#the university is so far away from anywhere it takes like almost an hour to get to it

[raven-cincaide]

Post Canon! Yuuji wants to be a university student. He says that after all the war and loss he needs to catch up on rest and just be human- like the rest of them. He blames Nobara’s insatiable nagging about ‘finally being around people with taste’ and excuses it by saying that Megumi needs to find someone to love- whether the brooding guy wants it or not. However, in truth he misses the carefree school life. And he knows they all need a break from curses. So, after a lot of nagging from his side, the trio sent in their uni applications minutes before the deadline. 

Post Canon! Yuuji is dead set on living his best life in the coming three years. To study “something” while attending every book and nerd club with Megumi, every frat party and adventure with Nobara, and hell, maybe show off some of his god-given sports skills he shunned in high school. After all, girls still dug that sort of thing even at uni- the entire ‘jocks’ and ‘athletes’ persona, right?! 

Post Canon! Yuuji is determined to experience everything being a ‘normal guy’ could get him. He intends to make new friends, be social, live life and get laid as much as possible. Be single and date until he is sick of romance. But most importantly, he wants these three years to be about him, his wants, his needs, and to be a bit goddamn selfish for once. 

At least, that is the plan he declares to his friends as they step onto campus, Nobara and Megumi rolling their eyes at him before heading to get their schedules. While Post Canon! Yuuji headed straight to the housing office because he’d rather be Sukuna’s vessel again than drive two hours daily from campus to the Jujutsu dorms. 

Post Canon! Yuuji sees you, the administrative assistant so far from his usual type, and instantly knows his plans go straight out the window. He shuffles closer to you and the large desk you’re seated at, mouth dry and hands shaking like a teenager as he places his papers and ID on the table before you. He greets you with a shaky smile he hopes doesn’t look like a grimace. “H-Hi! I’m here for house- housing!” God, he sounds like such a noob. 

Post Canon! Yuuji can’t help the genuine grin that splits his face as you flash him a look that so clearly reads ‘obviousely’ before typing away at the computer. The way you act instantly reminds him of Megumi and Nobara, and he feels more at ease around you. 

Then, addressing him like an idiot feels familiar and almost like coming home: “Here is your copy of the contract and the key. You’re in the main dorms, in a single room on the second floor. recycling at the entrance, and the kitchen at the end of the same hall.” You explain, pointing out the location of his room on a map and then the location of the kitchen as if he was so helpless he wouldn’t be able to find it without your guidance.

 “Anything else?” You ask yet it sounds more like a common phrase you utter, expecting a ‘no’ and turning back to your computer to prepare for the next poor sod with a task a glorified monkey could do

But Post Canon! Yuuji isn’t ready to let you go. He wants more of your attention, so he says the first thing on his mind; ”Aww, man, a dorm room? Are you sure? I-I mean, I’m certain I booked a flat!-” Yuji rushes to put on his biggest puppy dog eyes- the kind Nobara says makes him look like a wet dog- “Can you check again? Please? Me and my friends are not from around here, and If I’ve fucked up on housing- man they’ll kill me–” Yuuji rushes out a full-on water-works story, he’s even impressed with himself, maybe he should take up theatre.

Or not, but hey at least it keeps your attention on him.

Post Canon! Yuuji drinks in you and studies every feature of you. From the dark daggers you glare at him, then to the way your eyes grow mild with pity, to how you bite your lips in thought until he’s sure he’ll recognise you anywhere, just by your looks or voice alone.

“I’m sorry, you booked a dorm room, and no flats are available at the moment” you put on that fake work-voice that instantly makes Yuuji’s face fall. He likes your real voice- mean tone and all- a lot better. 

Post Canon! Yuuji looks like a kicked puppy as he slowly gathers his stuff from your desk. He barely registers the look of surprise on your face, as if you expected him to talk back to you or pester you instead of politely accepting your words the way he does. But he notes how your expression shifts into hesitation and finally determination. 

Post Canon! Yuuji is about to leave when you clear your throat to get his attention. Then, you lean over the desk separating, you two. “You know..” your voice is quiet, clearly not wanting the gathering students in the lobby to hear you, “Not all the apartment keys are gathered yet so there could still come in a cancellation in the next few days... you’re welcome by to check-” 

Post Canon! Yuuji grins widely- the widest he has grinned in many years. “I’ll be here tomorrow!” he declares before being forced to leave your small office as your boss draws your attention away. But Yuuji swears to himself he will be there tomorrow, the day after, and the next day after. As long as it means he can talk to you, if only for a little bit. 

But first,Post Canon! Yuuji needs to figure out what to do if he actually gets a flat through you. Could he bribe Nobara and Megumi to share the costs with him? Maybe post a ‘room for rent’ ad?

Ohh, well, Post Canon! Yuuji decides, with a skip in his step, he’ll cross that bridge when he gets there. After all, he reasons, you have to do some insane things for love, right?! 

Author note: Thank you so so much, @ravester, for asking for a Yuuji-centric post canon hcs I hope this meets your expectations <3

And for the rest of the wonderful readers, what do you think? We have a Megumi one and a Yuuji one, do we need a Nobara one as well?

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All fics are unique works by ©ravencincaide 2024. Do not copy/repost/translate or spread my work(s) without my explicit permission. If you see any of my work(s) reworked/reposted/copied anywhere, please inform me!

[just-a-girl-with-a-pistol]

More reference studies woooo

[menacing-menace-rat]

Can I get platonic yandere headcanons for all of the founding members of the Justice League?

I definitely can! Also sorry it took me so long to get to this. I'm still learning about how the inbox stuff works.

I'm going to have to make this in parts because it's alot to look at with all 7 members. This is part 1 of ?

I'm gonna use the founding members from the animated universe. More members and I love Martian Manhunter. If you were looking for the Snyder universe let me know and I'll edit the post and add Cyborg for you. 🤗

Warnings: kidnapping, gaslighting, obsessive behavior, general yandere creep stuff.

Platonic yandere justice league members part 1

Superman

You were a scientist at LexCorp

After some questionable experiments you knew you had to blow the whistle

So you went to the Daily Planet.

That's where it all stared.

So smart with a kind heart, how could he not protect you?

He's deluded himself completely.

He can't see how he can be the villain in anyone's story let alone yours.

He's very aware of his own strength thankfully.

You are more of a risk to yourself than he is. At least physically 👀

You'd be moved to a farmhouse almost right away.

When it comes to kidnapping you, he has no self control, it's near instant.

he knows how fragile humans are and he refuses to take any chances.

No matter how much you pleaded with him it was no use.

He was the only one who could help you and stop Lex.

This man has a scary amount of patience. No amount of hitting or screaming is going to set him off.

He will subconsciously prolong any solution that would make Lex and his people less of a threat to you.

He'd insist on sharing a bed. If he was anyone else you'd be worried he would try something.

If he wanted that kind of thing from you, you knew he could just make you.

So you were pretty sure whatever this was it was at least a platonic infatuation.

At night he'd hold you so tight it was difficult to move.

A physical reminder of what you already felt inside, trapped.

There was no escaping that farm. Anywhere in the city he could hear you.

He'd hear the front door open or your panting as you tried to run for the nearest road.

He wouldn't allow any kind of phones or computers in the house.

Why would he? Need help? He'll be there faster than any cop. You are lonely? That's fine he'd love to have hour long talks about anything you want.

Batman

Your best bet is to play along for years maybe. How ever long it takes for him to maybe let you make a grocery run alone.

He found you on the streets. Maybe it was your sad eyes or your dirty face but he knew he had to take you in.

He'd tell himself he could help you learn to fight. That you'd make a great Robin.

Deep down he knew he'd never let you fight in any way.

He's not like Superman. He knows how much he cares for you is unhealthy. He knows it's wrong to take you in and effectively trap you in a huge manor but what else can he do?

He is a world class manipulator. He also has far less patience then Superman.

Too many escape attempts and he's going to make a plan.

He'd go as far as to allow you to "escape". Only to orchestrate some horrible traumatic event so he can find you and save you all over again.

Depending on how strong willed you were the worst it would be.

It was twisted and horrible but he almost craved reassuring you.

He loved your tears so long as they weren't for a real reason.

Bruce kept a tight lid on his emotions. You'd never see him lose it. He'd never show he was upset with you.

Despite this being a very unconventional child/parent relationship his go to punishment is normally grounding and lost of privileges.

You'd be home schooled of course.

He isn't all that hands on unsurprisingly.

He'd ask one of the other kids to keep en eye on you or even another justice league members.

Asking them for help wouldn't work.

The kids are on board with Bruce. Even if they weren't what could they do?

As for the other JL members he'd tell them you were mentally ill and confused.

He'd get his colleagues/friends admiration for being so selfless by raising a sick child and you'd just look crazy.

Bruce is not known for his affection but he does try.

If you are crying or screaming he might try and comfort you with a hug or by rubbing your back.

He's not the best at comforting words either but his little acts of kindness are where he shines

He'd do his best to make most of your days as structured and predictable as possible.

You'd be kept in the best health imaginable. whether you liked it or not.

Anything you can ask for he'd give you, so long as you don't ask for freedom.

He even makes time to tuck you in every night no matter your age.

If he has time he might even read to you.

You probably are never getting free of him and his kids but your best bet would be utilize the uncontrollable.

Batman is a planner. He likes to be able to predict things.

Try and wait till something goes majorly wrong.

All of Arkhams prisoners being released or an alien invasion are your only chances of slipping out of that place. You'd only get one shot though.

Diana isn't crazy right off the bat.

Wonder Woman

(This one might be the only non gender neutral one.)

You were an anthropologist given the rare opportunity to study the amazonians from the island of Themyscira.

She is cool under pressure and isn't easily impressed.

After so long of staying there she'd start to feel like you were her sister.

But once she's invested in you there is no going back.

She would follow you back to whatever city you called home.

She isn't shy about her sisterly love for you. There would be no mind games with her.

She respects you too much for that.

She is so direct about it she would likely just tell you, you were going to go back to the island with her and be with her forever.

Depending on your reaction towards her directness she may not even make you.

She might be okay with you just visiting. For a while at least.

She's confident and self assured.

If you liked being around her as much as she likes being around you things would be easy.

If not life was going to be hard and potentially painful.

Rejecting her affection and forthcomingness will break her heart.

She would blame herself and work to be better.

Unfortunately being better to her means giving you even less space.

She'd make you come back with her.

An island full of tall strong women all who listen to Diana's will.

You are not escaping.

She is near impossible to trick twice if you have already tried to get away from her.

That being said it wouldn't be all that bad.

She would be painfully gentle with you. So long as you just listen.

You are her little sister after all.

She differs from Kent and Bruce in a big way.

She would train you, she is pragmatic and understands one day she may not be there to protect you.

Long and rigorous training sessions would be the norm for a while.

On Themiscyra you'd have much more freedoms. You would even be able to walk around alone if you showed you can handle it.

Your happiness is her second priority after your safety.

She'd being you anything you wanted from your part of the world.

She would like for you to participate in amazonian traditions and customs but she'd never make you. Even if she wants to sometimes

She'd relish in watching you acclimate to her world.

She would insist her sisters treat you with the love and respect she feels you deserve.

Your only hope of escape would be to somehow get off the island and disappear.

Nothing sort of complete disappearance would work. If she ever caught you again you wouldn't be leaving that island for a second time.

More to come hopefully soon. There will be 2 or 3 parts in total not sure yet. Hope you enjoyed!

[etherealsworldvision]

Let’s Soothe Your Mind

Before I begin the reading I’d like to take a moment to talk about Save The Redwoods. They’re a non-profit organization who is committed to protect and restore redwood forests. If you’re interested do check out their website and if you’d like to further your support here is their donation link.

Divider Credits: @ianrkives & @plum98

New Song Discovery for the Reading: Reservations – Dugong Jr, Julia Lostrom, Keelan Mak

Pile 1 Pile 2 Pile 3

🚨 P.S.A 🚨 : I do not give personal readings! Disclaimer: this is for entertainment only!

Added Description: all my readings are timeless and meant to reach those who resonate to the messages.

[ General Messages: Rain; Autumn; Libra and Leo Seasons, “My love do you ever dream of candy coated raindrops”- Candy Rain by Soul for Real, Longboards (Skateboarding and Surfing); Raya the Last Dragon; Dewdrop; Spicy (foods); Avatar the Last Airbender; Fire Flakes; Honeydew; Drinks; Tantrums; Saturn Hour; Saturn Placements and Aspects; (Smithsonian) Museums; 1010; Kendrick Lamar; Trouble - Taylor Swift; Caught Up; Cheat; Exclusion; (Reaction) Memes; Distrust; Camping; Tents; Connections; Frustration; Online ]

Pile 1

[ Cards: Justice; Moon Reversed; Ace of Wands; Seven of Cups Reversed; Two of Wands ]

Confirmation Messages: Gojo & Geto; Anxiety (Playlist); “Get off of me/Ew get away,” (directed towards emotions feeling stuck to your body or feels like “bugs” crawling on skin); Anxiousness; Nervousness; Shadow and Bones (?); Shadow Hunters; Slowing Down; Chaotic Energy; Out of Control; Bugs; (Breaking) Habits; Messy Thoughts; Strategic; “Playing it Cool”; Patrick Star?; Hares; Hates Feeling Emotions; Pink Flowers (Real or Artificial); Systems Down; Mewing (?)

Something new might have happened or you feel like this is the universe (or whoever you believe in) giving you something. This energy feels like Carl and Cindy’s interaction (from Jimmy Neutron). In this case you’re Carl and Cindy is the universe lol. Maybe you were in a rut or had a cycle of “unfortunate events” in regard to circumstances or people.

If you’re asking for clarification: You have free will — it’s up to you whether you want to continue what you’re doing or not. I’m not sensing anything “bad” or “malicious” intent in regards to what/who you’re inquiring about. There’s this sense of catastrophizing new things. There’s also this feeling of “too good to be true”. I don’t know if you said/thought/felt this: “I need a fucking break” is strongly coming in.

So now that you have this break — it’s almost like you don’t know what to do or how to proceed. It’s as if you’re holding a globe but you don’t get to actually go anywhere. Maybe at one point you did get experience with this, only to be let down? Either way having no control is what’s scaring you and causing this anxiousness (especially if this deals with a person).

What’s coming in for those who are iffy about proceeding: “let them, just let them because you are your own before and after meeting this person”. This can also deal with a situation too — as in this doesn’t define you. There is no need to punish/blame yourself for being afraid/ not taking this offer. It just means you weren’t ready and that’s okay. Go at your own pace.

For those of you who want to proceed with this situation/person then you’ll have to let down your walls bit by bit. Again it’s okay to go at your own pace or ask to slow down. The same applies: “let them”. The door is always open so let them or “let you”. You can always set it down and move to the next one. It’s okay.

Bonus Question to Ask Yourself: “What did I keep doing that keeps hurting? Why do I keep repeating this behavior?” - by WNRS

So that’s all that I’m getting for pile 1. If you made it this far, thank you so much for reading this, I really appreciate it. If this resonates let me know. I am supporting you through and through 🧡!

Pile 2

[ Cards: Three of Swords Reversed; 3 of Pentacles Reversed; 6 of Swords; 5 of Pentacles Reversed; 9 Of Swords; 3 of Wands ]

Confirmation Messages: Courage; Charli XCX (Brat album); The Sun; Music; Concerts; Celebrity; Billie Eilish; Air and Earth Placements; Careless; Responsibility; Overthinker; New Things; Success; Moving On; 55; 66; 333; 9; Truth; Waiting; Patience; Releasing Judgement; Let it flow; Getting or Wanting Numbers? Holding Back; Calculated Risks; Chappell Roan; Doechii; Temptation - Raveena; Gemini; Aries

So I’m feeling like you’re releasing this heartache (for some it could be from your past?) I don’t know why, I pulled a clarification and it’s the 10 of Cups and I heard “No that’s so scary, Boo Feelings and Happiness!” So maybe you’re afraid of things working out because you were always let down in the past.

I feel like this can be about a connection (?) — there’s a lot of air coming in which means social lives. This may have come when things just started to calm down or in the midst of healing? To be honest this pile’s energy tends to overthink a lot. Like I feel like there’s this thing where you’re scared of saying the wrong thing which makes you take a step back only to make the overthinking worse. Maybe you’re asking friends what to do because I split the deck and saw 3 of Cups.

For some reason I feel like you need more reassurance so I’ll just pull out more cards for you. So I got the 2 of cups and the Eight of Wands (reversed), Judgement, and the Emperor. The first thing I’m picking up is that: you two may have opposite personalities or are awake at different times because we have two blue cards and two gold cards.

I’m also getting that the pace is painfully slow despite things going smoothly. It’s like you want to take control but you’re aware it won’t go smoothly if you rush it. For some of you there’s this thing of being afraid to take the “lead” or being pressured by society to take the lead.

(Side note: I don’t know who needs to hear this but there’s no hierarchy in a connection. There’s no, “who wears the pants” or whatever heteronormative stuff that gets constantly pushed into connections. What makes a connection work is when both people see each other as equals and accepting of one another)

You’re going to hate me for this but…it takes time and teamwork for a connection to work out. So yeah, go at your own comfortable pace (not a pace society tells you to go by) and enjoy the present time. For some reason I really have to “hammer it in” to take your time; let this connection take its time. Let things fall into place all on its own and if you feel called to do something (meaning the timing is right) then by all means take that initiative.

When you let things slowly progress you will also get a better understanding and feel of this person, from there you can see if you want to proceed or not.

Bonus Questions to Ask Yourself: “When have I given too much of myself in a relationship (could also be platonic)? What did that look like? What lesson did that leave me with?” - WNRS

That’s really all I’m getting, to be honest this reading is so chaotic and so long even though it barely reached 5 paragraphs. If you made it this far thank you so much, I appreciate it. I’m wishing you luck and please take your time!

Pile 3

[ Cards: Queen of Pentacles; 7 of Swords; Justice; Five of Cups Reversed; 8 of Pentacles; 7 of Cups; 7 of Pentacles ]

Confirmation Messages: Horror Games; Paranormal; Libra; Yellowjackets; Birds of a Feather; Unrequited; Nevada; Winter; Baby Powder; Scents; Insincerity; Friday; Outcasts; Water(falls); Late Spring; (Couples) Therapy; 777; (Down by the Water) PJ Harvey; Library; Goth (Music); Unknown; Earth Placement; Situationship; Clear Mind; Tiredness; “Success is the Best Revenge”; Lana Del Rey; Distractions; Cheating; 1:23

You may have left a connection or felt this person was dishonest. I think what made it worse is outside advice (which is ironic because y’know we’re here lol). Perhaps someone gave you the, “time heals all wounds” or “it’s okay! Just get pretty and focus on your job!” Only to feel dread, I’m not going to lie. I don’t know if you put a limit to your sadness because there’s this sense of, “I should be over this by now.” I feel like some of you did achieve this success/glow up you wanted yet still feel grief.

Honestly, it’s okay to grieve as long as you want to. There is no time limit to feel grief and sadness. Realistically speaking, grief stays with us. Grief can come in the form of memories popping up or when you feel nostalgic — that’s a part of grief and that’s okay. All we can do is look at them and see them for who they are and what they did. (Now, I’m not excusing their actions at all!) For example; it’s one of those things where someone waits for years to get closure only to get nothing and in the end they accept they’ll never get it.

I know this may sound bitter and for some bittersweet, but let the grief flow. You’re not crying over “spilt milk”, for all we know it’s not just spilt milk! Maybe it was milk you got with your hard earned money and now you don’t have milk because you just spent the last portions of your money so you can wipe your ass! So no, it’s not just milk! (lol sorry I just hate when the 5 of cups gets that connotation — there’s always something deeper to it.)

Look, distracting yourself out of emotions via deep diving in your work isn’t always the best thing to do. Sometimes you need silence (no music or sounds!) and sit with yourself. Really sit, lay or something with yourself and be vulnerable. Sit with that feeling for just a minute (not drown in it) because it’s asking to be acknowledged. Acknowledgment is a key to acceptance and with that comes the healing.

I feel like when you do acknowledge your grief, come to terms with the situation/person for who they are it’ll make the healing process bearable. I’m not saying it’ll be easier and you’ll be happy at a flip of a coin. I’m just saying because of this acceptance you may find you’re not doing your work/hobbies/goals for the sake of revenge but because it’s for you. You’re doing these things because you love it or for your own happiness/fulfillment.

Bonus Question to Ask Yourself: “What’s my favorite song at the moment? Why do I love it so much? (Play it for yourself)”. - by WNRS

Alrighty Pile 3 that’s all I got for you, thank you so much for reading until the very end! I appreciate it. I'm giving you some peace and love 🧡.

[justagalwhowrites]

Lavender - Ch. 41

You, Joel and Ellie make it to the University of Eastern Colorado but you find things you don't expect. A continuation of Lavender ch. 1-40 found on Tumblr here.

Pairing: Joel Miller x Female Reader

Warnings: Canon typical violence. No use of Y/N. Minors DNI 18+ Only.

Length: 5.1K

“Don’t rely so much on the reins,” you said, your front pressed to Joel’s back, hands on his waist. “Use your legs and weight to guide her…” 

“Like squeezing?” Ellie asked, frowning. 

“Kind of,” you said. “So if you want to go right, shift your weight right a bit and press your left leg into the horse. Use the reins, too, but you shouldn’t be pulling so much as just guiding her…” 

Ellie nodded and you watched her body shift slightly, taking the horse around in a slow circle. 

“Don’t forget to keep your legs turned inward,” you said. “It’s real easy to let your knees go out, it’s more comfortable, but you’ll have better control if you keep them turned in.” 

“Right,” she said. “I think I got it?” 

“You’re looking good,” you smiled. She smiled back, looking pleased. 

“Never thought I’d be riding a fucking horse,” she said. “This is so cool…” 

“Yeah, not something I ever thought I’d get to do again either,” you rested your cheek in the middle of Joel’s back. He was warm, comfortable. You wrapped your arms around him a little tighter. 

“How’d you learn how to do it?” Ellie asked. “Was it in Texas with Joel?” 

She drew out his name, teasing him. Joel scoffed a bit. 

“She was a better rider than me when she came to Texas,” he said. “Showed me up once on a trail ride, thought I was gonna make myself look real good and it turns out she had to save my ass because I wasn’t payin’ close enough attention…” 

“No way!” Ellie laughed. “What happened?” 

“To be clear,” Joel said. “I’d have handled it just fine if I wasn’t tryin’ to pay attention to her because I didn’t know that she knew what she was doing…” 

“Oh sure,” Ellie nodded, looking skeptical. “So what happened?” 

“It was a trail that hadn’t been used yet that season,” he said. “Just out in the woods near a ranch that belonged to a friend of Tommy’s. I was leading, looking back to try to tell her somethin’ and my horse spotted a snake on the trail, freaked the fuck out, tried to throw me…” 

“Oh shit!” Ellie’s brows went up. “So what’d you do?” 

“Well I saw Joel lost the reins but the horse kept rearing back and trying to throw him,” you said. “So I took mine alongside his and got the reins and got it back down before he got tossed. It’s really not that crazy…” 

“How’d you know how to do that?” She asked. 

“I grew up riding,” you said. “My grandmother was friends with the people who lived next door and they raised horses. They were older, their grandkids lived an hour away and they didn’t get to see them much, so they liked having me around. I rode all the time from when I was about two until I left for college.”

“Well shit,” Ellie nodded. “I’ll just ride with you when things look bad.” 

“You might want Joel more,” you shrugged. “I’ve never tried to ride and shoot at the same time and I’m not a great shot, anyway.” 

“Good point,” she said. “Guess we’ll just all have to stick together then.” 

“Crud,” you sighed. “Such a disappointment..” 

Joel laughed once. 

The three of you had been riding south for more than two days now and it had been almost too easy. You hadn’t seen a single raider or infected anywhere. It’s part of why it had taken you so long to put Ellie on a horse on her own. You didn’t trust the land around you to not suddenly swell with enemies and try to swallow her. With Joel, she’d be protected. With you, you could escape quickly. On her own was too dangerous. 

But now, things felt more secure. You were so far from Jackson and any other sign of civilization that you knew there was almost no chance of infected. Raiders would be pretty useless out here, too - there was nothing to raid. You felt safe letting Ellie ride on her own for a bit. 

“Should rest the horses soon,” Joel said. “Keep an eye out for a good place to stop for the night…” 

Because the road had been easy, you’d made quick progress. Tommy had told you it would take a week to get there but you were on track to make it in just five days. 

You certainly weren’t arguing. You had no idea what was waiting for you at the university. How long you’d be stuck there. Maybe there were researchers there who were far better trained than you - people who went to actual medical school instead of learning at the hands of a military doctor because there was no more medical school to go to. Maybe the Fireflies had found someone from the CDC or the NIH, someone whose job it had been to deal with infectious disease. 

If that were the case, you had your notes. You could pass them off, talk it through with them and rest knowing you’d done what you could. You could go back to Jackson with Ellie and Joel and move into the house across the street from Tommy and Maria. You could take care of the people there as the world healed. You could have a life, be happy. Things that had felt out of reach for almost half your life now. 

If the doctors there were like you - trained to keep people alive but not in how to develop new medications or cure anything new - then you’d have to stay. But only for a while. Joel and Ellie would go back to Jackson and that would be hard but you could figure it out. Being apart for a while would be OK if it meant that you got the world back. You would figure it out from there. 

“OK but I want to use the rifle,” Ellie said as the three of you put some distance between yourselves and the horses to try to catch dinner. Joel sighed. 

“Gonna treat it right?” He asked. 

“Yes,” she rolled her eyes, exasperated. “I’ll be gentle, I’ll love it, act like I’m tryin’ to get it pregnant instead of shoot it…” 

Joel glared at her but slung the gun off his shoulder and handed it to her. 

“Hell yeah,” she smiled. 

The three of you leaned against the remains an old, dilapidated wall looking out into a field. Ellie and Joel were looking out while you faced behind them.

“You’d do well to learn this too,” Joel said, looking at you. 

“I just don’t like killing things,” you winced. 

“You know meat is from dead shit, right?” Ellie said. 

“Yes, thank you for your expertise my dear,” you shook your head and smiled a bit. “Maybe I’ll be vegetarian when we get back to Jackson…” 

“Finally gettin’ to a place where I can grill you a steak and you’re gonna stop eating meat?” Joel shook his head. “Damn shame…” 

“Got one,” Ellie said, lifting the rifle. You covered your ears and she shot. 

“Good job,” Joel said, getting up as you uncovered your ears. “Go get it, we’ll dress it…” 

“Should call it undressing it,” Ellie said, giving him the rifle back. “Undressing it from the inside even….” 

“Good to know we can make her pull the guts out of the turkey at Thanksgiving,” you said, Joel offering you a hand up. You took it. “Give you a break from the job.” 

“The fact that you’ll cut me open, pull out a bullet and stitch me up with no problem but gutting an animal is where you draw the line will always amaze me,” he shook his head a little. 

“Wasn’t exactly thrilled to fish a bullet out of you either, for the record,” you leaned your head on his shoulder and you watched as Ellie walked back toward you, rabbit held high by its hind legs. “She’s a lot like you, you know.” 

He sighed. 

“Yeah,” he said, voice heavy. “Yeah, I know.” 

You glanced up at him. 

“I like it,” you said. 

He scoffed a bit. 

“Someone has to, I suppose.” 

The three of you headed back toward the campsite, an outcropping in some rock that wasn’t overwhelmed by snow. You built a fire while Joel and Ellie dressed the rabbit and you got that oddly happy, domestic feeling in you as you did. Fuck, you hoped the Fireflies had good doctors. You didn’t want to say goodbye to this, not even for just a little while. 

Ellie fell asleep early and you sat close to Joel, the fire glowing and warm. His arm was around you and you were tucked securely against his side. 

“Really startin’ to hold a grudge against winter,” he said. 

“Oh?” You glanced up at him. 

“Real hard to get at any of your skin around all these layers,” he said. You laughed. 

“Someone decided to pick a fight instead of taking advantage of a night we had doors,” you elbowed him lightly. “And working heat. And showers.” 

“I know,” he groaned, dropping his head back against the rock. “I was a damn fool, should have fuckin’ known better…” 

“Really should have,” you teased. He tugged you closer. 

“Just make up for it when we get where we’re going,” you said. “I imagine there are plenty of doors at a Firefly facility…” 

“Test out the sound proofing on all of ‘em…” 

You could hear the smirk in his voice. You tugged the unzipped sleeping bag the two of you were using as a blanket up under your chin and tugged a glove off, lacing your fingers with his. He frowned. 

“You’re gonna freeze.” 

“You’re not the only one who wants a little more skin,” you said. He let your hand go, pulled off his glove, and returned it. His palm was warm, his calluses oddly comforting. 

“Speaking of the night in Jackson,” you said after a few minutes of sitting, quiet, just holding onto each other. “What you said about Tommy…” 

“I shouldn’t have said a damn thing,” he cut you off. “I was being an asshole, fallin’ into old habits with you, stupid shit where I try to get you to leave me because I’m scared and know I can’t leave you…” 

“You know I was only ever with him because I didn’t have you, right?” You asked, sitting up enough to look him in the eye. “Anyone I was with after you was just… It feels wrong to say it but they were just a placeholder. They were someone to keep from hurting too much because I couldn’t have you. 

“It’s not that I don’t care about Tommy,” you said. “I do. A lot. We were always friends, even before anything happened with you and me. But that’s all we were ever really meant to be.” 

Joel nodded slowly, taking a deep breath. 

“That’s how I feel about Tess, too,” he said. You frowned a little and he pulled you closer to him. “She was who I had because I was too afraid of getting hurt with you, I was who she had after her husband died. We were good friends - she was like family - but everything more… it never felt right.

“Baby,” he looked at you, his eyes deep and wide and sad. “I never said it properly but… I’m so sorry. I wasted so much time because I was so fuckin’ scared and it’s time we can never get back. I should’ve gotten my shit together years ago and instead I kept hurtin’ you and fucked up things for everyone. I never should have said what I did in Jackson…” 

“I know how you are when you get scared,” you reached up and knotted your gloved fingers in his hair, pulling his forehead to your own. He closed his eyes for a moment. “I understand it. But Joel, the solution can’t be that you leave. Even if it’s just temporary, even If you say you’ll be waiting for me. We live in a scary world. Even once we get to Jackson and settle, I’m sure there’s going to be times where I’m in danger or Ellie is or you are and you can’t run from it every time. You just can’t, this won’t work if you do. We have to be a team.” 

“I know, Baby,” he kissed you softly, deeply. “I know.” 

***

Joel suggested that Ellie try riding her own horse most of the day as the three of you closed in on the university. It would be good for her to get the experience, just in case she needed to handle a horse on her own. That was the reason he gave for it.

But Joel also really fucking loved sitting on a horse with you wrapped around him. Your arms around his waist, your legs next to his, the warm press of your face against his back when you decided to lean against him. He loved having you close like that, could have drowned in it and died happy, never worried about breathing again. 

Ellie, it seemed, took naturally to riding. Joel had enough experience himself - he’d picked up plenty you didn’t know about in the years before he made it to the QZ - but you were still the better rider and even you were impressed. She connected with the animal well, their bond intuitive and easy. But Ellie, for all her sharpened edges, seemed to do that with any living thing. 

He doubted she was even aware of it. But she’d had you wrapped around her finger for years and by the time the three of you’d made it to Kansas City, Joel was already horrified of what would happen if she got hurt or killed. Now, he knew he couldn’t lose her. Losing either of you was not an option. He’d burn the world down first. 

“Think they’ll let you keep sheep in the backyard at the house in Jackson?” Ellie asked. 

“Dunno,” Joel said. “But I changed my mind on that, anyway.” 

“Yeah?” Ellie asked. “What do you want to do then?” 

“I figure since you’re goin’ to the moon and that one,” he jerked his head back at you. “Is apparently goin’ to Paris, I’m gonna be a singer.” 

“No way!” She laughed. 

“Yup,” he said. He was starting to see signs of the civilization ahead of him. “That was what I wanted to do when I was young. Think I should give it another go.” 

“Were you any good?” She asked, pulling her horse up closer. 

“Ask her,” he nodded back toward you again. 

“He was really good,” you smiled a little. “Played some good guitar, too…” 

“Oh man,” Ellie smiled and shook her head. “I don’t know if I buy it, Doc’s biased when it comes to you…” 

“No I’m not!” You protested. “I’m a perfectly good judge of his talents and skills. He’s a good musician.” 

“Prove it,” she said. 

“Don’t exactly got a guitar on me, kid,” he replied. 

“When we get back then,” she said. “That town has hot water, I bet someone there has a fucking guitar… I’m going to save the fuckin’ world, man, the least you can do is show off those skills.”  

When you got closer to where he thought the university was, he had you and Ellie switch spots. You he could trust to run out of a situation while he provided cover for her. It was the best they could really hope for. 

“I’ll do the talking when we find them,” you said as the university loomed. “Not that they know you, Joel, but hopefully they’ll be receptive toward me…” 

Joel just gave you a stiff nod. His stomach was tight. There was something about this that made him uneasy. It wasn’t even the place, though it seemed oddly quiet for a Firefly base that wasn’t trying to hide from FEDRA. 

It was that this was the end of the journey for the three of you. There was something ominous about that, anything that implied some kind of severance or separation. 

Yes, it seemed that the three of you had decided to stay together after this point even though no one had expressly said that was the plan or why you were doing it that way. But there was uncertainty around this point. How long you would need to stay - and whether or not the Fireflies would fight to keep you if you didn’t agree. Just how long they’d need Ellie. Would they need her here for months, years, to keep drawing samples? He didn’t know how that worked, how any of that worked. What if one of you could go and the other couldn’t? Would you all stay here? Would he take you or her back to Jackson and return for he other one? What would be safest? 

“What does it mean, ‘home of the big horns’?” Ellie frowned as you came upon the entrance to the campus. 

“It’s the mascot,” Joel said. “For the football team and stuff. That one’s a kind of sheep.” 

“Huh,” Ellie said. “Hey Doc, did your school have a mascot?” 

“The Longhorns actually,” you said. 

“Hook ‘em,” Joel smiled a little. You laughed. 

“OK but like… not all of them are horn related, right?” Ellie frowned. 

“No,” you laughed again. “That’s just a coincidence. In Texas there were also the Aggies and the Raiders… Oklahoma had the Sooners. Michigan had the Wolverines. Notre Dame was the Fighting Irish…” 

“Sounds like a lot of bullshit for places people are supposed to be learning stuff,” Ellie said as you worked your way into the campus. 

“Kinda was,” you said. “A lot of focus on the stuff that brought in money, which was usually sports…”

“And plenty of people who went to college weren’t focused on the learning part,” Joel said. “Too busy partyin’ or tryin’ to find themselves to go to class.” 

“I’m guessing that wasn’t Doc,” Ellie smirked a little. 

“You would be correct,” you smiled. “I was a nerd.” 

“You’re still a nerd,” she teased. 

“Darn right,” you said. Joel winked at you. You smiled. 

Joel was starting to actively watch for signs of people but he didn’t see much - at least, no signs of people there now. Plenty of people from the past. 

There was a loud almost squawking sound and Joel tensed for a moment before he located the noise. A troop of monkeys - half a dozen or so - crossing the campus one right after the other. 

“Holy shit,” Ellie breathed. “The fuck are those?” 

“Monkeys,” you frowned. “Whatever you do, do not try to get close to one, they will quite literally rip our face off…” 

“OK but what the fuck are they doing here,” she said. “I thought they were from like… Africa and shit.” 

“Probably leftover from any animal testing labs the school had,” you said. “Or maybe the Fireflies had them… If it was Fireflies, that’s a hell of an operation.” 

“If it was Fireflies,” Joel asked, looking over at you. “Then why the fuck are they loose?” 

“Still,” Ellie said, voice still awed. “Never thought I’d see a monkey.” 

The three of you pressed on, Joel taking the lead until he found some guard posts that had clearly been abandoned. 

“Maybe we should get our guns out,” Ellie said. 

“Found the building at least,” you said, slipping off your horse. Joel and Ellie followed suit and you tied your horses off out front. 

“It’s awful quiet here,” Joel said. “Not sure what the fuck happened but…” 

You and Ellie both nodded. 

He took the lead, putting Ellie in the middle and you at the back as he went for the doors, his gun drawn. 

Inside the building, everything was in disarray. But it was a more recent disarray, something from within maybe the last few weeks, not disarray from when the world ended 20 years earlier. 

“There were doctors here,” Ellie said, stopping at a cart and picking up a vial. She held it out for you and you took it, looking it over. Joel holstered his gun and started rifling through things while you looked over the remains of the equipment. 

“Packing list,” Joel said, holding up a piece of paper. You came over and looked at it, frowning. 

“This is thorough,” you said. “Not a quick jaunt kind of thing, this is a ‘the whole operation is relocating’ kind of list…” 

“So, what, they’re all gone?” Ellie asked. “They just left?” 

Her voice cracked a little and she cleared her throat to cover it. 

There was a noise from inside the building, something clattering to the floor. 

“Maybe not yet,” you said, folding the lacking list and tucking it in your pocket. 

Joel pulled his gun back out and led the way up stairs, moving quietly. There was something behind a lab door, something banging around… He held his arm out to try to keep you back as he opened the door. 

There was a loud screech and a monkey knocked something to the ground with a metallic clatter before it took off through a broken window. 

“Maybe their research turned them into monkeys,” Ellie said. “The comic books finally came true…” 

“Stranger things have happened,” you said, starting to look around the room and see what there was. Joel went to a cork board, one covered in pins and thread. 

“Everything is pointing to Salt Lake City,” he frowned at the map. 

“That’s got to be where they went then, right?” Ellie frowned, standing next to him and frowning up at the map. “How far is that?” 

“A hike,” Joel frowned. “Few hundred miles. It’ll be easier with the horses but…” 

“I just can’t figure out why they’d leave,” you said, coming over to look at the map, too. “Relocating a lab is a bitch. I had to help a professor with it once, years ago. He was setting up some clinical trial and the drug company wanted it on their property, not the school’s and there was so much to do…” 

“Maybe the facilities there are better,” Joel shrugged. 

“Yeah,” you sounded uncertain. 

Joel heard something. He held a finger to his lips as he went to the window and peered out into  the courtyard below. A handful of men - all armed - were walking by. One laughed. His stomach clenched as he looked back to you and Ellie. Your eyes were wide. You’d heard it, too. 

He went back for the two of you. 

“The horses,” you said. “They’ll see the horses…” 

“Out the back,” Joel said. “Stay close…” 

He led the way. The men weren’t inside yet and Joel rushed you both out to the horses, scrambling to untie them from the tree he’d hitched them to. He was nearly done when Ellie grabbed his arm.

“Joel!” She shrieked, her eyes wide. He spun just in time to see a man swinging a wooden baseball bat at him. It cracked against the tree and the man scrambled for you next but Joel grabbed him, wrapping his arm around his neck and pulling back. The man struggled and strained - all dying men do. But Joel was stronger. More desperate. He cracked the man’s neck and he went limp before Joel dropped his body and he crumpled to the earth. 

He turned to face both of you, Ellie’s gun pointed straight ahead, yours aimed at the ground - he’d have to get on Ellie about where to point your fucking gun if you weren’t about to shoot it - when Ellie’s already wide eyes got wider.

“Oh shit,” she breathed, looking at his stomach. 

“Joel,” you reached for him and he looked down. The end of the bat was lodged inside him. He hadn’t felt it until he saw it. Then it was like a switch flipped. He went from feeling normal to the brutal, stabbing pain as his body was ripped open. He went to pull the wood out but your hands covered his. 

“You have to leave it in,” you said quickly. “You’ll bleed out too quick if you pull it out…” 

“Doc, the other guys,” Ellie looked at you. 

“Take the horses…” Joel began, but you ignored him, looping an arm under his and dragging him to the horse. “No, that wasn’t the deal…” 

“Joel I swear to God if you don’t get on this fucking horse I will lay down and die right here,” you snapped. 

He didn’t have it in him to fight you. Instead, he got on, about to tell you to take Ellie but you were already talking to her. 

“Get as far as you can as fast as you can,” you told her. “I’m going to lead them away. I’ll find you. Head for Jackson, but if you can’t make it, I’ll find you, OK? I’ll find you.” 

“But…” Ellie began but you shook your head. 

“You have to get him out of here, Ellie,” your voice was desperate. “You have to, you can do this…” 

“No,” Joel managed as Ellie clambered onto the horse behind him.  

“Hey!” The men shouted. 

You smacked his horse and it took off. Joel looked behind him to see you all but leaping into the saddle of your own horse, pulling your gun and shooting at the oncoming group. He saw you ride away, gun held out, as Ellie pressed the horse on. 

He wasn’t sure how long he’d been riding. His whole body hurt, the pain radiating out from the stab wound at his stomach. He was fighting to obey your order - to leave the weapon lodged inside him until he was in a position that he wouldn’t bleed out but it hurt. It hurt so fucking bad, the harsh, sharp wood ripping him with every sway of the horse and every breath. 

“Joel?” Ellie’s voice sounded so far away. 

You were so far away. Fuck, he should have stopped you from leaving. Who the hell knew where you were now? You should have stayed with Ellie, should have left him behind while the two of you made it back to Jackson. You could make it that far on your own, after the last week he was sure of it. 

The world tilted. 

“Joel!” Ellie’s words were louder but still far away. “Joel, we’re going to…” 

He slipped then, off the horse and onto the ground. It was cold, hard. The sky was blue. You were far away. Too far away. Why were you so far away? What if you were hurt? What if they’d touched you? What if they took you, what if they killed you… You and Ellie should always be close. It was wrong that you weren’t there… 

“Joel!” Ellie’s hands were on him. “Shit, you have to stay with me Joel, don’t leave me out here alone, please don’t leave me, please stay, please, I’m fucking begging you, I can’t do this alone. I can’t do this without you, I don’t know where I am or how to get to where we’re going, please Joel….” 

The sky was blue. The ground was cold. Ellie was close. You were gone. He wasn’t sure what happened next. 

*** 

You were a shit shot under the best of conditions. It was far worse when you were terrified and on horseback. 

But you still tried. 

The men were on foot at first and you had to go slow enough that they’d stick with you and not follow Joel and Ellie but they’d brought horses, too. And once they were on them, it was a whole other animal. 

You pushed your horse more than you wanted to, trying to put distance between you and the men. You’d have no hope of fighting them off if they caught you. There were half a dozen of them. You couldn’t shoot them all, you’d never have a chance to hit them all before someone got to you. You could only out run them. 

“Good girl,” you stroked your horse’s mane as she slowed to a trot. You couldn’t push her any harder, you could feel it. But you were pretty sure you’d lost them, anyway. “You did so good, we can take a break then we can track them down, OK?” 

You slipped off her back and started looking for something nearby that you could use to get her water. Snow was limited here so you couldn’t just melt some, but you hoped you could find a stream or something to help her with. 

Her breathing calmed and you found a river. She all but dove into it to drink and you held her reins, leaning against a tree, trying to stay calm. 

You had to give your horse a chance to rest otherwise you’d never catch Joel and Ellie, not on foot. But you wanted to move now, wanted to run as fast as you could for them. Joel had been stabbed - the image of it burned into your brain, making your chest clench and stomach knot. But the location could have been worse, it might have missed his kidneys and intestines entirely. With any luck it did. 

Not that you could count on luck. 

“Hey there pretty girl.” 

You jumped, drawing your gun and turning toward the voice. The man was leaning against a tree, not far from you, smiling. There was a knife in his hand. You held the gun out. 

“Stay back,” you warned. “I don’t want to shoot you.” 

“Do we kill her or take her with us?” 

There was another voice, from behind you now, and you spun to face it. 

Shit. 

You were out numbered. You could try shooting them but that was a sure fire way to get yourself killed. 

“Think we take her,” a third man now. Your heart pounded against your ribs. “Think James would be happy for the gift, she looks like his type…” 

“Yeah, she’s not David’s,” someone laughed darkly. 

“Please,” you said. You had to get to Joel, he was stabbed, he was bleeding, Ellie was all but on her own, you had to get to them you had to… “My friends, they’ll be looking for me…” 

“So?” The man from behind you said. 

“I don’t want to cause you trouble,” you said, backing up until you were pressed against your horse. “Just let me go on my way…” 

“Sorry baby doll,” the men were pressing into you from all sides now. “We just can’t do that.” 

One stepped forward and grabbed your gun and, in the instant before one of them started dragging you away, you’d never felt more terrified or more alone.

A/N: Eeeeeeeeeek! The trio is separated, Joel's stabbed, Doc's been taken. It's a whole thing. A whole big, exciting thing :)

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[meganwiththeknees]

Distant

Summary:

You and Denki have been best friends since your first year at UA. Unforeseen circumstances lead the two of you to follow different paths in life which causes the two of you to fall out as friends. Now after three years, the two of you meet again and wish to sort things out. Will you two be able to mend a broken friendship, or does the universe have different plans for you?

Chapter 1

“How do you feel when I ask you more intimate questions about your past?” You ask the man sitting right in front of you. You always know what the answer will be, but being the person you are, you always hope for a new outcome.

You notice the way he starts to play with his hair, seeming like he wants to be anywhere but here. He’s sitting on a couch not too far away from you, hunched into himself, almost as if he’s trying to make himself appear smaller.

“Uhm, don’t know, I just feel a little uncomfortable talking about certain things,” he stammers, looking anywhere but in your direction.

You feel taken aback, not hurt by the answer, but the fact that he actually said something this time.

“What do you mean you feel uncomfortable? We’ve been talking for about six months?”

“I just feel like you're a little intimidating.” He continues, purposely not directing his gaze on you.

Your mind starts to race. Why would he think that? Are you really that intimidating? You keep your composure and review the neatly written notes in front of you from the past few months . This client has been taking a while to open up, but you didn’t think it had anything to do with your behavior.

“Do…do you not feel like we’ve made any progress these last few months?”

“Yes, yeah,” he finally looks back at you.

An alarm goes off signifying that your session is over.

“Okay, Mr. Yuki, we'll try this again next week and see what progress you’ve made. I can’t seem to get through to you if you won’t open up to me. So, please make sure to go through the lessons I gave you last week.”

Mr. Yuki stood up and you quickly followed suit. You proceed to head for the door to let him out of your office. You exchanged your goodbyes and quietly closed the door.

You let out an exhausted sigh, finally happy that the week was over, and looking forward to the events happening later that night.

You tidied up your office and packed your valuables, getting ready to leave after a long day. You quickly leave the office to beat any unforeseen traffic to get ready for your outing with Mina.

You made it home only encountering one light traffic. Opening the door to your studio apartment, you feel the aroma of home as soon as you step in. You kick off your shoes immediately and walk over to your couch. You plop down knowing you have a little time before you need to get ready.

Last month Mina invited you to the Annual Japan Hero Billboard Chart as her plus one. Throughout the years, you and Mina stayed in contact and grew closer than ever. Your mind started to think of all the people that would be attending the event tonight. More specifically, Denki. After you graduated from UA high, Denki and you drifted apart due to communication issues and the fact that he just had never made time for you.

While in your thoughts you were interrupted by a phone call. You sat up to see who was calling.

“Hey girl!” Mina said enthusiastically.

“Hi, Mina.”

“Are you dressed yet? ‘Cause you need to be there in the next hour so we can walk in together. I got to show off how good my plus one looks.”

You look on your phone realizing you had lost track of time while you were consumed with your thoughts.

“Yeah, I’m fixing my hair right now.” You lied to Mina running off the couch and stripping off your clothes to hop in the shower as soon as possible.

“I hear you turning on the shower girl…”

“What are you talking about? That’s just the sink.” You lied again

“Whatever, just make sure you're there in an hour.” She giggles shortly after.

“Okay, I’ll see you there.”

You got out of the shower and brushed your teeth and put on some light makeup to make your skin glow. After that, you got started to slick back your hair in a low puff fluffing out the ends to make sure your curls pop then doing your edges after. You walked to your closet and pulled out a cream-colored satin dress that had a slit mid-thigh. You put a few things in your purse before heading downstairs and putting your heels on. You grab your keys before heading out the door to meet Mina.

A cold breeze hit your body, not having time to grab a jacket. You got in your car and texted Mina before you pulled off. The GPS confirmed that the address was only thirty-five minutes from your studio and that you would make it to the event with ten minutes to spare.

You arrived at the event with just enough time as you expected to walk in and get seated. You proceed to get your phone out and call Mina to let her know that you had arrived.

“Hey Mina, I just got here and parked. Where do you want me to meet you?”

“Oh perfect, you're here. I’ll come and find you so that we can walk in together. Where did you park?”

You proceeded to tell Mina where you were parked so that she could come to get you. After looking for about eight minutes you heard Mina screaming your name.

“Girl over here!” you jolted your head to see the pink-haired lady waving crazily at you.

Mina called out a little too happy as if she didn’t see you a week ago when you went out for drinks with her and Eijiro. Although you enjoyed yourself every time you hung out with them you couldn’t help but feel like a third wheel even though neither of them minded your company and always made you feel welcome.

“Oh my God Mina you look so good,” you say, eyeing her attire as she twirled around giving you a spin showing you her whole dress.

Mina wore a green cocktail dress and her black heels. She also had her hair slicked back at the side with some pins in it. Her hair never changed much from back in the days at UA High. It was still the same pink and curly shortcut that you have grown to love over the years.

“Me? I should be the one complimenting you. Who told you that you could go out of the house looking so sexy? But I expect nothing less from my plus one.’’

You both begin to laugh at the continued compliments that you give each other. Your talk is cut short when Mina gets a call on her phone. She picks up the phone and begins to talk. After a short amount of time, she hangs up.

“Eijiro just called and said that they are about to seat people in the next five minutes. So, we have to get going if we want to get some pics of us walking on the red carpet together.”

You were surprised when Mina said that you two would be walking in on the red carpet, but in all actuality, you should have known that there would be a red carpet at this event just like there was at every other event throughout the years. You remembered this especially because you used to love watching this same event on TV as a little girl. It was almost like a dream come true to attend, but you never would have thought that you would be attending as a plus one and not a pro hero.

You and Mina get to the entrance of the building and see the red carpet and all the paparazzi surrounding it. You two walk up and the cameras start flashing. You both pose for the cameras as you try to walk into the building. As the pictures are being taken one of the cameramen asks who Mina is walking in with.

“Pro Hero Pinky, who is this accompanying you tonight? Are you and Pro Hero Red Riot still in a relationship?”

All the cameras turn to you and Mina. You look at Mina waiting for her to answer the question until she bursts out into laughter.

“You people are really funny! Can’t two people just hang out without being together? Anyways, yes I can assure you that Red Riot and I are still a couple. This is my best friend.” Mina states as she says your name.

Mina proceeds to look at you and all the cameras are now focused on you. You are a little embarrassed by all the sudden attention, but it’s not anything that you weren’t used to. Back in your days at UA, all the news could talk about were all the kids in class 1-A.

“Oh yeah, I can confirm that I’m just her best friend.” You begin to smile and wave at the camera.

“Miss how long have you known Pinky?”

“Miss did you attend UA High with Pinky?”

“Miss over here. Did you happen to attend UA at the same time as Pinky and participated in the sports festival about six years ago?”

The paparazzi began to bombard you with hundreds of questions to the point that you couldn’t even understand what they were saying anymore. Mina grabbed you by your arm and pulled you the rest of the way until you two were inside of the building and safe from the paparazzi.

“Man I didn’t think that any of them would remember you from that long ago, it’s been years?”

“Me neither, but we should get seated now.”

Mina nodded in compliance. You guys begin to walk into the auditorium that the ceremony is being held in to find your seats. As you two are walking, Eijiro spots you guys and waves y'all over. As expected, you guys have seats close to the stage next to a whole bunch of other pro heroes. You can’t help but feel a little out of place, but you realize that you're here to have a good time with your friends.

As you sit you greet Eijiro and hug him. He begins to tell you how womanly you look in your dress and you just smile at him accepting the compliment that was given. Looking on the stage you see someone come up and say that the ceremony will begin in about five minutes so that everyone can get situated in their proper seats.

As you all wait for the ceremony to begin you and Mina start to talk about frivolous things. Like about the times you and her would sneak out of UA and go have nights on the town or when you used to be so dead set one being a pro hero.

“You remember a time when I wasn’t your number one bestie. I used to be so sure that you and Denki would end up together.

Your eyes widened by the sudden change in topic, not expecting Mina to even bring Denki up.

“Like I used to ship y’all hard. Even Eijiro did, isn’t that right Eijiro?”

“Huh?” Eijiro asked, looking up from his phone.

“Didn’t you used to think that she and Denki would be-”

“Ladies and gentleman, I would like to welcome you to the annual Japan Hero Billboard Chart and give a special thanks to all the amazing heroes out there in the crowd and even the ones that couldn’t make it tonight for keeping all of us safe with the sacrifices you all make every day.”

The crowd began to cheer and the host went back to their speech. The ceremony felt so different being in person than at home. It was nice to see some of your favorite heroes up close and cheer for them and they could hear you instead of cheering to a non-responsive TV screen.

The ceremony was continuing in its normal fashion and you cheered loudly and even let out a little scream when Mina and Eijiro’s names were called as well as a couple of your other old friends from UA were called to the stage.

You could tell that the ceremony was drawing to an end because the top ten were drawing close. You already knew who the top ten heroes were so there wasn’t much for you to expect. Of course, number one was the symbol of peace himself Deku. Right under him was the hot-headed explosive hero Dynamight in number two. Holding the third-place spot was the half-hot half-cold hero Shoto. Dynamight and Shoto always go back and forth holding the second and third spots so you assumed tonight you would see if Shoto took Dynamight’s place. And of course, you couldn’t forget that fact the eighth place was held by none other than Chargebolt himself.

“Now for the top ten heroes of Japan and congratulations on your hard work to make it this far!” The host of the awards show stated about announcing the top ten heroes.

You proceeded to listen to the hostess announce the tenth and ninth heroes. Even though you and Denki may not be on the best of terms didn’t mean that you wouldn’t clap for him when it was his turn next or so you thought. The eighth hero was called and it wasn’t Denki. You were shocked, but you knew that could only mean one thing.

“The hero coming in seventh place is Chargebolt! Kaminari Denki, our new number seven, congratulations!”

You began to clap, happy that he was finally moving up in the world and becoming what he always wanted to be. Even though you were happy for him you couldn’t help but think that you were somehow a bump in the road on the path to Denki’s success. You started to think that maybe if you had not stopped talking to Denki when you did that he wouldn’t be where he was right now at this very moment. You were probably a burden to him a few years back and that’s why he started to distance himself from you.

As the cheering died down you snapped out of your terrible thoughts. You don’t know why but whenever you see Denki you start to have negative thoughts. It’s not really like you and Denki have any bad blood between each other but you can’t help but feel a bit awkward whenever you're around him now. No matter how many times you try to tell yourself that nothing has changed and that you and Denki are the same people you know deep down that that’s not true in the slightest. The last time that may have been true was when you both attended UA and you still wanted to be a pro hero just like him.

“Thank you ladies and gentlemen for all coming out tonight and supporting these fine pro heroes. I’d like to give one more special thanks to all the pro heroes out there for keeping families safe around the world. With that being said, thank you for letting me host this tremendous event and goodnight Japan!” With those closing statements, the ceremony had been concluded.

Extra Notes:

To those who are completely new to this story, I hope you enjoy. To anyone who remembers the old version of this story I've decided to comeback and make it better than ever. It still has the same plot I just really wanted to change some things and I feel like I've made the story 100 times better for everyone to enjoy. <3

[starnightlover]

Hi. Sorry, I just really feel like complaining. Obviously you can ignore this, I just have nowhere else to word vomit lol. I've been trying to shift since 2019. I've gotten into the void state for like 20 seconds but got too freaked out/excited and lost stability before I could manifest or shift anywhere. I feel like I'm going crazy. I've done the whole thing of pasting sticky notes with affirmations all over my apartment, had meditated for an hour or more a day for weeks at a time, listened to subliminals 24/7 and obvious tried all the classic methods like the raven method, julia method, etc, etc. I've had multiple lucid dreams where I tried to make portals and I've even had a lucid dream (or I guess I shifted) where I saw a "centre" for shifting with a bunch of islands and floating petals that we used as transportation between islands. I got a whole tour by some guide and he showed me other lives I'm currently living. That was like a year ago, and I haven't manifested anything significant or went anywhere since then. I'm going through a really tough time right now. I wouldn't have gone on like this if I didn't believe in it, but I'm just feeling really beaten down. I'm exhausted and frustrated.

Hi lovely, I'm so sorry you feel this way.

It’s understandable. But remember all the lucid dreams you’ve had and the void states that you’ve been in. They’re a reflection of your ability for shifting. You’ve been incredibly close before, and your subconscious mind is capable of doing so. You can take a break if you want, because shifting requires a healthy amount of persistence. Just remember that no matter how long of a break you have, you’ve come really far already. The void state is one step away from shifting. And don’t forget your lucid dream, where you basically saw your ability to change realities. Don’t take my word for granted. Just think about it. You can do it, you do have the abilities, all you have to do is keep going. You can take a small break if you want to rest, but don’t let yourself lose all your progress. Stay determined, stay motivated, don’t lose your abilities. You can do this!!

You’ve come so far, and you’ve been in the final stages. Don’t think about how it’s been years without a single shift. It’s been years where you’ve learned techniques, you’ve learned about yourself, you’ve honed in your shifting abilities. Just because you haven’t shifted in years doesn’t mean you’ve made no progress. This is just the next step in your shifting journey. Go forward. Take that step. Shift like nothing’s stopping you. You’re so close. You’ve had enough time to think about it. You’ve been here, wanting to get to your desired reality for all this time. You haven’t given up on it yet. You’ve kept coming back hoping, trying, dreaming, wanting to shift to the reality you want and finally be with your hard work! Why would you stop now? You owe it to yourself to keep trying. Don’t give up, because it has always been your dream to shift.

Your determination, drive, motivation, and dedication to shifting is so praiseworthy. It's been years since you started this journey, and you haven't given up! You've persisted for this long and you've gotten close so many times, it's almost impossible for you to not have enough abilities to shift realities. Remember all the things you've seen and experienced while trying to shift realities, all the things you've gone through and the efforts of hard work that you've put into shifting realities. Don't give up now. You just have to keep going. You can do it, I believe in you!

Keep going. Don’t stop now.

I mean, just think about it: you possess this incredible power within you to shape your own existence. You're not just a passive observer in the grand theater of life; you're the playwright, the director, and the star actor all rolled into one.

You see, the universe is like this vast, infinite canvas, and you? You're the artist putting forth the brush. Every thought, every belief, every intention you hold is like a stroke on that canvas.

Now, here's the kicker: you have the ability to shift to any reality you choose. It's not some distant, unattainable dream—it's within your awareness right here, right now. Reality-shifting isn't this Herculean task reserved for a select few; it's as easy as changing your mind.

You are the god of your reality, lovely!!! You have the power to shift!!! It's not about waiting for the stars to align or some external force to swoop in and save the day. It's about realizing that the power you seek has been within you all along. So, embrace it. Own it. Know that you are the creator of your own destiny. And when doubts creep in or challenges arise, remember this: you are god, and reality-shifting is as easy as flipping the script. You've got this. After all, you are god.

And remember! You don't actually need specific methods to shift realities; it's about tapping into your innate power as a being that is pure consiousnious not attached to any body, mind, or reality! . Every moment, you're making choices that shift you to a different reality, and reality-shifting to your DR is just as easy! It's just bevomi b aware of it. While methods and techniques can be helpful tools, they're just that—tools! The real magic happens when you tap into your own inner wisdom and intuition, trusting yourself to allow the process to unfold organically. Embrace your innate creativity and intuition, and watch as your reality begins to shift in ways you never thought possible.

Now just remember my love, to keep on visualizing, keep on affirming, and most importantly keep persisting!!!! . And, be gentle with yourself along the way. Shifting may not happen overnight, but each step you take brings you closer to your DR. So hold onto hope, and know that your breakthrough is just around the corner.

[casualfruit]

Whoops, I kept writing until 2am

Uhhhhh anyway here's that Fast Car ficlet I promised @casscainsbiceps

Logan shouldn’t be driving. Sure, he could drink any human and a lot of mutants under the table, but tonight was intense even for him. 

He’d managed to buy a used car a few weeks earlier, and since then he’d mostly taken it to a bar that was far enough outside the city that Wade wasn’t likely to find him there. He’d told himself that he was weaning off the bottle, slowly decreasing his alcohol intake until he could function without it. It was a lie, of course; any fool could see that. Didn’t stop him from trying, though. 

Then she walked in and ruined everything.

He didn’t know her, and she didn’t know him. But her flowing red hair had tricked him, stopped his heart right in his chest and turned his blood to ice.

“Jean?” he’d said. She didn’t respond. That alone should have told him to drop it, but instead, like a complete idiot, he’d reached out and grabbed her arm. 

“Jean?” he repeated. “Jean, is that y—” 

She whipped around, startled and confused and definitely not Jean Grey. 

“Sorry,” he mumbled. “Thought you were someone else.” 

Not-Jean yanked her arm away with a look of disgust. Logan turned back to the counter, finished his beer, then flagged down the bartender and ordered three fingers of whiskey. Everything between the moment the glass touched his lips and the moment he jammed his keys into the ignition was a blur. 

The road had very few street lights; the moon offered little in the way of visibility. Logan was vaguely aware that he was drifting, but didn’t clock that his foot was pressing down on the gas harder than he meant to. That realization came when he went straight through a bend in the road and rammed into a tree at almost a hundred miles per hour. 

He sat there, unmoving, waiting for his brain to catch up and his heart to slow down. With shaking hands he put the car in reverse and tried to back out, but to no avail. He hadn’t even owned the thing for a full month before destroying it. He ripped out the steering wheel and flung it through the shattered windshield. 

God. Fucking. Damnit. 

He should call one of those not-quite-taxi cars—Uberlift, or whatever they were called. He always had trouble remembering the names of things in this universe. But first, he should definitely call a tow truck. 

A dull throbbing pain was building up behind his eyes as he pulled a piece of glass out of his forehead. Maybe he should just get Wade to pick him up instead. 

No. Fuck no. Absolutely not. He might be the Worst Wolverine, but he still had a shred of pride. He’d go on foot once he could walk in a straight line. In the meanwhile, he would just sit in the wreckage of his car and listen to the radio while he sobered up. Assuming it still worked—which, miraculously, it did. 

He must’ve hit the dashboard when he crashed, because the radio wasn’t set to his usual station. Instead of the pounding drums and harsh metal vocals he was used to, he was greeted by something else entirely. 

“You got a fast car,” came a soft voice, “I want a ticket to anywhere.” 

He reached for the radio dial, then paused. The warm bass notes melted like honey over the drums, gently flowing through the vocals and lead guitar. This wasn’t so bad. He sat back and closed his eyes. The singer continued on, telling a story about joining up with someone to escape a life she didn’t want—small, poor, static. He’d heard this story plenty of times before, but something about this version was different. It was captivating in a strange, solemn way.

He was actually starting to enjoy this. 

Then the fourth stanza began.

“You see my old man’s got a problem. He lives with the bottle, that’s the way it is.” 

Logan’s stomach twisted. This was not the kind of story he wanted to hear.

“He says his body’s too old for working. His body’s too young to look like his.”

How many more decades would it take for Logan’s body to look his age? He’d lived two hundred years, but he still looked fifty. Nothing about him had changed. Not his body, not his habits, not his self loathing. 

“My mama went off and left him 

She wanted more from life than he could give

I said, somebody's got to take care of him

So I quit school and that's what I did.”

Images of the woman from the bar flashed in his mind, but this time she had Jean’s face. What would the real Jean think, seeing him like that? He’d always been a drunk, but at least before he’d been a person. The only thing sitting in this car was an empty husk that reeked of booze. 

“You got a fast car. Is it fast enough so we can fly away?” the singer asked. “We gotta make a decision: leave tonight or live and die this way.” 

How many times had his family tried to tell him the same thing—and how many times had he ignored them until they gave up? It wasn’t just the reprimanding he’d hated; it was the genuine concern, the pity, that got under his skin. He hated being pitied more than anything else. At least, that’s what he had thought.

Suddenly the drums kicked up, drowning out his thoughts. 

“So I remember we were driving, driving in your car

Speed so fast, I felt like I was drunk

City lights lay out before us

And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder

And I-I, had a feeling that I belonged

I-I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone…”

God, it was so hopeful it hurt. Logan couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt that kind of freedom. Maybe he never had. There was something else in the singer’s voice, something he couldn’t quite identify. It floated in the space between longing and giving up. It made his chest feel tight. 

“I know things will get better

You'll find work and I'll get promoted

We'll move out of the shelter

Buy a bigger house and live in the suburbs.”

“Life ain’t like that, sweetheart,” he sneered. “It’s just one disappointment after the next.” Yet somehow, in spite of himself, he actually did feel some hope for the narrator. Her life didn’t have to go to shit the way his did. Maybe she still had a chance. 

The chorus came back, but something about it felt different, even though it was the exact same as before. Like the narrator’s dreams were being tempered—or tamped down—by reality. His eyes began to burn. 

“You got a fast car

I got a job that pays all our bills

You stay out drinking late at the bar

See more of your friends than you do of your kids.”

Resignation. That was the feeling. Tears began to slip out, one by one, leaving wet tracks down his face. If this girl couldn’t make it, what chance did he have? 

“I'd always hoped for better

Thought maybe together you and me would find it

I got no plans, I ain't going nowhere

So take your fast car and keep on driving.”

It was too much. He couldn’t breathe. Guilt was crushing his rib cage and flattening his lungs. After several excruciating seconds he managed to suck in a breath, only for it to come out as a gasping, heaving sob. Decades of grief poured out from him, burning his throat and eyes and skin. 

That was it. The dam had broken. Sobs turned into wails; wails faded into whimpers.

The chorus returned again, but now the sweet naivete of youth had turned as bitter as whiskey. There were no happy times to look forward to. The narrator had tried to take a different path, but it led her right back to the same dead end. As for Logan, all he’d found was that the bottom of a bottle tasted the same in this universe as it did in his own. 

He leaned forward and rested his head on the dashboard. It took a few deep breaths, but he managed to calm down just enough to hear the final lines of the song.

“You got a fast car. Is it fast enough so you can fly away?”

Please, God, make it stop.

“You gotta make a decision: leave tonight or live and die this way.” 

And just like that, it was over. 

Logan barely had time to process anything before the radio let out a horrendously loud record scratch, reminding all listeners that they were tuning into a station that made its money from advertisements. He skewered the radio with his claws before the DJ could get a word out. 

It had been a long time since anything had torn him apart like that. He was an open wound; bleeding and vulnerable. Wasn’t alcohol supposed to help wounds? 

“Not these ones,” he muttered. “Gotta let ‘em dry out.” 

He was so tired. Tired of drinking. Tired of crying. Tired of hating himself. He just wanted to fall asleep and wake up as a completely different person, unburdened by his past. Barring that, he wanted to go lie down somewhere that wasn’t the wreckage of a junky old car. 

Without any conscious thought, Logan’s hand pulled his phone out of his pocket and began dialing Wade’s number. His mouth, now fully disconnected from his brain, started fumbling through the lyrics of that song. Be someone, be someone, be someone…

He’d have to look it up and listen to it again.

This time he’d hear it sober. 

[flaresanimedump]

Fukuzawa and Ranpo romantic themes essay **Updated May 2024**

ALRIGHT here we go

The story thus far:

Well HERE IT COMES.

First off y'all are focusing too much on Fukuzawa. Sorry but if you look to Fukuzawa only Fukuzawa/cats has merit. Even with FukuMori it's Mori we get 90% of the ship content from (silver fox?? Can you not hit on him for FIVE SECONDS MORI-)

You have to look at RANPO. And so we will, mostly, in this response.

Now I did say "themes" first so you're all gonna have to deal with me doing both. I’m just gonna lead with the thing that I see the behavior in the og tweet with the most:

Antis almost never fail to say "father and son" in their captions when they post screenshots of this anthology chapter.

As the translator of this anthology I will tell you it's not father and son. It's tsundere boyfriend.

How is this tsundere?!: “I’m not worried about you, baka, I just don’t ever want to see you sick—play sick nurse for you again!! So take better care of yourself!! Here’s a snack!! Feel better or else!!” + this phrase "I never thought I'd hear such caring words from you" is your basic tsundere trope template in JP.

Why does that mean it’s romantic?!: Tsundere behavior is mostly reserved for love interests – particularly this bit.

He’s just offering him a snack!!: Look at the shojo background in every panel. Look at the sparkles. Look at them setting the fluffy lovey-dovey mood. Look at Fukuzawa’s saying he’ll take them to his heart. You can hear the “Kyaaaa, Yukichi-kun was so close!!!” if you listen carefully.

But- but- FATHER AND SON!!: you may now see why it took a Fukuran shipper to translate this 4 years after it was released, despite the scanlation boom over covid ;)

But that’s an anthology! It’s not really canon!

Moving right along then, this is Bones only, but:

Seeing color because you meet someone is literally the basis of an entire subset of soulmate AUs.

I bookmarked two romance quotes in the last 6 hours that center on romantic love bringing color into someone’s life. This is an extremely common romantic trope and I still can’t believe Bones went there in Origins. a. “But Nova!” they cry, “lots of parents say their children bring color into their lives!!” True!! And you’ve just said why this isn’t the same! Fukuzawa brought color to RANPO’s life, not the other way around. This is why I say to look to Ranpo for this ship!

Well Bones sucks!

There are about 104 examples of “Unbroken Vigil” on TV tropes. Exactly two of them are children waiting by their parents, and they’re both from live action film. This trope, across all categories of media, is absolutely owned by romantic couples. Notably in the anime and fanon sections there are no examples of family members doing this. I won’t say there aren’t any anywhere, though. JJK exists. But that’s a good example of how different Ranpo’s reaction is from the usual “caretaker is in the hospital” mood – sure Yuuji’s sad when his grandpa dies, but he’s gonna be ok. Ranpo’s, as Yosano says, devastated. Ranpo’s devastation fits squarely in the romantic box for this one boys.

Point of reference: Fukuzawa

I’m gonna hit two points at once in this section:

Ranpo’s kneeling to Fukuchi here but he has no loyalty to Fukuchi. He’s kneeling out of loyalty to Fukuzawa, so in truth he’s kneeling to Fukuzawa’s will. He’s acting as Fukuzawa’s knight. Even if we pretend King and Lionheart wasn’t a fandom phenomena for years, this isn’t a parent-child thing. Ranpo is steadfastly faithful to his king.

But lo?? Ranpo’s a lying liar. He’ll face away from the president under exactly one condition: Fukuzawa’s life is hanging in the balance. Then he’ll go against the only thing he himself has said he’s willing to stand for. This is not how the parent-child trope works. The parent says “live for me, I’ll die for the greater good” and the child cries and the parent dies. It’s like. The most common movie plotline in the universe when adults' parents are in movies.

Instead Ranpo actually does something that another stated romantic couple in this series does.

Goes apeshit on the threat.

Then later he’s not even remorseful. He tells Fukuzawa they did it and eats a bunch of cake without a care in the world after. He’d do it again and we know it.* So his moral compass isn’t to follow the president, it’s actually to follow him up to his own good and then burn the entire city down if it’ll keep him alive. This is really the most damning of Ranpo behaviors that screams of something more than familial affection.

Fukuzawa’s lines when he's poisoned are “we must not fight the port mafia. My life isn't important, protect this city (from the inevitable damage the fighting will do).”

Ranpo’s argument to disobey him is that the port mafia will start taking their families hostage to get them to give Fukuzawa up. “And if that happens, even the detective agency will be forced to give in.” His argument isn’t even “our friends will be in danger,” it’s “if we don’t fight we'll have let them kill President Fukuzawa.” Which, you know, Fukuzawa already said was preferable to fighting.

So this whole argument is literally that ship meme: “I will sacrifice myself to save everyone.” / “I will sacrifice anyone to save you.”

*Ranpo’s near-complete lack of punishment for this is a subtle sign of Fukuzawa’s bias too but this is already too long.

Shirushi

Or the 4th season's opening song. This has not been easy I tell you WHAT most of the translations for this song’s lyrics leave something to be desired and song lyrics are hard to understand. Anyway, we have Shirushi, which Luck Life's vocalist said was about Ranpo and Fukuzawa. And it’s. Well I wouldn’t exactly call it a love song because it’s bigger with “you gave me a reason to live” as one of the recurring lyrics. But the song’s got more lyrics about wanting/wishing/pleading to stay together: “I want to stay here // please, let’s just stay here // I want you and I to continue” and them being together, the “here” in question, is called “the place where [my] heart belongs.” It’s so sweet aaaaaa and it most definitely sounds like a love song.

"I will be his shield"

Here we have the rare Fukuzawa point.

Ok can I skip explaining this it’s very very obvious and I already went over one of these things.

Normal thought process: I should keep an eye on this kid. Fukuzawa thought process: I will become his shield, his sword, his shelter, to allow his magnificent mind freedom to work its magic--

Two halves of one whole

This is a weak ass point but I always found it thematically contradictory to the father/son interpretation, particularly when it comes right on the heels of a certain line fancops like to reference.

At the beginning of Origins Fukuzawa literally parkours across a room, backflips and everything, shocking the guy with all the papers with his mad skills. And Fukuzawa thinks “What? Why? That wasn’t impressive.”

He’s hinted to be the physical counterpart of Ranpo’s hyper competence. I.E., Ranpo is the one-of-a-kind mind and Fukuzawa is the one-of-a-kind body. Together they become unstoppable.

This implies a bond that won’t end?? But parent & child plotlines always have a theme of the child growing up and moving on. Atsushi and the orphanage director, though they’re fucked up, personified it. But they’ve clearly established that Fukuzawa and Ranpo are two halves of one whole and neither of them are planning to separate at any point. What’s Ranpo gonna do, go become a regular cop?? This just doesn’t suit a father and son dynamic.

Jealousy

Alright this next part will take some effort but FIRST we must all agree there’s romantic tension between Fukuchi and Fukuzawa. When I initially drafted this the finale had not come out, but we STILL had this going on:

Ok, so we also have the finale and we know Fukuzawa has some Strong Feelings for Fukuchi too. And Ranpo friggin' hates it.

I don’t aim to eradicate the platonic reading of Fukuran or anything, Fukuzawa and Ranpo are cute together no matter what! So this does smack of a teenager mad about having a stepdad taking all their mom’s time. But I cycle back to what Fukuchi cites as the focal point of Ranpo’s jealousy for the other easy interpretation.

The only time in my life I’ve thought “Aw I wish we’d met sooner :/” and felt a little envy towards someone's high school friends was with someone I was dating. I’d never think anything to this effect about a family member, certainly not enough to get violently jealous of their old friends or, heaven forbid, significant others.

What Ranpo is wishing for here is to have known Fukuzawa longer than Fukuchi, which could not happen if he was Fukuzawa's son. Fukuzawa was too young to have children when he met Fukuchi. So Ranpo's jealousy doesn't seem strictly platonic.

Praise

I will never understand how anyone sees the praise scene and thinks it’s normal father-son behavior. Teenagers wouldn't wouldn’t be caught dead doing this. Adults are far beyond it. Ranpo’s 26. Yes he likes candy and can’t ride the train, but the trains in Japan are WORSE than driving and neither of these behaviors mean he's a literal child. He has a driver’s license and investigates corpses for a living. He’s an adult.

This is a textbook praise kink.

Update: We got NEW STUFF WHOO

First I need to explain all of Japanese to you! Kidding, but we are gonna talk about second person pronouns. If you're not already aware, Japanese has well over 15 words for "I." Similarly, there are also 10+ words for "you." That being said, "you" is often seen as too direct and therefore all of these words can be seen as rude (you're supposed to use the other person's name with an honorific or their title, i.e. Fukuzawa-san, Shachou). You can use "you" for advertisements where the "you" is very general, OR with friends/lovers/etc.

OK we're gonna look at 2 of these pronouns now:

あなた(Anata) is a common second-person pronoun. This is the one that comes up in advertisements. It's semi-formal, though rude in certain contexts. As already stated, Anata is mostly used with people you're already close or familiar with (some examples in BSD include Kyoka to Atsushi and Akutagawa, between Haruno and Naomi, and Ango to Dazai) but can be used with strangers you're not close with and/or people you're a little irritated by (examples: Atsushi to Kouyou and Fitzgerald, Poe to Yosano). You are NOT supposed to use Anata with superiors. Historically, however, Anata once had another use: as a term of endearment between married couples. Generally the wife might call her husband this. This doesn't happen much though!! Only in certain contexts, which I'll get into. Don't go telling people Anata is a romantic pronoun because of this essay, it's not. Mostly.

お前(Omae) is rude! Ok it's not that rude, but it's a tough guy "you." This is often used when people are annoyed with the "you" in question, i.e. Kunikida scolding Dazai for drowning/being broke, "Dazai! Omae-" like that. Like Anata, this can be used by guys who know each other well/are good friends. Also like Anata, historically, it once had another use: as a term of endearment between married couples. Generally the husband might call his wife this. This is older than the endearment use of Anata and far less common now. It was explained to me as being a bit like saying "my woman." But once again this is rare!! It doesn't mean that now! Don't go expecting it to be romantic all the time because it almost never is!! Except--

Except that Fukuzawa uses very old language, because he's named after a guy whose heyday was the 1860s. That's plenty long enough ago to use Omae as a term of endearment. In fact there are only two characters who he calls Omae, one of whom is Fukuchi:

HOWEVER, while this proves Fukuzawa only uses it with people he's extremely close to, Fukuchi uses Omae back. I could make a joke about the two dudes who would be gay if they could just work out which one should bottom but this is a Fukuran essay so you can use your imagination for that. I'll move on to the other person he uses Omae with:

Ranpo, of course! But you see... Ranpo rarely calls Fukuzawa anything other than Fukuzawa-san or Shachou. Except he did at the end of the anime:

WE GOT AN ANATA FOLKS. Ranpo doesn't call anybody else Anata. He goes for Kimi mainly. Yet here he whips out Anata for Fukuzawa who, if he was looking at Fukuzawa as his superior, he should never refer to as Anata. So not only do we get confirmation that their relationship isn't just boss and employee, we get THE OMAE+ANATA SET. This isn't definitive cannonizing content of course - as I've said multiple times, these both mean something different now - but it's strongly suggestive. And speaking of suggestive,

Word of god

If you were ever worried that Asagiri might frown on the ship, or that he doesn't know about it, or that he didn't intend for a shippy interpretation at all, you can put all those fears to rest. In January 2024 Asagiri held a panel at the Kochi Museum of Literature and the Fukuran fans were WELL FED. Asagiri was asked half a dozen questions about Ranpo and Fukuzawa, but the most fun answer was when he was about Ranpo and Fukuchi. Rough translation below:

Q. Can you expand on the relationship between Ranpo and Fukuchi?

A. To put it in a slightly misleading way, Ranpo views Fukuchi as his rival in love*. They are enemies in a love triangle. Fukuchi doesn't agree.

*YES this word means romantic love.

Yes it's a joke but it's basically carte blanch to ship it to your heart's content, Asagiri knows you're there and winks at you in his interviews. AND it's also Kafka Asagiri saying that Ranpo sees himself in a love triangle with Fukuchi and Fukuzawa. So. You know. Just a small (major) win for the Fukuran fans there!

--End of new info--

But what about-

Now, I did mention the line I know all the antis are getting ready to comment with, and I just don’t think this would be complete without the inflammatory “well actually” section. There have been many a tweet saying “Fukuzawa says he sees Ranpo as his son!”

Actually, he never does. They're explicitly called partners/buddies, however.

NOVA IT’S RIGHT HERE!!

Bad news kids: this isn’t an exact translation. It’s very sweet and all but that’s not what the Japanese actually says.

This line is closer to “I have a child in my care for my own reasons, too.” He didn’t say Ranpo was HIS child, there’s no possessive grammar here (heh no の). I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone argue that Fukuzawa didn’t see him as a child when he was, you know, a child, but the series doesn’t take place when Ranpo is a child. Also I don’t see how that has anything to do with Ranpo’s feelings at the time.

Well that’s semantics, Fukuchi says it too!! See??

This 1) is Fukuchi who has about 1000 reasons to be a fukuran anti that have nothing to do with ages and 2) isn’t a direct translation of the Japanese text either. It says “little favorite” in Japanese, and that’s it! “Little favorite” just sounds weird in English so the translators used a common phrase that people generally DON’T and SHOULDN’T use for their own kids (imagine if everyone knew you liked one of your actual kids better than the rest D:). I have it on good authority that the official Italian doesn’t say “favorite son” and I know the Japanese doesn’t, so this line is not cannon.

Well how about this!!!

I’m not really sure why this is referenced when it’s clearly the center of the chapter’s joke – the point is that Ranpo ISN’T 5, he just acts that way.

Plus I can throw this panel back from the same WaN chapter as an argument:

“Ranpo’s grown so handsome” or if you prefer, “Ranpo looks so virile now...” – rare simp Fukuzawa.

Well you can’t possibly deny this!!!

Congratulations, this is the only one with any merit! What it fails to do is prove Fukuzawa said it or remove any of the stuff already mentioned here. Ranpo could very much be in love with Fukuzawa. This line in origins is narration, not dialogue or thought, and it isn’t carried through in the narrative so it’s relatively easy to view it as a joke. The same book christens them “Tantei [Sou]jin,” same sou as in “[sou]koku,” with kanji meaning “Detective duo/detective twins/double detectives/detective partners” though I’ve also found it to mean something very near “equals.” The kanji are ‘subtitled’ as "Detective buddies” in English (katakana) in the Japanese book. All this throws multiple wrenches in the idea that they’re broadly viewed as parent and child or even as having a significant power imbalance between them.

Which brings me to my final point: none of this proves anything definitively! There’s plenty of material for both interpretations. The entire point of engaging with media is to develop your own interpretation and have fun with it. But freaking out and screaming your headcanon when a scene hits you as slightly different than that headcanon is very much screaming at the sky. Lord knows I’ve seen these four arguments enough times that if they were going to convince me of anything they already would have, and Asagiri sure can’t hear you.

I think everyone who doesn’t think this could be romantic at least from Ranpo’s side expects that romantic imagery/themes for this ship can only appear from Fukuzawa, and only if it’s predatory? Like as long as I don’t whip out a canon image like this

they’ll say “I would definitely do that with my parent” to every argument even if in reality they never, ever would.

I did recently see someone saying "why would Ranpo even like Fukuzawa, he's 30!" and listen, I can't help you there. I've had crushes on actors twice my age since I was 10, it's ingrained in my wiring. A sexy badboy bodyguard who declares himself to be at your service AND buys you food will never not be hot to me.

"What's attractive about Fukuzawa" requires another essay, however, so this is where I leave it. Obviously much of this is open to interpretation, but I don’t see people making skk posts that just say “BESTIES BESTIES BESTIES” or “BOYFRIENDS BOYFRIENDS BOYFRIENDS” ya feel. It’s always on panels like the ones I brought up, because people do recognize a romantic slant when they see one. You don’t learn to detect that from media, you learn it from living long before you start caring about morality politics in shipping. Thus I interpret the screaming very much as LALALALALALA I CAN’T HEAR YOU-

P.S. actually I do want to add one final note because I know what the fancops will say even if they take all this at face value: Grooming refers to “actions deliberately undertaken to befriend and establish an emotional connection with a child, to lower the child’s inhibitions in preparation for sexual activity.”

Dating someone you knew when you were underage does not equal grooming. Grooming is a purposeful crime. “Even if they’re dating now that’s grooming!” incorrect! Please do not only listen to your friends about the law, they may also tell you a cop has to tell you if they're a cop (they do not) or any number of other very wrong things. Google is free.

[she-posts-nerdy-stuff]

Don't Go Blindly Into the Dark

Summary:

To hide that he can't read, Jan Van Eck has been forcing his son to pretend he's blind since he was eight years old. Wylan is now attending Ketterdam University, and meeting Jesper Fahey may very well be about to change his life. But is he safe to tell Jesper the truth? And what will Jesper say if he does?

Jesper is struggling to weigh up his life in the Barrel and his life at the University of Ketterdam, and there's a good chance that his growing debt is about to make the decision for him. He hasn't attended class consecutively for months, but maybe that will change when his newest project includes partnering up with Wylan Van Eck. But can he really leave the Barrel behind him? And how long can he keep up the pretence of who he thinks Wylan wants him to be?

Tags: @justalunaticfangirl @lunarthecorvus

If anyone else would like to be tagged let me know :)

Content warnings for this chapter: implied abuse references, implied ptsd references

AO3 link

Chapter 38 - Wylan

Kaz was late. Apparently not a single member of this strange group cared about time-keeping, and Wylan could already feel himself tiring of it. He stood near the door of the gambling den, the Crow Club, Kaz had called it, trying to watch the floor ahead of him without looking like he was watching it. The den was rowdy considering it was seven bells and the sun was on the rise, brightly coloured wheels spun at several of the tables, patrons cheering and exchanging chips and purple kruge notes as they landed, cards were laid out across the tables, the occasional argument seemed to begin and then die just as quickly. Wylan shuffled unhappily in the far corner of it all, fidgeting with his shirt sleeve. From here it was almost all a colourful blur to him, the outlines of people the clearest but still hazy, the shades of the wheels and the tables and the cards all blending together into one overwhelming swirl. He thought of sitting at the back of a chemistry lecture, watching the chalk moving across the blackboard, trying to make out the shapes of the molecules. The skeletal diagrams were his favourite, branching out like trees, telling a story with every stroke. But even if he’d sat on the front row the smallest details would have been lost to his blurry vision, so what, when he had a facade to maintain anyway, was the point in bothering to sit closer at all? The gambling den cried and whirled, a sickening rainbow throwing light and sound and colour at him like a full frontal assault. 

At least Jesper wasn’t here this time. As Wylan had left in yesterday’s early evening, Jesper had followed him out into the street, calling after him. Wylan ignored him until he caught hold of his arm, whereupon he spun on his heel to face him. 

“What?”

“You’re asking me that?” Jesper shook his head, “What are you doing here?”

He looked almost offended. Almost upset. Wylan couldn’t believe him. 

“You’re the one that brought me here in the first place, Jesper. Just leave me alone,”

“I brought you here because I didn’t think you had another choice,” he blurted, as Wylan tried to turn away again, “But, Wy, you don’t belong here, if you can do something else-”

“And you do belong here? Is that what this is? Ghezen, Jes, every time I think-” 

“No, that’s not what I meant, I just-”

“You were right, Jesper,” Wylan shook his arm free, “I don’t have another choice. Believe me, I wouldn’t be hanging around anywhere near you if I did.” 

He walked away, something that might have been shame burning in his heart, wishing he hadn’t he hadn’t been able to see the stung look left on Jesper’s face. Not even the feeling of an entire ninety kruge sitting in his pocket could comfort him from that, but he’d be a fool not to try. Ninety kruge. It would take him days to scrounge that together at the tannery; building six flash bombs would probably take an hour each. Six hours. Ninety kruge. Minimum. 

That was what Kaz had meant, wasn’t it? Fifteen kruge each, until Wylan proved himself worth more. If he was careful with his money, didn’t let the sudden influx of cash overwhelm him and fall into foolish spending patterns, he might save enough to leave the city in six months or so. He could catch a ferry going… anywhere. Anywhere at all. 

And then what? What possible hope did he have to exist any better elsewhere than he did here? Still, it was nice to dream. 

The sound of a cane against the stairs was the first sign that Kaz had finally arrived, and Wylan looked up to see him and a girl he didn’t recognise walking together. The room was loud but as Wylan slowly approached he could just about hear the edge of their conversation.

“ - refused to eat anything,” the girl was saying, “She wouldn’t take any water, either,”

Kaz grimaced. 

“Keep leaving it for her. She’ll eat when she gets hungry enough,”

“And if she doesn’t?”

“What else can we do, Layla?” he asked, coolly, his dark eyes flicking over her, “I’m not going to force feed her. Just keep things together, keep it under wraps, and try to keep her alive until I get back,”

“Kaz… what are we doing?”

“I’m leaving,” he said, his voice the rough grate of stone against stone, “You’re doing your damn job, and keeping half an eye on that girl until I get back,”

Layla bristled a little but eventually she nodded, before hurrying back up the stairs. Kaz descended the last few steps alone before he bothered with acknowledging Wylan. 

“I didn’t get a chance to speak to Raske last night,” he told him as they began to walk towards the front entrance, “But he’ll meet us now to discuss your labelling system; if we can find a way to align it with his that would a good start,”

Wylan only nodded; all he knew about Raske was that he was currently the only person making demolitions for Kaz, and that Kaz wanted to bring Wylan in to have more hands on the project. And that would have been fine, if Wylan knew what he was doing. Working with Raske sounded precarious. It sounded like a good way to get caught out - one way or another. 

Kaz stopped, looking Wylan up and down, and Wylan deliberately waited until Kaz would have taken his next step to pause and turn back to him, so it looked like he’d only known to do so when he didn’t hear Kaz move forwards. 

“I was told you use a cane,”

“I lost it,” Wylan said, not untruthfully, “when- in the canal,”

“Should I look into procuring you another?”

Wylan hesitated for a moment. He took in Kaz’s own cane, sleek and dark with an ornate metal crow’s head forming the handle, without letting himself study it properly. He had not, of course, forgotten the way Kaz had tried to test him yesterday. Requesting such an aid from Kaz, whether or not for such an entirely different purpose, felt… well, insulting. 

“I can make do without just fine,” he said, waiting for Kaz to start moving again before he followed. 

Kaz said nothing. 

“Your cane strikes the ground with some force,” Wylan noted, as they stepped out into the street, “It sounds like iron, but surely it’s not iron all the way through - wouldn’t that be too heavy?”

He felt Kaz’s eyes drift towards him, but did not let himself look or turn. 

“It’s iron-tipped,” he said, “But lead-lined. It balances the weight well,”

“And it's a weapon, then?”

Kaz seemed to hesitate, only for a moment so brief that Wylan may have imagined it, before he said: 

“Amongst other things,”

Wylan almost smiled. He already understood Kaz Brekker a tiny bit better. 

*

Meeting Raske had gone better than Wylan might have expected; though he was a slightly disconcerting character he had nothing to say about Wylan’s construction ability and most of the time seemed to be paying little attention to him anyway. That first day they just sat together working, and every time Wylan needed something Raske would find it in the organised chaos of his workshop. 

“We’ll set up your labels as soon as possible,” Kaz had said, when they’d agreed upon a system and he was making his way to the door, “But I’m not investing time in it before you’ve proved your worth. Six flash bombs, by the end of the week,”

Wylan finished four of them today. Well, five if you count the one he tested to make sure that they would work, but he couldn’t exactly give that one to Kaz. Still, there were three days left of the week and only two more flash bombs to build. This was easy. But Wylan knew that flash bombs were the tamest of the projects Kaz wanted him to work on, and he knew that - even if not in the building of the things themselves - this was only going to be easy to a point. 

It was on the second day that Jesper showed up outside the door, holding Wylan’s abandoned satchel. Wylan tried to walk straight past him. He couldn’t do this. 

“Wylan - Wylan, I know you know I’m here,”

He kept walking.

“You don’t have to talk to me, I just want to give you your stuff back,”

Wylan paused for a moment, then turned slowly and held out his hand. He let Jesper guide his hand to the strap of the bag and took hold of it, feeling the weight of his clothes shift between them. 

“Thank you,”

Jesper grinned, like by making Wylan talk he had come away victorious. 

For every day that week, he was standing outside when Wylan arrived. For every day that week he tried to get Wylan to talk to him, and Wylan could barely fathom why. 

“What are you trying to get me to do?” he asked, eventually, snapping even though he wasn’t sure that he’d meant to, “Why are you still here? I don’t know what else you could want from me, Jesper,”

Jesper looked briefly affronted, but schooled his features quickly. 

“I just want to apologise,” he said, “I could try to make it up to you,”

“How?”

“I don’t know. Coffee?”

Wylan raised an eyebrow. 

“I’ve never seen coffee fix anything”

“You’ve never been for coffee with me.”

Wylan restrained a smile. 

“Coffee,” he nodded, “I suppose that’s alright. If you pay,”

“See you tomorrow, then?”

Wylan shrugged. 

“I suppose you will,”

But Wylan had not been prepared for what coffee plans with Jesper Fahey meant. 

He saw him out the window before he actually went downstairs, but of course Jepser didn’t know that. It was relatively early in the morning, but nothing like the pre-sunset hours Wylan had been dragging himself through the streets of Ketterdam during to get to the Warehouse District each morning. Sleeping until six bells had become a luxury, and today he hadn’t even climbed his way out of bed until eight. It took him slightly by surprise when he opened the curtains and saw Jesper was already on the street outside, crossing towards the boarding house. Wylan slipped quickly and almost nervously downstairs, to be greeted by Jesper the second he opened the door. He was holding flowers. 

“Okay I didn’t really think it through when I bought them,” Jesper was saying, though Wylan was barely paying attention. His throat felt horribly constricted, “But I guess you’ll just have to take my word for it that they’re pretty. There - can I take your hand?”

Wylan let him, though he wasn’t sure he had the capacity to actually say anything either way. Jesper led him gently to one of the flowers so he could feel just the tips of the soft, round little petals. 

“These ones are blue, and then these,” he directed Wylan to the edge of a tiered little flower, “are purple. Sorry, it’s not a great gift for you really. But they do smell nice,”

Wylan nodded vaguely as Jesper pressed the bouquet into his hands. He just stood there, staring straight ahead, holding them until he felt the stems snap between his fingers. He could barely breathe. 

“Wylan…” Jesper leaned slightly closer, concern and what might have been a note of panic sneaking their way into his voice, “Are you okay?”

Wylan was not proud of what he did next. He turned and ran back up the stairs, slammed and locked his door, then leant against it and slipped slowly to the floor, the broken flowers still clutched between his fingers. 

[yubellia]

Jason Dean x (somewhat unwilling) fem y/n (Soulmate AU)

Hi! So this is something i wanted to see for a while but i did not find anything like that. So in this Soulmate AU, you can meet your Soulmate in your dreams. Imagine you open the dream-room and recreate an area you like. The first one gets to descide what happens. The Only rule is, you can’t dream of other people. It is suposed to be a nice space for soulmates. However, what if two soulmates are in different timezones? This is what this AU is about. I am from Germany so there will be some german in this. I thought it was nice since J.D. at least tries to speak german. Enjoy!

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When Jason was a kid, his mom told him about soulmates. How much fun it would be to meet them. That you could go anywhere you want in your dreams. That this person was chosen by the universe for you. J.D. could not wait to meet this person. However, it only starts after you turn sixteen. So he just made plans for what to do when he meets his soulmate.

When his mom....”left”, he wanted to meet his soulmate so much more. He thought that this for him chosen person would be able to help him. At least listen and take away the pain for a couple of hours. I would be something he could look forward to every day. I promised himself, he would not loose them once he met them. Even more so, once he met them in person. 

His birthday came. he was finally sixteen. But when he went to sleep, he woke up in an empty dark area. He could do whatever he wanted but he was alone. The entire night, nobody showed up for him. When he woke up, a tear ran down his cheek. There was no soulmate for him? He was more crushed and angry than ever. It did not get better, when his dad said they would move again (!).

Y/N lived in germany and she knew, being soulmates did not mean anything. You could be soulmates and still fall apart. Like her parents. They were soulmates but had completly different plans in life. Her mom wanted one daughter, which she got, her father though.... was not ready. He pushed y/n on to his mother that lived in the same little town and one day, y/n’s mother found out. They had a huge fight and divorced in the end. For years they were alone. Well, almost. Y/N’s grandparents, both from her father and mother lived in that town. It was ok. And later her mom found a husband. He too got divorced from his wife and soulmate. He was a kind man, y/n was happy, even though they had to leave her beloved hometown. All of this showed her, how wrong this soulmate buisness could go, if you are too different. You still need to put work into this. She knew that, “being chosen by the universe”, was not nearly enough.

When y/n turned sixteen and nobody showed up in her dream, she was not mad. It was just not meant to be. Of course if someone outside of her family asked about it, y/n would say that they met and things were ok. Y/n did spend her nights with recreating the beach she lived close to now, or her old hometown and things were fine. 

One day however, pretty much one year after all of this stardet, Y/n had a pretty bad headache. At least it was the weekend so they did not have school to worry about. They told their mom, that they would take a nap and asked them to not come into their room.

Once y/n woke up in that dreamspace, they descidet to recreate their old hometown again and take a walk. That town was great as a kid. A pretty huge forest area close by, lots or garden that belonged to some people. It was a green little town. On the oter end of the town were open fields with cows and you could see so far into the distance. She took her first steps. Once more she smelled the warm air, saw the marketplace and the church next to her grandparents home. She descided to walk a bit and than sit down to relax.

In america, Jason got ready for another lonely night in an empty dark space. But what he found was something entirely new. He found himself in an unfamiliar Town. “The hell? Where am I? I went to sleep so i shoud be in that empty space but.... if I am asleep than that means...” He stardet looking around. Someone made this place. Would he finally meet his soulmate? They had to be here... “Hey! Someone here?!”

Not only did Y/N hear that strange person yell, she could also feel it. “Eindringling?” (intruder). She wached him from afar and saw a young man in dark clothes and a trenchcoat. Suddenly Jason turned around and saw her. Y/N descided to run. Past her grandparents house and along a small path. “Hey wait!” Jason chased after her, he would not let her get away. Not without even knowing anything. He was faster than her but she knew this place way better. She ran across an old playground, across a street and into the forest area. While doing so, the wondered why that person shouted in english. 

Not only was it a forest, but one with hills too. So the ground was uneven. Jason got closer. she was never good with sports. Y/N made a few turns and managed to lose him for a moment. He looked around but did not see anyone. “Shit... Will you just come out already?! You know what us being here means right?”

Y/n stood on a hill, next to a wooden desk and looked down at him. “Das ist das erste Mal, dass ich einen Besucher habe und es muss heute sein, wo es mir nicht gut geht.” Jason turned around and looked up at her. “German?” Y/N rolled her eyes and came down to him. “Yeah. Sorry. I said, “It is the first time that i have a visitor and it has to be today, when i am not feeling well.”. Alright?” “Oh...yeah. got it. Sooo. what do i call my soulmate?” He looked her up and down. Dark clothes, a letherjacket, fluffy brown hair that reaches her neck, pale skin and glases. They did not look bad, they looked good on her. “Y/n L/N. And you?”

J.D. smiled and gave her his hand. “J.D. the pleasure is all mine gorgeous.” Y/n took his hand but raised a brow. “I am sure you gave me your initials. What am i suposed to do with that?” Jason chuckled. He liked her already. “Sorry. Jason Dean.” Y/n took her hand back. “FIne than Jason. You know how messed up this is?” Now Jason was the one to raise a brow. “God. It took us one year to meet. The reason? I live in germany and you in america? Different timezones. No wonder we could not meet. And we still would not have met today, if i did not have this headache and descided to take a nap. Even the universe knows that this is a weird idea.” Y/n turned around and stardet to walk.

Jason did not like what she just said. Not one bit. He waited so long. She could not push him away like that. He ran after her again. “Could you just wait?! We can talk about that. We finally meet and this is your reaction?” Y/n waited and looked at him. “Jason, i know that being soulmates is noth enough. I saw it fail two times. You want to talk? Fine. But come with me. I had planed to take a nice walk. Also i did set an allarm before going to bed. We don’t have much time.”

As Jason walked after her, he grabed her hand. He would not let her go. not so easily.

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Ok! We end things here! Mean i know. However if you like it, i could make a part two. Or come up with different ideas for that good looking psycho. See ya!

[chenschn]

good person | nct dream 00

— when y/n, an outgoing person who came back to her home country after years in canada, met the four famous guys in her university

EPISODE SEVEN : PARTY IN THE BEACH

"okay y/n, stop singing" chenle said and put his hand on her mouth to stop her from singing.

"i'm just singing to taylor swift, what is wrong with that" y/n said and slumped her back to the passenger seat.

"guys, don't get too drunk okay? especially you" mark said and looked at the girl beside him.

"hey, i don't drink so much. these two will probably drink more than me" y/n said and looked behind her.

"and don't go anywhere far away" mark warned the three and they nodded.

once they arrived at the beach house, they were greeted with loud music and people coming in and out of the house.

"MARK LEE!!" someone shouted making them turn their heads to the right. they saw a tall guy with a beer in his hand walking towards them.

"are these your friends? they look so young" the tall guy said and pinch jisung cheeks.

"he's so cute, ten will like him but i think he's too young for him" he said to mark and he nodded.

"uhm this is jisung, chenle and y/n" mark introduced the three.

"and i'm johnny, i hope you guys enjoy the party" he said and left the four of them.

"remember what i told you okay? now go, enjoy the party" mark said and the four of them separated to have fun.

"ugh i'm so tired, just where are they?" y/n said walking in the crowded room. they were in the party for almost 3 hours now and she is already tired, wanting to go home.

she went outside the beach house and went near the sea. she sighed and walked to the seaside, feeling the fresh air and listening to the waves hitting the sand.

"daegal?" she said when she saw a dog below her.

"OMG WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE? did you follow chenle in here?" she said and picked the white dog. she continued and walked with daegal in her arms.

"i can't believe that you lost daegal in here, how will i explain to my cousin that i lost his dog?" y/n looked ahead and saw four guys looking around at the beach.

"hey it's not my fault that haechan took her out without a leash" jaemin said to renjun. once they were near enough to see her holding the dog that they were looking for

"DAEGAALLL" haechan said and ran towards them. before he could take the dog, y/n move to her side making haechan almost fall to the sand.

"hey, that's not your dog. give it back" he said and looked at the girl. he stared at her for a minute and went back to reality when daegal barked at him.

"daegal, do you know them? they are not your owner though" y/n said to daegal and daegal just licked her face.

"HAECHAN ! now is not the time to flirt with a gi– DAEGAL!!!" renjun who was angry at haechan suddenly looked like he was about to cry when he saw the dog.

"omg thank yo–" before renjun could carry the dog, y/n ran away to them with daegal still in her arms.

"HEY DOG THIEF, BRING DAEGAL BACK" haechan shouted and followed y/n who was running. she looked at the beach house she was earlier and her jaw dropped when she saw how far she had gotten during her walk.

"OMG DAEGAL" she said, scared at the fact that she might get caught and the fact that they will take daegal.

"why are you even on this beach, chenle's house is very far away here" y/n said and stopped her track. she is exhausted, so was haechan and renjun who's following her.

"WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO TAKE AWAY DAEGAL!! SHE'S NOT YOUR DOG" y/n shouted at the two. the two were confused on how she knows the dog but haechan shouted back.

"THAT DOG ISN'T YOURS EITHER AND HOW DID YOU KNOW HER NAME HUH?! ARE YOU A STALKER?!" jeno and jaemin who noticed the shouting, stopped and looked where it was coming from. the two of them saw haechan, renjun and a girl holding daegal making them run to the scene.

"hey i don't know why you are holding daegal but please bring her back to us, renjun's cousin will be angry at him" jaemin said to her.

"cousin? chenle?" she asked making renjun furrowed his brows.

"do you know chenle?" he asked and y/n finally relaxed her position.

"yes, he's my friend and this dog is very precious to me so i don't want to give her to whoever you guys are" she said and took her phone.

"CHENLE, WHERE ARE YOU?! MY BABY DAEGAL IS IN THIS BEACH WITH SOME GUYS AND I DON'T KNOW IF I SHOULD TRUST THEM OR NOT" she shouted at the phone.

"oh yeah? your cousin? renjun?— are you renjun?" renjun nodded at her and she nodded back.

"well i thought daegal followed us here at the beach because she came to me, yeah bye" she ended the call and put her phone on her pocket.

"well, sorry for running. i just thought you were some random guys who wanted to do something bad to daegal so i ran" she said awkwardly.

"it's okay, can you give her back to us now?" renjun said and she nodded.

"daegal, bye baby" she said and kissed the dog before giving it to renjun.

"anyways sorry again for running" she said and they nodded. the five of them stood there awkwardly.

"well, i'll get going now. take care of daegal !" she said and ran, almost tripping but looked back at them and smiled.

"THANK YOU FOR WORRING ABOUT DAEGAL" she said waving at them and ran back to the noisy beach house.

"wow, what a night" jaemin said.

masterlist ! < last episode | next episode >

[spoonyglitteraunt]

This is a vent post. Because no-one I usually go to with this stuff is currently awake. So not tagging it and will likely delete it come later today. But I need to put this somewhere lest it builds up more. So you all get to ride this emo train with me.

Just. If medical anxiety, cancer scare, fears around parental death and existential dread for the future are things you can't deal with right now feel free to skip. I don't blame you. I wish I could skip this.

I'm scared. Plain and simple. I'm scared.

My dad has been having episodes of peeing blood and he's finally getting it checked out. Last week he had a scan and they found something. They just don't know what since those scans don't do well with empty organs. They just have a rough size estimate of somewhere between 3 to 9mm. So in a few hours he has an exam to stick a camera up there and go see what's up.

And I'm scared.

I'd been oddly, surprisingly, uncharacteristically chill about it all week. Really not my usual. I was all, no need to stress, chances are it's just a polyp and even if it's not it's not big right? (No I have no concept of what are usual sizes of the T word are and looking it up now would be an extremely bad, no good, terrible idea.) But where I was chill all week, I'm not so much now. As in not at all actually.

It wasn't bad throughout the day, but once night fell it got progressively worse by the hour. While playing a game to distract myself it was still manageable, but once in the dark, trying to sleep, and nothing to focus on. Yeah chill is so far removed from what I am now that it's in another universe entirely. So far it's 7am and no sleep was had. Don't know if I'll get any. I should, because if it's bad news I also won't get any sleep after. But mind is not having it. And the aforementioned no one to talk to doesn't help.

All the fears, all the existential dread. All the everything. Because pitiable as it sounds with how my life has gone he's my rock. My emotional support. He is the one semi functioning cog in this broken down household of a health issues collectathon. And well, my parents are all I have.

It feels like we were finally starting on making some preparation for the future. Starting being the operative word there. As I'm the greyest of grey zones no one knows how to help other than passing the buck. And now I fear it will become a trial by fire as so much of my life has already been. And I'm still as fire proof as dry straw.

Where a few days ago I almost felt like it would be ok. That we'd sort things out, and make plans, and I'd learn. Learn to somehow take care of myself despite everything. Somehow. Figure it all out by the time I'd need it. Somehow. Now I'm right back to feeling small. Small and helpless. And I hate it.

I can't help wondering if I was fooling myself. That I'm just destined to end up bounced around from hospital to hospital to a retirement home, because there are just are no accomodations for people like me. The fact I've once spent five weeks in a hospital room with someone like that. Someone like me, who'd been forced to live exist like that and was pretty much left to waste away. Forever told no one knew what to do with her and she neither belonged nor had a place anywhere. Someone who... well who knows if she's even still alive today. It does not help these fears.

So yeah having a bit of an anxiety meltdown and I can't even go to my parents, which is usually the hack to wrangle the panic demons under control, because they have their own fears without me adding to it. It's just so much.

And I'm scared.

I know all the sayings. All the wisdom. About how worrying about something is putting yourself through it twice. And how stress isn't bad it's just a way for your body to deal with challenges. How you need to stay away from what ifs and only deal with stuff you know. All the grounding and breathing exercises. All the stay in the now stuff. All the advice. But guess how many of those are working right now when I'm posting this ramble online.

You know. Sometimes I envy those of you who believe in a god or a sentient universe or whatever. Because it would be really nice right now to think there was something out there I could appeal to to give us more time. Something I could tell, well listen, buddy. Whoever might be up, or down, or triple sideways loop the loop style out there somewhere. I'm not saying we won't still have to have a talk when I arrive wherever, but if you make sure it isn't bad news, idk. Just keep a receipt or something, and I will probably go from very pissed, to strongly worded letter, maybe even begrudging acceptance, when we do get round to that talk.

It would be nice.

But I don't.

So you all got this vent instead.

[wood-row]

There exists a state of mind that even science cannot assist. A waking sleep, a total disassociation from ones body.

The death of self.

Doctor Günter Ludwig, a study.

'45,

Immediately, he'd thrown himself into his studies. He'd entered this war a child, only eighteen, but he'd left it an old man, hardly a man, a mouse haunted by the code branded on his wrist.

Destitute, as seemed to be the customary, he spent hungry days longing for university gates. Rowdy child; was this punishment for his youth? To teach himself medicine out of his mentor's spare room?

It hardly seemed like a room. Three, three and a half walls, lined with soot and dust that Hamburg never would shake. His coat wore thin, hardly the blanket he pretended it was, and the dull metal buttons glared in the hallway light whenever he entered.

A butcher. It was only fitting. The smell of blood was overbearing, but it was one he was accustomed to. Cut with something clean, 80-proof. A far cry from bile and shit, choked out by the thick, telling smokestacks he'd learned to avoid at all costs.

The work was easy. Almost boring, his mentor dissinterested in the subject. Perhaps he only felt bad, that he felt the need to shelter such a lean young man. Günter more than made up for it, promising; "You write when you make big, alright kid?"

He hadn't responded. He wasn't sure he even could, mute since he'd been privy to where the train cars actually led.

'50

Doctor Ludwig. He looked dead in the bathroom mirror. Doctor Ludwig.

He was nearly thirty now, formidable, almost respected. Gone were the days of closet dormitories, soleless shoes and patched shirts. The apartment was sterile. the laboratory, even cleaner, stained with violent chemical agents.

It was killing him.

Medicine advanced slowly. He was antsy, too fast for the field. There was something boiling under his skin, festering, and he could leave it alone no longer.

There is someone dead in the showers. There is someone trampled beneath fearful bodies. There is someone, something, wasting away in Poland, underneath freshly broken ground.

'68

Perhaps he missed the camps. A morbid thought, the only one that crossed his mind as he sat, blindfolded and bound at the wrists in the back of a van. The woman was young, nervous, too experienced in the field. Promising not riches, though to Günter, he'd take what she was offering before any amount of gold.

A laboratory, a black market catalogue. Eight healthy subjects to use at his disposal.

Perhaps, however, he'd grown used to experimenting on himself. Memories of a trauma have numbed him to the sensation, leaving him hardly even aware of what runs through his veins.

Fighting over a gravel pit. He'd stuffed his blueprints into his rucksack, barebones notes of a device so great that it could immortalize a man. Preliminarily. Ambitious.

The Russian was a fine specimen. They were all fine in their own respect, really. Dredges of humanity lived here, fought here, all for a paycheck.

Some of them didnt have anywhere else to go. Günther wasnt sure if he was one of them.

But it was easy for him to lose himself. These long, dark corridors left untraveled except for emergencies. It was... fine. Being left to his own devices. Better this way. Here, Günther tucked himself away, sleepless, hungry. What was a little more torment, for such great reward?

'72

The Engineer and him share beers in the after hours, penned up in his laboratory. They are not quite as close as Günther is to the Russian, but there is some respite he finds in company with Dell.

He had endured hell on earth. He had clawed himself from the very depths of dispair. It was not the sort of even you could forget; the slaughter of your people. Your family. But he dared say it got easier to disconnect from with time.

The Engineer has plans of his own. A metal hand, capable of inhuman strength, infallible.

He only asks that Günter hold the saw.

Bile surges in his throat. He tries to speak, but no words escape him.

He had a twin, once.

[archersxartxblog]

I Am Emmet, I Am a Watch Dog

Hey new Fic drop.

this one is a crossover between Pokemon Submas and Watch Dogs Legion. Focusing on Emmet.

so this isn't up on A03 yet, mostly because I'm not sure about it just yet. If I'm able to get the second chapter of it done, I'll post it there. I chose to go with a legion storyline because it allows me to kind of have Emmet in the action and learn about stuff with the reader. I have changed stuff so that it takes place in the Pokemon universe.

this will probably be a little more adult than some of my other stuff. so there will be swearing, take of drug/alcohol use and there will be violence.

everything will be kept under the cut so it's not in everyone's face.

Summary:

While Ingo has ended up in Sinnoh's far Past, Emmet has ended up in Unova's far future with no memory of who he is or where he's from, Where Nimbasa City has suffered serval horrible bombing attacks causing the region of Unova to be put under the strict control of a Mercenary group known as Albion. After being taken in by the local resistance group Dedsec, Emmet and his mentor, an eccentric mask-wearing man who calls himself The Wrench, must not only free Unova from Albion's control but find out who was behind the Nimbasa bombs.

----

(Hope you all enjoy this little prologue. and let me know if you want to see more of this.)

He was Emmet.

He was a Subway boss.

And his head hurt verrrry badly.

A wet nose came close to his cheek, sniffing him closely before releasing a loud bark, drawing the attention of someone nearby.

“Houndoom, which di you-Hey! we got someone over here!” a voice called out, loud and echoing, causing a throb to shoot through his skull with every word. “Holy shit! They're still alive!”

More footsteps came, but Emmet couldn’t be sure how many people were there now. His whole world was nothing but pain and he could hardly think let alone move.

“He’s got one of the uniforms on, do you think-”

“No way, probably some vagrant that’s been hiding out down here. Probably found one of the old uniforms and used it to keep warm.”

“Doesn’t look like he has an Opkit either.”

“Bind his hands and get a Machoke in here to take him up to one of the cars, then search the place to see if anyone else is hiding down here.”

Within moments, Emmet was roughly grabbed around the wrists and he could feel the cold metal of handcuffs against his skin. Then he was passed off and carried away by a pair of large hands that could only belong to the Superpower Pokemon, only to be dumped a few minutes later into the back seat of a car. 

Alone.

He was Emmet.

He was Subway.

And he had no clue as to what was happening.

One moment he and his brother had been checking on a disturbance in the tunnels. then the next thing he knew he was in pain and unable to open his eyes, being dragged away by people who didn’t seem to know who he was.

And worse…

There was no sign of Ingo anywhere.

One of the doors to the car opened and close, and Emmet felt the car shift slights as someone got in.

A Key was turned and the engine roared to like.

“Dispatch. This is unit 1832, en route to holding center 83 with a possible vagrant found at Gear Station Bombsight. The subject is unconscious and heavily injured, and is without an Optik. We found him dressed in one of the old uniforms.”

“Possible Dedsec connection, Unit 1832?”

“Can’t confirm.”

“Understood. Holding Center 83 is waiting for your arrival.”

“Over and out.”

Slowly the car started to move, pulling away from where it was parked and then moving forward toward its destination. 

He was Emmet.

He was a Subway Boss.

And he verrrry disliked cars.

It was a slow drive, one that felt like hours to the Subway boss in the back seat, but soon all that changed.

The car had stopped moving for a bit, a red light Emmet had guessed, the moment they started to move forward again the car lurched forward and the front tires squealed but the vehicle was unable to gain any ground.

"What the!" The driver sounded confused and almost panicked as he tried to once again try to force the car to move. "Shit!"

Something hard hit the side of the car, causing it to shake, and Emmet heard the sound of claws scraping against metal. 

"Dispatch! I need backup! I've got hostiles attacking the car!"

"Unite 1832, what is your location?"

"I'm at the intersection between Main and- Oh Fuck! It's Aidon Pierce! It's the Zoroark!"

"Unite 1832 do not engage do not engage, backup is on its way."

The car shook again hard as something threw its weight against its side again. Emmet heard the tires screech again as the car started to speed forward.

"Fuck that. Like hell, I'm sticking around. What the fuck does Dedsec want with this guy that they'd send Aiden funding Pierce out to- What the Fuck Is That!"

The brakes screamed.

And Emmet managed to open his eyes just in time to see the seat in front of him grow closer just before his head slammed into it…

And everything went dark.

—

"Are you sure we should be moving him before Sean and Jackson get here with the Ambulance?"

"And just leave him in the smoking car? Are you serious? This hunk of junk could go up at any moment."

"And who's fault is that?"

"Hey! You're the one who told me to 'stop the car'!"

"So you got Miraidon to hit it with a discharge, and then slammed it with your hammer?"

"It was in the middle of an intersection."

"Wait…I think his coat is caught on something. Help me get him out of it."

"Nah, that'll fuck up his back. I got a knife, I'll just cut it."

"Hurry. I hear Albion reinforcements coming our way."

"There. Get 'em in your car and head towards my hideout, while me and Miraidon give these bootboys the run-around."

"I'll get Bagley to send Sean and Jackson that. Try not to get shot."

—

"So how bad is he?"

"Well goodness is there does seem to be any damage to his back or neck, so you and Aiden got lucky there. And only a few minor brakes in his arms."

“And his head?”

“Aside from the broken nose, I’m seeing some serious damage around his temple. Don’t think it’s all Wrench’s fault-”

“Oh Thank Fucking Arceus.”

“But it certainly didn’t help. Sadly without the proper equipment, I can’t tell how bad it is. If he at least had an Optik we could have Bagley keep an eye on his vitals…”

“We could-”

“No way. I know the rest of us were technically forced into getting an Optik but at least we had the illusion of consent. We’re not gonna rip this guy’s privacy away just to make our lives easier.”

“But-”

“I don’t care, this is my hideout and I say no.”

“I agree with Wrench on this one. The last thing we want to do is screw around with someone's optical nerves while they’re out cool.”

“I’ll run out and see if I can’t scrounge up some drugs and equipment we can use.”

“Right, I’ll message you if I can think of anything we might need.”

—

“Hey…Uncle Aiden? You said it Albion dragged him out of the ruins of Gear Station. Do you think he might actually be a survivor of the Bombings?”

“Can’t say. He would have had to of been living in those ruins for the past two years. Seems unlikely. But if he is, he might have seen who did it.”

“That could help us clear our name.”

“We’ll have to ask him when he wakes up.”

“Where do you think he got the old Subway boss uniform?”

“Don’t know. Haven’t seen a uniform like that in 33 years.”

—

A groan escaped his lips as he started to slip back into consciousness, his mind slow to start up like a steam engine whose furnace was just being lit.

There was a pain in his head but it was nothing more than a dull ache, but still, he slowly brought a hand to his temple only to find his head completely covered in thick bandages.

“Wha-”

Slowly he pushed himself up with his free hand, grunting slightly with effort, and looked around the room. 

It was fairly dark, the light-fixures attached to the walls around him not really producing much light, the brightest spot seemed to be the workbench a few feet from the bed he was lying in. but even then he could see wires and tools and boxes littering the floor, or hanging from the ceiling, the walls were covered in graffiti from pictures to writing. A rug was thrown on the floor that looked covered in paint.

There were no windows to see out of, there was hardly a door that separated the rooms, just a half wall that looked like someone had knocked it down in a brutal fashion. Even the bed he was in, wasn’t a bed, but a pile of mattresses tossed on top of one another.

What there was, was a table and chair next to his ‘bed’ with what looked to be the contents of a first aid kit, spread out across its surface.

He had no clue where he was but it seemed like someone had found him and taken care of him at the very least.

Suddenly he heard movement from just past the wall, the sound of metal clanking against cement growing closer and closer until a head poked out from around the corner.

It was repetition in nature, though it looked to have been made of iron, with the top of its head looking to be made out of some kind of black material, its eyes were a bright blue but looked digital.

“H-hello.” he greeted, his voice quiet and rough sounding like he had not spoken in some time.

“Oh, Shit!” there was suddenly a voice from the other room and he heard someone scrambling to get up, followed by quick footsteps that came to a sliding stop. “Your awake!”

A masked person stood at the end of his ‘bed’ panting heavily and clad only in a pair of loose pants. His body was covered in what looked to be a random assortment of tattoos, the only clear one he could make out was the word Wrench just below his navel. He was unable to see the person’s face but something told him that they were shocked to see him awake, with it be the two large circles displayed just where their eyes would have been, their body language or maybe he was just good at reading people.

“How are you feeling? Are you okay? Wait…fuck. Forget that. That was dumb.” The person spoke again, shaking their head as they cut themselves off. The spiked mask flicked quickly through what appeared to be different icons. “Course, he’s not feeling great, Wrench, he just woke up after being out for almost a week. 

Hold on, they gave me questions I’m supposed to ask you.” they wandered over towards the workbench, tossing things off with little care for where they landed, the whole time muttering to themselves as they looked. “Now where the fuck did I up that clipboard?”

The sound of clanking metal once more drew his attention, and he looked up in time to see the Pokemon from before walking up behind the person. Its whole body was now in view allowing his muddled mind to be able to recognize it as some kind of dragon type. 

It walked up to the human, a clipboard in its mouth and carefully nudged its trainer to get their attention. 

“Huh? Oh! Thanks, bud!” clipboard now retrieved, the person…Wrench he thought he heard him call themselves, picked up the chair next to the bed flip it around and sat down; leaning heavily over the back of the chair.

“Okay, so for starts you were in a car crash that was totally no one's fault but the driver’s. Aiden said you were already out of it before then so, I won’t bother asking about any of that,” they explained, looking at him with a pair of Xs instead of eyes. “Question One! What is your name?”

“I am Emmet,” he answered quickly the answer coming to him easily.

“Nice! Just gonna mark that one off. I’m Wrench, by the way, encase you didn’t get that from my deranged ramblings. And that beast over there is Miraidon, My partner in crime.” Wrench introduced himself and the pokemon, ticking off the question on the clipboard. “Next Question. What is your occupation?”

This was an easy one too.

“I am a-” but nothing came. It felt like it had been there a moment ago like he could just reach out and touch it, but then it just slipped through his fingers. “I-I…I don’t know.”

“Ah…don’t worry about it. Next question. You gave me a first name, How about a Last name?”

Emmet tried to wrack his brain for an answer, but nothing came. 

And after waiting a few minutes without an answer Wrench simply shrugged. “Phbbbbb, Who needs a last name? Maybe you're like Cher.” Emmet felt like this was meant to make him laugh or to make him feel better, but the brief flash of upward slashes on the mask seemed to show that even Wrench found this lack of information worrying.

“How about the current Year?”

Emmet shook his head.

“Any idea who the current champion is?”

He paused, feeling like he should know this one, but once more it just came up blank.

Why?

Why couldn’t he remember anything?

His hands shook as he carefully grasped at the bandages around his head.

“Any friends? Or family we might be able to call?” Wrench wasn’t even looking at the clipboard anymore.

Once more Emmet tried to search for an answer, only seeming to get a feeling of missing someone close to him.

Fleeting images of a man in black with a stern face.

A choked sob escaped his lips, and a hand landed on his should, giving him a soft squeeze. 

“Hey. we’ll figure it out. Don’t worry.”

[audioaujom]

(2) The Rest of Patton's First Week (And the Second, and the Third)

LTWF Hub, < prev, next >

Hello! Just a quick note that I'll be aiming to update this every other Tuesday so I have a deadline to finish chapters by lmao There's some very very minor sort of violence and bullying in this chapter, but it's not explicit enough that I feel it warrants a warning. Hope you enjoy!

Word Count: 2683

--

Patton’s second day at the ever-prestigious technological school of Pleasant Valley University was spent with nothing but thoughts of the cute ATA from his noon astronomy class from the previous day.

He didn’t mean to be so distracted, but Tuesday passed far too slow for his liking with two more syllabuses to learn from two gen ed classes he couldn’t be terribly bothered with and a distinctive lack of cute androids to hold his attention. By the time Wednesday came around, he was up and dressed over an hour before his class was supposed to start, and actually managed to not almost be late to his Astronomy class for the second time.

“Hi Logan!” Patton greeted as he passed by the ATA’s desk, his smile faltering nervously as Logan looked up at him.

“Oh, um, hello.” Logan’s awkward greeting trailed off as Patton turned and ran away from the desk, desperate to not say anything further and embarrass himself.

Needless to say, he still managed to fail at that as he felt Logan’s confused stare on him until the lecture started, using his hands to try and cool his cheeks off before attempting to focus on taking notes.

He didn’t fare much better in recitation the following morning.

Logan stopped Patton on his way out, after having caught him staring at least three separate times at where he sat—face bright red. “Your face seemed rather flushed today, Patton. Are you unwell?” 

“Whaaat?” Patton chuckled awkwardly, his face heating up again as he avoided eye contact and rubbed at the back of his neck. “Uhm… actually yes! Yes, I am, so that means I really gotta go!” He eventually stumbled out, seeing the opportunity to escape and taking it with a called, “See you Monday!” over his shoulder.

Said Monday rolled around and Patton was determined to not make as much of a fool of himself in his second week of classes, marching confidently into 102 Thaw at 11:56 sharp with a smile on his face and blush nowhere to be found. “Hey, Logan! It feels like it’s been so long since I’ve seen you!” 

Logan blinked, looking up from papers he was grading in confusion. “It’s only been approximately 3 days. Is that a long time for you?” 

Maybe he could redeem himself on Wednesday.

“Oh, I suppose in the sense that we saw each other quite frequently earlier last week and then haven’t seen each other for the last few days, that expression would make sense.” Logan acknowledged before Patton could sulk off to his usual seat, beaming at the response.

“Yeah! That’s what I meant!” He nodded, not quite sure what Logan meant but understanding the intent. “You're pretty literal, aren't you?”

“Is that a problem?”

“No, not at all! I actually think it's quite charming, myself!” Patton quickly backtracked, before realizing what he said as his eyes blew wide and he awkwardly stumbled away towards his seat. “Oh shoot, I didn't mean to say that aloud. Bye then!”

Yeah. He'd do better on Wednesday.

Patton then spent his entire Tuesday and all of his Wednesday morning psyching himself up so that on the way out of astronomy he could stop by Logan’s desk and awkwardly ask, “Hey, um… I sure hope this isn’t a weird question but would you like to maybe… hang out? Or something? Sometime?” 

“What?” Logan froze, entirely caught off guard as he looked up at Patton. “Why would you want to do that?” “Well… I’d like to be friends with you!” Patton tried to keep up his excited demeanor to not let his disappointment show, smiling as the last few straggling students pushed past them to leave.

“Friends?” Logan blinked a few times, not noticing the way Patton’s eyes flickered to look anywhere but at his face. “I’m afraid I’m not programmed to be intimately familiar with that concept. Could you explain it to me?” “I can try!” Patton’s face broke out in a large slightly wobbly smile from his nerves, thinking before explaining, “It's someone you enjoy spending time with. Like… someone you like. Not in a romantic way or anything! Just… you know. Good company.”

“Hmm. I’ll check what my permissions are for outside of class hours.” Logan nodded thoughtfully, Patton jumping up in excitement. “I think… spending time with you to try and learn more about this concept could be constructive.”

“I’ll take that as a maybe!” 

Patton nearly cheered again as he noticed the way the edges of Logan’s mouth twitched up into a very faint smile, clutching the straps of his backpack a little tighter and running out of the room before the android could change his mind.

The next morning during recitation, Logan stopped Patton on the way in with an awkward, “Oh, um, Patton.” 

“Heya, Logan! What’s up?”

“In answer to your question from yesterday, I am apparently free to go places other than this building between my designated class periods as long as I am punctual to said designated class periods and I don’t go off campus.” Logan said evenly, Paton lighting up with a wide grin.

“Great!” He nodded, his mind immediately awash with fragmented ideas of what he hoped Logan would enjoy doing. “It would be so much fun to hang out with you! I'll try to think of something fun over the weekend.”

Needless to say, he didn’t pay much attention to his recitation.

Or the rest of the weekend.

…or to his Monday lecture.

His roommate hadn’t seemed to notice his distracted state—too busy either going to frat parties all weekend or also inexplicably going missing during the day—nor did any of his teachers, and he himself only really noticed it when—

“You seemed quite distracted today. Is everything alright?” Patton shook off the odd stupor he was in as he looked down at his completely empty notebook page and then up at the empty classroom, his face flushing bright red as Logan stared curiously down at him. “Oh, I… yeah, I guess my mind has been elsewhere lately.”

“I can help you make up the material from today, if you’d like. Perhaps that could fall under the ‘hanging out’ thing you mentioned, as long as you didn’t mean it in a literal sense.” Logan offered, Patton’s mouth falling open in surprise before he quickly shut it and tried to make himself look less shell-shocked. “For educational purposes, of course.”

“Yeah!” He agreed immediately, brushing some stray bangs out of his eyes. “That sounds awesome! How soon?”

“I have a break tomorrow afternoon, if you are also free.” Logan hummed, pleased, before hurriedly adding, “To help you go over the notes from lecture you missed.”

“I’ve only got two classes in the morning, so we could meet here after lunch? Around 2?”

“That works for me as well.”

Patton’s reflection was beaming as he checked over himself one last time—having rushed back to his dorm after both of his classes and a quick lunch, adjusting his glasses and trying to smooth the last few wrinkles out of the bottom of his light blue undershirt.

I look fine, right? It’s not like this is anything serious, we’re just meeting to go over notes!

He tugged on the sides of the thin jacket to get it better settled on his shoulders before grabbing his backpack and heading for the elevator, his stomach churning in anxious anticipation as he made his way towards Thaw Hall.

The walk was short, the air light and breezy as Patton jogged up the small hill and the outdoor steps to head into the building. The inside steps were taken two at a time, Patton stopping as he heard loud chatter and laughing from down the hall where 102 is.

Isn’t the classroom supposed to be empty at this time? Patton wondered idly, his path drifting faster towards the laughter and open classroom door. Poking his head in through the opening, Patton glanced inside to see two or three kids he didn't recognize kicking at Logan’s prone form on the floor. Patton gasped loudly, catching the attention of the three boys who instantly jumped in surprise and turned to run out of the room. Patton let them go, too focused on worrying about the android as he ran inside to get a better look.

Logan, to his credit, didn't look terribly bothered. His left arm was awkwardly bent and twitching every so often, his eye on that side also completely blank and black as it seemed to be powered off. He turned to look at Patton as he came in, picking his glasses up off the floor beside him and sliding them on before using his working arm to try and make himself look less disheveled.

“Oh shoot, Logan! Are you okay?” Patton fretted, dropping to his knees beside Logan and starting to look him over closely.

“Hmm? Is there a reason I wouldn’t be?”

“Your eye is all…!” Patton gestured widely, Logan’s one good eye blinking slowly in confusion. “And your arm! What happened?”

“That's beside the point. A reset should be enough to fix it. I can walk you through—”

“Err… I actually know someone who may be able to help!” Patton stumbled out, Logan tilting his head a little to the side as Patton got to his feet and shook his head and hands almost wildly. “He should be here right now, actually! Haha, that’s such a funny lil coincidence! I’ll be right back!”

Running out of the room before Logan could say anything, Patton checked his phone and found the nearest stairwell that would lead him down to the first floor and then into the connected engineering building.

I can’t remember if Virgil’s class starts or ends at 2:30… He better be here.

After reaching the first landing of the winding stairs and jogging down the hall towards several corner offices that told him he was on the right track, Patton approached the robotics classroom and glanced around the mostly empty hallways as he pushed on the door to open it. He then tentatively poked his head through the door as it swung in, his eyes scanning the mostly empty lab to land on the only two figures inside.

“Virgil, what the hell is this?”

“It’s just a chair.” Virgil—Oh, good, he’s here—grinned at the professor, who was standing by what appeared to be a sprawling work desk. Virgil himself—in his trademark patchwork hoodie and high tops—was sitting up on the counter in a spot clear of tools and wires, gesturing with his head at a chair with strangely clunky front legs beside him. “You should try it, professor.”

“I can see the pistons.” The professor commented almost nervously, before rolling his eyes as he went back to sit at his desk across the room. “You can get students with it later, but I’m not going near that. Not after your taser chair.”

Patton shook his head, unsurprised by the absurdity as he cleared his throat to grab their attention. “Um… hello?”

“Huh?” Virgil turned to look at the same time as the professor, before recognition washed away his confused expression. “Patton? Oh, hey!”

“Heya, Virge!” Patton stepped further into the lab as Virgil leaped off the desk, jogging over. 

“Forgot you had a couple classes here.” Virgil smiled sheepishly, the professor going back to some work in front of him as he led Patton to his desk. “We haven’t talked much since the semester started. You must’ve been too busy to say something, huh?”

“You could say that.” Patton chuckled, feeling much less confident as the worry in stomach grew heavier. “Say, how much do you know about those bots they have in the classrooms?”

“The automated teaching assistants?” Virgil asked, hopping up on his desk. Patton started to go for the chair, but Virgil stopped him. “It’ll launch you. Sit on literally anything else.” Patton nodded gratefully, dragging over a chair from another desk. “What about them? They’re new this year, so they’re a little basic and buggy. Something up?”

“Yeah, you could say that.” Patton glanced away, Virgil noticing the worry that finally started to eat at his expression. “Would you know how to, say, fix one that took some damage?”

“Huh? Probably. Why, something happen?”

“You could say that.” Patton repeated, his voice going quiet as his gaze shifted to the colorfully tiled floor beneath his sneakers.

“Pat? What happened?” One of Virgil’s legs started to swing back and forth as his stomach bubbled nervously. “You’re scaring me; you’re never like this.”

“…can I just show you?”

“Alright. Let me grab some stuff, since I’m assuming this question of ‘can I fix it’ isn’t very hypothetical.”

Patton nodded silently as Virgil grabbed a backpack from beside the desk and tossed several of the tools on his desk into it.

“Hey, Dr. V, I’ll be right back. Patton needs my help with finding one of his classes. He’s new.”

“Sure thing, Virgil.” The professor called back, not looking up from his desk. “Be careful.”

“Will do.” Virgil saluted at him, before tugging the bag on and looking at Patton with anxious brown eyes. “Lead the way.”

The trek back into Thaw was tense, Virgil’s converse squeaking a little on the tile as the two silently headed up the stairs and then back into the classroom. Virgil let out a low whistle as they came in, Patton awkwardly dropping to the floor beside Logan—who was still seated.

“Woah. I’m sure you’ve looked better.” Virgil mused as he looked over Logan, slipping his backpack off and starting to hunt inside of it.

“I am quite alright. A reset should be enough, I don’t think anything is out of place.”

“Yeah, I’m not buying that.” Virgil rolled his eyes, halting his hunt after seeming satisfied with what the few things he pulled out, zipping his bag closed again. “I’ll do the reset if I don’t find anything else that needs my attention.”

“If you say so.”

Patton anxiously tapped a random rhythm on his legs while Virgil took care to make sure Logan wasn't damaged anywhere, eventually deeming him fit enough to open a main access panel on the back of Logan’s neck.

“Hey, while I'm here, you want me to give you some boosts?” Virgil asked randomly, setting the panel’s cover on the desk nearby. “I bet I could improve a bunch of shit for you.”

Logan frowned. “I am already optimized for efficiency. I don’t understand your desire to make so-called ‘improvements’.” 

“Alright, whatever you say. Your loss.” Virgil shrugged, hesitating as his hands hovered over Logan’s shoulder. “Good for the reset?”

“Yes.”

It was strange to watch him power down. Patton understood he was an android—the metal forearms made that much clear—but it was odd to see it so plainly after all the regular chatting they’d done for the last two weeks. Logan hadn’t actually moved as Virgil fiddled around in the back, the only real indication of him being off the fact that the light in his other eye had gone out, Patton looking away from the empty black screens to notice Virgil counting ten seconds on his fingers before powering Logan back on. His eyes went completely white before the digital pupils appeared in the middle, Logan shaking his head a little and going to test his left arm that had been locked up—only for it to work, good as new.

“Alright, you should be good now.” Virgil quickly put the panel cover back on Logan’s neck after seeing his arm working again, smiling as he packed up his bag and slung it on. “Let me know if either of you need anything else. If you need me and I'm not in Dr. V’s lab, you can just text me, Pat.”

“Okay, thanks Virge.” Patton shot Virgil a nervous yet grateful smile in return as his friend then ducked out of the classroom, leaving the other two alone in a long stretch of very awkward silence.

“So… do you still want me to walk you though the notes from yesterday’s lecture?”