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the-huntress · 3 years

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Little Moth - Chapter 2 - A Friend

[Thank you to everyone that has read my story so far. I really hope that you enjoy it. My apologies for the slow burn, but all good things come to those that wait… <3]

Masterlist

Y/N Protagonist, female. Reader X Karl Heisenberg. [18+]

Summary: Awoken by the clang of metal another strange dream haunts you as you make your journey towards the ominous ‘village’, searching for your life-long friend, Leon.

Trigger Warnings: Supernatural violence.

Song Suggestion: ‘Keep Me Alive’ by All We Are.

[Photos are my own] The next 24 hours were a blur; bagel, taxi, airport, flight, layover in airport, Frankfurter infused pretzel, flight to worryingly small airport, ride in the back of a 1980s Toyota pick-up truck (with cages full of chickens and feathers flying about), which took you to the smallest train station you’d ever seen (one platform), two steam trains later, a weakened moment of purchasing unidentified brand of cigarettes with picture of a goat on the front from a man that smells profusely like garlic, and then a moment of mildly suppressed panic at being in a completely unknown to you part of the world with not a word of Romanian to your repertoire.

Standing at what kind of looked like maybe the side of a road-ish, you pulled out the badly printed map, co-ordinates and a compass. You looked up at the sky, despite it being overcast the clouds were still thin enough to be able to see roughly where the sun was sat. It was 2pm, your phone no longer had a hope in hell of working out here signal wise, but at least for now, it could tell you the time, after that it would just be you and the sun.

You couldn’t deny as the treck took you further away from the already very small towns and villages, and further into the countryside and wilderness, that the landscape was incredibly beautiful. Snow-capped mountains, like you’d never seen anywhere but the movies graced the horizon, leafless tree branches began to out-number their more lustrous looking sisters, and yet, dotted amongst the white, a spattering of green, forests and woodlands a-like, untouched by the torrents of snow, as if by some magic. The fresh air in your lungs made you feel powerful somehow, like you were on a path leading to destiny, something inside you was being fulfilled. Even during the time sat alone on the steam train, staring at the hillsides and woodlands as they flew past, catching your own reflection in the glass here and there, you’d felt as if you were heading towards something exciting yet familiar.

The day seemed to go much faster than you’d imagined, but then it was late into the year, the days much shorter. Grateful for the fact that you’d chosen to wear a zip up hoodie under your usual work jacket, you still had to give the tops of your arms a rub with your gloved hands. You’d also prepared with thin leggings under your black combat trousers and worn hiking socks under your military boots. There was still more than enough light to see, but the Village was still not yet in sight. The hike had been challenging, your knee was now starting to protest, both with an ache and with a sharpness too it. Just a little further, you thought, wincing against it.

You stopped dead in your tracks. There was a noise nearby but not anything that you were used to. What was that? A train? There were no train tracks running through this part of the wilderness as far as you knew, you’d hoped not at least, else you’d be kicking yourself in the ass if you could have saved yourself from the pain that you were in after all this time. A rumbling, chundering, rickety sound, drawing closer and closer. A light in the distance, a lantern, two of them, swinging wildly now on the front of a carriage and a man’s face, crazed with panic, and what a man, at least two times the size in both height and girth of anyone that you’d ever met before.

“Run my darling adventurer, run, for it is not safe for you here!” He yelled towards you. But you couldn’t, you were frozen solid, seeing now what he was trying to escape; and you’d thought this man was larger than life. What approached behind him… was unearthly. The wind was thrown out of you as you were yanked by the collar and swung onto the back of the carriage. The man had tossed you up to at least temporary safety, although how stable this thing was you did not know. You stared back towards the rear of the carriage, eyes narrowing on what you now identified as your target. In short, you could see some kind of humanoid being, roughly 8 foot tall, muscles rippling, pale, sallow skin, with patches of thick hair covering various parts of its body, a loin cloth, beady, mean cold gold eyes, pointed ears and a mouth full of needle sharp teeth. Hurtling along in front of it, in its grasp were two humungous beasts, covered in shaggy hair, almost like two huge dogs or bears, but with some of the most nightmarish faces that you’d ever seen. All you could see was that fact that they wanted nothing more than to tear you limb from limb.

You didn’t mess around for shit and your pistol was in your hand before you could say ‘boulder punching bastard’. You fired one, two, three times, each shot tearing through the shoulders of the front two beasts.

“You really think that thing is going to take them down?” Yelled the driver, craning his head around to take a quick glance at you. You grimaced, thrown down to the roof by a sudden jolt, and quickly tore your glance back at your enemies. They were closing the gap.

“Make a quick turn, here, around that rock!” You yelled, pointing ahead. The man began his manoeuvre as you’d instructed, and without question, for which you were grateful, you only had a couple of seconds to act and one shot at this. You pulled the aerosol from your pocket. This wasn’t just any can, this was something that you’d created yourself. Looked like a normal deodorant or spray can for sure except for two minor differences; it was re-fillable, and it had a range of up to 15 feet. You swiped the lighter back from your cap and took aim, lighter in your left hand in front, aerosol in your right hand, the U-turn took your right back past the trio as they came tearing down the slope. The noise wasn’t quite deafening, but it was loud enough, and you’d succeeded. The two hairy beasts were covered in flames and yelping, running frantically and tore off into the forest. HAHA! You laughed, another bump and you were back on the roof, stealing a glance at the man steering who had a grin on his face too. “Trick shot!” You called back.

The wolven giant roared in fury, for he was scorched, but his rage burned savagely more so than any flame that you could create.

“Very good little moth, but we need something bigger for that one. In the carriage, the room below you there is something that will help, you will know it when you see it, retrieve it now.” You nodded, not noticing for a moment what he’d called you, but you didn’t have time to think and ask. You slid down through the small hatch in the roof, just wide enough for your body, some kind of sky light you guessed and fell to the floor. The dwindling sun light now blazing red over the horizon and through the silhouettes of the trees lit the inner carriage just enough for you to take in what was around you; a lot of meat for one thing. You were never any good at hiding your thoughts on your face, but no one was here to see that right now. There were a couple of larger crates, a globe, typewriter, trinket boxes. Parts rolled and rattled, but you knew what you were here for, right in front of you on the bed. You pulled yourself back up through the hatch.

“This it?” You called to him, holding up a hefty and yet ornate bow. It seemed to be built in the way that somewhat resembled a modern-day compound bow but had a more traditional look to its materials and smaller details. “That’s the one’” he called back. “Here, take these.” He went to pass a bundle of arrows without quiver, but as he did so the beast threw itself at the back of the carriage. You yelled, the impact threw you into the arrows, your blood now over a few of the heads, and all at once you were thrown into darkness, your back slamming against the floor of the inside of the carriage. Shaking your head, you realised what had happened, scrambling on the floor and grabbing as many of the spilled arrows up as you could. Blood began to soak the garments covering your right hip. It was just a flesh wound, but deep enough to sting, reminding you of a time in your childhood when you’d crawled through brambles and the thorns had left 12 longs scars down your torso.

Back on your feet, you booted the doors open, throwing them into the beast’s face, both his clawed hands firmly sunk into the wood either side of the carriage, half running, half being dragged along. He reared his head and roared at you, and you roared back, raising the first arrow and taking aim. “FUCK YOU!” You cried out, the arrow sliced through his cheek but this only made him angrier, throwing one arm into the carriage now, half in, the other arm pulled him further, you realised quickly with terror that you were very quickly being pinned against the bed at the back. It grabbed you around your waist, yanking you down onto the floor, roaring madly once again, into your face, the foulest smelling breath hot and slick with spittle. Something crashed off the shelf above you and onto its head, almost like it shot out of place of its own accord, against the natural trajectory of the way of which the carriage was now turning. It threw the beast back out of the carriage and you only had a moment to grab onto a fixture on the wall which held tools in place before you felt the carriage begin to topple and hurtle.

You lost count of how many rolls it took, but when it stopped it was deathly silent, like a veil had been pulled over this part of the woods. Rain began to fall on the deathly branches above in the would-be canopy. You pulled yourself out, scathed and bleeding, but you weren’t done. Good job you’d thought to throw on your light armour mid hike. You looked around at the driver, he didn’t say anything, but he was breathing. “Are you ok, friend?” You asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. He brought his head up and looked up at you. “Yes.” He replied, placing one of his hands over yours. You nodded and started walking to the hulking heap of hair, blood and muscle only meters away. With each step you took you felt the presence of something growing behind you, like a shadow. The sound of metal scraping. “He’s here.” You heard your companion breathe. You had no idea who or what he meant, but right now you had one thing on your mind and that was your kill.

Still closing the gap without a falter, you took three arrows that you had clipped to your bag only moments ago, set their heads ablaze with the fluid and lighter. You set them against the nock, the flames burning bright now in your eyes, and a shower of metal, knives, bullets, scraps came flying down from around you and into the flesh of the beast. They didn’t just stop upon impact, they kept going, embedding themselves further and further into its flesh. It bellowed and swung its arms in pain, standing tall above you, arching it’s back, but still you stood your ground, unblinking, until it fell back down to the ground, writhing now. You leapt up onto its twisting shoulder, taking aim with the bow and let the trio of burning arrows do their work, shattering through the skull, two ending it all at once, and one at an angle coming back halfway out of its blood shot eye.

You stayed there for what seemed like an eternity. Staring and waiting. No thoughts going through your mind, the darkness in you waning back to the parts of your mind where it usually hid, flowing away like black smoke or the tide going out.

Something was calling. Not out loud, but in your head, your heart, something was calling just for you, but without any sound. You looked up towards the carriage, which strangely was now upright again, though in a bit of a mess, your friend there besides it, a little worse for wear, and a glint of light, the reflection of the flames that had begun to grow around you in the darkness just beyond, the crunch of the undergrowth, and whatever it was, was gone.

#karl heisenberg #karl heisenberg fanfic #karl heisenberg fluff #leon kennedy #mother miranda #resident evil 2 #resident evil 8 #resident evil fanfic #resident evil heisenberg #resident evil village #heisendaddy #daddy heisenberg

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anothertimdrakestan · 4 years

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Hot Stuff (Tim Drake x Reader)

Words: 3k

Req: “can you do a fic where the reader has to get protected and she doesn't want to and thinks it's dumb but like otherwise someone is gonna try to kill her so a batboy (of your choice) has to protect her and they like realize they like each other? i just think it would be really cute sorry haha you can ignore me.”

I’m not gonna ignore you!!! this is adorable! also i let ppl vote not knowing the prompt and they picked tim hehehe so this will be fun! you really left me a LOT of creative freedom lmao so i tried my best but had a lot of fun lolz hope you enjoy angel!

It had been at least 5 years since you had ever shivered. And the last time it happened you were like 20 seconds away from dying so the fact that it was becoming a common feeling was definitely a problem. But your near death every couple minutes was a pretty dumb excuse to get you holed up in the batcave being watched over by none other than Mr. Batman himself.

The whole problem arose when all the cold-powered super villains decided it was time for their equivalent of a crossover, deciding that if the world was frozen over they could... steal shit? Then unfreeze it or something? They were always a little slow (call it brain freeze if you will) but the beginnings of their plan worked and the temperature of the Earth was dropping steadily which didn’t bode well for a hero like you who’s powers revolved around heat and energy, the colder you got the weaker- making this the reason you were in a makeshift furnace set up discreetly in the Batcave.

“Morning y/n let’s see how you’re doing” Tim greeted you with a wave, grabbing a tablet that was tracking your internal body temperature and other boring statistics on whether or not you’d live. “Oh man, okay, lemme turn it up” Tim tapped at the tablet while you folded another paper airplane and threw it at the glass. “I feel fine man, like really, I’m just chilling” you shrugged, incinerating the paper airplane with a small flame in the center of your palm while Tim chuckled. “Well ya see, you ‘chilling’ is actually quite a bad thing, but yeah a couple minutes with extra heat and you can come to breakfast!” you rolled your eyes at his smothered laughter. “How long you been sitting on that one?” you teased him.

“Long enough Sparky, now warm up I’m hungry” Tim started you on a burst of energy while he moved on to the main BatComputer. “Whatcha solving today? Anything I can help with?” you squinted at the screen hoping for something interesting. “Bruce is going out to see if he can find the location of all the machines dropping the temp, and no, you’re definitely not going outside anytime soon” Tim chided you while you groaned and let sharp flames jutt from your clenched fists. “I’m not a child, I can regulate my temperature on my own, hell I can still make fire so clearly I’m fine” you said matter-of-factly holding up a flame and letting it dancing into a small burst.

“And I’d like to keep you that way y/n let’s not risk it, now c’mon I think you’ve taken in enough energy” Tim opened the door to your little glass room, his eyes widening at the heat that brushed over his face. “Dude you ever got hot in there?” Tim questioned, fanning his face from the exposure. “Nope, I’m kinda like that all the time” you explained, casually taking his hand to show him how your skin practically radiated heat. “Oh- wow, you’re really warm but it’s kinda cool.” Tim mumbled, pushing your palm flush up against his, the tops of his fingertips curling around yours while he grinned, “your hands are so small” you snorted, “whatever Drake, I could cook you like a bird if I wanted to,” you laughed, racing up the steps towards the kitchen ready to warm up some breakfast.

That afternoon you were helping Damian through homework hoping for any excitement in the pure boredom. “Alright, done. I’m going to take Titus out you can come- uh actually nevermind.” Damian shot you an apologetic look before grabbing Titus’ collar. “No actually I can go! I’m super warm and got the go ahead!” You quickly stood up, telling yourself a little getaway was necessary. “Really? I believe Drake said-” you cut Damian off, “Tim is like never right about anything yaknow? Let’s go!” You zipped up a couple of your jackets with a grin while Damian led you outside.

The air was crisp, like a fall day that was on the verge of shifting into winter. “You’re not going to die on me are you?” Damian glanced at you while you breathed in the fresh air peacefully. “No haha, this is just regulating my temperature using my powers for a little while, I get ill when I do it for too long, let’s go!” you raced down the street loving the freedom even though you could feel the cold creep in.

“Y/n? Y/n? Guys I think her eyelids are moving! Y/N! Can you hear me?” a familiar voice buzzed over the white noise while you began to regain your senses. Slowly you blinked your eyes open to see Damian, who looked pissed, Bruce, who also looked pissed, and Tim, who looked worse than ever. “WHAT WERE YOU THINKING YOU LIED TO DAMIAN TO GO OUTSIDE THEN ALMOST DIED!” Tim was waving his hands and showing you charts of your warmth-cold ratios being at all time lows and spouting off concerning facts about your health while Bruce just looked at the ceiling asking ‘why me’.

“I thought I’d be fine” you whispered, feeling your throat scream at it’s use. “It’s like freezing outside- freakin colder than winter- and you wanted to go outside???” Tim looked exasperated, he was in a loose tank top and shorts, it looked like he’d been sweating so he had probably been next to you for a while during your recovery. “I didn’t think I’d get so cold” you mumbled, flexing your hands while you tried to regain your strength.

Eventually Tim calmed down, he went back to working on cases but you noticed him frequently checking to confirm you hadn’t left your new room. Damian chastised you for lying and told you how you essentially fainted a couple blocks into the walk, it was just way too cold too for you to function outside. But the small taste of freedom was worth it.

“Hey hot stuff,” Tim gave you a little devilish smile at his new nickname for you. “Cute Drake, but what’s up?” you called back as he approached your makeshift oven-room. “Nothing much just thought I’d come hangout- warm up your cold dark heart for once” you shook your head at all his heat-centered puns. “Tough talk for a glorified shish-kebab” you said with a laugh, letting a little spark dance on your finger tips.

“What does it feel like? The powers and being cold?” Tim asked, his eyes still staring at your palm. “Mhm it’s a part of me yaknow? So when it’s cold its like a piece of my being is being stifled, like choked out of me. But normally, it just flows through me and I can channel it and what not but right now it feels... rigid, like every ounce of warmth is being used to circulate through my own body” you said with a sign, missing the freedom and immense warmth. “We’re gonna fix this y/n you know that right? This is only temporary, I promise.” Tim whispered, inching closer to the glass.

You felt a tear slip out, quickly you pushed it away feeling it evaporate in your hands you looked up at Tim who was inches from the glass, his cheeks were red from the heat radiating on him as he stood bundled in a sweater. Slowly he gave you a hopeful smile, putting his hand up against the glass. With a small smile you uncurled your hand up to meet his, for a second you just met his eyes and knew you were safe. Even when everything seemed so cold Tim was warm, and he was always there for you.

A couple days later you were stable, but constantly needing reheating. You’d spent a lot of time with Tim who had set up a little workspace outside your room. He’d work on cases and talk to you, sometimes he’d catch a few minutes of sleep, his cheek pressed adorably up to the warm glass while you stifle giggles as his sleepy breaths fog the glass. Your situation was bearable with Tim, and you were really starting to enjoy his company.

“Red Robin we’ve got something” you watched Tim shoot up from his work as Bruce descended into the Batcave. “Barry Allen and the rest of Star Labs have reason to believe the frost machines aren’t actually underground, but their above us. Think pumping out cold air like an AC machine for the Earth” Tim nodded, sitting down at the batcomputer as he began typing rapidly. You were straining your neck against the glass to try to see what he was doing.

“Got it, try here, here, and here” Tim was pointing wildly at a map while Bruce sent out the coords. “Suit up, if we’re right this’ll be a real fight” Bruce said as he left to go get the others. After Tim was in his suit he came up next to your room with a grin. You looked at him with hopeful eyes, “you think this is it?” you asked Tim while he flashed you a hopeful smile. “I hope so y/n, if we’re lucky this will be it” he answered, taking a deep breath and clenching his hands into fists. “Well you need extra luck” you told him, he nodded then stopped short when you burst out of the room, throwing your arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug. “My hugs are super lucky” you whispered into his chest while his hands wrapped around your back. “I’ll take all the luck I can get” he mumbled, lowering his head into the crook of your neck. The hug was easy and perfect- until you started to shiver. Quickly Tim deposited you back into your room, turning up the heat.

“Guess I’m not hot enough for you” Tim snorted while you rubbed your shoulders. “Shut up dork, now go fix the world so I can give you a proper hug” you placed your hand against the glass again. With a nod he placed his hand to yours, “will do” he said, dashing off towards Bruce and Damian who were also all suited up.

“Y/n I must inform you they have in fact found the base and will be going into battle shortly” Alfred called from the computers while he monitored the team’s location. “Yes!” you shouted, pumping a fist in the air while you paced around your room.

The plan was clear, there were 10 giant AC machines pumping out the frost across the world, some heroes had been separated into teams each tasked with taking out their respective machine then any hero strong enough to lift the machines were in charge of bringing them to an undisclosed location on one of Bruce’s private islands for inspection and dismantling. Alfred had Bruce, Dick, Tim, and Damian’s vitals displayed on the screen as their suits were consistently monitoring them and you’d been craning your neck to keep track of the little bars. “god Alfie how do you take it? You can see every hit they take, every injury, you’re basically looking at it all going wrong!” you felt like tearing your hair out, watching the screen light up with every hit each boy took.

“You get used to it Ms. Y/n you must have faith that they’ve seen worse and can survive anything” Alfred answered cooly but it didn’t stop you from wincing everytime Tim’s bar lowered or lit up meaning he took a hit.

Over the comms you heard Bruce and Damian confirm their machine was sufficiently broken, as well as 8 of the other machines. As it turned out, Tim, Dick, and one of those annoying speedsters had been sent to the head machine, a few members of the league were at the other. You watched Tim take hit after hit, clearly him and Dick were struggling. “Alf is it just me or are Tim and Dick’s bars not going up” you were pounding at the glass of your room. Slowly Alfred nodded, abruptly standing up. To your shock he began moving around the cave, setting up what looked like a makeshift hospital room. “There will almost assuredly be some injuries after this battle. But how are you feeling Ms. Y/n as over half of the machines have been taken down” Alfred drew you away from the flashing bars as you realized you were feeling better, still not top shape but better than you’d been in days. “Yeah you’re right I’m definitely feeling better-”

“Hey Alfie Tim just got buried in snow any recommendations?” you heard Dick’s voice come over the speakers. Your head whipped to his bar which was flashing wildly as you shrieked. Alfred replied quickly, “Master Dick you must remove him immediately and wrap him with something warm as his suit cannot regulate him in freezing temperatures.” as he made his way back to the batcomputer, talking Dick through his next actions.

“Will do, he’ll be okay but he’s kinda a popsicle right now” Dick’s voice came over the comms again while you let out the breath you’d been holding in as you saw Tim’s bar sliding back up. Shortly after they were aided by the rest of the league, promptly taking out the final machine and finding the villains hiding inside.

Dick, Tim, and Damian returned to the cave shorty, Bruce was busy with league business interrogating the villains. Damian came in first, declaring he now hated the cold after how freezing that mission was. Following him was Dick who was walking with a slight limp as he called to Alfred explaining that he just twisted it when he dug Tim out of the snow. And last, Tim made his way into the cave. His hair was wet, clearly melted from being buried under snow. He was wearing a Star Labs sweatshirt and sweatpants as he held his waterlogged suit in his slightly shaky hands, and a towel was draped over his shoulders. “Alf you want my suit? Pretty sure I fried half the tech” he called as he shook his head, little water droplets flying from his hair. “I’ll see to it’s repair Master Tim” Alfred nodded, gesturing for Tim to place it next to him. “Also, might I recommend you spend some time with Miss Y/n as she is quite capable of warming you up” Alfred gestured towards your room before going back to examining Dick’s ankle.

Tim nodded in agreement, giving you a little wave as he stumbled into the room with you. Letting the relief flood your head you quickly brought him into a warm hug, focusing on pushing some of your energy forwards to warm him up. “Mhm” Tim’s eyelashes fluttered shut against your neck while he melted into your embrace. “You’re so cold” you whispered with a giggle. “Yeah and you’re really hot” Tim groaned in reply, though you could feel his lips curl into a smile against your neck. “I think you meant warm” you tried to ignore the butterflies having a rager in your stomach. “Hm no I said it right” Tim whispered in your ear making your eyes widen at his upfront response. “Oh, I- uh, thanks? I think you’re pretty cool- no not cool cuz like that’s the opposite of hot- yeah you’re-” you were silenced as Tim pressed his lips to yours. Your eyes shot open at the feeling of his ice cold lips pressed to yours but they quickly fluttered closed when his hand wrapped around the back of your head, pulling you deeper into the kiss. His lips quickly warmed up against yours making your breath hitch when he slipped a cold hand around your waist pulling you flush against him. His fingers felt like ice as they grasped your back but you couldn’t but melt into his touch.

You pulled away first, taking in gasping breaths while you couldn’t help but grin. “You warm yet?” you teased, pulling his hand away from your back and placing your hand in his, giving it a warm squeeze. “Mhm one more kiss” he pouted, leaning down to place a smiling kiss onto your lips while you scrunched your nose. “I should seriously freeze to death more often if it means I get to kiss you” Tim said while you rolled your eyes. “Or you could just not die and I might give you a good-job kiss?” you offered with a grin. “Will do” Tim nodded, giving your hand a squeeze.

“Goodbye oven!” you shouted, practically kicking the door open as you finally got to leave the cramped room behind. Just a day later the Earth had returned to average temperature and you were free. “I am SO ready to go home, not that I didn’t like it here” you said, giving Tim a little smile as Bruce return all your belongings after a little over a week in Bat-Solitude. “Come back soon though?” Tim piped up with a hopeful looks. “Definitely, I won’t give you the cold shoulder” you snorted at your own joke while Damian groaned, saying something about being happy he’ll be free of your puns.

Tim walked you out, chatting your ear off about his next cases and all the time he had to come see you, over the course of the frozen-adventure you’d found a best friend and possibly something more, maybe the oven was worth it after all?

“Okay, so I’ll see you in a couple days?” you grinned as Tim nodded. “Yup! Now before you go, I need another good luck hug- they definitely work wonders seeing as last time I got buried in snow” Tim laughed, wrapping his arms around you as he chuckled into the hug. “Not my fault you turned into a snowman Drake” You gave him a squeeze before pulling away, locking eyes with him. His hand slipped to your chin again, but this time you wrapped your hands around his neck, pulling him in for a goodbye kiss, loving the way sparks danced on your lips. Pulling out of the kiss as the car arrived Tim opened the door for you like the gentleman he is, giving your hand a squeeze.

“See you later hot stuff” Tim winked at you, shutting the door and waving as you drove away, shaking your head at his never ending puns, you smiled to yourself as soon as he was out of view, loving the idea that you’d get to tease that cute dork for the rest of your life.

#tim drake #tim drake x reader #tim drake x y/n #tim drake x you #tim drake x fem!reader #damian wayne #batboys #dick grayson x reader #bruce wayne #tim drake fluff #tim drake fanfic #red robin #red robin x reader #batfam #batfam x reader #dc fluff #jason todd #dc fanfic #timothy jackson drake

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cat-26 · 4 years

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I'm doing this again: messy thoguhts while I watch MCC 10 from Techno's POV

Overall thoughts:

- I want to rewatch that Sky Battle, it was SO GOOD

- I need to watch Pete’s POV, maybe a few pieces of Wilbur’s

- The team was so good together, Eret is probably Techno’s biggest fan, Techno is so nice to Niki <3

Pregame: Techno thinks they are destined for 4th place. Eret thinks they can win. Techno doesn't want to put on matching skins because "once you do, your lose is guaranteed" (but he is being peer pressured) Techno: Niki, have you seen footage of Ace Race? Niki: Which one is that one? Techno: It's the one where you race They all have crowns! (Except Philza but he is a king nontheless) Techno is starting his stream now "Your score goes down at least 15% when you're wearing matching skins because the universe knows you're having too much fun so it wants to put you in your place" 1 - Bingo Techno's team doing good in Bingo makes sense: PHILZA MINECRAFT IS THERE Techno did great in bingo but they split the points so he is 17th hahahahahaha poor techno, he even memorized recipes and everything 2 - Parkour Techno actually trained for parkour this time! PeteZahHut is back!! Red is first, of course I like the changes, it's a lot of changes this time Wow Techno POPPED OFF after passing yellow section he was stuck on, like he completed all the following sections first try DREAM COMPLETED IT AGAIN AND PETE WAS ALMOST THERE 3 - TGTTOSAWAF I love writing the name of this game hahaha New map!

Niki to her turtles: "Can you please just calm down, your friend is dying!" Techno: "No I will not calm down!" The rocket spleef map is WEIRD

Trident map, poor Niki Krinios is doing amazing! His team has a great chance of winning Techno is also doing great Nooo Eret made it but didn't have time to wack a fan

Hate this punching map Haha Techno killed Tommy and Will killed Philza hahaha SBI killing spree The Antarctic Empire trained Techno for the ice boat map (Philza used his elytra too much, that's why he couldn't complete it) Techno is too good at placing blocks while falling!! Also he got saved by someone punching him hahah TECHNOBLADE NEVER DIES 1st place!!! Top 4 players this game: Dream Techno Quig Sapnap yep I can see why

Techno math to see why Dream is ahead of him haha TECHNOMATH

4 - Sky Battle Uno Reverse is Confusing "Who here can bridge without falling" (No answer, they are all thinking the same: YOU, Techno, you can bridge) Round 1 The simmers are being killed by Aqua :( oh and lime TapL v Techno in sky battle yeaaah Ooh Techno is too good!! TNT plays!! Round 2 Techno aaking where Philza is for backup, he did the same with Calvin last time Dream got Philza and Eret Techno is TOO GOOD THE PEARL CLUTCH???? Round 3 Niki falling every round :( Them going to the simmers immediately, poor simmers they are getting bullied THE PLAYS HE KILLED THE GREEN TEAM WITH CREEPERS WHAT A GENIUS BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD I WANT TO REWATCH THIS ROUND 100 TIMES THIS WAS AMAZING "2nd Place WHERE ARE YOUR PARKOUR POINTS NOW, DRE?" - Audience takeover Techno is losing this one, but battle box also works for them "Skywars.. sorry sky Battle... sky skirmishes" that is such a better name, Noxcrew change it to that "yall practice parkour don't act like you enjoy fun" - sick burn Techno I don't really enjoy dream hating on techno all the time... we're past it dream, please stop. I 100% support Techno ranting about that "I like Dre, I want to subscribe to Dre's youtube channel" (Dream’s name is cut off in the tab) 5 - Battle Box The power ups are veggies hahahah I saw it on the update video "There is a potato, I'm gonna farm!" No power ups... (the veggies don't work) Viewer team 1 DESTROYED Philza with the 3 kills against the undefeated team Cyan! Go Philza Minecraft! Now Dre. Dream really wanted Techno dead, I'm pretty sure it cost him the game. This team is TOO STRONG, THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP you can’t compete with that Dre!!! Aqua team DESTROYED, PEPE CAPE Techno got Pete when he was at 1 heart against 6??? Techno is invinscible after the duel!! "Who needs health when you don't get hit?" Techno killed by the viewer?? Invisible viewers?? Weird round against the viewers

Rushed by the simmers hahahahahahahahaha ---- 3/4 yellow team on top 10?? The mega chicken left from rocket spleef??? Philza is CURSED "I just want rocket spleef" :( poor Phil 6 - Ace Race Techno briefing Niki!

Everyone watched Pete's vod hahaha

The top 4 in lap 2 is sooo close together (pete, techno, quig and dream) Techno hit Pete in the air on the trident part??? So weird But he still got 2nd so GO TECHNO (and GO PETE!!!) All of them encouraging Niki <3 <3 NIKI SUPPORT <3 <3 NIKI SUPPORT <3 Techno fastest lap!! Techno is actually comforting Niki <3 I love this team 7 - Sands of Time Eret sand duty? Why not niki? Great communication so far 2 keys!! Techno is daring the lava parkour? Oh no he died in the lava with THE RED KEY This is going terrible Okay it is a little better Honestly 5th after that weird start is not that bad Uuh Techno wants to gamble with HITW, Phil says SG 8 - Big Sales at Buildmart About his list strat:

"There are two types of victory: You can beat the players or your can bear the makers of the game. On that day, we did both" Techno knows wood names now?? Who is this person? Bad organizarion at first but now they are oganizing yes Niki is lost Oh they are actually communicating this is better They are kinda slow though, and not oragnized enough. Bug with magenta blog nooo Techno is really terrible at this game -end of games- Top 4: Quig Techno Dream Pete Look at Techno having good sportmanship, being nice to Dream, Quig, George.... Green and Orange to Dodgebolt! Can Pete win this one? Green seems stronger but in dodgebolt "anything can happen" “green should have it” Green? Dream? Grian? -- they are all deaf!!! - Dodgebolt Round 1 False got Quig! He stood still (Leaf blower man is there, he apparently comes on on Saturdays) Orange 1-0 Round 2 Pete is down, Quig is not getting arrows Gets the arrow, hits it Cubfan 1v4, not happening 1-1 Round 3 Techno chearing for Scott to get Pete-Quig-Dream team haha Pete and Quig out, interesting! Orange has 2 arrows Beans and false!! Orange 2-1 "Smallishbeans, he 1v3d my team once"

Round 4 Quig out! "Orange's tactics are better" - yep, Techno is right. Green is not giving arrows to Quig, and Orange is targeting Quig False got 3??? 2v1 for the wiiin??? Shubble got one FALSE ACE FOR THE WIN ORANGE WINS!!!! PETE JOINS HBOMB IN 3 TIME WINNERS AND FALSE IS THE FIRST BACK TO BACK WINNER!!!!!!! The simmers are not last!!!!!!! #notlast #havefun -post game talk- Techno: Once again I strognly regret talking to Tomminnit Pokimane: Relatable -- Tommy: I am never awkward Techno: Tommy I watched your 1mil video

-end- They're all playing HIPIXEL YESSS

#technoblade #minecraft championship #philza #nihachu #eret #mcc 10 #mcc

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fireflyhwufanficwriter · 3 years

Text

My thoughts on Dr. Stone’s S02E02 (“Hot Line”)

(Safe to read for anime-only folks 😁)

My thoughts after watching Season Two, Episode Two:

01. Taiju and Yuzuriha in the very first frame 😊

02. In Season One, the OP had chemistry formulas, and this season, it’s mathematical formulas! 😊

03. In the opening song, Ruri is praying for everybody to be safe, Kaseki looks solemn, Magma is smiling, and Suika is… bouncing around excitedly. I think this might be showing us just who is actually the most bloodthirsty member of the kingdom of science to date... 😆

04. Is it a good idea for Suika to be the lookout? I know the telescope has lenses, but still… Although out of main and side characters, she’s the one who’d be better off avoiding an all-out battle (though she did save everybody last season), so I guess it makes sense for her to help out this way. And she isn’t the type of person to get bored or slack off 😊

05. Kohaku makes jumping off of tree branches look so effortless 😲

06. The way Kohaku’s eyes were red as she approached Homura from behind… 😲

07. Haha! Kohaku carried hot spring water from a mountain to her village for years and years! A bit of conversation while jumping around in the forest isn’t going to exhaust her at all 😁

08. It’s nice that Kokuyou is still so active in protecting the village even though he isn’t the chief anymore 😊

09. Kohaku from behind, Senku from the front, trapping Homura in the middle. It’s awesome to see the two of them working together like this! 😊

10. Hello again, Mecha Senku! Long time no see! 😁

11. We didn’t get a “flare acquired!” notification 🙁

12. Kohaku fell off a tree because of her incredible eyesight couldn’t take Senku’s super-bright flare! Aww! 😊 And… nobody noticed 😆

13. “Once we’re done building civilization…” This is really interesting. Way back in the beginning, he wasn’t interested in romance at all, but now, after some time has passed, he went from “no thanks” to “maybe AFTER this specific point in time in the future.” Something, or rather, somebody, may have caused Senku to consider changing his mind? Who knows...? 😆

14. Senku’s lack of physical strength is so established that even Homura knows about it 😆

15. Poor Kohaku… incredible eyesight isn’t always such a great thing to have... 😆

16. In Argo’s mind: “Yes! I’m in a scene with main characters! And an antagonist knows who I am! Wow!”

17. Chalk trying to help 😊

18. Again, no “black light acquired!” notification 🙁

19. Kohaku and Senku’s conversation! 😊 For somebody to put their trust in somebody else when it’s a question of morals… you don’t do that with just anybody. That shows an amazing amount of faith 😲 Both of them speaking with each other so seriously, and Kohaku opening up about a “weakness” of hers… This is a great scene! 😁

20. Magma was RUNNING down that mountain! Running!

21. Why did Gen stop Chrome from answering the phone? It wasn’t like Homura or Tsukasa had any way of intercepting the call?

22. Senku, Kohaku, Kinro… a nice trio 😊 Kohaku taking her turn to keep watch, while Senku and Kinro are bonding… it’s nice to see hints like this of friendships between characters 😊

23. That “sun rising over the Earth” shot reminded me of the very first Pokemon opening theme 😁 “I want to be the very best… Like no one ever was…”

24. Senku, why are you comparing Morse Code transmissions to text messages while talking to Kohaku and Kinro?? That doesn’t help make things any clearer! 😆

25. That map shows paths that aren’t straight lines. How do you even communicate paths like that in Morse Code? Degrees and steps, maybe?

26. Homura looks HORRIFIED at the thought of communications technology! (As she rightly should.)

27. Before, Tsukasa trapped Kohaku under a tree, intending to kill her… and now, Kohaku’s saving a member of the Tsukasa Empire from being trapped under a tree and being killed by the impact 😲

28. Before, Tsukasa chopped down a tree to trap Kohaku and kill her, and now, the kingdom of science chopped down a tree to trap a member of the Tsukasa Empire, and had Kohaku save her from being killed 😲

29. I love how Kohaku is just gloating over how they used the cell phones and how they used them to trap Homura, because one, it’s not like she gets all the scientific concepts behind it, and two, the MODERN-ERA person she’s restraining understands the concept of communications technology way more than Kohaku does 😆

30. Kohaku looked so happy as she was waving to Chrome! I love their friendship!! 😊

31. The music we heard right after that… feels like a slow version of something familiar? Or is it just nee epic-sounding music?

32. Why is there no snow on those numbered statues? And the general area Chrome and the others are in?

33. I JUST noticed that Magma has the same two-color hair Kokuyou has 😲 Has Magma always had that??

34. Gen thinking about that guy’s family… 😢

35. He was able to intercept that? He moves fast!

36. Um, Gen… when it actually comes time to kill somebody… what you said doesn’t apply to everybody, unfortunately. The person right in front of you is also capable of “going ahead and doing it.” You know that better than anybody!

37. I like what Chrome is saying (especially the “We’re aiming way higher” line), but the super quick transition from “cloudy day” to “lots of rays of sunlight” is pretty jarring…

38. They’re allies now, but Gen can’t resist taking the opportunity to creep Magma out… or just plain scare him 😆

39. Using a fake grave for covert communications like that is SUCH a good idea! 😁

40. Magma’s trying so hard to help, but… 😆

41. When Chrome hit that large stone with his shovel, I thought it was THE rock – the gigantic boulder that Taiju threw at Tsukasa! Could it be the same rock?

42. The archer has appeared! 😊 He has a deeper voice than I would have imagined…

43. Kohaku looks so worried; probably for Chrome in particular… 🙁

44. I wish the animators had included one frame of Taiju and Yuzuriha noticing the upturned earth around the grave, or something, instead of immediately having Taiju just randomly stick his hand into the dirt and pull out the microphone.

45. One word from Senku, and Taiju started crying so hard before he could even speak… 😢

46. After Taiju said, “Senku!” we see Senku’s face… and there was a quick moment where his mouth twitched while the corners of his lips were still pulled downward… like a genuinely spontaneous emotional reaction to hearing from his friends again after so long… before Senku gave a big grin as a planned “cooler” reaction 😢 And even though he’s trying to act all cool and stuff, Senku’s eyes are shining with tears… 😢

47. About the ED, I was expecting modern Senku to turn into stone world Senku… I didn’t expect the green petrification light and petrified Senku, and for the buildings in the background to fall apart. Such cool details! And I loved how stone age Senku was walking at first, then running (and then running with science gear), representing the hope he has for the future! 😊 I wonder if the yellow-to-blue color transition has any symbolic meanings behind it?

48. I need to look up the meanings of the lyrics of these new season’s OP and ED so that I can understand what the songs are about. Right now, the OP sounds too chill for me to be the right OP for this season, but I like the way the ED sounds 😊 I think I’ll really like the ED’s lyrics when I learn what they are! 😁

https://firefly-hwufanficwriterrrrr.tumblr.com/MyDrStoneEpisodeMangaThoughts

#dr stone #ishigami senku #senku x kohaku #senhaku #kohasen #kohaku #dr stone kohaku #dr. stone #dr. stone kohaku

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manygalaxiesinone · 3 years

Text

Pokemon Retold: Intro

In Pallet Town, the day is nice and bright. Perfect for a few aspiring trainers to finally set forth on their adventure.

Red: *runs up to Oak’s lab door* “...Looks like I’m the first one here...”

Blue: “Hey!” *runs up to Red with Green near him*

Green: “Morning Red! Nice to see you showing up first for a change.”

Blue: “I would have gotten here sooner if Gary and Daisy weren’t trying to hold me back.”

Red: “Where is Gary?”

Blue: “Still at home getting ready. “Gotta be prepared, you never know what you might find out there.” Yeesh, can you believe him?”

Green: “Well, we ARE going on an adventure. Speaking of which, I can’t believe today finally arrived! All of us are getting our very first pokemon! I’m so excited, I could barely sleep last night!”

Blue: “Me neither, so what say we go inside already?”

Red: “Shouldn’t we wait for Ash and Gary?”

Blue: “You kidding? Gary is one thing, but if we wait on Ash, we’ll probably be here forever. I bet that loser hasn’t even gotten out of bed yet.”

Green: “I hate to say it, but Blue has a point. When was the last time Ash showed up on time for anything?”

Red: “Uhh...”

Blue: “Exactly! So, let’s get moving!”

*Meanwhile...at the Oak Residence*

Gary: “Let’s see, tent, extra clothes, my trusty notepad...”

Daisy: “Are you finished yet, Gary? You know Blue’s already long gone, right?”

Gary: “Yeah! I’ll be done in a sec!”

Daisy: “Are you sure you’re going to need all that extra stuff?”

Gary: “Well, you can’t be too prepared, right? After all, there’s more to this adventure than just battling pokemon.”

Daisy: “I swear, you’re as bad as Grandpa. Though if you’re sure about all this, then how about you take one last item with you?” *gives Gary a map*

Gary: “A map of the whole region? Sweet! Thanks Daisy.”

Daisy: “I suggest you get going before Ash beats you to the lab.”

Gary: “Pfft! Yeah right. Like I’m ever going to be THAT late!” *runs off*

*Meanwhile, at the Ketchum Residence*

Delia: *Cleans the place with Mr. Mime until she hears a knock at the door.* “Come in!”

Spencer: *Opens the door* “Hi Dallia.”

Mrs. Hale: “Hello there!”

Molly: “Hi Mrs. Ketchum!”

Delia: “Oh, hi everyone. How nice of you to come by.”

Mr. Mime: “Mime!”

Spencer: “We had a feeling you might be a little lonely with your son gone, so we thought we’d pop up for a visit.”

Delia: “Well, you’re a little early for that.”

Mrs. Hale: “Don’t tell me that boy overslept again.”

Delia: “He hasn’t even left the bed. I swear, I just don’t know what I’m going to do with him sometimes.”

Spencer: “Well, at least this is our chance to see him off. Molly, could you go wake him up for us?”

Molly: “Okay!” -runs off to Ash’s room-

Ash: “...”

Molly: “Ash! Ash wake up!” -shakes him-

Ash: “I’ll win this time Gary...”

Molly: “Wake up!” -jumps on the bed-

Ash: *wakes up* “Huh?! Molly?”

Molly: “Hi Ash. Sleep well?”

Ash: “Yeah, but what are you doing here?”

Molly: “Our parents told me to wake you up, since you overslept again.”

Ash: “Over...” -takes a look at his clock- “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!” -rushes out of bed-

Molly: -waits for Ash outside his bedroom- “Calm down Ash.”

Ash: “Calm down?! I overslept on the biggest day of my life!” -quickly gets dressed- “Why didn’t my alarm clock go off? Did I set it to P.M. instead of A.M. again?! I bet Blue and Gary are already laughing at me at the Professor’s lab right now.” -runs out of the room and races downstairs-

Delia: “Where do you think you’re going, young man?”

Ash: “I have to get the Professor’s Lab right away!”

Delia: “Not until you finish the breakfast I prepared for you.”

Ash: “But mom...”

Delia: “No buts! You want to set off on your own, don’t you? Then it’s time you start acting responsibly. You have no one to blame but yourself for the consequence of you sleeping in all day.”

Ash: “Ugh...”

Spencer: “Hehe, talk about strict.”

Mrs. Hale: “She’s not wrong, but I can’t help but feel a little sorry for him.”

*Back at Oak’s Lab*

Professor Oak: “Ah, welcome everyone.”

Blue: “Hey Gramps! Glad to see you’re not stuck in the fields again.”

Professor Oak: “Well, I know it wouldn’t be fair to have you wait on me doing my research before getting your Pokemon, um...what was you name again? Gary?”

Blue: “It’s Blue, Gramps! That joke stopped being funny the first time!”

Red & Green: *Snickers*

Professor Oak: “Seems like your friends would beg to differ.”

Blue: “They just have bad taste.”

Green: “Lighten up, Blue. So, is it time to get our pokemon?”

Professor Oak: “Yes, I believe you’ve waited long enough.” *presses a button, causing a table to appear, carrying 5 pokeballs.* “So, which one of you wants to pick first?”

Green: “I think Red should go first. He did beat us here after all.”

Blue: “What?! I never agreed to that!”

Professor Oak: “Sounds fair to me.”

Blue: “Who’s side are you on, Gramps?!”

Red: “Weren’t you always saying “First come, first served” every time we played together?”

Blue: “I...Y-...fine, but this means I pick second!”

Green: “How when we tied?”

Blue: “I was still the first through the door, so that counts for something!”

Red: “Someone’s butt-hurt.”

Blue: “Just shut up and pick, Red!”

Red: *goes up the table and after looking at all the pokeballs, he picks the one with a fire symbol next to it.* “I choose this one.” *lets out the pokemon*

Professor Oak: “The fire pokemon, charmander. I think he suits you.”

Green: “Aww, he looks so cute. Now I’m jealous.”

Charmander: “Char!”

Red: *gives charmander a nice rub on the head*

Blue: “My turn!” *runs up to the table* “Since Red chose a fire type, then I choose this one!” *grabs the pokeball near a water symbol and lets out the pokemon-

Squirtle: “Squirtle, squirt!”

Green: “Going for the type advantage with a water pokemon? You really do only care about winning, don’t you?”

Blue: “N-No! I just want to make sure my rival has a decent challenge.”

Green: “Oh really? Then I guess you wouldn’t care if I pick THIS pokemon.” *grabs the pokeball near the grass symbol and lets out the pokemon*

Bulbasuar: “Bulbasuar!”

Blue: “Wait, there was a grass ty- I mean. No! I don’t mind at all! Haha...”

Red: “Shenanigans...”

Professor Oak: “Now then, here are your Pokedex and your pokeballs to start you off on your journey.”

Green: “Thank you so much, Professor Oak!”

Blue: “Hey Red, now that we got our Pokemon, how about we test them out in a battle?”

Red: “Already?”

Green: “As if I didn’t see that coming.”

Professor Oak: “If you going to battle, please do it outside. My assistants not too long cleaned the place.”

Blue: “Fine! I’ll meet you in the first route, Red!” *runs out*

Red: *sighs then follows*

Green: “I guess I better go after them. Can’t let them get too far ahead.” *leaves*

*Outside*

Gary: “Hey guys!”

Blue: “Hmph, took you long enough to show up. We already got our pokemon.”

Gary: “Cool? Can I see?”

Blue: “No way! We’re about to go battle right now! Showing you would only slow us down.”

Red: “Pretty sure having a battle right now is slowing us down.”

Green: “He’s right. After all, I’m not fighting. I could just take off without you guys.”

Gary: “That means I still got time to catch up. Besides, I bet my pokemon would look a lot better than yours anyway.”

Blue: “This isn’t a fashion show, Gary! In pokemon, strength is all that matters, and I’ll prove it by crushing Red with my pokemon!”

Gary: “Sure, whatever floats your boat, bro, but don’t go crying once you get thrashed since you refuse to see the bigger picture.”

Blue: “What bigger picture?!”

Red: “Are we going to fight, or what?”

Blue: “Yeah yeah. Let’s go guys” *leaves with Red and Green*

Gary: “Heh. Smell you later.” *goes inside*

*Back at the Ketchum household*

Ash: *finishes his meal* “Thanks for the meal, mom!” -starts rushing-

Spencer: “Hold on, Ash! Aren’t you forgetting something?”

Ash: “What? I finished everything on my plate! I gotta go! Everyone’s probably miles ahead of me right now! Especially Blue. He’s less patient than any of us!”

Spencer: “Perhaps, but it would be bad to go traveling without some supplies, right?”

Mr. Mime: *goes up to Ash with his bag full of items* “Mime!”

Ash: “Thank you.”

Mrs. Hale: “You should thank your mother. She made sure to put in everything you need in that bag, didn’t you?”

Delia: “Of course! It’s a dangerous world out there and...I want to make sure my son is okay.”

Ash: “Don’t worry mom, I’ll be fine.”

Molly: “Don’t forget to call us, Ash!”

Ash: “You bet Molly.” *rubs Molly’s head before finally leaving the house, making his way to the lab, only to bump into Gary once he opens the door* “Ow!”

Gary: “What gives?! I- Oh, hey Ashy-boy! Late as usual I see.”

Ash: “Gary?! It’s not like you’re much earlier than I am!”

Gary: “True, but I was making sure I’m prepared for the long journey. What’s your excuse? No wait, let me guess. Your alarm didn’t work again?”

Ash: “How did- wait that’s not the point! So, where’s everyone?”

Gary: “They all grabbed their pokemon and left not too long ago. I’m about to head out myself as a matter of fact.”

Ash: “Aaaaahhh! I knew it! I better grab my pokemon and go right now!” *runs inside the lab*

Gary: “Tch, and that loser calls himself my rival?” *leaves*

*Inside the lab...*

Professor Oak: “Ah Ash! I was wondering when you would show up.”

Ash: “Sorry I’m late professor.”

Professor Oak: “No need to worry, my boy. It’s never too late to start your journey. Speaking of which...” *presses the button to bring out his table with pokeballs* “It’s time for you to claim your first pokemon.”

Ash: “Okay. I’ve been thinking long and hard about it since last night. And I choose...” *takes the first pokeball* “The fire type!” *...but no pokemon came out of the ball*

Professor Oak: “I’m sorry Ash, but I’m afraid Red beat you charmader.”

Ash: “That’s fine...then how about water?!” *once again, no pokemon*

Professor Oak: “Squirtle would be my grandson, Blue’s choice.”

Ash: “Then...grass?” *yet again, an empty ball*

Professor Oak: “Bulbasuar is under Green’s care now.”

Ash: “Seriously? You know what, fine! A normal type would be a good way to start anyway.” *still no pokemon*

Professor Oak: “I’m afraid my grandson, Gary just beat you to Eevee a moment ago.”

Ash: “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you professor?”

Professor Oak: “Maybe a little...” *chuckles* “You know, there is still one more left in the pile” *points to the pokeball next to the electric symbol*

Ash: *takes it and releases the pokemon*

Pikachu: “Pikachu!”

Ash: “Woah, a Pikachu! This one’s the best off all!” *picks him up* “I know we’re going to be the perfect team!”

Pikachu: “Chuuuuuuu!!!” *annoyed, he zaps Ash*

Ash: “...I’m okay...”

Professor Oak: “Now then, here are your pokeballs and your pokedex.”

Ash: “Thank you professor. Alright, ready to go?”

Pikachu: “Pi!” *grabs Ash’s hat and runs away*

Ash: “Hey! My hat! Get back here!” -runs after Pikachu-

#Pokemon #anime #pokemon red #pokemon blue #pokemon green #pokemon anime #pokemon yellow

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heynikkiyousofine · 3 years

Link

Sooooo, I couldn't wait until tomorrow to post Chapter 3, because as I'm writing this story and getting so many good responses, I became super impatient, haha. This one is a little shorter, but Kagome has began her travels. Enjoy!

@keichanz @neutronstarchild

Kagome woke with a start, head pounding, she groaned and turned over, snuggling closer next to Shippo. They had traveled to the next village over and asked for a place to sleep, arriving near supper time. The local inn let them stay the night for free, most likely feeling sorry for them. Covered in dirt, sweat and black soot, her dress resembling a dirty towel than anything, Kagome and Shippo went to the spring and soaked, quietly mulling over the past night events. She wondered if Naraku’s men had captured Jineji as well, knowing it was no use to go back and find out. Exhausted, they both crashed onto the bed after eating a quick meal downstairs and passed out for the night.

Slowly opening her eyes, Kagome realized it was still dark, not yet dawn. The innkeeper had given her a map to the castle before they had retired yesterday, so she sat up, going over to her bag and pulling out the worn piece of paper. Shippo was still sleeping, so she set the map on the bed and went to wash her face. She wished she had thought to bring an extra pair of clothing, knowing it was this and her cloak for the time being. Feeling a little refreshed, Kagome sat softly on the bed, so she didn’t wake Shippo, and began to study the map near the soft glow of the lantern.

The innkeeper had said if you follow the path north, you would get to the castle in four days, but Kagome wasn’t sure if she had that kind of time. Something urged her to go through the forest, knowing it would take her only two days if she traveled on foot, but needed to make sure she and Shippo rested and stayed safe. Fingering the blue pendant around her neck, she sighed softly, knowing that they should get going soon, the room around her beginning to lighten with the rising sun. She always loved the forest, especially as a little girl, so she wasn’t exactly afraid of it, but she hadn’t ever been this far away from home and with everything that Kaede had told her, wasn’t sure who she could trust. Lost in thought, she felt soft paws on her cheek, and turned to see Shippo with sleepy emerald eyes looking at her with worry. “Is it time to go ‘Gome?”

Nodding quickly, “Yeah, we should get breakfast and go. We are heading through the forest, it is much faster and I worry those men will catch up to us, if they haven’t already gone back to Naraku.” Kagome shuddered. She hadn’t ever met the man, but his name gave her this awful feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Washing his face quickly with a rag, Shippo, grabbed his bag and pulled an apple from it, only to hand to Kagome. After reaching for it, Kagome took a bite and handed it back, Shippo shook his head. “I smell food downstairs, we can grab something there.” He muttered sheepishly, “It was my last apple and I wanted you to have it.”

Smiling softly, Kagome took a huge bite. The apple really was delicious, she internally thanked the Kamis for a tasty fruit and tossed the core towards a bin near the door. Strapping her boots on, Kagome kneeled so Shippo could jump to her shoulder. Youkai lived around here peacefully too, so she wasn’t worried about something happening to him, but he was little and she felt better if he was near. Walking downstairs, they were greeted with a cheerful hello front the innkeeper’s wife and settled for some breakfast.

After promising to be safe, they settled onto a grassy path that went straight into the forest, growing darker as it went. “Are you sure we shouldn’t stay on the road?” Shippo asked, burying into Kagome’s arms, feeling little uncertain.

“I’m sure. It’s half the time and I think we’ll be safer. Those men could be going down busy roads and villages. This way we are still outta sight better.” Kagome didn’t tell him about her secret, or that she could see small flying fairies over in a distance, or that something had called her to the forest.

“Does this one have a name?” Shippo asked.

“The map called the it Inuyasha’s Forest, the innkeeper mentioned that a white haired man protects and is often seen lounging about in a tree, watching over travelers. I wonder if we will see him?” Kagome wondered.

As they began their brisk pace through the forest, Kagome began to feel eyes on her back. Coming to a slow walk, she quieted Shippo who was telling her a made up story, and turned to her left. She watched as small man with a pointy green hat scurried behind a large tree.

Kagome urging Shippo to ground, slowly stepped toward the large trunk of the tree, “It’s okay, I won’t hurt you.”

“You’re a fairy.” A meek voice spoke.

“Excuse me? I didn’t catch that.” Kagome asked nervously. She wasn’t sure how well Shippo could hear from over here.

“You’re a fairy. Why do you walk with a youkai?” Brown eyes peeked at her from around the tree. Kneeling down, Kagome sat so Shippo was blocked from his view and looked at the small man’s shoes. They were the same color as his hat, but not as pointed and had a fine layer of dirt.

“He’s my friend and we are traveling together. He doesn’t know that I’m a fairy, so if we could keep that to ourselves, I would be grateful. What’s your name?”

“Aiko Barkhide, pleased to meet you.” He mumbled, outstretching his hand with a blush across his nose. His mother would skin him if he forgot his manners. “You’re really pretty.”

Giggling softly, “Thank you Aiko, my name is Kagome. Would you like to walk with us for a while? My friend Shippo is really nice, I think you would get along with him.” Something about this small man, or child as she guessed as he talked more, seemed to be safe. He knew who she was beneath her concealment and Kaede had said only other mythical creatures would know who was, she thought painfully. She missed her.

“I can walk with you for a little while. My ma will be wondering where I am if I don’t get home by dark.” The small child said bashfully. He stepped out from behind the tree and straightened his dark brown tunic and looked at Shippo. Bounding over, Shippo introduced himself and they began to walk back along the path they once were on.

“Where are you traveling to?” Aiko asked, walking next to Shippo.

“We’re headed to the castle! They are going to help us with Kagome’s mama. She was taken away.” Shippo quickly explained, a frown marring his childlike features.

“Taken? By who?” “Naraku’s men. The same ones who killed my family.”

Stopping suddenly, Kagome and Shippo watched with curious looks as Aiko kneeled to the ground and began to dig into the soil with his fingers, his hands glowing softly. Closing his eyes, he whispered a few sentences, the stood up and looked at him as if nothing had happened. As Shippo began to ask what he did, many other gnomes, dressed similar to Aiko, stepped out from the trees and underbrush, surrounding them.

“Aiko! Is this them?” A small woman, slightly taller than Aiko, with sandy colored hair walked over, reaching for Aiko’s hand. Nodding, he turned towards the woman. “Ma, the bad man Naraku hurt their families. They came for refuge like our family did.”

Aiko’s mother turned to study the two travelers, watching as Shippo stood beside Kagome slightly trembling, and Kagome’s hand gripping tightly around her bag strap and a confused look on her pretty features, recognizing the young woman to be a fairy. She was hiding her features though. These two must have seen a lot recently for them to be scared of a bunch of gnomes she pondered. Stepping slightly forward, to not scare them, she introduced herself. “I am Faeyore Barkhide, Aiko’s ma. He whispered to us to through the soil about you two. I am so sorry about your families. Anytime you travel through this area, you have our protection and are always welcome. We shall accompany you as long as we can.” She gestured to the group around her.

Kagome’s shoulders sagged with relief. This woman must have known what she was and didn’t say anything, but offered protection instead. She felt like she could trust this woman, even though she couldn’t read her soul, and wondered if she was in charge. “Thank you. My name is Kagome and this Shippo. We are traveling to the castle and would love to walk with you for a little bit. We planned on stopping for lunch soon. Would you like to join us?”

Taking her kindness with great consideration, Faeyore sent a man to go grab some food for everyone and gestured to the travelers, mentioning of a field nearby and a stream that they could rest at. As everyone settled around a few rocks, the man returned with food and passed around fruit, nuts and some fish.

“These are delicious!” Shippo exclaimed with his mouth stuffed full of grapes.

“Shippo! Chew first, then speak.” Kagome reprimanded, then giggled softly at the boy. Watching them with fondness, Faeyore began to talk to the young woman, wondering if she was in hiding or if she was related to the royals who had perished long ago.

“Kagome dear, do you know who you are?” Faeyore had a sneaking suspicion Shippo didn’t know.

Eyes widened slightly and Kagome nodded. She glanced quickly at Shippo, but he was preoccupied with Aiko and they were examining some bugs on the ground. Boys. “How did you know?” Kagome whispered.

“I can see your wings, but I don’t think Shippo can, if that’s what you’re worried about. Mythical creatures can recognize their own kind, it helps to know who we can trust. Why are you hiding it out here though? Inuyasha’s Forest is safe for all mythical creatures, King Toga forbid any harm to those who reside in this haven and his son, the hanyou protects it.”

“He does? What does he look like?” Kagome leaned in, even more curious about this hanyou. Maybe this was the man she saw in the wildflowers.

“A lot like his father, but a lot like his mother. Most of the time, he’s grumbling about something, you don’t want to get on his bad side. He has a nasty temper. He’s never alone though. He always has two of his guard with him, though I suspect they are really his friends. He comes through this way every so often. He passed through yesterday in such a hurry, I didn’t get a change to talk to him very long, just let his horses rest and drink some water, before running off again.”

“I wonder what happened. Either way, I thank you for not telling Shippo. He’s just child and while I know he has a good heart, this is a big secret for anyone.”

“You have my word, that unless you are showing your wings, I will not tell a soul. Do you know where your parents are or who their names are? I know of some fairy families near here, but most have been killed by Naraku and his men. I may know them.”

Closing her eyes quickly, Kagome shook her head slightly, “I lived with my mother, Mother Kaede, she was a human priestess, until I came along. They took her too, but I don’t know if she is alive anymore. That’s why I’m headed towards the castle. I have to talk to King Toga, I need his help.”

“We will help you there for the rest of the evening dear. Should you ever need it in the future, you also have our alliance. We may be small, but we can connect with nature. We should get moving. I would love to hear about your mother.” Faeyore smiled at Kagome warmly, helping her gather her bag. As they started into the forest, Faeyore couldn’t help but wonder if she was the lost child of the King and Queen. She has heard rumors of the queen escaping, but nothing of the child. She looked so much like Queen Kikyo. The bunch of gnomes helped Kagome and Shippo to the next village and wished them a good night before scurrying away into the night. Before leaving, Faeyore and Aiko hugged them both, dropped some coins in their pockets, whispering good luck. Checking into the inn, Kagome and Shippo settled in for the night, falling asleep quickly.

Nearing the castle, three horses pounded the ground at top speed, panting from exhaustion, but Inuyasha urged them forward. They were almost there, he needed to hurry. ”Inuyasha! We must rest the horses, they will not make it by night fall.” Miroku yelled from his right a little far back. Sango didn’t say a word, but he could see agreed with Miroku.

“Fine! We’ll stop and rest, but we are close to getting home. I’m going run ahead, while y'all two slow asses get them to the stables. Make sure they are tied up and rested before coming to see my father!” He yelled back at Sango and Miroku, jumping off his horse, coming to a stop. Giving Sango his reins, he turned and jumped into the trees, not giving a sparing glance back or catching the worried looks of his friend’s faces.

Inuyasha bounded from tree to tree in the dusk, coming up on the castle’s wall. He loved his home, the castle grounds, his friends and family, but there was something about the forest. He knew his father teased him about it and even declared it to be Inuyasha’s Forest, but he couldn’t help but lay in the trees for a nap or walk along the canopy to watch the sunset. As he quickly jumped over the castle’s stone wall, scaring the night guard below, he ran for the throne room, knowing his father was most likely still awake and could feel his youki coming. Bursting through the throne room, he smelt two scents in the grand entrance, and before he could speak to his father, he heard a bark.

“Hey dog breath!” An arrogant voice called from his left.

“King Koga.” He gritted, holding his breath, while he spoke. He hated the smell of wolves.

“Ha, some manners. I know your mother taught you better than that.” Koga scowled at the prince. Inuyasha couldn’t wait until he was king so he could give the wolf ruler a good punch in the face. Or maybe cut off the ugly tail protruding from his back.

“Koga! Quit teasing him!” A loud, but strong feminine voice came from the dais, the owner with red hair and a mate mark on her neck. “Inuyasha dear, are you alright? You look startled.” “Yes, Your Majesty, I am fine. Where is my father? I must speak to him, it’s urgent.” Inuyasha bowed as he spoke to Queen Ayame. He liked her, she always put Koga in his place.

“I am here, my boy.” The baritone voice coming from behind him. Turning quickly, Inuyasha walked over to his parents and gave his mother a kiss on the cheek, before turning again to speak to his father.

“My boy, what is it? Our fellow king and queen were getting ready to retire when you arrived very suddenly. They are here to visit and talk negotiations for our borders with the Eastern Kingdom.”

“Father, it’s about the Eastern Kingdom.” Inuyasha exclaimed, beginning to gather everyone’s full attention. “I was hunting in the forest with Miroku and Sango, near the eastern border, along the village with the horse hanyou and his garden. The forest was on fire and I smelt Naraku’s men.” He left out the part about the unknown woman.

“Are you sure? Being in our borders calls for war. Are you absolutely sure my son?” Toga asked sternly, his eyes growing brighter with every word he spoke, as he put his hand to Inuyasha’s shoulder.

“Yes Father, I’m sure. I was in our land the entire time. They were there, along with villagers they had captured. I smelt death among them too, so they had to have been killing.”

Nodding quickly, he turned towards King Koga, with an angered expression, “Koga, it is time. We must gather all of our forces and train together. I’ve heard vastly evil things about what Naraku and his men have done to our people. Now that he is in my land, it is time to attack.” As he began to think things out, he let go of his wife’s arm and beckoned the page boy close by. “Send a message to my son, King Sesshomaru, ask that he come pay a visit and what has happened here. I suggest you be quick and quiet about it, do you understand me?” The young page boy with sandy brown hair, Hojo, nodded fearfully and took off throughout he corridor, leaving a speechless room behind.

“Toga, I need to get back to my home and gather my men and our defenses, time is precious.” Koga said.

“Sesshomaru should be here within two days, can you wait until then? We can plan out our defense system across the land and then get back home to protect it. I plan on staying at the border’s wall, making sure my home is safe.”

“I agree dear, we must do this together.” Ayame reassured her husband, taking his hand in hers.

“Okay then, let’s retire. Tomorrow will be a long day for all of us. Thank you Prince Inuyasha for the warning, it could really help up take down the evil bastard.” Shaking the hanyou’s hand, Koga led Ayame to their suite. Inuyasha’s mother, who had been silent this whole time, lifted her plum skirt and sat herself upon the dais, next to her husband and grabbed his hand, squeezing it lightly.

“My son, you’ve had a long day, where are your friends?” Toga asked, lightly patting Izayoi’s hand, silently reassuring her fears.

“They are arriving and putting the horses away. I wanted to get here as fast as possible.”

Nodding, Toga sent his son to bed and began to take this own wife to their bedroom. “My dear, Inuyasha hasn’t been quite himself lately. He’s been spending so much time in the forest. I’m almost afraid to ask him about the dreams of the princess again.” Izayoi quietly spoke, as they walked towards their bed chamber.

“He still talks of Princess Kagome? It’s been sometime since he has asked anything of her.” Toga responded in surprise.

“Not as often these days. I do catch him gazing longingly at the flowers in the garden still. Do you really think she was his mate?”

“I do, love. I think she is still alive too, hidden very well, but alive. Demons go crazy when they’ve smelled their mate, whether they know it or not, and then when that scent is gone from the earth. It’s like a crack appears on their soul. Remember when we heard of the fall of the eastern kingdom, Inuyasha has nightmares for months and was always so angry?”

Izayoi nodded, her finger tapping her chin, “So you think from the time we met the princess and he smelt her, he unconsciously knew?”

Chuckling, “He said she smells nice. The only other time he mentions someone’s smell is King Koga’s and how much he can’t stand it. I don’t know if he realizes exactly what she is to him, I can only hope he finds her.”

Laughing along with her husband. Izayoi smirked tiredly, leaning her head on his shoulder, “I hope we find her soon. I couldn’t bare to imagine if Naraku did first. I don’t even know what she would look like nowadays. It’s been two decades.”

“I agree, but we can’t give up hope. I can feel something is going to happen, good or bad, I’m not sure, but it think it will turnout for the best, for everyone.”

Inuyasha grumbled his way down the hall. He didn’t like being ordered to bed and he certainly didn’t like the wolf king, though his wife wasn’t that bad. She could put the flea bag in his place. He always stunk and his attitude was even worse. I wonder if father ever put the wolf in his place, he thought happily. As he readied himself to bed, his thoughts began to drift back to the meadow, reminding him so much of the smell he remembered all those years ago. As he slept, striking blue eyes filled his dreams.

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meichenxi · 4 years

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For langblr asks: 7, 10, 11, 18, and 49

Thanks!! This may get long, so I apologise in advance! I’m learning German and Esperanto alongside Chinese, but since my German is fairly advanced and I don’t really learn actively any more (I just read, listen to talks etc - mainly because I have no reason to actively speak German sadly) and my Esperanto is basic I’ll just talk about Chinese.

7 - What are some things that you learned about language learning that really improved your studying?

- Hands down learning about the role of attention in language learning. In an ideal situation, you are exposed to the target feature, then have your attention drawn to it/figure it out yourself, and are then exposed to it in natural language again. I think we all know the wild experience when you learn a word and then magically the universe provides it - and suddenly you know that word forever. I now like to think of word ‘learning’ as incremental rather than binary: recognising a word in a familiar context, an unfamiliar context, and then finally using the word are all different levels of ‘knowing’ that word. What this means in practice is that I worry less about not being able to use all the vocabulary actively that I recognise passively, because I know once I do use it actively that item will be easier to access. So there are two things here: first of all, that I don’t worry if I’m watching or reading something and don’t actively extract vocab from it, because I know that hearing it will make it easier to remember later on; and secondly, that if I ‘pay attention’ to a word but don’t ‘learn’ it because I haven’t seen it in context, that state of not knowing is temporary. The moment I see it in context - sometimes months later, when I had completely ‘forgotten’ that word - I know what it is. So I don’t stress as much about not being able to remember words from flashcards or whatever, because I know that seeing/hearing them in context is what cements that word, not just repetition.

10 - What are some thing that you love about the language you’re learning?

Oh my goodness. So many things. I love characters; they used to absolutely drive me crazy, but the ability to read after so long being unable to read now just feels wonderfully exciting every single time. I love learning about different components and how they combine together. I love too that the idea of ‘the word’ is tied so intimately to characters: there are psycholinguistic experiments showing that Chinese native speakers learning English show interference effects when two words are presented in English that have the same component (not even whole character!) and it slows down decision making. I love the way that tone and intonation interact and I love seeing how far I’ve come from not understanding how I could express emotion at all. I love what Chinese shows about the power of the second language learner: it’s incredibly homophonous because of limited syllables even with tones, and it’s radical pro-drop, the more formal you are the shorter/more concise sentences tend to be, and when you’re in a different dialect/Chinese language even those useful initials or finals can change and still you know what is being said. It’s incredible. I love the sound of <q> and <j> and <x> and especially the final <ing>.

The thing I love most about Chinese is its conciseness and elegance. I love learning about different systems of politeness and register and Literary Chinese is just so incredibly concise: if learning modern standard Mandarin is interesting, Literary Chinese is just...it blows my mind. It’s very unique: and I don’t mean this in the sense of ‘oh look how Exotic and Different’, I mean this typologically: it’s arguably the most analytical language in the world and is regularly used in linguistics papers to exemplify phenomena found in such highly analytical languages. I also think the encoding of order-based pragmatics into actual linguistic implicature is absolutely so cool.

I love the difference registers it has, and I love that it feels such a good language to moan about the bus being late in and also, you know, that kind of poetry which just takes your breath away. I love how the same sentence can be expressed in different registers and how grammar patterns from literary Chinese can be used in modern Chinese. I love how compounding and derivational morphology work in Chinese (it’s absolutely nuts?? and so versatile??) and I love how names carry so much meaning. I love it for its ambiguity and conciseness and completely *shrug* lack of need to express tense or person because you know, if you know you know.

And from a synesthete’s point of view, Chinese is beautiful too: it’s a crisp clear dawn-like language, cool and misty.

Finally, I love it for what it has taught me. It’s the first tonal language I’ve ever learnt, and the learning curve has been huge. Parts of it have been massively frustrating (we’ll get to that). I remember the week before I went to China for the first time hurriedly trying to learn some phrases, and I just couldn’t get them to stick in my head. I think I practiced ‘good morning’ about 10,000 times and I still couldn't say it right, or remember it. Languages were sort of my thing - I had taken my German GCSE early, done French and Spanish 0-GCSE in one year each, done three language A-levels (Spanish in five months because I dropped out of another A-level, self-taught German) as well as an extracurricular Latin GCSE. I was cocky!! And so not being able to do it was crushing at first and also just, what?? So learning Chinese has taught me patience, and it’s a useful bench-mark now if I ever feel like I can’t do anything. It’s taught me that you just need patience and determination, and that you'll get there in the end. Genuinely, that’s the most useful lesson I’ve learnt in my short life.

11 - What are some things that you don’t like / find frustrating about the language you’re learning?

Originally, I found both the pronunciation and characters immensely frustrating. I think I’m over those hurdles, and now what annoys me most is the grammar - and if anyone says there is no grammar in Chinese I may just murder you. Chinese grammar is hard because, as I’ve talked about before, a lot of rests on sentence patterns and a lot of it seems to shift in ways that, say, Spanish grammar doesn’t, depending on context, formality and so on. But the reason Chinese grammar is difficult is again because the categories it manipulates are ones that don’t map perfectly onto what we think is being manipulated. So we build representations in our mind and try to learn structures without realising that a lot of it is patterns, not something set in stone. This includes phenomena like topic-marking, fronting, emphasis and so on. The most ‘grammar’-like of Chinese grammar actually is based in large parts in implicatures and the pragmatic-semantic interface, which is very hard to teach. This is why I think that input is especially crucial in Chinese.

Also, embedded wh-questions are hard.

As I’m learning more, though, this is all gradually becoming less frustrating. I don’t want to jinx anything and I still have a lot to learn, but I’m feeling cautiously optimistic that the worst is behind me. Things are making a lot more sense now anyway!!!

18 - Have you had any conversations with natives of your target language/s? How did that go?

Haha, of course. I lived in China for six months and then visited again for two months. I also work as an English teacher online and have a lot of Chinese students. I also sometimes chat with other Chinese students in the German classes I was taking. I’m really excited though to go back to China though now that I’m a little bit better and see how I can improve from there!!! I feel like last time I wasn’t really at a good enough level to improve quickly; I think this time would be really hard, but I can communicate well enough that I hope people wouldn’t switch back to English.

One of the problems I have always had though has been that my pronunciation sounded better than my knowledge of the language - because of immersion. So people always assumed I understood way more than I actually did which was always terrible because I never knew wtf was going on.

One really really nice conversation I had recently: in my English class, a young girl’s mother asked if I could explain the present simple vs present continuous to her daughter...in Chinese. And regardless of what nonsense I said, the little girl understood! Ahhhh that warm glowy feeling of human connection and accomplishment.

49 - What are your language goals for 2021?

Since I’m learning quite intensively at the moment, these goals will be appropriately intense. Gulp.

1) Pass HSK5 (March). This is my biggest goal, and the first time I’ve ever worked towards a language exam so I’m a little nervous. I think it’s do-able (especially with the help of the course that I’m taking, HSK Online), but still large enough to be scary.

2) Be able to write all words up to HSK5 by hand (July). I have a little more time for this one - normally I don’t think handwriting is particularly important, but since I’m going to be studying in a Chinese university next year with the dreaded 听写 I need to be able to do it. They sort you into groups depending on your exam results, and if I can’t handwrite more than 我 then I’m not going to get very far. How do I plan on achieving this? I’m planning maybe on buying a subscription to Skritter again and working through (I really like them), but most importantly, just handwriting freely in a notebook and building up the habit.

3) Be able to read at the same speed as the subtitles. I know, I know, most people can. But I can’t lmao so let me practice.

4) Be in a good place to take HSK6 in early 2022. I don’t actually know if I’m going to take the HSK6 exam: maybe not. HSK5 is only important for me because I need it for a scholarship. But as random as some of the words are, it’s a very good benchmark and a useful list. Considering I’ll have from March until the end of the year, and from the end of June onwards I’ll be in a Mandarin-speaking environment (and be in a Chinese university from August/September) I think it’ll set me up well. It’s way too much to do by the end of the year though, so this goal is just to do as much as I can before 2022.

5) Read the first Harry Potter in Chinese. Guys, I’m not looking to understand the descriptions of the moat or Hagrid’s beard. But I want to be able to read the dialogue with ease, and be able to dip in and out of the book with ease.

6) Complete my literary Chinese textbook (mid-year).

7) Be able to watch shows like Streetdance of China without subs. I can watch some shows already without subs, but I often feel that’s more to do with galaxy-brain thinking, ‘reading the room’ and being lazy than actually understanding all the words. Despite shows like the Untamed having more ‘difficult’ vocab, I find them a lot easier to understand than variety shows etc because the audio is extremely clear and not too fast. Watching Nirvana in Fire without subs will have to be a goal for 2022 lmao; no way will that happen by this time next year.

8) Learn the top 1000 traditional characters and practice reading traditional more. This is not as hard as it sounds: past about the top 500, many of them differ in very predictable ways.

And here are three long-term goals I have no time limits on:

1) Read MDZS and TGCF in Chinese. Ahhh. The dream.

2) Read lots of wuxia!!!!!!! All the wuxia!!!!!!!! Be able to read actual books, imagine.

3) Use Chinese for academic research on Chinese dialects and Tibetan languages. This is kind of...my career path...so!

Thanks for the ask!!

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jeontaeh · 3 years

Text

TWENTY FIVE²⁵

✫ ✬ ✭ ✬ ✫

Jungkook woke up on his bed, his body feeling cold, numb. Unable to move.

"T-Taehyung?" Jungkook let out, feeling a horrible nauseous state fill his sense. Jungkook tried lifting his body off the bed, and felt himself stuck.

The door to his bedroom opened, and Jungkook cried out in pain. "I'm fucking stuck."

"Haha is Stuck another name for Taehyung?"

"Jin this is not the time! Help me up-" Jungkook whimpered, and Jin sighed.

"Tae!" Jin called loudly, and Taehyung opened the door to walk into the room. He saw Jungkook lying like that and frowned instantly, rushing up to him. Jungkook looked at him, and Taehyung reached down on the bed.

Taehyung wrapped his arms around Jungkook slowly, and Jungkook instantly felt a warmth fill him up. "Cherry you're really cold,"

"Like soda." Jin commented, and Taehyung gave him a offhanded look, and then turned back to Jungkook.

Taehyung put his hand behind his back and helped him sit up. Jungkook placed his hands on Taehyung's arms, tucking his head in the crevice of Taehyung's neck. "Where am I?"

"The ship, where the fuck else would you be?"

"Jin, please," Taehyung grumbled, and Jin rolled his eyes. "Listen, Tinfoil. I'm the nurse here, and Jungkook keeps getting sick. "It's quite concerning, okay? So shut up and let me do my job."

"What 'job' exactly? You're just standing there making comments." Taehyung said, and Jin huffed.

"Well I'm not gonna help him! He only seems to get better if you help." Jin scoffed, and Jungkook looked at Jin.

"Jin I wanted to talk to Taehyung for a bit.. alone." Jungkook said, and Jin just turned around and left, not having to be told twice that the two were gonna do something weird.

"What's going on?" Jungkook asked. "I-I swear Jimin was here.. and- and then I started crying or something.. and then you came in... and suddenly I'm on my bed, awake." Jungkook said.

Taehyung gulped. "Well. T-that's how it be."

Jungkook frowned. "No. No that's not how it be. I keep fainting and stuff! And- and you-" Jungkook started, and then poked Taehyung in the chest. "You come in.. and suddenly I'm alright."

Jungkook looked at Taehyung in confusion. "Why is that? Plus, didn't we break up? Isn't it Jimin's birthday? Did I sleep all night? Am I going to die-"

"No." Taehyung said quickly, and then flopped onto the bed, grabbing Jungkook and wrapping his arms around him, spooning him. "Let's sleep."

"You didn't answer my questions.." Jungkook mumbled, feeling Taehyung rest his chin on Jungkook's shoulder. "Are- are we together?"

"We're not.. together together. We're just.. together."

"Why." Jungkook humphed, eyebrows furrowing angrily.

"Sshhh.. don't ask too many questions. Let's just sleep." Taehyung whispered, and then kissed Jungkook's cheek softly. Jungkook sighed.

"Okayy.. I am really tired. Nothing could wake me up. Absolutely nothing. Not even if we're hurling towards an unknown alien planet right now because we ran out of fuel-"

Their room door burst open. "Taehyung! Jungkook! We're hurling towards an unknown alien planet right now because we ran out of fuel!" Jimin cried, and Taehyung and Jungkook sat up.

"What?!" Both let out at once, and Jimin nodded hurriedly and then rushed off towards the control room. Jungkook and Taehyung both got up and followed him out, walking to the control room quickly. The moment they walked in, it was utter chaos.

Yoongi was typing away rapidly at a computer, Hoseok was not there- presumably in the engineering room, helping out. Jin was helping at the control, Jimin was pressing buttons on a holographic map, and Namjoon was sitting on the captain's chair, giving orders and managing the movement.

Taehyung and Jungkook instantly rushed to the control table, both getting into work. Taehyung began working two things at once, the buttons to control the engines and the board to control the pull towards the planet. Jungkook looked, and through the window saw them falling right towards the planet.

Hoseok rushed into the control room. "Not a drop of fuel left. Engines are running low. We need to go slow or else we'll crash land on that planet and this ship will explode-" Hoseok snapped, and Namjoon gave him a look.

"We can't go slow." Namjoon grumbled. "We don't have enough fuel, we'll end up crash landing either way."

"What do we do?" Jungkook asked nervously, and Namjoon took a deep breath.

"Someone needs to fly the ship and ensure it lands normally. It's gonna take a lot of force and attention," Namjoon said, and everyone looked at him cautiously.

"Will- will you do it?" Jin asked.

"He can't even drive a car." Jimin whispered, and Yoongi glared at him.

Suddenly, the alarms on the side of the control room started blaring, whole room turning red for fractions of seconds, loud sound blaring through the room. Everyone looked nervous, trying to get the stuff in check, sitting down on their seats hastily.

"Fuck it, I'll do it." Taehyung grumbled, and Jungkook looked at him wide eyed.

"Tae-" Jungkook started, and Taehyung rushed to sit right in the middle of the panel, and then grabbed the steering.

They entered the orange planet, and began hurling right through the sky, zooming down gold clouds and into the air. They were facing the ground which was thousands of feet below, falling. The ship was falling.

"Taehyung-" Jungkook let out in fear, and saw a vein grow on the side of Taehyung's neck, eyebrows furrow in concentration, sweat droplets reaching his forehead.

The ship kept falling down and down, gaining speed, and the sides of the ship getting hotter, clearly catching on fire. "Taehyung!" Namjoon shouted in alert, and everyone turned to see with widened fearful eyes.

Everyone saw the ground approaching, feared them crash landing, and- well, began screaming. Jungkook closed his eyes tight, the ground and their inevitable crash going closer and closer and closer and-

Taehyung pulled on the steering wheel, hands coiled around them tight, turning it in a rush and then pushing it down. And then- the ship stopped.

Stopped mid air, inches above the ground.

Everyone froze for a few seconds, and then felt the ship plop onto the ground from where it was a meter above the ground.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief, falling onto the floor or to their seats. Jungkook looked at Taehyung, who was breathing heavily. The silver haired boy let go of the steering wheel, looking shocked and relieved by what he did. Jungkook grabbed Taehyung and hugged him really tightly, breathing staggered.

"Oh my god- that was- that was so fucking scary, Taehyung. I thought I was going to die," Jungkook stammered, and Taehyung hugged him back, squeezing his waist.

"Won't let you die now, Kookie." Taehyung whispered, and the rest of the boys walked up to them.

"Tae that was awesome!!" Jimin said excitedly.

"Very risky, but yeah, it was fucking awesome." Namjoon said, and Taehyung grinned at them.

"Thanks! I nearly shat myself. That was terrifying." Taehyung said, and then Hoseok chuckled.

"That's so great. But if we don't get out the ship right now it might explode."

Everyone ran out of the ship.

They rushed down the steps of the ship onto the maroon-ish grounds. They walked onto it, and instantly heard some kind of bubbling sound, the whole planet had some kind of a black crust atop the grounds, no trees nearby, just hills of the same black. The skies were orange, and the sun seemed red.

"Guys.. the ground. This- this crust. It kinda looks like..." Yoongi started, a little fearfully.

"Volcano crust."

"The top of an oreo."

All the boys looked at Jungkook, who blushed at everyone looking at him. "I-it kind of looks like the top of an oreo.."

"Anyways, I think.. this entire planet is a volcano or something. Like underneath this ground is the volcano.. and those random holes in the middle everywhere-" Namjoon said, pointing. "-are the opening of the volcanoes." Namjoon said, stepping carefully on the ground which felt like there was a liquid flowing beneath it.

"That is terrifying, thanks." Jin said, and Namjoon snickered.

"What do we do, guys? There's no fuel, and no life form on his planet. We're potentially stuck here for, like, ever." Hoseok said, looking worried and a little scared.

"Wig! It's our private planet ayy~" Jin said, and high-fived Jungkook.

"No, Jimin. No wig. This is bad. Really bad. We can't contact anyone. We need to figure this out by tonight. Because I don't know how long we can be stuck on this planet." Namjoon said, and Taehyung sighed.

"I know.. I'm homesick. I'm tired of this stupid space thing. I mean, I don't mind the space part of it. I think it's the possibility of us wiping off the pane of existence never to be found again that scares me." Taehyung said.

"Mood." Jimin responded. Namjoon ran his hand through his hair, clearly frustrated.

"Okay, I can't think of anything. Everyone, throw out ideas." Namjoon said.

Jungkook gasped. "Maybe we can set up some kind of signal to-"

"Everyone except you." Yoongi said, and Jungkook paused for a second, but the others continued.

"I think it's best if we find a replacement for that metal found on that other planet. We might find something similar here, right?" Jin said, and everyone nodded.

"Yeah. So I think it'll be best if we explore a bit. We have enough food and water to last us.. um... 18 years, I think." Hoseok said.

"That's really long I don't think we'll be here for that much time." Jimin snickered, and Namjoon looked at him.

"Well, I mean, calculating how far we are from our planet.. and how much time we've spent here.. it's easy to say a year or two has passed back home."

"What?!" Everyone let out, and Namjoon nodded. "Yeah. Didn't I tell you guys? Time passes really fast in space. So if we spend another week or so in space, it'll be three years back home. Three years that our family and friends and teachers have lived without us.. probably worried sick... wondering where we are... never to come back home.." Namjoon trailed.

"That's the worst thing anyone has ever said and is also giving me an existential crisis, let's move on." Yoongi decided, and everyone nodded.

"I was actually thinking.. it'd be cool if we-" Jungkook started, and Namjoon patted Jungkook's back gently.

"Sshh," Namjoon said, and Jungkook looked at him, confused. "Just.. say it a little later, okay? Let us just discuss the important stuff first." Namjoon said with a small smile.

Jungkook's breath hitched, and he nodded quickly.

"Let's set up some kind of a house for us to reside in for now." Taehyung said, and Jimin looked at him.

"Do we have to build it?" Jimin asked, and Hoseok gasped.

"No! We don't have to! found this cool block building kinda thing made by SpaceEx! It's really fun, we can make a big house from it. Can we use it Namjoon?" Hoseok asked.

"Sure." Namjoon said, and Hoseok grinned, and Jin clapped his hands together. "That sounds like fun! Let's make a castle!"

"And then sell it to get a better house." Yoongi said.

"No." Jimin said, and Jungkook raised his hand.

Everyone looked at Jungkook. "Why're you raising your hand?" Taehyung asked, and Jungkook looked at them with big eyes.

"I wanna say something." Jungkook said softly, and Taehyung almost cooed right there, but then Jin nodded at Jungkook.

"I think it'll be good if we set up a house on this flat land here." Jungkook said, pointing at the area. "And- and maybe we could set up some kind of signal to send to other planets-"

Taehyung let out a small laugh. It sounded quite endeared, and Jungkook turned and saw all of them chuckling a bit, which confused him. "Cherry, this land is not flat at all. It's rocky, and has flaming molten lava underneath it." Taehyung said with a fond laugh, not mean spirited.

Jungkook blushed a bit, and then nodded, looking away. "S-sorry." He mumbled, and the boys moved on.

"Okay so let's make a house on that hill area so we're further away from this magma land. Who wants to work on the house, and who wants to help me inside the ship?"

"Taehyung, Jimin and I can work on the house. Yoongi, Jin, and you can work inside the ship." Hoseok said to Namjoon, and Taehyung and Jimin nodded excitedly.

"What about me?" Jungkook asked, raising his hand again.

"Well you're not feeling well, cherry. I think it's best if you rest for a little." Jin said softly, and Jungkook's shoulders fell.

"I'm fine, I promise. I wanna help them-" Jungkook said, and then rushed toward Jimin, Taehyung, and Hoseok, who were walking towards the hill now.

"Guys!" Jungkook called out, and the boys stopped and looked at him. "I wanna help!" Jungkook ran up to them, and as he reached them, he tripped over a little rock and fell to the floor.

Jungkook's palms went against the floor, and the rough ground ripped through the cloth covering his knee, a cut forming there.

Jungkook hissed in pain, and Taehyung walked up to Jungkook. "Oh no, Kook, you're bleeding." Taehyung said softly, kneeling down.

Jungkook covered his knee with his hand. "I-it's okay. I'm fine. I wanna help you guys-"

"Jungkook!" Jin snapped, and Jungkook looked at him wearily. "I told you to go and rest, and this is why! Look, you hurt yourself again. Is it so hard for you to just listen sometimes?" Jin said angrily, and Jungkook looked down.

"B-but-" Jungkook started, and Jin grabbed his hand, pulling him to stand up, and then nudging him to walk towards the ship. "No but's. You're too accident prone. I look away for one goddamn second and you've broken both ankles." Jin ranted.

Jungkook turned while Jin was talking angrily and fast to look at Taehyung, who was looking at him with worry. Jungkook got pulled into the ship, and sighed.

"I-I wanted to help." Jungkook said softly.

"You can help, Kookie." Jin said, and Jungkook looked at him. He got dragged till his bedroom, and then got pushed in lightly. "You can help by staying out of it."

Jungkook frowned. Jin closed the door, and Jungkook groaned and turned around to walk to the other side of the room, the windows. He sat down on the chair outside the windows and looked outside with big eyes.

He saw Taehyung, Jimin, and Hoseok outside, all laughing while creating some walls or whatever. Jungkook saw Taehyung clutching his stomach to laugh really hard and felt a smile reach his lips.

His heart began beating really fast, and felt this weird sensation in his stomach and heart and mind. This.. attraction.. this deep emotive feeling he'd never felt for anyone before. Something which seemed an awful lot like... love.

The moment he thought of that, Jungkook felt his knee healing on its own. He gasped, seeing the cut close down and the blood fade away. What??

It didn't made any sense, but Jungkook decided he should just lie down like Jin said. He has been getting hurt a lot. Which is weird, because he never got hurt this much before.

He's only really been getting hurt since....he sucked Taehyung's dick that one time long ago. Hm. Weird.

✫ ✬ ✭ ✬ ✫

https://jeontaeh.tumblr.com/post/647228673036058624/twenty-six%C2%B2%E2%81%B6

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cloverhighfivewritestoo · 4 years

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Human Emotions

👉 Read it on Ao3

Castiel x male!OC (Aaron), comfort, fluff, strangers to boyfriends, canon universe, OC’s point of view, Sam and Dean make a guest appearance, soft quiet story, they’re taking it really slow, Destiel is mentioned. w/c 7095

Aaron has been down on his luck and moves to Lebanon to get away from it all. He gets a little job and slowly falls for this blue-eyed man who keeps coming around his job late at night. I would like to thank the ppl who beta’d: @emilyshurley (omg thanks for the title!) @hardcoresupernatural and @deanwanddamons. Thanks for the insight guys! A/N – This fic was written for the wonderful @azamatic. Hope you like it!

The tide was rising. Aaron had been sitting on a bench for some time, looking out to the sea. All he remembered was that the sun was much higher when he’d sat there earlier. He had no idea what time it was. He just felt numb. Everything had gone wrong. Job, flat, friends, loved ones. All of it. He thought, if only just one of those things had fucked up, he could have coped. Just one. But it was too much at once. He shut down. Numbness had become his comfort zone. Every day, he’d found himself wandering aimlessly, often ending up on this bench like tonight, looking at the waves and feeling nothing from feeling too much. The waves coming at regular intervals set a rhythm to his emptiness. Eventually, the cool air blowing in from the sea crept on him. He started shivering. The wind picked up. Now, he was getting too cold. He couldn’t stay here much longer. He took his phone out and opened a maps app. He closed his eyes and fiddled a finger on the screen. He opened his eyes. Lebanon, Kansas. Fine, he thought. He didn’t even bother looking up the town on the Internet. He didn’t care, he just wanted out.

Once in Lebanon, he realized he should have looked up the town first. It was small. It was very… ordinary. He found a cheap motel and booked a week.

The first day, Aaron walked around a bit. It really wasn’t much of a town, but it had everything it needed. There was a “help wanted” sign at the grocery store. He went in. He asked the manager what the job was. It was reshelving goods. He took the job. Then he went back to the motel and booked for the month. The first week went slow, but also in a haze. Reshelving goods, Aaron let himself flow into a meditative state with the repetitive tasks, and days would flow steadily by. One day, Aaron was reshelving canned tomatoes when he heard a low, gravelly voice behind him. “Dean, what brand of ketchup do you like? … OK. I think I have everything now. … Sweet mustard, too. OK. … Yes, Dean, I have the pickles.” Aaron looked at his own hand, already stopped mid-air, holding a can. He had stopped moving, too focused on listening to that voice. He turned around as subtly as possible, to see if the man was as handsome as his voice was. He only caught his profile as the man took a bottle of ketchup and walked away, saying goodbye and pocketing his phone. It wasn’t a lot, but it was enough to know he was good-looking. It took two days before Aaron saw the man again. This time, the man was not alone. He was arguing with another man in the beer section. Something about taking pointless risks. Aaron turned the corner to try and look like he’s got some kind of task to do there and check on the man. The man was huffing, as his friend – boyfriend? – was picking up two 6-packs. The man’s eyes locked on him. Damn. Aaron should want to disappear for getting caught, but the man had such beautiful blue eyes it made Aaron forget to be ashamed of staring. Aaron couldn’t look away. The man squinted a bit, visibly perplexed. Aaron didn’t know what to do. The man looked away and followed his friend to the cashier. The following day, Aaron was cleaning up after close when he heard banging on the door. He shouted, “WE’RE CLOSED”, but the banging became only more insistent. Aaron came out of the aisle to see… him. The blue-eyed man. He seemed a bit in a panic. He knocked again, and shouted, “PLEASE.” Aaron went to the door and spoke through the glass. “We’re closed, man, sorry.” The man spoke back, his eyes imploring. “Look, it’s urgent, I just need a little thing, I’ll pay.” Aaron sighed. He opened the door. The man said “Thank you so much”, and started coming in. Aaron put a hand on his chest. “Wait. You have cash? All the cashiers are turned off and I’m not losing my job over this.” “Of course.” The man produced a $20 bill. Aaron nodded. “Good. Tell me what you want, I’ll get it for you. But you’ll have to wait outside.” “OK. I need sage.” Aaron’s hand was still on the man’s chest. It seemed to refuse to get away. The man’s eyes were so blue. Aaron tried to compose himself. “Fried or dresh?” “What?” Aaron heard in his head what he’d just said. He wished he’d disappeared right here, right now. He forced his hand down. “Sorry. Fresh or dried?” The man looked dumbfounded. “Um. Good question.” “OK, I’ll get both. Anyway, $20 will cover it.” Aaron closed the door. He quickly came back with fresh and dried sage, reopening the door. “There you go.” “Thank you. Thank you so much.” The man gave Aaron the money. Aaron thought about something. He waved the $20. “Hey, if you want your change, gimme your name and come in tomorrow. If I’m not here, I’ll have it in an envelope for you.” “Oh. That’s nice of you. My name is Castiel.” “OK, Castiel. I’m Aaron. Swing by tomorrow for your change.” “OK. Thank you.” “Have a good night!” Castiel nodded and walked away. Castiel came two days later for his change. Aaron stepped outside. “It would be kind of weird if I gave you an envelope with money in the store, you know?” “I understand,” Castiel said, as he shoved the envelope in a pocket of his trench coat. “Thank you. You didn’t have to do that.” Aaron raised an eyebrow. “Give you change on $20 for $5 worth of herbs?” “I appreciate it.” “Hey, that sage seemed very important.” Aaron nodded and smiled. “My pleasure.” Castiel shuffled on his feet. He looked in the distance, fidgeting with the envelope in his pocket. “The change is all there, you know, if you’re too polite to check in front of me.” Castiel’s gaze focused back on Aaron. “No. I trust you. I’m just wondering… How late do you usually work?” Aaron’s heart beat faster. “A good hour after close, sometimes an hour and a half. Why?” “I might need your help again.” Aaron frowned. “What, you actually plan on coming after hours?” Not that he was complaining. “No, but sometimes I might have to.” “Man, you can cook in the daytime, you know.” Why did he have to say that? He did want to see him alone at night! He wanted to put his hand on his chest again! Castiel squinted. “Cook?” Now, Aaron was utterly perplexed. “Yeah? With the stuff you buy at a grocery store?” Castiel’s eyes went to the building behind them. He looked back at Aaron. “In any case, is it something I can count on? Will you help me again?” “Yeah, of course. Just make sure you got cash.” “I will. Thank you.” And thus begun a weird routine. Castiel would come knocking maybe once or twice a week with the need for either one thing or an actual list. It was always some herb or spice. It was really strange how he’d always come after opening hours, but Aaron didn’t dare bring it up – he liked it. Once, Castiel came needing 6 one-pound containers of salt. “Six pounds of salt? Are you sure?” “Yes. Please.” “What are you gonna do with all that salt?” “Use it. We’re all out.” The way Castiel said that like it was the most obvious thing… Aaron just stared at him. “Please, Aaron?” Aaron blinked. “Yeah. OK. Be right back.” Aaron came back with the salt in a bag. “You know, you’re lucky, we were almost out. (That was a lie.) Maybe next time you need something, you can call me so I can make sure we have it?” Castiel looked at Aaron, his gears running. He gave him the money. He took his phone out. “I highly doubt you were almost out of salt, but I agree to taking your phone number.” Aaron stared at Castiel. He saw the corner of Castiel’s mouth lift a bit. He himself smiled nervously. He gave his number and Castiel punched it in. “I’ll contact you before I come for my change,” Castiel said, as he put his phone away. “Yeah, cool.” Castiel smiled and walked away. Aaron didn’t sleep much that night. It took a whole week before Castiel contacted Aaron. It was by text. «Sorry for the delay I was out of town. Is it OK if I come by tonight?» Aaron realized the unknown number was Castiel. His heart jumped a beat. He answered «Yeah sure.» He wanted to write a million other things, but he kept it at that. Aaron was done with cleaning up the store when he heard knocking on the glass door. He practically sauntered to the front. “Hey!” “Hi, Aaron.” “I’m actually done. So lemme grab my stuff and lock up? You can wait for me on the chairs by the side door.” “OK.” Aaron joined Castiel and sat next to him. The night was warm and quiet. “Here’s your change.” “Thanks.” “Haha… feels like I’m paying you for something. You know, like an escort or something.” Castiel looked at Aaron, his brows furrowed. “No. Bad joke. Sorry. Forget it.” Castiel buried the envelope in a pocket of his trench coat. “So how long have you been here?” “What?” “I’ve come to this store for years and never saw you. Plus, your accent isn’t local.” “Oh. Um, about a month and a half?” “Not long. And why did you choose to come… here?” “No reason. I just put my finger on the map.” “Why did you leave the other place then?” “Everything had gone to shit. I was incapable of even breathing. I had to find a way to shake things off.” “Has it worked?” Aaron looked at Castiel, slowly. “There might be a light at the end of the tunnel. We’ll see. Some days it’s still super hard though.” “Makes sense. Six weeks is not a lot of time if everything, like you said, had gone to shit.” “Hm.” Aaron was looking down, picking at something on his knee. After a beat, Castiel asked, “Would you like me to show you around town?” “Like what?” Imbecile. Just say yes. “Like the park on the other side. It’s really nice. It’s got a little lake.” A smile slowly crept up on Aaron’s face. “Yeah, I’d like that.” “OK, text me on your next day off. Hopefully it’ll be a day off for me too.” That was a bit strange, how Castiel’s schedule seemed erratic. But Aaron was tired and he just wanted to be happy looking forward to spending time – daylight time – with Castiel in the park. “Alright. I’ll text you.” Castiel got up. “Great. Good night, then. See you.” “’Night.” Aaron had a day off a couple days later and went to the store early in the morning to wait for Castiel. Castiel came over with some old beige car to pick him up. That ride was not sweet. Aaron opened the door and got in. “Nice car.” Castiel sighed. “No, it’s not. But it’s mine, so I can take it whenever I want.” Aaron thought that was a weird thing to say. He let it slide. “It’s comfortable, though. And quite roomy.” “Thanks. Although I am not responsible for the comfort nor the room.” “You did choose this car, didn’t you?” “Barely. I needed a car, this one was available, and in my price range.” “Just take the compliment, man.” Castiel smiled a little. “OK. Thank you.” They rode silently through town. Aaron didn’t know what to say, so he let his mind wander, looking at the scenery pass by. He liked being driven around, it was nice. Castiel was a smooth driver. He also seemed perfectly at ease with the silence. Aaron could picture them going on car rides and picnics. Suddenly, it occurred to Aaron he didn’t know if Castiel was even interested in men. He thought about it… all the late night meetups… and if a buddy wanted to show another buddy around town… No, he wouldn’t have taken him to a park, early in the morning, when there’s next to no one around. That’s too… romantic. And it doesn’t show anything around the actual town. Aaron concluded Castiel might be interested in him… differently. That was good news. Or, he was a murderer. Shit. Nobody would know. Castiel always came after hours… there was no trace of him. This was a good plan for murder. Fuck. While Aaron was spiraling with murder scenarios, they’d reached their destination. Castiel parked and turned off the car. He turned to Aaron. “Are you OK?” “Yeah. Why?” “You seem stressed.” “I’m good.” Aaron looked at Castiel, who seemed genuinely concerned. “Look, if you don’t want to do this, I’ll drive you back. It’s not a problem.” Suddenly, the murder thing seemed so stupid. Aaron relaxed. “No. Let’s walk around a bit.” Castiel had the most beautiful little smile. “Good. Let’s do that.” They got out of the car. Castiel got a bag from the trunk. “What’s that?”, Aaron asked. “Rice.” Aaron looked at Castiel, waiting for some explanation. Unfortunately, Castiel seemed to think that was the whole answer. They took a path that went into the woods. Castiel asked Aaron about his job, and listened to Aaron rambling and ranting as if it were the most interesting thing he’d ever heard. Castiel pressed for details and anecdotes. He hummed in places and sometimes expressed surprise. “You know, Aaron, it seems to me that job isn’t you. You have what it takes to do things that engage you more than reshelving.” “Yeah. It’s just while I get back on my feet. I whine about my job, but it keeps my mind off the rest. It’s actually not a bad thing.” “I see.” Aaron looked at Castiel, smiling softly. “Hey mate, thanks for listening. It means a lot.” “My pleasure. I love listening to you. I love listening to your stories.” Aaron only smiled. Castiel smiled back. They finally reached the end of the forest path and walked out into a field surrounding a small lake. Aaron stopped. “Wow. This is beautiful.” “I love this place. There’s always flowers in bloom, so there’s always insects going around, bees, and butterflies. Dean liked to fish in the lake, but I’d rather leave the fish alone and feed the ducks instead.” Castiel turned and smiled at Aaron as he proceeded towards a bench. Aaron followed. “Dean? Who’s Dean?” “Oh, he’s my friend. I live with him.” “You got a place with your friend?” Aaron thought Castiel was a bit old for that. Surely, he meant his boyfriend. “No, I live at his place. I don’t have a home.” “You do have a home if you live there.” “Uh, I guess I do. Never thought of it that way.” Aaron stopped and waited for Castiel to stop and turn around. “Castiel, you are a strange man.” “Yeah, people say that. Is it… I don’t know… bad?” “No, not at all. It’s just disorienting.” “I’m sorry.” “It’s OK. I’ll figure it out.” Castiel smiled and kept walking towards the bench. Aaron resumed his walk as well, catching up to Castiel. “So, this Dean, is it the guy I saw you with at the store? Good looking but grumpy? Likes beer?” Castiel chuckled. “That is a good description of him.” “I thought he was your boyfriend.” “Really? Why?” “I don’t know. You seemed very… familiar with each other. The bickering maybe.” “We’ve known each other quite a while. We’ve been through a lot together. I can’t say I never thought about us being together, but too much happened and the timing was never right. Time passed, and now our relationship is a friendship. A very important one, but a friendship.” Aaron was relieved but still a bit puzzled. “OK. So it’s you and Dean sharing a flat.” “No, it’s me, Dean, and Sam, his brother, sharing a bunker.” “A bunker?” “Yes. They inherited a pre-war era bunker, complete with all the amenities you might need.” “That is weird. And so cool.” “And practical. It’s very secure.” Man, that Castiel was strange. Who needs a place that checks the ‘very secure’ box? At any rate, Aaron knew it was true. Castiel had this way of talking, you just knew it was all true. All strange, but all true. Aaron sat beside Castiel as they reached the bench. “I bet it is. It’s a bunker. Secure is the primary function of a bunker.” “Dean doesn’t like to have people over. But if you want, I can ask him, and maybe you can come and I can show you. Would you like that?” “I actually would. It must be fascinating.” “I suppose. I’m used to it.” Castiel opened his bag. He took out a big container and opened it. It was indeed filled with rice. Cooked rice. Aaron didn’t bother ask him what that was for, he just watched. He hoped it wasn’t their picnic – not only was it the weirdest picnic, but Castiel didn’t seem to have forks or spoons. Castiel looked around – at what, Aaron didn’t know – and he threw a handful of rice in the lake. Aaron just waited, looking around, wondering what that would accomplish. Soon enough, some ducks came around. “Ah! I knew they’d see me throw the rice.” “You feed rice to the ducks? Why not bread like everyone?” “Bread isn’t good for ducks. Rice is OK.” Yep. Another Castiel Fact™. Aaron was starting to find this endearing. He caught himself smiling at Castiel, at the rice being thrown, at the ducks quacking happily as they chased around for the rice. Castiel looked at Aaron. “Would you like to see them closer?” “OK.” Castiel threw some rice on land, getting the ducks to come out of the water for it. He threw some more a bit closer. A bit closer again, until the ducks were just out of reach. “They’re really not afraid of us.” “They know me. I come here often. They know I mean them no harm.” He threw the last of the rice, closed the container and his bag, and sat back. Aaron slumped on the bench and looked around. He breathed in and out slowly. After a moment, he said, while looking at the ducks retreating to the lake, “Thanks, Castiel, for this. I haven’t felt this relaxed in so long. I needed this.” Castiel was looking at the ducks as well. “I thought you might.” “Thanks mate.” Castiel turned to Aaron. “My pleasure.” Aaron and Castiel got lost in each other’s eyes. Aaron broke the moment. “Do you think we should head back?” “If you want to.” “I think I’m gonna get peckish soon, so might as well.” “I’m sorry. If I’d known, I’d have kept some rice for you.” Aaron let out a genuine laugh. “Castiel, you are too kind. And funny.” Castiel seemed a bit perplexed, yet amused. “OK.” Aaron got up. “Shall we?” Castiel smiled and got up. “We shall.” The walk back through the woods was quiet. A mention was made that nature smelled good, but mostly they shared the walk in silence. Aaron offered to carry Castiel’s bag, pointing out that he knew it was not very chivalrous now that it was empty, getting a smile and a thanks from Castiel, and a bag to carry. The ride back was also spent in silence, with Aaron looking at Castiel’s hands on the wheel, and Castiel stealing glances at Aaron from time to time, smiling softly. Nearing their destination, Aaron asked, “Hey, do you want to grab a bite with me?” Castiel seemed caught short. “Um, I think I have to head back actually. We were on hold for a job, and maybe we’ll have to start working on it this afternoon.” “Oh.” “Sorry.” “It’s OK.” “Some other time?”, Castiel offered. “I sure hope so.” “I would love to.” They smiled at each other. Castiel took to the main street. “Do I drop you off at your place or the store?” “The store. It’s closer. And I have to pick up some food anyway.” “OK.” Aaron got out of the car and leaned into the window. “Thank you Castiel for the lovely morning.” “And I thank you. You’re very pleasant company. I’d really love to spend time with you again.” “I would love it too. You seem pretty busy, so just keep me posted, OK?” “I will. Although, I might see you again sooner for my errands.” Aaron smiled wide. “I’ll be happy to help.” Aaron got a few things from the store and walked to his motel. Since he hadn’t had a day off in a long while – his choice, he wanted to keep himself busy – the leisure time was more than welcome. He opened the widow for some fresh air, threw the grapes in the freezer for later, and got comfortable on the bed flipping through channels as he snacked on Pringles and M&Ms. Soon he’d found a movie that caught his attention and he settled for an afternoon of TV and junk food… and thinking about Castiel so much he missed a lot of the movie daydreaming. He even found himself lying on his back, looking at the ceiling, thinking of all the little moments he could have kissed Castiel. Maybe it was a bit too soon, but he couldn’t help it. There was that moment on the bench, and then in the woods, and maybe in the car… He could have held hands, at least. But in the end, it was just perfect. Castiel was nice, and kind, and strange but funny, and sweet, and so intense when he looked at him, like all his attention is focused on this one moment in time, with him. Castiel was the best. Aaron hoped he’d see him again really soon. He dozed off, smiling. When Aaron woke up, dusk was slipping into night. And the room next door was very noisy. There was commotion, and voices arguing. Aaron rubbed his eyes. He’d really have to look for an actual apartment soon. Then there was a gunshot next door. Aaron jumped so much he almost fell off the bed. What the hell? He heard the voices next door argue loud enough he could make out what they were saying. “Fuck Dean! Why did you shoot?” Would that be the Dean…? “She was about to gank you! You wanted me to just watch?” “No! I had it! Now people are gonna call the police! Nice work!” “What do we do now?” Was that… Castiel’s voice? “We have to get out of here fast. Bring the body.” That was Dean. “Dammit Dean, there’s blood everywhere.” That was the other guy. Probably his brother. “Chopping her head off would have been worse, wouldn’t it? Come on, Cas, help me roll her in the sheets. Quick!” Aaron heard some commotion and more arguing that he couldn’t make out. He couldn’t believe it. Did Dean and his brother and Castiel just kill a woman next door? No. Fuck. What the hell did he get into? He got up and peeked between the curtains to see if there would be three men and a body coming out of the room. Sure enough, he saw a very tall man – who would be the brother – look quickly over the parking lot and gesture to the others in the room. And Dean and Castiel got out with what did look like a body wrapped in sheets. Aaron gasped. Castiel snapped his head in his direction. Aaron saw he recognized him. Dean saw Castiel notice something and snapped around. “Shit.” “It’s OK, Dean. I know him. I’ll talk to him. You guys go – here Sam, grab this end – I’ll join you later.” Sam grabbed Castiel’s end of the body. “You sure, Cas?” “Yes. Go.” Sam and Dean hurried away with the body. Castiel stood in front of Aaron’s door. “Can I come in?” “Do you have a gun?” “No.” “I’m gonna pat you down anyway.” Aaron opened the door. Castiel lifted his arms and let Aaron pat him down. He let his arms down. “Come on, Aaron, I can explain. But not outside.” Aaron let Castiel in. Castiel closed the curtains – and the window – and sat at the table as Aaron turned on a lamp on the nightstand, sitting on the bed, considering it was a safe distance. Maybe. “OK. So. The woman next door…” Aaron cut him. “Are you a contract killer? Cause that would explain a lot.” Castiel looked offended. “What? No, of course not!” They held each other’s gaze, both perplexed for different reasons. Aaron said, “OK then. Continue.” Castiel explained the best he could that monsters exist, and that the woman next door was a vampire trying to pass for a human. Castiel answered the best he could every question Aaron had – he had a lot, but mostly he looked at Castiel his mouth opened, eyes wide. In the end, Castiel said, “Would you like to see? Sometimes it helps to understand. By now, Sam and Dean must be almost done digging the grave, I’ll give them a call to wait for us so you can see the corpse and see she was not human. Would you want that?” Aaron agreed. He didn’t know why. He just… he did. Castiel was calm, and, as usual, his manner of speech was very matter-of-factly. Aaron knew he was telling the truth. It's just that the truth was too much. They took a taxi to the bunker, and then Castiel’s car to the secluded place where Sam and Dean got rid of corpses. Official introductions were made, and Castiel jumped down in the grave with a flashlight to reveal the teeth of the vampire. Aaron nodded but said nothing. Sam and Dean were keeping an eye on him. Aaron knew it was to make sure he didn’t flip out, or to help him if he did. They seemed way too used to this kind of setting. They were too calm. It was a lot to take in. After burning the corpse and filling the grave, they headed back to the bunker, Aaron agreeing to join them to talk some more and have more of his questions answered. The Winchesters knew all too well that this kind of news would shake him hard. After a few beers sitting in the kitchen and answering Aaron’s questions, the conversation had turned to anecdotes, some even funny. Aaron listened as Dean or Sam started with “Oh, oh, do you remember the time when…” and they’d laugh at some monster’s expense or their brother’s clumsiness. Finally, Sam got up. “I’m gonna turn in. It was nice meeting you, Aaron. I hope you’re not too freaked out.” “I think I’ll be OK. It helps to know there are people like you who deal with this kind of thing. So, um… Thanks.” Sam nodded. “No problem.” Dean got up. “I’m gonna turn in too. You take care, OK?” He shook Aaron’s hand, who nodded. Dean waved goodnight to Castiel and left, following Sam. “Do you want me to drive you home? Or you can stay and have another beer, too. You can even sleep here, there’s extra rooms.” Aaron looked at his empty bottle. “No. It’s been a long day. I need to process all of this. I’ll take the drive home, please.” In the car, Aaron was so exhausted the rumble almost put him to sleep. Almost. “Castiel…” “Yes?” “I just realized, I’m not gonna be able to sleep. There was a vampire next door… How can I sleep knowing what I know now?” “I understand. You will be OK. I have everything here to ward your room against monsters.” “You can do that?” “Yes. Much like the signs on the walls in the bunker ward against pretty much everything.” “That’s a lot of signs.” “You don’t need that many.” “Are you sure?” “Yes.” Again, a Castiel Fact™. Aaron smiled. “Why are you smiling?” “You have this way of saying things, I know they’re true.” “I always tell the truth.” “I see that. It’s reassuring.” Castiel smiled and glanced at Aaron. “I’m glad you’re reassured.” Aaron sat on the bed, watching Castiel draw things on the walls. “There goes my deposit.” “They’re washable.” “I need an actual apartment.” “It would be a good idea.” Aaron watched as Castiel said some spells and sprinkled some herbs and salt along the windows and the door. “I see why you were always around for herbs and salt, now.” Castiel threw away the empty salt container. “And I’ll be back soon enough to buy more.” Aaron cocked his head. “Castiel, I was wondering… why do you always come after close?” Castiel put away the rest of his material and sat on the bed next to Aaron. “The first time, it really was bad timing. We needed something for a spell and were fresh out. It was very stressful, and I am very grateful you helped me.” Aaron bumped his shoulder against Castiel’s. “Me too.” Castiel smiled softly. “The other times, it was on purpose, to see you.” “Really?” “When you put your hand on my chest to stop me from coming in, I… felt something. I wanted to investigate.” “You didn’t know what you felt?” “Not exactly.” “How can you not know?” Castiel looked down. “Because I’m not used to emotions like this.” “Like what?” “Like… human emotions.” Aaron stood up and backed away. “What do you mean, human emotions?” “There’s one thing we didn’t tell you, but I need to be honest with you.” Aaron’s back was against the wall. “Yes?” “I’m an angel.” Aaron’s jaw dropped open. He knees gave out, he had to hold onto a chair and sit in it. “Come again?” “An angel.” “With wings and a halo and… and…” “No. I don’t have a halo. And I don’t have my wings anymore. But I am still an angel.” “Do you have special powers?” “I am stronger than humans. I have my grace. I can heal you. Do you have an injury?” “Um, my back and my knees hurt from walking all day at the job. Oh and I have a scar here.” He lifted a pants leg. Castiel kneeled in front of Aaron. He put his hand close to his leg and a blue glow appeared in the gap. Aaron said, “Oh, it’s actually warm.” “Yes. I run warm.” He took his hand away. “Have a look.” Aaron bent down. His old, gnarly scar was gone. “I did your back and your knees, too.” Aaron got up, moved his torso and bent his knees. “Oh wow. I’m as good as new! Thanks!” “You’re welcome.” “That’s really cool.” “Thank you.” Castiel looked at Aaron walking around goofily, a smile on his face. He added, “And the other differences are that I don’t sleep and I don’t eat. My grace sustains me.” “Oh. Does it get lonely when everyone sleeps?” “No. I was posted on Earth for millennia, just watching Creation unfold and evolve. A few hours are nothing.” “Wait. That means… God exists?” “Yes, but we’re not getting into that. Some other time. You need sleep.” “I’m kind of wired up again.” “You’ll sleep like lumber soon enough. Trust me.” “What? Like… You mean like a log?” “Yeah. That doesn’t make more sense, but yeah.” Aaron sat on the bed. “OK. Well, thanks for the warding and the funny smelling stuff you put all over the place.” “You’re welcome. And just to help you feel secure, I’ll spend the night in the car in the parking lot, keeping an eye out. I’ll watch over you.” “Can’t believe I’ll have an actual angel watching over me. Thanks, Castiel.” “Goodnight Aaron.” “Goodnight.” That week, Castiel kept in touch, wanting to know Aaron’s work schedule. Castiel would show up every night, and they’d spend some time sitting on the chairs by the side door, talking. It was Castiel’s turn to talk about himself and Aaron was fascinated by the stories of angels and demons and celestial wars. Aaron had one pressing question. “Where do you think my soul will go?” “Did you sell it to a demon?” Aaron gestured to the store and chuckled. “Come on, Cas. Obviously not.” “Then you’re going to heaven.” Aaron looked Castiel in the eyes. “I might already be there.” Castiel smiled. Romantically, Castiel didn’t seem to be in a hurry. Aaron was pretty sure Castiel had ‘human emotions’ for him, and he knew he had very human emotions for Castiel. But taking things slow was nice. Castiel didn’t seem to need kisses, hugs, or even sex to be happy spending time together. And it was OK with Aaron. Being with Castiel was like being home at last, more and more each time. They’d gone to the park again, and Aaron, having read up on wild flowers and plants precisely for these occasions, had pointed out a few that might be of use to Castiel and his friends. “Plus, they’re free, always fresh, and this place is open 24/7. So that’s a nice perk.” Castiel was very interested in this new knowledge. He had also asked Aaron what his favourite flowers were. And Aaron had sometimes found a small bouquet by his door in the morning, clearly picked for him. One night, during one of their chats after Aaron’s shift, Castiel asked, out of nowhere, “What do you like to eat?” “Why?” “We could go on an actual date, like normal people do.” “You don’t even eat. Well you said you don’t.” “No. I don’t. I can, though. But besides a very few things, food is not enjoyable.” “Why go out to eat, then?” “Why not?” “I would hope you’d order something. Eating alone with you watching is weird.” “I thought you liked weird.” “I like you. Your weirdness. But not that kind of weird.” “It’s fair. I’ll order something.” A few days later, Castiel and Aaron were seated in a pub. Aaron ordered a plate of nachos with a beer and Castiel a black coffee. The food and drinks came, and Aaron said, attacking the nachos, “See, like this, it doesn’t look like you’re not eating. I look like a fucking pig, cause look at that plate, but I’m OK with that.” Aaron chuckled as he shoved a fully loaded nacho in his mouth. Castiel watched Aaron eat, smiling, sipping his coffee. “Maybe I should try one.” “They’re SO GOOD. Go nuts.” Castiel took one broken nacho and bit off a tiny corner. He squinted as he evaluated the sensations in his mouth. Aaron was watching expectantly, fixated on Castiel’s lips moving ever so slightly. Castiel swallowed. “Not too bad. Corn, salt, oil. Simple, efficient.” He didn’t take another one. “You didn’t have any toppings!” “They’re overwhelming. I’ll stick to my coffee.” “Your loss.” A loud group entered the pub. They were laughing and talking over each other. Castiel turned around to see. “Seems like it’s someone’s birthday.” He turned back to Aaron, who was frowning. “What’s wrong?” “Eh. I don’t like those things.” “Birthdays?” “Pretty much. Big gatherings, being the centre of attention, and even worse when the staff comes to sing happy birthday. Hell no.” “I thought everyone liked birthdays.” “No, I’m not big on crowds and noise and that sort of stuff. Especially just for existing long enough to have gone a full revolution around the sun. I don’t know. Seems trivial.” “Oh, OK. Do you want to leave?” “No, no. It’s their party. It’s fine. And those nachos are too good to leave anyway.” Castiel had left for the following two weeks. They’d kept in touch via text. Castiel liked emojis a lot. Aaron explained what the eggplant and the peach meant. Castiel preferred sending hearts of every colour, flowers, and animals. He also liked the rainbow. He always used the little waving hand for hellos and goodbyes. When Castiel got back, he went to see Aaron as usual at the store after his shift. The summer air was warm. Aaron came to join Castiel at the chairs. He sat. He looked at Castiel. “Cas. Can I hug you?” “Of course.” Aaron almost lunged into Castiel, holding him tight. Castiel cradled Aaron’s head against his shoulder. “Are you OK?” Aaron’s voice came muffled from Castiel’s trench coat. “I missed you.” “I missed you too. I’m here now.” Aaron backed a little but only to rest his forehead against Castiel’s. “I’m sorry. It’s been a hard week.” “Do you want to talk about it?” “No. Same old stuff. Got a call from back home, it stirred some shit I didn’t want to think about.” “I’m sorry.” Aaron let his hands trail down Castiel’s arms and held his hands. He straightened up and looked into his eyes, so blue in spite of the darkness. “It’s alright. I’m glad you’re back.” “Me too.” Castiel rubbed his thumbs against Aaron’s fingers. Aaron couldn’t resist the moment. “Cas, can I kiss you?” Castiel smirked. “Yes, you can.” Aaron leaned in slowly, and kissed Castiel, just once. His lips were so soft. Aaron was waiting for his heart to calm down a bit when he felt Castiel’s lips on his. Aaron forgot how to breathe. When Aaron opened his eyes again, Castiel was looking at him softly. “Hey, would you like to go out for a burger?” Well, that snapped Aaron back to reality. “What? Now? You eat burgers?” “No, but Dean does, and he swears by this little place downtown. I thought, we might explore the city properly. What do you say?” “Like, we go right now?” “No, but what about tomorrow night? Do you mind if Sam and Dean come? They know I’m with you all the time, they’d like to get to know you.” “I’d like that too. Tomorrow night’s good.” “I’ll pick you up after your shift.” “You spoil me rotten.” “No, you seem fine.” Castiel was so literal. Aaron found it so cute. Aaron smiled and cuddled close to Castiel, holding his hand, resting his head on his shoulder. “I love you.” Castiel held Aaron’s hand tighter and rested his head on Aaron’s. “I love you too.” He stroke Aaron’s hand with his thumb. “And you’re not rotten.” Aaron chuckled softly. Tomorrow came, and Castiel showed up as promised. They stopped by Aaron’s place for him to change and headed downtown. When they entered the burger joint, Sam and Dean cheered their beers at them, Dean pointing to the shared plate of nachos already on the table. Castiel and Aaron ordered something to drink, and Aaron helped Sam and Dean with the nachos. Dean lifted his beer. “I’d like to propose a toast.” Everyone raised their glass. Castiel raised his coffee. “To friendship… and love.” Everyone laughed and took a sip. Aaron and Castiel couldn’t help but look at each other, smiling. Castiel lifted his coffee. “I’d like to make a toast too.” Everyone turned to Castiel, lifting their drinks. “Aaron, I hope you had a nice revolution around the sun and I wish you the best next revolution.” Dean scrunched his nose. “What?” Aaron spoke, looking into Castiel’s eyes. “He means happy birthday.” Sam and Dean cheered their beers. “Happy birthday!” Aaron turned to the brothers. “Thank you!” He turned to Castiel. “This is a great idea.” Castiel tugged at Aaron’s hand a little. “It is?” Aaron smiled at Castiel. “It’s perfect. Thank you.” The evening was actually fun, the burgers out of this world, the fries insanely good, Dean too proud of his favourite burger spot. Aaron and Castiel had sat close, so their knees would touch the whole time. It was so silly, but every time one rubbed his knee against the other’s, they’d look at each other and smile. Time for dessert came, but everybody was stuffed – even Dean. They called for another round of beer. By then, Aaron and Castiel were holding hands under the table. Castiel drove Aaron home and walked him to his door. “I’ll watch over you. You sleep tight.” “Castiel, would you stay the night? Is it too bold to ask?” “It’s not too bold. But I’m an angel, I don’t need sleep.” “Can you watch over me from here instead of the parking lot? I’d love to have you closer to me.” “I can do that. I can also keep you warm.” “I would like that.” They stepped into the room and closed the door. Castiel stood close to Aaron. “Before you go to sleep, I have something for you.” Castiel took a book out of his coat. It wasn’t wrapped. He handed it to Aaron. “It’s a reliable reference book on plants and their uses against monsters, demons, witches… everything.” “Oh wow.” The book was old, leather bound, and beautifully engraved. “That way, you can teach me things when we go to the park.” “If this keeps up, I might even be able to help Sam and Dean. And you.” “Only if you want.” Aaron flipped slowly through the book, looking at the elaborate lettering, the drawings, the explanations. He finally looked up to Castiel. “I love it. Thank you.” He put the book on the table and pulled Castiel in a hug. “I’m so happy with you.” “I’m happy with you too.” Castiel and Aaron stripped down to their underwear and slipped into bed. Castiel settled against Aaron under the covers and wrapped his arms around him, holding him close. “You can sleep now.” Aaron chuckled. “It might take a moment.” “Take all the time you need, then. I’m not going anywhere.” Aaron brought Castiel’s hand to his lips and kissed him. “Cas?” “Yes.” “How did you know it was my birthday today?” Castiel nuzzled against Aaron’s shoulder. “When I healed you, we connected through my grace. I saw your soul. I know when it was born.” “You saw my soul?” “Yes. And it’s beautiful and strong, and so bright. You have a wonderful soul.” He held Aaron tighter. “I want to protect it til the end of time.” Aaron was quiet for a moment. “Aaron, are you OK?” “Yes, Cas. I just love you so much.” Castiel kissed the nape of Aaron’s neck. “I love you too.”

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#castiel fluff #castiel x oc #castiel x male!oc #strangers to boyfriends #strangers to lovers #but just fluff #comfort

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omgviolette12 · 4 years

Text

After Hours - Chapter 13

Previous Chapter

Summary: After sex, comes the bliss... right?

Chapters: 13/?

Words: 2800+

Warnings: None

Tags: @milkymaidme @dangertoozmanykids101@alexakeyloveloki @little-moonbeam-666 @marvel-ous-fics@clovermariear@lynnesm@bitchyikes@moon-child-of-a-poet, @allthecraftandthings@bubblegumspitt @shockwavee @blondekel77 @nerd–nirvana @valdemarismynonbinarylove@nightrose64 @pastelhexmaniac @iistormii

If you’d like to be added, let me know. I’ve also posted this on AO3

A/N: Sorry for the delay, still in the midst of final projects. Motivation to complete work/writing has been a bit slow, and I’ve been trying to think up new plot points. I’ve been stuck, lol. Anyway, enjoy!

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Evelyn should’ve expected this, but she had no idea that she would be this sore.

After the shower, they both became somewhat insatiable. It was as though Loki couldn’t get enough of her, and she of him. The taboo of their relationship spurred on their lust, the need to be connected to each other in every way possible great. So like he had promised, he fucked her into the late hours of the night.

While she was grateful that her first time was far from terrible...she made a mental note to learn her limits. She thought the idea of getting fucked silly by the man she pined for would be a dream come true - but the effects on her body afterwards was kind of a bitch.

Evelyn hopped and limped all the way to Loki’s car when they left his house early in the morning, wincing with every step. She attributed the amount of pain she was in due to the fact that she was simply not used to sex, and her professor’s size was considerable.

Perhaps the more they did it, the less pain there would be overtime?

Just the thought of a ‘next time’ in Loki’s bed was enough to set off another wave of butterflies inside her stomach. Whatever pain she was in right now, it was worth it.

Loki, however, had long noticed Evelyn’s plight - in fact, he even had the gall to tease her about it, offering to carry her up the steps to her door like a princess once they reached her apartment.

He sounded pretty serious about it too, so Evelyn couldn't help but blush even though she knew he was just messing around. It was going to be a challenge getting used to his playful side…

Evelyn promised him that she'd stop by his office later on in the day, to resume her duties as his TA. Since she wouldn’t be able to attend the Monday lecture to help out this time around for obvious reasons, the least she could do was grade some exams.

She dreaded grading, especially since it was math( another reason why she skipped meetings in the beginning…) but now that the dynamic between her and Loki has changed considerably, she was actually looking forward to being productive in his presence.

They parted with a kiss, and Evelyn made her way to her apartment door slowly. Now, she just had to try to walk inside like there wasn't a stick up her ass.

To Evelyn’s surprise and dismay, Candice was waiting for her on the couch, a cup of hot cocoa in hand as she watched her hop through the front door.

Evelyn was secretly banking on the fact that she had left for work already, since Candice mentioned offhandedly that she took up more shifts at her hospital.

But alas, the shit-eating grin that was plastered on Candice’s face meant that she must’ve called in sick to witness Evelyn’s limp of shame, first thing.

“Well! I’ll be damned,”

Evelyn stubbornly ignored her in embarrassment as she limped past the couch to head to her room, but Candice set down her mug to follow her, giggling like a fool, “He busted that cherry so hard he got you hoppin’ like a bunny! Sheesh...”

"Not now, Candice…" Her face felt hot, desperately wishing her sister had some sort of filter.

"Did y'all use a rubber? Did he hurt you? Because if he hurt you Eve -"

Candice was going to badger her until all was answered, so Evelyn relented with a grimace, hoping she would leave her alone after she was satisfied,

“ No! He didn’t hurt me...and yes, we used protection. Each time.”

“Each ti- each time?! How many times did y’all fu- ”

Evelyn cut her off before she could finish, “I’ll answer all the juicy deets later, okay!? I didn’t have time to shower before we left, and I wanna do that now. Please?”

Candice realized she was being a bit overbearing, backing off a bit. Evelyn was extremely fun to tease and make fun off, but she knew her sister had limits,

“Sorry, sorry. My baby sister never seemed the type to be interested in sex or anything before...so to do it with a professor of all people for your first time! And a kinky one! Don’t blame me for being interested and concerned...”

Evelyn ignored the kinky comment, limping inside her room as she replied, “I mean, is the professor thing really that big a deal? I’m technically just a former student of his...”

“Not really, you already know how my hoe phase was. Fucked a few teachers in my college days. But you have to be careful with these older men Eve, since you’re new to this sort of thing. Don't get attached. Especially if his dick game’s good, he will manipulate the hell outta you,”

"...Speaking from experience?"

"Yep. Found out this guy was a whole married man and I still went back to fuck. Good dick messes with your morals sis,"

Evelyn had a hard time taking her words seriously since Candice lacked morals in the first place, but pretended to agree so she could leave her be,

"I'll make sure to be careful, okay? Can I shower now?"

"Yeah yeah, we'll talk more later. Remember what I said, hmm?"

And with that, Candice left her room with a skip to her step.

Evelyn didn’t bother processing her sister’s warning, going straight to the shower to relieve her sore muscles.

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

By the time Evelyn made her way unto the campus, the pain had lessened considerably. She still had to walk a bit carefully, but she didn’t feel as raw as before. While she showered, she also noticed bruises alongside her hip and waist - she even had to use more than a bit of makeup to cover the new ones Loki had ‘affectionately’ placed in plain sight on her neck.

She was especially hard to bruise, so she was baffled at the amount she currently had.

Evelyn thought that she should at least feel miffed about it, but somehow the thought of being marked as his, in any way, sent a thrill through her being. Even when he was rough at some points...

I had sex just once and I’m already a deviant…hehe.

Evelyn was quite busy daydreaming about the naughty events from last night, that she didn’t see the tall figure standing in her way as she headed towards Loki’s office.

‘Oof!’

As expected, she collided straight into the person’s side, yelping in the process.

“Oh shit - I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention…”

She looked up apologetically at the woman in front of her - lithe and pale, with narrowed blue eyes that accentuated her intimidating presence.

Perhaps because she also had dark hair and sharp facial features, she saw a vague resemblance to Loki.

“Obviously, you weren’t,” the woman replied curtly, before giving a tight smile,

“But, I’ll forgive you if you were to lend some assistance.”

Her tone carried a sort of cold arrogance, as Evelyn shrunk underneath her stare. She even had Loki’s accent…

“Uh...of course! How can I help…?” Although she was in a bit of a rush to get to where she needed to be, she did not want the woman in front of her to be any more pissed off than she already seemed to look.

She showed Evelyn a map of the campus that was in her hands, pointing at the building she wanted to head to, “This map is much too complicated for me, and I’m trying to look for this building. I need to find someone, and this is where his office is apparently.”

“Oh, I’m actually heading there!” Evelyn was glad that the woman pointed towards the science department - the campus was fairly large, and she barely knew half of the map. “If you don’t mind me asking, who’re you trying to find? I can show you to them directly…”

She didn’t have to go the extra mile, merely walk with her to the building. But Evelyn had always been a people pleaser.

“Ah, I’m looking for my brother. Are you a student of his, perhaps? I do know that he teaches here…Loki Odinson. Or Laufeyson, whatever he wants to go by nowadays.”

“Brother? You’re Loki’s sister?” Evelyn asked in a surprised tone, voice elevated. He did mention he two had siblings during their date, but he never went into detail about anything.

The woman looked at her oddly, a small chuckle leaving her lips, “Well, you certainly sound quite familiar with him.”

Evelyn realized her mistake, hastily rushing to fix it. Loki was fine with Candice knowing everything, but she still wasn’t sure about his side of the family.

“Oh, about that...I usually just call all the professors by their names, haha…”

“My brother really dislikes being referred to in an informal manner, so I find the idea of him allowing that unlikely.”

“.....”

Evelyn was momentarily speechless, akin to a deer in headlights.

“Uhm, you see, I -“

“No need to explain,” the woman stepped closer, a bit too close for comfort as she scrutinized Evelyn’s face, “You’re his exact type, you know. Short, timid, pretty. He’s probably quite taken with you...”

As she looked her up and down, a spark of realization lit her eyes..

“Miss...you’re stepping out of line here.”

She was assuming way too much, for just a minor slip up. And who spoke like this to someone they just met?

“Oh, It's just harmless teasing,” she stepped back, her smile starting to look a lot more natural.

She pulled out her hand for a handshake, “ Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Hela. Hela Odinson. And you?”

Evelyn gave a momentary look of reluctance before accepting the handshake, “Uhm, Evelyn Monroe. Nice to meet you, I guess?”

Hela’s smile became broader, “Let’s walk and talk, hmm?”

Evelyn was very uncomfortable, but started to walk regardless.

As they made their way towards Loki’s office, Hela, surprisingly, insisted on making small talk. Evelyn pegged her for the cold and silent type like her brother, but she was entirely the opposite. She asked general questions about what Evelyn did, her age, etc. But unfortunately, she also kept asking suggestive questions, hoping for another slip up on her end.

“I haven’t spoken to my brother in a while, so I’m clueless as to how he’s doing. Does he treat you well, Evelyn?”

Hela began adopting a familiar and warmer tone, softening Evelyn’s first impression. It succeeded in lulling her into a sense of minor comfort, “Oh, he treats me very well. I mean, he’s pretty nice to all of his students, most times...”

“Hm, that’s surprising. His personality is treacherous, so I expected the opposite.”

Evelyn looked at her quizzically. For his sister, she sure spoke like she disliked him to a large degree.

“Since I like you, I’ll give you a bit of advice,”

Hela turned to look at her then, meeting her eyes,

“Don’t get too attached to a man like Loki, especially if he thinks you’re a temporary plaything. He gets... annoyed, quite easily. You weren't the only one he happened to fancy so much in the past...so I'd know.”

….?!??

“Excuse me, but what -“ Evelyn started, but then the dark, pissed off voice of her professor sounded from behind them.

“Hela,”

His face was pulled into a tight scowl, trained directly at his sister, “ What nonsense are you spewing?”

Loki appeared behind them suddenly out of thin air, startling the wits out of Evelyn. Before she could ponder the possibility that he had magical powers, she realized they just passed the lecture hall where his class was, on the way to his office.

“I took time out of my busy schedule to see you, dear brother...one would think you’d sound a bit more affectionate. Hasn't it been a year since we last spoke?”

“Slither back to whatever hell you came from, woman.”

“Well, I suppose that’s close enough.”

Evelyn looked back and forth between the two, the tension thick and uncomfortable. They were in the middle of the hallway and students still wandered about, so she decided to make an exit. She wanted no part in whatever mystery family drama that was unfolding...and she needed time to ponder over Hela’s words.

I’ll ask just him about this later...

“So...um. I’m gonna go ahead to the office, okay? Grade those papers...yippee…”

She added awkwardly, slowly backing away.

Loki looked at her then. She hoped his face would soften a bit, but it didn’t.

“I’ll be there shortly. This won’t take long.”

His answers were short and clipped, so she knew he was pissed.

She didn’t do anything wrong to her knowledge, so she blamed his mood all on his sister.

Before Evelyn left, Hela addressed her one last time.

“It was lovely meeting you, sweetheart. I’m sure we’ll see each other again…”

“Oh. Uhm, yeah. Nice meeting you too…”

Evelyn didn’t waste anymore time, leaving the pair once she saw Loki’s worsening expression.

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

Hela’s words from before repeated inside her head, filling her with a sense of paranoia. But, she had no reason to be paranoid, right? Loki said they were exclusive, after all. He said he wanted her to be his woman. No, she was his woman. And he made sure of that last night.

Evelyn stubbornly pushed her anxieties aside into the far crevice of her mind, reassuring herself with his words. Although Hela was his sister, she and Loki clearly weren’t on good terms. She could’ve said that in order to sabotage their suspected relationship.

God, this is giving me a damn headache...

She settled in Loki's office, taking the stack of exams from his desk and got comfortable on the couch. She hoped grading and correcting complicated equations would fry her brain enough to stop the fretting, as she waited for him to come.

Loki appeared after about fifteen minutes, and Evelyn bolted upright once she heard him enter.

“Oh, Loki! I went ahead and started…”

She paused mid sentence when she saw his expression.

“...Grading…”

Why did it feel like she was in some sort of trouble? The heck?

His face didn’t change much from when he spoke to Hela, so it made her nervous.

Evelyn just opted to stay quiet for now. She’d ask about Hela later once he looked a little less pissed off. She was his girlfriend now, but she still felt his authoritative presence especially when they were on campus.

Well, she was going to stay quiet, until his deep voice resounded inside the room.

“I'm curious about something, Evelyn.”

Uh oh. Why's he using that voice?

"How did that...woman, know that we were involved with each other?"

"Uh...woman? I mean, I thought she said she was your sister…?"

"That isn't the answer to my question."

Inwardly, Evelyn felt whiplashed. Everything was so dandy this morning and last night...so how did things take such a strange turn so quickly?

"Look, when she told me she was your sister, I said your first name on impulse. That's literally it! She assumed stuff based on that one thing…"

Evelyn put the papers on her lap to the side, feeling frustrated, "And…it really isn't that big a deal, right? You said that people outside the school could know. You were fine with Candice knowing, so why not -"

He cut her off before she could finish,

"Darling, let me say this in a way that you can comprehend,"

In...in a way that I can comprehendddd? Did he just call me stupid eloquently?

Evelyn was stunned into silence as Loki spoke, and he moved to stand above her as she sat rigidly on the couch. "Such a simple mistake, regardless of who it was, is monumental. Your words weren't what gave you away, Evelyn. But your body language. You're entirely too expressive for your own good,"

He sighed a disappointed sigh, moving away to pinch the bridge of his nose, "At any rate, I can live with Hela knowing...but for future reference, avoid her. At all costs."

Loki looked at her then, eyes stern, "Do you understand what I'm saying? Or should I elaborate further?"

Evelyn was honestly a bit speechless. She felt extremely put off and mildly hurt… that he spoke to her like she was a child, rather than his lover.

She really hated herself right now. Was she actually about to cry? He would seriously think she was childish, if this was how she was going to react.

Tears wouldn’t do her any favors, especially once he was in this kind of mood anyway.

Why am I so fucking sensitive?!

She sighed shakily, swallowing the knot in her throat as she replied, "Yeah...I got it."

"Good, then."

He moved casually to sit behind his desk, attempting to soften his tone with his next words, "You can work for maybe half an hour, then I'd like to treat you to dinner. Seeing that woman left an unpleasant taste… but spending more time with you should remedy that."

She didn't reply, and only stared at the floor.

"... Evelyn?"

When she glanced up, he saw that her large, hazel eyes were shimmering with unshed tears.

”I’m... I’m going to use the restroom, okay? I’ll be back,”

She got up quickly. And before he could properly react, she promptly went to exit the room.

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

A/N: Your thoughts bring me joy, I greatly appreciate each and every one! Please let me know what you thought :)

#Loki Laufeyson #loki fanfiction #loki fanfic #tom hiddleston fanfiction #tom hiddleston #loki fic #professor loki

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augujerdeer · 4 years

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Hi! I'm new to systems and things like this.. uh. What does your headspace look like? Or do you have a history with yours. I dunno what to do for mine...

Oh hey! Sorry we haven’t responded kdbjdb

Uhh honestly our headspace is a Little Big so, im not sure where to start.. it’s not very simple to explain since we have a map’s worth of area to cover! And each place has it’s own Feel and stuff. I’ll try to be a bit brief- maybe going through our Headspace History (HH /j)

So along time ago, we only had the Meadow, and for the OG members, they thought it was all we had. Then over time and after some exploring, it grew! Well, it didn’t grow, but they started exploring and finding new stuff. Then Jaiden made the mansion, and it kind of explodes from there until it slowed down again sicne we all had no interesting in exploring anymore

RIP desktop users. Mobile users, freel free to tap the image and zoom in!

It’s not accurate but this is what we have today. It’s VERY Huge. We even have a second planet, but we don’t really visit that nymore, nor do we want to. On the other side of the world, i know there’s a beach.. but we haven’t gone more than a year though with how Big this map is, do know that there’s trees and LOTS of unexplored areas! We don’t have NPC’s other than Small critters like mice, rabbits, owls, fireflies, bugs, birds, etc! So we don;t have predators either, but it’s possible there are wolves in the mountains.. I am NOT going to try and confirm that. The other NPC’s we have are the Robots in the ruined City. They are NOT friendly! theyre 3+ stories high, and look liek a GIANT marble on stilts that can shoot lasers. I don’t wanna go into detail unless anyone asks specific questions. There’s just TOO many stuff to talk about it one post haha

I will go into the mansion though

This is the mansion, or the main oarts of it at least! Ignoring the interior, this is it! It started with only the main room at first, but expanded to have a tall corridor with Alven’s arrival. Then people just started adding rooms from there. It’s VERY tall! It’s taller than a 2-3 story HOUSE in there. It’s so tall, Peter could practice swinging using the huge coloumns dkhdkh. It’s also very long, so if you don’t run, you won’t reach the end after a while.

The interior for the main room and Tall corridor is very Victorian and Elegant. So lots of golds and whites for the main room. In tne Tall Corridor, it has a lot of cool colors- purples and darker but not edgy-reds. There’s almost a permanent sun/moon ray from the windows flowing into the floor.

When we (the teens) started moving in this year, I’m pretty sure Jaiden didn’t fill up the whole corridor just because there’s so many of us. So he made our own living quarters sub-room

The way the mansion works, is that it;s always bigger on the inside. So no matter how small thae main room might be, once you open a door, it’s bigger than what it might feel like from the outside. Also, for the mansion- it has no exterior. On the outside, it’s two big doors. But yeah, if you look outside the windows, you see the meadow. Which is weird... because one time, someone crashed into Jaiden’s room via the window from the outside- but my brain hurts trying to explain how that’s possible

The above is a VERY crude simplified version of our living hallways!! I’m too lazy to draw and assign which door is what- but MJ and Peter’s doors are across the hall from/in front of each other. Me and kris have rooms next to each other, and so on. The interior here is like a cozy and simple hotel, and we all have our own rooms.

Here’s our old post about our headspace! Some updates are:

Farmhouse: nobody lives there anymore; Jamie moved in to a deeper level of the mansion somewhere only Cahra and Jaiden can get to properly

The Bunker: empty... everyone moved out and into the Mansion (Withe the exception of Matthew but he’s.. dormant now)

Toriel’s cottage: described as a very otherworldy area not because it’s alien, but because it feels so nice and calm, that it feels unreal. The sun shines so nice and peeks through the trees in a pretty way all the time

Crowley’s apartment: we don’t know where it is and we never will

General stuff about our headspace:

Jamie discovered it more than made it. Not all of us can edit or make things from thin air but some people can! (see: Jaiden and Crowley).

Some areas we didn’t make, and just appeared with more exploration OR when someone splits. Toriel didn’t make her cottage, it was just like the brain made it for her without us asking. Same for Fluttershy. For Crowley, he had to make his apartment and Bentley from scratch

After that, I can’t give much advice for your headspace <:-) meditation is definitely key, and trying to connect to your headspace more might help! From what we;ve seen, every system has different “headspace rules” (like for example some behave very realistic where instead of summonign a sofa, they need to order one or build one ikea style. For us, we have magic, some don’t, etc)

The headspace is a ‘pwerful’ place!! So With enough practice you should be able to make small things if not big things. What you wanna add, go for it! If it’s big and permanent, then talking to your system members and asking for what they might like can give you ideas!

#Ask #anon #headspace #innerworld #long post #from sal #the inly reason we have ‘a lot of history’ i think is just because we’ve ‘been a system so long/discovered we were a system a long time ago’#that we end up expanding without thinking #like with any history your timeline grows as you keep going #excuse my typos #kris turned off autocorrect a long time ago

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doof-doofblog · 4 years

Text

“I’m Fine!”

Monday 1st June 2020

Good Morning/Afternoon folks! Once again, I apologise that this post is a little late, I unfortunately missed out on watching EastEnders last night, but I have watched it instead this morning and will cover it today, as well as posting later tonight following tonight's episode. So there will be two posts today! I know last night was the episode everyone has been waiting for, it's been teased as one of the most exciting and different episodes EastEnders have ever done.

Wow! Just Wow! What an incredible episode! I don't think I've seen anything like this portrayed on TV, ever! I want to applaud everyone involved in this episode for making it so iconic and memorable! I'm sure this episode will go down as one of EastEnders most epic and memorable moments. EastEnders have been known to do episodes where it all focuses on just the one character, Dot did it once with a huge monologue that lasted the whole episode, Stacey had one where she was suffering from bipolar and postpartum psychosis, Bobby had one when he returned and was seeing the ghost of Lucy everywhere. This time it was all about Ben and focusing on his hearing loss, giving the viewers an insight to what it may be like for a person living without their hearing.

I was a little bit confused to what was happening right at the beginning, but of course it all makes sense. At first, I thought Ben might've been dreaming, but obviously it was all revealed later on in the episode. I thought it was wonderful how Lexi was using sign language to communicate with Ben, giving him his breakfast and asking him to tuck her up into bed at night, little Lexi is a beautiful little actress. Even when Ben and Lexi were walking through the Square, it was incredible how they did it. Ben not being able to hear exactly what's being said by everyone. He could see lips moving and people talking but not being able to hear just the sound of voices chattering. Even when Jean approached him and greeted him very briefly, he couldn't even make out what was being said to him! When he saw Lola and Peter talking from a distance, he knew something was going on, I thought it was very clever the way it was portrayed. He was so focused on something so far away, he didn't even see the van coming towards him and he nearly stepped out in front of it. Realising what he had done, he realised he might've scared Lexi and told her not to worry, what Lexi said then really touched me ... "Don't die Daddy, I need you. Even if your ears don't work!" - what a truly inspirational little girl!

Then the scene between him and Phil when they were in the house talking about the plans going forward with the job they were being involved in with Danny. Realising that Ben could only make out certain words Phil was saying, he kinda was getting some form of understanding at how the job would go. When Phil was explaining it and showing him the map, you just know that you're going to worry for Ben. Would he be able to go through with it? Even when Ben asked to him to slow down a little so he could lip read, even Phil was a little unsure as to whether Ben should take part. When he told Ben that perhaps he should stay away due to the state he was in with his hearing, Ben was clearly hurt. He was so desperate to prove to his Dad that he could help, regardless of his disability. He's said countless times that he is still the same. He is still the same lad who could help him, but he is very vulnerable, he doesn't want to believe it, but he is.

Oooooh and then he decided to approach Lola, after seeing her and Peter from a distance he needed to know what was going on between them. Even though he knew something was going on, he jumped to conclusions about Lola having an affair with Peter, this clearly and understandably upset Lola and she walked way, while Jay saw everything from afar. Later on Jay approached Ben asking what his issue with Lola was, it was only then Jay revealed to Ben that Lola aborted his baby due to Ben's current situation. To be honest, I kinda forgot that Lola didn't really tell anyone, I didn't realise it was just her and Jay who knew about the abortion. But that just made Ben even more angry, had she really blamed Ben as a cover up? Now, that scene between Lola and Ben in the Arches, I found was very powerful. Both of them shouting and pleading to each other, trying to understand each other, was incredible, especially due to the fact that Ben could only make out certain words that Lola was saying. Lola did admit to him that she only slept with Peter the once, only because she thought that they had split up and weren't getting back together. She also did make clear that the reason for her abortion was because of Ben, how would she have been able to cope with a newborn baby, Lexi and having to look after Ben because of his hearing loss. I hoped Ben would understand where she was coming from, but the question is now, what is Ben going to do with the information about her and Peter? He's clearly disappointed with her, surely he wouldn't tell Jay what she's revealed to him and upset his brother? Will he end up confronting Peter and warn him to stay away?! To be honest, it looked as if he was about to approach the Car Lot when he saw Peter inside, but then he got distracted by the cars arriving to pick Phil up for the job.

Realising he had missed the opportunity to sneak into the cars, he jumped into another car and followed. He arrived at what looked like a deserted building, slowly he made his way through trying to find where his Dad and Danny would be. I thought it was so clever that all you could hear was Ben's breathing and the odd sound of metal rumbling. When he found that liquid on the wall - was that blood?! Whatever it was, it scared him and he felt the need to grab his gun. I was a little concerned as I thought he would be getting himself into danger the more he walked through the building. Only then, what happened? His phone went off didn't it! Poor Callum was texting him asking him when he would be home, little did he know what his boyfriend was really getting up to! Then, he was found, a gun pointed in his back, all you could hear were the shakes and nerves in Ben's voice as he was eventually found, only to be led to a room where his Dad and Phil were.

Both of them looked so shocked to see him there, but it also looked as if Phil had been hit. I am right in saying that Phil had a mark on his forehead? Could that be where the blood on the wall had come from? What had they done to him? For a moment, I did think either Ben or Phil were going to be seriously hurt, only what happened next really shook me! Danny didn't want Ben there in the first place, he was angry that he had shown up and even said to Phil that he wouldn't take the risk. Danny knew Ben had hearing problems, but then what he did next really shocked me! He grabbed Ben, shouting at him "You can't hear me, can you?!" - "Is this your good ear? Is it?!" - and then BANG! ... For a moment, I wasn't too sure whether he had actually shot Ben in his good ear, or whether he had just shot the gun so close to his ear that it caused Ben to screech in pain, as the sound could've easily affected his hearing ability. Even when Danny turned around to Phil and said to him "Say goodbye to your son!" - you could see that Phil didn't want to put his son's life in danger. I don't know why, but I loved it when Ben and Phil were looking at each other and Phil was gesturing to Ben to actually do something, as if to say "C'mon! Get up and fight!" ... was Phil using sign language? Was that how Ben knew what to do? Whatever it was, I thought it was brilliant! Ben and Phil - The Mitchell's back to how they were! When they were battling their way through the gang members, I was like "Yeah!!! Go on boys!" HAHA!

However, they now needed to get away. Now, I don't know about you, but I was more worried for Phil at this moment, when I saw them running away, I didn't think Phil would get that far, but I'm happy and surprised to say that he did! Ben was clearly struggling behind him though, after being shot either in his ear or so close to his ear, the sound was ear-piercing and there was constant ringing in his ears, as much as he was trying to focus on his hearing loss, he was trying to focus on following his Dad. For a moment, I did think he was going to get lost, thankfully Phil came back for him and dragged him away before Danny and his gang could catch up. Phil got them to the van which had all the money inside and quickly drove it away before Danny could reach them. I'm happy to see that they both got away and Phil managed to get his money, but then - did anyone else notice? Complete silence! Ben could no longer hear what his Dad was saying, has he lost his hearing completely? Could this mean that Ben's permanently deaf? Could he still have his operation? There are so many questions to ask, the episode ended on such a cliffhanger! Is Danny going to come back for them and get his revenge? I don't think we've seen the last of Danny, after what happened in that episode, nah ... he's going to want to get to get revenge and I don't think he'll stop until he does. Does this mean that someone close to the Mitchell could get involved, as in like, kidnapped or hurt? What does this mean for Phil now also? Does he have enough money to buy Sharon the Vic? Will he realise what's happened with Ben's hearing? Is Callum going to find out what's happened to his boyfriend and where he was? SO MANY QUESTIONS!

Overall, I thought the episode was incredible! It really was an eye-opener and it gave an insight to what being deaf is really like. Everyone involved in this episode and story-line have been fantastic, Max Bowden really deserves an award for his performance in this episode. Steve McFadden, once again, nothing but greatness! In my opinion this has been one of the best episodes ever. I don't know where they're going to go from here regarding Ben, but i'm looking forward to seeing what happens next. We know this new character, Frankie, has been introduced. After what has happened with Ben and realising he's lost his hearing completely, will he take her up on her offer of introducing him to the deaf community and seeing how they carry on with their lives? It'll be a big insight for Ben and for viewers I believe. I'm really looking forward to seeing what's going to happen next, I am really excited.

Before I leave you, I'm aware that more spoilers have been released for next week's episodes, so I'll leave them here for you to look at. I'll try not to spoil too much for you but, due to a tracking device on his car, Gray finds out his car was driven to Stratford - it was Gray's car Ben used to go to the job - But will Gray jump to conclusions and accuse Chantelle of having an affair? Also Whitney is still clearly struggling, things get a bit awkward after she tries to kiss Gray. Then Keegan and Tiffany are still coming to blows with each other, could things be nearing the end for them? And lastly, Sharon has a difficult day ahead as Ian puts together a memorial for Dennis, what could she and Phil be talking about?

Thank you everyone for taking your time to read my blog! I hope you've all enjoyed it. What an amazing episode right? And we haven't got long to wait to see what happens next. I'll be back tonight with another blog following tonight's episode! Thanks again everyone! Stay safe! Love you all xXx

#eastenders #spoilers #benmitchell #philmitchell #danny hardcastle #lolapearce #peterbeale #jaybrown #leximitchell #ballum #callumhighway #grayatkins #whitneydean #keeganbaker #tiffanybutcher #sharonmitchell #chantelleatkins #ianbeale

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