#tomato revengers one shot

[dreamergirlatpaddock]

FAVS 16 CHARLES LECLERC 1.0

Some of my favorite stories, writers you are amazing

crazy | c. leclerc ‘magic hour’ & ‘one chance’ & time & delicate & karting queen versace | c. leclerc sentimental (actress!reader) champagne ○ champagne lips unplanned babies and bahrain good night ○ good morning burnt cruel foolproof moonlight (prince!au) our song cinema black cat uncle darling Petal Homesick A reason more Outta My League Part 1 || Part 2Home Race And Heartbreak Hot Shot Driver The Real Deal I’d Move Mountains For You My Girl, My Everything, My World Charles Leclerc x Gasly Twin Reader Tradition Cherry tomato? Everything shower Revenge • Part 2 Pick me up • Part 2 Supersede Part 2, Part 3 Flushed Duty • Part 2 Wrong guess Subjectivity in art A fresh start • Part 2 Fluffy child hair tie down bad world champion is he? hard liquor, hard launch muse fall out to the world paddock greetings hype man biggest fan relationship release

[bwabys-scenarios]

Reunited

Part 20

Illumi x Reader x ??????

part 19

part 21

taglist: @tsukilover11 @mercyboluthecrazychicken @sxyriii @merinfawleygoestohogwarts

if you wanna be added to the taglist, make sure your account can be mentioned and comment a red heart❤️

warnings: Kurapika is kinda falling in love with reader? may do an short ending with him after York New? This chapter is very main 4 focused. Also illumi is toxic AGAIN!! BOO

The morning sun was just starting to peak over the clouds, illuminating the path before (Name)

The girl had packed her three friends treats into a basket and was on her way to the servants quarters to deliver them.

The three had informed her they’d most likely be coming to the manor the 14th to rescue Killua, which she was excited for.

The entire time she’d been there, (Name) hadn’t been able to sneak away to meet with him. Every time she was caught by either Kikyo or a butler. Kikyo would innocently inform her that Killua was being punished, and to run along before (Name) had to join him.

(Name) knocked on the door, Zebro opening it shortly after.

“Miss (Name) I wasn’t expecting to see you here today! What is it you need?”

The old man kindly held the heavy door open for her as she walked in. Her friends were sat at the table, eating breakfast when they spotted her.

Gon shot out of his seat, jumping up to hug her. “(Name)!”

The girl laughed, patting his back as he sniffed the air. Kurapika stood as well, setting his fork down and prying the boy off of her.

“(Name), what brings you here?” He asked, his eyes on her large basket. Leorio approached as well, Gon watching with hungry eyes.

“Oh, if you didn’t know, tomorrow is Valentine’s Day! I came here…”

She shoved her hand into the basket, the sound of crinkling plastic being heard.

She pulled her hand out, in it a small bear. “To give you this.” She handed the bear to Kurapika, grabbing a bag of homemade chocolates and cookies for him as well.

“Happy(early) Valentine’s Day!”

The man looked at the gift, his face turning tomato red. He looked between the gift and (Name), his heart thumping against his chest. “For… for me?”

“Yes!” She smiled, the sight causing Kurapika to shrink into himself, holding the bear to his chest.

“Thank you (Name), I-“

“Oh, here’s yours too, Gon and Leorio!”

She handed their gifts out, each receiving a bear and two bags of treats. Gon hurriedly opened the bag, stuffing several cookies into his mouth before he could be stopped by Leorio.

“Oi, don’t eat too much, we have training today!”

Kurapika watched the scene with a sigh, looking down at the bear. His was a light shade of red, with a blue heart. It was soft, looking up at him with cute button eyes.

A part of him felt… sad that he wasn’t the only one receiving her affections, but he pushed those feelings away. He didn’t have time to think about what his heart wanted, besides revenge.

“Did you hand make these, (Name)?” Leorio asked, staring down at his orange bear with a green heart. She nodded, slightly nervous.

“Yes! The hearts are scented!”

The three boys sniffed the hearts, each giving her a surprised look.

“(Name), thsi may be the most thoughtful gift I’ve ever received.” Kurapika said softly, looking at the bear lovingly. Leorio held it up, tears flowing from his eyes.

“A GIRL GAVE ME A VALENTINES DAY GIFT!! FUCK YEAH!”

“Language!”

“Oops, sorry (Name)!”

The four chatted, (Name) eating breakfast with them. Her training was called off until either Kalluto or Illumi returned, so she decided to work with them for the next day.

“I’m gonna be staying here tonight. Is that alright, Zebro?”

The old man nodded, pointing up the stairs. “I’ll have a butler prepare a room for you upstairs. Take it easy, Canary told me you received an injury yesterday.”

The three’s eyes were immediately on her, watching her tug her sleeve further down her arm. Kurapika frowned, grabbing her arm and pulling up her sleeve.

There was a deep purple bruise in the shape of a hand on her skin, with what looked like the imprints of long fingers on the edges.

Behind his contacts, Kurapika’s eyes turned a deep scarlet, the man barely able to control his breathing.

“Who did this to you?”

(Name) flinched at his voice, shrinking back into her seat. “It’s not like that. I was sparring with someone.” She replied.

That wasn’t the full truth, Illumi had angrily squeezed her arm, exasperating the bruise, but she didn’t want to give her friends anymore reason to dislike him. They didn’t understand him!

“… I see. They should be more careful with you.” He let her go, still internally seething. He knew she wasn’t telling the entire truth, but wouldn’t call her out on it now. Kurapika cared for her feelings, and knew pushing her would only make her clam up.

“Well, (Name) wants to train, she can’t progress without a few bumps and scratches.” Gon said, crossing his arms. “I don’t like her getting hurt either, but if they treat her too gently she won’t get any better.”

(Name) beamed at the boy. Finally, someone who understood and didn’t treat her like a child! “Gon’s right. (Name) is a hunter now, she needs to be strong. Although I myself could never harm a lady!”

(Name) giggled at Leorio’s words. Kurapika leaned against his chair and sighed. He knew they were right, but for some reason he couldn’t stand to see her in pain. The way she flinched at his touch worried him greatly.

“Alright boys, let’s finish up breakfast and get to work!”

—————

(Name) looked at the testing gate, groaning. “Yikes, I forgot how big this thing was.”

The group were standing in front of the testing gate, Leorio, Kurapika, and (Name) stretching to ready themselves. Gon’s arm was still injured from his fight with Hanzo, so he stood near them, obviously jealous that they got to try and he didn’t.

“Should I put on the vest too?” (Name) asked, pointing to the black vest they all wore.

“Maybe not, it’s-“

Kurapika was quickly interrupted by Zebro. “I think that’s a good idea!”

Zebro handed (Name) the vest, which caused her to instantly topple over.

“(Name)!”

Kurapika and Leorio rushed over, the girl grunting as she struggled to hold the vest up. “Its- it’s so heavy! How the hell are you all wearing this thing?”

“It might be hard for you to hold, but it should be easier to wear. Here, I’ll help you put it on.”

Leorio gestured for her to lift up her arms, the man slipping it over her head, sliding it down past her shoulders. He stopped right before her chest, staring.

“I think I’ll take over here.”

Kurapika smacked Leorio’s hands away and pulled the vest over her chest. Ever the gentleman, he had her spin to make sure the nothing was bunched up.

“Oh wow, this sucks, but I’m here for the long haul.”

She waddled around, trying to get used to the added weight. Kurapika and Leorio had to stifle their chuckling at her antics.

The three continued their work, now carrying around heavy plates of disks and doing push-ups. (Name) had gotten used to doing push-ups, but not with the extra weight. Even so, she did better than Kurapika and Leorio, able to do 30 at once before collapsing.

“Wow (Name), where did all that strength come from?” Leorio asked, watching the girl do her 30th push-up.

“Let’s just say my trainer in the Zoldyck mansion thinks running a few miles and doing a hundred pushups is LIGHT exercise.”

“Yikes.”

——————

The sun began to set, the three exhausted. As they walked back to their shared home for the night, they caught Gon training. He was scolded by Leorio and Kurapika, who had to remind him he was supposed to be resting.

“Ahh I’m beat!”

(Name) sat down on the couch, her vest folded up in the closet. Zebro had taken it once they walked inside, stating she needed to sleep without it to not exacerbate her injury.

“So, who’s taking a shower first? I know I’m not sleeping with a bunch of sweaty boys in the house.”

Kurapika had sat down next to her, raising an eyebrow. “Of course you can shower first. It’s only fair.”

“Fair? Why don’t we make it even more fair by playing rock paper scissors?” (Name) asked, grinning.

“That’s really isn’t necessary-“

“Deal!” Gon leaped from his seat, using his good hand to make a fist, indicating he wanted to play.

“Okay, we’ll do me versus Gon, then the winner will go up against Kurapika. Then the next winner will go up against Leorio! That’s how we’ll decide who goes first. Then the rest of the losers can play again to decide who goes second!”

(Name) smiled, the others agreeing to her rules. Gon sat in front of (Name) holding out his hand.

“Rock!”

“Paper!”

“Scissors!”

“Shoot!”

——————

(Name) sat with her knees pulled to her chest, an obvious pout on her face. The two other boys poked her legs, laughing softly.

“How did I lose to every single person?” (Name) whined, kicking at Leorio as he poked her.

“I’m not sure, you must have awful luck!” Gon said with a laugh, leaning his head against her shoulder.

“I didn’t know Kurapika was so good at Rock Paper Scissors! He had no mercy!” Leorio cried.

The order of who got to take a shower was as follows: Kurapika, Gon, Leorio, then (Name). She had lost every single round, the hope leaving her eyes after each defeat.

“If you hadn’t been stubborn, you could have had your shower first.”

Kurapika leaned against the doorway to the bathroom, his wet hair sticking to his forehead and cheeks. Gon leaped from his chair, passing Kurapika and slamming the door. They could hear him singing some song as he readied his shower, causing the three to laugh.

“Hey, Kurapika, you really should dry your hair. You might catch a cold.”

He pushed back a strand of wet hair, sighing softly. “It takes too much time, and my arms are tired.”

“Oh, then let me do it!”

Kurapika didn’t have time to process her question, as (Name) was already standing up and grabbing a towel and pulling him over to the couch to sit on the floor. She sat on the couch, pointing the spot in front of her.

“Come on, it’s no trouble.”

He watched her for a moment, deciding to humor her. He sat down in front of her, close enough so she could reach his head. The first thing she did was gently run her fingers through his blond locks, causing the young man to stiffen.

“I’m gonna start now, okay?”

She placed the towel on his head, gently wrapping it around his hair and fluffing it. She started to hum softly, Kurapika relaxing under her touch.

He hadn’t been cared for like this in a long time, it reminded him of being a child. Her touch was soft, caring, like that of a mother. Kurapika had to try his best to hold back tears.

It was painful to remember, especially when those memories were of the Kurta clan. No matter how much time passed, little things like this were enough to plague his mind.

(Name) pulled the towel back, her fingers running through his hair again. “Mmm, still a bit damp. Do you want me to leave it, or-“

“Please continue.”

His tone surprised (Name). It wasn’t that of her usual calm friend, no this was from a desperate man in need of her touch. She wasn’t stupid, she knew Kurapika was hurt. Just one look into his eyes told her something had broken him, changing him into a man that he had never wanted to become.

So she did continue, drying his hair and humming, stopping ever so often to run her fingers through his locks and compliment the pretty color.

It wasn’t much, but Kurapika appreciated this attention greatly. He wasn’t used to being cared for so tenderly. The last time he allowed himself to relax in this way was around his old friend…

“Your hair is all dry now, Kurapika!”

She smiled down at him, ruffling his hair. He nodded, standing.

“I’ll return the favor once you’re done, (Name).”

She paused, scratching the back of her head. “Well, I’ll probably just blow d-“

“There is no blow dryer.” Zebro called from the kitchen. (Name) groaned, accepting Kurapika’s offer with a shy smile.

‘She was so willing to help others, but why does she seem to hate accepting things in return for her kindness?’ Kurapika thought, glancing at her. This had happened a few times before, along with her viewing herself as useless.

Although he wanted to address these issues now, he knew it wasn’t the time. She had enough on her plate, being basically kidnapped and (in Kurapika’s mind) sexually harassed by a literal assassin. He stored this information away for later.

The door flew open, Gon exiting the bathroom with his hair sopping wet. (Name) glanced in Kurapika’s direction before giggling.

“It seems I’m gonna be drying a bunch of peoples hair tonight.”

——————

She ended up drying both Gon and Leorio’s hair, adding in some of her leave in conditioner to Gon’s hair as he whined.

“I’m sorry, but it’ll help with the tangles. I hope you don’t mind smelling like strawberries for a while.”

He didn’t, and the other two ended up getting some mixed into their hair as well. Although Kurapika seemed to take care of his hair the best, it was still in need of some extra love.

The group of three left this experience with silky locks, all smelling of strawberry soap. It didn’t seem to bother them much, Gon sniffing himself every once and a while with a grin.

(Name) left them to walk up to her room and grab a change of clothes. The butlers had been there alright, filling the drawers with all the clothing she could ever need.

After picking her pajamas for the night, (Name) strolled to the bathroom, locking the door behind her. She didn’t think they would come and peek on purpose, but she did know that one of them may forget she was showering and walk in to use the restroom.

Something similar had already happened on the airship, Gon having walked into the ladies room accidentally. Thankfully just (Name) had been in there washing her hands, because she doubted Ponzu would have been as nice as her.

The girl stripped, dropping her clothes into a laundry basket and stepping into the shower. The water felt nice on her tired muscles, but stung at her injured arm.

Usually she could take long showers, over 30 minutes, but today she settled for 15, quickly washing her hair and body before exiting.

She slapped on some lotion and moisturizer before slipping into her pajamas, yawning lightly. The finishing touch was wrapping a towel around her hair.

(Name) walked out of the bathroom, sighing in content as she looked at the dinner table. It had been set up, with the main dish being a roast. There were mashed potatoes, broccoli, and rolls as side dishes, the scent of it all causing her to drool.

“Mmm, nothing beats a nice dinner after a long day!”

(Name) took a seat next to Gon, having a plate handed to her by Seaquant. During her first visit to the servants quarters, Seaquant had been a bit rude, but now he was more polite when he wasn’t ignoring her.

“Thank you!”

(Name) dug in, the others staring as she devoured her meal, kicking her feet happily before she stopped, placing her fork down. “This… wasn’t poisoned was it?”

Kurapika blinked, giving her a confused stare. “Poisoned? Why would it be poisoned?”

(Name) thought back to her first night at the manor, and how Illumi had questioned if her food had been poisoned before she ate. “Mmm… I guess it wouldn’t be, since this isn’t the main house.”

She continued her meal, her three friends now a bit concerned. Was she being poisoned on such a regular basis that she had to ask?

When (Name) finished her meal, she began to walk upstairs, yawning. “I’m gonna go to bed. I-“

Kurapika followed behind her, (Name) pausing to stare at him.

“Kurapika, what are yo-“

“Did you forget I said I’d help dry your hair?”

She blinked, then shook her head. “No, of course not.”

“I can tell you’re lying. Hurry up, it’s getting late.”

—————

Kurapika sat on her bed, watching as (Name) pulled the towel from her hair and handed it to him. The wet hair hung around her face, water dripping onto the floor. “I have a bit of a tender head.” She whispered, looking away in embarrassment.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be gentle.”

She sat cross legged in front of him, her back to him. Kurapika realized in that moment he had never dried someone else’s hair for them, dropping the towel on her head.

He tried his best to remember the feeling of her hands in his hair, the amount of pressure she applied. Eventually he began to towel dry her hair, humming an old Kurta lullaby.

“Mm, you have a nice voice Kurapika. What’s that song you’re humming?”

He ran his fingers through her hair to test how damp it still was, placing the towel back on her head to continue. “It’s a lullaby, one my people used to sing to the children at night. I’m a bit surprised I still remember it.”

Usually talking about the Kurta filled him with pain and anger, but right then in that moment, the phantom troupe didn’t exist to him. The only thing that really mattered was that she was here, gently leaning against his knees and smiling.

“That’s sweet. Your people must of been very talented to produce such a sweet melody.”

He softened at her words, glad that she couldn’t see the tears pooling in the corners of his eyes.

“Yes, they were.”

After he finished drying her hair, Kurapika lingered. For some reason he didn’t want this moment to end, didn’t want to leave her comforting presence.

“Kurapika, would you like to see some pictures of my cats?”

The blond nodded, greedy to spend more time with (Name). She stood, plopping onto the bed next to him. When she was this close, he could smell her lotion, sighing contentedly at the soft lavender scent.

She pulled out her phone, scrolling through a few pictures of her cats, squealing in delight at some.

“Oh, and this is Tammy! She’s actually pregnant right now, and I’m soooo mad I won’t be home when she has her babies!” She huffed, showing him a picture of a brown tabby cat with a small round belly. He chuckled, seeing a reflection of (Name) taking the picture in the mirror behind the cat.

“She’s cute. When will she be giving birth?”

“Mmm, I think within the next week or so. We’d only discovered she was pregnant a few weeks before the exam.”

She peered at him, smiling sweetly. “You can have one of the kittens if you’d like. I trust you enough.”

Kurapika blinked, a light pink on his cheeks. “I would gladly adopt one if I actually… had a home for her.”

(Name) tilted her head at this. “Do you not have a home to return to?”

This seemed to be a sore subject, causing the blond to sigh and look away. “No. After my clan was massacred, I never was able to find a place that felt like home. I go from place to place, but never stay for long.”

(Name) nodded, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I understand. In that case, you’re welcome to come stay with me if you need to. You’ll always have a place in my house, okay?”

This time Kurapika let his tears fall freely, nodding. “Thank you (Name), you don’t understand how much that means to me.”

She wrapped him in a hug, patting his back gently. They stayed like that for a while, (Name) rocking him as he pulled himself together.

“I think I’ve taken up enough of your time.”

The man stood, brushing the tears from his eyes and giving her a brave smile. “I’ll head to bed now. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight. Don’t be a stranger, I’m here if you need me!”

(Name) watched him go with a hand over her heart. She could physically feel his pain and suffering, barely holding back tears of his own.

She was determined to be the best friend she could be to him, a good influence on this heartbroken boy. Unbeknownst to her, Kurapika looked down at his hand, imagining the feeling of her hair and the smell of her skin.

A part of him wanted to stay longer, but he knew it was late. It was going to be a long day tomorrow, and (Name) needed her sleep.

He lied down on his bed, looking up at the ceiling above him with soft eyes.

“I hope she has good dreams.”

——————

(Name) awoke to the sound of grunting and groaning. She rubbed her eyes, glancing at the alarm clock on the nightstand next to her. It was only 3 am, she’d had 4 hours of sleep.

She stepped out of her room, peering down the hallway to see Gon and Leorio doing the same. She glanced between the two, an unspoken question between them.

‘Who’s making that noise?’

A cry rang out into the night, the three rushing towards the sound. They ended up dashing into Kurapika’s room, the blond writhing in his bed, asleep.

Leorio crouched down to shake his shoulder, but was slapped away. He gasped, pulling back.

“That hurt. Maybe we should just leave him be. It seems like he’s just having a bad dream-“

(Name) gave him a look, the man silencing himself instantly. She stepped forward, just out of Kurapika’s reach. “Hey, wake up. You’re having a bad dream.” she cooed softly, bending down. He whined, relaxing ever so slightly at her voice.

She thought back to earlier when he’d told her about the lullaby he’d been humming and decided to hum it for him now.

His contorted face instantly softened, his limbs falling to his sides. She took this as a chance to push his hair back off of his sweating forehead.

Gon yawned, rubbing his eyes sleepily. “I’m gonna go back to bed. You got this?” He was worried for Kurapika, but knew that his presence wasn’t helping anything. (Name) nodded, not pausing her humming.

“Alright, I’ll be heading out too. Try to get some sleep, (Name).”

With the two gone, (Name) was left alone with the blond, sitting on the floor next to his bed so she could be comfortable.

“(Name)?”

She glanced to her side to see Kurapika’s eyes boring into her, his breathing slowing.

“Yes, I’m here.”

He reached for her hand, squeezing it tighter than he would of if he was more in control of his emotional state. She didn’t complain, only watching him with a careful eye.

“You were having a bad dream. Would you feel better talking about it?”

He thought for a moment before shaking his head. “That’s alright.”

Kurapika watched her, his eyes going from an intense red to a soft grey. “Was that… the lullaby I told you about earlier?”

“Yes, I thought it might help you calm down.”

“… it sounds much better coming from you.”

She giggled, patting his head. “Quite the charmer huh? Let’s get you tucked back in.”

Kurapika lied back down, (Name) pulling the cover up to his chin. “Thank you, I’m already feeling much better.”

“That’s great.”

She stood, sitting on the edge of his bed. “It’s getting late, I’m gonna go ba-“

“(Name).”

He grasped her sleeve, his eyes wild. She’d never seen him look at her like that, like a desperate animal.

“Yes?”

Kurapika pulled on her sleeve, his chest rising and falling slowly. “Can you stay until I fall asleep?”

She sighed, a tired smile on her lips. “Of course.”

“I’m sorry…”

“Don’t be.”

He leaned back against his pillow, able to relax with her near him. Kurapika didn’t understand why, but having her around made him soft.

He was usually a very cold and calculated man, but that flew out the window when she was near. It was like he could be vulnerable, childlike, soft, and she wouldn’t judge him for it or call him weak.

What was it about her that made him feel this way?

“… I had a dream about the massacre.”

(Name) stiffened at his statement, looking down at him with worried eyes. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry. That’s awful.”

She pushed back his hair again, letting her hand wander to his cheek, caressing it. Her lifted his hand to hold hers, his thumb brushing over her knuckles.

“I have these dreams frequently, so don’t blame yourself. Nothing we discussed earlier caused this.”

He sighed, letting go of her hand. (Name) yawned, pinching herself to stay awake.

“I’m going to try and sleep now. I’m so sorry, but your presence helps me… relax.”

He closed his eyes, finally able to sleep in peace. (Name) stayed with him until he started to snore, knowing that he was knocked out.

She snuck out of his room, climbing into bed. It was 5 am now, (Name) sighing before passing out.

——————

The three awoke earlier than (Name), allowing her to sleep in a bit. Kurapika felt guilty for keeping her up so long, nervously tapping his fingers against the table.

“Mmm, I think it’s time to wake her up. If we train without her, she’ll be pissed.” Leorio stated, standing from his chair. Kurapika stood as well, walking past him and up the stairs.

“I’ll do it.”

Leorio and Gon shared a glance, confused by his strange behavior.

Kurapika knocked on her door as he opened it, the sound doing nothing to stir the sleeping girl. He paused at her side of the bed, giggling at her disheveled hair and clothes.

“(Name)? (Name), wake up. It’s time for breakfast.”

She whined, turning away and smacking his hand away from her shoulder.

“Mmnn… I told you to stop Illumi.” She groaned, pouty.

Kurapika raised an eyebrow at that, shaking her again. This time she stirred, looking up at him with sleepy eyes. “Kurapika? Mm did you sleep well?”

He felt soft again, sitting next to her on her bed. “Yes, thank you. I was able to sleep peacefully because of you.”

She nodded, swinging her legs over the side of the bed to sit next to him. “That’s good. I was really worried about you.”

He felt his heart thump against his chest, out of embarrassment or happiness he wasn’t quite sure.

“Don’t worry, it was just a bad dream. I don’t-“

She looked him in the eye, completely serious. “Kurapika, I don’t care if it was just a bad dream. When I see my friends suffering, I can’t NOT worry. Even if it’s annoying or if I’m deemed a worry wart, I’ll never stop worrying about the well being of my loved ones.”

Kurapika’s breath hitched in his throat. What was with this girl and her innate ability to bring tears to his eyes and a clench to his heart?

“It’s not annoying at all, (Name). It feels… nice to be cared for. Just…”

He looked away, struggling to find the words. “Maybe it’s hard to accept care when it’s hard to care about yourself.”

Her words caused him to turn back to look at her. The air was different, (Name)’s eyes boring into the wall.

“Yes. It is.”

Kurapika had no room to be angry that she didn’t seem to care about herself, because he was in the same boat, but something made him grab her hand in a tight grip.

“Kurapika, w-“

He leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers, his eyes locked on her (e/c) ones. She gasped, the color a beautiful scarlet, one she’d only seen a few times before.

“I won’t pry into your business, because I would rather you not do the same with me, but just know one thing.”

He smiled, pulling away slightly to cup her cheek. “I care about you, and I’m sure Gon and Leorio do as well. Even if you can’t seem to care about yourself, we will do it for you. You will always have someone that loves you and wishes for the best.”

He wasn’t shocked to see tears threaten to fall from her eyes before she pulled herself together, leaning into his touch.

“Have I ever told you you’re a sweet boy?”

“A few times.”

They laughed, (Name) standing up and stretching. “Alright, I’m gonna get changed. I’ll meet you down in the kitchen in a minute.”

Leorio watched Kurapika leave the room with a raised eyebrow. His blond friend had a sweet smile on his face, holding his cheek.

“That took a while. What, were you busy making out or something?”

Kurapika stiffened, causing Gon to gasp.

“Wait!! Were you really!?”

“No.”

Kurapika gave them a look, quieting the two instantly. “We just had a chat. Besides…” he folded his arms, a sly smile on his face.

“I wouldn’t kiss and tell.”

—————

(Name) jogged down the stairs wearing a skirt and sweater. Leorio blinked as she sat down next to him, looking at her skirt.

“You sure you wanna work out in that? Its not exactly the easiest to get around in a skirt without… you know.”

He acted out the scene, twirling around the screeching when his skirt(a pillow) flew up, “exposing everything”.

“Leorio, you’re deplorable.” Kurapika said with a groan, covering his red face.

“But I’m not wrong!”

She laughed, standing up and twirling.

“Unlucky for you Leorio, I’m wearing a skirt with built in shorts!”

The group ate breakfast, finishing their meal before walking outside. This time Kurapika helped (Name) get her vest on, gently sliding it over her shoulders.

“They’re getting kinda close, huh.” Leorio whispered to Gon, who shrugged.

“I guess! I’m just glad Kurapika seems happier.”

Leorio nodded absentmindedly, watching the two giggle at each other with worried eyes.

‘I just hope he doesn’t get too attached too quick. It’s never good to put all of your chips into one person, especially within such a short amount of time.’

(Name) helped clear the table after breakfast, singing along to a song Kurapika didn’t know. When finished, she looked at the group and gave them her biggest smile.

“Happy Valentine’s Day!”

They all smiled back, the older two a bit bashful.

Kurapika, Leorio, and (Name) stretched in front of the testing gate, Zebro watching over them.

“Hey, why don’t you try removing those vests today?” Zebro called, Leorio grinning.

“Oh? Music to my ears!”

The two threw their vests off, Kurapika turning to help (Name) with hers.

“Ah, she can keep her vest on. After all, it is you two who must open the gate.”

(Name) frowned, her hands on her hips. “I don’t mind keeping it on, but I want to help my friends.”

Zebro sighed, shaking his head. “I wish I could let you, but this has to be done by your friends. If you help, it wouldn’t be fair to their efforts.”

(Name) rolled her eyes but complied, watching the two as they worked.

“It’s okay, (Name). Just you being here helps us enough!” Leorio stated, him and Kurapika pushing the gate in sync. It began to open, the guards watching on in shock.

“Damn it… it won’t move any further!” Leorio grunted.

(Name) turned her head at the sound of the ground shaking, seeing Gon had taken off his vest and sling. She moved to stop him, but paused when she saw determined look in his eye.

He strolled forward, placing his hands on the testing gate.

“Gon!”

“Why are you using your left arm?”

“It’s okay. My arm’s healed now.” The guards watched on in a mix of shock and excitement, (Name) cheering for them.

“Healed?” Kurapika questioned.

“Are you sure Gon?”

“Yep! Anyway, we have to push together, right?”

The two nodded. “Right, let’s push!”

“Let’s go!”

“One!”

“Two!”

“Three!”

The three pushed, the sounds of their effort causing (Name) to anxiously rock on the heels of her shoes.

“You got this!”

“It’s opening…” Seaquant mumbled, Zebro chucking in response.

The door finally opened, Gon falling through onto the ground.

Kurapika and Leorio held the doors open, trying their best to control their breathing. “It opened.”

Kurapika and Leorio grinned. “YES!”

“We did it Gon!”

“Uh-huh!”

(Name) rushed in, helping Gon up as the doors closed, the two men leaning against the now closed gate to catch their breath.

“That was amazing! I can tell how hard you boys have been working!”

She pinched Gon’s cheek affectionately and helped the two to their feet

“Follow the path, and head for the mountain. The mansion should be somewhere up there. I’m ashamed to admit that even though I’ve worked here for twenty years, I’ve never been up the mountain. Sorry that I couldn’t be of any help.” Zebro said, watching over the group with kind eyes.

“No, that isn’t true. You’ve been a huge help. Thank you for everything!”

Gon gave a quick bow before sprinting off towards his group.

“Mmm, this is a different path than the one I took up the mountain, it’s much… nicer.”

(Name) skipped along the path, stopping every few minutes to admire the scenery. She wasn’t able to get out much, and Kukuroo Mountain was beautiful.

“There’s another path? Well if this one is easier we’ll take it.”

Leorio didn’t know that although the path was clearer and easier to traverse, it would be harder to get past. There was someone waiting for them, someone that would not let them by easily.

“Leave. You’re trespassing on private property. I cannot allow you to pass without permission.”

(Name) looked at the girl, immediately recognizing her as Canary. Canary blinked, smiling at (Name) politely.

“Miss (Name) is an exception of course.”

“We called ahead, and we came through the Testing Gate.” Gon began walking forward.

“The butlers did not give you permission to enter.”

“What do we need to do to get permission? I said I was Killua’s friend, but they wouldn’t put him on.”

“I wouldn’t know, because no one has ever received permission, besides Miss (Name).”

“Then we’ll have to trespass!”

“I suppose so. In any case, this is where I draw the line. If you take one step beyond this line, I’ll remove you by force.”

Canary pointed to (Name) then behind her. “Miss (Name), you are free to continue down this path if you’d like. You’ll reach the butlers quarters in no time.”

(Name) stiffened, shaking her head. “No, I won’t go without-“

“(Name).”

She stopped, turning to Gon. He gave her a smile and a thumbs up.

“It’s better if you go ahead. It might make it easier if we have an inside man.”

Kurapika nodded. “It’s better for you to be safe instead of staying with us. I don’t want our actions to get you in trouble.”

“But-“

“No buts!” They yelled in unison, causing the (h/c) haired girl to pout.

“Fine! Canary, don’t go to hard on them.”

She didn’t answer (Name), only a hint of a smile for her response.

—————

When (Name) reached the butlers quarters, Gotoh was waiting outside for her. “Miss (Name).” He greeted, waving her inside.

She spent the next few hours being scolded for helping the “intruders” and training her Ren. As the day passed by, she checked the windows constantly to see if her friends had made it yet.

“Master Killua is on his way.”

(Name)’s Ren faded immediately, the girl jumping up excitedly. “Really? Oh my gosh!”

Gotoh led her upstairs, where she was told to wait until Killua arrived.

She sat on a couch, staring at pile of… chocolate robots? Weird, she’d never seen something like that before.

“Miss (Name), Master Killua has arrived.”

“(Name)!”

Killua rushed into the room past Gotoh, tackling her into a hug. “Killua, you’re okay!”

She gave the boy a tight squeeze, patting his head gently. “I… I didn’t know if you were gonna be okay.” Killua said, his voice barely above a whisper.

(Name) looked over his face, frowning at the wounds that littered it. “I thought the same with you. What happened? Illumi told me you were being punished, but I was hoping it wouldn’t be so…”

“Brutal?”

“Yeah…”

Killua sat up, crossing his legs. “Well, I did stab my brother and mother, so I let them punish me a bit. But now that’s over, and I’m gonna see Gon again!”

(Name) smiled widely. “Yeah, I actually saw them earlier today. They’ve been working really hard to rescue you, ya know. You have some really good friends.”

He paused, sniffing the air. “(Name), what’s in that bag you’re holding?”

He pointed to the small cloth bag, tilting his head in confusion. “Oh, this? It’s for you!”

She handed him the bag, allowing him to tear it open. It was like watching a kid open a present on Christmas Day, his eyes lighting up when he laid eyes upon the chocolates and treats.

“I made you your own teddy bear and some baked goods! Happy Valentine’s Day!”

He immediately began munching on the chocolate, happily telling her how good it was. “Almost as good as my chocolate robots!”

He downed the treats quickly, turning to the aforementioned robots. (Name) remembered Illumi ordering several entrees during dinner, giggling. Him and Illumi were alike, in some ways.

“Gotoh is gonna tell us when Gon gets here, so we can just relax. What have you been doing?”

—————

After a lengthy explanation of what had happened during her stay, Killua nodded his head. “I don’t like it, but I agree with Illumi. Kalluto knows better than to use his full strength against a non-target.”

“Ugh, everyone keeps saying that.”

“Because it’s trueeee!”

They stuck their tongues out at each other. “Anyone ever tell you how annoying you are?”

Killua paused.

A memory surfaced to his mind, one of him and (Name).

flashback

“Killua, are you here?”

The young girl peered behind a tree, her voice tinged with worry. Usually the young assassin would be there by now, but he was uncharacteristically late.

She already worried enough about Illumi getting hurt during a mission, and now her heart was thumping painfully in her chest thinking about her young friend being hurt, if not killed.

Before she could think anymore, a dark shaped jumped out of the trees, screaming. (Name) yelped and fell, tumbling down the small hill and landing against a log.

“Oh no, (Name)!”

Killua had planned on spooking her, not killing her! He ran down the hill, watching as the girl sat up, groaning. He knelt beside her, apologizing as sincerely as he could.

“Ugh… has anyone ever told you how annoying you are?” She asked, ruffling his hair. The comment had no malice behind it, something Killua wasn’t used to. She wasn’t angry that he had caused her to get hurt, just a bit annoyed.

flashback end

“… yeah, someone told me once before.”

He stared at (Name), his catlike eyes taking in her face. She treated him like she always had, with a motherly touch and kind words. Had her memories returned, or was she this kind to every person she met?

(Name) leaned against her chair, huffing. “I swear, i only met Illumi a week ago but he acts like he gets to make all my decisions for me.”

Nope, she definitely didn’t remember. He was starting to feel bad for his older brother, if only a little bit.

The two chatted for a bit, Killua become more impatient by the minute.

“Geez, how long do we have to wait? Hey, Gotoh!” He opened up the door to a dark hallway throwing his voice into the dark.

“Anyone around?”

(Name) joined him, confused. “What’s going on?”

The two rushed down the stairs, opening the door to the living room to see their friends sat on a couch, being applauded by several butlers.

“Gotoh, is Gon here yet?”

“Killua, (Name)!”

“Oh, you’re here, Gon! Along with… Kurapika!”

“I’m just an afterthought?”

“Liorio!”

“It’s Leorio!”

The group laughed, (name) leaning against the back of the couch. “I can’t believe you came, what happend, your face is a wreck!” Killua teased.

“Yours isn’t any better!” Gon replied.

“Hey Gotoh, I told you to let me know as soon as they arrived. What were you doing?”

The butler bowed in Killua and (Name)’s direction. “Forgive me. I had them participate in a little game.”

“A game?” Killua asked, already suspicious.

“It was nothing more than a poor joke. I apologize for any aggravation. Did you enjoy yourselves?”

Leorio rubbed the back of his head, relieved. “That was some really good acting.”

“What, did they try something?” Killua questioned, his eye on Gon.

“No, they were entertaining us.”

“Really? Well anyway, let’s go somewhere else. Anywhere else, right now. If we stay here, my mom will give us all an earful!” Killua groaned out.

(Name) watched them from behind the couch, smiling. They noticed she wasn’t joining in on the conversation, Kurapika deciding to ask her about it.

“(Name), are you coming with us?”

She shook her head. “No, I have training to do. Illumi has been kind enough to allow me to stay until it’s completed.”

The four visibly deflated, Killua whining like a child.

“But!”

They perked up, looking to her with excited faces. “I’ll accompany you all to town. Let’s spend one last day together, until we have to go out separate ways!”

That seemed to be enough for them.

—————

(Name) returned home the next day, having made plans to meet the group September 1st in York New, the same time she was meeting her old friend.

She yawned, being escorted back to the manor by Canary. “Gon said you gave him a beating. He’s stubborn, isn’t he?”

Canary had a hint of a smile on her lips. “Yes, he is.”

The two walked in silence, Canary holding open the door for her as they entered the manor. It was nearing dinner time by the time she’d gotten back.

The group of five had done some shopping in town and eaten lunch together, wanting to spend as much time with each other until they were forced to part ways. Kurapika and Leorio would be going their own way, while Killua and Gon had decided to stick together.

Because Gon didn’t have a phone, Killua and (Name) exchanged numbers so they could stay in contact.

As (Name) changed out of her clothes and into a new dress for dinner, she heard several notifications on her phone.

Unknown: hey (Name), it’s killua. be careful, my family is crazy, and I think mom is a bit too interested in you

(Name) sighed. She already knew this, but appreciated his warning nonetheless. She set his contact as “Lil Guy”, giggling.

The next message was from her old friend.

Grumpy Pants: received gift, thank you

Her heart beat faster, a hand resting against her mouth. Her friend almost never thanked her, he must of really liked it!

The third message was from Illumi.

Illumi: I’ll be home later tonight. Don’t wait up.

She closed her phone. (Name) didn’t want to admit it, but she was a bit excited to see Illumi. She had just said goodby to her friends for at least 7 months, and could use his company.

She sent him back a quick message before running to dinner.

Strawberries: okay, be safe!! <3

——————

Illumi looked over (Name)’s message with a pang in his heart. Her kindness truly knew no bounds.

“It’s almost time, Illumi.”

Hisoka looked completely different, his extravagant appearance and voice altered by Illumi’s needles to make him look and sound average.

After all, it wouldn’t make sense for Hisoka to attack (Name). Illumi wanted to keep his business arrangement with Hisoka, and if he did after Hisoka attacked (Name) she would probably be upset.

“… alright. I’ll give you the signal when she returns to her room.”

He looked over her message, biting his lip. Was this really the right decision? He didn’t know, but Illumi was desperate for her to learn her weakness. The thought of her going out into the real world unaware of the dangers in it made him insane.

“… I’m sorry (Name), but I’m going to be breaking my promise tonight.”

[cloudlessly-light]

Sunshine (one-shot)

A/N: What no filth who is this? I’m honestly not sure what this is, it wasn’t supposed to be angsty and then it still became… well this. We’re playing a little fast and loose with the timeline in this one, but just go with it okay? And please enjoy!

Title: Sunshine Summary:I will not betray him, or his father.  Word count: 3,9k Rating: General Warnings: Mentions of death, grieving, kinda angsty

Emily never thought she would find a family, a real family. It wasn’t what she grew up with, it wasn’t something she found as she got older. Until him. Aaron Hotchner was everything she had ever wanted, and of course she couldn’t have him.

It was a bitter pill to swallow, that the man she found so attractive was not only her boss, but he was married and had a son. So she ignores the way her stomach flutters when he touches her, pretends she doesn’t feel her heart ache at times when she thinks of him.

But life happens, Aaron ends up divorced and they grow closer, build a friendship that’s more than small talk at work. He invites her over to dinners, she goes to the park with him and Jack, the three-year-old a whirlwind of energy. She finds herself falling in love with him but she never tells him. He was still mourning the loss of his marriage. Of Haley.

She doesn’t fault him for that, can’t blame him for not feeling the same way she did. Having him as a friend wasn’t a consolation prize and being allowed to spend a weekend with Jack was something she treasured.

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine…” She sings to herself as she cuts a tomato for their salad.

“You sing good.” Jack is suddenly beside her, all smiles and wide eyes.

“Thank you Jack.” She picks him up so he can sit beside her on the counter and watches to make sure he’s steady before picking up the tomato slices and puts them in a bowl.

“Again.” He grins and she chuckles.

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine…”

Things are slowly starting to work themselves out, Aaron seemingly coming to terms with his marriage and finding some sort of balance between seeing his son and working the hours they have to. And then, barely a year later George Foyet comes crashing into their lives in a way no one expected.

As he heals from the injures Foyet had caused him, she takes care of him. It’s small gestures, groceries at his door, new bandages when she knows he’s run out, a silent support as he angrily drinks away the pain of not knowing where his son is. It’s the first time an unsub has won their personal battle against the BAU. But it’s not the last. Foyet wins again as he murders Haley, and in his pursuit of revenge he turns Aaron into a killer too.

He doesn’t regret what he did, she knows he doesn’t. But she could still see flashes of something close to guilt sometimes. Aaron wasn’t his father, he didn’t want to turn to violence, and she reminds him that’s not what happened when she needs to, the words whispered in the quietness of his apartment as Jack sleeps down the hall.

When she watches Aaron at the funeral she wants nothing more than to hold him, show him the support she knows he needs but won’t ask for. Instead she holds Jack’s hand when his father needs a moment alone.

“Emmy, is mommy cold in there?” He asks as he watched the hole in the ground with the coffin of his dead mother and Emily wants to cry. She doesn’t, instead she kneels next to him, not caring that her heels dig into the dirt as she did.

“No, she’s not.” She sees the way Jack tries to understand what is happening, how he tries to wrap his mind around something he’s far too young to comprehend.

“Is she gone forever?” His bottom lip trembles with the question and she knew that if Foyet wasn’t already dead, that she would have killed him herself for making him feel this way.

“Honey, you might not be able to see her, but she’s not gone. Because we remember her, we love her.” She holds his small hands in hers and when he squeezes them tightly she squeezes back.

“Daddy too?” He asks just as Aaron starts to make his way back to them, his dark eyes shining with tears he doesn’t want to let fall in front of his son.

“Yeah, dad too.” She gives Aaron a soft smile as Jack hugs her close, his head buried against her neck.

“Thank you.” Aaron mumbles quietly as he watches his son grieve for the first time.

They’re called away that same night, and everything in her tells her that she should stay. They weren’t ready, any of them. And she didn’t want to leave Aaron alone. When he calls her later that night she isn’t expecting it. He didn’t ask for help, it was one if his biggest flaws.

“I’m sorry to call, can you talk?” His voice is strained, exhaustion and hurt in every word.

“Of course.” She sits down on the bed in her tiny hotel room and hears sniffling on the other end, Jack’s cries getting louder as Aaron walks towards his bedroom.

“He asked for the song, I didn’t know what else to do, neither Jessica nor I can get him to sleep.”

“It’s okay Hotch, hold the phone to his ear.” She blinks away tears, it had been a rough day, she couldn’t even imagine how a four-year-old would feel.

“Emmy?” She hears his voice, small and shaky, fragile in a way she hopes to never hear again.

“Hi sweetheart.” She can hear the emotion in her own voice, but forces it away. “You want your song?”

“Mhmm.”

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey…” She sings it softly, over and over again until finally Aaron is talking, his voice just above a whisper.

“He’s sleeping. Thank you Emily. Thank you for everything.”

When they hang up she finds herself wondering how life could be so cruel.

The first time they kiss, everything about it is wrong. He’s still mourning, he’s drunk on scotch and heartache and she’s there, as the unwavering pillar of strength he’s gotten used to.

“I’m sorry.” He mumbles when she pushes him away with furrowed eyebrows and wide eyes. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

“You shouldn’t have.” She agrees, but she’s not angry at him, how could she be when she knew that all he wanted was a moment to forget. But that didn’t mean that she didn’t feel her entire body recoil with the feeling of him using her as a way to escape. “Don’t do that again please.”

The silence is tense between them as he stares at her, his eyes slightly hazy from the multiple drinks he’s had.

“What if I want to?” He finally asks and she feels her heart rate increase as she swallows harshly. This is what she had wanted for years, had wanted him to show any interest in her and now it was all wrong.

“You’re drunk.” She chuckles dryly, the sound sarcastic as it falls from her lips and she tries to stand from the couch but his hand on hers stops her, warm and secure in his touch.

“I wanted to kiss you before everything.” He admits and for a second her world seems to stop and she can’t do anything but stare at him. Seconds ticked by, feeling like an eternity until she sighed heavily.

“You’re not ready.” She tells him, the words hurting as she does stand this time. “It’s not our time.”

She leaves with a sinking feeling in her gut, not knowing if she made the right choice or not.

The next day he’s at her doorstep, early in the morning and dark eyes intense as he looks at her but not walking through the door to her apartment.

“It’s not up to you to tell me when I’m ready to move on.” He tells her. “Now if you don’t feel the way I do, that’s one thing. But you don’t get to decide when I’m ready to move on.”

She can’t seem to form words, her brain barely comprehending what he was saying. He must take her silence as rejection because he turns and starts to walk down the corridor, gets almost halfway to the staircase before she brings herself to speak.

“I do.” Her words make him stop to look at her and when she speaks again he starts to walk back towards her. “I do feel the way you do, I just never thought you would feel the same.” By the time she’s finishes he’s standing in front of her, his warm hand gently holding the back of her neck.

“Well I do.” He kisses her and this time it’s different, even if it’s only hours apart. His lips are soft but determined against hers, his hands careful as he pulls her against him and she finds herself wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

It’s the start of them, the start of the family she never thought she’d have.

For a while, things seem to be falling into place, they find happiness and love together, and she slowly starts to feel like she’s home. She reads bedtime stories to Jack at night and helps him with homework after school. It’s domestic in a way she never thought she’d have. And she’s never been more content.

“Emily!” Jack lunges himself at her, had run towards her the moment he saw her as he walked out of school.

“Hi sweetheart.” She kisses the top of his sandy blonde head opens the car door for him. “Did you have a good day today?”

“Yes!” He’s almost six now, curious about life as he rambles about everything he’s learned that day.

She listens intently, happy that she could pick him up when Aaron had to stay late at the office.

“Oh, and guess what!” His voice rises slightly in excitement as he digs through his backpack to pull out a paper. “I got a star because I got all my answers right in math!”

“That’s great sweetie, I’m so proud of you!” She smiles at him in the review mirror and she sees the thrilled look on his face.

It’s the quiet kind of life she had dreamt of as a child and for the first time in a long time she feels safe.

But of course, life doesn’t always turn out the way you want and her past comes chasing after her.

Ian Doyle is the second unsub that wins his fight against the BAU and when she’s sent away on a plane she knows that she’s broken in a way that might never heal. JJ sits beside her, holding her hand but doesn’t say anything. She doesn’t need to, because there are no words that would make things better.

“I don’t know what he told Jack.” She whispers suddenly, dark eyes shining with tears as they meet clear blue ones. “He’s lost so much already and now I’m putting him through this.”

“Emily, you didn’t do anything. If you want to blame someone, blame Doyle.” Her hand squeezes hers and Emily grips it tightly in return.

“I just wish I could have said goodbye.”

It’s something she thinks about often, the fact that she never said goodbye to the boy she loves as her own. She wonders what Aaron told him, how Jack was doing, if her family was okay. It’s six months spent being half a person, every inch of her longing for DC, for them.

And then she gets the call.

She’s coming back and after watching Doyle die as she holds Declan in her arms she knows that the nightmare is over. The second she’s alone with Aaron she throws herself in his arms and he’s holding her just as tightly.

“I missed you.” She whispers against his neck and his grip gets impossibly tighter.

“I missed you too.” He kisses her temple and breathes her in. “I missed you so much sweetheart.”

When they finally break apart he notices the lingering tear on her cheek and he carefully wipes it away with his thumb.

“It’s over.” He says like he doesn’t quite believe it, and to be fair she doesn’t either.

He tells her about Jack, tells her that for weeks Jack had asked about her, had wondered when she was coming home, had complained about his toast because they weren’t as good as hers. She laughs at that, somehow the relief of knowing that Aaron hadn’t told him she died so intense she was close to crying again.

“I couldn’t do that to him.” He explains quietly as they sit in the house they had bought together just months before Doyle showed up. “I couldn’t tell him you were dead, so I said you had gone away for work, but that you loved him and missed him.”

“I’m so sorry.” She sighs, fingers brushing hair away from her face in frustration. “I’m so sorry for everything.”

“Do not apologize for a choice I made. If anything I’m sorry, I’m sorry for putting you through this.”

In the silence of their home they somehow found peace, together.

They find their way back, after everything one thing was clear, they wanted to be together through everything. But spending months apart, spending six months alone, had changed her. He noticed before she did, that she wasn’t happy, wasn’t content in the way she used to be. But she tries to ignore it, because she was home, with them.

“Emily?” Jack asks from the doorway to their bedroom, it’s late, too late for the eight-year-old to be up on a school night.

“Jack, what’s wrong?” She puts the book down that she was reading as she waited for Aaron to come home from work. When he doesn’t say anything, simply kicks his foot softly against the floor she sits up and leans back against the headboard. “Jack?” She says softly.

“I had a dream.” He mumbles quietly, so quietly that she almost didn’t hear him. But it’s words she’s heard before, words she’s heard every so often for four years now. But he hasn’t had them in a long time now.

“A nightmare?” She lifts the covers as he nods, not really meeting her eye and she hates that he’s ashamed of having nightmares of the day when his mother died, like he’s ashamed of having them. “Come here.”

He walks quickly towards her, buries his face in her neck just as he did when he was younger and she gently scratches her fingers through his hair.

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine…” She sings softly as she gently strokes his back. It had been years but it still had the same effect on him, slowly calming him and giving him comfort. Eventually, she feels him relax against her, his breathing soon evening out and once she’s sure that he’s asleep, she cries for everything they had lost.

A year goes by and things doesn’t get better, Emily a shell of her former self. And it’s not working anymore. Their relationship had gotten strained, she was shutting herself off from him and in return he felt at a loss. They couldn’t ignore it anymore, knew they were fighting a losing battle.

When she gets the call from Easter it’s like something falls into place. Aaron knows she’s going to accept the offer before she says the words herself, knew from the moment she told him.

“You should go.” He tells her, even as his entire body hurts from admitting that. “You’re unhappy here.”

“I-I don’t want to go, I want to be with you, with Jack.” She’s angry, furious at him for wanting her to go, for even suggesting it.

“You want to take it.” He says calmly but his voice is thick with emotion. “I love you Em, I love you more than I ever thought I could love someone, but this isn’t working and you know it.”

“Aaron-” She blinks away tears, tears of anger and sadness and regret. Because he was right and she hated that Ian Doyle still had power in her life even from death. “What about Jack? What about us? Come with me. Please come with me.”

“You know I can’t sweetheart. It wouldn’t change anything” He feels his own eyes tear and he sighs. “We’ll explain it to Jack together, he’ll understand.”

“No he won’t, you know he won’t.” The door opens right as she’s about to break down and Jack walks into the kitchen with his soccer under one arm.

The young boy takes one look at them and stops in his tracks. Even as Emily forces away the tears and Aaron tries to keep the sadness off his face, it’s like he knows. He had heard them fighting, had noticed the changes between them. He’s more receptive than most children, had already learned from his father how to read people, had been through too much not to be observant of his surroundings.

Jack’s dark eyes find Emily’s.

“You’re leaving, aren’t you?”

The silence tells him everything.

Almost four years go by and in those years she finds herself again, betters herself. She speaks to Jack every week, speaks to Aaron regularly as well. And even though it hurts knowing that they could have had a life together, it hurts less as time goes on.

“Hi Em!” Jack greets her with a toothy grin as she calls on skype, still at the office but refusing to miss their weekly call.

“Hi Jack, how are you?” She smiles back at him.

“I’m good. I miss you.”

“I miss you too honey.” She promises him, because she does. She misses him with every fiber of her being. But she doesn’t want to make him think about it too much, so she quickly speaks again. “How did your game go?”

“I scored three goals.” The look on his face lets her know just how proud he is of himself. “And after Beth bought me pizza to celebrate.”

She feels the blow to her stomach that she always associated with Aaron’s new girlfriend but forced the feeling away. Because they never really fell out of love, she was pretty sure she would always love him. She didn’t blame Aaron for trying to move on, because she wanted him happy even if it wasn’t with her. But the times when they saw each other when she traveled to DC it was clear, the love they shared would never really disappear.

“That’s great, sweetie.” She gets out and as Jack continues to talk about school and life and soccer she listened with fondness.

Sometimes she couldn’t believe just how big he was getting.   

When she gets the call that Aaron and Jack have gone into victim’s protection she’s on the verge of panic for weeks. They had been through so much already; Jack had been through too much. She moves back to the states without a second thought, because she knew she would not rest until Peter Lewis was behind bars.

He’s the third unsub that wins against the team, the loss of Aaron something so close to breaking them all. She realizes that this is what he felt like all those years ago when Haley and Jack were gone, the not knowing, the worrying, the longing, it was close to unbearable.

And then Scratch tricks them, again.

When she wakes up after the car accident she immediately knows that something is wrong. She’s in pain, she’s in a warehouse and she is alone. The torture is unbearable, as she lays there with screws and metal in her legs, thinking that not only her career was over, but she also wouldn’t see Aaron again. Then Lewis gives her an out, offers her pain relief and for a moment she thinks that she would give in to him, the pain getting to be too much, but the second she finds out what he’s after she knows that she would rather die than give him what he wants.

“I love Jack; I’ve watched Jack grow up. I will not betray him or his father, so it doesn’t matter what you do to me. I will not break.”

And she doesn’t. When she thinks that she is dying she’s at peace, knowing that Jack and Aaron are safe.

But Peter Lewis doesn’t get to win for a second time and as she watches his dead body on the ground she feels nothing but relief.

It’s only a few days later that there’s a knock at her door and even though she hasn’t heard that knock in years she knows who’s on the other side of it. And for a second she can’t breathe. When she opens it he’s standing there, as handsome as ever, older, somehow softer and she realizes that being away has done him good.

“Aaron-”

“I heard what you did, what you went through.” He lets his eyes travel over her face, bruised and swollen but still the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen.

“I would have done it again.” She can feel her heart beating in her chest, can barely believe he’s standing in front of her. “There wasn’t a doubt in my mind.”

“I know.”

For a few moments they just look at each other, a silent understanding between them.

“Are you back?” She finally asks and when the corner of his mouth tugs into the smile she had always loved she felt like something was falling into place. A missing piece of her finally making her feel whole.

“I am.” He takes a tentative step towards her and that’s when she realizes that they’re still standing in the doorway. She lets him in, closes the door behind him and when she turns he’s closer, so close she can smell his cologne. It’s the same as it always had been and she breathes in the familiar scent. When he carefully rubs his thumb against her bruised cheek she sucks in a shaky breath as she leans into it.

“I’m not dreaming right?” She asks, her voice barely above a whisper as he closes the final distance between them.

“No, sweetheart.” He brushes some hair away from her face. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“I missed you too.” She lets one hand rest against his chest, feels his heartbeat against her palm, beating fast and hard in his chest. “Are you staying?”

“If you’ll have me.” He whispers and tears she hadn’t noticed before shine in his eyes as he looks down at her.

She had never been more sure of anything.

“Yes.”

Jack is almost as tall as her now, a teenager that’s had to grow up much faster than he should have. The moment he sees her he’s running, tall limbs and his sandy blonde hair a little darker than it used to be. He’s looking more like Aaron now, dark eyes and a heavy frown.

She doesn’t realize how hard she’s hugging him, doesn’t realize that the wetness on her face is from tears of relief. Then she hears it, a soft, gentle hum against her ear as she holds him close, Aaron watching from a few feet away.

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are grey.” Jack mumbles, his voice darker than she remembered.

“You’re home.” She cradles his face in a way she knows he would have found embarrassing if it were under any other circumstance.

“So are you.” He smiles and she chokes out a laugh.

Emily never thought she would find a family, a real family. Until them.

[heartfullofleeches]

clown reader aka court jester reader pranking the king that they're dead. one morning in the throne room, lying on the ground, with a sword in the armpit, bathed in red paint and sausages for guts.

-🐍anon.

(tw: faux, but described gore)

The king enters the throne room that faithful morn to the sound of a scream in the air- and a crime scene at his feet.

Shot down along the stairs to the royal seat, you lay sprawled over the velvet carpet covered in crimson stains. The belly of your suit bulges with your spilled organs; your hair caked in your own blood and a sword stuck through the left side of your torso. Through the crowd of servants around you, one attempts to nudge your leg with their boot. It was simply to inform you of the faults in your ruse, but the king wouldn't have known that. The state of immobility he had been stuck in shatters as he storms over.

"How dare you."

The crowd disbursts as the king crashes to the floor beside you. He picks up your limp body as tears well in his eyes. The stench of rot wafts off you - the product of a tomato stew gone bad. He strokes the damp locks from your face as his tears fall against your skin. There was nothing in the man, but sorrow and rage. Who would do something like this to his sweet jester? Not only were you the most kind hearted person in the land, but you were under the protection of the cruellest. The tall-tale signs of your prank, such as the faint warmth of your body, went overhead. All he cared for was revenge.

The king places a kiss to your forehead before gently setting you back down. He wipes his face as he turns to the group, repeating: "How dare you."

He lungs for the nearest servant, the one who kicked at your side. "How fucking dare you treat them like garbage. How dare you not be there to throw your life on the line in their place. Who did this?! It was one of you all, wasn't it? I'll kill you- I'll kill you all, and hunt single member of your bloodline."

The king reaches for the blade on his belt through blurry vision. Before his hand can make contact, another grips it hard.

"Your highness, don't!"

There you stand, coated in aged tomato paste and a trail of sausages sliding from beneath your shirt. The king believes he's seeing a ghost, before he quickly puts two and two together. He drops the servant; anger directed at you as he silent glares.

"I'm sorry! It was supposed to be a little joke, but I see I've taken it too far. If you want to punish someone, punish me."

The king's chest rises with his enraged puffs of air. He wants to be angry. He wants to lock you away for this prank, and so that an outcome like this could never come true- but he just couldn't stay mad at his favourite clown.

He huffs. "No dessert for the remainder of the year- and I'll be in charge of all your baths untill that stench is off you."

[pjoxreader]

*awkwardly waves* H- Hello! Sorry if it's out of the blue but may I request two one-shots or hcs? The first one is Leo Valdez x daughter (or child if you only do gender-neutral) of Aphrodite!reader where Leo develops a crush on said reader. The second is Leo Valdez x modern!reader x Percy Jackson-- I know this sounds weird and you can change it if you are not comfortable but I'd like to see a love triangle between them ((the reason for the modern!reader (as if from our world etc.) is because I haven't seen any of those 😅))

That's all for now, sorry if it's too long. I hope you have a great day/night!

Daughter of Aphrodite x Leo

((I forgot to only put one request at a time to keep things neat in my rules but that was my fault so I went ahead and did both for you! I hope you enjoy! 😅))

Leo Valdez

-You two started out as just friends, of course Leo would playfully flirt now and again but that’s just who he was. He loved to make people smile and you’d light up a room with yours. Anytime you’d laugh at one of his dumb flirting attempts he’d get the dorkiest grin. 

-”Are you Medusa? Because I’d turn to stone so I could spend eternity staring at your beauty.” He had never been more proud of himself as he saw you blush and giggle. Even though both Percy and Annabeth gave each other a grimace as if remembering a bad memory. Leo thought it was a good one though! 

-Leo knew you were wayyy out of his league. He tried to ignore his feelings but at this point he couldn’t. Anytime he tried to focus on something his mind would wander back to you. Just simple things like ‘Ah she’d love this new machine!’ or ‘She’d be really mad if she knew I was up this late…’ But those thoughts plagued his every waking moment.

- “I just can’t get her out of my mind!” Leo complains to one of his siblings Jake Manson who gives him a sympathetic pat on the back. “It’d just… Never work out though… I’m… I’m a son of Hephaestus and she’s well… A daughter of Aphrodite. It’s like a nerd trying to get with a popular girl.” Leo complains, waving his hand as he explains this.

-Jake raises a brow with that, opening his mouth but seems to remember something before he speaks. “Ah that’s right… You never got the chance to meet Charles…” he hums softly and digs through his pocket showing Leo a picture of Charles and Silena, Silena was kissing his cheek while Charles was as red as a tomato. “Charles was the counselor before I was, and Silena was a daughter of Aphrodite. It shouldn’t have worked but… They made it work. They were the best couple in the whole camp.” There was sadness in Jake’s voice but he looked at the picture with fondness and melancholy. 

-Leo felt a bit guilty but seeing the two people smiling in the picture he couldn’t help but wonder how he managed to do it. Leo had fought monsters, faced the world ending, and he was still too scared to try and ask you out… Maybe he really was helpless…

Leo Valdez x Modern!Reader x Percy Jackson

-They really didn’t get along well, Leo and Percy were like two sides of the same coin. Leo used his brains and mechanical skills to work through problems. He was head of the mechanics team after all! And Percy? Percy was captain of the swim team, strong, toned and downright eye candy. Not to mention he wasn’t afraid to get into a fight.

-You really weren’t sure how you managed to get stuck in this. You thought you were pretty good at sticking to yourself and minding your own business. Well, guess that was wrong. The two would constantly be fighting and arguing around you. 

-It started off with small things, just arguments you didn’t bother to stick around for, but then it started to escalate. Percy would go into the mechanic club room soaking wet with his team getting the room soaked. And for revenge? Leo set off a glitter bomb in the pool that took two weeks to clean up. -You couldn’t stand it anymore! You call both boys out to the school roof, arms crossed angrily. “I’ve had just about enough of you both!” you yell angrily. They both look sheepish as they knew they had taken it too far if you were that mad at them.

-”Can’t you guys just like… Kiss or get together or… Something! Stop dragging me into your weird flirting!” you complain. The both pause slowly, turning to each other at the same time in shock. They stare at each other for a bit before they both burst out laughing like it was the funniest thing they ever heard.

-You’re left standing there utterly confused as they laugh loudly, Leo even rubbing a tear from his eye as Percy slaps his leg from laughing too hard. “We like *you*! We were fighting over *you*! We weren’t flirting with each other!” Leo explains the gears slowly turn in your head as it finally clicks and you feel the heat rising in your face making the boys burst out laughing again. “I thought I was dense!” Percy complains between laughter fits.

~Masterlist & Rules~

Like my writing? Please consider sending me a Ko-fi! ☕

[sugarrazz]

hi! I stumbled across your Wednesday drabble and I really loved it! could I request some Wednesday x reader headcanons? like how would Wednesday react to reader being flirted with?

Hi anon, not sure which one you’re talking about since I have 2 up right now but I’m glad you enjoy my work and stay tuned for more! On to the headcanons!

Wednesday has been obsessed with you and her friends are starting to notice.

Enid teases her when she’s caught staring at you from afar. 

One day Wednesday spots you in the quad talking to a new student.

He suddenly puts his arm around your shoulder and she can see your face get as red as a tomato. 

On the outside, she is okay. She’s calm and collected.

On the inside, she is fuming. Who the hell does this guy think he is?

Not just anyone can talk to you. They have to go through her first. Wednesday is the one who decides who can hang out with you. And this guy snuck right under her radar.

Wednesday stomps over to you and the new boy, cutting off your conversation.

“You didn’t introduce me to your friend.”

You introduce him to Wednesday but she remains unimpressed.

When he tries to talk to you again Wednesday grabs your wrist and pulls you away.

“You’re not allowed to talk to that wannabe werewolf. Understand?”

You mindlessly nod your head and Wednesday kisses your head, which is unusual for her to do, especially in public.

This guy is going to regret flirting with you. You’re hers.

Wednesday is definitely going to stalk this guy.

Everywhere he goes she will remind him that he is not alone.

Dead crows falling out of the sky in front of him while he shops at Jericho.

Rat traps in his backpack (how did they get there?).

Wednesday is going to be a lot touchier with you than normal because of how irritated she is.

She'll also rant about him to Enid and you (separately) when you're in your dorms.

She'll grab your waist and glare at him every time you pass him by the halls.

She will be reluctant to leave your side just in case that weirdo shows up and tries his shot again.

She frequently thinks of ways to murder him in cold blood and make it look like an accident.

He eventually transfers out because it's too much.

After carrying out her revenge she is in a better mood. She even holds your hand on the way to class. Everyone was shocked.

But Wednesday isn't just happy because he "transferred". That couldn't be farther from the truth. She did it for you.

[verdemoun]

If it hasn’t been mentioned before how did Sadie die in the canon timeline before getting timewarped and how was Jake found? I think they are super interesting considering how they weren’t even married for 3 years yet before the events of the first mission (they were married in September and the game starts in May) Also another random question but did any of the gang bond over the different instruments they played (ex Sadie-Harmonica, Pearson-Accordion, or Javier-Guitar) and speaking of Javier did he ever learn electric guitar? [Sorry if my bombarding you with questions is annoying or overwhelming I’m just very hyper fixated on Rdr2 and love this au <3 /lh/pos]

pls never apologise i love asks my inbox is officially empty again rip so to all pls feel free to send any more questions about timewarp or my general rdr2 addled brain.

Sadie makes me so sad esp in the epilogue she literally makes the comment i wanna die like she is such an incredible character but she is so defeated by losing her husband, and then finding the gang only to lose them as well. After Micah's death she didn't even have revenge to live for. Also being at John and Abigail's wedding? As beautiful as the day was and as happy as she was for them, being reminded of her own wedding, everything she lost, how much she loved her husband. I think that the passive suicidality/recklessness she was putting into bounty hunting would've caught up with her really quickly and she was shot and killed by some unknown outlaw she was trying to bring in no later than 1908.

Jake bless was very much not someone anyone thought to look for fortunately with living with Sadie in such an isolated area he's a proper survivalist and just lived camping on public land doing odd jobs like farm work where he could to earn some cash for basic necessities and was just rolling with it. He's very laid back go with the flow type guy who was not nearly as panicked about waking up in modern era as he should have been.

It's completely stupid how they ran into Jake Adler. The gang were in public talking too loud about 1899 and he casually walked up to them like oh hi were you guys also magically teleported 100 years into the future after dying??

Kieran was terrified of Jake and expected some sort of retribution for being an O'Driscoll like literally shuffling to hide behind other members of the gang terrified but they actually ended up being besties because Jake knows loads about gardening and homesteading and they got to bond over 'fuck Colm O'Driscoll' and just being gentle souls they vibe so well.

Gets a new cabin away from everything and starts rebuilding his homesteading life so everything is perfect for when Sadie comes back.

It's so obvious how Jake and Sadie's dynamic worked the second they met Jake Adler. He is the sweetest, most disgustingly soft man to ever exist. He has bi wife energy. If he had survived instead of Sadie, he would not have made it in the gang. He gets emotional over the idea of using pesticides to keep bugs off his tomatoes. He is malewife extraordinaire and cries at least once a week about missing his wife who he is nauseatingly in love with.

He went with them to get Sadie obviously and the gang were a little nervous how he would respond to bounty hunter more ghost than people living weapon that is the Sadie Adler they knew? Plus this is post Micah's death so they heard ALL about that as well. Sadie Adler is terrifying. How could such a delicate marshmallow man handle it?

It is immediately very obvious that that's just Sadie's personality. It is exaggerated but very much just how she's always been she could say the most threatening violent comment with the coldest scowl and Jake's just there like wow that's my wife isn't she amazing <3 <3 <3

He is not at all surprised she became a bounty hunter and murderer she was always capable of it he just asked her nicely not to kill people so she didn't but she was always that one thing away from becoming the woman we know and love. Also how quickly Sadie goes from cold scowl to smiling affectionately kissing her husband like he is her squishy soft rock.

Also Sadie is very much bisexual being in a relationship with a man does not erase that Jake has always known and is very supportive every night he gives thanks to the women who fumbled Sadie Adler so he could marry her. Gender roles are not welcome in their relationship hell gender as a concept doesn't belong in their relationship they both wear skirts on hot days and Jake wears lipstick more often than Sadie does. Sadie pegs.

She met him at the stables he was working at, picked him up like a stray cat and said we're married now. She proposed to him and he cried. Finding someone who complimented her in every way was a once in a million and she never moved on from that. He enjoys the domestic chores she loathes, never questions or raises an eyebrow at her wearing pants or wielding a gun. Both of them happy to move into the middle of no where because neither one of them wanted their dynamic being scrutinized like they are happy being in their own world regardless of era.

The gang are still in awe of how well they balance each other out. There was divine intervention in them being so perfectly made for each other let alone finding each other in canon era it's so much clearer how they seemed so lost and distraught being apart. Why Sadie was still mourning and talking about Jake in 1907 when she had lost him for longer than she'd known him at that point. Two people could not be more perfect for each other.

SECOND POINT

Sadie starts playing harmonica again now that she has her Jakey back. And Jake, who in a similar way stopped playing when he didn't have his Sadie his amore, gets another violin (this is a hc that I will die defending let him play fiddle while Sadie's on harmonica little homesteading country music losers). Charles also plays harmonica and it is very 'same hat!!' when they realize. Teach each other songs too.

Javier plays around with electric guitar but is an acoustic purist, but because Isaac plays electric guitar they have great little jam sessions together. Javier loves having someone who asks questions and wants to learn guitar like Isaac is pretty good by the time 1911 gang arrive but he is so happy to also have someone who likes guitar as much as he does and he can learn from. Rip Isaac's friends trying to keep up 'hey you up for crime this afternoon' 'no sorry i'm going to go play guitar with my stoner mexican uncle. his autistic boyfriend who is also a stoner is making soda bread!'

Uncle gets a banjo again and also a ukulele because he thinks they look goofy.

Also Sean plays jaw harp? Fun character fact. Lenny also forgets this fact and can be found walking around the house looking for whatever bug is making that weird buzzing noise and turns out Sean couldn't sleep and was just boinging along with his jaw harp.

Gang bonfire nights go wild on the jam sessions. Little southern orchestra with the banjo, two harmonicas, a fiddle, a jaw harp and guitars all going.

[andro526484339]

Transported oc ramblings from twitter for you all

phan literally gets red with anger like a tomato if carter shit talks mama brannigan. carter can't even reference the woman. it's good that carter finds brannigan too scary to be hot cause if she ever did verbalize that phan might actually sock her in the jaw

Yes I killed my boss mentor maternal figure. No you cannot say she deserved it or had it coming or that she hid everything from me. She did what she had to do and so did I so show some respect idiot before I slap you again

ofc phan shooting brannigan wasnt a planned act she just did it and blacked out the whole stomping in the corpse until she breathed heavy thing. brannigan had no belief she would pull the trigger even while looking down the barrel she underestimated how far this carter thing went

anyway since that day forth carter does see phan in a legitimately different light as someone she can be scared of. because before the violence was fun and she was enjoying it despite her claims to the otherwise. but that was notttt fun ehm she flinches when phan gets close again

once again a case of carter not giving a shit until she's forced to confront it with her eyeballs. knows what phan is and what she's capable of and doesn't care. it is different though because brannigan is well brannigan but carter is carter so what does that mean for her

also phan does not kill like that. she's an efficient one shot kill. it was grotesque and uncharacteristic and fueled by a level of hate that phan will never be able to muster up again. you cant talk about brannigan because phan refuses to confront it

at the end of the day despite all of this carter is not different from phan in the violence she can perpetuate. she does strangle a woman to death out of eloises revenge that she didn't ask for. maybe she's scared of phan for a bit because she knows how alike they are who knows

really the only main thing to understand is that the two of them enjoy violence and having power over people. that is why they are what they are. phan admits this and doesn't care. carter refuses to and says she's better than that. they're two sides of the same coin

this is why eloise is disgusted by carter now bc she knows this. and this is why eloises killer is a mirror image of phan whose main difference is not having a carter to set her off the path. Carter Le Hypocrite whos fucking the same bitch whod kill eloise without second thought

Anyway moral of the story is they're both selfish cunts who like to exert their power and hurt people and get lots of money from it and they both deflect from the ramifications from this in opposite directions

I fear carters inferiority complexes has caused woman cop syndrome. self explanatory. I feel no power in society so I am going to gain it with the system

[gabzilla-z]

So, you up to date with Gundam? How we feeling with what we already knew about aerial? What will Suletta actually be? (and Miorine rocks that suit...)

Yes, I'm obsessed.

Well, now that Aerial being Eri (or what's left of her) is confirmed the question that remains is how and why.

I know Prospera is already receiving the Monster Mommy of the year award from most of the fandom, but I'm still betting on the theory that Eri becoming Aerial was either an accident or a last minute resort to keep her "alive", not something she did on purpose to get her revenge. We'll see - probably next episode - if that's the case or not.

As for Suletta, so far I have three theories:

Eri and Lfrith switched bodies. I find this one to be the less likely of the three. First because she doesn't look like the 25 year old Ericht would be in the present (yes, I know about the Suspended Animation theory but I don't see the point of Prospera letting her age when she was probably absorbed at 6/8 years old) and second because Prospera seems... unconcerned with Suletta's safety, which imo would not be the case if she was piloting the body of her beloved daughter.

Another kid modified to look like Suletta, just like with El4n and El5n. At the moment, the more likely explanation, because we know it can be done. Personally, Prospera's conversation with Belmeria leds me to believe it's not the case.

Suletta is a clone of Eri, designed to be able to pilot Aerial without suffering the consequences. Currently we don't have any proof in universe that this can be done, but considering Nortette being a botanical engineer was mentioned last episode (and all this shots of tomatos and what plants can endure that humans can't which mmmmh) and we have a kid's soul fueling a Gundam, I think this theory still has a chance to be true.

We'll see!

And yes, Miorine looked dashing in that suit.

[world-cinema-research]

The 400 Blows/Les Cuatre Cents Coups (1959)

By Cris Nyne

The directorial debut of pioneering French filmmaker, François Truffaut’s The 400 Blows, left a lasting imprint on the timeline of international cinema. To know Truffaut’s history before becoming director makes the film even more of a remarkable achievement. His life began as a troubled youth, engaging in petty crimes and was well on his way to a path of self-destruction. It was in his late teenage years when recognized film critic André Bazin would take Truffaut under his wing and give him a job as critic for the film magazine Cahiers du cinéma. During this time, Truffaut would become recognized as a brutal critic of French films. His infamy stretched to Festival de Cannes, where he would be denied accreditation in 1958. The following year in 1959, Truffaut would get his revenge by being crowned Best Director for The 400 Blows at Cannes. This all by the age of 27. Truffaut would continue to turn the film industry on its head and help pave the way for what today is known as French New Wave.

“If the New Wave marks the dividing point between classic and modern cinema (and many think it does), then Truffaut is likely the most beloved of modern directors -- the one whose films resonated with the deepest, richest love of moviemaking.” -Roger Ebert August 8, 1999

The 400 Blows is a semi-autobiographical tale that follows the young star Jean-Pierre Léaud as the mischievous Antoine Doinel. Antoine is humiliated by his teacher, skips school, steals, and smokes cigarettes while contemplating a better life A life away from his father’s failures and his mother’s affairs. Both parents find themselves exhausted of all options for their son (or the lack of attention they care to provide) and send him off to a school for troubled children. From the beginning of the film, his parents seem to have other priorities in filling the hole in their marriage, and Antoine is essentially a victim of having too much unsupervised time on his hands. By the end of the film, Antoine is contemplating his life outside of the observation center for delinquent youth. He makes a dash for it.

Source: Blu-ray.com

“The movie is full of actual incidents from Truffaut’s childhood, including his fabricating his mother’s death as an excuse for truancy. Few movies have been so personal.” -J.Hoberman, The New York Times September 21, 2022

The movie was well received by audiences and critics alike. He won Best Director at Cannes in 1959, as well as a nominee for the Palme d’Or, the highest prize awarded at Cannes. The French regional newspaper Nice-Matin claimed The 400 Blows to be “A Masterpiece”. The chemistry between Léaud and Truffaut was strong. They would go on to make three more feature films with Léaud revising his role as Antoine Doinel, Stolen Kisses (1968), Bed and Board (1970), and Love on the Run (1979). Currently, Rotten Tomatoes lists The 400 Blows with a rating of 94%.

Original Movie Release Poster

The film is in black and white and is shot in a very personal manner. There are lots of close-space encounters that make you feel as if you are squeezing into the room with them. The house that Antoine lives with his mother and father is very small. During one scene as Antoine is sleeping, his mother, Gilberte Doinel (played by Claire Maurier), comes home after a long night and cannot open the door all the way as it is stopped by the mattress that Antoine sleeps on. There are many fun street scenes shot from different angles- subterranean, street-level, and roof tops, that portray Antoine and his friends plotting and scheming around the streets of Paris. There are a few scenes that follow the main character along a stretch of blocks, and I found myself thinking about how smooth the camerawork was.

During its filming and release date, The 400 Blows took the idea of conventional filmmaking and shredded the blueprint. The director was only known as a stubborn critic and the main star of the film was completely unknown. The script was a unique story, one that, for the most part, Truffaut had lived and had made it through to tell the tale of a rebellious and delinquent child on a bad path. A child that by today’s standards would probably be diagnosed with an attention deficit disorder and prescribed medication. What was once an extremely unconventional approach to filmmaking has now become a standard in delivering a storyline. Truffaut’s confidence in leaping from critic to auteur has left a rippling effect that you can still see over 7 decades later.   

[bigyikes97]

recommend me another depressing Korean gangster movie

>:D

Hmmm hmmm ok so if you say "another", that means you maybe already watched either "The Merciless" or "A Bittersweet Life" or perhaps both, which were the depressing Korean gangster movies I posted about most on here and both of which I very highly recommend...A Bittersweet Life is one of my favorite movies of all time, if not my top fave. In case you watched one but not the other:

A Bittersweet Life - a story about a man who catches one imperfect glimpse of beauty and throws away everything in a inevitable and helpless grasp at something he knows he can never have. I cried at the soundtrack for days after my first watch, haha.

The Merciless - a stylishly shot and perhaps more hardboiled noir about a chosen one who really meant it when he said he shouldn't be the chosen one, which falls apart in a spectacular and heartrending explosion of betrayal, confusion, and devastation. Like watching a trainwreck in slow motion.

These are most definitely my top 2 in the whole world so far, and honestly nothing else really plucks exactly those same chords with me in terms of overall excellence, but here's a few others nonetheless:

A Company Man - More of a straightforward shoot-em-up. Could be taken as either an action flick kinda sorta similar to Bittersweet Life (gangster wants out, gang won't let him go) or a harsh satire of South Korean work culture, which makes it (imho) slightly more interesting. Definitely depressing gangsters, for sure!

The Man from Nowhere - it's more of a vigilante justice/revenge thriller and a lot of people liked it, but unfortunately since it was one of the first in the genre (at least from South Korea), in my opinion it's since been done better. Or maybe I'm just chronically Kdrama-ing so I have more stringent standards, lol. The main lead's looks are to die for though if that's an aspect that appeals to you--and many folks loved it, 100% on Rotten Tomatoes!

The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil - On paper it looks amazing--a brash cop has to team up with a gangster to take down an even bigger criminal, exposing the corruption of the cops and the weird code of honor among the criminals. Usually that's my cup of tea and I came in SO ready to love this movie but...somehow didn't. I don't know why. It even had Ma Dong Seok, who's usually great! However, it got 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, so maybe you'll see something about it I missed if you watch it :)

Gangnam Blues - So, I didn't watch this one myself, but it's got Lee Min Ho and a historical-fiction take on the real-life corruption and money/power plays surrounding the creation of the glitzy Gangnam district from a marsh in the 70's, it looks interesting! I'll probably watch it in the future.

Speaking of, Ma Dong Seok is pretty much the go-to guy for Korean gangster movies. He's been in the genre since forever, if you search his name you'll likely find some good ones I haven't heard about.

I don't know if you're interested in extending your search to dramas, but in case you are:

Insider - one of THE best kdramas I've seen, hands down. The set-up is similar to The Merciless in that a guy goes undercover in prison to catch a gangster and ends up forming bonds with a high-ranking member while working on the inside. However, the similarities stop there. I think I binged it in like 3 days. It's gritty and doesn't let up, but the main guy is one of my favorite protagonists ever and the ending was fantastic

Big Mouth - it came out around the same time and also involves a wrongful imprisonment, but with a hilarious twist (along with some Very Not Hilarious ones) that make it a different flavor. I got busy and didn't finish (and also didn't have subtitles while it was airing)

Watcher - This one's more on the one-righteous-cop-vs-corrupt-conglomerate side of things, which will always and forever be my jam. The moody atmosphere and insanely tight writing make this one of my favorites. I've seen it like 4 or 5 times and seem to catch something new each time, the writing is extremely satisfying and there are great female characters too, which I'm all about.

Nobody Knows - I'm watching this one right now and it's also more on righteous detective vs killer side of things, but it's got a fascinating female lead, great characters, consistent plot and great storytelling so far.

Triangle - this one is about gangsters and casinos and is unique because it's one of the WORST kdramas I've EVER seen, but it's so bad it crosses the line right back into good again because it's so freaking funny how everyone manages to act the worst plot and the worst characters with the deepest sincerity. Everyone's gorgeous, which helps. It's funnier if you're a chronic Kdrama enjoyer to see all the worst tropes played out in the funniest ways with dead straight faces. They actually wrote it episode by episode based on viewer feedback and ran out of time at the end because the feedback was conflicting--and BOY does it show in unintentionally hilarious ways.

Bad and Crazy - I LOVE this drama, especially the first act. It's violent and dark, with comedy thrown in, and one of the most interesting and sensitive portrayals of a mental illness on screen that I've ever seen in both American and Korean TV. Yet another righteous-cop-vs-conglomerate plot, my beloved. I'll eat that storyline up each time though.

So that's movies and dramas off the top of my head--if I think of any other good ones, I'll let you know! Happy watching and omg, if any of those tickle your fancy I'd love to hear your thoughts! :D

*Ok, one runner up: From the director of "A Bittersweet Life", "A Tale of Two Sisters" is a psychological horror that is just. so. good. I'm not usually a horror person and I was hooked and think about it all the time, very excellent!

[paxesoterica]

Mer-Mer-Mercury![1]

There rode a certain witch, from Mercury it's said She was big and strong, and her hair a flaming red Some haters came at her, with anger and with screed But most Gundam fans, saw in her a charming lead She's oft the most memeable of creatures Bringing laughter and joy to most But her strength and kindness are the features More would do well to host

Mer-Mer-Mercury! Partner of Miorine! Succeeded beyond expectations! Mer-Mer-Mercury! Ace pilot and Coven's Key! That's not up for interpretations!

"Tomato's gotta go", declared her enemies But her fanbase begged, "A few episodes more please!" A dork (affectionate), she'd garnered much goodwill Though she had her flaws, Suletta was well-liked still Then one day a poll of M.C. scoring Challenged her, it's not to blame "Come, prove yourself", the thread was imploring And the witch was game

Mer-Mer-Mercury! Partner of Miorine! They beset her with all the downvotes![2] Mer-Mer-Mercury! Ace pilot and Coven's Key! She was unfazed, more scared of the goat!

Mer-Mer-Mercury! Partner of Miorine! They exclaimed she'd earn no higher place! Mer-Mer-Mercury! Ace pilot and Coven's Key! And so they shot her off into space![3]

Oh, those Redditors[4]

***

Sung to the tune of "Rasputin" by Boney M.

I'd originally used the word 'upvotes', due to the rules of the poll dictating that you upvoted the person you wanted out, but I figured this version would better preserve the sentiment should it be voided of context.

No lesbian space tanukis were harmed in the voting of the poll; Suletta was recovered safely from the vacuum of space and has forsworn revenge. Now, her sister whose a literal ghost in the machine that can hijack WMDs, on the other hand...

Context: There's been a protagonist elimination poll on the Gundam subreddit for the past couple weeks. Suletta was doing very well, but her winning streak finally ended and she was voted out at 4th place. I didn't think the poll was supposed to be particularly serious, since the first elimination, Judau Ashta from Mobile Gundam ZZ, was due to a meme[5], so to pay tribute to Suletta's valiant struggle, I wrote a parody song. Unfortunately, some folks took the poll and their beef with fictional teenagers Very Seriously[6], so it got a mixed reception. Still, a few folks enjoyed it, and I think I did a good job, so I decided to preserve it and share it with folks here as well.

The opening song for Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ is "Anime Ja Nai ~Yume o Wasureta Furui Chikyūjin yo~", which apparently translates to "It's Not Anime (You Antiquated Earthlings Who Have Forgotten Dreams), so it's a fairly common meme in Gundam fandom that ZZ 'is not anime'.

Considering the show ended 9 months ago at this point, which as far as the modern entertainment cycle goes might as well be 9 years, the longer The Witch from Mercury continues to live in haters' heads rent-free, the more I'm impressed. Here's to hoping folks are still living mad about it 9 actual years from now.

[short-black-diamond]

Hi I was wondering if your request are still open and if so are there any of the series listed in your master list list that you no longer write for?

Hellyu,

thank you for asking me that, I should really renew my masterlist...

Also no, requests are not open, and every person who is requesting stuff now stays in my inbox as I'm still looking and writing for the requests I got. But, if you want to, you can request stuff, but you'll have to wait, my love.

I don't know, but I still like to write stuff in some parts, for example my hero academia, where I've written a lotta stuff, and a smut fic with Aizawa will come soon. However, I'd also like to write drabbles or one-shots with the students as well.

I've wanted to write more Haikyuu fics as well, but I dunno, I've actually never watched the anime, only the first few episodes...

Tokyo revengers is also there, and I love when I get requests to write about them. However, I've been reading the mange until chapter 2 hundred something, so I'm not as up to date as some of you guys, but I'll try my best if requests come regarding that anime/mange series.

Nanbaka is such an underrated anime, and the manga is also pretty cool, so I'd love to still write fic then and there.

Obey me will stay, I think, because I have a lot of requests from it, and I still have more to write. Another thing to add is that I really like that game.

I think I'll put Wednesday away, because it just--isn't my favourite, like I didn't really like the show. Maybe the second season will be cooler, but I dunno. So...maybe no more Wednesday content.

I won't stop writing for Marionetta, The greatest Estate Developer or The Tomato Can. They are goated webtoons and I love them very much.

Please also chech out my events at the end of my masterlist, where there are some more webtoons and anime listed which I read and watch.

Thank you for asking me, my love, I actually had time to think about this!

I hope this answered your question, and if you have more, then just ask ahead and I'll try my best to answer you as soon as possible.

-your diamond <3

[beaningeneraldenial]

Clown is angry.

He has every right to be; for about a week now, he's been trying to track down the guy who shot him in the head with little to no success. A few rumors here, a few rumors there. People around have been calling him 'Hot Guy', because apparently that's his only catchphrase.

Oh, yeah. The man is trying to play hero. In Lifesteal, there are no heroes. You're either a villain or a peasant trying to stay alive a day longer and now that stranger is trying to cause issues for everyone.

'Everyone' being the people in the heart trading business. That includes Clown as well but he only wants revenge -though a free target for hearts would be nice too.

"There is this avian who has been spotted with him", Branzy comments off-handedly from the bed, where he is tinkering with some cogs and wires and some other bits that Clown couldn't hope to name. "He's called 'Cute Guy', god knows why. They're a hero duo now"

Clown lets his forehead bang against the desk, right next to Branzy's elaborate redstone blueprints and his own neat row of knives.

Some shuffling comes from the bed, followed by footsteps and the badly hidden chuckles of his partner in crime. Leave it to Branzy to console someone through their sulking.

"There, there, Clown" -he pats his back- "You're the deadliest assassin in all of Lifesteal. Even if they're stab-proof, they aren't trap-proof"

---------

The following week is a whole lot of diggin'. Well, it's more like Clown watching Branzy run around the old funhouse design in the bottom of his casino, connecting and disconnecting wires and repairing the damages Vitalasy and Cube caused the last time they were down there. This lucrative endeavor of an establishment has been closed for that period of time, so that the new 'content' won't be leaked.

All he does is wriggle his fingers together as he sees the plan slowly but surely take shap and sharpen his scythe until the blade can slice the thinnest, most see-through slice of a tomato.

"How- It's that sharp?", Branzy is bewildered at the sight of the perfectly skinned tomato on the bar counter. Clown grins. "You know what, I won't even ask how you managed to do that"

"It was a lot of hard work, sweat and tears of the innocent"

"Tears of the innocent"

"I had to test the sharpness somehow"

Branzy stares for a second, then shakes his head, gives him a pointed look, silently communicating 'The less I know, the less I can confess in court' and walks back to the pit.

----------

Hot Guy and Cute Guy are a lot easier to lure than anticipated. Upon opening night, Clown spots the two bantering with some guests near the blackjack tables from the overhead, 'Staff Only' balcony. He gently nudges Branzy's side and watches as the man walks down the stairs to go collect them.

As he does that, Clown grabs his scythe and descends to the bottom of the funhouse pit.

The swirling red, purple and black colours are familiar and comforting. He stands right in the middle of the floor, listening intently on the laughter and joyful screaming coming from the funhouse rooms that are meters above.

Soon, the first target is falling through the ceiling. It's Hot Guy, the wingless of the duo and the sickening crunch that follows his fall is music to Clown's ears. He doesn't pounce yet, wanting to kill two birds with one stone.

Cute Guy is close to the other's timing. Though winged, the avian can't do much more than flap his parrot wings fruitlessly and collide with the wall and then slide to the ground in cartoon fashion.

"Welcome to the Funhouse!", Clown calls out, dashing to Hot Guy and swinging his scythe. The man yells and shouts apologies at him to stop but the blade has already been set into motion.

The other hero has managed to stand on shaky legs by the time he's done with the now-corpse that is already sizzling away, one heart down and Clown one heart up. Back to twenty.

"Hey, we can talk about this, fella!"

Clown doesn't think that they can talk about this. Silent as always, he stalks towards his pray. Branzy whistles above, probably looking at the bloody mess that is the pit he worked so hard on.

And Cute Guy pulls a gun out of nowhere. A pink gun with a heart on either side to match his equally pink outfit. The warning shot misses Clown's ear by a hair. It's a power play, he undesrtands that but now that he has an audience to appease, he has to play into the theatrics as well.

"Next time, I won't miss!", his voice dances. There is a light tremble to it; barely there but Clown's senses are enhanced and he picks up on it without issue.

Then he slices clean through the muzzle of the gun with his scythe. The hero is absolutely shell-shocked, shrieking and Clown laughs as he mocks him.

"Next time, I won't miss!", he follows through with his words. The guy's heart doesn't add to his count but it instead floats right above the hero's corpse. It's a deep purple with a swirling darkness inside it; Clown has never seen anything like it.

At the end of it, all that's left is the blood, the adrenaline and the slow, impressed clapping coming from Branzy.

Revenge had been served.

[lavender-long-stories]

✿ Monday Sneak Peaks ✿

The Best Revenge Chapter 33 | ShikaHina ✿ Ongoing

Hinata cupped her cheek and blinked at Kushina as she started to whisper-scream. “You have a lot of nerve showing your face here! After what you put my son through, how did you think that it was appropriate!” “He… He invited us.” Hinata told her meekly. She knew this was going to be a problem, but she didn’t expect this. “If you have a shred of decency, then you would have declined.” Kushina gave up on trying to keep her voice down. “You shouldn’t have a happy ending after what you gave up. You crushed Naruto’s heart with what you did, and you have the gall to come here and rub your infidelity in his face!”

House Husband Chapter 04 | ItaHina ✿ Ongoing

Hinata slumped down on her bed and tossed her blazer on the floor, curling her legs up to the side and laying her head down. It had been another long day. It would be another long day tomorrow. The cycle continued. Her apartment was dark. No one was home. Did she wish that there was someone waiting for her when she got home? Sure, but she thought having a pet with her would be cruel to leave as long as she was gone. She was sure her uncle and father had her best interest at heart. Hizashi wanted her to find love. Her father wanted her to have someone to grow old with. What did she want?

Better Late Chapter 14 | SasuHina ✿ Ongoing

Sasuke popped the last of their snack in his mouth and crumbled the package up into his pocket. “When we fell asleep I had a dream that I was a tomato, and Itachi was eating me.” Hinata's hand brushed against his as they walked, and they joined hands almost magnetically. The slightly too-long sleeve of his hoodie tucked between their hands. “Most of my dreams are about me missing assignments.” “That’s a nightmare.” Sasuke corrected. “Is your brother eating you, not a nightmare?” Hinata countered.

A Kiss Between Strangers Chapter 25 | GaaHina ✿ Ongoing

“I find her… much easier to be comfortable around.” She was the definition of a non-threatening air. Even when he worried about what she might think or how she might react. He always felt like no matter what her worst reaction would be, it would still be soft. Soft wasn't the word he wanted. Comfortable? Pleasant? “I would like to be closer to her, but I believe it will hurt when she is not there anymore.” Baki’s eyebrows knit together. Never a good sign. “You mean over break?” “I mean when we aren’t together anymore.” Gaara clarified. Baki blinked at him. He was surprised. Another thing that was not good to see on a therapist's face. “Are you worried about the relationship as it is now?” Gaara shook his head.

Riding Hearts Chapter 28 | Akatsuki x Hinata ✿ Ongoing

Hinata tucked her nose down in her blanket to stave off the cold that was on her ears. Why was the air so cold? Did Deidara leave the window open? Sasori was going to be upset if he woke up to the whole loft being cold. Maybe she should get up to close it, but she didn’t want to leave the warmth of the covers. A harsh snore made her eyes pop open as she realized she wasn’t in her bed. Deidara’s snores were not that deep. She peeked her head out of the blanket and found Kisame sleeping upright against the truck cabin with his arms permanently crossed into place and his head dropped down with his chin resting on his chest as he harshly snored. He looked comfortable despite the positioning.

All Stories ✿ Completed Stories ✿ One Shots

[aceduchessdragoness]

Uploaded on Instagram by mahmoudbassam8 on April 15, 2024.

“Deferred Revenge

"I want to hit him back the same way he hit me," Nimr Al-Saadi Al-Nimr expressed his anger over the occupation due to their assault on him, then burst into tears out of oppression and rage, and in his eyes was a determination to seek revenge, perhaps not now but postponed until further notice.

What is the story of Nimr Al-Saadi Al-Nimr, and what did the occupation soldiers do to him, and why is he insisting on revenge? Let's watch”

[above: arabic part of the post]

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

[id video subtitles

I did my best to guess punctuation and where sentences began and ended.

(insert) = correction

Nimir:

I want to return the blow to him just like he hit me. I’m waiting to grow up so I can become a fighter, and when I grow up, [begins tearing up] I’m going to hut him on the head just like he hit me and step over him like this…Step over his head as he stepped over my head, and shot the one who shot me. [cries]

[jumpcut]

[showing a scar on the left side of his torso] My name is Nimir, I’m 12 years old. I am a child, what is my fault? That’s my injury, I was hit by two bullets. And, it’s also explosive bullets. Look here and see how my injury looks like. What is my fault? What do I have to do with this? Here…Explosive bullets.

I was picking vegetables. I was just picking vegetables and plants to get food, bringing food to my brothers. What is my fault? They shoot me; now I have this leg with tendons and arteries severed. [holds up right leg] And I also have an injury in this leg here. [shows scar on left foot] Here! And I have an injury in my back and that injury in my abdomen.

[jumpcut]

My little sister used to wake up; she would always wake up and tell me to go out “dady (daddy)” and bring us “nana.” She meant to go out and bring us food. So when I would go out to get food, and as soon as I returned, she would run to me, open the door, hug me, and say “Dady (daddy), did you bring nana?” and I answer “Yes.” I used to give her a tomato to eat, and she used to sit and eat it. And this is what we did most of the time, I would go out and bring [food] –

One day, I was shot, and the Israelis took me, I wasn’t able to see my sister. And I always thought about them while in prison: Does she eat? Who would bring her food? Who would go out [to bring food]?

I mean, the situation is difficult for us, the situation in Gaza is tough. /id]