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ja3yun · 2 months

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I'm a Virgin, Not a Murderer | CH.3: Ride or Dye

virgin!heeseung x sex worker!reader warnings: smut (mdni), oral (f.rec), inexperienced heeseung but he is surprisingly good, mentions of struggle with family/trauma, haunted house, there isn't many warnings on this one, it's quite cute...until the end, if i missed any lmk! wc: 16k ch.3 synopsis: the police are hot on your tail and with the news plastering your face on the news, you and heeseung set off up north. however, when you see an old amusement park and change your plans. maybe not your best idea... a/n: hi! if you are reading this just know i love you more than anyone else. i am releasing a day early bc i have some things i want to release later on on the week! this is definitely one of my favourite chapters i have ever written and it's full of fluff and character building so i hope you enjoy it and don't find it boring! thank you for the love on this series and i'll see you back here for the finale <3 reblogs, likes, comments, feedback are all welcome!

chapter 2 | masterlist | finale

“Just do it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Wait, wait, wait…will it hurt?”

“It’s hair, Heeseung, of course it won’t.”

You roll your eyes at his ridiculous question. Heeseung has clearly had his hair trimmed at various stages of his life, so why on earth does he think this time will be different? Perhaps it’s the fact that you are the one holding the scissors.

Ever since you both discovered that the police are hot on your trail, broadcasting unflattering pictures of you across UK news channels, it has been difficult to keep a low profile. You have tried to stay on the outskirts of the country, weaving through little towns where you hope the residents are too busy tending to their farms or stores to stay inside and watch the news.

So far, your strategy has worked, but too many close calls has instilled fear in both of you. Once, Heeseung wanted to order milkshakes from a small cafe in the Cotswolds and completely missed the massive red flag that your wanted pictures were plastered on the pages of the paper the waitress was reading. Another time, you insisted on staying inside a barn in the middle of Wiltshire, only to be chased out by a rightfully angry farmer brandishing a pitchfork, threatening to call the police.

Hence, here you are in Ayrshire, in a shady hotel that only takes cash, dying and cutting each other's hair. You settled for a jet black and bangs combo, which perfectly masked enough of your face that even you have trouble recognising yourself. Heeseung, on the other hand, insisted on pure white hair, claiming that hiding in plain sight is better than being inconspicuous with a natural shade of chestnut or blonde.

The only problem was that he fought with you for a good three hours, denying the fact that he needed a haircut and insisting that the hair colour transformation was enough. But when he looked into the mirror with his wet mop, he conceded the argument, realising that he looked more like the picture in the paper than ever before.

So here you are with a piece of his long hair sitting stiffly between your fingers as you prepare to make the first cut. Heeseung is staring at himself in the dirty mirror of the room that looks as though it has never seen a spray of glass cleaner in its life and mourns his luscious locks.

As you slice the scissors through his hair, he feels as though it’s his heart that is being snipped apart. The sound of the kitchen scissors rings alarms in his ears and he pouts, shutting his eyes as though you’re torturing him.

“Stop being a baby or I’ll shave it all off,” you warn, your tone resembling that of a mother who has told her child off for the last time and is threatening to send them to bed without dinner.

Heeseung slowly opens his eyes, a glaze of worry and remorse swimming over them. “Sorry, it’s just that I’ve been growing my hair out for a while and I really don’t want another bowl cut.” You can see the memories of the horrendous haircuts flash in his eyes, the taunts from his schoolmates as he walked into school multiple times with a cut that was genuinely as awful as it sounded. His mum used to put a Pyrex bowl on his head and cut around it, refusing to pay the barbers when she was ‘perfectly capable of doing it herself.’

You try to picture what he would look like with a lopsided bowl cut and snort, covering your mouth with the back of your hand, momentarily disregarding safety as the scissors sit loosely in your grip. The snicker doesn’t go down well with your client, and you quickly resort to instilling some ease into him, stroking the back of his head gently.

“Trust me, I’ve been cutting my own hair since I was a teen. I know what I’m doing,” you assure him, despite only one of those statements being true, and it was not the latter.

His eyes shift in the mirror to meet yours, a soft look in them. “Your mum never cut it for you?” he asks carefully, not knowing the full extent of your family or your history with them.

“My mum… she isn’t here anymore, she hasn’t been for a long time,” you admit honestly, deciding to use this opportunity of his distraction to cut more of his hair. The length falls just to the top of his neck, and considering Heeseung has a lot of hair, this is already a massive change.

Heeseung’s expression softens further, his eyes filled with sympathy and understanding. “I’m sorry,” he says quietly, his voice sincere.

Shaking your head, you offer him a small smile. “Don’t be, I didn’t really know her since she passed away when I was little.” There are few memories you share with your mum, her presence almost lost in the fog of other moments from your childhood. You think maybe most of them are subconsciously discarded from your mind in the hopes that you miss her less.

However, if you remember one thing about her, it’s the afterschool trips to Woolworths when she would swing you up high over her shoulders and sing ‘Isn’t She Lovely’ by Stevie Wonder, making you feel as though you were a piercing arrow, soaring freely through the crisp summer sky. The memory brings a soft warmth to your chest, a fleeting connection to a time when life was simpler and filled with innocent joy. Maybe that’s why you keep the memory locked in your mind.

Heeseung sits for a minute, imagining what the world would be like without his own mum. She has been the backbone of everything he has ever done, and not having her there just seems unfathomable. He wouldn’t be as kind or generous, that’s for sure - his mum is a beacon of light to those she knows. During the time he has been on the run, he has often wondered what his parents have thought about the articles and radio snippets. But if he knows them well enough, which he does, he knows they’re fighting his corner somehow. This thought gives him a little bit of comfort throughout all of this turmoil.

But do you have anyone at ringside?

“What about your dad?” he pipes up, staring at the scissors in your hand rather than meeting your eyes, as if to make you feel more comfortable with his questions. He wants to subtly express that his queries are out of genuine curiosity and not an interrogation.

You pause for a moment, collecting your thoughts and decide how much you’re ready to tell Heeseung. Then it hits you - you feel so safe with Heeseung that you don’t wish to keep anything from him. The bond you both share is solid enough that divulging your family history and pain seems like the easiest thing in the world.

“My dad…” you begin, your voice tinged with a mixture of sadness and nostalgia. “He did his best after Mum died. But he wasn’t really equipped to handle raising two children on his own. He worked a lot, and when he was home, he was...distant. I think losing Mum broke something in him that he never managed to fix.”

You snip a bit more of Heeseung’s hair, your hands working almost automatically as your mind drifts through the past. “He tried his best but me and my big brother didn’t make it easy for him. My brother is a good person but he just got his soul a little lost, gave his heart to the wrong people and it caused so much fighting in the house that he eventually moved out when he was 16. He didn’t even bother to see me or write me a letter, he just, vanished.”

You have always wondered what happened to your brother, if he found his feet in the big bad world or if it swallowed him whole. There was one time you thought you saw him in Newcastle just by the train station when you were 13 on a school trip but the person was drunk and falling all over the place and you looked away before you could confirm; living in ignorance is easier than imagining your own family struggling.

“Then my dad just…stopped caring. He lost his job and stopped paying the bills,” you wince as you recall how hopeless your father had become. “I tried to help him but there was only so much a little girl can do before she also gives up hope.”

Heeseung knew you were strong, there wasn’t even a millimetre of his mind that thought otherwise, yet, hearing your past somehow brings him a whole new level of respect for you. Essentially, you were on your own your whole teenage years, the most formative and important time of your life and instead of being supported, you were supporting, looking after a man who couldn’t handle the cards that life dealt him.

“Your dad must be worried about you now, though,” Heeseung suggests, trying to find a silver lining amidst the dark clouds hanging over your conversation. But you shake your head, a sad and almost angry expression painting your face as you move to cut the layers into his shaggy hair.

“He cut ties with me once he found out what I was doing,” you scoff, though beneath the scorn, there is a breath of hurt. “He told every family member and friend we had and made sure they shut their doors in my face. He said I was a disgrace and that Mum would be ashamed of me, so I doubt he really gives a fuck.”

The bitterness in your words sends a shiver along Heeseung’s arms. It’s unfathomable to him how a father could turn his back on his daughter when she needed him more than ever. He knows no one turns to selling their body without hitting desperate times. His heart aches for you, and he finds himself wishing he could have been there to shield you from that pain.

It does beg the question that Heeseung has been wishing to ask you for so long. With you being so open and honest with him, this might be the best time to ask—you don’t know if you’ll ever get the chance again to settle his query.

“Why did you start…doing all of this?” he asks gently, his voice filled with genuine curiosity and concern, afraid his question might be imposing.

You pause, taking a deep breath, the scissors momentarily forgotten in your hand. “Money,” you begin to explain, the obvious answer sitting both of you in the face. “Me and Dad needed to make rent, so when I was just turning eighteen, I took any job I could. And let me tell you, there isn’t much out there for a girl with only a high school education.”

Struggling to find a job was something Heeseung had also encountered. However, he was lucky his dad ran a mechanic shop and would give him shifts when he desperately needed the cash between student loan payouts.

“I found this shitty pub near Camden that paid pennies, but it was a job, right? It did us good for the time, and then one day, I was complaining about money - I can’t remember why - and this punter comes up to me and says he knows a guy looking for a girl like me.”

The memory washes over you like a tidal wave, and you can almost smell the stale beer and hear the raucous laughter from the pub. The man was dressed in a suit and tie, clearly just off a busy 9-to-5 shift when he overheard your conversation with one of the other girls behind the bar. He snapped his fingers and called you over, telling you there was an opportunity you couldn’t refuse and promising to triple what you made bartending. What desperate person is going to turn that away?

“It was amazing money, enough to pay rent and the other bills - a little brothel with girls in need of cash like me. The girls were great; we all got along well, probably because we hated the guy who ran the place. I tell you, nothing brings people together more than a common enemy.”

“What did he do?” Heeseung asks gently, his voice a soothing balm to the raw wound you’re exposing.

“He stole our tips and took a cut for ‘room hire,’ which, by the way, was like half of the money,” you bitterly laugh, the sound hollow and filled with frustration. Thinking of all the money that prick owes you and your girls stirs a cauldron of anger inside you.

Heeseung twists his head to look at you, gobsmacked at the idea you were putting your body through god knows what, all to reap no real reward at the end of it. “That’s not fair. He can’t do that.”

“Well, he did. That’s why I left,” you state matter-of-factly, your voice a mixture of defiance and resignation.

The conversation leaves a heavy silence in the room. The snipping of the scissors is the only sound, but the air between you is charged with shared pain and understanding. Heeseung reaches out, his hand trembling slightly and places it over yours, stopping your movements for a moment.

“I’m sorry you had to go through all of that, Y/N,” Heeseung says softly, his eyes searching yours for any sign of how deeply you’ve been hurt. He hopes the twinkle of respect and adoration he holds for you shines through. “You deserve to have a good life.”

Taking a deep breath, you feel the weight of your past lift slightly with his words. The encouragement and belief Heeseung has in you, even in these dire circumstances, is all you have ever wanted from someone. If one person could back you up and be there for you, you know you can make it through anything. That’s probably why you’re feeling hopeful throughout this chase.

“You better give me the best life possible then, Lee Heeseung, because I think you’re going to be tagging along for a long time,” you jab, injecting some lightheartedness into the deep conversation. It’s a nice way to punctuate your past, finally letting it all out in the open and getting it off your shoulders.

Heeseung blushes, the scarlet tone washing over his nose and cheeks with shyness. Even the prospect of tomorrow with you makes his heart race, never mind forever.

Almost finished cutting his hair with only the front left to do, you circle around and begin to trim the long bangs. Since he is sitting down on the burst maroon leather seat, you can’t properly see if you’re cutting it evenly or not. If you were in any way a professional, this would be a breeze, but for some reason, you keep cutting one side shorter than the other.

Taking initiative, you move your legs and straddle Heeseung, parking yourself on his thighs to bring you face-to-face with him. It’s the easiest solution to your problem; he’s too tall to stand up because you’ll be reaching, and he’s down too low in the chair. Secretly, it's also because baring your past and being vulnerable has made you a little clingy.

Heeseung’s breath catches in his throat as you settle onto his lap. The proximity makes his heart pound, and he can feel the heat radiating from your body. You focus on your task, carefully trimming the bangs, but you’re acutely aware of how close you are to him. The intimacy of the moment is palpable, charged with unspoken emotions and the lingering tension between you.

None of you have spoken about the strip club or what unfolded there and considering it’s been practically a week! you think someone would have said something. Instead of communicating about it, you both have lingering stares and steal subtle touches, rather than addressing the feelings you both felt.

Sure, it was lust driven but that’s a feeling that has been sitting at the surface of your chests, bubbling into something maybe just a little bit more.

Clenching his fists and releasing them, Heeseung is physically restraining himself from placing his hands on your hips, his mind screaming that he doesn’t deserve to lay his hands so casually on art as priceless and ethereal as you. Even when you’re in bed and snuggle up to him as you sleep peacefully, he takes a minute to convince himself that it’s okay to hug you into his chest, never feeling like it’s his right to.

It’s how he’s always felt about women, yet with you, it runs deeper than he’s ever experienced. The level of adoration and respect he has for you makes him want to treat you in a way no man has ever done before. You must be so exhausted with men constantly on you that he wants to show you he isn’t going to be like those men, not now, not ever.

Sensing his tensing frame underneath you, you withdraw the scissors from his hair and look at him with concern, afraid you’ve made him uncomfortable. However, as you see his flushed face and trembling eyes, you recognise the same shy boy you met two weeks ago.

“I thought we moved past being nervous with me?” you ask, feigning disapproval to lighten the mood.

Sighing loudly, Heeseung wipes his damp palms on his chest, trying to find a place for them that isn’t your body. “You forget that I’m still a virgin and you’re the prettiest girl on the planet; any man would be nervous in this situation.” His sincerity causes your heart to stop for a moment, the blood that would normally circulate now creeping up to your cheeks, leaving you both blushing messes.

You don’t think you’ll ever get over his compliments or how effortlessly they roll off his tongue. Deep inside, there is a space in your heart reserved for Heeseung, and you don’t know how he got there, but you’re not going to evict him any time soon.

Having him in your heart means you feel more towards him, and that includes emotions of guilt. You’ve never offered to sleep with him, and yes, you know he never expects you to, but part of you wants to. It’s not out of obligation but genuine desire.

However, there is a gnawing anxiety that if you do sleep with him, it will cause the universe to end this wild ride you’re on. You fear you’ll lose him after he pops his cherry, that the only reason he was fated to meet you was for that specific reason. What if, in some cruel joke, the stars drag him away from you? You can’t do any of this without him. He has become your pillar, and as soon as he is taken away, you’ll crumble.

With all these thoughts swirling in your mind, you can only give him a simple hum in acknowledgement, scared that if you open your mouth, you’ll say something silly and scare him. So you continue with your ministrations, cutting his fringe in such a way that it masks his face without completely covering those enchanting, dark eyes of his, the ones that pull you in without needing a second glance.

The room is charged with a subtle tension, but above all else, it’s clouded with serenity. You and Heeseung can sit in the silence of one another and enjoy it. Sharing tiny moments like this almost feels domestic. A large part of you wonders if this is what it feels like to be in a real relationship.

For years, you have longed to be held and loved for more than just your body. In no way do you regret the path you’ve chosen, not even after all of this, but you do wish you could have had the chance to experience just one loving relationship. To hold hands with someone just because you want to be close to them, hugging them in the home you share because your hearts are like two magnets that tremble for one another, and kissing them so tenderly on random Wednesday afternoons as you sit in Hyde Park, reminiscing about how you first met and how nothing in the world matters but the fire between you.

That is all you have ever wanted.

With a longing sigh, you snip the last piece of long hair from Heeseung’s head, inspecting your work for any room for improvement before you’re satisfied, then, you reach for the shitty portable mini hairdryer provided by the motel.

“Alright, let’s dry this off,” you say softly, turning on the hairdryer. The warm air hums gently as you work, ruffling Heeseung’s hair and smoothing it into place. He watches you through the mirror, his eyes filled with a mixture of gratitude and something deeper, something unspoken but understood.

Heeseung likes to be looked after as much as he likes to make sure those he cherishes are also safeguarded. He knows that is the relationship you both have, one with give and take, although you more so give because that’s all you have ever known. Yet, as he looks at you now, he wants to change that. He wants to give back to you in ways no one ever has.

The room is heavy with unspoken promises and newfound understanding. You and Heeseung are intertwined in ways neither of you can fully comprehend, yet it feels right, like two lost souls finally finding a home in each other.

As you blow dry the last section, you run your fingers through it, hoping to style it a little but it’s proving difficult with the lack of products and how strangely soft Heeseung’s hair is; you wouldn’t think it went through two rounds of peroxide with lemon juice and a Crystal White hair dye. The pieces fall beautifully to the side of his face, the curtain bang vision you had in your head now coming to life before your eyes.

Finishing up, you switch off the hairdryer and place it back where it belongs before giving Heeseung's locks one final fix. You've never found men with white hair attractive, considering most of your old clients had the colour all over their bodies, but Heeseung looks like an angel straight out of the gates. The stark white hair contrasts beautifully with his darker brows and toned skin, complimenting him in a way that feels almost ethereal.

"All done," you announce, a proud smile spreading across your face as you admire your handiwork. You move off him, and both of you feel a sudden, stinging cold with the separation, your body almost instantly longing to be close to him once again.

He stands up and walks to the mirror to get a closer look. He crouches down, analysing his new reflection. He looks incredibly different, the long, flat, shabby hair he was once so proud of now a distant memory. The pure white threads of almost silk on his head transform his appearance completely. It's amazing what you managed to do with so few resources.

"Y/N, this is...really good," he says, his smile widening as he checks himself out, genuinely impressed. For the first time in a long while, he admires his own reflection. Despite the tired circles under his eyes, they remain wide and vibrant, possibly because he has had the opportunity to spend all morning with you, doing normal, young adult things.

No running, no fear, just the two of you together.

Cocking an eyebrow, you cross your arms in mock offence. "Are you surprised?" you ask, trying to mimic a serious tone despite the small smile on your face, a chuckle bubbling at the surface as you watch his eyes light up and his fingers carefully fix his sideburns.

After about a minute of self-ogling, Heeseung twists around to face you, grimacing as he sucks in his breath and tenses his neck in a fake display of apology. "Is it rude to say yes?"

Tutting, you reach over and punch his arm with more force than you intended, expressing your mock annoyance at his insinuation, even though you know he doesn't truly mean it.

"Ow!" he yelps, instinctively going to hold the now aching muscle of his arm. Pouting, he rubs it roughly to dispel the pain, massaging the nerves that are jittering inside. "You've got some punch on you."

"Yeah, well, I'll use it again if you ever doubt me," you threaten, your voice wavering with a slight giggle. He really is so fragile; you wonder how he's managed to survive living 22 years in this world.

Turning your attention to the mess behind you, you take the scissors and put them back in their case, cleaning up the hair around you. You brush his dead ends lazily with your foot; not the most conventional way to tidy up, but you aren't exactly equipped with a portable brush and shovel.

Heeseung packs the clothes into the bags you got for 50p out of a charity shop, stealing glances at you as he works. Over the weeks you’ve spent together, he’s come to admire how you never complain, no matter the task. Even now, as you brush up his hair, you don’t grumble when it sticks to your socks. Instead, you wipe it away with ease.

Of course, the task isn’t arduous, but it’s a small example of your resilience. When he asked you to dye his hair and cut it, or even when you were at the strip club, you never once expressed annoyance. You simply got on with what needed to be done.

He finds it admirable, this quiet toughness you possess. It’s a strength he wishes he had inside him. Throughout this journey, he’s often complained about how hungry he is, or how hard it is to sleep on cold floors. And every time, you’ve reassured him, telling him it’ll be okay, giving him something to look towards, even though you were feeling the same way.

Heeseung can’t help but feel a pang of guilt. You’ve done so much for him and he’s been too wrapped up in his own discomfort to fully appreciate it. He wants to tell you how much he admires you, and how much your strength means to him, but the words stick in his throat. Instead, he swallows hard and focuses on the task at hand, determined to help in any way he can.

When you finally finish cleaning up, you look up and catch his eye. Heeseung gives you a small, grateful smile, and for a moment, the weight of the world seems to lift. In that brief exchange, so much is conveyed without words. He wants to be better, to be stronger for you, just as you’ve been for him.

“Thank you,” he says softly, his voice barely above a whisper. It’s not just for the haircut, but for everything - for being his rock, his comfort, his guide through the darkness.

You smile back at him, a warmth spreading through your chest. “Anytime,” you reply, and you mean it. There’s nothing you wouldn’t do for him, nothing you wouldn’t face together. “Now, do you have your stuff? We need to leave for the bus soon,” you swiftly change the subject.

Heeseung scrunches his features before he quickly releases them, understanding what you mean. Rummaging through the bag in front of him, he quickly retrieves a baseball cap which he puts on carefully to avoid ruining your work, and places a pair of silver-rimmed, oval glasses on his face. “All ready!” He turns to you, the palm of his hand under his chin as he showcases the excellent disguise that he has conjured up.

Taking in his new appearance, you realise two things: one, you finally understand why people find it difficult to identify Superman as Clark Kent, glasses doing more for disguises than any mask could; he was right about hiding in plain sight, but you’ll never admit it. And two, he looks fucking beautiful.

The hat that makes his ears poke out just a little bit more than usual, the glasses that somehow cover yet accentuate his eyes, paired with the oversized AC/DC t-shirt, baggy Denim Co. jeans, and the trainers he has been wearing this entire time, he looks like something straight out of the ‘your next crush’ section in POP! Magazine.

Biting your lip subconsciously, your eyes trail his body, your pupils shaking in need. Maybe you have enough time to push him onto the bed and jump-

“You good?” Heeseung asks, a half frown working on his face.

Shaking your head from the lewd thoughts, you smile, taking your bag from the place on the bed beside him. “Let’s go.”

_____

Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, Heeseung’s eyes dart around the crowded bus with palpable trepidation, fearing someone might recognise you both. It's his first time using his alias, "Evan," and despite your reassurances that his new appearance is enough to deter recognition, he's planned an elaborate backstory complete with trivia about his fabricated life, including bonus rounds. He doesn’t know when someone might ask him in which primary school his fake grandmother attended, but he has the answer locked and loaded.

His hand is gripping yours tightly, the sweat from his nerves now creating a tiny swimming pool in your connected palms. He doesn’t mean to get clammy but the idea of coming so far and having it foiled on a National Express bus on the outskirts of Ayr is putting him on edge.

You don’t seem to notice his sweaty hands or the elderly woman watching you from across the aisle. Instead, your attention is captivated by the breathtaking Scottish countryside passing by outside the window. The rolling hills of Ayr are adorned with lush greenery, dotted with clusters of ancient trees that sway gently in the breeze.

The bus winds through narrow roads flanked by dry stone walls and vibrant patches of wildflowers. Highland cows, with their shaggy coats and long, curved horns, graze lazily in the pastures. Oh, to be a cow in another life, munching grass all day long without a care in the world. The notion amuses you, and you imagine that maybe, if you're reincarnated, you can come back as one of these peaceful creatures.

The scenery outside is so tranquil that you easily lose yourself in the views. The mountains, the serene lochs, and the quaint cottages all work together to quiet your mind, offering a brief respite from the constant anxiety that has followed you for weeks. For a moment, everything feels right.

However, as soon as something unusual catches your eye, your brain shifts back into gear, thoughts twirling with curiosity. You sit up straight, eyes narrowing to focus. Amidst the idyllic landscape, something stands out - a stark contrast to the beauty surrounding it.

An old, rusty, clearly abandoned theme park appears on the horizon. The sign, once vibrant with its yellow and red paint, now faded and peeling, spells out the name ‘Joyland.’ But there is nothing joyous about the place. The park has clearly been deserted for at least 15 years, left to the mercy of time and nature.

Theme parks are something younger you could only dream of, your dad insisting that it was too far away and too expensive. You understand him a little better now that you’re older, however, that doesn’t quench the little girl inside you and her thirst for the excitement of a Maze of Mirrors or Waltzers.

With a twinkle in your eye and a quickening of your heartbeat, you push Heeseung to stand up in the aisle. He protests slightly, letting out a surprised 'whoa' and a grunt, but you ignore him, clasping his hand tightly in yours. Fighting against the slippery sweat that threatens to break your grip, you drag him towards the front of the bus.

Heeseung's heart plummets, his anxiety boiling over as people start to notice your sudden movement. He tries to reason with you, urging you to return to your seats and abandon whatever impulsive idea has sparked this rush.

But his pleas fall on deaf ears. By the time his voice filters through to you, you're already tapping the bus driver's shoulder with feigned panic. “Sir, can you pull over, please?” you ask, your voice sweet yet tinged with urgency.

“No can do, Hen. The bus doesn’t stop until we get to Troon,” he explains calmly, giving you a glance through the rearview mirror.

“Please, my boyfriend is going to be sick, and I don’t want to disrupt anyone’s journey,” you plead. The excuse is thin, but if there’s one thing a bus driver hates more than being late, it’s dealing with a sick passenger.

The driver’s eyes widen and he flusters slightly. “Well, there are bags under the seat. Take one of them.”

“It’s not going to be enough. He’s had a drink or two, and you know what that’s like,” you say, your lips forming into a pout as you try anything to get the bus to stop. The longer you stand begging, the further the theme park recedes into the distance.

You elbow Heeseung roughly. The unexpected blow makes him hunch over, breath catching in his throat and eyes bulging slightly. It's the perfect reaction to convince the driver, who nods quickly, his concern outweighing his schedule. “Yes, alright, but only for a minute,” he concedes, flicking the indicator to pull to the left-hand side.

Mentally, you praise Heeseung for his overdramatic reactions to pain. His theatrical flair, usually a source of amusement when he overreacts to a bump or a stepped-on foot, has come in handy. No one can ever say that being dramatic gets you nowhere.

As the bus pulled to a stop, a surge of triumph coursed through you. The driver swung open the creaky door, and you stepped off, immediately feeling the brisk Scottish air kiss your face. Heeseung stumbled behind you, trying to navigate the steep steps of the bus as you tugged him along.

“Are you mad?” Heeseung whispered, his grip tightening on your hand, his eyes wide with a mixture of fear and excitement. He glanced around, searching for any sign of reason in your decision to abandon the bus for an impromptu adventure through the countryside.

“Maybe,” you replied with a grin, the thrill of spontaneity evident in your voice. Glancing over Heeseung’s shoulder to the bus driver, you flashed a polite smile. “You go ahead, we’ll walk. He could use the fresh air,” you shouted, waving off any objections.

Before the driver could protest, you were already sprinting back in the direction the bus had come from, dragging the bewildered Heeseung behind you. He stumbled at first but quickly matched your pace, his curiosity piqued despite his confusion. The bus pulled away, leaving you both standing at the roadside, free from the constraints of scheduled travel.

“Y/N, where are we going?” Heeseung gasped, breathless from the unexpected burst of activity.

“Just come on, we’re almost there!” you called back over your shoulder, excitement shining in your eyes and a wide grin spreading across your face.

Heeseung caught a glimpse of your infectious enthusiasm and decided to trust in your lead, letting go of his worries and focusing instead on keeping up with you.

As you approached the entrance to Joyland, you slowed your pace, causing Heeseung to nearly collide with your back. He stops himself, grasping your arm to steady both of you. The gates before you are weathered and rusted, the once vibrant red paint now faded and peeling. Vines snaked through the gaps in the iron bars, reclaiming the space that had been abandoned to time.

Heeseung looks up and tilts his head, “Y/N what are we doing here?”

Wistfully, you let go of his hand and walk towards the gates, assessing just how easy it would be to get into the park. Luckily, it is held together with a flimsy lock that could easily be broken with a rock and some force.

Looking around and ignoring Heeseung’s answer for now, you search for something hard enough to break the padlock with, the ground around you is scattered with lots of handy things; Buckfast bottles, old shoes which you don’t even dare ask how they ended up here, scared of the answer it might bring, and then the golden ticket; a brick that had fallen from the wall that surrounded the park.

Grabbing it, you almost skip back to the entrance, happy that in just one swing, you’ll be accomplishing a dream of yours, even if you can’t complete it in its entirety. You lift your arm up, grasping tight on the ash-red brick before hammering it down. The first time doesn’t work, only rattling the metal against the steel, so persistent as ever, you try again and again until finally, the contraption falls to the ground with a tiny thud.

Heeseung watches you from afar, shoulders tense from the sound of the breaking lock and your grunts. You must really want in there and he will be damned if he tries to stop you. He wants to pose the question again, wondering what could be so exciting about a shitty theme park that hasn’t seen any joy despite its name in a decade, but you answer it for him.

“I’ve never been to one of these before,” you speak in a hushed tone, scared to disrupt the silence that carries through the wind.

“It’s shut down, Y/N,” Heeseung states the obvious, now standing behind you.

Craning your neck, you look up at him and smile. “Just means there are no queues.”

Pushing open the creaking gate and finally stepping inside, the sound echoes through the stillness of the park. The path ahead is overgrown with wildflowers and weeds, the cracked pavement obscured by nature's reclamation. An old carousel stands in the distance, its paint long gone and its horses frozen in time, a melancholy reminder of days gone by.

The entrance to Joyland is eerily inviting, with pretty moss creeping up the dilapidated ticket booth and the once-bright sign now dulled by years of neglect. The Ferris wheel, its gondolas now chipped and weathered, stands motionless against the backdrop of a clear sky. The roller coaster tracks, twisted and overgrown with weeds, snake their way through the park, hinting at the thrills they once offered.

“Look at this place,” you whisper, awe and curiosity mixing in your voice. “It’s like stepping into a forgotten world.”

Heeseung nods, his eyes scanning the beautifully tragic surroundings. “Yeah, it’s kinda sad to see it like this. It would have been nice for you to see it in its glory,” he says softly.

Having visited countless theme parks in his lifetime, Heeseung can vividly imagine what Joyland used to be like: vibrant with colour, the laughter of children echoing as they dashed away from their parents to ride attractions they were barely tall enough for, and the mingling scents of carnival foods creating a unique aroma of nostalgia.

You both wander through the deserted park, taking in the sights, walking side by side in a peaceful silence. However, Heeseung can’t shake off the feeling of being watched, perhaps because the openness of the area leaves nowhere to hide. There are rides and booths, but someone could easily spot you both if they looked hard enough.

“It’s too exposed here, Y/N. Let’s just go,” he warns, his eyes darting to a moving shadow he’s convinced is real and not just a figment of his imagination. The happiness of imagined memories quickly washes away as he sees what the park really is: a derelict site filled with discarded needles and abandoned rides.

You notice his unease, the way his eyes shift nervously, and know he’s seconds away from dragging you back to the bus. But if this is your only chance to experience a theme park, you’re willing to use every bit of charm you have.

Fluttering your eyelashes and jutting out your lip, you gaze up at him with a pleading expression. “Hee, please,” you begin, taking his hand and swinging it gently. “Just for five minutes?” You cringe inwardly at your own performance but are willing to act the part for the chance to stay - it’ll be worth the bruise in your pride.

Heeseung’s fear is chipped away at your pleas. It’s so ridiculous how easy men are to trick in this day and age, particularly a virgin who is in hook, line, and sinker for you.

“Alright, five minutes,” he finally concedes, sighing deeply. You beam up at him, gratitude and excitement flooding your heart.

Grinning like a Cheshire cat, you place a kiss on his cheek, eliciting a pink blush to form on his him. Unlike the other times he’s gone flushed in the face, this isn’t of embarrassment but rather contentment and glee.

Maybe this is Joyland after all.

“There’s a haunted house over there, let's go!” you exclaim, pointing to the weathered, foreboding structure looming in the distance.

Maybe he was too quick with his thoughts.

Heeseung swallows hard, trying to mask his apprehension with a weak smile. "Sure," he replies, his voice wavering slightly. He squeezes your hand for reassurance, more for his sake than yours, as you both make your way towards the haunted house.

The building looks like it’s been pulled straight out of a horror film. The once grand entrance is now covered in ivy and the wooden doors hang loosely on their hinges. The paint is chipped and faded, the windows are cracked and clouded with grime, and the sign above the door, which once read ‘House of Horrors’ is barely legible. The wind whistles through the gaps, adding an eerie melody to the desolate ambience.

You step inside first, the floorboards creaking under your weight. Heeseung hesitates at the threshold, his eyes darting around nervously. The light from outside filters through the broken windows, casting long shadows that seem to dance and shift. He takes a deep breath, steeling himself before following you inside.

The air inside the haunted house is stale and thick with dust. Cobwebs hang from the ceiling, and the smell of dampness and decay lingers, infiltrating your nose and causing you to wince. The first room you enter is a foyer of sorts, with tattered red curtains hanging from the walls and a decrepit chandelier swaying gently above. An old grandfather clock stands in the corner, its hands frozen at midnight.

Heeseung keeps a tight grip on your hand, his eyes scanning every corner for signs of movement. "This place is...something," he mutters, trying to sound nonchalant but failing miserably.

You squeeze his hand back, giving him a reassuring smile. "Come on, it's just a bit of fun," you say, leading him further into the house.

The next room is even darker, with the only guidance of your steps being from the room before. You can barely make out the shapes of old furniture covered in white sheets, some stained with what you hope is fake blood. Suddenly, a gust of wind slams a door shut behind you, causing Heeseung to jump, his heart travelling from its rightful place in his chest to his throat.

He lets out a nervous laugh, quickly trying to cover it up. "That was just the wind," he says, more to himself than to you.

You nod, suppressing a giggle. "Of course it was," you agree, though you can't help but feel a shiver run down your spine. The atmosphere of the haunted house is getting to you too, despite your brave front. Despite your eagerness to enter the haunted attraction, you hate to admit that you aren’t feeling the best right now, your heart a ticking bomb.

If you were to go into this house when it was up and running, scare actors and life still instilled within the dark corners then maybe you would feel a little better, but the more you venture into the darkness, the less sturdy your legs are.

In one room, you come across a dusty old mirror, the vision of you and Heeseung echoing back to you, plastering a reassured smile on your face. Both of you look nothing like yourselves yet next to one another, you feel like you’ve found who you’re supposed to be.

As you approach it, a ghostly figure suddenly appears in the reflection, reaching out towards you. You yelp in surprise, instinctively wrapping your arms around Heeseung’s waist and quickly facing away from it, burying your face into his chest.

He stiffens for a moment, then relaxes, wrapping his free arm around you protectively. Although he also got a fright, he feels himself needing to protect you as a way to pay you back for every time you’ve looked after him. Granted, he wishes it could be something a bit more substantial than a trick mirror but it will do for now.

"It's okay, it's just a trick," Heeseung murmurs, trying to comfort you even as his own heart races, squeezing you tighter. He can feel your body trembling against his, and it takes everything in him to project calmness, to be the anchor you need right now.

“I… don’t like this anymore, Heeseung,” you admit, looking up at him. The dim light casts shadows across his face, but you can still make out the worry etched into his features. You seek comfort in his familiarity, trying to steady your racing heart. Something in your gut tells you to get out of this place, and after ignoring your instincts that fateful day two weeks ago, you refuse to disregard them ever again.

Heeseung nods, rubbing your back soothingly. "We'll find a way out," he promises, his eyes scanning the area for any beacon of light to guide you both. But all he stumbles upon is another door. "I think we’ll need to keep going for now."

It's the worst thing he could say, but you understand he's right. The only way out of here is forward, the door behind you stuck firmly shut.

To ease the tension, Heeseung chuckles slightly. “You know, I didn’t think you were scared of anything,” he chats, trying to keep you distracted as he opens the door to a new, unexplored room.

“I’m scared of a lot of things,” you confess. Your guard is up against the house, but down for Heeseung. After opening up about your past, the wall around your heart doesn't feel the need to rebuild itself. The boy currently holding you under his arm has taken your defences down piece by piece, and you don't hate him for it one bit.

With a look of surprise, his eyes settle on your delicate face as he processes your response. “Really? Like what?” He’s not trying to be intrusive; he just genuinely didn’t think you had any.

“I can’t tell you that,” you laugh, the tension in your body melting slightly, even as you face an old life-sized doll trapped in a box. Your fears are personal, and you believe that speaking them into existence might make them come true. There are two fears trapped inside you that you wish never to see the light of day.

Unravelling yourself from Heeseung’s strong embrace, you timidly approach the looming figure in the box. Its lifelike form is so realistic that you might have mistaken it for a real person. The glass is dusty, and the top right corner has been shattered by something small but mighty. You can’t believe your eyes.

“Heeseung, come here,” you beckon him, your hand gesturing for him to step forward and see what you’re seeing. “Doesn’t this doll look like you?” If you didn’t know any better, you would say that Heeseung had a twin. The doll has the same eyes, nose, and pretty pink lips.

Examining the box, Heeseung reads out loud, “Have your wishes granted by the doll that knows your deepest desires.” He whispers softly, scared that it might be some spell to wake the creepy doll. It does look scarily like him, except this doll has cherry-red hair and dead eyes.

He takes off his glasses and stands next to it. “It really is me, huh?”

Clasping a hand over your mouth, you widen your eyes, taking in the side-by-side comparison. “Hee, that is you, down to your long lashes!” Your eyes dart between them both as you view them.

It's scary, but what's more daunting is staying in this creepy house any longer. You rid your thoughts of any ideas that a shapeshifter has stolen Heeseung’s body and placed it in the comically large doll box, gladly walking away from it.

Giving it one last stare, Heeseung sighs. “I hope someone finds you and gives you a good life.” He wishes the doll a farewell and walks behind you, the unease in his chest dissipating slightly as he follows your determined steps.

Taking the lead, Heeseung opens the next door once again, yet, instead of a room, you’re met with a long, pitch-black corridor that seems to stretch on forever with no end in sight. The air is thick, almost suffocating, and the faint echo of his footsteps reverberates through the darkness.

“I say we run through it,” you suggest, your voice echoing off the walls and adding to the eerie atmosphere. It's not your favourite choice, but you know there's a good chance the exit is right ahead.

Heeseung nods, focusing ahead. “We are good at running,” he jokes, causing you both to laugh. The eerie space fills with a haunting joy, a stark contrast to the oppressive silence that has surrounded you.

Holding out your hand, you offer it to Heeseung. “On the count of three?”

“Three.”

Without a chance to comprehend what he says, Heeseung locks his fingers with yours and starts running, the sudden burst leaving you trailing behind him. Despite the darkness and the unknown ahead, you can't help but laugh, letting him lead you to safety. The adrenaline rush and the sound of your combined laughter make the moment surreal and oddly comforting.

Heeseung glances back at you despite only making out the shadow of you, the only light leaking from the room you were previously in. There's a moment where he can see the smile on your face and it causes his heart to pit a pat in his chest.

The corridor isn't actually that long, or maybe it’s the fun you’re having, but soon enough you’re both crashing through an emergency exit door, chests rising and falling with laughter and excitement. You feel like a kid again, running around without a care in the world, free from any negative thoughts or the wear and tear that adulthood has bestowed upon you.

The cool, fresh air hits your face, a welcome relief from the suffocating darkness inside. You never thought you would be happy to see the British skies before, suddenly admiring the beauty around you, despite the less-than-attractive surroundings. The contrast between the open, airy countryside and the eerie, claustrophobic house is stark, filling you with a newfound appreciation for the simplicity of the outdoors.

Stealing a glance at Heeseung, you notice how his face, although red from the cardio, looks so different. His eyes are lit up like a child at a Christmas market, his face visibly younger, and there is an air to him you haven’t seen before. He has always been beautiful, but now he looks pure and wholesome, his mind no longer bombarded with anxiety, nerves, or whatever else goes on inside that pretty head of his. The relief and exhilaration from escaping the haunted house paired with a moment of child-like freedom has brought out a serene glow in him.

Heeseung’s eyes meet yours as he straightens his back, his muscles relaxed now that he feels safe. "Now I know why people run through horror games," he chuckles, but his words are lost in the sweeping air, and you fail to register them, still caught in your reverie.

Your silence isolates you both, prompting Heeseung to examine you more closely. Maybe you're in shock from the scare the house gave you, or perhaps you're gathering your breath. He finds it unusual for you to be so quiet. You're just looking at him, lost in contemplation, with an inscrutable face that makes his smile fade somewhat.

"What is it? Are you okay?" he asks, his voice filled with worry, his hand gently squeezing yours.

It takes you a minute to realise you’re staring at him, your brain clouded with so many thoughts and realisations that it shuts down for a moment. The overwhelming affection you feel for him leaves you momentarily speechless. Never in your life has a man rendered you incapable of basic human functions. The way he looks in the summer sun, the ease with which he’s starting to smile, makes your heart flutter in a way you’ve never experienced before.

Finally, you shake your head slightly, breaking free from your trance. “Yeah, I’m okay,” you murmur, a small smile tugging at the corners of your lips. “Let’s…go find another ride.” Changing the subject seems to be your only way out, so you use the whiplash as your opportunity to bolt before he asks something else.

“Hey, wait!” he shouts behind you in an attempt to slow you down, but you’re already steadily running towards the middle of the park. The crunch of gravel under your shoes is the only sound accompanying your rapid footsteps, the eerie silence of the abandoned amusement park amplifying every movement.

Your eyes scan over the abundance of left-to-die rides, mourning for them as you think about how they have been forced to remain stagnant. Surely they could have been reused somewhere else? Why is it that these particular machines weren’t good enough? The sight of rusted Ferris wheels and dilapidated roller coasters, their once vibrant colours now faded and peeling, tugs at your heartstrings.

As you weave through the overgrown pathways, you stumble upon something that catches your eye - a tunnel with a large, heart-shaped archway. The sign above it reads “Tunnel of Love,” but there’s no water in the canal below due to sunshine and abandonment. The boats that once floated gently along the waterway now sit dry and cracked, covered in a thick layer of dust and cobwebs. The wooden planks of the dock are warped and splintered, evidence of the neglect they’ve suffered.

Stepping closer, you peer into the tunnel. The walls inside are decorated with faded murals of romantic scenes: lovers in rowboats under a starlit sky, holding hands as they drift through enchanted landscapes. The air is thick with the scent of damp wood and mildew, the remnants of the once-glistening water now a distant memory. The cracked and dry canal floor, once a pathway for swaying boats, now lies abandoned, its purpose long forgotten.

Heeseung finally catches up, panting heavily. “Y/N, please don’t run away like that. Anyone or anything could be out here,” he scolds softly, his voice laced with genuine concern. He gives you a once-over, ensuring you haven't been hurt, scanning your form, checking for any signs of injury or distress. The thought of a rabid animal or some hidden danger lurking in the shadows sends a shiver down his spine. The idea of you being harmed, even by a scratch, is enough to send him into an anxious panic. He doesn’t even want to think about the state he would be in if you suddenly got caught by the police.

You see the worry etched on his face and feel a pang of guilt for making him anxious. “I’m sorry, Heeseung,” you say softly, reaching out to touch his arm. “I didn’t mean to worry you. It’s just…this place, it’s so fascinating in its own way.” You daren’t tell him it has anything to do with your mixed up feelings.

Heeseung’s expression softens at your words. “I know, it’s just…we have to be careful. This place is falling apart, and I don’t want anything to happen to you.” His eyes, full of concern, meet yours, and you feel a warmth spread through your chest at his protectiveness.

“I guess this is the wrong time to ask if we can go through the tunnel?” you sheepishly ask, hoping that he will say yes to your request. You have always wanted to go through a love tunnel, even just once.

Heeseung sets his focus down the dark tunnel and pouts slightly in thought. “Does it even still work?”

That is a question you don’t have even the tiniest speck of an answer for, but you can make the assumption that the correct one would be a hard no. Your face forms into a disappointed frown, your hopes of experiencing the ride now dismal.

Upon seeing your disappointment, Heeseung refuses to watch the excitement die inside of you. His mind races, desperate to find a way to make this moment special for you. Glancing around, his eyes catching sight of an old, weathered booth tucked away to the side.

“Wait here for a second, I’ll see if I can get it working,” he says, determination setting in as he walks over to the booth. The structure is small and dilapidated, with a sign above it that reads ‘Operator’. Heeseung pushes open the creaky door and steps inside, brushing away the cobwebs that cling to his shirt. The air is stale, filled with the scent of dust and decay, but he’s undeterred, thankful he is only scared of women and not spiders.

Inside, a control panel covered in grime greets him. It is a chaotic array of buttons, switches, and levers, each labelled with faded, barely legible text. Heeseung squints, trying to make sense of the worn labels: “Start,” “Stop,” “Lights,” “Music,” “Emergency.” He has no idea how to operate the machinery, but the thought of seeing you happy drives him forward.

Heeseung’s fingers hover over the buttons, hesitant. “Okay, let's see,” he mutters to himself, trying to recall any fragments of knowledge about old amusement park rides. He presses the “Start” button, hoping for some sign of life. A low hum fills the booth, and the old, rusted mechanisms of the tunnel creak in protest as they start to move.

Peering out of the booth, he sees a few of the dim fairy lights flicker to life inside the tunnel. The ancient bulbs struggle but manage to cast a faint, romantic glow along the pathway. Heeseung’s heart races with a mix of excitement and anxiety, hoping this will work.

He looks back at the panel and flips the switch labelled “Music.” A scratchy, old recording of a love song begins to play, the sound wavering but still charming in its vintage way. He can’t help but smile, imagining how you must be feeling right now.

“Oh my god, Hee, it’s on!” Heeseung's heart swells as he hears your delighted squeal echoing through the air. Despite the dusty and bug-infested surroundings of the booth, seeing you so excited makes every moment worthwhile. He steps out, wiping his hands on his shirt to rid them of the grime, and walks over to where you're standing by the entrance to the love tunnel.

Your face lights up as he approaches, your eyes sparkling with joy. The soft glow of the tunnel's lights illuminates your features, casting a warm, romantic aura around you both. Heeseung can't help but smile back at you, his own happiness mirroring yours.

"I told you I would try," Heeseung says playfully, a hint of pride in his voice. His eyes sparkle with satisfaction as he glances towards the tunnel entrance. Inside, the flickering lights cast dancing shadows on the cracked walls, and the faint strains of the love song create an unexpectedly enchanting atmosphere.

"And I’ll never doubt you again," you reply with a bright smile, nudging him gently with your shoulder. "Can we just walk through it?" you ponder, noting the absence of water and the cracked boat that would have carried you through a dreamy water ride.

Heeseung chuckles softly at your playful nudge, feeling a warmth spread through him at your words of trust and appreciation. He meets your gaze, seeing sincerity and excitement shining through, and nods enthusiastically.

"Of course we can. Who’s going to stop us? Security?" he teases, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

Taking the leap, Heeseung gracefully jumps down into the tunnel, his lanky limbs giving him an effortless advantage. The worn, pool-like ground beneath him feels sturdy underfoot as he kicks away empty vodka bottles and shattered glass.

"Come on," he beckons with a gentle smile, his fingers curling inward to encourage you to join him in the deep space below.

Trusting in Heeseung’s ability to catch you, you sit on the edge and wait for him to position himself below. Heeseung stands ready with his arms outstretched, prepared to catch you. A wave of excitement and nervousness wells up in your chest. His sweet smile and supportive gesture fortify your resolve as you prepare to plunge.

“It’s okay, just jump, I’ll catch you,” he assures, his face conveying unwavering confidence in his ability to protect you. His voice, serene and certain, echoes gently in the tranquillity of the abandoned attraction.

His eyes never leave yours, filled with a warmth that melts away any lingering doubts. In that moment, his faith in your safety gives you the courage you need to push off the ledge. You’re not scared of heights, just of falling.

You propel yourself forward, the world momentarily blurring around you as gravity takes hold. The rush of wind fills your ears, a fleeting sensation of weightlessness before you feel Heeseung's strong arms enveloping you. His embrace is secure and comforting, anchoring you safely in his grasp.

As you settle into his arms, a wave of relief washes over you, adrenaline slowly giving way to a sense of accomplishment and gratitude. Heeseung holds you close, his touch gentle yet firm, as if reassuring himself of your safety. His embrace is tighter than necessary, his hands cradling you protectively, and you feel the steady beat of his heart matching the rhythm of yours.

“See? I’ve got you,” he murmurs, his voice carrying a quiet strength and reassurance.

You blush slightly, grateful for his stability as you take a step back, the warmth of his touch lingering on your skin, mingling with the surge of emotions coursing through you. Your dynamic shifts significantly in this moment; his confidence and reassurance are new, as is your sudden desire to shy away and twirl your hair.

Standing there, relishing the warmth of the moment, Heeseung softly extends his hand to you as a quiet invitation. His eyes, gentle and comforting, meet yours, softly indicating that he is ready whenever you are. The air around you seems to shimmer with the remnants of the love song echoing softly from the tunnel, adding to the novel ambience.

You peek down at his hand, which looks strong and welcoming. Without hesitation, you reach out, your fingers naturally linking with his.

Heeseung gives you a pleasant grin, his attention shifting to the tunnel entrance. "Shall we?" he says softly, his tone full of optimism and wonder. His grasp on your hand is firm yet kind, guiding you towards the darker entryway where pink-hued lights flicker and dance against the walls.

Taking a deep breath, you respond with a nod and a broad smile. Together, you enter the tunnel, the ground beneath your feet reverberating softly with each step.

The enchanting atmosphere grows as you and Heeseung venture deeper into the tunnel. The warm lights cast a soft glow on the forgotten walls, illuminating the path ahead with a dreamlike quality. You notice faded murals depicting whimsical scenes of enchanted forests and mythical creatures, their vibrant colours still peeking through despite years of neglect.

The tunnel widens into a larger chamber, revealing remnants of the once-grand attraction. Rusted railings and dilapidated boats lie abandoned, adding to the sense of forgotten magic. You can almost hear the echoes of laughter and the gentle splashes of water that once filled the air.

Heeseung watches you with a delighted smile as you take in your surroundings, your eyes wide with wonder. He enjoys seeing you like this, so full of curiosity and excitement. "It's amazing, isn't it?" he says, his voice barely more than a whisper, as if afraid to break the spell of the moment for you.

You nod, unable to tear your gaze away from the sight before you. "It's like stepping into another world," you reply, your voice filled with awe.

There must have been thousands of couples who road down this exact path, hearts filled with love for their partners as they took in the different scenes meant to exhibit different kinds of love; a fairyland garden that depicted an elf picking a daisy for his faerie girlfriend, different forest animals around a campfire, each paired with their own lover.

The two of you explore the different sections of the attraction, each one more fascinating than the last. One passageway leads to a room filled with intricate mechanical contraptions, once part of a grand clockwork display.

In another area, you discover a garden-themed section, where overgrown vines and flowers have taken over, creating a beautiful, natural tapestry. The scent of blooming flowers lingers in the air, a stark contrast to the dusty corridors you navigated earlier. Heeseung picks a small, wildflower and tucks it behind your ear, his touch gentle and affectionate.

"You're even more beautiful than the flowers," he says softly, causing you to blush and smile shyly. Heeseung can feel his fingers tremble slightly but he keeps his confident manner, pushing away his virgin nerves for a minute to give you the experience you deserve.

He is so sweet and you thank the heavens for allowing you to experience this tunnel with him.

Your journey takes you to the heart of the attraction, where a grand stage still stands. The stage is adorned with tattered curtains and faded decorations, but you can easily imagine the grandeur it once held. Before you stands a scene depicting a king and queen sitting proudly on their thrones, hands raised in a waving gesture, greeting their subjects with glee as they hold hands.

“I wanna get a closer look,” you say, your eyes glued to the regal couple. Heeseung nods and follows you without hesitation. “Can you boost me up?” you ask, glancing at the steep wall separating you from the display.

Nodding with an agreeable smile, Heeseung walks over to the wall and kneels beside it, his hands crossed on his knee to create a platform for you to step on. He thanks himself for playing Tomb Raider one too many times, giving him the knowledge to assist you properly without making it awkward.

Offering him a quick thanks, you place your foot on his hands and he lifts you up effortlessly. Your arms shake slightly as you pull yourself onto the platform, but you manage to steady yourself and take in the intricate details of the royal figures.

From your elevated vantage point, you can see the exquisite craftsmanship of the display, each feature carefully carved to bring the king and queen to life. The sight takes your breath away, and you share your amazement with Heeseung, who watches you with a proud smile.

"It's even more incredible up close," you say, your voice filled with awe.

Wanting to get in on the action, Heeseung searches around, looking for something to help him up to the platform that you seem so amazed by. There isn’t much but rubbish and some strewn, soggy leaves. He would ask you for a hand up but he’s scared he’ll drag you right back down again.

Pacing the area, he finally comes across a ladder which has obviously fallen from the wall, with sections of the steps missing, the rust from the metal enough to make his skin crawl as he thinks about all the time he refused to get a tetanus shot at the doctor's; oh, how that would come in handy now.

Heeseung chooses to take the risk, picking it up and placing it against the wall before hastily mounting it, fearful that it will slip and he'll end up with more damage than lockjaw.

Fortunately for him, he gets up relatively easily and can finally join you in the delight. His eyes scan the scene before him, and he realises why you were so determined to make it up here. The slight flush on the queen's cheeks and the king's adoring stare at his wife epitomise love, showcasing their devotion as though they were real people.

Whoever made this park put time and effort into every small detail. It’s a shame entire generations will miss out on it.

Timidly, you walk over to the dolls, a lingering fear that they might come to life still gripping you. The haunted house has left your nerves frayed, making everything seem like a potential threat. However, they sit obediently in place, their eyes unmoving and thankfully unbothered as you begin to move them, eager to sit on the throne they possess.

Gently, you place them on the ground beside one another, ensuring they remain together. You turn to the throne and feel the material, testing its sturdiness to make sure you don’t fall through when you sit.

Heeseung watches you with a mix of amusement and admiration. "I think it's safe," he says, offering a reassuring smile, his hand outstretched to guide you to the seat.

You take a deep breath and carefully lower yourself onto the throne. To your relief, it holds firm, and you find yourself seated in the seat of royalty. The sensation is surreal, almost making you feel powerful, and you realise why the monarchy insists on these comically massive chairs.

“Imagine being the queen,” you muse aloud, rubbing the armrests as you commit every fine detail to memory. The intricate carvings of flowers and vines shine back at you as you unintentionally clean away the buildup of dust.

“I’d vote for you,” Heeseung replies, admiring the sight of you seated on the throne.

You look up at him with confusion. “Heeseung, it’s the Prime Minister we vote for, not the queen,” you say, wondering how on earth he confused the two.

He scratches his arm, a nervous habit of his when he feels even the tiniest bit embarrassed. “Oh, well…I’d still vote for you to rule the world somehow,” he says sheepishly, his eyes falling to the floor. He wishes he could pretend he didn't get them mixed up, but in his mind, they all merge together, perhaps due to years of neglect by both parties.

You giggle and swing your feet, enjoying normalcy for once. It reminds you of the conversations you had with the girls, helping one another to learn even the most obvious things. One of them once asked if Essex was a continent, and you had to gently explain cities and countries.

You took those times for granted.

The music suddenly changes to a softer melody, like one from a jewellery box, pulling you back to the present. The beautiful sound carries an air of love around you, filling the tunnel with a tender, enchanting atmosphere.

Heeseung also notices the change and sees the quiet excitement on your face, the elation evident in your eyes. The corners of your lips turn up in a smile, showing him how much you love the song.

Offering you his hand, he bows slightly. "Would the queen like to dance?" he asks, his embarrassment and nerves dissipating as he watches your reaction.

"The queen would be honoured," you reply with a playful smile, taking his hand and standing up. The two of you move into a waltzing position, or at least as close as two amateurs can manage.

Heeseung's hand rests gently on your waist, and you place yours on his shoulder. Your feet move in tandem with his, following his lead as he sways you softly from side to side. The rhythm is simple, almost instinctual, as you both find a comfortable pace. Heeseung twirls you around, guiding you with a delicate touch. The tunnel fills with laughter as you both realise how terrible you are at dancing, your steps more like a gentle walk back and forth rather than any actual dance move.

The flickering lights cast a warm, romantic glow on your faces, adding to the dreamlike quality of the moment. You can't help but feel a sense of euphoria, the combination of the music, the setting, and Heeseung's presence creates a perfect moment of bliss. Each step, each movement, is filled with unspoken words and shared smiles.

Heeseung's eyes never leave yours, and you feel a profound connection with him, as if the entire world has faded away, leaving just the two of you in this enchanted place. His fingers are warm against your back, his grip secure yet gentle, providing a sense of safety and comfort.

As you continue to sway, you can hear Heeseung's soft breaths, matching the rhythm of the music. You lean in closer, resting your head against his shoulder, feeling the steady beat of his heart.

"You know," you whisper, a hint of teasing in your voice, "your heart doesn't beat as fast as it used to."

Heeseung huffs out a soft chuckle, the sound vibrating through your body. "I guess I'm getting used to having you close," he replies, his voice a soft murmur in your ear. His tone turns slightly more serious as he speaks again, his grip on you tightening slightly. “And I feel safe with you; I think that’s why.”

His confession causes you to look up at him. The sincerity on his face adds weight to his words. The emotion in his eyes is pure, and you know he means it. You've seen him grow comfortable with you over the weeks, but hearing him say it out loud makes your stomach do cartwheels.

Taking his hand, you place it gently over your heart, his palm resting just on top of your left breast. Your actions startle him at first, but he soon relaxes, feeling your heartbeat which matches his own rhythm.

Peering up at him through your lashes, you beam at him. “I guess mine feels safe with you too.”

The moment stretches, the air between you thickening with an electric charge. Heeseung’s eyes darken slightly as they flicker to your lips and back up to your eyes. His hand remains on your chest, the warmth of his palm seeping through your shirt, creating a connection that feels almost tangible.

You can feel his breath on your skin, the soft rise and fall of his chest against yours. Slowly, he leans in, his lips hovering just a centimeter away from yours. The anticipation makes your heart race even faster, and you close the gap, pressing your lips to his in a tender kiss.

The initial contact is soft and tentative, testing the waters. But as soon as your lips meet, an undeniable heat flares between you. Heeseung’s hand moves from your chest to cradle your face, his thumb brushing lightly against your cheek. You respond by wrapping your arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

This isn’t your first kiss with him, yet it feels entirely different to the ones you have shared before, although still as intoxicating, this one also ignites your soul in ways you never thought possible, the feeling as though you are opening yourself up to him completely. It could be the romantic atmosphere, or it could be something more.

The kiss deepens, growing more passionate with each passing second. Heeseung’s other hand settles on your waist, drawing you flush against him. You can feel his heartbeat, strong and steady, against your own, creating a rhythm that syncs perfectly with the dance of your lips.

Heeseung tilts his head slightly, deepening the kiss further. His tongue gently brushes against your lips, seeking entry, and you part them willingly, allowing him to explore. The taste of him is intoxicating, sending a shiver down your spine.

The heat between you intensifies, your bodies pressing closer together as if trying to meld into one. Your hands tangle in his hair, pulling him even nearer. Heeseung responds with a low groan, the sound vibrating through you and igniting a fire in your belly.

His hand slowly begins to massage your tit, causing you to roll your head back and break the kiss, enjoying the feeling of being touched. Moans escape your throat as you relish in his contact. However, as Heeseung makes his way to capture your lips with urgency, you find yourself falling back, losing your footing and stumbling back onto the throne, dragging the man down with you.

Heeseung panics, terrified that his body weight has somehow hurt you upon impact. But as your lips find his again, all worries melt away with each stroke and swirl of your tongue against his. You are so lost in him that you fail to notice how your head hits the backrest of the throne, likely causing you a migraine in the hours to come.

The surroundings seem to fade as your world narrows down to just the two of you. The throne room, once a grand stage, now a silent witness to your burgeoning romance, adds an air of surreal magic to the moment. The tattered curtains sway gently with the breeze, and the faded decorations glint faintly in light, casting a soft glow that bathes you both in a warm, intimate embrace.

Grabbing your hips, Heeseung shifts you to sit more comfortably on the throne. His lips move from yours to your neck, exploring the tender skin there with a mix of reverence and desire. Your natural scent drives him wild, his nose ghosting over your pulse points before licking and sucking them gently.

The action causes you to whimper, legs spreading instinctively as he turns you into a puddle of arousal beneath him. It’s incredible how a man who has never touched a woman is somehow doing more for you than any experienced man ever could. It’s as if he came straight from a dream factory, complete with the sex function already installed, add-ons included. Even the way he holds you, his fingers digging into your hips just right, is enough to have your hips bucking into his.

"Heeseung," you moan, threading your fingers into his hair. With gentle force, you begin to push his head down, guiding him to where you need him most.

Eyes widening, Heeseung retreats slightly. "Y/N, I-"

"Please, Heeseung," you beg, your face a picture of desperation.

Heeseung wants nothing more than to rid you of your clothes and devour you like his life depends on it, but a constant, nagging fear lingers in the back of his mind: what if he does it wrong? This is the first time he'll even see a vagina up close, let alone have the pressure to please the woman he adores.

Of course, he has watched the porn tapes that Jongseong and Jaeyun somehow managed to collect from a shady dealer in Camden Market, and there are the magazines he looks at for some light reading, but never has he seen one in the flesh. His face goes slightly red, and you can see him retreating back to the boy who first stepped into the hotel room, panic and fear springing to life in his eyes as he contemplates the notion of giving you head.

Reaching over, you run your fingers through his hair, scratching his scalp lightly in an attempt to ease his mind. "Hee, just do what feels right. I trust you."

The affirmation in your voice, coupled with the tender touch of your fingers, reassures him. Heeseung takes a deep breath, his eyes meeting yours with newfound resolve. Slowly, he lowers himself between your thighs, his hands sliding up your legs and parting them gently.

With shaky fingers, he unbuttons your jean shorts and pulls them down, taking your panties along with them. His heart skips approximately three beats as he stares at your heat, its slight glisten caught in the faded overhead lights of the platform.

It's even more beautiful than he could ever have imagined, the heat radiating from it as it calls him closer, whispering pleas to be touched that only he can hear.

Gathering his courage, he starts with tentative kisses, his lips brushing against your inner thighs, moving closer and closer to your centre. You can feel his breath, warm and teasing, and it makes your heart race even faster. His hands, steady now, grip your hips firmly, holding you in place as he finally reaches his destination.

Heeseung’s first touch is gentle, a soft press of his lips against your most sensitive spot. The sensation makes you gasp, your back arching off the throne. Encouraged by your response, he grows bolder, his tongue darting out to taste you. The initial hesitancy fades away, replaced by a focused intensity as he explores, learning what makes you squirm and moan with pleasure.

The taste is foreign but far from unpleasant. He can see himself becoming addicted to you with each long stripe of his tongue up your folds. He closes his eyes, harnessing all his senses to taste you and hear your heaven-sent moans filter through his ears.

Your hands find his head, pushing him further in as you urge him to be a little more dominant, his soft licks now teasing you as you crave more. “Heeseung,” you begin, eyes closed while you practically hump his face, using his sharp nose to stimulate your nub. “Focus on my clit, please.” The instruction is so breathy that it doesn’t sound demanding at all but rather pleading.

Hearing your soft cries, Heeseung darts his tongue around clumsily until he comes across your sensitive nub, its swollen state making it easier to find. That was a worry of his after hearing countless conversations in uni from girls about men never finding it, yet, he had nothing to be anxious about because, despite other men’s incompetence, he latches onto it quickly, sucking and swirling his muscle around it.

The sounds of his slurping mixed with your groans of pleasure echo around the tunnel, truly transforming it into its branded name. He’s hitting all the spots, although sometimes lacking direction and ruining the rhythm, yet he always manages to find his way back to the spots you crave him.

Every stroke of his tongue, every gentle suck, drives you higher, the sensations building into an overwhelming crescendo. Your hands grip his hair tightly, your hips moving of their own accord, seeking more of the exquisite pleasure he’s giving you.

“Heeseung,” you moan, the sound of his name a desperate plea on your lips.

He responds with a low hum, the vibration adding another layer to the pleasure that’s consuming you. His tongue moves with increasing confidence, drawing out whimpers and cries from you that bounce straight to his semi-hard cock. The feeling of his mouth on you, his hands holding you steady, is almost too much to bear.

Your thighs clamp around his head, trapping him between your legs and signalling your impending climax. The feeling of suffocating at the hands of your pleasure feels like such a heavenly way to die that Heeseung doesn’t mind it one bit.

The tip of his tongue flicks rapidly over your clit, the ridgedness of him stimulating you over the edge and causing you to come undone around him, your entire upper body removing itself from the backrest and hunching over him, your fingers gripping his hair painfully as the high rushes through your veins.

“Fuck!” you scream out, your cunt riding his face as it spreads your juices over him, marking the man as your own.

Heeseung smiles as he feels you cum over his tongue, a swelling sense of pride enveloping his body as he makes you wriggle in ecstasy. He made a girl cum, him, the virgin who only 10 minutes ago hadn’t even seen a pussy before, and now here you are, losing yourself in euphoria all because of him and his newly experienced tongue.

He will give himself a pat on the back later.

Just as you begin to relax, your muscles unclenching and your heart settling into a steady rhythm, the lights above suddenly go out. The warm white and pink hues that had bathed the tunnel vanish, plunging you both into complete darkness.

For a moment, there is silence. The absence of light seems to amplify the sounds around you—the faint echo of your breathing, the soft rustle of fabric as Heeseung shifts nervously. The air feels heavier now, thick with uncertainty and a touch of apprehension.

“Fuck, the ride must shut off automatically,” you conclude, only grounded in your panic due to the touch from Heeseung.

Heeseung lifts his head from between your legs, sitting on his feet as he looks around for a spec of light. Unlike the haunted house, there are no windows to even offer you a glimpse of light, it is pitch black and suddenly very, very cold.

Feeling around him, Heeseung retrieves your shorts from the ground before manoeuvring around in the darkness to help you put them back on. His heart sinks a little at the sudden interruption because although unconventional and spur of the moment, this could have been his opportunity to lose his v-card, finally ridding him of what he found a burden.

If his cock could talk, it would be sobbing as it gets left in his boxers for one more day. It craves to be inside you but for now, he just needs to focus on both of you getting out of the tunnel safely.

Standing up, Heeseung feels for your hand in the darkness, gently pulling you up from the throne. “Hold onto my hand but let me go first. I’ll get us down,” he says with determination. His face is close to yours, his breath warm on your forehead, your body so near to his that you could almost feel the heat radiating between you.

Interlocking your fingers with his, you feel his confident movements as he tests the ground ahead. He stretches out his foot, tapping lightly to gauge if there’s solid ground beneath him, repeating the process around him. He’s grateful for the random fireman experience he attended in his last year of high school, recalling the lessons on how to navigate in darkness or low-visibility situations.

He repeats the tapping process four times, methodically feeling his way forward until he finally senses the edge of the platform. The drop feels daunting in the darkness, making Heeseung feel the same sense of vulnerability you had felt earlier. Everything seems more intimidating when you’re smaller and engulfed by darkness.

Heeseung’s voice cuts through the darkness, calm yet laced with concern. “I’ve found the edge. I’ll go first and help you down.” His grip on your hand tightens slightly, a reassuring squeeze that conveys both determination and comfort in equal measure.

“Be careful, Heeseung,” you whisper, your voice resonating faintly in the vast, silent tunnel.

Heeseung guides you to sit on the edge, his movements deliberate and careful. He positions himself next to you, his posture steady as he prepares to descend. “Wait there,” he instructs softly, before shifting his weight and gingerly sliding down the rough surface of the wall.

Each movement is cautious and deliberate. Heeseung avoids taking any unnecessary risks, mindful of the darkness that blankets you both. His hands grip the uneven edges of the wall, his feet finding purchase on the slight protrusions of the structure. He gently eases down until he finally finds stability on the ground.

Heeseung's mind races with unwelcome images of scurrying rats, the darkness amplifying his unease. His skin prickles with imagined sensations, the urge to escape the enclosed space growing stronger with each passing moment. He shakes off the disturbing thoughts, reminding himself firmly that he is in Scotland, far from the bustling streets of downtown New York.

Reaching out in the darkness, Heeseung’s hand finds your legs, and he squeezes them reassuringly, a silent gesture to remind you that he is there, a steady presence amidst the unsettling environment. "Okay, Y/N," he calls out, his voice a mix of relief and encouragement, "you can come down now."

You nod, though he cannot see it, your trembling arms inching closer to the edge. Your heart pounds in your chest, the platform feeling less secure than ever before. "Please catch me," you plead, your voice shaky with fear, hesitant to move until you hear his reassuring words.

"Always, Y/N. I’m right here," Heeseung murmurs, his lips pressing a kiss to your leg in a tender gesture of reassurance, letting his protective instincts guide him through the darkness, pushing aside his usual nervous demeanour.

Taking a shaky breath, you curse Heeseung inwardly for rendering your body weak with his earlier ministrations, his tongue that you were blessing now cursed in your mind. Your legs feel like jelly as you begin your descent, every movement wary. The darkness seems to press in around you, adding to your unease.

Heeseung’s hands are steady and sure as he guides you down, his touch gentle yet firm. You feel his support anchoring you, easing your fall despite the lingering fear. His presence beside you is a constant source of reassurance, his voice offering encouragement whenever doubt creeps in. “I got you, Y/N.”

Finally, your feet touch solid ground, the relief palpable as you stand in the blackout. Your hands find Heeseung’s waist, gratitude flooding your heart for his unwavering support through the ordeal as you stand there embracing one another.

"Thank you," you breathe, your voice a whisper of genuine appreciation as you lean into his reassuring touch. His thumbs graze your waist as he nods, “Like I said, always.”

With your hand securely in his, he moves meticulously and slowly through the maze of darkness and debris. You trust him completely and follow his path to safety. The tunnel echoes with the sound of your footsteps, the only audible reassurance in the otherwise eerie silence. Heeseung's grasp tightens encouragingly anytime you come across an invisible obstacle, his presence serving as a continuous anchor in the unnerving gloom.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity in the blackened tunnel, you emerge into the brightness of daytime at the end. The relief washes over you like a wave, the outside world a welcome contrast to the claustrophobic darkness you just escaped. Heeseung turns to you, his expression softened with relief and pride.

"We made it," he says softly, his voice carrying a mix of exhaustion and triumph. His hand squeezes yours gently. Nodding in agreement, you offer him a small smile back, just relieved to see his face once again.

There, at the edge of the moat, a ladder beckons you both to climb. Its rungs, weathered and rusted, speak of years spent in neglect. Despite its worn appearance, it stands as a symbol of escape and freedom from the underground labyrinth you ventured through.

Heeseung is just glad he doesn’t need to find another rusted tool to help him up this time. With a determined stride, he begins to ascend the ladder, each step bringing him closer to the surface and away from the shadows that had engulfed you moments before. The ladder creaks under his weight, but it holds steady, a testament to its enduring strength despite its aged appearance.

You follow closely behind, feeling the warm sunlight kiss your skin as you emerge from the depths. With each rung you climb, the darkness recedes further into memory, replaced by the promise of open skies and fresh air.

As you reach the top, Heeseung extends a hand to help you over the edge. Together, you stand on solid ground once more, the moat and tunnel behind you now a part of your shared adventure. The world around you seems brighter, more vivid, as if the ordeal has heightened your senses to appreciate the simplest joys of daylight and freedom.

Well, as much freedom as you have considering there is a whole national police force after you.

Looking at your saviour once more, you see your juices still drenched over his face and it elicits a small giggle from you. The sound causes Heeseung’s brows to quirk, questioning your sudden change in mood.

“You have a little something on your face,” you answer his silent question, reaching up to wipe him clean, your thumb brushes over his chin and cheeks, feeling the faint hint of stubble under your thumbprint.

The moment is so tender despite the lewd action that resulted in this. His eyes fall shut as you continue to clean him, never missing a drop, leaving his mouth last. You lean up and kiss him ever so gently, his lips that are swollen from their labour meld with yours so beautifully, like they are made for you and only you.

As you kiss him, the tension of the moment begins to dissolve, replaced by a sense of intimacy and connection. His hands find their way to your waist, pulling you closer as if to ensure you won't slip away. The stubble on his face grazes your skin gently, a contrast to the softness of his lips as they move against yours.

There's a lingering taste, a mix of sweetness and saltiness, that stays on his lips from moments before. It's a reminder of the passion shared, now tempered by this gentle act of cleaning up.

When you finally break the kiss, your eyes meet his, and there's an unspoken understanding passing between you. It's not just about what happened, but about this moment of tenderness and care that followed.

His fingers trace a delicate line from your waist to your jaw, his touch light yet firm, something u spoken lingering in the air. You lean into his touch, a small smile curving your lips, feeling the warmth of his hand as it cradles your face. The world around you seems to blur and fade, leaving only the two of you suspended in this moment of fragile yet profound intimacy.

Heeseung's heart pounds fiercely in his chest, each beat a testament to the whirlwind of emotions surging through him. Affection and reverence blend together, overwhelming his mind and filling him with a dizzying sense of attachment. Every fibre of his being is drawn to you, the intensity of his feelings almost nauseating in its potency.

He exhales slowly, his breath trembling as he gazes deeply into your eyes. His thumb strokes the apples of your cheeks, his touch gentle. He wants to tell you everything, to lay bare the depth of his emotions he feels for you.

"Y/N," he begins, his voice thick with emotion. "I think I-"

His words are abruptly cut off, his body tensing as he feels the cold, unforgiving pressure of a metallic object against the back of his head. The sudden intrusion of another presence is palpable, the heat radiating from the person standing dangerously close behind him.

"Don't fucking move."

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#enhypen smut #enha smut #enhypen x reader #heeseung smut #heeseung x reader #aj writes #lee heeseung smut

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dee-writes-smut · 3 months

Text

CLEMATISES (Chapter Seven)

FEATURING Eris Vanserra x pregnant!reader

SUMMARY Eris processes new revelations while in a secluded cabin, when he finally makes his choice he ends up running into his father and learning the truth about what happened after he left.

CONTENT WARNINGS murder, death, angst, betrayal, Beron being a douche as per usual, Lucien being fucking oblivious, sad Eris, mentions of labor, just some more depressing shit as always.

AUTHORS NOTE sorry for the shorter chapter, this is just bringing everything together and setting up for the main event! That's right, I'm making you wait to know if they're going to be okay, sue me. :)

SERIES MASTERLIST

The cold wind of the Autumn Court’s forests bit at Eris’s skin, his cloak barely providing warmth against the relentless chill. He had left the palace in a whirlwind of anger and hurt, unable to face the reality of your betrayal. Each step he took away from the life he had begun to build with you was like a knife twisting deeper into his heart.

He found refuge in a secluded cabin, a place he had discovered years ago during one of his countless escapes from his father's tyranny. The cabin was nestled deep within the forest, surrounded by ancient trees whose branches intertwined above, creating a canopy that seemed to shield him from the rest of the world. It was here that he sought solace, attempting to mend the fractures in his heart.

Eris spent his days hunting and foraging, his skills as a warrior and a survivor keeping him alive. The physical exertion was a welcome distraction, a way to channel his rage and despair into something tangible. Yet, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t escape the memories of you. The way your eyes sparkled with life, the warmth of your touch, the sound of your laughter—it all haunted him relentlessly.

Nights were the worst. In the stillness, his mind would wander back to the moments you had shared. He remembered the first time you had laughed at one of his jokes, the soft sound of your breathing as you slept beside him, the way you looked at him with such trust and affection. Those memories were a torment, a reminder of what he had lost and the betrayal that had shattered his heart.

One night, as he sat by the fire, the flames casting flickering shadows on the wooden walls, Eris allowed himself to think about his father. The slap, the humiliation in front of the council—it was all too familiar. His father had always known how to break him, to strip him of his dignity and humanity. It was a cruelty Eris had endured for years, but it had never hurt as much as the pain you had caused.

The revelation that Lucien was the father of your child had hit him harder than any blow his father had ever dealt. Eris tried to process it, his mind a whirlwind of emotions. He had always been closest to Lucien, had raised him and protected him as best he could. The memory of being forced to hold Lucien down while their father slaughtered Jesminda still haunted him. It was a betrayal that had cut deep, one that Eris had never forgiven himself for.

Now, to learn that Lucien was the father of your child—it was almost too much to bear. Eris felt a bitter, acrid taste in his mouth every time he thought of it. How could you not have told him? The betrayal was a poison, seeping into his veins and clouding his thoughts.

Yet, in his isolation, Eris began to see things differently. He started to realize that pushing you away had been a mistake. You had been his refuge, his hope for a better future, and he had let his pride and fear drive him away from you. The thought of you struggling alone, possibly in danger, gnawed at him day and night.

The image of Lucien, his brother, raising his child was a painful one. But Eris knew that Lucien would never intentionally hurt him. Their bond, though strained, was still one of family. And you—he had seen the way you looked at him, the way you cared for him. The love he felt for you was too powerful to deny, too vital to ignore.

On the twelfth night of his solitude, as he stared into the fire, something shifted within him. The anger and betrayal that had consumed him began to wane, replaced by a deep, aching regret. He knew he had to find you, to apologize and make things right. The realization hit him like a tidal wave—he couldn’t live without you. The love he felt for you and your child was too strong to let go.

With newfound determination, Eris packed his belongings and set out from the cabin. The journey back to the palace was arduous, the terrain unforgiving, but he pressed on with relentless resolve. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong, that you needed him now more than ever.

As he approached the outskirts of the palace grounds, the familiar sense of dread crept over him. He had no idea what he would find, or if you would even take him back. But he knew he had to try. For you, for your child, and for the future he desperately wanted to build with you.

His heart pounded with a mixture of fear and hope as he crossed the threshold of the palace, his mind racing with possibilities. He would find you, he would make amends, and he would fight for the life he wanted with you, no matter the cost.

Eris's steps echoed through the halls of the palace, the familiar corridors now seeming alien and hostile. His heart pounded with each stride, a mix of fear and determination driving him forward. He had to find you, to make things right.

As he turned a corner, he found himself face-to-face with Beron. The High Lord of the Autumn Court stood there, his eyes cold and calculating, a sneer curling his lips. The sight of his father, the man who had inflicted so much pain and suffering upon him, only fueled the fire of Eris's anger and urgency.

"Well, well, well," Beron drawled, his voice dripping with disdain. "Look who decided to return. The prodigal son. Have you come back to grovel, Eris?"

Eris clenched his fists, forcing himself to remain calm. "I'm not here for you, Father. I'm here for her."

Beron's eyes narrowed. "Her? Ah, you mean the pregnant woman Lucien tried to hide away in the palace. Pathetic, really. He always was soft-hearted, trying to protect those who don't deserve it."

Eris felt a chill run down his spine. "What do you mean, hide away?"

Beron chuckled, a dark, menacing sound. "Didn't Lucien tell you? He brought some woman here, claiming she needed protection. A waste of our resources, if you ask me. So, I threw her out. We don't need any more useless mouths to feed."

Rage boiled within Eris. "You did what?" he hissed, stepping closer to his father.

"I threw her out," Beron repeated, his tone mocking. "If she's foolish enough to get herself in trouble, she doesn't deserve our help. And as for you, meddling in affairs that don't concern you, it's high time you learned your place."

Eris's vision blurred with fury. The thought of you, vulnerable and in need, being cast out into the streets because of his father's cruelty was too much to bear. He felt a surge of power, raw and untamed, rise within him.

"You've gone too far, Father," Eris growled, his voice trembling with anger. "This ends now."

Beron laughed, a harsh, grating sound. "And what do you plan to do about it, boy? You think you can challenge me? You are nothing but a disappointment."

Years of abuse, torment, and humiliation flashed before Eris's eyes. The countless times he had been belittled, the pain inflicted upon him and his brothers, the loss of Jesminda, and now the suffering you had endured—all because of this man.

Eris's anger reached its breaking point. With a roar of fury, he summoned his fire, the flames dancing around his hands. Beron's eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly masked it with a sneer.

"You think your fire can harm me?" Beron taunted. "You're weak, Eris. Always have been."

Eris lunged at his father, his flames blazing with an intensity he had never felt before. Beron tried to counter with his own power, but Eris was driven by a force beyond mere magic—a deep, primal need to protect, to avenge, to end the cycle of cruelty once and for all.

The fight was brutal, a clash of wills and powers that shook the very foundations of the palace. Beron fought back fiercely, but Eris was relentless, his determination unyielding. For every blow Beron landed, Eris struck back harder, his flames scorching through his father's defenses.

In the end, it was not just Eris's power that won the battle, but his resolve. With a final, devastating blast of fire, Eris overwhelmed Beron, the flames consuming him completely. Beron's screams echoed through the halls, but Eris did not relent until his father was nothing but ashes.

Breathing heavily, Eris stood over the remnants of his father, the reality of what he had done sinking in. He had killed Beron, ended the reign of terror that had plagued his family for so long. But there was no time to dwell on it. He had to find you.

Ignoring the stares of the palace staff and the whispers that followed him, Eris continued his search, his heart heavy with the weight of his actions. He had to find you, to make sure you were safe. Nothing else mattered.

As he raced through the palace, his mind was filled with thoughts of you—your smile, your touch, the love he had realized too late. He prayed he wasn't too late to make things right, to save you and your child from the fate his father had so callously decreed.

And then, as he turned a corner, he saw a familiar figure running towards him. Lucien, his face pale with worry, his eyes wide with fear. Eris's heart clenched at the sight of his brother, but there was no time for reconciliation now.

"Eris!" Lucien shouted, skidding to a halt in front of him. "You have to come quickly! She's in danger!"

Eris's blood ran cold. "Where is she?" he demanded, his voice hoarse with urgency.

"She's in the alley, near the east gate," Lucien panted. "She needs help, Eris. She needs you."

Without another word, Eris took off, his heart pounding with fear and determination. He would find you. He would save you. And nothing, not even the memory of his father's cruelty, would stand in his way.

Eris and Lucien raced through the palace halls, their footsteps echoing off the stone walls. The urgency in Lucien's voice had ignited a fire within Eris, and his only thought was to reach you as quickly as possible.

As they sprinted, Lucien glanced sideways at Eris, his brow furrowed with confusion and worry. "Eris, why didn’t you respond when I called out to you earlier? I saw you in the streets, but you just kept walking. I thought something was wrong."

Eris's mind raced, trying to recall the moment Lucien was referring to, but it was a blur. The past weeks had been a haze of anger, regret, and self-imposed isolation. "I didn’t hear you, Lucien," he said, breathless, his tone tinged with frustration. "I’ve been… dealing with things."

Lucien's eyes flashed with a mix of concern and exasperation. "You didn’t hear me? Eris, I shouted your name. You looked right at me, and then just walked away."

Eris shook his head, the weight of the situation pressing down on him. "I was lost in my thoughts. I had to get away, to think. Everything with her, with you… it was too much."

Lucien’s expression softened slightly, but the urgency in his voice remained. "I understand, brother, but right now she needs us. She’s in labor, Eris, and we need to get to her before it’s too late."

The words hit Eris like a physical blow. Labor. The baby was coming, and he wasn’t there for you. His heart pounded harder, and his pace quickened. "I won't let her down," he vowed, more to himself than to Lucien.

TAGLIST

@purple-writer8 @defnotlucienvanserra @cherry-cin @julesofvolterra @mirandasidefics @mandziaaa @lilah-asteria @littlestw01f @skylarkalchemist @babypeapoddd @daardyrnitta @talesofadragon @thecraziestcrayon @asaucecoveredsomething @starryhiraeth @darling006 @rosewood-cafe @saltedcoffeescotch @dumblani @paleidiot @rcarbo1 @yourmomsushi

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beannary · 1 year

Text

OK so I dont really like this but this 2012 tmnt mermaid au has been driving me INSANE so here are some mermaid designs for the boys (which I might change if I draw more stuff for this au) and some lore for the au under the cut!

also Donnie is ftm and Leo is mtf and those are the facts! (Donnie did do top surgery on himself, do NOT ask me how he did that underwater safely)

(just a quick note: I am using some japanese mythos for the mermaid part but I'm also being loosey goosey with it alskjdfh)

ALSO slight tw for cannibalism? or like cannibalism adjacent behavior

There is a yokai described in Japanese literature called the ningyo, a creature that is half human and half fish. Legend says that if you capture a ningyo and eat its flesh, that you will be granted eternal life. Hamato Yoshi and Oroku Saki were familiar with these legends, though Saki always believed in them more than Yoshi. Saki believed in the legends so much that he became obsessed with finding the legendary ningyo and becoming immortal after consuming its flesh. Yoshi accompanied his brother on these ventures, more out of a sense of familiar duty and a need to watch out for his younger brother than an actual belief in the ningyo.

And of course, it just so happens that the brother who does not at all believe in the existence of yokai would be the one to find one. Yoshi encounters Tang Shen, a ningyo who has been living throughout the local freshwater river system. And suddenly Yoshi realizes that Saki's quest for murder might actually come true since apparently these ningyo are very much real. So now whenever he accompanies Saki on his hunting quests, he does everything in his ability to try to dissuade Saki from his plan, and when he realizes that isn't going to work, he starts to sabotage Saki's efforts. And Yoshi does this because well he kept in contact with Tang Shen, and the two became close friends, and son fell in love, bridging the gap between yokai and human.

They can't get married, obviously, Tang Shen is fully a yokai, but they build their lives together and eventually Tang Shen falls pregnant with their daughter Miwa. The two weren't entirely sure what to expect of their child, but Miwa turns out to be a completely normal human child.

Over the years as Yoshi and Tang Shen's love and family grew, Yoshi started pulling away from his birth family, and more noticeably, from Saki, who was you know pretty angry with Yoshi who seemingly disappeared on him with no explanation. Saki channels his anger into his search for the ningyo, and it takes three years but eventually he does finally find one.

Around three years after Miwa was born, Tang Shen and Yoshi welcome in four new kids! Quadruplets! Three boys and a girl. And these four, unlike Miwa, seem to all be fully ningyo, which very much surprised Yoshi and Tang Shen (both the fact that there were four kids and those four kids are all mermaids) but hey, they knew their genetic situation would be weird and they were fully ready to hop into raising these four.

It's only a few days after the birth of their quadruplets, so soon after that they haven't even given them names, that Saki stumbles upon the home of Yoshi and Tang Shen. And He Is Pissed. Not only did his BROTHER ABANDON him but he abandon him to start a family with this yokai? The yokai that he's been hunting all this time? And Saki, like in canon, kills Tang Shen and Miwa. (Or well you know, he kidnaps Miwa and renames her Karai but Yoshi thinks Miwa is dead)

Yoshi manages to get away with the quadruplets in the chaos, and he tries so hard to establish a new life for himself in Japan, but no matter where he goes, Saki manages to find him. Eventually Yoshi gets desperate enough to flee the country, and he finds himself in New York City!

But meanwhile back in Japan, Saki did in fact end up eating Tang Shen but idk how he realizes it but he figures out that he didnt get immortality, and so he concludes that oh, Tang Shen must have been tainted somehow by her relationship with Yoshi, which sucks because now he has to find a whole other ningyo to get immortality. Luckily he happens to know of four ningyo that he would be more than happy to kill, which is basically Saki's drive to finding and killing the Hamatos.

Anyways that's all I have so far!!!! I'm trying to think about how they would live in NYC, if they can somehow become human (in maybe like an H2O just add water situation) or if they are stuck in the water all the time.

I'm leaning towards them being able to shed their fish tails if even only for a small amount of time, just so they can still be ninjas and train on land, since I think Yoshi would still want to train them to defend themselves. I think that if they can be human for a bit, they still get dried out really easily so they can't stay out of the water for very long, probably not long enough for them to go to school full time, so they still live super isolated lives. Or maybe Yoshi figures out a way to train them to fight in the water? Idk suggestions are appreciated!

They do eventually meet April and Casey, I think April is gonna be on the swim team and so she's a fairly strong swimmer (for a human) and so she spends a lot of time in the water with the hamatos which they appreciate a lot! I think maybe Yoshi isn't a super strong swimmer so as much as he tries to spend time with his kids he can't really.

Casey is still on the hockey team and he can't swim, the hamatos try to teach him but they fully dont know how to swim with legs and so they are Bad tm swimming teachers salkdjfh.

#my art #tmnt #tmnt 2012 #2012 tmnt #tmnt 2k12 #2k12 tmnt #tmnt leo #tmnt leonardo #tmnt raph #tmnt raphael #tmnt donnie #tmnt donatello #tmnt mikey #tmnt michelangelo

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thealtoduck · 11 months

Text

Alive

Peter Parker x Male Reader

Warnings: Mentions of murder, kidnapping, brainwashing, child abuse. General violence, gun use, reader is a assassin, people get hurt…

Y/c/e = Your color eyes

Summary: Peter has to save Tony from a cold blooded assassin… + backstory stuff in the end…

(A/n: Reader is based on the character Widowmaker from Overwatch and the story is based on the Overwatch short ”Alive”.)

(A/n: Btw, Hi, It’s been a while)

——

Peter’s pov…

Peter entered the large convention center, it was filled with banners saying ”STARK” as well as new inventions on display. It still felt unreal that Tony Stark himself had personally invited him to such an event.

Lots of business and investors were in attendence to see what new tech ”Stark Industries” were bringing to the table, making Peter feel slightly out of place among them. He looked towards the big stage, where Tony and Pepper would soon be holding a speech regarding their future plans for Stark industries.

Peter looked around, the security seemed extra tight, which was understandable considering the combined net-worth of the people in the room could probably buy a planet.

Peter went along with the crowd gathered around the stage waiting for Tony Stark and Pepper Potts to come out. As soon as they did applause thundered through out the convention area.

Tony and Pepper stepped up to the podium and Tony Stark spoke up in the mic saying ”Welcome everyone…”

Your pov…

From the building across you looked down on the convention center with an icy glare. Then you jumped and fired your grappling hook and swung to the top of the convention center.

You snuck carefully in to the building and using your recon visor allowing you to locate the guards. You silently knocked out the guards on the top floor one by one. Then you found the perfect angle to set up and you brought out your rifle looking into the scope and searched for your target…

And then your crosshair landed on him, Tony Stark…

Peter’s pov…

As he watched Mr Stark speak Peter felt something, his spider senses told him that something was wrong. He looked around quickly but everything seemed fine. But his spider senses didn’t let up, Peter moved through the crowd towards the bathroom and sprinted inside.

He stripped out of his suit, revealing his Spider-suit underneath, he thought best to wear it since trouble is known to follow Tony Stark. He hid his clothes and started patrolling around. Then he saw it, on the top floor a sniper was aiming straight for Tony and was about to pull the trigger.

Peter quickly reacted swinging himself up to the sniper and he knocked the assassin to the side just as he pulled the trigger making the blast of the gunshot cut through the air. The gunshot had missed his target but alarmed Tony and the crowd. Peter looked as the sniper stood up and looked at him.

His visor had seven glowing red eyes and the visor shifted revealing your intense cold y/c/eyed stare. Peter said playfully ”Trying to crash the party” thinking he’d make easy work of the sniper. The sniper stood up as his rifle shifted. Peter’s spider sense suddenly flared up again and he dodged to the side as the assassin fired his rifle which had shifted from a sniper to an automatic rifle, firing quick shots his way.

Peter found cover and quickly had Karen cut in to the security guards communication channel. ”Mr Stark is in danger, shooter on the top floor, I repeat shooter on the top floor!”. A stern voice shouted back ”This is a secure channel, no one's a-”. Peter cut him off saying ”Tony Stark's in danger, get him out of here!” Peter commanded.

Peter then noticed the rifle shots had stopped he carefully peaked out and noticed that the assassin was nowhere to be seen, he carefully snuck out hiding towards the edge of the balcony floor to see that they were evacuating Mr Stark towards the exit.

Peter then caught a glimpse of something or rather someone outside on the roof top across from the convention center. Peter knew there was little time to he took a running start and rammed himself through one of the windows and swing to the other side of the street.

He landed a bit away from the shooter and as he ran closer to him, his spider-senses tingled once more but before he had time to dodge a hidden mine exploded setting free a gas that caused Peter to start coughing, he stumbled and fell and landed right before the assassin’s feet.

The attacker pressed Peter to the ground with his foot and aimed the sniper rifle right in his face, saying in a mocking tone ”Such a sweet foolish boy”. Peter stopped coughing as he heard him cocking the rifle. Without much time or thought Peter fired a web at the assasins face making him stumble back.

Peter stood back up as the assassin ripped the webbing of his face and then the two were at a standstill, simply staring hatefully in each other’s eyes. On the street below them Mr Stark had successfully been escorted in to his car that was now starting to drive away.

The assassin gave Peter one quick evil smirk and started sprinting over the rooftop set on following the car, Peter quickly gave chase behind him. The assassin dropped more venom mines but Peter quickly learned to dodge them.

The sniper was fast and agile as he had managed to get a decent distance between Peter and himself. He saw him stop dead in his tracks and take aim on the speeding car below. ”No!” Peter shouted loudly but the sniper took the shoot.

Peter watched in horror as one of the car’s front tyres was shot out causing the car to make a drastic turn and crash in to the side of a building. ”Oh no, nonono” he said to himself, praying that Mr Stark, Pepper and Happy were okay.

The assassin looked at Peter with a smirk and said coldly ”Looks like the party is over”. Peter felt rage quickly build up inside him and he tackled the assassin to the ground, holding him down. ”Why?! Why would you do this?” Peter demanded feeling tears stinging in his eyes below the mask.

The assassin didn’t even flinch at his words and simply started laughing. Then Peter felt a strong wind building up behind him and heard the spinning blades of a helicopter. He looked up seeing a helicopter hovering above the two.

The sniper had used Peter’s distraction to attach his grappling hook to a nearby water tower. He then grabbed Peter by the waist and looked in to his eyes saying ”Adieu, chéri” tumbled backwards making the two of them fall off the building and in to the alley bellow. The assassin quickly let go off Peter and activated his grappling hook, pulling himself up to the roof top once again.

Meanwhile Peter landed flat on his back on the ground as pain spread all over his his body. Luckily for him, thanks to hightened durability he seemed to not have broken anything. He quickly tried to stand up but stumbled and immediately fell again.

He watched as the helicopter swiftly flew away from the scene, taking the assassin with it…

Two days later…

Luckily no one died, Mr Stark, Pepper and Happy managed to get away with only a couple of bruises and one or two broken bones. Peter himself was mostly just covered in bruises on his back from the fall.

He went to visit Tony who was in bed rest at the Avengers compound, he brought a stuffed bear and a ballon that said ”Get well soon”. When he found him Tony had a couple of hologram screens open in front of him. He noted Peter’s presence and said ”Come inside, kid”.

Peter quickly found himself apologising ”I’m so sorry, Mr Stark, because of me you ended up like this”. Mr Stark looked at the brown haired boy in disbeleif, ”Peter, if weren’t for you i’d be dead, i should be thanking you” Tony told him and said ”Thank you for saving me, Parker”.

Peter put down the stuffed bear and ballon by Mr Stark’s bed and found himself asking ”Mr Stark, who was that?”. Tony then enlarged the hologram screen showing it to Peter. ”I had to go through some of Nat’s folders to find out” Tony explained as Peter looked at several notes and pictures of the asssassin.

”His name is Y/n L/n” Tony said. ”About twelve years ago several Shield opperatives and agents grew disillusioned with the organisation and turned their back on it and started Talon, a new organisation who’s methods were rather extreme” Tony explained.

”Shield and Talon fought one another on several occasions but one Sheild agent remained a thorn in Talon’s side, Gérard L/n, Talon wanted him dead but he always managed to get away. So they set their sights on his family. In the dead of night when Gérard was away and his wife was sleeping, they kidnapped his 12 year old son” Tony continued.

”They submitted him to intense brainwashing program, neural reconditioning and torture. They broke his will and supressed his personality, they reprogramed him into a sleeper agent. Gerard devoted Shield's every resource to recovering his son, and it wasn't long before the operation produced results”.

”Shield later sent several agents on a rescue mission where they found him unharmed. His agents saved Y/n, and a medical and psychological evaluation after the kidnapping found him to be apparently no worse for wear and he returned to life with his mother and father. But two weeks later his Talon programming was activated and he killed his father in his sleep” Tony said coldy.

”He then returned to Talon. At his behest, Talon completed the process of turning him into a living weapon. He was given extensive training in covert arts, and agreed to participate in an experimental marksman program, where he was trained by the best in the use of a sniper rifle”.

”Talon’s geneticist, altered Y/n’s physiology to improve his aim, drastically slowing his heart, which numbed his ability to experience human emotion. It dulled the pain of what he’d done, while heightening the charge he felt on the hunt. The slowing of his heart rate allowed him to become an exceptional sniper” Tony finished.

Peter then read Y/n’s field name out loud ”Widowmaker”. ”He widowed his own mom” Tony explained. Peter just stood there in silence after all he learned about the assassin, the only words he could find were…

”Holy shit”.

#peter parker x male reader #peter parker x male!reader #x male reader #male reader #x male!reader #marvel x male reader #avengers x male reader #avengers x male!reader #spiderman x male reader #spider man x male reader

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wudlund · 1 year

Text

GROWING UP LEGACY CHALLENGE

* ˚ ✦

| by wudlund

i wanted to create a legacy challenge that focusses on the parent-child relationship and how that impacts their adult life. (i know growing together would be the perfect pack for this challenge, but i can't afford it rip)

-> this has not been playtested so pls let me know if anything is too difficult or doesn't work :)

-> included packs: get to work, outdoor retreat/jungle adventure, city living, get together, seasons, cats & dogs, discover university, high school years, parenthood, strangerville, island living, paranormal stuff, snowy escape, cottage living, nifty knitting, eco lifestyle (if you don't have a pack, just exclude that part of the challenge)

-> for each generation, they should complete their aspiration, master any skill(s) i've outlined, complete a collection and master their career (if relevant) the recommended world is only my opinion, you do not have to live there :)

-> whenever 'parent' is mentioned, i mean the founder/heir before as some generations do not specify a spouse (they are secondary characters here, babes)

GEN 1: The Parental Scriptures

You grew up hopping between various foster parents and children’s homes. You vowed to adopt as many children as you could handle as an adult and make them feel as loved and welcome as possible. Incorporating your passion for writing, you write novels about each of them throughout their lives.

Traits; Family Oriented, Childish & Good

Aspiration; Big Happy Family

Career; Writer

Collection; Postcards (recieved from grown up children living in different locations/worlds)

Max Skills: Parenting & Writing

Recommended World; Henford-on-Bagley

Start as a Young Adult

Have an 8 sim household (can be a single parent for ‘hard mode’ or married), adopting 6/7 children

Write 6/7 books (corresponding with however many children you have)

Name each book after the child that it's about

Hire a nanny to help with the children

Celebrate every holiday fully (e.g. decorate to the max)

Help children with homework and interact with them as much as possible

Take lots of pictures of each child at each life stage (e.g. toddler, child) and decorate your house with them

Go on holiday to a vacation world every summer with all your children

Buy all grandchildren a toy for their first birthday (aging up into an infant)

Don’t die before becoming an elder (this will be important later !)

GEN 2: The Malevolent Amalgam

Growing up, you despised your parent. They were so overbearing and involved in your life, something burned inside you. You channelled your rage into criminal activity and found a love for experimental dishes. You hatched a nefarious plan to get revenge on the parent that you hated so much.

Traits; Evil, Mean, Hates Children

Aspiration; Public Enemy

Career; Criminal

Max Skill; Mischief

Collection; Experimental Food Photos (inspiration for murderous plan)

Recommended World; San Myshuno

Have 2 best friends in childhood who you pull pranks with

Skip school/play hooky regularly

Have a child by accident with someone who is similar to your parent (at least 2 of the same traits)

Have one child who you are very distant from

Have other parent of child die by cowplant or denizens pond ("accidental")

Never celebrate holidays (cancel them when they start or remove from the calendar -> however you may want to keep them for future generations)

Instead, go on vacation to any vacation lot without your child or partner

Learn Pufferfish Nigiri

Kill parent with dish

When your child moves out, give them 1200 simoleons

GEN 3: The Questioned Innocence

Throughout your childhood, you were very close to your grandparent, who died under very mysterious circumstances. Once you were old enough, you dedicated your life to investigating the death of your grandparent, finally finding out the truth. You begin to wish you’d never started investigating.

Traits; Genius, Loyal, Paranoid

Aspiration; Strangerville Mystery

Career; Detective

Collection; Fossils (clues about grandparent's death)

Max Skill ; Logic & Medium

Recommended World; Strangerville

Start with 1200 simoleons (after purchasing lot)

Keep the toy/soft toy from your grandparent for the rest of your life

Have 3 children

Buy them all a newer version of your favourite toy (different swatch)

Live on a remote lot (to avoiding your investigation being detected)

Complete the Strangerville Mystery

Confront and fight your parent in adulthood and have max negative relationship when they die

Contact your grandparent from beyond the grave and have them move into the household as a ghost

GEN 4: The Sidelined Affinity

Your parent loved you but never had much time for you, being so absorbed by their work. You maintained a positive relationship with them, but decided to take your life in a different direction. Beginning freelance work at the start of your adult life, you quickly realised animals had your heart.

Traits; Cat Lover, Dog Lover, Clumsy

Aspiration; Friend of the Animals

Max Skills; Veterinarian & Dog Training

Collection; Feathers (mementos of your pets)

Recommended World; Brindleton Bay

Meet someone as a child and date through your teen years until the start of young adulthood

Regularly get boba tea with your pets

Always have one cat and one dog in the household

Work in any freelance branch you choose through young adulthood

Have one child by accident in young adulthood

Buy a vet clinic on your birthday into adulthood (cheat for money - it's a gift from your parent)

Adopt another child later

Marry a spellcaster as an elder and become a spellcaster yourself

Take in your grandchildren after their parent dies

GEN 5: The Regimented Defense

You grew up seeing how unattached and careless your parent was. You hated it. Life is meant to be structured. There are rules. You always knew you were destined for bigger, better and more organised things.

Traits; Hot-Headed, Perfectionist and Proper

Aspiration; Bodybuilder

Max Skills; Fishing (only peaceful time in your life)

Career; Military

Collection; Fish

Recommended World; Oasis Springs

Join the Scouts as a child and get all trophies

Marry childhood sweetheart in early young adulthood

Have 2 children, use strict parenting methods

Sign both children up for after-school clubs

Both children must earn Good Manners trait from childhood

Set an early curfew for both children

Mount one of each fish you catch

Your spouse has an affair in adulthood and elopes with their partner

Have the workaholic lifestyle

Die in adulthood (you can cheat this to be any death - like dying on duty)

GEN 6: The Detached Secrecy

You learned early in life how unpredictable and fleeting life is and how futile attachments are. You decided to never allow yourself to get tied down and live life as meaningfully and freely as possible. Any commitment scared you, leading to you exploring all corners of life and finding out what it truly means to live.

Traits; Adventurous, Noncommittal, Loves Outdoors

Aspiration; Serial Romantic /Live Fast

Collection; Frogs (exception to the rule of 'no attachments')

Career; Secret Agent

Max Skill; Rock Climbing

Recommended World; Mt. Komorebi

Do not complete your aspiration as a child (can be any aspiration)

Complete the Live Fast aspiration as a teen

Drop out of High School early and move out of your grandparent's house

Never marry, date different people sporadically (never for longer than a week)

Have triplets - you will probably have to cheat this :)

Give them names beginning with the same letter or names that are very similar

When one child demonstrates an interest in fame, actively discourage them

Have a frog that you are a little bit too attached to

Retire and move worlds (must be a different climate to one you were living in - e.g. mt. komorebi to sulani)

GEN 7: The Unsatisfied Luxury

You actually might have had the most average, normal childhood ever. One of three children, you didn't even have individuality to your name. Nothing spectacularly out of the ordinary. Although, you never did find out what your parent’s career was… probably something normal, right? You set your sights on something a little less ordinary. You wanted to be rich.

Traits; Materialistic, Self-Absorbed, Ambitious

Aspiration; Fabulously Wealthy/Admired Icon

Max Skills; Charisma & Dancing

Career; Retail Store Owner

Collection; Crystals (imagine they are rare jewels etc.)

Recommended World; Del Sol Valley

Have lots of friends as a child/teen

Be Prom Queen

Work on the Admired Icon aspiration as a teen

Own a retail store, selling very expensive items

Become famous (at least Rank 4)

Have 4 children with a big celebrity

Own a fancy dog (e.g. poodle, bichon frise, pomeranian)

Have a messy divorce from the parent of your children, fighting regularly

Lose relationships with children

When you die, have no strong relationships (no more than acquaintances with anyone)

GEN 8: The Inspired Modesty

You got to see first hand what a life of money and fame does to a person. You knew you wanted something more modest, finding your purpose in life through painting. You had a turbulent family life growing up, so you channelled those feelings into paintings.

Traits; Art Lover, Gloomy, Lactose Intolerant

Aspiration; Master Painter

Max Skills; Painting & Cross Stitching

Career; Painter

Collection; Seashells (you find beauty in everything, no matter how small)

Recommended World; Sulani

Buy most of your clothes via thrifting

Join the cheer team but move to the football team later in high school

Live on a 20x15 lot

Dumpster dive for furniture etc.

Use the recycler for trash

Sell your work on Plopsy

Find your soulmate at work (also a painter)

Have 2 science babies

Have close relationship with only your first child

Paint portraits of your spouse and children

Make cross-stitched hoops as gifts for your children's birthdays

Have spouse die just after second baby is born

Never remarry

Heir must be the second child

GEN 9: The Broken Machinery

After your parent's death, you detached yourself completely from your family, swore off relationships and delved into your studies. Your remaining parent tried to connect with you but you felt incomplete, missing someone you never knew.

Traits; Genius, Geek, Socially Awkward

Aspiration; Computer Whiz/Whiz Kid

Collection; Voidcritters (as a child)

Max Skills; Rocket Science & Robotics

Career; Engineer

Recommended World; Britechester

Complete the Whiz Kid aspiration as a child

Join the Chess Club in High School

Have one best friend growing up (never speak again after school ends)

Attain Distinguished Physics Degree from Foxbury Institute

Meet another friend at university

Get a cat after leaving university

Be friends for at least 2 months before starting romantic relationship (fearful to lose them like you lost your parent)

Have a child together in late adulthood

Your partner must be revealed to be an alien after you become romantically involved

Build rocket ship

Travel to sixam with your partner

GEN 10: The Last Hurrah

You admired your parent for being so skilled and intelligent but you just weren’t up for that. To be honest, you didn’t have the energy for it. You never aspired to much but you were happy.

Traits; Lazy, Cheerful, Unflirty

Aspirations; Party Animal/Joke Star

Max Skills; Charisma & Comedy

Collection; Gardening (have a little herb garden)

Career; Odd Jobs

Recommended World; Henford-on-Bagley

Go to prom with your best friend

Have a games room in your house

Never marry but have multiple long term relationships

Have no children

Have a big dog

Have lots of close friends and party with them regularly

Create and maintain a club

Attend the Henford-on-Bagley village fairs (you do not have to compete, just engage with it)

Visit every bar and have a drink in every world at least once (like a pub crawl)

Have the people person lifestyle

Live on the same lot the founder lived on (the house may be different)

if you play this, pls use the #growing up legacy challenge tag so i can see your posts <3 - essie xo

#growing up legacy challenge #gulc #ts4 #ts4 legacy challenge #sims 4 #sims 4 legacy challenge #wudlund #new legacy #legacy challenge #new legacy challenge

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widowed-mistress · 2 years

Text

Do I have an obsession, yes?

Is it getting bad because I can't write dialog and have little to no stories on ao3 with this concept? Yes! Will I fix the issue? Also no!

Here we go!!

Why More Steve Harrington is Finney Blake Stories Should Exist:

1. As is, Finney Blake and his sister have a power that basically makes them oracles or profits. Imagen him dressed to the nines in an outfit that embodies that, you're welcome baby girl Steve Harrington believers.

2. His horrible experience with the Grabber would provide a solid outline for the harsh words he uses in season one while also making his return to goodness one that makes sense. He was wildly abused in his hometown, so he aimed for the top when he was given a chance to start over without ever actually laying his hands on someone. When he realizes he's become what he hated most, he works to redeem himself.

3. Ghost children. Ghost children follow him around, why do you think he handles the party so well?

4. There are several deaths in Stranger Things that never get brought up again, so I will. His home is now a safe haven for all those lost souls. I want him to make amends with Barb, I want him to hold Max telling her everything Billy saying he wished he told her with such confidence that she finally believes him. I want that.

5. I want him to be able to channel ghost energy. That's it. Imagen him summoning spirits of past experiments to help hold the Mind Flayer back when it went to attack Billy.

6. His arm is mint. Okay, losing a fight to Billy? Understandable. Loosing a fight to Jonathan? I love my him, but no. ESPECIALLY when Steve can bat a fucking demadog easily. This man was holding back because the last time he truly fought, he killed a man.

7. There are so many ways he could have ended up in Hawkins.

Gwen was murdered by someone who suspected her of working with the Grabber because of her inside knowing to the murders. The parents of their mother then offers their home in Hawkins as long as the dad works for their company, wanting to do right by his child and wanting a fresh start, he says yes. The name gets changed to fit their higher image and Steve is left in the mansion alone, a bargaining chip for his grandparents to show that they are in fact caring for the family of the lost daughter.

His aunt and uncle take him in, but not Gwen for sexist reasons, after their home is deemed unfit when questioning him about the Grabber.

His dad hits well with the life insurance and moves them to start away from the horrors that happened.

8. I want Hopper to be related to Vance Hopper, like cousins or something. That's it.

9. Imagen channeling ghost strength? Or even better him being able to communicate with El in that void because of his abilities.

10. If you want a song fic, fucking Bloody Mary is right there.

11. I want the angst of people around him reminding him of all the people he's lost. It would make his need to be needed even stronger. Moreover, his sense of devotion and desire to protect would be through the roof.

12. I really like the idea.

That's it, that's the post.

#have a nice death my story nice #fanfiction #stranger things #steve harrington #long post #steve harrington has powers #steve harrington as finney blake #the black phone #finney blake

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mamiya-a · 2 months

Text

Playing dangerous - Mother Miranda/reader

Warning for explicit content.

Chapter 7: Anagapesis

Summary:

Welcome to Miranda's hate men club!

The movie on the TV is distracting, but not enough to steal the attention of Eveline from the black camera in her hands. Even the rapidly changing pictures with different characters do not catch her eye.

There was a time when she loved to sit in front of the TV for hours and watch the different channels. At first, she only watched children's animations - the events that could not happen in real life seemed to be terribly interesting for her, consuming her free time with ease.

Over time, her interest shifted to films with real actors. The horror genre was her favorite, mainly because she could easily predict what was going to happen. Miranda had to stop her from watching too movies containing blood and murder after that, they intrigued her. But her attention did not stay long on them either.

Eveline has always loved animals. Therefore, she was very happy when she found the channels describing the wild life of the different species. When the wild animals' instincts to kill were awakened, however, and she was there to watch, Eveline decided she would never go near those canals again.

She tried watching cooking, baking, and cake-making shows with her mom and sister, but those things were way too boring for her. And just like that, her interest in the world of television was washed away almost as quickly as it had come.

With no access to internet, which Miranda has described as too dangerous of a place, the little girl's days are dull and boring. Even the boredom ,from all the books with which she tried to cheer herself up ,had become a close friend already. The mansion feels like a prison for her young soul.

Still, she preferred this prison rather than her previous one.

Eveline's fingers lightly brush over the screen of the camera in her hands, then they press the button to turn it on. The frames on the TV change at the same time as it lights up.

The black-haired girl remembers this camera very well. She's had it since her early childhood, which she never managed to live the way she wanted. For her, it is not just an object, but a casket of memories that she deeply cherishes.

The first photo reminds her of the memory that the camera is not entirely hers. Stolen from the hands of the first person who directed the lens to her, the first person Eveline saw and remembered as a superior personage demanding obedience.

The photo is simple - Miranda's long fingers spread above Evelyn, trying to get the camera back. The quality is not good, and the image itself is blurred, suggesting that the photo was taken very hastily and by inexperienced, small hands.

The following photos are so similar that if it weren't for the dates, one would think they were taken one after the other. White walls, white laboratory coats, medical gloves, white masks, the same faces covered by them. Eveline as a child. Eveline together with the well known scientists. Eveline with Miranda. Miranda. Miranda and Mia.

The girl skips through all the photos with the brunette, unable to look at her face, to bear her kind look and concerned eyes. The former feeling of love for the woman is now replaced by indifference.

A small smile appears on her face, seeing one of her favorite people in the next few photos. When Miranda came back into her life, Eveline was horrified, not because of the scary woman in front of her, but because of the little girl next to her. She knew that Miranda did and would always prefer her daughter rather than the failed experiment that Eveline was.

She hated Eva at first, she despised her. Slowly realizing that the intentions of the mini-copy of Miranda, however, were not to totally alienate her from her creator, but on the contrary, to accept a single failure in their lives, with love, not disgust, made her absolutely adore the little girl , which she now proudly called her own sister.

The following photos are Evelyn's cheerful memories - those with her new family. Even locked in the lonely mansion - they are happy , together.

The last photo in the little girl's old camera is of you. Without your knowledge and permission, of course, the shot only represents your back. Your face is not present, but Eveline knows very well who exactly is in the picture and what it represents. The black-haired girl is guessing her boredom will only fully die when her family is complete again.

Only if her mother isn't so keen on the past. Even Eveline herself has given up on it.

Someone angrily sits down on the couch next to her, almost on top of her outstretched legs, and huffs, picking up a remote and quickly flicking through a few channels.

"You're rather grumpy today,Eva" - the camera is carefully turned off and placed on the table in front of them as the girl speaks to her sister- "what's the matter? Your pets flew away?"

"Butterflies, not pets"- Eva deeply cares about them and doesn't like it when Eveline throws jokes about them left and right like that- "and it's not them , they listen to me. I'm mad because..."

Her last sentence is murmured, and instead of finishing it , she turns her head to a side to observe her sister's facial expressions as a question falls from her lips.

"What is your opinion about our new babysitter?" - when Eva wants a serious conversation, she starts to sound nearly exactly like her mother.

"Well she's definitely someone much different than the others" - she says that as both a good and a bad thing - "but i like her...she is , she is nice."

"Even after she insulted you so casually?" - a blonde eyebrow lifts in suspicious manner.

"She didn't mean that" - at least she hopes so - "I'm sure she was just...why are you even asking me about this?"

Eva crosses her arms in front of her chest and purses her lips. Her head slowly lifts and shifts from side to side to be sure noone will hear her as she speaks.

"I don't like her" - she declares - "in fact, i cannot wait for her to leave already!"

"Why?" - Eveline forces a smile as she too, looks around the room , thought she's not scared of someone hearing her talking bad about you, instead she's ready to defend you - "i know you're not keen on other people lurking in our home but at least give her a chance, she's trying."

"Trying a bit too hard" - the girl scoffs, her tone a bit more louder than before - "Have you not seen her intentions towards mom?"

"Intentions?" - Eveline is no stranger to the many other babysitter's tries to befriend or some even seduce Miranda into giving them her money, thought she's sure this isn't your case.

"The other day i saw them baking together, baking!" - she repeats as if it's something unbelievable - "you know how much mom hates to have another person in the kitchen while she's there. Not to mention she was all over her"

Eva shapes the story in her own liking, ignoring the fact that it was Miranda hoovering over you and not the opposite. Eveline listens carefully.

"Or should i bring up the fact that she's already spending more time in mom's office than mom herself!" - the flame in Eva's eyes is no other but one born by anger - "even slamming and locking the door shut as if she owns the place , ridiculous!"

Eveline shifts in her place as she continues to listen to the many encounters Eva has became a witness to between you and Miranda.

"Eva, you really shouldn't spy on them like that" - the girl is older , she can quickly put the pieces together and take a wild guess in what kind of proximity has grown between you and her mother.

"And if she hurts mom?" - she throws her hands in the air , trying to get back to the point - "i shall be there to help her"

"Mother is literally the last person she would hurt" - in reality you are not even able to even try and injure Miranda in some way - "i think you're just a bit worried mother will focus her attention on someone else"

Eveline wanted to say jealous instead of worried but she knows Eva will get even madder. And she's not in the mood to annoy her sister.

"Mom's kind love is often mistaken for weakness" - Eva's voice changes , a hint of sadness, of pity, in it as she looks down at the camera left on the table - "both of us know that"

Yes , Mia is a dark spot in both Eveline's and Miranda's memories while Eva doesn't even want to remember her long lost father or the years when her mother was still weak as the sick child Eva once was.

Silence grows between the two girls. They look around the room, trying to avoid each other's gaze. Both lost in thoughts about you and your staying in the mansion.

"You lost a bet" - Eva whispers, a grin twisting her lips upwards, as she shatters the lack of sound around the room.

"I did?" - the other girl points at herself, confused.

"You said you won't talk to her for at least a week" - it's clear for Eveline who her sister is referring to -"after she called you a freak"

"Crazy!" - Eveline snaps , making Eva flinch - "not a freak." - she breaths in and out, with flaring nostrils - "And i don't remember making any bets with you, Eva"

"I'm sorry..." - sometimes the blonde girl doesn't realise the weight of her words , she didn't aim to hurt her sister's feeling. In her effort to cheer her up , she managed to bring her mood even lower.

Maybe it's the effect of being isolated from other people. Eva is not sure how to communicate outside her comfort circle - which is Eveline and mostly her mother.

"It's nothing" - lies , Eveline can't stand that word - "freak" , however both girls bonded by sisterhood don't possess the power to be mad at eachother for long. She grabs Eva's shoulder with a glowing smile - "what do you want me to do for you?"

"You have candy?" - Eva adored sweets, it was the first thing Miranda gave her as a food after she came back to life. From there on she demanded candy almost everyday.

"Not at all"- Eveline shakes her head.

Eva hums, lost in deep thinking processes of what exactly she demands. Her expression changes into a cheerful one as an idea illuminate in her head.

"You'll let me pierce your ears!" - she exclaims.

"Absolutely not" - her sister is quick to refuse - "no, don't even give me that look"

"Oh, come onnn" - she grabs her sister's folded arms and tugs on them as she tries to make her look at her - "we've wanted matching earrings for like forever! And mom is always too busy to take you to get your ears pierced."

Eveline gives a glare at Eva's shining golden earrings , they are simple, with not much of decorating, in order for them to not be heavy. Then her eyes shift to her begging expression and the puppy eyes she likes to make when she's in a need of something. Eveline surrenders.

"Fine" - she stands up to get her camera , Eva immediately following after her - "just promise me you know what you're doing"

"Of course i do! Let's go!" - and just like that she drags her sister out of the living room up the stairs to the bathroom where she can prepare the needed stuff.

In reality, Eva has no idea what she's doing.

*****

Miranda does not exist.

Everyone has a bit of information about themselves posted on the internet, wanted or unwanted. Everyone but Miranda. Not a single photo, site, link, social media profile or anything at all matches with her name. Absolutely nothing.

Miranda does not exist. Nor do her children in that regard as you can't find any information for them as well. You're desperate, in urgent need to find something to use against that vile woman.

You're not only desperate but hopeless as Miranda has everything about her covored, even after trying a few other browsers the results remain the same. It's like the woman has disappeared from this earth. Or she never lived on it in the first place.

In some final attempts to turn the tables and make a winning move in Miranda's game , you decide to search the name of the woman she has been chatting with. Her mysterious affair, Mia Winters.

Lucky for you a few things pop up. Firstly you go through her social media, she's not a open woman as she rarely posts. But you do note pictures taken with her friend or husband. Deciding this doesn't interest you enough, you go through the other shared information about her.

Around 4 years ago she had found herself in a terrible accident along with a family of four in Louisiana. The mystery of their death is yet to be discovered. The article says she managed to run away together with her husband, who came to rescue her. Rumour has it the family was actually a group of criminals, kidnappers and murderers.

All kind of theories , as the main reason for the death is announced as - "poisoning caused by hydrogen sulfide gas erupting in the ground". Nobody is believing that.

Someone... had obviously covered up the murders.

Your head begins to hurt from all the comments and theories about the incident. People who were clearly not involved in the whole thing discussing it like it was thier job. Sick.

The case , however, is long closed. And by what you know - Mia is healthy and happy, though you can't decide if you like her , judging by her chats with Miranda that you saw. You don't want to take sides , especially the blonde woman's one, but you can't see Mia in a good light - not after acknowledging she has a husband. And she still runs after Miranda like a lost puppy.

The effect she has on women must be insane, you don't even want to think about it. Especially in a situation like yours.

The laptop in front of you closes and you unfold your legs from your sitting position on the bed. You head to your closet so you can get changed for the day.

After changing from your pajamas, you quickly exist your room and run downstairs for another day with this weird family.

There is not a single painting in Miranda's mansion that expresses something different than a beautiful portrait or a full body drawing of a woman. Her neglection of men is on another level, it's almost funny.

Since the rooms were empty as you stepped down, possibly too early for the kids or Miranda herself to be up, you decided to just walk around and pay needed attention to smaller details in the decoration.

The mansion's interior is absolutely fabulous. And those paintings are more than alluring. They stay perfectly on the walls , illuminating the atmosphere. You go through every single one of them , carefully reading the names and authors on the small metal boards under them. It feels like an art museum.

One specific painting catches your eye. The woman in it sits on a throne, way too big for her body, as she stands surrounded by men , covored in black and red clothing. The painting is dark , as the only light in it falls from the windows and the angle that is showed plays a role of an obstacle for the observer , covering the woman's face in pure darkness. In one hand she holds a bloody sword, in the other a half broken crown. Her hair is the most interesting thing in the whole painting- white as divine snow and fluffy clouds. A lifeless body lies unmoving at the base of her legs , towered by her creepy shadow.

'The forgotten heir' - is the name of the painting, its author is a french man from centuries ago, his full name lost in time,as only his first name is attached to the metal board under the painting.

"Devine, isn't she?" - you flinch upon hearing Miranda's voice somewhere behind you. She's still a bit too intimidating for you, but you don't get as surprised as before when she sneaks up around you, hoping to easily scare you.

"Beautiful, indeed" - you agree with her , while allowing her to get closer , her gaze , however stays fixed on the drawn woman - "as well as your other paintings"

"Thank you, i do choose nicely when buying" - her visible preference for women in all of those paintings is hard to miss - "each one of them has an individual,fascinating story."

"And this one?" - you point at the faceless woman on the throne. Miranda smiles.

"My favourite" - funny enough it's the one you liked the most too.

"Her story, i mean" - Miranda's lips drop down, as well as her good mood - "what's the forgotten heir's story?"

She steps forward with her head slightly bowed, her hair falling from her neck to her back like an autumnal waterfall of leaves as her silky touch of fingers trails ghostly across the canvas of the painting.

"Back in the days It wasn't uncommon for kings to have affairs and along with them many, many bastards" - her voice starts to sound like a lullaby, more melancholic than ever - "when it came to queens having those problems, however, the case was different"

You observe closely, the slow movements of her fingers along the broken crown, the excitement in her eyes as she watches the painting from beneath her eyelashes. She looks more fond of the painting than any other furniture in this mansion.

"She was unlucky" - Miranda's chin slightly lifts up to point at the mysterious woman - "to be born a woman , from her mother's sinful acts on top of that. An unwanted child receives no love. An unloved heir receives no crown."

"But she has one..." - you whisper, your finger lifting to point at the woman's right hand. Confusion overfills you - if she desired the crown, then why break it?

"Left for dead on the streets, still as a weak child , she had only one goal in her life. Revenge." - Miranda ignores your questions, continuing her story with little to no care if you are listening or not - "dead people don't talk , and she died the moment they threw her out of the royal castle- her mother killed her, getting rid of her mistake. That's the most fascinating thing about her - she took what was originally hers without murmuring a word."

"How?" - the blonde woman somehow managed to completely pull your interest in her story, locking it between her soft words.

"Some say she joined a cult" - Miranda laughs, and you do as well, though not completely getting her point - "in reality she convinced a group of criminals to follow and serve her. The reason was simple - she saw them not as people but as monsters, just like everybody else, but she accepted them for what they were. And the most important - among them monsters she was the biggest one."

The strongest, the most cruel, the most blood thirsty. Miranda is almost describing death herself with those adjectives. It's clear she feels a strong connection to this woman , a connection you cannot understand.

"Forgotten heir , silent death, lady of blood" - she counts all of the woman's nicknames on her fingers - "her names long lost in history, along with her story. Pity , she managed to kill her mother , father and siblings at the age of 18 , gaining back her throne."

"She was real?" - you don't notice when you run short of breath, and your question comes out rushed and hitched.

"Of course she was" - Miranda stares at you with a grimace, as if it was a crime to ask such a foolish question - "she's a big inspiration for me"

"You clearly like her a lot" - the painting itself is the biggest one in the mansion, the frame is yellow golden with refined, precise elements. A clear favourite - "but why?"

"She was... everything i couldn't be." - Miranda takes her time to form her sentence the way she wants it , you've noticed long ago she likes to do that before speaking, so her words can come out perfectly lined with eachother - "when i found myself in a similar situation. That was long ago, of course."

"Like what?" - you laugh - "you were in a cult?"

A sharp glare makes you cough and straighten your back. She really can't take a joke. Point taken,Miranda.

"Not a cult" - her tone is surprisingly not that harsh - "more of a religion..."

Miranda's eyebrows furrow and her last words die silently the moment your phone rings. The awful sound rudely interrupting the moment between you. You quickly pull out your phone, surprised to see Philip's name on the screen.

You give Miranda a begging look and she sighs in annoyance, waving her hand in the air, and with that you get your permission to pick up.

"Hellooo, darling!" - he exclaims, then he quickly jumps into a question, not giving you time to react to his unusual cheerful mood - "are you free this weekend? Because i am , and I'm considering taking you out , how's that?"

Unfortunately for you, the decision is not yours to make. One shake of Miranda's head reveals to you that you won't be going. She's busy which automatically means you are as well.

"I can't..." - you begin to excuse yourself - "i have work, and you know I-"

"Oh come on! That old woman can't keep you on a leash forever" - good point, you hate to disappoint him again. But in desperate times , you need to make some choices that might not be always pleasing.

"I'm sorry, maybe next time?"

You hear a scoff, and for some reason you search up Miranda's eyes for support. She steps in closer , making sure you know she's there for you.

"It's always next time" - his voice slowly fills with poisonous anger - "and when it's that going to fucking happen?"

"No need to curse" - now that he's being louder, you're sure Miranda can easily overhear your conversation. And her messing in your are failing relationship is the last thing you want.

"I'm so sick of you" - his words strike your heart like metal blades.

"Philip-"

"You get mad when we're not spending time together but when i propose to do something together you always refuse!" - his screaming is now uncontrollable - "well I'm sick of it!"

"Just calm down" - you're not fond of his fast aggression trait, at all , he's always doing or staying stuff he doesn't mean and then he's sorry for them. In the past he at least apologised. - "please, just-"

"You know what?" - he scoffs again - "fuck this, i know how to have fun on my own"

The line cuts off just before you can talk back to him. You grip the phone harshly in your hand while biting your lips in anger. Perhaps you would let the tears gathering in your eyes and the burning feeling in your throat roam free in your offended state if Miranda wasn't right next to you.

You know she already doesn't like you, you don't want to let her see you on your lowest.

"Are you alright?" - the last thing you imagine her doing is asking you this. Caring about you.

"It's nothing" - your lies burn your tongue - "my boyfriend is just-"

"Ungrateful?" - she suggests.

"That , he is" - you confirm.

"But that's not the thing that's making you this..." - her eyes quickly scan your body, from top to bottom - "vulnerable..."

"It's not" - you agree , as if enchanted by her words - "I'm just scared he'll easily replace me"

"Why not replace him first?" - a tempting suggestion, but not for you.

"If i do , if i decide to break up with him" - you pause, gathering your thoughts and connecting them into the right sentence - "all those years I've spent with him will seem pointless"

"But if he does it then it's alright.." - Miranda murmurs , there's something in her voice that you can't name , something personal.- "tell me , darling, is he cheating on you?"

She thinks that's the reason you can't let go? Is that really the reason? Is yours even valid at this point?

"No" - you quickly say , however unsurenes changes your answer in the flash of an eye - "i mean - I'm not sure. He's always so distant with me, like he doesn't really care but i know...i hope he does."

"And if you could get your answer" - she moves closer to you - "would you do it?"

"To know if he's cheating?" - Miranda nods in response - "it's not possible to-"

"Hypothetically" - she cuts you off - "would you, darling?"

Your answer is honest.

"Yes. Absolutely yes."

"Good" - she's pleased.

A cry cuts through the thin , cold air of the mansion with ease, ending any shared words between the two of you. A cry devoid of pain but eager for help.

It's practically almost impossible to react as quick as Miranda did. To turn on her heel immediately after hearing her daughter calling for her. Like an instinct.

Only a few seconds later Eveline comes running into the room , followed by very clearly worried Eva. They are both panting as they stop thier hurried steps in front of Miranda.

The girls both stare at you, Eva grimaces but her eyes shift at the same time with Eveline's towards Miranda. You're not needed in their situation.

"Evie , what's wrong?" - her soft voice manages to convince the black haired girl to move her hands away from the sides of her face , allowing Miranda's palms to grab her cheeks - "what's that? Are you hurt? Show me."

She's careful, yet her something in her eyes shatters upon seeing her daughter's bleeding ears. A needle is still attached to one of them.

"What have you done?" - she sounds concerned, anger has no place in the current situation. She gently removes the needle from her wounded flesh and kisses her forehead. Then she looks towards her other daughter - "Eva?"

"How did you-" - she flinches , her shoulders roll back and she clenches her jaw, bristling like a cat - "in my defence , she-"

"I'm not mad , just -" - she shallows , her words lost in her throat, at a moment like this Miranda is forced to choose a side between her daughters , she hates to lecture them - "how could you do that?"

"She lost a bet , she said it was alright" - Eva has the coping mechanism to blame others for her mistakes, though she quickly realises thas - "she- , we just wanted matching earrings, that is all"

"You could have just asked me" - Miranda's gentle hands stroke Eveline's hair , in an attempt to bring her comfort.

"We did and you said-"

"Eva." - the woman has never used such a serious tone with her younger daughter. It makes both you and her flinch in suprise.

"I'm sorry" - Miranda tilts her head towards Eveline, hinting that the apology should be for her , Eva follows her lead with a shy voice - "I'm sorry, Eveline"

It doesn't take long for them to make up, especially with Miranda clear promise to take Eveline to get her ears pierced. Miranda's attention in talking to you, however, slowly gets lost around the mansion as you walk back to your room.

Later that day Miranda comes to you with an unusual request. The zipper of her dress is down and she needs an extra pair of hands to pull it up. You find it difficult to understand for why exactly she decided to come to you, though no complains slip from your lips as you do , in fact, help her.

"Where are you going tonight?" - you ask in curiosity, grabbing a hold of her perfectly styled hair and carefully placing it aside.

"Work" - again, her formal clothing is a little bit too much for work. You sigh.

"Just work?"

"Curious, are we?" - your fingers tingle in desire to touch her bare skin. Her back is weird. You can't decide if the black , curved lines on her skin are tattoos, or just a condition she can't handle. It fits her, on its own unusual way.

You find yourself allured by it , by her , by your desire to explore with touch , with fingertips.

Black suits her. Her dress is long, almost touching the floor, the bottom slightly flared, but hugging every curve her body snugly. The fabric looks soft , it shines in the light, and the pattern is intricate. The neckline of the dress is low, showing off her collar bones and a bit of cleavage. You can't miss Miranda's multiple earrings and necklaces, perfectly complimenting the look.

She looks more than gorgeous and you're too sacred to admit that.

You slowly drag the zipper up , she stands even taller with her heels. Not something you mind but it definitely makes it harder for you to fully pull the zipper up to her nape.

"Thank you" - she whispers, then she processes to explain how she'll be late and how the dinner is already prepared in the kitchen. Her usual mom stuff.

"Have a nice evening, Miranda" - you wonder if certain Mia is going to accompany her. But you reject that idea, it's not your right to think about this.

Miranda doesn't come back home for the whole night. You know that because for some reason - you waited for her.

*****

Your phone rings again, for the third time in the past hour. Philip's name written on the screen. It's surprising how his pride broke just a few days after your last conversation.

You decide to pick up, but your gaze doesn't leave Miranda, who is currently listening to Eva talking about something that deeply intrigues her curious soul.

They are in the same room right across from you, but far enough away in the other corner so that you can't really hear their conversation.

"What do you want?" - you asks with a sharp voice, phone glued to your ear.

"Can you talk?" - your boyfriend nervously, but surprisingly politely , questions you - "is this a good time?"

"Does it matter?" - you snap at him - "speak."

"Look um..." - he hesitates , you can clearly hear his nervous footsteps in the background, guessing he's taking laps around the room - "can we meet up and talk? It's important."

"I've told you already - I'm busy"

"I don't want to discuss this over the phone, darling please-" - he sounds really desperate, but your little talk with Miranda boosted your confidence a little, or maybe a little bit too much.

"You lost your privilege of wanting and deciding already" - you can almost see his face from the other side of the phone, sense his shock. You know Miranda is smiling at you, as that burning feeling of being watched makes your heart pump harder - "and don't call me that"

'Darling' is another privilege he lost during your last conversation together.

"Fine" - he surrenders - "don't you dare complain about me not warning tho-"

"I don't have all day , Philip" - in reality, you aren't even busy at the moment.

"Last night i went to have a drink with the boys" - he unsurely begins to explain, a hint of fear in his voice, of regret - "and i might have had a few too many glasses but there was this woman-"

"Did you cheat on me?" - you strike the question straight up like a fast moving bullet.

"I was drunk!" - he defends himself - "but gods, this woman - she , she looked exactly like you i-"

"I can't believe you've done that" - you grab your forehead, lowering your head along with the volume of your voice - "again, Philip, fucking again"

"You're not listening to me" - he sounds absolutely pathetic, begging for you to let him explain - "she was like , like your twin. At least during last night, in the morning...that was a complete different woman , darling"

"And why are you telling me this?" - you snap at him - "haven't i suffered enough because of you?"

"Because she knew about you.I never mentioned you to her , but she- , god..." - your boyfriend's next works are maybe the only thing he has said to far that sounds so certain - "she told me I'm a fool for cheating on you, she told me i don't... deserve you, at all."

"You don't" - there goes everything, all those years or friendship and later on romance. You can't even bare the sound of his voice anymore - "you truly don't"

"I'm sorry" - an apology without change is manipulation. Philip is wrong. He's not sick of you, you are sick of him.

You despise the poison he's constantly pumping in your veins. Not anymore.

"We're over , Philip" - you hang up immediately, leaving him no time to react, let alone say something in his defence.

You might look unbothered, but you are almost certain you can feel your heart shattering. It's a bit too much , the pain and regret. The unsureness and sadness building up in your eyes.

As you run out of the room , Miranda can't help the cunning smile urging to awaken on her face, still pretending to pay attention to her daughter. Her gaze follows you until you completely disappear from her sight.

Not for long , she hopes.

Anagapesis- No longer feeling any affection for someone you once loved.

#mother miranda #mother miranda x reader #re8 village #fanfic #resident evil 8 #reader x mother miranda #missing miranda hours #i love her #babysitter au

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ricardian-werewolf · 2 months

Text

Ruleth England Under a Hogge

Chapter 3: Thus Saith the Lord

Summary:

Richard is forced at knife-point to come to terms with what his reign has meant for his only surviving child. Ensconced in the safety of engagement, Cecily finally gets associated with Ravka, its people, and the king's mysterious ailment that has come to her through unofficial channels only.

Notes:

TWS: Discussion of Eugenics, Fascism, murder, domestic violence, serious mental illness.

Tagging: @lordbettany @dreadbirate @rovinglemon

Waterloo Station.

Richard could only watch in wide-eyed horror as his daughter’s train pulled from the station without him.

Blood - from such a small cut! - spilled from his chest in rivulets. The armor had shattered the blade’s tip, yes, but the wound had still been made. His facade of indomitable strength had collapsed. Yet, only slightly. He had to make this a rallying cry, a declaration of war against Cecily and her household-to-be. Rubbing his forehead, Richard stepped into the shade of an alcove as his blackshirts swarmed to protect their king. Ripping open his shirt, he grimaced. The armor that his daughter had so assumed was merely an undershirt. The blade she wielded had been rusted by years of Flanders soil and so cracked when plunged into his flesh. Richard examined the wound a moment more then buttoned his shirt and tightened his tie. At once, breaking through the crowd, James Tyrell - a rat faced man with wicked eyes, came to his side. “Should we stop the train, your Grace? Have Cecily hauled back to London and tried as a pariah ought?”

If Tyrell had been expecting a yes , he was shortly and sorely mistaken. Richard gave him a dark look and then, backhanded Tyrell across the cheek. The silver of the signet ring on his pinky slashing a cut into the soft flesh. Before the man could think to cry out, Richard leaned yet closer and grabbed Tyrell’s collar.

“She will be allowed the decency to escape. Let her survive in a court where she knows not the language or customs. Soon, the errors of her sins will have her kneeling at my feet. With luck, I’ll have the foresight to cleave her head from her shoulders.” Chewing on a hangnail, Richard adjusted the lapels of his cape and strode across the station to his waiting car. He’d stood here just a few years ago, welcoming the young princes from their safe-havens. Then, he’d murdered them himself and the throne was his.

Settled in his seat, only then did Richard realize that Jeeves had fled. Seemingly operating on other orders, the long-suffering valet had rid himself of Richard’s pins, protection, and all honor. Sniffing, Richard lit himself a cigarette and watched the city-scape of London roll by. He had an upcoming dinner with the German ambassador to worry about. France’s attempts at Fascism had been so poorly accepted with the February 6th coup d’etat that Richard’s hopes of seeing a 4th Republic France bearing the Fasces was dashed. He had put money and hopes into L’Émeute des vétérans succeeding. But with this counter-revolt fought back by the anti-fascist parasites popping up all over France, fear began to coil in his gut. Maybe he would have the East End torched again. Another round-up of the new immigrants. Go about breaking down doors and hauling out dissenters. The camps in the midlands needed more…

Labor . Opening his briefcase handed to him that morning by his private secretary, Richard skimmed through telegrams, missives and more pieces of statecraft. However, his hand paused when he settled on a simple cream folder of manila titled simply:

Gnadentod.

England had a long history of Eugenics worming its way into the lexicon of the society, bolstered by Social Darwinisim, empirical superiority and blatant racism. Yet, this was more insidious, beneath the surface. And Richard had been the one to ignite it. Not to save his own wretched, twisted soul, but for Cecily’s. If the government and the state came for others, maybe they would overlook her. Maybe the deaths of thousands of other feeble-minded children and adults who weren’t adding much to the gene pool - more so polluting it - would save Cecily from the surgeon’s scalpel and reaper’s scythe.

He could live with it. Perhaps he would even go and witness some of the roundups. Make speeches. Every word spoke to rile a hungry crowd of animals who wanted these people dead. Dissenters would be crushed. He could do that. All of it was just actions. Death took and took, distinguishing not the sinner or the saint. But as long as Cecily breathed, he was content. He would look the other way when mothers screamed at him to return their children. Let them take that grief unto their shoulders, a burden that would no doubt crush them like fine glass.

“Where to, your Grace?” His driver asked.

Richard grimaced. He could go after Cecily, break her into pieces no bigger than his thumbnail and feed her bones to his pigs, or he could stay. Staying behind meant continuing to drag England kicking and screaming into the era that it deserved. Losing Cecily meant that she could be easily corrupted by the Eastern influences of Communism. Yet, she was already far too mired in that mindset. He hadn’t been blind to her childhood training sessions in the East end, nor had he raised a brow at her reading The Daily Worker and The Communist Manifesto . What had come to a head was the General Strike of 1926, which Richard had brought out the police to crush. The army had given support, and veterans once more tore one another to pieces with bullet and bayonet. Cecily had been 26 at that point, and he’d spotted her amongst the strikers. A misplaced bullet to the spine would have cut her down. The shot misfired. The shooter was killed publicly outside of Saint Paul’s, and Cecily had been packed off to Middleham for the rest of the year. The public had howled hopelessly for their beloved Princess’s return, what with Edward’s death still so fresh-

Richard flinched . He’d not meant to kill his son. But the urge to, the sight of him so drunk and so stupid , had guided his hand. He regretted it, but not in the way a normal father might. He regretted killing such a fine piece on the chessboard of power. Edward had been set up to wed with one of Heinrich Himmler’s daughters, and that alcoholism had developed as a result. Something simply had to be done. Richard had taken the blade and the action. It would have been perfect only had Cecily not been there to see it. The shock of it, thank god, blotted out the incident to mere hazy fragments. Combined with the affects of her constant morphine usage to wipe out the memories of the trenches, she was in no place to remember much of anything . She’d been packed off to bed and in the morning taken up to Oxford as a surprise. There, she’d been stuck in Saint Hilda’s College and given the option to Read History.

She’d sprung at the chance. Richard had doubted that Cecily would survive her first term. She’d come out with first class honors in modern history. He’d hoped she would have failed her first year examinations. Yet, somehow… she’d not. Perhaps it was just stubbornness or anger or… His gaze turned to the window, which beyond lay the empty platform that’d borne the train to Os Alta via Berlin. Some part of him, that old fear, rose its ugly head. There was another reason for her survival. Something that had carried her through the years of pain, of misery. Nursed her wounds when everyone else had turned their back. Lehzen hadn’t been brought in until her breakage in 1929. This wasn’t some sort of childish affection, nursed between two young people. Love. True, affectionate feeling between two people who’d never met, yet written letters of a sort for years . The letter Nikolai had written to Cecily as an official opening couldn’t have been her first. Somehow, they must’ve figured out how to write while ignoring the censors. Richard gritted his teeth so hard that he heard the golden crowns of his back molars crack . Shaking his head, he pressed a hand to his brow and sighed. His driver waited with wide, expectant eyes. He still hadn’t given an order on where they were to go yet. Grumbling, he spoke:

“The Senate House.”

“Right away, your Grace.”

The car leaped at once into motion. The procession of armored cars, Rolls Royces and a motorcade all followed swiftly after their king. It was, he noted, uncannily close to how a hunting procession closed in on the prey. His fingers fiddled wordlessly with the wedding band. As the car moved silently through the streets of the City, he thought hopelessly of a woman with striking ginger hair and blazing green eyes that could arrest even the fairest of souls. However, within that love and longing, burned a hatred and a hunger to see her again. She’d once held a knife to his throat when the darkness had begun to whisper sweet words in his ears, and he’d laughed her off.

Now, he wanted her like some sort of starving animal. He’d exiled her to the furthest reaches of the empire, a place not even where his best spies could reach. She’d gone too, with his own lady mother. Good riddance to both of them, he’d cried to the air at the time. But now? 11 years had passed since he’d killed the princes. Cecily probably didn’t remember her mother nor her Grandmother. He hoped she didn’t. Desperately. How he hoped with all his heart that Anne Neville had met a painful ending on some foreign shore. How he hungered for their confirmations of death.

His fingers rubbed over the wedding band again, and he tugged it off. Holding it in his palm, he regarded the inscription. Loyaulte Me Lie. Richard rolled down the window as they were roaring over the Tower bridge, and tossed the tiny ring with its emerald jewels into the roaring swell of the Thames. Let some mudlarker find it. He would not let the past bind him to his sins.

He settled back in his seat and uncorked a hip flask of malmsey wine which he sipped. The honeyed sweetness settled easily on his tongue and he sighed. Such was the life of a king.

Death followed him, sinking its claws into his shoulders and twisting his spine. Leaning back, Richard closed his eyes.

Not even sleep would bring him the peace of the virtuous.

Arriving in Ravka by train was an experience Cecily wasn’t used to.

Her father’s diesel monstrosity pulled in at the central station inside Os Alta’s modern expansion sometime after the 10th morning bell. Cecily found herself being swept through crowds of passengers and tourists by two well-dressed army soldiers. Her trunks and bags weren’t torn apart for illicit items, instead gently inspected by two purple clad fellows that she knew were Grisha who were able to meld materials and chemicals. Refugees from the expanses of Ravka dealing with some sort of blight crowded the cow-pens, snarling at the customs officials about what the king was doing to address these issues. Cecily struggled to not clap her hands over her ears as the noise reached a deafening pitch.

“Your papers were pre-cleared, Moya Tsarevna, ” One of the soldiers murmured as he lifted a velvet cord and passed her off to his partner, who brought Cecily through a wooden side door. Quiet murmurs followed in her footsteps as the general Ravkans cast words over their new queen’s attire and hesitancy. Cecily turned to look back at them, noting the gold-work and architecture of a station built on the blind hopes of the Sun Summoner tearing down the Fold. The waiting refugees noted her in more detail, seeing the stag emblems on her coat and the armband at her arm. Some crossed themselves and murmured the royal prayer of Ravka, while others made signs of warding.

She was a pariah and a Queen in one moment. How the tables turned.

“W-what’s he like?” Cecily asked as she was nudged into a motor-car. The taller of the two soldiers, wearing a uniform more ornate than the other, asked;

“Who?”

“His Majesty, The Tsar.”

“Ah.” The man’s eyes glittered. “Eccentric. But, I sense you’ll be a good match.”

Cecily’s stomach twisted into knots as the car lurched forward in a cloud of blue smoke and roared through the streets. Cars hadn’t come fully to Ravka yet, and as such many peasants and nobles alike preferred horse and carriages as transport and conveyance.

“The capital is set to get trams by the new year. See, Moya Tsarevna .”

“Really?” Cecily breathed, craning her head. Her hat, affixed with a simple peacock feather and tilted brim, was clamped tight in her hand. She didn’t want it to blow off, and muss up her hair. She leaned out of the car and noted the cobbled streets that were being laid with tram-track. Her eyes widened in joy and delight at the blatant communist hammer and sickle draped from an apartment building and she looked out again for any signs of fascism.

She finally remembered the officer’s name at last - Dominik Vertov, and turned to him, asking innocently: “Has fascism made its way to Ravka?”

“Not before you, your highness.”

Cecily’s lips thinned and her hand slipped to the silver boar pin on her lapel. Of course. She wasn’t here just for marriage or to escape. Fascism had to spread to the people in order for this to work. But Nikolai must’ve had to know of her dissidence…

Unless he too harbored ideas of fascism? That thought made her shudder with barely contained fear. Returning her gaze to the window, Cecily watched walls of white stone rise up around them. They clattered through a former portcullis, over a stone bridge of the same dazzling white, and entered a whole different world. Where the outer ring of the city was similar to many of the villages her train had passed through, this was a city of well-paved streets, gardens and parks. Fountains gushing clean water marked central squares and she could see the signs and advertisements of department stores in the corner of her eye. No telephone poles reached skywards, nor telegraph lines, and she saw many homes with quiet mews behind their houses to store cars and buggies.

“The palace gates are just ahead.”

“Is this a Vauban construction?” Cecily craned her head up to regard the walls of this older city, noting the structure and almost star-like shape of the outer wall. Dominik’s gaze slid to the driver, who blinked in welcome surprise.

“Yes, Moya Tsarevna. It was constructed sometime in the late 17th century, before Vauban died.”

“He came this far east? Remarkable.” Cecily adjusted her cape’s collar. At her side, Lehzen squeezed her hand forcefully. Cecily smoothed over a yelp of pain and shot her governess a dark glare. She had been behind Cecily since they’d stepped off the train. She had no idea where her two friends from Berlin had gone. “I thought you were supposed to stay in London.” She murmured softly. Lehzen’s eyes glittered as she leaned forward and tapped Cecily’s chin with a clawed finger. Forget the dragon of a nursery story - Lehzen was a Goliath creature that would drag Cecily-Anne kicking and screaming into this Fascist idealization of a wedding. What was worst of all, however, awaited her in her trunks.

Staring down at the black uniform, Cecily bit back nausea. At her side, the two people she’d made the stop in Berlin to collect regarded the uniform with varying levels of disgust and horror. The man at her left lit a cigarette and tugged it from his lips. The woman to her right knelt before the trunk and fidgeted with the birch-wood edging.

“Did… you pack this?”

“No.” Cecily shook her head. “I didn’t ask for this. It’s…” She sighed and pinched her nose-bridge, causing her glasses to fall to the floor with a clatter . The man bent down to pick them up and Cecily smiled.

“Thank you, Gereon.” She murmured, wishing for the ability to speak German with no one able to understand them. Yet, Lehzen did, and her maids that she’d brought for Cecily did too. Gereon gave her a half smile, and returned to smoking his cigarette. At Cecily’s side, the woman - Charlotte - lifted the uniform from the trunk between her thumb and forefinger.

“Well.” She examined the jacket and the skirt, noting the collar points on the jacket. Disgust marred her face. If any of them had their way, this would be kindling in the fireplace. Cecily longed to throw it there, but she knew exactly what would happen if Lehzen found out. Her back hurt enough already. More wounds would only worsen the mess that this was.

She examined herself in the mirror as Charlotte held up the offensive uniform. She’d worn the armband before, and hated it. Yet, this… this was different. The symbol wasn’t the flash. It wasn’t blue on white.

It was black on a white circle.

There was no lightning bolt, no reassurance of the monstrous that she wore was familiar. Fear curdled her tongue. Looking at Gereon, she whipped off her glasses and pressed her palms to her stinging eyes. She wavered on her feet for a moment, then almost pitched sideways.

Charlotte’s hand to her arm caught her. Cecily fell against the taller woman, sobbing. “I-I-” She breathed. “I can’t do this.” She wept. “I can’t meet him wearing that ! He’ll think I'm a monster, already corrupted.” Hysteria crept into her voice and she pressed her streaming eyes against Charlotte’s shoulder blade.

“Or not.” Gereon reminded. “He has been writing to you since you were children.” He lifted her face and wiped her streaming eyes with a tissue. “I’m certain that he knows deep down, instinctively, that you wear a monster’s pelt because not out of following orders or some other benign, innate excuse to uphold the status quo.” He paused to give the armband a dirty, rage-filled look.

“But because you, until now, have been offered no other choice .”

“No other choice?” She breathed.

“You were twenty-one when your father took the throne, yes?”

“Yes.” Cecily hiccuped as Charlotte fed her sips of tea from a crystal glass. “It was a few months after you and I met.” She turned her head to let Charlotte wipe her eyes more clearly, and stared at herself in the mirror.

“Why does the flash not invoke the same response?”

“I believe you know why.” Charlotte murmured. Cecily nodded mutely. Of course she knew why . The fact it had been the symbol of English Fascism after the white rose was derided by her father wasn’t lost on her. She’d grown used to the symbol slowly. Like being boiled alive in a cooking pot as if she was some sort of amphibious creature. Too hot, and the panic would set in. A slow boil, and she would be dead before she could even scream.

It had taken her mother, her grandmother, and her siblings. She was the last surviving woman in her family, the last child of her father’s lineage.

And by that record, if she died, the female Plantagenet line died with her. So, she once more tempered the rage that roared within her to become banked coals, and steered herself to be dressed. The uniform was laid at the foot of her bed and she watched out of the corner of her eye as Gereon and Charlotte beat a hasty retreat. Lehzen and her ladies came in from the dressing room mere moments later.

“Now then.” Lehzen clapped her hands together. “Let’s get this over with.”

Loyalty binds me . Cecily thought numbly as she cast her gaze to the massive gold double-headed Eagle of Ravka that stood over the fireplace. She examined its claws, which held three arrows in one claw and the Tsar’s mace in the other. She wondered if the arrows being tied with the three ribbons of the Grisha orders meant anything.

I am the monster. The monster is me .

I have brought Ravka’s darkness upon us.

Cecily did not open her eyes as Lehzen and her maids dressed her. She felt her hair being lifted from the nape of her neck to be crimped and waved. The sharp stink of aerosol spray hit her nose and she winced. A smack to her face stilled her. Her eyes popped open. Between the gaggle of liveried servants and Lehzen’s sharp face, Cecily caught sight of a ginger-haired woman pacing the expanse of her sitting room.

“W-who’s that?” She coughed.

Lehzen froze dead. Her face turned the color of spoiled milk, and she looked at the head maid in wide-eyed fear. Speaking rapidly in German, she hastened to the other maids. “Who let her in?”

“I did.” A voice rang out, distinctly masculine.

Cecily’s eyes, which she’d squeezed shut again, popped open. Standing in the doorway to her sitting room was none other than Nikolai Lantsov. He wore a simple black linen shirt and a richly embroidered waistcoat that hugged his waist nicely. His legs were clad in black velvet breeches embroidered with fire-lilies that flowed up the sides. He didn’t wear any stockings, allowing his calves to show off nicely in the summer warmth, and the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up past his elbows. Standing where he was with his hands pushing the doors of her room open, anyone would have swooned dead away.

Cecily merely grimaced.

She allowed Lehzen to button up the blasted coat and to stick her feet into a pair of jackboots. She couldn’t look him in the eye as the maid tightened the armband around her arm. Yet, she saw the way Nikolai’s jaw locked and his eyes smoldered with rage.

“Please, leave.” Cecily ordered the maids and Lehzen, who gave her a dark glare. However, amazingly, she assented . Cecily watched Lehzen reach for her sewing kit and sweep the maids out. As soon as the pocket doors had snapped shut, Cecily tugged the armband off, and kicked off the jackboots.

Gereon’s words swam in her mind.

Until now, You have been offered no other choice.

Looking him finally in the eye, Cecily calculated the mental load that seeing his betrothed wearing the uniform of the national socialists would cause. Nikolai’s eyes narrowed as he watched her throw the armband across the room, and his face cracked just enough for a smile.

“I had a suspicion that the portrait of you with your father wasn’t all you.” He murmured. Cecily’s eyes widened in welcome, if somewhat shocked surprise. He suspected beyond mere imagery? She was going to faint if he continued down this line of flattery that would have her no doubt throwing the engagement ring at his feet.

“Who is that with you?” She asked as she cleared her throat to distract him from the rising blush on her cheeks. She leaned slightly to catch sight of the ginger-haired woman, wondering briefly if it was the Tailor Genya Safin or someone of the palace servants. Her gaze however, did not deceive her with created lies. As Nikolai stepped aside, Cecily found herself face to face with an almost mirror image of herself, yet with ginger hair instead of inky black, and emerald eyes instead of blue. Her face was set the same as Cecily’s, with the same small lips and fragile features, though the woman’s eyes burned with the same fire of small-sized righteousness.

“Cecily?” The woman whispered. “Cecily-Anne?” She came forward with the hesitant steps of one unsure of herself, and fell still at Cecily’s wide-eyed glance. Some part of her burned with angry tears, for it recognized the woman ‘ere her. That recognition was wrong , of someone she had not seen since her 5th nameday, a woman and name cursed never to be spoken or seen of again. She briefly remembered the sight of images of the woman before her being put to the torch, and her father’s tears over such a crime. But, then came the rewritings of love ballads containing her name, and even whole histories. “Anne Neville.” Cecily breathed wordlessly. “Mama.” The word slid from her lips without any attempts to check herself, and she startled at the sound. She’d not once cried for her mother since she had been five. Now… she was faced with the sight of her, clad in this monstrosity of cloth.

“My sweet, darling girl.” Anne reached up to touch Cecily’s face and Cecily jerked back, frightened. What was this all meaning? Had Nikolai captured her mother as a bargaining chip to ensure her marriage, had she hurt her? Had he gotten her grandmother as well? Had he tortured them? Hurt them in any way?

“Y-you monster!” She screamed, light crackling across her flesh like a whip-crack. She lurched forward, intent on doing anything, something to the Tsar. Maybe ripping his eyes out? Yes . Tear those pretty eyes from his skull and run him through with your knife . The monstrous voice within her chorused, baying for blood. The light within her surged and she rushed Nikolai, her hands locking around his throat, when the light within her exploded out in a blinding flash , and suddenly all went black. Looking down into his face, her fingers so close to the pupils she could see them dilate, her eyes widened as his eyes bloomed black , and his teeth sharpened to become jagged shadows.

What in the hell am I getting myself into? She thought hopelessly as the light exploded out of her a second time, and sent her flying through the air. She hit the ceiling with a sickening crunch , and fell back to the floor. Inky darkness swooped in on her, cradling her form with tender fingers, and she gave in easily. The pain of it all was simply too much to handle.

Distantly, she was conscious of two things - the first being that her mother was alive, and the second being that Nikolai was not all he seemed.

End of Chapter 3.

#wyn rambles #nikolai lantsov #shadow and bone #richard iii #aneurin barnard #fic: Ruleth england under a hogge #tw fascism #tw eugenics #cw eugenics #cw abelism #tw assault

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rampanttheories · 2 years

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Batdad on emotional constipation solving

Bruce is awkward as can be and hardly ever says the right thing on an emotional level immediately. So what if he is aware enough of himself to notice he needs time to process his emotions and their impact on others before he can say anything and not have it come it out wrong? And comes up with an idea to work around that?

He is a preteen and Alfred just suggested something Bruce doesn’t like in his very Alfred manner, still up to his elbows in soapy water to scrub at a plate. When Bruce doesn’t answer, Alfred places the last few dishes to the side and dries his hands. But before he can leave for another task, there are slim fingers curling into his waistcoat. And five minutes of standing together later Bruce opens his mouth.

It becomes a ritual. When Bruce recognizes an emotional dimension to the discussion, they stand with fingers on the seam of a waistcoat and sometimes a forehead pressed to Alfred’s shoulder blade. Even when Bruce has to lean down.

The Graysons fall, Bruce takes his first child in. He spends the first night sitting in the kitchen with his head on Alfred’s shoulder. And bit by bit he works through the whirlwind of feeling.

Dick wants to become Robin and stands in front of him and yells his case. And Bruce cannot for the life of him express the fear and terror and understanding that press on his lungs. So he sinks to his knees and opens his arms to his brave and fearless and righteous child. And he holds him close until he can.

Robin only flies a few times a year. But his chitters fill the Bat’s ears.

Jason swings a tire iron and steals three wheels and Bruce’s heart within five minutes of one another. He is suspicious and clever and a bookworm and Bruce learns to ask before physical contact. Well, somewhat. But his first reaction to most conversations started by his children becomes “I would like to hold you”. And that, more than anything, tells them he loves them even before he manages to reconfigure his brain enough to answer.

Jason is nowhere near Felipe Garzonas. He does find out about Sheila Haywood. And when Jason expresses his desire to find her, Bruce holds him for near 50 minutes before he can say how terrified he is of his child not wanting to live with him anymore. Jason doesn’t mind, he came armed with “Murder Must Advertise” for this exact reason and of course he doesn’t want to leave, Dad, but having another parent would be awesome.

It is not awesome.

Bruce holds onto Alfred and Dick for days.

Tim comes in and freezes when Bruce asks to hold him. Which only adds another layer to all the red flags and indignation and protectiveness and grief Bruce has to work through. How dare the Drakes not give their child affection and love and protection when he is right there and alive and breathing and much too brilliant and observant for his own good? Tim melts once actually drawn in and his nose burrows into Bruce’s throat after five minutes.

Jason comes back to Gotham and the moment he reveals his face he is engulfed in his father’s arms. He can’t even reach his weapons.

Nightwing finds the two of them 15 minutes into the desperate hug and mercifully offers his spare comm to Jason. Tim in the cave starts playing a reading of Pride&Prejudice on that specific channel.

Three hours later, Bruce has all his children home and gets his words together enough to declare a sleepover in the den.

Cass comes in and Bruce does not even need words with her. She can parse through his emotions faster than he can. He holds his daughter anyway.

Damian arrives in Gotham and once the DNA test confirms his identity, he is caught in the world’s most ineffective grapple. But it is his father constraining him, so maybe there is a trap somewhere? He’ll wait it out. And it actually feels nice.

Bruce holds his newest child and eventually manages to verbally welcome him home and to the family. He feels Damian stiffen when he introduces the other’s as his siblings, so he talks about choosing family and unconditional love and a heart big enough for all his children. He ends his impromptu speech with that so very important sentence he learned over the years.

“I love you, my child. I am happy you’re home”

#dc #DC comics #batman #batfamily #Alfred Pennyworth #bruce wayne #dick grayson #jason todd #tim drake #cassandra wayne #cassandra cain #damian wayne #robin #mini fanfic #own content

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saiyanprincessswanie · 2 years

Text

Chrome & Leather - Chapter 13

Pairing: Billy Russo x OFC, Steve Rogers x OFC

Summary: Five years later we see what Jessie’s life is like with her son Ben and fiancé Billy. They seem like the perfect family to their friends and her family. Life couldn’t be any better that is until Steve and Bucky are released from prison. Steve and Bucky have fought for five years to be free and finally their lawyer Matt Murdock gets both men out of jail and cleared of murder charges. What happens when Steve discovers he has a son and Jessie moved on with the Sheriff that helped put him in jail?

Word Count: 4067

Warnings: Brief Smut, Family Reunited (yes this could make you tear up)

A/N: Thank you to my betas @pigwidgeonxo and @lfnr-blog-blog-blog. Thank you to @whimsicalrogers for the page break. Picture of Chris on the bike is by Nix on IG. (any mistakes on spelling & grammar are my own)

A/N 2: Okay, this fic picks up 5 years later. That means our Jessie is with Billy. I know this is a Steve x OFC story so trust me as we navigate their lives.

Reblogs & Comments on Tumblr are welcomed and encouraged. Even if you leave an emoji you will make my day. 😊💜

I do NOT give my consent to have my work translated or reposted on any social media platform, apps, or third-party sites. If you see my work anywhere else besides my personal Tumblr & AO3 accounts then it has been stolen. I will NEVER give written or verbal permission to repost or translate any of my fanfics as they’re MY intellectual property. 🚫🚫

Five Years Later....

Steve and Bucky had been called into a meeting at their prison with their attorney Matt Murdock bright and early. Both sat down at the table facing the man who had been trying to set them free. Steve was nervous as his leg bounced under the table.

Matt gave both men the news they had been waiting five years for. “Gentlemen, I have great news. You’re being released from prison. Thanks to the work of Assistant Sheriff Frank Castle he got John Walker to admit to lying on the stand. Walker was arrested this morning for perjury by Castle pending his charges. I know this may be a lot to take in but you’re going home today.”

After five long years, both men could finally go home. Steve’s mind went a mile a minute. He didn’t expect this day to come. He wondered what Jessie would be up to with their son. God, he had a son, and even though he missed the first five years he could still get to know him as a child. Steve’s one regret was telling Jessie to move on. Would she have moved on so easily? Bucky had never shared that information with him and honestly he doesn’t blame him. Steve did break his sister’s heart, something he swore he would never do.

Both men thanked Matt for everything he did to help clear their names. They were led away to start the process of being released. What or who would await them, well time would only tell.

Jessie groaned as she was in between sleep and being awake. Warm fingers were gently rubbing against her clit before they pushed into her wet channel. Instinctively she rolled her hips into the hand as wet lips kissed just below her ear. Another hand grabbed her thigh and placed it over the one that pushed in between her legs, while the other hand kept fingering her. Little moans escaped her lips as a “shhh” came from behind her.

“Not too loud my love, I need you to be as quiet as you can. We have maybe five or ten minutes before he comes barreling in here.” Billy’s gravelly voice spoke in her ear. Jessie nodded her head and turned her face into the pillow. He pulled his fingers from her, grabbing his cock and running it through her arousal before he pushed into her.

They both groaned in pleasure as he quickly thrusted into her over and over again. Jessie gasped into the pillow as Billy grunted into her neck. His hand made its way to her clit, his thumb strummed her clit to his thrusts and Jessie bit down on the pillow to suppress her moans. Together they chased their high and were cumming within seconds of one another. Billy tilted her head back and captured her lips with his. Just as they pulled apart they could hear little feet running toward their room. Billy quickly pulled out of her and tugged on his boxer briefs as Jessie pulled her shorts and tank top on.

Jessie looked over at the clock noting that it was 6 am on the dot as the door swung open revealing her 5-year-old son Ben. His blonde hair stood up on end as his blue eyes stared at her. “Mama, I’m hungry.”

“Well let’s go get you breakfast then. What would you like?” She asked him just as enthusiastically.

“Pancakes!” Ben excitedly answered as he ran from the bedroom and to the living room downstairs.

Jessie couldn’t help but laugh as she climbed out of bed. Her son was predictable with his answer and was on a pancake kick for the past few weeks. If this was the worst thing he wanted to eat then she considered herself lucky.

Ben ate in silence as he munched on his pancakes while Jessie stood at the counter sipping her coffee. Minutes later Billy was walking down the stairs in his uniform and was greeted by Ben.

“Billy!” The child squealed in delight.

“Ben!” Billy enthusiastically said back. “I see your mom has made pancakes again.” He leaned over Ben and ruffled his hair playfully.

“She makes the best ones,” Ben answered before shoveling more into his mouth.

“That she does,” Billy answered, walking over to Jessie and placing a kiss on her cheek. If there was one thing he loved it was mornings in this house. Of course, the nights were just as fun once Ben went to sleep and Billy took Jessie to bed. If there was one thing not lacking in their relationship it was sex. They had been trying for a baby for several months now but nothing had come of it yet. Billy thought the more they tried it would eventually happen. Jessie was more laid back, saying “it will eventually happen when it’s meant to.”

Billy had moved in over a year ago after he proposed. There was some hesitation at first but she ultimately said yes. They were now officially going to be a real family once they got married. None of this playing house that they did for over four years. Soon enough Jessie would be pregnant with his child and that would make his life complete. He’s a patient man and has all the time he needs.

His cell phone rang with an unknown number. He excused himself to step outside and picked up. “Russo.”

“Boss, we have a big problem.” Jack's voice was nervous.

“Well, what is it? You know I don’t take these calls when I’m home so it better be good.” Billy was annoyed being interrupted in his normal routine.

“John is gone. Apparently, someone questioned him and he flipped. He retracted his statement against Steve and James and they are going to be released today! I’ve looked everywhere for John but he either fled or someone has him hidden. Word is it could be your boy Frank Castle but that’s not confirmed.”

Billy listened to everything he was told. Steve and James were going to be released today from prison. It would only be a matter of time before Steve starts sniffing around what was rightfully his. His grip on the phone tightened. “You find out where John is and get rid of him. I need to go and take care of things.” Billy hung out and made his way inside.

Jessie was at the counter still but on her cell. She looked shocked at whatever was being told to her. He wouldn’t be surprised if Winnie had already heard the news and was letting her daughter know.

After a few minutes Jessie hung up and tears were falling down her cheeks.

“Are you okay Jessie?” He asked.

She shook her head no. “My mom called. Steve and Bucky are being released today. She wants me to bring Ben over so he can meet his uncle and dad. I-I can’t believe they are getting out after five years. It’s like a miracle.” Her blue eyes filled with tears and Billy fought back his disgust over the news.

He wrapped his arms around her and held her for a few minutes. “Are you sure it’s wise having Ben meet them so soon?”

Jessie pulled back a little from him and looked up into his dark brown eyes. “I think it’s fine. Ben already knows about them both from stories I’ve told him before bed. He knows they have been gone but I didn’t say why, he’s too young to understand. I think this would be great, especially for my brother. As for Steve, well I have no idea how that will go but ma and Bucky will be there for us.”

“If you think so then I support you. Let me know when and I will go with you. I don’t have time for breakfast, I got a call saying they need me early. So I will see you later.” Billy leaned down and kissed Jessie’s lips. He pulled away and grabbed his keys off the counter. “I will see you later Ben.” He waved at the little boy who quickly jumped off his chair and ran to Billy, wrapping his arms around a leg.

“I'm gonna miss you,” Ben said against Billy’s leg.

“Gonna miss you too Buddy. Keep your mama safe while I’m gone.”

Ben let go and smiled big. “I will protect my mama.”

Billy laughed as he headed out the door and into the sheriff's SUV. As he climbed in his happy mood faded. He needs to find John quickly.

Jessie headed over to her ma’s house with Ben. If anyone could help her figure out what to do about Steve coming back it was her ma. Jessie was bitter the first year after what Steve pulled. But raising a child essentially on her own didn’t allow for such emotions. On top of it, Billy has helped her with Ben since day one. He helped her with her emotions when things got overwhelming and when she needed a breather he took over. Over the years she also had her friends and the biker club that helped when she needed a babysitter. Then there was her ma or what Ben called her mamaw. Ben absolutely adored her and Winnie found some healing by helping to raise him. To say Jessie and Ben were taken care of was an understatement to all the people who helped. As they say, it takes a village to raise a kid. Jessie’s village had to be one of the best.

As Jessie pulled up to her ma’s house Ben was cheering from the back seat. Winnie came out onto the porch and waited as Jessie got Ben out. Once she put Ben on the driveway his little feet took off as he ran towards his mamaw.

“Mamaw! I’ve come to see you!” Ben screamed for all to hear. Jessie and Winnie couldn’t help but laugh as he ran into his mamaw’s arms hugging her tightly.

“I see that. Have you been a good boy for your mama?” She asked as she lifted him up. Ben shook his head enthusiastically.

“He’s been good. He had to have some pancakes again today. I swear he just may turn into one if he keeps eating them.” Jessie laughed as she watched Ben hug her ma and place kisses on her cheeks.

“As long as he is eating, who cares what it is? Though mamaw needs to make you some french toast sometime. You would gobble that right up.” Winnie said as she pretended to eat him causing him to squeal. Ben wiggled in her arms until she put him down. Then he was running over to where his toy trucks were on the porch waiting for him. As soon as he sat down and started playing Jessie and her ma sat on the other side of the porch where they could watch him.

“So what’s bothering you this morning? Is it Steve’s release?” Winnie inquired.

Jessie nodded her head. “Yeah, I mean I didn’t think this day would ever come and now it’s happening today. Ben knows about Bucky and Steve cause I’ve told countless stories. But…”

“But what dear?”

“What if Steve meant what he said? That he doesn’t want a kid? I mean I have Billy now and he is like a dad to him. He’s been there for us the entire time Steve has been gone. I just don’t want to see my son hurt from Steve rejecting him.” Jessie watched as Ben played with his trucks on the porch. Her son was everything to her and she would be damned if he got hurt.

“Winnie’s eyes went from Jessie to Ben and she understood the hesitation. “Jessie, I have known Steve his entire life. If there is one thing I’m sure of it’s that he is going to love Ben. You both created a beautiful boy and I know Steve is going to want to make up for the lost time. The only question I have is what does Billy say about their release?”

Jessie’s smile falters just a little. “I think he is nervous about how I’m going to react to Steve getting out. I mean there is a history there but I’ve moved on. That’s what Steve told me to do. I’m happy with Billy and Ben. I’m open to Steve getting to know our son and if he wants to be in his life I will allow it cause I’m his mother. But yeah, I think Billy is worried. He said he wants to be here when the guys arrive. Of course, I don’t know if that's a good thing or not.”

“Well, we will cross that bridge together today. If anyone makes a fuss I will deal with them. What’s important is that they will be freed and cleared of that crime.”

Her ma was right, all that mattered was their release. Everything else would be dealt with slowly when it comes to Ben. She didn’t want to overwhelm him too much. Today was going to be a great day. A day of peace, a day to celebrate homecomings, and a day for families to be reunited.

Later on, around noon time Nat and Wanda came over to Winnie’s house to help get things ready for Bucky and Steve to show up. Winnie wanted to make sure to have normal food for the guys to eat. The women made the men's favorite dishes as they chatted away in the kitchen.

Natasha was excited to finally get Bucky back after five years apart. Nat had been faithful and stood by Bucky’s side, refusing to move on with anyone else. Jessie admired that in Nat and would have done the same with Steve if he didn’t tell her he didn’t want her anymore.

Winnie and Wanda were finishing cooking while Ben was being chased around by his auntie Nat. Jessie watched as the little boy laughed when Nat caught him in her arms. There was no denying Nat loved Ben like family. That’s something that never lacked in the last five years. The club members helped Jessie with Ben when she had to work. Billy, of course, didn’t like it but she insisted they were good people. That was the only thing that ever bothered Jessie about Billy. The fact he didn’t like her friends despite them being supportive of her relationship with him.

Jessie was taken care of financially by income from the mechanic shop. Nat ran the shop with Tony and they made sure Jessie would get Steve’s income for the time being. This left Jessie working part-time at the diner and raising Ben. The money she got from Becca’s life insurance was set aside so she could start building her dream house on the land that Steve bought all those years ago. Steve had signed the property over to Jessie who was waiting for the right time to build. Billy tried to get her to sell the property but she refused. This was going to be where she eventually settled down once the contractor finishes the blueprints.

Jessie was lost in her thoughts when she heard the revving of motorcycle engines coming down the road. Ben stopped running from Nat and stared in awe as Tony, Thor, Loki, Clint, Sam, Bucky, and Steve rolled up. Shit, she didn’t know the guys would be here this early. Jessie’s eyes never left Steve as he parked. He looked different than the last time she saw him. Now Steve had longer hair and a thicker beard. Next to him, her brother Bucky was parking his bike, he had shorter hair and a beard. Both men looked more rugged than she remembers.

Nat ran up to Bucky as he got off his bike. She leaped into his arms and they both kissed. Jessie couldn’t help but smile at them both. Steve was met with handshakes from the men and Winnie hugged him. Ben walked up to Jessie and grabbed her hand. He looked nervous with the two new men here. Steve’s eyes wandered over to Jessie and the little boy who held onto her for dear life.

Steve sucked in a deep breath. This had to be his son that Bucky told him all about. He was a spitting image of Steve with blonde hair and blue eyes. Steve slowly walked over to them as Jessie and the little boy watched his every movement. His eyes caught a glimpse of a ring on her left ring finger. It was not the ring he gave her all those years ago.

Jessie’s eyes never left Steve's as they stood a foot apart. “Ben, remember me telling you stories about your dad?” The little boy nodded his head nervously. “Well, this is your dad. He has come home with your Uncle Bucky who is now approaching us.” Ben clung to Jessie's leg, nervous about the taller men. “Can you say hi?” Jessie knelt next to her son who held onto her. Steve finally knelt in front of them both to be on the same level as them.

“Hi, I’m Ben,” the little boy shyly said.

“Hi, Ben I’m Steve, your daddy.” Ben walked over to Steve and stood between his parents. His little hand touched his beard and the boy giggled.

“Mama he is hairy like a bear.” Both Jessie and Steve laughed as the little boy took him in.

“That he is baby. Do you recognize him from the picture at home?” Ben nodded again and looked at the next man who knelt on the ground. “You should know who this is, Ben.”

“Uncle Bucky? You come home to stay?” he asked.

Bucky smiled at his nephew. “Your dad and I are here to stay buddy. Promise.” At that moment Ben flew into his Uncle’s arms and hugged him. Then hugged Steve just as tightly.

Jessie watched the small reunion with tears in her eyes. It was then she noticed all her friends watching the four of them. Winnie and Nat wiped tears away as the men stood grinning at the sight of this family being reunited.

All seemed to be going well until the Sheriff’s SUV pulled up to the front of the house where everyone was.

Steve watched as the Sheriff got out of the vehicle and made his way to the four of them. Ben noticed Billy instantly, screaming his name as he ran towards the Sheriff who caught him in his arms and picked him up. Jessie, Bucky, and Steve stood as Billy approached them. Steve didn’t know why the Sheriff was there until Billy walked past him and kissed Jessie on the cheek.

“I didn’t know the get-together was already starting. Weren’t you going to call me sweetheart so I could be here?”

Jessie smiled as she looked at Billy. “They literally just showed up minutes ago. I was going to call you here in a few.” Billy nodded at her statement, his dark eyes looking at both bikers in front of him. He could see the anger simmering in Steve’s eyes while he held Ben.

“Well I don’t want to interrupt but I wanted to say it’s nice to see you both out and cleared of your charges. I know we have all looked forward to this day.” He placed Ben on the ground and lightly grabbed Jessie’s hand. “I need to have a word in private with my fiance if you would excuse us.”

Steve’s jaw was about to hit the ground at the word fiance. There was no way she would end up with Billy of all people, would she? He watched the two walk towards the SUV and started talking. It seemed pleasant enough until Billy said something and made Jessie roll her eyes. As they parted he kissed her on the lips and headed to the driver's side of the SUV and got in. Jessie walked away from Billy as the Sheriff left the group of friends and family.

Steve looked at Jessie as she approached them and asked, “Is everything okay?”

Jessie smiled awkwardly at him. “Of course, everything is fine.”

Before Steve could call her out on the blatant lie Ben came rolling up to them on his electric toy motorcycle that had two wheels on the back and one on the front. Steve, Bucky, and Jessie started to chuckle as the little boy stopped in front of them.

“Mama, can I ride with them now that they are home?” Ben looked at her with determination.

“Ben, you're still too young. But, I’m sure your uncle and dad would love to see your skills on the bike.” The little boy got excited and started to ride around in the driveway for all to see. Their friends cheered Ben on as he rode around them. With Ben now occupied and everyone watching Steve decided he needed to chat with Jessie.

“Hey, do you have a minute, Jessie?” Steve inquired and Jessie nodded her head. The two of them walked away from the group of friends.

“What do you want to discuss, Steve?”

Steve rubbed the back of his head as he asked the most obvious question. “So you and Billy are a couple? When did that happen?” He tried to keep the jealousy at bay but knew he sounded it.

“It happened when you decided to dump me while pregnant. Billy helped with anything I needed and we just sort of started dating when I was halfway through my pregnancy with Ben. He proposed a year ago and I said yes. Look, he is a great guy and great with Ben.”

“I’m just surprised you want to be with someone who helped put me and your brother in jail.”

Jessie looked at Steve, anger clearly on her face. “Billy was doing his job. I don’t expect you to understand. But know this, I’m happy, Ben is happy and that’s all I care about. I’m glad you’re both home but don’t expect me to end my relationship because you’re back again.”

“You can honestly sit there and tell me you feel nothing towards me?” Steve’s voice dropped an octave as he spoke softer so their friends wouldn’t hear.

“I-I feel nothing. You made sure of that when you told me to move on. This is me moving on Steven so you just need to accept it. If you want to be in Ben’s life that means you need to accept I’m with Billy.” Jessie stormed away from Steve and headed inside her ma’s house. Everyone watched as Steve returned to the group and stood next to Bucky.

“Let me guess you pissed my sister off by bringing up her relationship with Billy?” Bucky calmly asked.

“Am I that predictable?”

Both Nat and Bucky answered in unison. “Yup!”

Steve sighed, he didn’t expect to see Jessie with someone else. He had hoped this was going to be his second chance at life. That he would come back, sweep her off her feet, and apologize for what he said. With a son at home, he was hoping to get to know Ben better and be the father that he always wanted to be. With Billy and Jessie engaged he saw his future vanish before his eyes. Steve had only ever had eyes for Jessie and now that wasn’t going to be an option. He knew Jessie like the back of his hand and he knew she still had feelings for him. When Billy showed up she didn’t have the same happiness as when she introduced Ben to him. Maybe with time, there could be hope for them. Until she marries that sheriff, Steve knew he had to try with everything in him to save their fallen relationship.

Chapter 14

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canetetienne · 5 months

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Where: Olivier's Appartment When: Early morning, after the awards afterparty @mrofontaine

In the dimly lit alleyways of London, Étienne moved stealthily like a caged beast, his veins coursing with a storm of fury. From the moment he found out about Lisette, with clenched his fists, he knew this rage was different, raw, untamed. It wasn't just the betrayal by Olivier that ignited the inferno within him; it was a culmination of every slight, every injustice Lisette would have to encounter in the grasp of the savage Russians.

His heart pounded like a war drum, each beat fueling the flames that consumed his soul. The memories of Frédo's guiding hand, the one who had shown him a path among the shadows, now felt like distant echoes drowned out by the need for vengeance. Étienne had always prided himself on his restraint, on his ability to channel his anger into calculated moves on the chessboard. But now, it was as if the floodgates had burst open, releasing a storm of wrath that threatened to engulf everything in its path.

Every step he took towards Olivier's apartment, sent tremors through his body, a testament to the turmoil raging within him. The air crackled with his volatile energy; his usually composed demeanor was replaced by a primal brutality, his eyes blazing with an intensity that bordered on madness.

Étienne knew that he was stumbling on the edge of oblivion, that the abyss of his rage threatened to consume him whole. But in that moment, as he stood knocking on his friend's (a term so loose in his mind in that moment) door, he welcomed the descent into darkness. For among the wreckage of his shattered restraint, lay the promise of retribution.

As the door to Olivier's apartment opened, a chilling silence hung in the air like a cloud. Without a word spoken, Étienne's fist exploded from the shadows, connecting with Olivier's jaw with a sickening thud. The force of the blow sent shockwaves rippling through the room, shattering any semblance of calm that remained.

He didn't give the man a chance to react as Étienne's vice-like grip seized him by the throat, his fingers digging into skin like steel. With a merciless shove, Étienne hurled Olivier backward, his back colliding with the unforgiving embrace of the wall, the relentless pressure bearing down on him.

"You were supposed to look after her." He finally said through his gritted teeth. "Not fuck around with a low-life Rutherford." His voice, low and gravelly, carried a chilling undertone of menace. "You take what's mine, so you look after them." He'd never forgive for what happened to Lisette, the mother of his child, the mother of his adopted children. As Étienne's fingers tightened their grip around Olivier's throat, each digit like an iron vice closing in, crushing the very breath from his lungs.

In that moment, Étienne loomed over him like a vengeful specter. It was a primal fury, untamed and unyielding, a force of nature unleashed upon the world with no remorse or restraint. There was little restraint left in him not to murder the man in front of him, little reasoning to forgive, yet his grip loosened slightly, albeit not fully.

"A promise to you, Olivier Fontaine. Anything that gets done to her, will be done to you." Étienne, a man of his word, always honored his promises with unwavering resolve, each vow etched in stone and bound by blood.

#;; olivier fontaine

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popculturebuffet · 2 years

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Big City Greens: The Chip Whistler Saga (A 13 Episode Retrospective) (Comissioned by WeirdKev27)

Hello all you happy people! We got a long one today but one i'm glad to finally cover as it's been a long overdue review blindspot. Despite this blog being built on Disney Channel's original animation, what with my Ducktales Season 3 reviews both starting my animation reviews and netting me Kev as a frequent comissioner, self proclaimed editor and basically producer of this blog and providing me with a lot of my fanbase, with my reviews of Owl House and Amphibia following it only growing from there. Disney is a vital foundation to this blog being the subject of a good chunk of my output, both paid and on my own time.

Despite this though there's been a bit of a blind spot. A show that just didn't fit regular coverage that well, so I haven't covered it week to week but that's defintely deserved SOME kind of review all this time, I just never realized I hadn't covered it at all till Kev came up with the idea of doing this arc. It's finally time for me to cover Big City Greens. Big City Greens is the brainchild of The Houghton Brothers, Chris and Shane, who previously worked on the criminally underated Harvey Beaks, a slice of life show with mild chaos and a charming large supporting cast from Chowder and Jellystone god among men CH Greenblat.

Big City Greens takes a lot of it's DNA from Harvey, being a somewhat chill slice of life show that still revels in slapstick and over the top worldbuilding, has a mostly feral child as one of the leads (as well as a good safe boy who tries to color between the lines). But while some of where the brothers Houghton came from is evident, and welcome given how much I love and still miss Harvey Beaks, and fear for it's little sister Jellystone for obvious reasons, Big City Greens is still very much it's own work with a unique identity: The Houghtons having grown up in a rural area and moved to the city for college, used the memories of this culture clash and their own childhoods to craft the tale of a charming country family forced to move to the city and getting into shenanigans after their forced to sell the family farm. It's like the Beverly Hillibillies if they hadn't become the 1%.

The show is nice mix of grounded yet zany, reminding me a lot of the simpsons (Which the Houghtons admit was a major inspiration): The world can get as goofy as needed for a joke, from mad scientiests using the family as Guinea pigs, to the family arch enemy using a mad max style coffee cart and just shooting it at people (more on that later), or the entire family deciding the best way to get rid of Cricket's annoying singing Barracuda toy behind his back is to flat out murder it with an axe, a stove and the lawnmower but the main cast themselves are grounded: Still hilarious but utterly relatable and realistic. Our heroes deal with class inequality, homesickness, not feeling like you fit in somewhere you moved, influencers abusing children, predatory businesses, and more things without loosing it's charm or a step. It's a throughly engaging show that never once stops charming the pants off you.

It's also the only one of the few animated shows Disney hasn't in some way treated like crap: The show is up to it's fourth season, a rarity for the network, hasn't been shuffled around time wise, is well promoted and is even getting a movie for Disney+ I can't help but be excited about. It's likely because unlike Disney's other greats like Ducktales, Amphibia or Owl House i'ts not seralized outside of one or two arcs, so it's easy to just throw episodes on. Plus Disney Logic dictates that kids don't like ongoing storylines or engaging characters even when it's transparently obvious they do and one of your biggest all agest franchies is built on that foundation, just like this blog is built on a foundation of praising the work creators put out for Disney while sighing heavily at the company that actually puts it out for near constantly fucking up.

So while apparently there are some who don't like the show for this, feeling it dosen't deserve it's sucess or it's somehow responsible for Owl House or Ducktales getting the shaft…

i've never been one of them. Sure it's a show I can fall behind on, tends to happen with me and slice of life as the lack of impetus to watch every week means I can let it pile up like the dumb dumb I am, but it's a show I highly respect and stands proudly next to the other standouts of the era. It's good at what it does, it's charming and it's hilarious.

So I was happy to cover it's biggest arc to date and one of the few running through it, which also happily runs into some other major plot points and episodes along the way. It tis the saga of the series only Big Bad to date, the only real true villian in a series full of minor jerks and a guy Vasquez knew once. A guy who seemed like he'd just be a jerk but went full on supervillian as the show went on. It's time to talk about Chip Whistler: If you don't know him your about to and if you don't know the greens thi sis a nice crash course as we weave both through his appearances and the episodes that enrich said appearances. So sit right back as I spin a yarn I like to call the Chip Whistler Saga

Welcome Home We start at the very top of the series and before we even get to the episode i've already run head first into a very familiar problem: The airing order. For the longest time Disney had a bad habit of just airing whatever episodes it felt like for a series instead of you know what the creators actually meant to make chronlogical sense. Ducktales 2017's first season is the most famous victim of this, with Disney's often arbtirary shuffling of the episodes meaning the intended, delicate ballance the creators had for the season was thrown off badly and for years many, including me, blamed the creative team till it got cleared up this wasn't their fault.

So it's not a huge shock Big City Greens, which came out a year after, got the same treatment, and thus the Disney+ order is different from the airing order. In most cases it's not a huge deal as while BCG has a strong continuity, something that only intensifies from season 2 onward, the plot important episodes are still mostly in about the same place: some come up earlier, some come up slightly later, but their all where they should be and unlike Ducktales where the episode pacing was a very tight balancing act, most of Big City Greens episodes are breezy slice of life numbers that can be put anywhere and those that NEED to be at the right place in a season are where they belong regardless of the list.

As such this seems to be, feel free to point out in the comments if i'm wrong, one of the few very noticable exceptions. THe series still works perfectly with Space Chicken as the start, it's what got me into the series and while I ocasionally forget to watch it it's never left my heart since that episode, but it's still weird to have an episode about the Greens moving in that was clearly produced to go first and explains some important things (Why the Greens are in the city and how Bill lost his finger) from the get go moved a ways down instead of just paired with space chicken as intended.

The episode itself is decent, getting Cricket, Tilly, Bill and Alice's characters across really well: Cricket is good hearted but incredibly egotistical, impulsive and has a bad habit of not listening to his dad, Tilly is soft, good natured, loves animals, but is also spacey and naive and Bill is well meaning but often too passive. (Or prideful but that comes later and his mom is well.. she's the kind of woman who takes lateness from her Son and grandchildren not as a sign their lost but as a sign she needs to fake her death to teach them a lesson. That really is Alice green in one sentence.

It's just a fairly standard plot of a bunch of characters unfamiliar with the city getting lost in it. Plenty of good jokes and a decent start, but not much else to say. It might be WHY it got delayed (even if again it comes off very weird to just plop it mid season) as Space Chicken , only having to introduce Remy and Gloria and only being off in that Tilly isn't a main character yet and thus Remy gets way more focus than her, just flows a mite better. Still worth watching and I still recommend the + order as it flows SLIGHTLY better.

Critterball Crisis:

So next up we get to the eps we need proper with Critterball Crisis, which gives us a proper introduction to Gloria. While she first debuted in Space Chicken with the rest of the non-nancy main cast (We'll get to her in a moment), this is the episode that startings fleshing her out into the depressed, insecure, grumpy mess we all know and relate to.

This also is where I started to notice a pattern, a type of episode the show really likes to go back to and showed up a lot during this marathon: "Cricket Screws Everything Up" Cricket does something impulsive, selfish or misguided, and his actions result in consequences for someone else and sometimes also himself he has to work to make up for, learning a lesson from the experince. Wethere the lesson sticks is a coin flip, but it still works since he's well 10. It took a long time for me , a 30 year old man to learn some lessons that seem obvious in hindsight. It does explain why some fans dislike the character though, as while he is endearing to me and does grow as the series progresses, I get when your watching every episode as opposed to a few every so often that having a character be the sole cause of conflict every other week can be tiring.

In this case Critter invents Critterball, basically Calvinball but with Livestock, and naturally pitches a ball into the cafe, angering Gloria who understandably is just trying to do her job. She tells him to not pitch any more balls over the fence.. and he ignores it and he , Tilly and Remy just pitch balls over anyway. Shockingly Gloria does not want to give the ball back, making her the first cranky person to not return a ball accidently pitched over a fence to be justifably mad as this is a place of buisness, it's wrecked the outside of the cafe, and could cost her a job as Food Service Bosses geninely don't give a shit whose fault it was and expect you to magically fix it.

I do like that the episode is clearly built to grow with the audience and fit both kids and adults: kids watching would likely side with Cricket, while any teen or adult whose worked a thankless job like Gloria's for too little money will likely understand WHY she's so pissed off at a child for wrecking her work place, giving her EXTRA work and then wanting his balls back to do it all again without a hint of regret. To a kid she's just the mean lady not giving Cricket his balls back.

I also love the scene after this where Cricket tries schmoozing her by asking about her effiel tower. I'm also glad I first saw this episode for this review as with the hindsight of later episodes, it provides both a great window into the character and some foreshadowing: For the former it shows she dreams of going to Paris, to explore the city of lights and finally get everything she wanted: her own cafe, a boyfriend (if one who CLEARLY is horrified a stranger just proposed to him. Even in her fantasies she can't win. I mean i'd do it, but i'm also an orangutan with nothing better to do with my time. I'm not a stubbly fantasy frenchman and i'm okay with that), a life. It shows right from the start one of her bigger flaws: the assumption she needs to do something big and grandoise with her life to be a success. It also hints at her starting the Cafe at the end of season 3, and solidfies she LIKES working in a cafe, something I genuinely didn't realize about her till she opened up the Gloria + Green cafe. She always seemed miserable but turns out it's just working minimum wage. Can. Relate.

Naturally Cricket's big idea for getting his balls back

Is to steal Gloria's Effiel tower and hold it hostage.

Naturally he ends up breaking it and while he is sorry, it's too late. Gloria is gone now. There is only vengeance in a gloria shaped shell destroying their balls leading to a brawl in the cafe Gloria nearly gets fired over because her day apparently cannot get worse. Thankfully both for Gloria and the Audience's Tolerance of Cricket, Cricket comes clean and offers to work off the debt and thus a brother sister relationship is forged by an act of true integrity and repentance. And also a dodgeball themed war involving the effiel tower and far animals. Just like all sibling bonds.

Supermarket Scandal

So now we get to the actual Chip Whistler portion of this Chip Whistler retrospective. And once again this episode is Cricket's Fault, this time somehow topping himself with harassing an innocent employee for making his actions have consequences by going behind his dad's back to try and fill an order to Wholesome Foods, which is unsubtle as heck but also a really nice parody name glad this show got to it first, that bill turned down, then trying to stick in a bunch of dangerous fake vegtables to fill said order.

As you can tell this episode dosen't quite work: The lesson Bill is trying to teach cricket, letting quality go over profit and letting the quality of the work speak for itself, something I try my best to do, it's a good one as is Tilly's lesson to combine Cricket's showmanship with Bills ethics. But the episode isn't all that funny apart from a mime breaking his ten year vow of silence.

Thankfully what salvages it is Chip himself whose just.. hilariously slimy. He instantly makes the audience recoil at his presence, from calling the greens hillbillies outright, to wiping his hand after finding out Bill is missing a finger. It does make Cricket's not all that likeable actions and getting away with them (only having to give up the money which bill likely would've made him give up anyway for pulling all this, so no actual consequence), work as you don't care that he ripped off this guy in paticular, and thanks to bill and tilly he gets all the fake food sans one piece back before anyone innocent bites it. He also actively warns chip against chewing an apple later after the greens start selling the fake food outright as fake food, so his first chipped tooth is ENTIRELY his fault for not listening. He vows revenge anyway.

I also have to give it to Chip's VA Paul Scheer. Scheer is an actor i've always loved, from his sadly short lived and underated Sketch Show human giant, to his various other voice acting roles to his amazing podcast with his wife June Diane Rapheael and my surrogate creepy uncle Jason Mantzokus, How Did This Get Made?. He's a top not comedian and having played smug before easily slips into Chip's entitled, condesnding hipster rich boy shoes and beaded braclet he wears around his ankle because apparently he needs extra douche points. Maybe he wins a free sundae. But Scheer handles chip both at this point and for the next few eps as a bumbling man baby.. and his slow transition into a slowly decaying manbaby whose become unhinged as he attempts to get revenge.

Family Legacy

This is one I already loved when I first saw it, but ended up being a textbook episode of an Innocuously Important Episode: An episode that, to quote Wayne Campbell "Seemed Extraneous at the time" but ends up being vital to a future story. In this case we learn the Green Family Farm has a habit of nearly being sold once a generation, usually requiring the child of the family to find some way to save it despite their parent having already given up. While it seems the episode, a treasure hunt for the lost family treasure that nearly gets grandma to sell when it turns out to be heirlooms, only to realize the whole point of those was to not sell and that a family's legacy is important and all that, as we'll see and most of you likely know the actual trial is to come and that indeed Bill will have pretty much given up already and be more than willing to leave.

The episode itself is really fun: not only is the treasure hunt aspect engaging, but the various flashbacks are neat, from a Cricket-Esque ancestor going on horesback to sell the Green's goods after the train stop they were counting on ends up being moved down a few miles, to Amelia Eirhart Tilly saving the farm with a cropdusting, to finally the most badass which naturally goes to Alice, whose response to finding water and her dad being...

Which is somehow genetic in this universe. So she STEALS THE NEARBYE BULLDOZER THING, WHATEVER IT IS AND USES IT TO DIG UP THE WATER AND SAVE THE FARM.

Don and Dawn, the realtor couple trying to get her to sell are also hilarous, just being way too chipper and apparently having just been. .waiting on the other side of the greens fence till Alice decided to sell. Either way a very good episode with suprising implications for later. Next!

Feud Fight

This one is solid. It's also the first Chip Episode I saw, but does a good job catching you up if you didn't see Supermarket Scandal and is easily the better of the two, as while Cricket once again causes some of the plots problem, he's coming from a good place: It's Farmers Market Time again and Bill puts Cricket and Tilly in charge of the stand after Alice drags him off to go find a hot pepper. We end up getting a fun , utterly hilarious sideplot about a weird pepper man out of it and Griffin McElroy utterly nails it as said weird pepper man while Bill is just . .baffled by all of it and Alice is ambivlant if happy to finally find a pepper spicy enough.

The reason we're here though is Chip is back and naturally has opened up a stand for Wholesome Foods directly across from our heroes. It's also hilariously sad that a rich manchild picking a fight with an actual child with a lower social standing for entirely stupid and petty reasons is something that not only feels like it's already happened but i'm shocked dosen't happen more.

This is also what makes Cricket actually justified in wanting to do an antic for once: While Bill did simply tell him to protect the stand in his mind chip is a threat to that. He has reason to do this for revenge, to do this to try and stay true, to do it for the ones who had to go on an extended pepper sidequest and doing it for you. Chip is trying to run down a small buisness that badly needs the money simply because of something stupid he did and was warned not to.

What makes the episode work though is while Cricket going after chip feels justfied.. it's still the wrong move. Revenge can feel good in the moment.. but it often sprials, not ending till something truly awful has already occurred. Thankfully this is a fairly light show so we haven't worked up to murder YET but going after chip in the most hilarous way possible (Tilly pretending to be a bedsheet ghost.. without having even cut out eyeholes and claming the foods haunted while everyone just believes her and Chip is somehow the voice of reason for once pointing out how obvious a con this is), only causes things to sprial. Sure it starts with him making japanese mascot Tomato San "dance tomato san dance" which is easily my faviorite line reed of Scheers across this arc, and one I BADLY hope somehow got quoted on how did this get made.

It gets actually damaging though when Chip starts blasting coupons out of a van which threatens not just the heroes stand but every other stand and before you know it

With Cricket and the other farmers marketers on one side, Chip and his employees who aren't getting paid near enough for this on the other. Tilly thankfully snaps her brother out of his blood rage before he kills a man.. I mean it's a justifable homicide but still he's too young to kill a man. Let him hit puberty first. Then the blood harvest can begin.

It's a fantastic character moment as Cricket sees the damage he's caused both the other farmers and the stand and that in giving into his anger, letting his rightful anger at chip ballon into vengeful rage, that he's become only marginally better than the enemy. And to the kids credit and showing just WHY he's still likeable despite screwing up: he always tries to make up for it. Some efforts ring truer than more, but this one defintely does as he drops his tomatoes, and generally tries to make peace with chip.

Chip, as his his nature as we'll see, screws himself over: Chip is so petty and vindictive that he GENUINELY can't fathom someone doing something for any reason other than spite, and assumes Cricket is planning to attack or something and thus pelts a child with tomatoes. And not just like one or two as one of his employees puts out he DESTROYS Cricket. This turns EVERYONE against him with a bunch of employees walking out (some come back as everyone needs a job and all), and Chip blaming Cricket for his own self made prison, going into a mad rant once Bill returns and trying to eat all their food.

It does not as he eats the peppers, melts his new teeth and once again blames the Greens for his problems. While the previous episode set up important parts of Chip, his arrogance, lack of empathy and complete inablaity to take any responsiblty for his own action, this episode really cements it.. and their only going to intensifiy from here.

Coffee Quest

We're back to Chip already

And thankfully also Gloria as we get one of my faviorite episodes. The setup is simple: There's a coffee bean shortage just as Cricket and Gloria are really getting on each others nerves, Cricket having been working the Coffee job for a few episodes now, and like any good siblings are just about to throw down when Mrs. Cho, the owner of the cafe who only speaks in grunts that Gloria can only understand because they share a voice actress, comes in and has a proposition: There's a shipment of coffee beans coming in, vital to keep the cafe going during this. If our heroes can get there and back again, Cricket's debt is solved and I assume Gloria gets a crown like the queen she is or something. I don't know what she gets out of this other than being free of Cricket, which is nice and all but given this is a woman often living paycheck to paycheck, you MIGHT want to give her a cut of the loot. Could pay off an iota of her student loans, just saying forgivness hadn't kicked in yet. She needs this.

The twos conflict dosen't really SETTLE, but Cricket does prove invulable at the bean site, where every coffee joint in town is waiting and the suplier is more than willing to have them fight it out and let whoever emerges bloody and triumphant from the wreckage get it. Thankfully Cricket just super mario jumps on their heads, acrobats his way past his competttion and various other feats, so getting the bag is easy.

Keeping it.. .is while sadly not a warriors style ordeal about a bunch of diffrent coffee groups, maybe someday , maybe someday, it's still an ordeal since ya know Chip is back. Made it pretty obvious. It's the ONLY time in this arc and in general his main goal isn't fucking with Cricket. I mean he still makes time for it, as a good arch should, but he's here more because Wholesome Foods is also after the bag. Getting to fuck over Cricket is just an executive bonus. He also entirely misreads the room and hits on Gloria, who properly responds to his skeezy come ons by sweeping the leg. Sensei Kreese would be proud. Turns out Gloria knows Tae Kwan, Tae Kwan, Tae Kwan Doe!, and while she hasn't had to use it against the ninja yet the series is young.

Gloria and Cricket are on good terms again, having bonded but needing to escape. Cricket quickly screws up the good vibes by taking Gloria's car and trashing it, but doing so at least gets Chip's van out of the way and gives them time to hide.

This is where the episode really shines: While the frantic chase between our heroes and chip is fun and all and the actoin is at it's peak here, especailly for a series that only has action sequences every so often is awesometastic, what really makes the episode is this scene as our heroes end up hiding in Gloria's apartment and while we got a hint at who she was with "Critterball Crisis" and "Paint Misbehavin" (which we'll get to in a future BCG retrospective... yes folks if you want it there's even more planned), this one finsihes fleshing her out with a twist that genuinely suprised me when I watched the ep: Gloria ISN'T from the city. While it's easy to tell in this episode as she talks up being a city girl so much that it's clear she isn't, it's not something you'd guess but its something that adds depth to her: like yours truly, Gloria grew up in the suburbs, with two loving parents and left for Big City to try make SOMETHING of her life after college. I deeply relate to feeling like your wasting your life and badly wanting something anything to make you feel special. Just some sort of purpose. Instead of giving her that going to big city has just exausted her. It's also why she lashes out at Cricket so much: while part of it's antic, a lot of it's simply him being her mirror: he's also a fish out of water in a city that seems to actively reject him at time.. and yet he's also settled incredibly well, tackling everything with far more confidence than her, getting rewarded for it far more often, and easily attracting friends. He's happy in his own skin and she simply isn't and wonders if she'll ever fit.

It's what makes Gloria such a perfect mirror to the greens: Most of the Greens are optimists (With Alice, whose once bad day from trying to murder everything and everyone who isn't related to her, being the obvious exception). They try to belive the best in people, work hard, and make the most of each day. Even Bill who tends to be the most anxious and the most likely one to crash things to reality, still tries his best and tries to be a good person despite life having repeadtly wacked him upside the head having seen his dad die at a young age, loosing most of the family farm because his mom had to refocus on taking care of him, a divorce with someone he clearly still carries somewhat of a torch for and vice versa, said ex-wife going to jail for a while for trying to HELP him, and loosing the farm despite her sacrifice. Despite ALL of that bill still keeps going.

Gloria is TRYING to keep going... but unlike our heroes dosen't have a support system: Her parents love her but as the show will bear out also put a LOT of pressure on her without realizing it. Her friends don't seem all that close and her one roomate is a parrot who repeats the things she says in her lowest moments, talking about her being so lonely and missing home or having eaten a whole carton of ice cream in one go. It's no wonder she's barely holding on by this ep, and as we'll see while Cricket's sweet earnestness that he's there for her helps, it can't fix a problem this deep. Our heroes only get this far because they have each other and it's by them gladly letting Gloria in that she starts to heal and grow as a person.

The climax is also spectacular as Cricket (or rather Gloria with Cricket telling her the number), calls Tilly for an assit and we get our heroes racing chip in a chariot and winning.. and the bittersweet realization that Cricket and Gloria's time working together is over. Naturally since the Houghtons aren't done with this setup JUST yet, it dosen't last and heartwarmingly Gloria breaks stuff, pins it on cricket iwth his approval and our heroes are reunited.. and one of them is massively in debt again!

Phoenix Rises

We now get to one of the biggest twists in the series history, done early so you all know and love it but when I first saw a clip of this eps ending my jaw dropped.

The episode itself is a heartwrenching story as Phoenix, the green's lovable red rug of a dog whose as old as cricket and thus getting on in years, suddenly darts off, with Cricket blaming it on him half assing a brushing job for the old gal. WE can see that Phoenix just smelled SOMETHING and took off, but to a kid whose dog may be gone for good it's just eating the poor kid alive. For once Cricket didn't do anything terrible, just slacked off slightly on a chore. Phoenix dosen't seem to care if she gets brushed or not. So it's almost 11 minutes of the poor boy beating himself up and looking for the dog and coming oh so close only to keep failing again and again, eventually coming home defeated. I mean it's not over, as Bill puts it they will keep looking they just can't all night and it's not his fault. It's really excellent stuff and easily some of Chris' best acting as he really sells that feeling when a pet gets lost and your not sure they'll make it home. Top notch stuff

Thankfully Phoenix DOES come back... and he brought a guest. A mystery biker who Bill makes a playful coomment about getting out of jail and lifts her helmet. And this is where my jaw, and Remy's represnting us dropped originally as the kids say one thing that instantly turns this on it's head and explains everything "Mom!"

See for those newer to the series who might of met Nancy BEFORE this, as after this she's main cast, you have to understand that for the first 2/3 of season 2 the kids mom was an enigma. She dosen't come up much, but the kids also don't see mournful of her either, yet refrence her recently enough ti's clear she HAS been in their lives. It's not clear if she and Bill are divorced, seperated or what. With this it becomes clear both where she's been AND sends her back into their lives. And that this episode was just the cliffhangery warmup that after a few important episodes leads into the real reason I covered this one, Nancy's proper debut..

Uncaged

This is an episode I already liked on first watch but got better. It's not every cartoon that would say "Ex-Con Rights" but i'm glad one did and this one does it exellently

Nancy did mess up: While she tried freeing some dairy cows from a corporate farm for the right reasons (said farm not treating them well and as we'll learn threatning her familes livelyhood), she admits it cost her time with her kids, dosen't plan to do crime again, and is by all accounts a vibrant woman who her kids love. She's got the "cool parent" vibes, but she's shown to be a very good mom, to the point that when Cricket wants to follow in her footsteps and break out an orangutan she calls him a good kid and tells him not to.

The problem dosen't come from Nancy herself, but from everyone else. For the kids Cricket worries he's not cool enough and thus stupidly tries to break out the orangutan, worrying her calling hi ma "good kid' means sh'es not impressed by him. She is she just dosen't want to land him in prison which given this retrospective so far is a valid concern. This leads to our heroes having to get all the animals back, which has a ton of fun bits, the standouts to me personally being the turtle who gets stuck in a club and our heroes have to crowdsurf out and the Giraffe who eats Greg's Nicose salad.. which quickly escalates to him blasting his boyfriend for not liking his cooking then begging they just let him have this and let the giraffe finish eating. God bless you man, god bless you.

The issue.. is everyone else. Alice is just awful.. and not in her usual loveable curmudgeon sort of way. She hates nancy which as the show will prove she always has but uses her being an ex-con as an excuse to be cruel to her and wants her not around the kids despite having done her time and served her sentence. Bill at least TRIES to be a mature adult, letting her take the kids overnight as he should and fighting his worse instincts: while alice gets in his head about the prison thing, he tries fighting it for the longest time before eventually surrendering to worry. In the end when he sees Nancy apparently helpping the police and hugging the kids, having clearly not been behind the nights animal antics or at least trying to stop it, he realizes he was right and basks in it. He shoudln't too hard, as again he crumbled fairly easily, but it shows how these ingrained society prejudices against former convicts can affect even GOOD people

Then there's Officer Keys who never really recovered from this episode with me. The houghtons acurratly portray how the system, represented by Keys who at least is played amazingly by Andy Daly. Keys is normally a kind officer.. but with Nancy he automatically assumes she's behind the Zoo breakout, chases her around town and generally ignores the actual problem or her clearly trying to fix it in favor of locking her back up. He only relents when the kids confess they aren't and let's everyone go. Granted it's hilarious as his partner points out it probably shoudln't work that way but gavel gavel, case dismissed. The system dosen't WANT Nancy to do better, they just wait for her to possibly mess up. Thankfully she survives it and the episode ends in the most heartwarming way imaginable: a mother hugging her children and assuring them she coudln't love them any less if she tried.. and not to tell their dad who already knows about any of this. Awwww

Reckoning Ball

So yeah you know how I kept saying during "Feud Fight" that we hadn't gotten to attempted murder YET? Well this is why.

We jump ahead to Season 2 and Wholesome Foods is a ghost town. And not the fun kind with bedsheet ghosts in lil spooky sheriffs hats. Turns out pelting a child with produce and bragging about it is a terrible idea in the social media age and has got the store boycotted. Chip naturally blames the greens for this and takes the rational, adult step of renting a wrecking ball and heading to their house to murder them

The sad part is while it's an extreme escalation, I do wish there was a step between corprate hyjinks and straight up attempted murder, it still fits the character enough to work: We've seen Chip takes no responsiblty, assumes consquences don't apply to him (and being rich he'd be right if this was the real world), and picked a fight with a 10 year old for incredibly stupid and petty reasons. It's a stretch sure but not a massive one that he was one series of bad days from just outright trying to murder them.

Shockingly trying to murder a family with a wrecking ball dosen't go unoticed, as Officer Keys, doing his job right for once, bravely stands between the greens and death and the most chip gets is part of the roof destroyed and his chip toothed again.

We meet Chip's kind, thoughtful dad whose ready to just fire his son, truly saddened his son turned into well...

And only dosen't because Chip Whines enough. So his dad draws up the standard company forgivness contract which makes me giggle as a company having someone sign a document saying "we forgive you" is something i'm shocked dosen't exist.

Naturally Chip showing up to the people he just tried to murder dosen't go well Cricket and Alice rightfully attacking him and Tilly getting ready to call the police and showing we share a brain "I hope they call the dogs this time"

Chip gets them to stop as he did come just to say sorry.. but Cricket and Alice rightfully don't buy it. Bill does show his character: he also dosen't buy it nor is he just going to sign it when Chip is VERY clearly not trying to be a better person.. but he will give him a chance to make things square as this feud going on can only end badly and it's the right thing. He could be a LITTLE more suspcious of the guy, but he's at least trying to set a good example for his kids and I can respect that.

Bill isn't SOFT though. When Chip's half assed roof repair only causes more damage by having Chip land in a garden, all the while Cricket rightfully laughs at chips commupance, Bill adds that to his tab to. While Chip assumes it's a power move and being unfair, Bill is simply asking him to fix what he broke and had Chip actually listend to bill and done the roof right, he wouldn't of fallen off it.

It is so satisfying seeing chip have to do gardening, and showing Cricket gladly choring, and only dig himself further, having a hallucination after only 10 minutes from exaustiona nd burying the kids bikes. He then has a crybaby tantrum and destroys everything... only creating more work for himself because he can't really do anything right.

It's then we get a moment of truth. While BIll WANTS chip to be better and finds out about the contract, he also wants to know why chip's like this. Chip points out he wants to take over for his dad and be good at it.. and here he could've turned aorund. He makes a speech claming he'll fix everything and try to be better..a nd he could've. He could've stopped being an enemy, become a friend and heck we may even of had him hire the greens.

But.. ultimately Chip's worst enemy. .is himself. He becomes CEO.. but he's so stuck on his pety grudge, a grudge that no longer makes sense as the greens think he's reformed and he now owns his own company, he plans to use it against them. Had chip just walked away, at ANY point not just now, he might of actaully had a good life and got to enjoy things.. instead.. it's only going to get worse for him.

Elevator Action

Cards on the table, this is my favorite episode of the show. It's something I didn't even realize till I sat down to type about it. It's emotionally rich, deeply hilarious and gives every character something hilarious to do and really gets to what the heart of the show is about: Family. And while most of the shows family is indeed related, sometimes Family is not who your born into but who you find along the way.

SHOCKINGLY it's also a Gloria episode. Cards still on the table: She's my faviorite of the main cast, and a lot of it is that she's deeply relatable: deeply insecure about where she is in life, often depressed, and working minimum wage. The only diffrence I haven't moved out of my Mom's house.

So the opening where Gloria after a day of work not only vegges out with some funny videos, though I personally prefer this guy to people falling down...

youtube

But to each their own. I also relate to seeing everyone else seemingly doing better than you are on social media and feeling you've done nothing with your life. I mean I at least have this as a career, but there was a time I didn't. I've been in a state of constantly feeling like i've done nothing with my life and will go nowhere and even now I struggled with that sort of anxiety.

Gloria plans to deal with it in her own way, which involves going up a big glass elevator to see her landlord and turn in her key, her finances being so strained she can only afford 10 minutes on the meter and has to make this quick and hopefully not run into anyone.

Naturally given this series needs her and I needs her, fate and the creative team ain't going to let it be that easy and the Greens happen to show up with Cricket naturally locking on her and not getting the hint that maybe she dosen't have time for this, says Gloria a lot and tries T-1000 his way through the door. Gloria gives up and lets him and his family in. I also love Gloria's statment "I can't deal with people I know today". We've all been there.

Why our heroes are there is always something i've really loved: City Exporation Day: Each saturday one of the family picks a place in the city to go visit they've always wanted to. It's a really cute way to both get them familiar and have some fun and I really give Bill credit for it. May tell my brother to try that with the nieces.

Tilly picked a museum and Cricket naturally picked a big glass elevator, which frustrates bill but does make SOME sense once he has Gloria look outside it. Cricket also unsuprisingly is that kid who pushes all the buttons and Gloria's understandable attempt to undo it and less understandable button fighting with her sibling gets the elevator stuck.

What follows is just... pure comedy gold as everyone is grappling with something; Alice naturally freaks out, having a fear of elevators, and in doing so breaks the emergency phone, Tilly adorably decides they just live here now and makes a fashion statment out of the rubble of said phone, and Cricket and Bill grapple over Cricket having bought a child sized drink.. specifically the size of a child liquified. As such Cricket needs to go and Gloria gets caught in the middle of bil trying to teach him a lesson instead of giving her the phone. It's a golden moment for each green that really sells who they are. Said phone also having a REALLY bad plan is hilarious. Seems like Bill upgraded after this or it dosen't matter as the joke is funny enough. We also get a cute moment of tilly tucking gloria in with part of the carpet she tore up. It's really sweet.

Eventually though Gloria breaks down and admits why she's here to the Greens, with Cricket naturally taking it the hardest and her reasons are heartbreaking: Like I said she's alone here and that combined with her feelings of inadcuacy finally broke her. She hasn't done what she set out to do, her friends are all succeding somehow, and she has no one to help hold her up when she's down.. or so she thinks. That feeling of lonliness is powerful and Anna does a REALLY fantastic job showing off Gloria's pain.

Thankfully the firefighters arrive and Gloria dashes to go save her car and Cricket, after failing to give an inspiring speech thanks to his bladder, instead heads for the bathroom. Chris' noises as Cricket takes a whiz are both hilarious and deeply uncomfortable

Turns out though Gloria only THOUGHT she was alone. She gets to the car as it's being towed.. only to find the Greens gladly standing up to stop it and annoying the Tow Truck driver into leaving. As Cricket puts it "You're never alone when you have us! I can't belivie I had to explain that to ya". It's a good show of how depression works: you often do feel alone.. but more than not your not alone and you never were. Cricket always cared about her and while he can be obnoxious about it, he's there for her and as for Bill, as he puts it he also lost a car with everything he owns in it. He gets how she feels.

With that.. Gloria invites the greens over and Bill buys pizza.. and Cricket buys 4 more giant sodas having learned nothing. Or maybe he has and just realizes it's easier on the bladder when you can just go to the bathroom again and again at will. Either way the ending of them all together unpacking gloria's stuff is adorable, as is Cricket telling her grouchy neighbor no you shut up. She's not alone. And with that we've left the episodes without Chip... and enter the thunderdome.

Friend Con

This one is just pure fun. The Greens head to Farm Con, the usual farmers convention where Bill is a keynote speaker and is in heaven with things like a booth on dirt and new crop rotation techniques. It's weird how a character named Bill reminds me so much of Hank Hill i'll tell ya what.

Bill admits missing his friend joe, who he hasn't seen since he moved out of the city years ago, and Tilly being a gentle soul wants to find him a friend. Gramma meanwhile goes about stealing all the swag for the episode and ends up having to run as she takes ALL of it. Like not one per booth EVERYTHING. Usopp bless this woman.

So after shooting down most contestants in eyesight they find Chip and since they don't know he's evil again yet, try to make them friends. Naturally Chip turns this into an evil scheme, planning to replace Bill at his speech to ruin his good name which is both simplier and suprisingly well thought out than most of his plans.

The kids find out , have to stop it, and end up getting Grammas help as she tries breaking out with her semi-ill gotten gains. As you can tell this is a very simple episode but the concept works out: WE know Chip isn't a good person anymore but not what his plan is since he's here for a farmer meet and greet (which he naturally skips), so it's a matter of figuring out what his angle is with bill. Will he do somethign NOW or will he use this later? I mean it's obviously now, Chip tried murdering a family because he pelted a child with tomatoes, impulse control isn't something he has. But you aren't sure going in.

Of course our heroes get to the real bill, and the actual Joe turns out to have been there the whole time and reconnects with Bill. Chip also gets all but his front teeth chipped , having gone platinum last time. So there's that. The main takeaway is that Chip is becoming more and more unhinged since becoming CEO .. and it's about to reach it's peak.

Chipwrecked

As you can see from the image

Like look I didn't know I needed Paul Scheer on top of a starbucks themed mad max tank in post apocalypse gear over a suit having barristas literally shoot coffee at people from a hose to try and cost a little boy his job, all while some woman walks her husband on a leash because that's just their thing. You didn't know you needed Paul Scheer on top of a starbucks themed mad max tank in post apocalypse gear over a suit having barristas literally shoot coffee at people from a hose to try and cost a little boy his job, all while some woman walks her husband on a leash because that's just their thing. We all didn't know we needed Paul Scheer on top of a starbucks themed mad max tank in post apocalypse gear over a suit having barristas literally shoot coffee at people from a hose to try and cost a little boy his job, all while some woman walks her husband on a leash because that's just their thing. But it's glorious we have it.

Somehow this is Chip's rock bottom: Cricket isn't remotely taking him seriously, fully confident, and correctly so, Chip will somehow screw up and ruin his own plan despite Gloria and Mrs. Cho's hestiancy, and the rest of the Greens also agree. It's easy to see why: He's only won ONCE out of his appearances, and that was because they were being nice and trying to be the bigger people. He's only remotely won or gotten close when he's used his brain.. which he shockingly has.

That is nice setup for today though when he finally DOES win. While a chunk of the episode is about Cricket tricking his family with a "bring your family to work day"" scam that ends how you'd expect, that's the subplot: The main plot is Chip having hit his lowest: his board is fed up with him never doing actual work, he's deshevled, none of his plans are working, and his obession with beating the greens has left him somehow MORE of a shell of a man than he already was.

It's once again his father who in his attempts to do right by his son instead ends up giving his son the matches to burn everything down: He points out Chip isn't a manager anymore, he's a CEO. He has the whole empire at his proposal. He needs to start acting like it.

So he does..... and Chip does indeed level up. See something i've noticed while writing this is every time Chip uses his head instead of acting on his impulses, he does well: like I said he has a brain and as we've seen it can be dangerous: he got the greens to sign simply by faking sincerty and nearly won last time not with an over the top villanous scheme but simply manipulating bill and the greens and only lost because Bill happened to have a friend there.

So when he combines that with remembering "Oh yeah I have the endless money code unlocked now I have a company", he comes up with a sinsiter over the top scheme.. that's also terrifyingly well thought out and clever. Chip's win here is as cool as it is horrifying: he decides to start up his "Wholesome Foods Expansion Plan", buying up part of big city to launch a giant, modern as hell new Wholesome Foods. And naturally it just so happens to start with buying out big coffee and just so happens to involve taking out the greens entire street.

How he takes over Big Coffee is also great, he comes in having hired bouncers to replace his former minions, aka hired goons, and has them start tearing it all down. It seems like one of his usual half assed schemes and the one that finally ends in him getting arrested.. till he pulls out this gem of a line after.

"Truth is I don't own the place yet but I will in about five seconds"

Cue him writing Mrs. Cho a check, getting big coffee and throwing our heroes out, leaving everyone panicing as Chip ACTUALLY won and Chip rubbing it in cricket's face about the contract, the episode ending on everything being terrible and our heroes being backed into a corner. And so we come to our finale, one of the series best episodes and the reason we're all here.

Chipocalypse Now

So we end the saga with Chipocalypse Now, the game changing half hour special. Chip is naturally bathing in having basically won, quickly acquiring the apartments next door and then building his new mega store directly over the greens home, blocking their crops.

Naturally the family wants to fight back... sans Bill who took the previous loss of the farm to mean you can't fight the rich and he should give up

I was livid with Bill when I first watched this.. but with some time to reflect I realized I was a bit hard on the guy. He's still WRONG, our heroes shoudln't give up and even if there's a risk some fights are worth it, which ends up being the point of the episode. But not only is he meant to be in the wrong, you get why with his backstory. His whole life big buisness has won over him: Nancy went to jail failing to fight them, they eventually wore out his farm to the point the bank forclosed, and even as a kid his needing attention meant his mom had to sell more land. None of this is his fault: Nancy was an adult who knew the risks and only regrets not seeing her kids for so long, Bill tried his best and sometimes even when you do that you fail, and his mom did what she did for his sake and is fine with what she had left. I can't blame him for being so jaded he assumes they'll loose, but I do blame him for not seeing that his family dosen't want to give up and shouldn't while they CAN still fight. It's frustrating to see Bill constantly telling them not to do anything, but I get it enough to accept it.

So our heroes naturally ignore that and Cricket, Tilly and Alice all go raid the grocery store.. only to run into Gloria. This.. isn't handled the best in my eyes. I get her viewpoint: "I don't need a family I need a job" and I get her TAKING the job, chip likely offered it to her immidently just to fuck with cricket more and while it sucks, it feels like she could be just a pinch more conflicted. She blames cricket for all of this but.. like he's 10 and was trying to do the right thing and forgive and Chip is 30 something and doing all of this to bully a child. Prioritse glorious gloria, priorities. Still it's a minor writing hickup.

Bill is naturally annoyed at this but Nancy still wants to fight back and DOES show some growth from last time by taking Bill's words to heart... not giving up, but trying to do this the legal way first. Since Chip Showed them a piece of paper saying imminent domain, well more gloated about getting the mayor to do it, then they need to confront the mayor on it. They go to the mayor, a hilariously spineless people pleaser played by Andy Richter who dosen't like people being upset at him and is fine to help them till Chip shows them a pettition for the greens to leave. Rightfully smelling a rat or the clear bodyspray shower Chip takes every morning Nancy takes his tablet.. and gets arrested again. It's truly devistating, not only for this to happen to the kids again, but that Officer Keys AGAIN does it. YOu can see why maybe I don't like a cop who dosen't seem the LITTLEST bit sorry to arrest a woman in front of her children.

Bill is mad, which I get but also maybe don't lecture your kids when they just saw their mom get arrested, and being told no one wants them here really rattles cricket. Thankfully Nancy wasn't stupid and while she coudlnt' keep the tablet did send the pettition to Bill's phone.. revealing that Remy was one of the signees

The next scene is objectively funny as Cricket shouts betrayal and tackles remy from offscreen, Vasquez naturally steps in and Remy tells them both to stop and affirms he never betrayed cricket. They cut that episode. Naturally Chip faked it, and if they can get to his computer they can prove it. We also get a nice scene of Cricket and Tilly going to their mom and letting thier worries loose btu Nancy reassures them: Yes this fight cost her but it was worth fighting for. And if Chip is going to take everything anyway, they might as well go down swinging.

So while Bill still refuses to fight, Cricket, Remy, Tilly and Alice make a plan: Team Spidercat, the fellas, will go try and get the evidence while Team Thunderbandit, the gals, guard the farm and prepare for war.

Team Spidercat tries going through the front door but fails since it's closed. Thankfully Gloria dumping them out a chute earlier means they have a way in and using an opening sequence refrence Team Spidercat gets inside. They end up running into Gloria, but Cricket finally gets through to her, pointing out their family has always been there for her (accurate), and their on the cusp of loosing their home. Gloria changes sides, gives Cricket her key card and takes care of the goons that come for them. I mean she looses but at least she takes the goon with her.

Team Thunderbandit has to get to work early as chip plans to start construction earlier than the planned midnight because of course and it's up to our heroines to hold the line. They do well, but eventually needs helps. We get a truly Johnny Lawrence level badass moment as they radio Cricket.. nad Remy reveals he was ready for this, calling in a code red... and Vasquez swings in , beats up a ton of mooks and declares "The greens are master remy's closest friends. I won't let anything happen to them". Bad. Ass.

He and Alice quickly go back to back for life, and I kinda ship them? Is that weird? I mean Vasquez is clearly younger but like he seems older than Bill? I dunno man, either way i'm for it I just want to know. At any rate they do well for most of it, and Bill comes out to once again bill things up despite Chip you know having shown up to wreck the place early. That's when Tilly gets her moment in the sun giving one hell of a speech pointing out why their doing this.

"Mama knew the risks, but she couldn't stand by while our family was under attack. And now, the Green family is under attack again! Maybe we are just the little guys... but if we stand together as a family... we have a real chance to turn things around. And I won't give up on our home while there's still a chance. Isn't our family worth fightin' for?"

Bill runs back inside.. but comes back with Chicken Feed fully convinced.. as is most of big city as the news came to record this and thus everyone now knows what Chip is doing.. just as Chip heads to go confront cricket.

We get the gag of the episode as Remy sarcastically says "Gee cricket ya think this might be chip's office", given it has a giant portrait of him ,and naturally the results are all from one IP adress. They print it out and Remy once again shows he's awesome by faking being a lost child to distract the goons while Chip plans to finish this.

Outside Bill awesomely stops some jackhammers with a swarm of chickens, but our heroes are soon cornered when Cricket arrives with the evidence, and Nancy, having been freed by officer became a decent human being, has just brought the mayor. Said evidence goes up in helicopter as Chip naturally is a step ahead.. but he's still two steps behind as the various friends, associates and one off pepper weirdos of the greens have shown up to protest their being kicked out. The Mayor is upset people are mad at him, sad that I can relate, and Nancy get shim to do the right thing: he saves the Greens house and bans chip from town. With nothing left to loose Chip goes back to his old plan a for the season: MURDER THE SHIT OUT OF THEM.. and for once last time.. .his impulsivness dooms him, with cricket getting him caught on a banner and launching him out of town.. and just for added irony his tooth chips. Chip has been defeated, probably not for good sadly as I just realized the Greens just moved OUT of big city this season... and Chip isn't banned from smalton. I mean he has no more resources but that hasn't stopped him before now has it? Btu for now the big bad is defeated, the farm is safe and the other properties go back up as was. IT's a truly heartwarming ending, our heroes having truly won.

It does get a hilarious and awesome button though as Gloria just.. moves on in. She did the right thing but she can't really afford her aprtment so she's moving in. THey don't get a say in this. Though honestly I don't think Bill would've turned her down from just asking and it's not like she's wrong. So Bill has a third kid now as we roll credits.

The Chip Whistler arc. .is excellent and it, and the episodes I showed adding some depth to things, show just how strong this show is. It's not heavy on an arc, nor does it need to be but it has heart, a very strong continuity and courage to shake things up: the status quo soen't stay too samy for long: Nancy joins mid season 1, Chip is foiled here close to the end of this season leading to Gloria joining the house, and next season they move back to the country. The Houghtons made a point of shaking things up around the middle each season and it gives the show new life every time. I can't wait for what comes next and if you want to see me come back, then like or reblog this. let me know. Because me and Kev.. we already have ideas for the sequel. This was a fun, exausting project and I can't wait to do it all again. Thanks for reading .

#big city greens #cricket green #tilly green #chip whistler #gloria sato #bill green #nancy green #alice green #disney channel #disney+#Youtube

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