, I could understand. And I hated knowing the pain all those people were in, that a man had killed himself because of what he was, and that another man had to live with that. It truly breaks your heart.

William’s response to finding out the dead man was gay was interesting. I thought his comment “in my line of work, nothing surprises you” funny, but also telling. He didn’t act disgusted, he didn’t mistreat the husband when they questioned him afterward. The show didn’t directly say his thoughts on homosexuality, but I got the vibe that he was “whatever” about it. Like he knew it was there, and he wasn’t condemning it publicly. That gives him credit, in my book.

Another great episode that got deep and beautiful.

EPISODE THREE: Deeds Not Words

Is this show just obsessed with getting right down to modern issues that were also faced in this time, but not as strongly discussed? Because I’m all for it! This episode was all about the suffrage movement. But I liked the take they did on it.

Yes, they spoke out about the treatment of women. That men, white men, controlled this whole world. But I also thought it was interesting that they made this main suffragette not the greatest person. It made everything complicated. Like, everything she said to Eliza made sense, and I found myself cheering with her. But she shot a man in cold blood, she was willing to bomb a whole building of men—even though it seems justified because of what their club represents.

I think this episode was discussing the balance. That there can be change, but when you attack the people who you are trying to change, it may not work in your favor. At least, that was the vibe I got. Not to stoop to their levels, to become just as horrible as them. Her ideas and words were great, but her actions were a bit… skeptical.

Eliza and William’s response were interesting as well. Eliza felt a passion for the cause, William thought it a bit extreme. But, to me, by the end of the episode, they had a common understanding, they had reached a comfortable middle. I think, this show was showing that was how change came. People seeing eye to eye, and then it spreading from there. Of course, William has faults, but I think he’s truly trying. Especially with each episode. And the more Eliza and he grow.

EPISODE FOUR: Memento Mori

We got our ghost episode! I wasn’t even expecting it, it was incredible! A ghostly image of a dead wife that had killed herself reappearing in photos? How wild and cool is that idea!

I didn’t know that the Victorians had a thing where they took photos of their dead loved ones, looking like they were alive (y’all, the Victorians were obsessed with death…), but it’s an interesting concept. Maybe even sweet. I get what they were trying to do, even if it did seem morbid. How I feel about it is, if it brings you peace, then go for it (as long as it’s nothing disturbing or harming anyone).

The twist was one I had a hint of but hadn’t expected the whole thing. I knew the daughter had something to do with it (how disturbed is this poor girl??), but I hadn’t expected that the mother had planned this before she killed herself because she knew the woman and her husband were already having an affair. It was interesting and a creepy twist, but I was all for it.

Still, I loved how we had moments of eeriness and the haunting feeling in the house when Eliza stayed over. I felt scared and freaked, and most people that know me know that I do not like horror. But this was the perfect eeriness, which I do love.

That scene from this episode where William screams at the poor telegram young man to give them the message or he’ll break everyone bone in his body and then being like “are you crying?” was the funniest thing I had ever seen. I laughed so hard that I couldn’t breathe. I mean, it’s terrible, but the way it was done was hilarious and amazing.

EPISODE FIVE: Cell 99

This episode was… dark. I liked that it was set in an abandoned prison, and my god, was it creepy as hell. I loved all the shots of William walking through gave me the chills.

This one felt like a thriller to me. How it was filmed, set up, how everything went down. Except for the hilarious scene when they are both so annoyed with each other (Eliza and William, that is) that they both scream in frustration is brilliant. But otherwise, it took a dark tone that made me feel like something was watching my back. Especially as that big, scary guy came walking down the stairs when William and Eliza were trapped, ready to kill them both. I was nearly screaming at the tv in utter horror.

My mom had called it—and I had a feeling—that Eliza’s father had been murdered, not just drinking himself to death and found in the gutter. And there’s a gang now? How interesting!

The masked man was strange, as well as the forger locked away. But he was shot and killed, and it confused me.

I have a strange confession to make: that whole time with William in his dress shirt (without the coat), with his arm covered in blood, was weirdly…. Hot? Please don’t ask me explain. I have weird things to me. But I think it was also hot that though he was hurt and bleeding, he was gearing up to fight that big, scary man to protect himself and Eliza. I like that kind of shit, so much.

This episode was twisted, and it left me with more questions than anything.

EPISODE SIX: The Case of Henry Scarlet

My mom knew William’s boss was in with the gang! I liked that they actually explored the reality of corruptness in the police force (my grandpa had personal experiences himself, and that was why he left), and they laid it all bare. Despite the things that we are learning in this present day, it’s always been there. Which is horrifying and disturbing. That these police who are supposed to protect us are willing to delve into the corrupt world to bring themselves more power and money. Because that’s what it boils down to, doesn’t it? Powerful men wanting more and more.

I liked that William was okay with the truth unfolding, and not fighting it, trying to prove innocence for his boss. To me, it made me feel like that he knew something was up with that man (just beyond not liking him). For his character, it made me think that he was one of those people that was actually good and good at his job, trying to do the right thing. Even if he got distracted and didn’t give Eliza credit where it was due, and fought some things, he was trying to do what he thought was right. He didn’t kill anyone, he didn’t go after anyone specifically. Though him and Moses had some standoffs because he wasn’t sure about the other man, he gave him some thanks and shook his hand. Which is huge for that time period.

I did suspect William’s buddy. I always felt like something was happening with him, and that he would be the perfect bad guy because he knew what was going on at all times. And it was proven right! Though it wasn’t any less terrible, William having to realize that his close friend at Scotland Yard as the bad, bad guy who killed their boss when things were turning ugly.

But Moses to the rescue! I loved that he swooped in, teaming up with Eliza, and taking the guy out! I love Moses so much, he’s one of my other favorites.

And their ending, with a promise of dinner, of love on the horizon was exactly what I needed.

Lasting thoughts:

Besides all the amazing storylines and characters they brought in, besides Eliza and William’s chemistry and relationship, to me, this felt like a story about a daughter and her father. We see flashbacks of Eliza as a child with her father, how he taught her his detective work, when that wasn’t something men did typically in that time, and how she would still talk to him after he had died. That though she had chosen this profession for herself, it was also some way to connect to her father. Something they had shared when she was motherless and only had him, and he gave her these skills and talents, helped her hone in on them. And once he had passed, she fought like hell to keep it, but make it her own. I liked that their relationship wasn’t perfect, but they loved the hell out of each other. She was a grown woman, who believed in herself, but she still turned to him—a ghost, a memory, or whatnot—when she felt at the bottom.

This series is incredible, perfect and just all around so masterful in so many different ways. I knew from the moment I heard about it that I would love it. And it turns out I was right, but even more than I had expected.

Now, I think it’s time for a rewatch.

[missperfectlyfine13]

A Bandaid For Your Bullet Hole (1/?)

I’ve been sitting on this idea for a while now and I’m still not sure how I feel about it (I kind of feel like it’s crap lol). Let me know if I should continue! 

Summary:  Outside of Barden, Chloe’s life is harder than she would like to admit. When she’s at school she gets to forget all about problems, she gets to be normal. She doesn’t like to let people know about her life outside Barden, with the exception of her best friend Aubrey. Then she meets Beca Mitchell, and somehow she becomes the second exception. Will Beca be the answer Chloe has been looking for?

Read Below or on AO3/FF

“Our Sorrows and Wounds Are Healed Only When We Touch Them With Compassion” – Buddha

May 2012, End of Chloe’s Junior Year

Chloe watches sadly as Aubrey packs up her bags, her side of their shared room in the Bella house looking dreadfully empty. Their last day of classes was yesterday and all the girls in the house are working hard to pack.

Aubrey and Chloe are going to be the only Bellas left next year, so Aubrey is moving all of her stuff from their shared room to the room across the hall. Leaving Chloe feeling even more empty than she already is.

“You sure you don’t want to come home with me this summer?” Aubrey offers one more time, her eyes soft and sympathetic, because she knows, she’s the only one who knows.

Chloe shakes her head, “No I’ll be fine here. It’ll give me a chance to clean this house up before next year anyways. The other girls aren’t exactly cleaning up their mess.”

“Ok, but if you change your mind…the offer stands,” Aubrey zips up her last bag of clothes, standing up to survey the damage.

Going home with Aubrey for the summer actually sounds amazing, but Chloe feels bad. She feels like she would be imposing. Aubrey’s home isn’t the happiest most days with her dad gone 90% of the time, so she doesn’t want to cut into the little family time they’ll have.

Chloe stopped going home over summer after her freshmen year. Her mom has only gotten worse in the last 6 years, making her near to impossible to be around. Not to mention the endless stream of men in and out of their house. Her brother Jake isn’t an option either, with him being on the road for his job most days. Which leaves her with her only other option, staying on campus all summer.

“I appreciate it,” Chloe thanks her best friend quietly, knowing she won’t take her up on her offer.

“Have you talked to her lately?” she immediately knows who Aubrey is talking about.

Chloe shakes her head, “No. I know nothing has changed…she knows I won’t come home unless she gets her shit together.”

“I’m sorry it has to be that way,” Aubrey reaches a hand out and places it on her shoulder.

“Yea me too.”

************

September 2005

Chloe watches grimly as her mom polishes off her second beer of the morning. There’s an empty case next to her recliner in the living room, providing an awful memory of the night before. She had been angry, angrier than Chloe ever remembers her being. Chloe locked herself in her room and hadn’t come out until this morning.

“Mom,” she tries to keep her voice steady and strong, but it still quivers betrayingly, “the funeral is in an hour…are you going to be ready?”

“I’ll be ready,” she replies flatly, tossing her empty bottle into the recycle bin.

“Grandma and grandpa are coming to pick me up,” Chloe clarifies.

It sounds awful, but she doesn’t trust her mom not to be drunk. She doesn’t want to ride in a car with her. Chloe would drive the both of them, but she only has her temporary license. She’s not 16 until next year.

“They could take you too,” she offers quietly.

Her mom shakes her head, “I’ll be fine to drive myself…I could drive you too.”

“Um that’s ok,” she shifts anxiously between her two feet, “just be careful.”

Her mom gives her a dark stare, before cracking open another beer. She always liked a drink, but it was something that never got in the way of her life. It never got in the way until her dad died. The day the call came that he had been in a car accident and most likely wasn’t going to make it, her mom just lost it. She hasn’t been the same since. Well, neither has Chloe.

Chloe and her dad were so close. She always got along better with him than her mom. A part of her died that day and she’ll never get it back. The only other person in the world who gets her like her dad, is her older brother Jake. Jake is in college across the country, so Chloe rarely sees him. He flew into town yesterday, but after assessing the situation, he refused to stay at the house, checking himself into a hotel instead. Chloe almost hates him a little for it, for leaving her here with their mom. Regardless of her feelings about him chickening out, she’s aching to see him. Chloe just needs a hug; she needs to talk to him. She needs someone else around her, someone other than her drunk mother.

Chloe’s still worried about her mom driving, so she throws a last-ditch effort at her, “I could see if Jake could come pick you up?”

Her mom scoffs loudly, “He didn’t even want to come home, what makes you think he’s going to pick me up.”

She’s clearly not winning this one, “Ok, well I’m going to go put my dress on before grandpa gets here.”

************

The funeral is just as painful as Chloe had assumed it would be. It makes it real, she’s really saying goodbye to her dad. She’s really left here with her mom.

Chloe’s not sure her mom will ever pull it back together and that scares her. She smelled like a 12 pack of miller light when she got to the church. As person after person walks up to her to give their condolences, Chloe cringes. She knows they can smell it too, it’s embarrassing.

“You going to be ok with her Chlo?” Jake walks up to her, the two standing side by side watching as their childhood pastor talks to their inebriated mother.

Chloe sighs deeply, “I’m going to have to be, someone needs to watch after her. I’m worried Jake.”

“I am too,” Jake runs a hand through his hair anxiously, “you know I’m only a phone call away though.”

“Like you can do anything to actually help though, you didn’t even stay at the house last night,” Chloe replies bitterly.

“I’m sorry about that,” he shuffles his feet nervously, “I couldn’t bear to watch the train wreck…I should have been there.”

“Dad would want someone to make sure she’s ok,” Chloe swallows back tears as she says it, “I have to stay with her.”

“He loved you so much Chloe, he’d want you to be safe and happy.”

Chloe knows that’s true, but in three years she’ll be in college. She has an out, she owes it to her dad to hang in there.

“I’ll be fine,” she forces a smile at her brother.

Jake pulls her into a tight hug, “Love you Chlo.”

“I love you too Jake,” she mumbles into his shoulder, willing her tears to not escape.

************

September 2012, Chloe’s Senior Year

“I can see your toner through those jeans!” Aubrey barks out into the mostly empty practice space.

Chloe cringes internally. She likes Beca…ok she also likes Beca. Something about the little alt girl drew her in right away. She’s not sure if it was the sass she dished back to them at the activities fair, or when she had an impromptu duet with her in the shower. Maybe it was her audition, where she blew everyone away with a simple song and a yellow cup. Chloe can’t put her finger on it, but she can’t seem to shake the brunette from her mind.

And Beca is talented. Aubrey has such a grudge against her she can’t even stop to see it. They desperately needed talent, especially after last years explosive ICCAs finals. The two of them had a hard enough time getting the girls they did, it’s a miracle they got someone as talented as Beca. Even if it took a little coercing from Chloe.

“That’s my dick,” Beca spits back, before turning on her heels to leave.

The response rips a quiet chuckle from the back of Chloe’s throat, but she manages to conceal it before Aubrey turns around. The blonde is red in the face, her hands shaking slightly.

“You don’t have to be so hard on her you know,” Chloe knows she’s playing with fire by saying something like that to her best friend right now.

She can practically see the flames roaring in her pupils as she turns to look at her, “Yes I do Chloe. She has an attitude and no respect for authority. Do you want any shot at finals this year?”

Of course she does, she’s not going to deny that, so she nods.

“That’s what I thought, so don’t question my methods,” Aubrey retorts quickly.

Ever since the year started, and Aubrey and Chloe took over the Bellas, there has been a certain bite to Aubrey that Chloe has never seen before. This isn’t the Aubrey Chloe knows, she’s starting to think she never knew her at all.

“I’ve got to get going Bree, I’ve got homework to do,” Chloe grabs her bag and slings it over her shoulder.

Aubrey is staring intently at the white board in front of her, wiping away some of the marks she made on their master plan, “Ok, see you back at the house.”

Chloe rushes out of the building, hoping that maybe she can still catch up to Beca. She wants to apologize, wants to make sure the other girl is ok. Chloe doesn’t want Beca to quit over this incident, for some selfish and not so selfish reasons.

Luckily, Beca is leaning against a large tree right outside the building, large headphones covering her ears, her face looking down at her phone. Chloe stalks quickly over to her. As she gets closer, Beca’s head snaps up, immediately making eye contact with her.

“Hey Beca,” Chloe chirps, as the younger girl slides her headphones down around her neck.

“Hi,” Beca replies cautiously, like she’s not sure what Chloe is here for.

“I’m sorry about Aubrey, she’s been extra control freak lately, that wasn’t cool of her to accuse you like that,” Chloe is quick to get her apology out, Beca doesn’t look like she would want to beat around the bush.

“I appreciate the apology,” relief washes over Chloe, that is until Beca continues to talk, “but that’s a really dumb rule. I’m not even sure I’m into Jesse, but I should be able to be with him…if I was.”

Chloe sighs, “I know it’s dumb…and if you really do like Jesse, I wont say anything to Aubrey. I’m pretty sure Bumper and Fat Amy have something going anyways.”

Beca wrinkles her nose, her mouth turning downward, “Oh uh wow…didn’t see that one coming.”

“Me either,” Chloe laughs.

“Thank you, I don’t see anything happening with Jesse, but still, thank you,” Beca says sincerely, before starting to slide her headphones back up.

This must be Chloe’s cue to leave, “Ok, well I’ll see you around!”

Beca nods, “Yea, see ya.”

************

Chloe wakes up the next morning with an ache in her heart and a sour taste in her mouth. She rolls over groggily and sees the date on the calendar above her desk.

September 14th. The anniversary of her dad’s death.

The hardest day of the year for her. Much like years gone by, she just wants to get the day over with. Go to class, go to practice, come home and go to bed. Tomorrow will be a better day.

“Miss you dad,” Chloe mumbles, clutching the locket around her neck.

The locket was a gift from Jake, a year after the death. There’s a picture of her dad inside. She hasn’t taken it off since the day she got it.

Chloe eventually manages to pull herself from bed and start her day. She goes to class, she tries hard to pay attention. She goes to practice and sings and dances like she means it. Inside though, she feels like she’s barely there. Her body is present but her mind is miles away.

None of the other girls seem to pick up on her mood, except for Aubrey…and surprisingly…Beca. She catches a few sympathetic glares, but Beca’s are more worried, presumably because she has no clue what has Chloe under the weather.

So, she’s almost not surprised when practice is over and Beca hangs around until it’s just the two of them left. Just as she’s about to leave, Beca walks over to her.

“Hey Chloe,” Beca pulls the straps of her backpack tight against her, “are you ok?”

Chloe nods and gives her a small smile, “Yea, I’m fine.”

“It’s just…you don’t seem fine, you kind of seemed really distant today,” Beca shrugs.

Beca clearly isn’t going to let it go, normally Chloe would jump on the opportunity to share with the younger girl, but she’d rather not share. But something in Beca’s expression lets her know that she’s not going to drop it.

“Um well, I guess I’m just kind of depressed today,” Chloe answers her as vaguely as she can.

“Why?” Beca immediately fires the question back.

Beca has never seemed to care much about any of the other girls like this. It has her wondering why she’s pushing so hard. Maybe her little apology yesterday spoke to Beca louder than she thought.

Chloe sighs quietly before answering, “Today is the anniversary of my dad’s death.”

“Oh god, wow,” Beca casts her gaze to the floor, “Chloe I’m really sorry.”

“It’s ok, I’ll be better tomorrow,” Chloe tries to reassure her.

The two stand in awkward silence, while Beca shifts around uncomfortably. This is Chloe’s cue to leave.

Before she can even consider walking past her, Beca puts a hand out, “Um, I don’t know if this would make things worse…or if you’d just prefer to be alone, but would you want to grab dinner with me? Or we could just go back to my dorm for a while and just chill, we could order take out. My roommate is going to be gone tonight and I thought maybe it would take your mind off things?”

Normally Chloe would prefer to spend her day in her bed and not move until tomorrow. But even under the circumstances, she doesn’t want to pass up an opportunity to spend more time with Beca and maybe get to know her better. Something tells her that spending some time with the other girl really would make her feel better.

“Sure, that would be great,” Chloe grins and Beca looks shocked that she said yes.

“Ok, cool,” Beca leads the way out of the building and towards her dorm.

“Do you like Chinese?” Chloe asks as they walk through the crisp autumn air.

Beca nods excitedly, “I love it.”

“I know a great place we could order from.”

Being with Beca already has her calmer. She’s not sure if it’s because of how much she likes her, or if it’s just the girl’s presence in general. Something about her puts all of Chloe’s anxiety behind her, it helps her forget why she was even sad today. Which makes her almost feel guilty, but she knows this is what her dad would want for her.

One thing is solidified in her mind now. Beca Mitchell is special and Chloe would be a fool to let her slip away.

[fanficsforheartandsoul]

GREMLIN AU

@smhalltheurlsaretaken has motivated me to draw some Grandpa Yoda stuff and god, I just came up with some new things that are definitely canon now because I decided so, don’t @ me. 

Also I don’t give a shit about canon in general, Yoda is a grumpy gremlin now, whose ears are like Stitch’s from Lilo & Stitch, and the clones are his sons. End of discussion. 

Grumpy Grandpa Yoda™ living with his children who take care of him later, they age like normal people and it’s just a happy funny family AU:

Yoda lives with 10 clones he was able to save on Dagobah

There’s a lot of mud and swampy stuff and creatures and the clones HATE IT

At least at the beginning, later the begin to love it and I can guarantee you there are sooooo many mud fights - Yoda disapproves

Yoda takes Commander Gree, Draa and Buzz (Doesn’t make any sense I know but who cares bitch) and other soldiers from the 41st Stormtrooper Legion with him

Hades, Ace, Eli, Beetle, Fox, Rook and Essi 

together with the other three and the gremlin they build a big family

they build some rather crude houses but there not exactly architects, right?

Later, they get better and all of the clones have an individual hut

The distance between the clones and the former grandmaster of the Jedi order seems like a giant canyon at the beginning and they call Yoda “Sir” for a few years

until the clones play a game of truth or dare and one of them is dared to make the Jedi change his sad demeanor for once

Yes, they play games

A lot actually

It’s like they’re finally having their childhood and puberty although the look like adults

imagine 10 grown ass men racing through the swamps of Dagobah

The Jedi has been mourning for the Jedi, the knights, the padawans, the younglings for a long time and the clones know

They see the absent-minded gremlin stare outside the window and they feel sad too

after all they do know how it feels to loose trusted friends and companions although not in that big capacity like the Jedi purge

But well back to the dare 

one of the clones, Ace, is seriously thinking about how to make the little dude smile or at least shock him and he’s wracking his brain because never before has he seen the Jedi master surprised

so how is he gonna do it?

one evening, after everyone went to bed and the Jedi draped the bed sheets over him with the help of the force, he has an image before his eyes

and the next morning when there’s a heated discussion over who becomes the last jelly pudding, Ace blurts out “Grandpa should decide!”

and everyone just stops

Grell who gave Buzz a head nut is just turning and looking at him

Draa paused his spoon mid air, mouth wide open

Hades and Fox just blink, the latter still in a headlock

Eli almost dies because he choked on his milk

The other three who dozed at the table are suddenly wide awake

and then a voice says: “The pudding, Rook should get” and all heads turn

Master Yoda is smiling softly and the bois suddenly have the feeling of “must protect this gremlin” and from that they on they just call him “Grandpa”

Not without teasing Ace to death first, obviously

A lot of jokes get thrown around

“Now that I think about it, I see the resemblance.” “We have the same face, you idiot.” 

Only Grell is a hesitating and just calls him “Yoda” but secretly he likes to say it too

They wear their armor for a long time before they finally take it off, mainly because they’re scared of the Empire finding them 

They want to be ready for battle any time

But then Yoda takes off his Jedi robes and the boys gradually relax and take of their helmets and armor too

Now the get stung a lot by mosquitos

And the bois discover that the gremlin likes to eat a lot of disgusting things

But the mosquito problem gets solved so no one is complaining

Yoda changes a lot

He shows his emotions more and sometimes even loses his patience

His walking stick becomes a weapon for head nuts

Grell gets a lot of them because he always tries to help him but

“Not that old, I am, boy!” 

“Alone, I could’ve done that, Grell.”

He plays with the bois

The often play a ball game where Yoda lets the ball float and the guys try to catch it without being hit in the face

The current count is 142 to 19 with Grandpa clearly winning

Rook is a fucking sewing machine and they soon get to wear custom clothes

He knits a super long and super heavy scarf for Yoda because he “worries that Grandpa will be cold in the winter”

The scarf is literally 3 meters long and I guarantee you that the clones have to unwrap him like toilet paper every evening

Rook is right, Yoda is cold in winter and his bones hurt a lot more

One time Yoda forgot his walking stick and Buzz just straight up holds his hand and walks with him like a toddler

Few years later, when he’s even older and a little wobbly on his feet, Fox and Eli like to carry him around on their backs

Beetle, the absolute crackhead, carries him like a baby

Grandpa always complains but he secretly likes it because the child isn’t a stone hard washboard like the others

They send holograms to Obi-Wan, the responsible uncle and Hades’ beard role model, and the Jedi has questioned the gremlin’s choices so many times already because of the weird ass pictures

Obi-Wan sends them holograms of little Luke in return and the bois are LIVID, because “OUR COUSIN, LOOK AT HIM WADDLE, GUYS”

The clones and Yoda go on holiday trips - which are basically just visiting another swamp on Dagobah

So many puns and inside jokes

“WHAT are you doing in my swamp?”

“GET OUT OF MY SWAMP!”

Laughing

so much laughing

And dirty jokes

Only out of Yoda’s earshot though

The boys grow up, ok?

Eli is good at drawing

He’s the one who painted most of their armor and their battle ships

But for Sith’s sakes he can’t draw Yoda at all

His pictures still hang on the fridge tho

And all kinds of other stuff hangs there too

Yoda’s hut has all sorts of trinkets everywhere

All of them were gifted to him by the boys and some of them are just some sort of weird metal that “looked shiny or nice”

But the Grandpa loves them SO MUCH

When Yoda gets older, his hearing gets a lot worse and his ear muscles deteriorate which is why he’s constantly walking around with flabby ears

The boys have to repeat their sentences 

When the gremlin doesn’t like what he’s hearing he’s just pretending he can’t understand them but Grell KNOWS

When he meditates too long or sits too long without eating, the boys force him to eat something

mostly frogs - he likes them a lot

They make sure he brushes his teeth because that frog smell nasty

and they brush his hair, but it’s mostly Grell because he can ignore the gremlin’s attitude when it comes to taking care of himself

Yoda makes Obi-Wan send pictures of some locals on Tatooine, trying to subtly set the boys up

They aren’t Jedi after all

A little happiness, they deserve, hoho

The boys find it funny but never try to contact the person because it’s too dangerous

This makes Yoda sure that half of them are gay

Not that he minded

They just have an embarrassing talk about the bees, and Adam and Steve

And he’s telling them the story of “Jal and Argo” some members of his species he met on a little moon and yada yada yada

MAKER, he loves to tell stories

The ears of the clones almost start to bleed, he talks so long and loud - he can’t hear his voice properly sometimes and starts to randomly YELL

But they like to listen, although half of them are always asleep at the end

and receive head buts when grumpy Grandpa notices

But he never hits them hard, especially not Beetle

He seriously worries about that guy

“make sure he doesn't lose any more brain cells, I have to”

But the clone’s head is really hard so might as well be fine

BONUS: ugly ass 10 minute sketches

YODA’S SPECIES HAS THE CAPABILITY TO MOVE THEIR EARS LIKE STITCH, I DON’T ACCEPT ANYTHING ELSE