#when maddie at her heart is a good person who wants to help people

[madelynevere]

i've said it before n i'll say it again, maddie remaining the goblin queen is not true to her character whatsoever and she deserves to be free from that. she also deserves to be using her mutant powers more than she does

[alchemistc]

There's been something about the woobification of Buck that's been sitting on the tip of my tongue for weeks now, and I think I've finally figured it out.

This is, of course, mostly in reference to the moral outrage about a decade-ish (give or take) age gap between two adult men and the infantalization of one said grown man, so all the puritanism isn't really coming from a place of good faith anyway, but here's the thing that's been bugging me that I couldn't quite put a finger on until now.

Buck has people he goes to for certain things. He has, what are in his mind, experts in the field for most of the things he can't think through on his own, that he goes to for a sounding board.

He went to Hen to talk through the sperm donor dilemma for a few reasons that made sense to him. 1) She's a mom. She has very much had to deal with the reality of 'giving up' children she considered her own. Buck is aware that he would be giving up something that could mean something to him, and he wants to talk to someone who has some insight into that. 2) She's dealt with IVF. She knows the risks, she knows the trials and tribulations, she knows about this thing that he is thinking about agreeing to be a part of so she's going to have a fuller grasp on the enormity of everything this process entails.

And they drink about it. Hen gives him what she can and cautions him where she thinks she should and they continue to talk about it and regardless of what SHE thinks, he makes his mind up in part because he got to talk to his Expert.

Bobby is often his go to when he feels like he's losing his grip on things. He's seen Bobby staring down the bottom of the bottle. He's seen the work he's done to pull himself back into the world, and he's seen the way he fights for his family, his people. Buck leans on him in times of questioning himself because he knows Bobby has pulled himself off the ledge with bleeding hands and a bleeding heart.

He reaches out to Maddie about interpersonal shit constantly. We see it all the way back in S2 when he's starting to question what the hell he's still doing in Abby's apartment, and that never really changes. She's the one with advice for him when he's angry with his parents, upset with the firefam, worried about his friends, or just generally concerned with the way he's perceived by people or how he perceives the world. He goes to her when he's embarrassed, ashamed, because he knows she won't judge him for it. She'll call him out, for sure, but she's not going to look at him differently when she knows he's done something he considers bad behavior.

When he goes to her during the Tommy arc, he's there for one reason he'll admit, and another she has to ferret out. 1) He lied to his best friend and he doesn't know why. 2) Oh yeah he went on a date with a dude that's not strange WHY IS THAT STRANGE I'VE ALWAYS BEEN AN ALLY PLEASE DON'T PULL BACK THE CURTAIN - and Maddie is there with two things: 1) It's not weird but it IS new and something you clearly haven't worked through all the way which is why 2) you'll tell Eddie when you're ready

And Eddie is sort of his go-to to bounce ideas off of. Eddie is his Buck expert. Eddie is the guy who can sort through all the bullshit and who sees Buck for exactly who he is, every time, regardless of what Buck himself is thinking. Eddie is his best friend, and he knows the good the bad and the ugly better than anyone else. He is also, quite frankly, the one Buck seeks out to help him contextualize all of his romantic feelings for people. Eddie's the guy he talks to when he's interested in someone, when he's falling for someone, he's the guy through which Buck filters his love interests into the firefam. I do the same shit with my best friend. It's instinct to want the person you consider the expert on you to meet the person you are interested in, it's instinct to want them to like each other, to get along. Buck knows Eddie loves him (in whatever way you see that love, Buck knows Eddie loves him) and he wants this person who loves him to be at least an active listener as he talks himself through the minefield of relationships. I do also think that up until the events of season seven, Buck considers Eddie sort of an expert on that traditional love-marriage-kids-white-picket-fence relationship Buck thinks he's striving for - in a very naive way, because obviously the wasn't what Eddie and Shannon had and Buck knows that, but he's probably fed some of Eddie's rose colored reminiscences back into that notion.

When he comes out to Eddie he's got two worries. 1) I lied to you and I figured out why but I'm still a little worried you think it's weird and 2) I screwed it up with someone I really like and I don't know where to go from here.

And Eddie (Buck expert) reassures him that just because it's new and unexpected doesn't make it strange, that it doesn't change anything in their friendship. And then he gets right to the heart of it - if you like him you should reach out and tell him that. He doesn't know you like we do but if you give him the chance to, he'll love you as much as we do. If he doesn't give it the same shot you want to he's the idiot.

With all that context in mind, Buck isn't seeking out Tommy's attention because he wants an authority figure, or someone to take care of him, someone to guide him through sex or love or relationship dynamics or any of the other random shit I've seen ppl infantalizing Buck about.

What he's looking for, and what he ultimately tells Tommy he'd like to pursue, is a partnership. Someone to walk (or more likely for Buck, speedrun) through experiences together. The Athena to his Bobby, the Chim to his Maddie, the Karen to his Hen.

So every time I see someone infantalizing Buck for seeking out a relationship with an older man for X or Y reason, I'm just like - no. He has Bobby, Hen, Maddie, Eddie, Chim etc for that. He doesn't want or need Tommy for that. He is a grown ass man who has built these strong relationships with his peers and his mentors and he is so fucking aware of that because he reaches for their help any time he feels the urge for a helping hand.

So yeah, Tommy's older. Yes, Tommy has more experience with his sexuality than Buck. And that - that's really it. Buck's been in the same career for more than half a decade. He's lived on his own since he was no older than 19/20. He's had serious relationships, he has a rich and fulfilling life. There is no power imbalance in the relationship between Buck and Tommy.

And while the age gap may be a bit of a draw for Buck, it's not WHY he's attracted to Tommy. We know because he's told Maddie. He's cool. He's interesting. He's confident. He has a cleft.

Buck isn't going into this waiting for someone older and more experienced to take the fucking reins. He felt like he clicked with Tommy, like there was an immediate connection, and yes, Tommy had to kiss him about it for Buck to actually figure out what it was he was experiencing, but from that point on it was all on Buck (and the people he leans on for advice) to help him sort through.

Tommy didn't do shit other than pump the brakes and try to give Buck the space he thought he needed to decide what he was ready for. Buck (again, with the help of his experts - Maddie for the emotional piece of it, Eddie for the Buck of it all) did the work on his own. Tommy didn't swoop in and overbearingly hold his hand through a sexual awakening. He kissed him, asked him out, realized he wasn't ready, stepped back and then checked in multiple times when Buck came back at it going 120 miles an hour.

And then he did everything he could to prove to Buck he wanted the same thing - a partner, someone to talk to, and lean on, and flirt with and rely on to show up whenever they could feasibly manage it (and sometimes when it's a little unfeasible too).

The narrative even acknowledges that Buck had no reason to go to Bobby in this scenario, when he often would, and lays out exactly why.

Within the canon of this particular arc, we're meant to see this as Buck realizing he has the experience necessary to think these things through on his own. This is Buck finally taking control of something that's always felt like it fell into his lap a bit. This is Buck doing more than treading water until his legs give out.

And minimizing that growth bc you personally don't like the LI he's pursuing is gross at best. At worst it's something much more insidious.

[buckleyx]

Hear me out! Eddie Diaz x reader who swears she isn’t good with kids and is a big “I don’t want kids! I hate babies!” Kinda person but secretly loves kids so much and is so good with them like she honestly gets along with kids better than adults

BABY FEVER E.D

the gif i used is not mine! all credit goes to the owner! @cafecitoeddie

Author’s note: I love this request so much bc I'm secretly the same hehe !

Eddie Diaz x GenderNeutral!reader

Warnings: drunk eddie and reader hehe

masterlist

"Oh come on." Eddie whined playfully. A smirk tugged his lips as his hands danced around your waist. His chin rested on top of your shoulder as he peppered your neck in soft short kisses.

It was a beautiful summer evening and to celebrate the warm weather Maddie and Chimney invited everyone over for drinks and BBQ. The atmosphere was peaceful and everyone felt so relaxed. Kids ran around the yard as adults indulged in laughter and conversation. Moments like these you cherished with all your heart.

You noticed Eddie's eyes on you from across the table as you helped Jee-Yun with cutting up her food. Your smile unintentionally grew wider with every laugh and babble she blurted out to you.

After dinner, while everyone was still chatting away but the sun disappeared more and more in darkness, the garden was lit by beautiful garden lights and candles. Jee-Yun's head rested against your chest as you indulged further in conversation. Her eyelids became heavier as she tightly grabbed the plushie you gifted her earlier closer to her body. As you were chatting with your friends you looked up at Eddie who was talking with Buck and Chimney. He paid no mind to their conversation, only having eyes on you. He took a chug from his beer before giving you a soft smile. He was standing next to the fire pit, the sparks made his eyes shimmer.

All these years you convinced yourself and others you were terrible with kids. But now you felt caught, by your own actions, as the toddler on your lap softly snored away.

As the evening continued and it was getting more late, children were safely tucked away in bed and everyone snuggled closer to the warmth of the fire pit with beers in hand, you and Eddie managed to escape the coziness just for a second. You found each other in the kitchen, getting more drinks to continue the party outside.

As soon as you entered the dimly lit house his hands were all over you. You were both pretty drunk and you knew Eddie long enough to know he could get very touchy when intoxicated. And that's what brought you here. To this moment and conversation.

"Eddie, we talked about this." You giggled as his stubble tickled your neck. "I'm not good with kids."

"Come on baby, we both know that's a lie." He said, slightly tilting his head to prove his point. His hand still rested on your hip as the other one traced his fingers over your jaw. "You are honestly, and I mean honestly," He cupped your face, gently tilting your head so you could look at him. "One of the most beautiful and kindest people I have ever met. And I am sure that every kid will agree." Eddie smiled softly, his eyes filled with love as he looked at you.

Your eyes felt glossy after his words. No one has ever shown you so much love as him. You closed your eyes before taking a deep breath, a loving smile appearing on your lips. "I really love you Diaz, you know that right?"

"Hmh, I had a suspicion." He joked before pulling you in for a kiss.

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[blackcoldcrackedheart]

And this might drag since I'm in a write-y mood.

A continuation of this

Buck wasn't thinking, he hadn't called anyone. All he could think was about Tommy being on some OR table.

He barely got out an apology as a nurse yelled at him to not run in the ER, he looked around wildly and found the front desk and saw a man, Black, older than Buck with scars on the side of his face.

"Hi- hi, I got a call about Tommy Kinard? I'm Evan Buckley, I'm his-"

"His emergency contact." The man replied giving Buck a once over, "I was the one that called you. I'm Amir." Buck felt fidgety as Amir gave him a solemn look and started typing something on the computer. "Mr. Kinard is still being operated on, more than likely it will still an hour or two for the doctors to finish. They were concerned about Mr. Kinards hip leg, and head; he was pinned by a few boulders and his teammates mentioned he suffered a hear injury."

Buck felt his throat tightened, Tommy went through a crush injury. He went a crush injury and was still being operated on.

Buck felt like his tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth, his brain fuzzy and fighting with heart about everything. He wanted to panic, scream, cry, hit something...

"What- wh- you said something about this happening on a call? Where's his team? The 217 should be here."

Amir shrugged, "A few people came here with him but didn't stay, you're the only person who was listed as an emergency contact and no one else mentioned calling his family. The only person who has been asking for Mr. Kinard is the kid he saved.'

"Kid?"

Amir gave him a brief smile, "Mr. Kinard was able to protect a 2 yrs old from the avalanche. The kid was already hurt from a prior injury, which was why the 217 responded, but the kid was alert throughout the rescue. Both rescues and besides asking for his parents, the kid has been asking for Mr. Kinard. Or as the kid has been calling him "Tummy".

Buck felt his eyes well up with tears, smiling despite himself. "That-that doesn't surprise me. Tommy is- he's great guy."

Amir nodded, "Mr. Buckley, why don't you wait in the waiting room. I'll let you know when Mr. Kinard is out of surgery."

Buck nodded, numb to the core as he began to process what was really happening.

A part of him wanted to reach out to Maddie, Bobby, or Eddie- but he thought better of it.

He knew he had plans with Eddie and Maddie, he checked his phone. It was only a quarter to eleven. He was suppose to meet with Eddie at 11 to help him pack. He shot a short message to Eddie, 'Something came up, can't help. Sorry.'

'You good?'

Buck sighed, hands still shaking as he lied 'Yeah, all good. Will call you later.'

He sent a message to Maddie, hoping he would get a round of questions from his sister. 'Hey, raincheck? Something came up. I'll you later.'

Of course Maddie would call him.

Buck rejected the call, insisting via text that he was okay.

He wasn't though. He could barely handle sitting down and kept shooting glances at the nurses station, hoping somehow Amir or another nurse would tell him Tommy was safe. That he would be okay.

For the all the times Buck himself was admitted into the hospital, he always hated being on the other side of things.

The waiting game wasn't a game at all.

It was a crappy middle finger from the universe reminding him that the people in his life weren't invincible.

"Did anyone receive a call from Mr. or Mrs. Johnson's family yet?" he heard Amir ask the other nurses.

"Mr. Johnson's mother called back, she's on her way here from Florida though. Mrs. Johnson's sister and mother also called back, they're trying to contact family in the Ventura county area so that Daniel can be taken care by family till they get here. Mom has MS, so sister is trying to find suitable care for their mom so she can fly down from Washington."

Buck frowned at that, that sounded...familiar.

He heard Amir sigh, "Did they say who the family member in Ventura was? We need someone to come by the end of the day otherwise Anita is gonna need to call CPS. Both parents are still in critical condition and I doubt the hospital is going to babysit Daniel till Mr. Johnson's mother shows.'' He huffed.

Buck took out his phone again, his heart hammering in his chest as he called a number he hadn't called in nearly two years.

"Hey, you reached Conner..."

Buck swore softly as he called Kameron next.

It went immediately to voice mail too.

Connor's mom lived in Florida.

Kameron's mom was diagnosed with MS a year before Kameron got pregnant and she had a few aunts, uncles, and cousins that lived around Ventura.

'They named their son Daniel?'

Buck felt nauseas.

There was no way.

No.

No.

No, no, no, no, no.

He wasn't going to panic.

But it seemed more than a coincidence...

Buck was never told the name of the baby boy. Conner and Kameron had sent him the official baby photo, announcing the birth of their son. But there wasn't a name, just a "Welcome baby Johnson to the world!"

They didn't know about Daniel.

About Buck's Daniel.

"Tommy saved Daniel?" Buck mumbled to himself. His ex-boyfriend, the man he was still in love with, saved the the boy who not only was Buck's kid biologically, but also coincidentally named Daniel as well?

Buck wanted to curse out the universe.

He found himself in front of the nurses station, standing quietly as the nurses looked at him as though he was computer buffering.

"Can we help you?"

Buck braced himself for what had to be the dumbest thing he would ever do.

"Is there anyway I could take care of Daniel Johnson? At least till his grandmother or aunt show? I'm-uh-I'm his biological father."

Now it was staff's turn to look as though they were buffering.

"Sir-"

Buck cut the nurse off, knowing full well what was coming. "I know you guys can't confirm who the patients are, but my friend Connor and his wife, Kameron, they aren't answering their phones. I know Connor's mom lives in Naples, Florida and Kameron's mom? Her name is Jane Nowak, they lived in Oxnard before Kameron's dad moved them to Seattle. Their son...he's biologically mine, they-they asked me to be a donor. He was born May 15th in Downtown LA because his mom gave birth at my apartment."

An odd silence fell over station as the staff looked at each other.

Before Buck could beg for confirmation, a hint or anything. He heard Amir's voice behind him. "Mr. Buckley?"

Buck turned around swiftly, Amir stood next to a woman in scrubs, both looking at him quizzically and staring over at the nurses station as well.

"Is Tommy okay?" Buck asked immediately, he was getting emotional whiplash at this point.

The woman nodded, her smile strained as she introduced herself, "I'm Doctor Abdullah, Mr. Buckley. I can say Tommy is okay, he's not out of the woods yet, but thankfully the injury to the head wasn't severe as we thought originally. He did suffer a skull fracture, but fortunately bleeding into the brain was minimal but he's going to be on bed rest and physical therapy for some time. The good news is that he didn't crush his hip like we assumed, so he managed to avoid surgery there for the most part. His leg and shoulder will be another issue. Are you re-"

"I'm his boyfriend." Buck said, it felt automatic and right, even though it was a lie. "I can take care of him, we're both firefighters, we know these kind of injuries. I-Just tell me what he needs and I can make sure I get it done."

Dr. Abdullah nodded, sharing a sympathetic glance with Amir. "I'm sure Tommy will appreciate that, he's still under and he's going to be under till we're sure there's no more bleeding, but once we move him into a private room, we'll notify you. Is there anyone else you would like us to contact?"

Buck thought briefly about calling Maddie, Chim, hell even Lucy. But found himself saying "No." He didn't want to bring in anyone just yet.

Dr. Abdullah looked taken back but collected herself quickly, looking over at Amir and nodding at Buck, "Okay then. We'll notify you once Tommy's moved into a private room, I need to make my rounds but I'll follow up with you once we get Tommy out of post op."

Amir didn't follow Dr. Abdullah instead looking over at the staff at the nurses station and then at Buck, his expression pulled into a grimace.

"Something wrong here?" he asked, a slight edge to his tone that had Buck revving up just in case.

One staffer seemed to find the situation entertaining since they were smirking, "You might want to call down Anita, things just got interesting."

Next part here

[local-lamppost]

Maddie and Caitlyn and Piltover

Probably the most jarring twist of the Act was Maddie and Caitlyn's relationship. It seemed very sudden, until you take a look into the few lines from her in Act 1 and realize they all centered around Caitlyn. That Maddie was the first Piltie to 'dedicate her heart' to Caitlyn with Noxus. Maddie likes Vi because Caitlyn vouched for her and deems her 'one of the good ones' because of Caitlyn.

Let's talk about Maddie: she's an average young Piltie. She's Cait's age, give or take, and feels hurt both by the recent Zaun attacks and Marcus' betrayl. Caitlyn is the first person after all this that is trying to do something to fix the mess. Cait's a Kiramman, an inspiration, a fighter, and kinda sorta pretty. Maddie was starry eyed by Cait and couldn't see any problems with her actions or flaws because of this. When given the option to have Cait lead, she jumps at the chance.

Maddie is something of a trick with her introduction. She doesn't have a personal stake like Vi or Cait, isn't there to look after her new buddy like Loris (until told otherwise he is there just cause he is Vi's old man friend); she believes in combating Jinx. Peacekeeping in Zaun with gas and hextech weapons to go after one person, but oh isn't she so cute? Introduced in a halo of sunlight and being so sweet to Vi?

Maddie is a proud Piltie, who feels betrayed by Marcus and the Undercity, who wants to punish them and rebuild her home in topside. And yes, she feels betrayed by the Undercity, she consider's it a part of Piltover one way or another, and most topsider's are ignorant of why Zaunites are so upset with them. To Maddie, these attacks came out of left field.

What's interesting is that Maddie is anti-Ambessa, or at least pro-Caitlyn. You could see this as her being a moderate. She tells Cait that she can withdraw from Zaun and reestablish the council, but ends that statement by reaffirming Caitlyn as their leader, "The Enforcers, Piltover... I follow you". Cait and her military rule makes Maddie feel safe and proud in her city.

Onto Cait. Yeah, Cait's not necessarily using Maddie, but she is utilizing her. She's learned from her percieved mistakes/weaknesses and is keeping her work and personal life seperate. They have sex and talk about the state of the city, but Cait never talks about her feelings with Maddie as she did with Vi. Cait's an emotional person too. She was always quick to express herself to Vi, to Ekko, to her mother and father, to Jayce; but she is hurt and alone and can contribute both of those facts to her emotions (sans Jayce).

Begs the question of why Cait is sleeping with Maddie? But even that is simply her coping. It's her version of Vi drinking and fighting. It's stress relief and a quick way to at least make someone else happy. Cait also likes touch, so it stands to reason she'd find someone in her isolated state (Vi pushed away, father a living ghost, Jayce and Mel magiced away). Also, if Word of God is anything to go by, it's not out of character for Cait to find a pretty girl to fool around with.

Cait's main focus is still Jinx. Her mind is literally shown overlapping with her's. Maddie a tryst for the off hours, and even that's kept to the minimum as Cait would rather work than get any rest.

I do wish we could've gotten a scene of Cait replaying her interactions with Vi (think season 1 shower scene), but instead we have Maddie to contrast their relationship. Maddie is kind of the 'Piltover Approved' Vi; she's a red headed enforcer who loves her city, her council, the noble houses, and Caitlyn. She's safe and she's someone that Caitlyn doesn't have to put any excess energy into. Which must be gratifying for the surface levels of Cait's issues. Vi forces Cait to act better, to look inward and reflect, to consider other people and not just her own hurt (something season one Cait wouldn't have even needed another's help with).

The little detail of Vi not calling Cait a cupcake until episode 6 is also telling. At first it's likely Vi realizing the seriousness of everything, but it could also be that she disapproves of Cait's actions. Cait doesn't have that sweetness in her, or at least isn't allowing herself to act on it. When Vi does call her cupcake again it's not an endearment as it was by the end of season one, but a call out to what Cait has become.

Going forward, what's next? Vi and Cait aren't back together, but are together. They have to fight the Noxians (which was hinted at by Maddie herself) and help with the Arcane.

I kinda want Jinx to be the one to spell everything out to Cait; to tear her a new one. Jinx kept an eye on Vi during her pit fighter era, saw the drunk, broken mess that her sister became; a sister she is now on tentatively good terms with and will likely be a bit protective of after Isha. Something like, "I saw what happened to Vi after you guys split, she destroyed herself like you destroyed the city. I always thought I would be the one to break her, but you did a bang up job! Two of us have that in common, hurting Vi, but I'm trying now. So what does that say about you? None of this was Vi's fault, all she was trying to do was keep you from acting like me, ya know, deranged and violent? Huh, Vi-olent."

So in Act 3, Cait needs to be the one to get a kick in the ass and have that conversation with Vi. She needs to own up to her mistakes. How she was guilting Vi into the enforcers, how Vi was right about her loosing control and almost shooting a kid, maybe even for using Vi's affection for her against her. Vi will forgive her, she's Vi and has the self worth of a pebble, so long as Cait takes accountability and starts acting on any promises to change-again, why a shovel talk from Jinx could help set their relationship in the right direction.

[jjsmaybank20]

Heyy could I please request a Maddy Perez x fem!reader and they are both dating, but the reader is really shy but like also the sweetest person ever and would never hurt a fly, but she also hates like drama or other people fighting/yelling, so the reader gets a but uncomfortable at the intervention when everyone is yelling and fighting. So like the reader and Maddy are both comforting each other, it would be like hurt/comfort with fluff at the end. If you don’t want to do it then no pressure at all 😭😭 (btw I’m 18+)

Intervention

Maddy Perez x Fem!Reader

Summary: You were the calm to Maddy's storm, the only person who could talk her down after finding out about Cassie and Nate.

Warnings: Lots of language, intervention shit, mentions of Nate (🤮)

Word Count: 1.2k

A/N: Look at me go, y'all! I cranked this out, and it's not half bad. Took me over a month, though. Sorry about that.

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---

You and Maddy were complete opposites, which is why you worked so well together as a couple. She was bold and outgoing, while you were more reserved and shy. To give you some credit, you could most definitely fight for yourself if needed, but Maddy tended to fight for you first. The two of you had only been together for a few weeks, but you knew that you would last a long time.

You hated confrontation, and you avoided it as much as possible, but you would do anything to help your friends. This was how you ended up in the Howard household, preparing to stage an intervention for Rue Bennett. 

You nervously watch as the girl of the hour comes around the bend, before groaning when she catches sight of the group standing at the bottom of the stairs. She sits down, practically collapsing, and bangs her head on the wall behind her while muttering, “Oh, fuck.”

Maddy slips her hand into yours, knowing that this could get messy really fast. As if it wasn’t already. You squeeze her hand gratefully, using the physical contact as a grounding method. You watch as Rue’s mom begins to talk to her daughter.

“This can’t make you feel good, Rue. Living like this, lying to the people you love, being mean to the people you love,” At this, you glance over at Lexi, trying to shoot her comforting look. “This can’t make you feel good about yourself.”

Rue sighs, dragging her hands down her face. “I don’t care, just fucking leave me alone please.” She sounds on the verge of tears, and her mother takes a step towards the staircase. “I know you’re in pain.” 

Rue begins to get angry, quietly exclaiming, “You have no fucking idea, mom.” Her mom continues to talk to her calmly, trying to convince her to go to the hospital. Cassie walks forward slightly, in front of the area where you were standing with Maddy, Kat, and Lexi. 

“I can’t get clean, I can’t do that shit forever.” You can hear the pain in Rue’s voice, and it makes your heart ache for your friend. Cassie takes another step forward, and you realize that she’s about to throw a wrench in this whole operation.

She swings her arms before over encouragingly saying, “You don’t have to. Just, take it one day at a time.” You wince slightly, knowing that she basically opened herself up for anything Rue wants to attack her with.

When Cassie glances around, you see Maddy gesture to her that it was a little too much, letting you know that the two of you were on the same page. 

“Hey, Cass?” You wince when you hear Rue’s voice again, knowing that whatever comes next isn’t going to be pretty. Cassie responds innocently, and Rue follows up with, “I have a quick question for you.” 

Cassie seems confused, responding, “What?” Rue sighs before answering, “How long have you been fucking Nate Jacobs?” You inhale sharply, not expecting that to come from the brunette girl. You feel Maddy tense up beside you, which sets you even more on edge.

Cassie is silent for a moment, before she starts nervously laughing. “Wh-What are you talking about?” Rue doesn’t hesitate before asking her question again, and this is when you know that all hell is about to break loose.

Cassie begins to stutter out denials, but Maddy ignores her in favor of questioning Rue. “What are you talking about?” Rue begins to play the innocent victim, turning all attention away from the actual intervention. 

“Oh, I just- I saw her get in his truck and then kiss him and drive off, that was like, what, like uh… like a month ago?” You let out a slow exhale, realizing that was before you and Maddy had gotten together. So… Nate had cheated on Maddy with Cassie, Maddy’s best friend. Holy shit. 

Maddy gives Cassie a dangerous look before dropping your hand and exclaiming, “Are you kidding me?” Cassie can’t even defend herself anymore as she just lets out whimpers and tries to hold back her tears. From behind you, Kat states, “Cass, that’s like, really bad.” 

“You’re fucking Nate. Are you kidding me?!” You want to try to calm Maddy down, but she has a right to be angry. You know that she’s over Nate, but her best friend slept with her ex-boyfriend while they were still together. She trusted Cassie, and she fucked her over.

Cassie continues to try to stutter out denials, but Maddy exclaims, “You’re lying!” Ms. Howard tries to break up the argument by focusing back on the actual reason why everyone was here, but Maddy refuses. You take a step back as she explodes.

“No. No! You expect me to stand here next to my best friend who's been lying to me about fucking my ex-boyfriend? I’m literally going to get violent!” Ms. Howard tries to stop her again, but when Maddy sees that Cassie is crying, she storms forward. 

Kat tries to grab her, but when she misses, she whisper-yells, “Y/N! Fucking do something! You’re the only person she’ll listen to.” You nod and sigh, getting ready to step into the fray where you were the most uncomfortable.

 “You’re the one who’s hurt? You’re the most self-centered, idiotic person I have ever fucking met. You fuck my ex? And you’re fucking crying? Are you fucking kidding me?” You step up to her and place your hand on her arm. She goes to shrug you off, but when she realizes it’s you, she leans into your body. 

You hold her, moving away from Cassie as Ms. Bennett yells at the rest of you. As she yells, you whisper to Maddy, “I’ve got you, baby. She’s not fucking worth it. Please, we came here for Rue. You can finish this later. Please.” She nods into your chest and you kiss her head. As you lead her to the door, you shoot everyone apologetic looks. 

When you catch Cassie's gaze, you give her the most murderous look you can muster. Right before you walk out the door, you mouth, “You’re fucking dead.”

---

You drive Maddy to your house before guiding her up the stairs and into your room. She seems less mad and more shellshocked now, but you know at any moment she would break and the tears would come running. 

You quickly grab some ice cream from your mini fridge and grab one of your hoodies for Maddy. As soon as you sit down next to her on your bed, she falls into you and begins sobbing. You let her cry as you lay the two of you back and stroke her hair. 

She cries for a long time before she quietly asks, “How could she do this? She was my best friend.” You take note of the was, and instead of answering, you just pull the latina woman closer. The two of you sit in comfortable silence for a little while before she speaks up again.

“Thank you for talking me out of fighting her there. Not saying I won’t fight her somewhere else, but that wasn’t the time, or the place.” You let out a soft snort at her confession, quietly answering, “Of course. I needed to get out of there, anyway. Was starting to feel claustrophobic.” 

Maddy snuggles even deeper into your bed, tired out from everything that went down. As she drifts off to sleep, you hear her mumble, “I love you, Y/N.” You smile gently down at the girl snuggled into you, turning off your light.

You press a kiss to her head and quietly answer, “I love you, too.”

---

@lovelyy-moonlight @pnsteblnme

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[koiiiso]

An Understanding,

Characters: Maddie, Ambessa, Caitlyn,

Summary: Maddie was a loyal person, someone who only had the best interests of her people at heart. When appreciation for her falls and someone on the opposing side praises her, loves her, something she has yearned for every passing moment, she caves.

Tags: @kings-paintbrush

Proofread: Yes/No

Warnings: Manipulation, Swearing, Violence.

A/N: SHE DESERVED AN ARC SJDJDKDKDN

Throughout a life, there are obstacles, whether that be harsh or gentle, there are obstacles. For Maddie, her whole life was an obstacle. Her dad died when she was young, raised by a mourning mother who pushed his legacy upon her.

Guilt overcame and overwhelmed her. Her mother was a good woman, one who deserved to be provided for. Every slap, every harsh word, every single moment of hatred enforced upon her from her mother was met with gentle silence.

Maddie likes to think of herself as a good daughter, a provider. She was made to be a good one after all. If disappointment overcame her mother, a punishment would follow. Yet these punishments seemed better than the times she was left alone, locked away.

Ultimately, this mother of hers, one she held dearly, did not hold Maddie within the same regard, but that’s life. Well it was until she fell sick. Then praise were the words she muttered instead of complaints.

Then her mother died, buried next to her father. Fresh flowers always placed on the graves of her parents, a symbol of gratitude for a childhood, harsh or not. She’s just grateful to have one.

There were three rules she had set for herself as a way to cope with the loss. Be kind, comfort when needed, and do what is necessary for change when things go wrong, not matter the situation.

She prided herself on her loyalty to these rules, even when her training clashed with her own morals, morals she was raised with, she made the rules come first.

Which allowed this situation to be different. Much different.

It started with Caitlyn.

She was the woman Maddie looked up to.

Caitlyn Kiramman, the perfect enforcer.

The pair became friends rather quickly during Maddie’s academic days, when Caitlyn was a Senior and she was a Freshman.

Maddie was a good friend, that she knew, always offering comfort to the other girl when things spiraled.

Then the council was attacked.

Caitlyn changed.

Maddie didn’t.

She was still the same girl who offered comfort, yet now she was granted with a cold shoulder from someone she considered close. Still, she didn’t relent.

Their relationship spiraled.

Maddie originally did not want to have relations with Caitlyn, in all honesty she just wanted to help. She still remembers those words she spoke to Caitlyn after the first time it happened. How she attempted to convince her to get out of the situation Ambessa was intergrading them into. She still remembers her own words.

“Let me guess, complaints about the Noxians?”

She spoke, trying to figure out what was keeping Caitlyn awake.

“They doubled their fortification requests. Again. To keep-“

Caitlyn spoke, only to get interrupted by Maddie.

“Keep us safe.”

The sigh escaping Caitlyn’s lips signaled the girl was correct.

“I never expected this to go on so long. I thought..”

A pause.

“I don’t know what I thought. Just..”

Another.

“It wasn’t this.”

There is was.

“You could call it off. Withdraw from the underground. Reestablish the Council. All you have to do is give the order,”

Maddie attempted, her words genuine as she spoke of her ideas.

“Not without Jinx.”

Another one. Another damn silence overtaking the pair.

“Besides, a withdrawal could lead to a worse situation than the one—“

Excuses. Always a damn excuse.

“Ah. Okay, Ambessa,”

It was a tease, and another silence came.

“She delivered us Zaun, as she vowed. Without her, who knows how many Enforces we’d have lost? I’ve learned so much from her.”

Learned hatred, learned how to hurt people.

“You’re our leader. The Enforcers, Piltover, they follow you,”

Another small pause came. Maddie lifts Caitlyn’s chin up, making the woman peer at herself. A sigh exits Caitlyn’s lips, rosy, plump, and soft, unlike the harsh words she has spoken.

“I follow you.”

And her words were true, until they weren’t.

When Maddie’s beliefs shifted and her faith in this war swamped by a makeshift army of innocents, she knew that Piltover had lost itself. To win a war you need a proper plan, proper soldiers, and absolute unwavering commitment. Including innocents was never a good idea within war.

Maddie had long since knew of war. She oftentimes was locked in her room without anything but a bed and some books. Books on enforcement, war, and most importantly, lethality.

They needed an upper hand, and what greater upper hand than assassinating the leader of the enemy.

She knew her plan was likely to fail, but it would have two different outcomes yet both were equally effective.

The first would be her success within her endeavors of killing Ambessa. The leader of the opposition would be dead, leaving the Noxian army without a leader and a warlord to dictate their opinions and fate.

The second one would be that she stirred fear in Ambessa. The plan was simple. Attempt to kill the woman, make her fearful, sloppy. Maddie’s death would be likely, yet she was uncaring. She would rather die knowing she properly put fear in that woman.

Yet she didn’t plan on a third option. The third outcome that was occurring as of now.

As of now, she was tied up, on her knees beside the chair in which the war lord sat, her scarred hands nursing a goblet of wine.

“I’m impressed, child. You nearly succeeded within that assassination attempt,” Ambessa murmured the praise, her empty hand reaching out and lifting Maddie’s chin with a gentle, almost maternal way that seemed incapable with the strong hands that have signed off deaths of thousands, millions even.

“You would make a good warrior within my league. You never appeared to be that of the type for silence within captivity. You also never appeared to be the type for violence as well. I suppose looks can be deceiving,” Ambessa continued, her gentle touch, the tone of her voice, it was something Maddie craved, something she yearned for. How easy could she cave for something so foreign yet so wanted.

And so, the days passed within this routine. The gentle touches, the praises she yearned for, the motherly tone she used. It overwhelmed her until she caved.

Loyalty shouldn’t be something so easily earned, yet it seemed so little to give compared to the warmth provided by the war lord, warmth that never existed until her.

With Caitlyn, she felt warm with the gentle touches of her delicate fingers, or the praises sung from those lips when she did something right. Yet she felt so cold as well.

With her mother, she yearned for her love, yet never received it. The only physical affection or touch provided by her elder was that of which inflicted pain. It was cold.

With her father she felt warm, and in his absence she felt cold. He was the rock keeping her mother together. He kept her safe, yet he’s gone forevermore.

Yet, with Ambessa. It was as if the woman was that of a mother she was never given.

It took two weeks for Maddie to cave. Usually in these situations, torture was more common amongst those for assassination attempts. For her however, it was even more unbearable than torture. It was the overbearing warmth given by Ambessa that made her want to either perish or give in.

She couldn’t take her own life right next to the woman, kept far away from sharp objects or anything lethal, for both her own safety and the war lord’s. So she ultimately caved.

Now she was that of a mole, giving the Noxian’s information in exchange for that one chance of motherly love, of that warmth. She knows she’s selfish for this yet she can’t help but yearn to be selfish.

Now she’s a traitor.

And now she is about to pull the trigger on an old friend.

Maddie held no grievance against Caitlyn, or Piltover as a whole. She just wanted to feel loved for once.

Yet she wasn’t loved, she knew that. She knew she wasn’t capable of being such a thing.

“I did appreciate your warmth..”

When the bullet of the gun went to hit Caitlyn, to kill her, the force field flashed. The bullet bounced off the magical force.

Maddie Nolen died that day. She knew she was never loved within her life. Perhaps she was a tragedy, perhaps she was never meant to be loved.

She was mourned, barely though, as no one can truly mourn the wicked, even if she was never rotten.

She was buried next to her father.

The flowers were no longer fresh anymore. They were wilted, depressing, and dead forevermore.

[targaryenluvs]

HER & I / MADDIE BUCKLEY

PAIRING: Maddie Buckley x Fem!Reader

SUMMARY: When your best friend and crush shows up on your doorstep after a bad night, you help her to finally leave her husband.

WARNINGS: Abusive relationships, crying, escaping, threats, angst, fluff, comfort, confessions, kisses

WORDCOUNT: 1K Words

A/N: Maddie deserves the best 🥹 Mighttt do a part 2! Look at me posting twice in one day 🤭

Gif not mine, credits to the owner!

You thought the world of Maddie, always had and always will.

So when she showed up on your doorstep, tears running down her face with bruises everywhere? You couldn’t believe your eyes. “Maddie? Oh my god, come in.” You ushered her in quickly closing the door behind her.

“What happened sweetheart?” You always called her nicknames.

She shook her head immediately as you opened your arms, “I’ve got you, don’t worry. Wanna tell me what’s wrong?” You took her hand and sat her down on your couch before sitting next to her.

“Doug.”

Just one word was more than enough for your blood to boil. Her husband, the piece of trash he was, always treated her horribly. Ruining her mental health and wearing down the strong woman you knew she was. He never deserved such a wonderful woman.

“He… I can’t do it anymore Y/n.” Her eyes were glossy as her lip quivered. You could make out a forming bruise on the side of her face, as you softly traced it. “That’s okay, you’re so strong. I know you are baby, I can help you leave him. Is that what you want? Cause I swear, I will pack my shit up and we can leave.”

Maddies heart was racing, most likely the adrenaline from running away. But also having you so serious, so attentive and determined to helping her leave.

Through her years as your best friend she found herself naturally drawn to you, and you were always there for her. The first night she confided in you, you didn’t ask any questions. Just opened your door and your arms as refuge. You never had any good vibes when it came from Doug, and your anger only amplified when you realised what he was doing to Maddie.

“No, you can’t Y/n. Your life is here.” She shook her head at the idea of you leaving with her, for her. “That’s not your decision to make Mads. I have friends here sure, but most of my family is either in L.A or out of America. Friends come and go, but you’re more than that.” Her eyes flicked up at your words, eyebrows furrowed.

What is that supposed to mean?

“What does that mean?” You sighed as you grabbed onto her hands, “This isn’t the right time to say this to you Maddie.” She clutched onto your hands tighter.

“Please, just say it.”

“I love you.”

Her world stopped, the words she’d dreamed of hearing.

“I- I’ve loved you for so long. How was I supposed to not? Maddie you are unbelievably sweet, and kind, gorgeous, intelligent. God you’re perfect. And I am so sorry that Doug took that away from you. But you deserve to live. You deserve to help people, to live life without looking over your shoulder or worrying about angering him. If we leave. I promise I will do anything to keep you safe.”

She didn’t stop the tears as they rolled down her face, wiped away courtesy of you. “Let’s go.” She nodded as you grinned, “Really?” Maddies face broke out in a small smile, “Anywhere to be with you.”

And you did.

For the next hour you spent grabbing all the essentials, clothes, memories, documents etc. You texted another one of your bestfriends that you were leaving, and that she should come over and take inventory before selling your furniture. She was an avid user of Facebook Marketplace.

Luckily you were on good terms with your landlord and your lease was expiring in a week. As long as your friends sold everything of yours, you’d be in the clear.

Home isn’t a place, it’s a person.

And yours was currently right next to you.

It’d taken you and Maddie a bit of time to get on your feet, having crashed with her brother Buck who was nothing but welcoming.

“So you’re the reason she finally left him?” Maddie was currently in the shower, allowing Buck to finally question you. “No, she wanted to leave. I just helped her, I mean you did steal her car.” Buck jokingly gasped as he clutched his chest, “She gave that to me!”

“Sure thing Buckley.” You replied as you took a sip from your glass. “But, seriously, thank you. I have no idea where she’d be right now without you. And she really does love you, I can see you love her too.” Your smile was evident at his words.

“I do, I have for a long time. I’m just lucky. Now speaking of gay couples, you and Eddie.” Buck groaned as you giggled, “I see the tension everyday! You can’t tell me there’s nothing going on there!”

“She’s right, Evan has a crush.” Maddie joined in as Evan shook his head, “The two of you are menaces to society.” The three of you sat down on the couch and continued to bicker. Seeing you getting along with her family so well made Maddie’s heart swell. You were everything and more.

And you proved your love for her over and over. Always supporting her, handling her emotions and caring for her. When she woke up in the night after a nightmare, you were always there to calm her down. When she felt anxious, you listen to her concerns and assured her.

The two of you settled into life in L.A easily. You’d always wanted to live there, longing for home when you moved to study. Your parents were nothing but lovely to Maddie, which made her feel at ease.

She became close with Josh, and Chimney whilst you grew closer to Eddie, Evan and Hen.

So when it came time to the two of you discussing starting a family, you were nervous but confident in asking Chimney.

And out of respect for him and his mother, you named her Jee-Yun.

Maddie couldn’t help but become emotional when she thought about how far she’d come. From the days where she feared returning home to now, when she counted the minutes till she could home to her daughter and wife. Her family.

But she wasn’t in the clear yet.

Doug was still alive.

[kei-crocker]

Headcanon for me:

Post-AGIT Dan doesn’t cling to his biological parents. Based on what he says and does in "The Ultimate Enemy," he doesn’t show anything particularly special toward them. In fact, Maddie’s actions toward him felt a bit harsh to me, especially when she said, “He is not my son!” in AGIT. (Of course, I completely understand why she acted like that—they nearly got killed by him, the city was destroyed, and they don’t remember Dan’s original timeline.)

(And given that half of him is Plasmius, maybe it feels odd for him to see Maddie and Jack as his parents.)

Jazz, though, was different. To be fair, her circumstances were different from those of her parents. She fully understood who Dan was (even though her parents technically knew too, they seemed to view him only on a superficial level). Jazz even had(more specifically, remember) direct experience meeting him before. The first person to show interest in talking to Dan and sparing him was Jazz. Her feelings toward Dan were not just out of mercy, but closer to familyship, I think. Mercy wouldn’t be much use when the one you’re sparing is far stronger than you. Humans weren't exactly in a position to show mercy to him. Jazz believed that Danny was inherently good, so she thought Dan was one who could be persuaded. Before Danny tried to spare him, she was the only one who’d been willing to.

I imagine Dan’s feelings toward Danny and Vlad are far more complicated. I believe that at his core, Dan’s main feeling is self-hatred. He probably hates the part of himself (Danny) that lost everything he once loved, and his Plasmius side only amplifies that feeling.

At the same time, Dan must feel jealousy toward Danny. Danny has the second chance that Dan never got—he used Dan as a warning and went on to build a better future. In AGIT, we see Dan’s feelings go beyond just hate; his anger toward Danny seems to be fueled by jealousy. After his world vanished, the one clear goal Dan had left was to destroy Danny and make him feel that same despair.

As for Vlad, I think Dan might have at least some positive feelings for him. Of course, Dan was once Danny, and in his timeline, Vlad probably bullied (?) him like always. But when Dan lost everything, Vlad was the one who took him in and cared for him like his father. Even Vlad’s actions that led to creating Dan weren’t out of malice but came at Danny’s request, as Danny was suffering so much. I imagine Vlad really did his best to look after him in that timeline.

That said, Dan could never fully love Vlad. Being partly Plasmius himself, Dan knows Vlad’s darker (or weaker) sides all too well. And, after all, it was Vlad’s actions that led to such a terrible outcome, even if he had no evil intent.

The irony is that the two people who ultimately saved him were Danny and Vlad. His parents only saw Dan as a dangerous ghost, while Danny, understanding Dan’s feelings, didn’t want to hurt him. In the end, it was Danny and Vlad’s actions that saved Dan and gave him that second chance he’d longed for. So, after AGIT, I imagine Dan becomes a little friendlier but still can’t fully accept them, holding onto a slightly bitter attitude. Now that his deepest self has been exposed, we might see him as a sensitive, wounded spirit rather than his formerly confident self. Still, his existence is a shared responsibility for Danny and Vlad, and they’ll do their best to help him find happiness and enjoy this second chance. Maybe one day, Dan may open his heart to them.

[howiehans]

thinking about chimney and how he’s always tried to craft himself as “perfect” for others. he learns at a young age that his father can’t— or won’t— love him for who he is, that despite his best efforts to prove himself worthy, sang never cares. chimney isn’t good enough for his own father to stay. but at least he has his mother, right?

well, she dies a few years later, and so does the last part of his true self. then, chimney is taken in by kind, generous people who have so much love to give. he gains a brother and takes on the role of being his protector. even though he floats through life without any real purpose, picking up odd jobs along the way, he had the lees as pillars of support.

then chimney joins the LAFD because he thinks he’s discovered what his purpose is: helping people in need. but he can’t even do that because the toxic environment he’s in, his horrible boss, makes him stay behind and he feels useless. every day, kevin tells stories of his heroics and all chimney can do is sit back and listen, lacking a story selection of his own. then he starts making up tales because to him, the facade will keep his family around and not resent him for struggling.

then he loses his role of a protector when kevin falls through the roof of an apartment building, immediately engulfed by the flames below. mr and mrs lee don’t talk to him for a while after that, and chimney can’t blame them; he was the one setting an example for kevin, and that got him killed. he loses himself in a way similar to the aftermath of his mother’s death, firefighting being the only thing keeping him afloat.

hen and bobby join the 118, and chimney feels like he can be himself around them without judgment. it’s freeing. but then he meets tatiana, and the fear of abandonment rises again. so chimney lies and lies, trying to appear perfect because surely, she can’t leave him if he’s the man of her dreams, right?

she rejects his proposal and he’s left with a rebar through the skull, which acts as a wake up call. chimney heals, returns to work, but still resorts to humour rather than confronting his brush with death. he can’t let anyone know what’s wrong, how he always feels stuck in the worst moment of his life.

everything catches up to chimney and he breaks down in bobby’s arms. things calm down for a bit after that and he meets maddie. everything is great, she’s incredible. eventually, they’re set to go out on their first date but chimney gets stabbed (thrice, in fact) and spends the next 24 hours blaming himself for inadvertently bringing harm to maddie. he doesn’t talk about how doug stalked and nearly killed him, because according to his logic, he put maddie in danger and doesn’t want people to see him as selfish for talking about his trauma. so he rolls with that notion for the next few years. his heart gets stopped twice but he’s cracking jokes and being chimney since everyone expects him to be normal. he gets impaled again, in the abdomen this time, but is cheery and returns to work without a hitch. he catches encephalitis and is forced to confront doug and kevin, two of his biggest traumas. considering his track record with opening up about his turmoils, it’s safe to assume chimney didn’t confide to anyone about what he hallucinated. maybe he revealed kevin’s role, but certainly not doug’s, because he’s stuck in that mindset as he was from s2.

chimney crafts himself as a cheery, go lucky person because that’s what he wants people to see, and in turn, that is what they expect of him. if he shatters that perception, he worries his fear of abandonment will become true once more.

[pinkdreamcollectorsworld]

Hello! I'm sorry for not getting to this post earlier, life's been crazy the last week hahaha (adulting, ya know?)

I watched the finale and boy howdy it had me in my feels 😅😅

If you haven't watched it yet, this is a post that definitely contains spoilers so read at your own risk!

Wanted to start off with some of the plots that stood out to me the most. these are just my thoughts and opinions/ feelings so please be nice in the comments. I kinda wanted this to be a discussion post for anyone interested.

Bobby- he lived! I'm so so so glad he was okay, i lowkey thought we were losing him. He's honestly one of my personal faves so idk how I would have felt if he didn't make it 😭😭 I also just wanted to point out, he literally quit, almost died, and then walked into the station like nothing happened. I cannot wait to see how the team is going to handle him quitting and literally not saying anything before everything went down. Like was he just planning on not telling them at all?? Also, in terms of what his plan was, honestly broke my heart. He DESERVES the life he built. He DESERVES the family he built. And the scene with him and Amir just.... ugh. Amir might not forgive him but I wasn't expecting him to tell Bobby he earned the right to a life and family despite what happened. His montage at the beginning of last episode BROKE ME.

Athena- Homegirl was out for BLOOD! Look, I love athena, but she literally misuses her job for personal gain and expects no consequences😭 both her and Bobby have been through SO MUCH these last few seasons. In terms of Amir, I think they just needa let the man live his life. Yes, her being there pretty much saved him from the cartel, but guys, she ate her words by pulling a gun on him. Im not sure what season she says it but she tells someone that it is in fact considered assault when you point a gun at someone. Angela Bassett performance this episode was 10/10, probably one of her best performances so far imo

Hen & Karen- omgggg these two I tell you. They can't catch a break😭😭 the way they lost Mara simply because a councilwoman was on a power trip just had me in TEARS. They deserve to have Mara in thier life, no matter what. I think they are good for her. She's good for them and Denny. I hope we get to see thier story progress more next season.

Maddie&Chim- THESE TWO! The fact that they were there when Hen got the call about Mara and were the ones who got her out of the group home just does something to my heart ngl. I literally love them both so much. They are so so kind and caring about the people in thier life.

Eddie& Chris- this is the one that truthfully really made me question some things. Eddie really, REALLY needs to talk to someone. The whole thing with Kim just, makes me feel icky. Did not like that little subplot one bit. I understand that Kim was simply trying to help, but I honestly think it made things so so much worse. Especially when Chris and Marisol walked in the door at the end of the moment. Chris literally stood there, and said "Mom?" He's traumatized for life. I honestly agree with his decision to call his grandparents. Little guy just needs a break. He needs space. His dad is going through something that he as a CHILD shouldn't have to endure as well. I know some people hate that Chris called the grandparents, and I know that Eddie really didn't want to let Christopher go but he needed to.. even if he didn't want to.. I think Eddie is going to be going through it next season and I can't wait to see what they do with him next season.

Buck- Buck, Buck, BUCK theres so much that I loved about him this episode. The fact that he showed up for Eddie and Chris and said "what can I do" I just... *chefs kiss* He showed up and said "I can't explain this to your kid but I will make damn sure he's okay" and DID. He made sure that Chris was okay, and on top of that made sure Eddie was also okay. And when the grandparents showed up, even though he couldn't convince Chris to stay, he didn't try to get any more involved than was necessary. You can see on his face that he's sad about Chris wanting to leave, but understands. He's sad for Eddie and put his hand on his shoulder to say, "I'm sorry, but im here for you". In my opinion, Buck has grown so so much since the first season and he's become another one of my favs.

Buck&Tommy- (I felt they needed thier own little section) I love what the actors, showrunners and writers are doing with this. Tommy and buck are in a HEALTHY, STABLE, relationship. It might have started out just a little rocky, but they've built on it and each other and im HERE FOR ITTTT! The vulnerability between the BOTH of them about thier own fathers/ father figures when Tommy asked buck if he was okay really proved that they are at the point in the relationship that they can open up to each other, and that Tommy cares. They know how to read each other. In terms of the daddy issues topic, im glad that queer, MASCULINE MEN are shown in a proper, HEALTHY, SHAMELESS sexual relationship. Buck opened the door by flirting and tommy picked it right up and im here for it. There wasn't anything "weird" or "out of left field"about it, Buck wanted to see if Tommy could match his freak and he DID! I genuinely hope they grow next season and give us more insight into thier relationship dynamic.

I also just wanted to point out, Cap literally told Buck "hes good for you, because we haven't had to talk about it" like what other proof do people need to see that they are a good match? Literally every other relationship buck has had, has ended in disaster. I don't think there was a partner he had that didn't warrant a discussion between him and Cap before Tommy came around.

The team all together- the fact that they all dropped everything to be there for Cap and athena really shows that they are a family.

Captain Gerrard- not much to say, not surprised that they brought him back, next seasons gonna interesting. Still a POS in my book no matter WHAT they do with his character.

All in all I loved the season finale. I loved that they wrapped up most of the major storylines to open the door for a new one (captain Gerrard return to the 118)

Thanks for reading if you stayed through this jumbled mess!

[matan4il]

911 ep 705 first watch reactions

Of course 911 would "punish" the "You are the boss of you!" guy with an alien hand that attacks him, and does what it wants. Pooor Buck and Eddie paying the price for that...

Okay, love the storyline with Hen and Karen possibly eventually adopting an older girl. Too many shows just find easy, unrealistic ways to give their same sex couples kids, and I am really glad that 911 shows the reality of it, and that it is a more complex struggle for many, that it's an act of continuously choosing to be parents. That's actually an amazing, difficult thing, and it should be faithfully depicted and respected, for all of its heartache, and the little moments of triumph.

Buck and Tommy on a date, and Eddie comes along with Marisol? Love how Buck's bisexual awakening and coming out continues to involve Eddie so much. Tell me they're end game, even if they're not gonna get together right now, without telling me they're...

I did not need to learn Marisol is moving in with Eddie like this, with any build up, or even any sort of insight into the relationship, and nope, that does not bode well for them. IDK how 911 managed to do it, but they have somehow managed to give Eddie a love interest the show is even less invested in than Ana.

And the funniest bit, is that Marisol and Eddie's big development is only there to further Buck's journey anyway.

"You can never have too much closet space" LMAO the way 911 both made me laugh, and feel sorry for poor, baby bi Buck. XD

Hmmm. Were parts of this scene cut out? We don't get to see Eddie on his own date with Marisol, but constantly looking over at Tommy and Buck? Boo. I'm glad we at least got the BTS photos, then. But seriously, why!? That was gonna be so delicious.

Oh, Tommy's breaking up with Buck. I mean, good for him, and he ain't wrong after Buck's "after this, we're gonna go out looking for chicks" reaction, but man do I feel sorry for Buck. Him and Tommy might not be my end game (Buddie forever will be), but I do think this relationship could be good for our baby bi. Tommy being in the same profession, knowing what it's like to have this gap between who you are and the image of guys in your line of work, plus he's got more experience than Buck, is sure of himself, can help our boy figure himself out, and also Buck obviously does like his vibe. He deserves to be with someone he actually likes, not just the first woman willing to be with him that the plot pushed in his way.

Oh, baby Buck. :( You didn't even tell Maddie about Tommy. You really aren't ready it. But also (and as a Buddie shipper, more importantly), Tommy broke things off with Buck, but what is eating him up, is that he lied to Eddie. XD Yeah, this gonna end with wedding bells, sooner or later. On screen, off screen after the show ends with canon Buddie, or only in my head if 911 never dares make Buddie canon, I don't care. That kind of emotional devotion is not something that my hopelessly romantic heart can ignore.

OMG, this is how Buck comes out to Maddie? XD Via random pronoun mention, and as a by product of trying to figure out how to tell Eddie the truth? This is hilarious. lol It really makes it clear that, after all, the issue for Buck really isn't people knowing he is also dating guys (or checking their asses), even when it's the other closest person in the world for him, it's Eddie. Specifically. Buck's ready, even if he doesn't have the exact clear words yet, he's just not ready to tell Eddie. Can't imagine why. XDDD

What was that awkward post-sex scene with Eddie and Marisol? And the issues with her moving in are popping up a second after she has. But yeah, we have no idea who this woman is as a person, she's been a cardboard cut out so far, and then one of the first things we do learn about her, is that she would call her stuff better than Eddie's? Once again, this is not the stuff great romance is made of. Or... even just the stuff any kind of romance is made of.

Wait, Marisol was a nun, and Eddie didn't even know!? This whole ep is telegraphing in the news of how weird and awkward and underdeveloped this r/s is, not just for us as viewers who know nothing about Marisol, but apparently for Eddie as well.

And of course his Catholic guilt is gonna kick in now. I'd care, except 911 has given me absolutely no reason to. Seriously, I care more about Buck and Tommy after just 2 eps, than Eddie and Marisol, even though this is technically her 2nd season on the show.

Of course Buck went to find Eddie, and spotted him at the gym. Forever 201 vibes, with Eddie being the focus of Buck's attention. ^u^

I couldn't care less about Eddie's Catholic guilt crisis, and how it's actually a projection of what his real issues are with Marisol, but it's nice to see that as always, Buck's the one who can tell when something's off, and offer Eddie exactly what he needs (even when that's to talk to someone else, but Buck figures out immediately who the right person to address is), and then they just very naturally switch, because Eddie can also tell when something's off with Buck, and he wants to tell him something. Soulmates. THAT is the stuff that great romance IS made of.

:/ The imagery of Catholic nuns has not been around for over 2,000 years, please stop being ignorant about your own religion, and the very different way it looked in its early days.

Bobby is forgiven, he does give good advice, and his "her ex, the Lord" bit, which prompted that reaction from Eddie, is hilarious. XD

So... when Eddie is having issues with Marisol, he already knows he has to figure out how he feels about her, but instead of doing so, he goes to his safe place... Buck's loft.

Man, Eddie being into Tommy's choice of avoidning relationships with women, and hanging out with boys, after in the past, Eddie had dealt with his Shannon issues by running away from her, and re-enlisting in the army, where he gets to hang out with boys, when we all (Buck included) know why Tommy's "hanging out with boys"... I do like that if they want to (and hopefully they do), this further lays the groundwork for Eddie's own queer realization.

Buck and Eddie helping each other with their respective romantic problems, without realizing they are each other's respective romantic solution is gonna make me chew on my own fists. Again. But I'm not even a little bit surprised that Eddie was totally fine and accepting of Buck being bi, or that the first thing he thought of is how this reflects on them. Because their friendship IS way deeper and closer than normal for platonic friends, and Eddie's little reassurance is also an admission of that.

Man, for a second I was worried they also cut out Eddie in the loft, once more putting his thumb on Buck's pulse point possessively, in a perfect parallel to 303. I would have sued for emotional damages. But yeah, it says so much that the peak of emotional meaningfulness for Buck when coming out is in relation to Eddie, and that the scene itself peaks with Eddie, instead of finishing rushing out to take care of his own romantic business, hurries back to Buck first, to hug him, place his hand on Buck and give him orders. "Sure, you're gonna be dating this guy, but I'm still your real husband."

Well, at least Eddie amitted to himself and Marisol that he doesn't actually know her. But... I have never seen two people being both being so happy about not moving in together, and I'm supposed to think this r/s has a chance? Okay. Suuuure.

The scene with Buck going to Tommy to set things straight ready for something was lovely, it was nice seeing him excited, and get to choose, and hear he's wanted. But since the note Tommy and Buck's storyline in this ep should have ended on, is Buck showing Tommy he's ready enough to let others know he's dating a guy by inviting Tommy to come with Buck to Madney's wedding, then why is the very next scene playing the romantic switch again, making us think Buck's car just arrived at the wedding with him and Tommy, only for Buck and Eddie to walk in together? I see what you did there, 911.

Thank you for reading! If you're looking for more, you can find my s7 reactions tag here, and more of my Buddie meta and content in my pinned post. xoxox

[notadamnmermaid]

Baked Alaska

Eddie Diaz likes to think he’s a good friend, when he wasn’t actively sabotaging his own life. He gets along decently with Chimney; plays cards with Hen and Karen at their standing ‘parents of teenagers’ meet ups; has a regular pool game with Bosko whenever their schedules lined up; and he enjoys pick-up basketball game days with Tommy. All of this to say, he is a pretty good guy to most people.

But here’s the thing about Eddie: he might like to think he’s a good friend, but he knows without a question that he is Buck’s best friend. So when Buck shows up at his doorstop, forlorn and scowling with a six pack of beer, of course Eddie is going to help him get over his breakup. He turns the music back up and dances, and he urges Buck up to join him. They dance and they drink and they laugh until Buck looks less like he’s going to break down.

Later that week, he helps Buck pack up the few things of Tommy’s that are left around the loft. Maddie and Chim have just dropped off Jee-Yun, so Eddie picks up the bag. He knows that Tommy should be at his station today, so he can drop it off before heading back to Buck’s baking frenzy.

“I mean yeah, Evan’s hot, but he was also, like, really just not my type.” Eddie’s ears prick up at the sound of Tommy’s voice. He’s just walked into Harbor station. He moves silently up the stairs to see Tommy holding court, his back to Eddie. Donato is there, along with Hicks and Gomez, listening to Tommy with a barely perceptible sneer that turns to malicious glee as she sees Eddie stalking up with a finger to his lips.

“But I hooked up with someone at this nightclub in WeHo last month who’s way more my speed,” Tommy continues on obliviously. “An absolute hottie and I can have a fully coherent conversation without him going off on, like, fifteen different tangents. And just the tightest little ass, like my god—“

Eddie thinks he blacked out for a few seconds, because two weeks ago, Buck and Tommy were still dating. But a month ago, Tommy did what?

What?

Here’s the thing about Eddie Diaz: he likes most people well enough, but he loves Evan Buckley, and Eddie will be damned before he lets a raggedy bitch like Tommy get away with hurting him, even retroactively.

“What the FUCK are you talking about, Kinnard?” Eddie’s emphatic voice from directly behind him prompts a jump spin from Tommy. Eddie watches his face pale with hard eyes and his jaw set. From the corner of his eye, he sees Donato take out her phone.

“Ed-Eddie,” Tommy stutters out, eyes darting across his face nervously. “What are you doing here?”

Eddie tosses the bag to the floor at his feet. “Well, I was trying to be kind to my best friend since his ex broke up with him a few days ago; I didn’t think it’d be a good idea for Buck to have to go through some bullshit handoff, when I— being his best friend and your friend— could just bring it over peacefully.

“But back to you: what the fuck did you just say? Did I just hear your bitch ass admit to cheating on my best friend? Was that what I just heard?” Eddie prowls up to the older man and pokes him hard in the chest. Tommy looks like curdled milk as he tries to back away.

“Eddie, listen, please—“

“Oh fuck that, puto,” Eddie snarls, balling his fist up into Tommy’s collar and dragging him down to eye level. “Buck is one of the best men I know, you fuckwit piece of shit coward. What, you didn’t want to tell him the truth, so you broke up with him? Said he would break your heart eventually? What a fucking joke; Buck is the kindest, sexiest, coolest person I know. You don’t deserve to have that type of goodness in your life. And he doesn’t deserve a prick like you taking advantage of him.”

Abruptly, he releases Tommy with a hard shove, completely disgusted by even the idea of being around the other man any longer. He turns and walks off, kicking the bag lightly out of the way.

“There’s all your stuff,” he calls over his shoulder, “now you can lose Buck’s number, and lose mine too for that matter.” He stops for a moment, cocks his head, and looks over his shoulder with a mean little smile.

“But thanks for getting him those Lakers tickets; I’ll make sure he has a real good time.”

When he walks back in to Buck’s apartment, strong hands push him up against the door. Eddie has half a breath to take in the fevered look in blue eyes before those same strong hands cradle his face for a kiss. His own hands move automatically, clutching at broad shoulders and fisting in curly blond hair. A moan rumbles through his chest.

They eventually part, air still being a necessity, foreheads touching. “Lucy sent me a video,” Buck murmurs, eyes wide and smiling broadly. “I’m the sexiest person you know?”

Eddie huffs out a laugh. “And the kindest, coolest, funniest, sweetest, most irritatingly beautiful man I know. Mi sol,” he declares, “Mi amor. Te amo. I’m sorry it took me so long to realize.”

They’re both smiling, tears glinting in their eyes, as they move together for another kiss, and then another, and then another. They part reluctantly as Jee-Yun starts calling for attention from the living room. Fingers laced together and sides bumping playfully, they make their way over to her.

After all, there will be time for more later.

[xtarmanderx]

🍻📋👻

If I’m not too late to do this!

Never too late!! So sorry this is hell late, I kept getting distracted and ending up doing 18 other things instead of these asks lol. Here are words!

🍻

“Yeah, man. Not brooding, I promise.” Luca says with meaning as he claps Rocker on the shoulder. “Got a lot going on in my head, that’s all.”

“You ever need a place to lay those troubles, you know where to find me.” Rocker says seriously. When Luca nods, his smile brightens again and he turns toward his pool partner. “Griffin Adams, meet Dominique Luca. One of the finest officers you’ll ever meet.”

“Can finally put a face to a name.” Griffin smiles and holds out a hand. “Rocker talks about you all the time. Third generation, right?”

“That’s me.” Luca says, trying not to frown. “You guys hang out before?”

“Sometimes I can convince this guy to come and slum it with us lowly patrol officers.” Griffin puts a hand on the back of Rocker’s neck, brushing his thumb over the skin there, and Luca doesn’t miss the way that Rocker shivers from it. Something ugly and hot stirs in his chest and he bites down on it, trying not to scowl.

“We try and grab drinks every few weeks.” Rocker says, stepping away so he can reset the pool table. Luca watches Griffin, noting the way he licks his lips when Rocker bends over. “You should join us sometime if we can line our schedules up.”

📋

“Ready to get this over with,” he confesses. “I know it’ll be worth it, but not knowing who I could end up with at the end of the night?” He shrugs and sighs. “You think of anything to do with whoever might bid on you?” He knows it will be up to the bidder to determine what they want to do, but Hicks had told them it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have some ideas of their own.

“I was thinking about a ride through the streets and going over some of our tactics,” Hondo answers. “Maybe revisiting a couple of past missions and explaining what happened when we arrived on scene.”

“Damn, that’s a good one.” Rocker tells him. He shouldn’t have expected anything less. Hondo’s always been good with people. The bidders out there are going to eat him up, that’s for damn sure.

“I bet the person who bids on you will have it all figured out. Don’t be so nervous.” Hondo squeezes his shoulder in reassurance and steps away before Rocker can think to ask what the hell he means. The lights dim in the rest of the room, the chatter of the crowd dying down as the emcee takes the stage, and the auction is set to begin.

👻

“She was just a scared teenager.” Buck whispers. “Car accident. She-she thought her sister was mad at her.” An ache fills his chest and he rubs over his heart with the heel of his palm. It’s time to send another postcard to Maddie.

“And you helped her move on.” Chimney says, leaning down to clean up the chalk markings he’d placed on the floor. He takes the piece of pink quartz next and gets up, going over to the dresser. He carefully places it beside the picture of Riley and Heather. “Unconditional love. You ever think they know the meanings?”

“No.” Buck secures the satchel and gets to his feet. “Come on, we should tell Heather she can return to life as usual.”

Heather invites them to a cup of tea and Buck would normally decline, but the ache in his head is dull at the moment and he wants to answer her questions. Everyone always has them, no matter how much or how little experience they have with ghosts. Heather doesn’t waste any time. “Am I going to die next?” She asks as soon as Chimney’s finished stirring sugar into his tea. He freezes, eyes wide, and Buck is quick to lean forward while bracing his arms on his thighs. “The wailing stopped, but does that mean I’m still going to die? Isn’t that what it means?” Heather gives him a glassy look and his throat bobs.

[pineapplehazard]

Just finished s7!!! Right on time✨

Now did I cry when Eddie said goodbye to Chris? Yes, yes I did.

But here's my thoughts about the last two episodes:

- Eddie Diaz : the whole thing with Kim was actually crazy of him, but her playing Shannon?? That man has a reason to act like a mad man but girl what are YOU doing?? That was a quick expedition out for Marisol too, Buck and him see to have a way to make girlfriends disappear this season.

- Chris Diaz : valid. I get why he thinks it's better for him to be away from his father for some time, it's probably a good thing actually for them to have space to breath and accept what happened. But the Diaz parents?? Ramon shit talking about Shannon every chances he's giving (he literally did it at her funeral that man has no shame), and Helena acting like she just won lottery, please at least ACT like you're not happy to take Chris from you son. Honestly if my own mom wasn't sitting right next to me I would have been insulting both of them so MUCH.

- Hen Wilson : I'm mad that they were all going to be happy and then that woman whose son hasn't been mentioned since like ep2? comes to take her revenge out of nowhere. When I saw Mara all closed on herself and quiet when Hen visited her that broke my heart😭 then at the end the emotional whiplash of Chris leaving, instantly followed by the Wilsons getting reunited with Mara, ouch (is it like 'a soul for a soul' but with family, like they CANNOT be happy at the same time??), also I know the plot was for Gerrard to come back, but I love Captain Wilson, and I wanted her to take after Bobby

- Chimney and Maddie: they're relatively absent from the final 2 eps so I don't have much to say, I loved Chimney calling Gerrard trash to his face, and I loved Maddie. I just love Maddie.

- Buck : such a good husband for his chaotic dating-the-doppelganger-of-his-deceased-ex husband... He was just so supportive and trying to help, gosh he's just so cute. But MORE IMPORTANTLY where's my angst?? You're telling me Bobby's in a coma, and all we got from Buck (who's basically his son) is one line of dialog AFTER we know Bobby's going to be alright? Sentence immediately followed by an awkward sex joke argh!! My favorite thing about 911 is Bobby and Buck's relationship and I don't know if it's just an impression but i feel like they barely had any interaction this season, I missed them, I need more of them!! Also all things considered Buck had quite a quiet and calm season, which does feel weird and not something that will stick

- Athena : she mentioned Emmett and I was just woop crying incoming! I'm not gonna dwell on the whole cartel thing, I'm sure people already express so many opinions on this, my real question is how many times can Athena break rules before getting a problem with the hierarchy? (ik she did in s1, but since then she's been pulling some sketchy moves from time to time with no problems afterwards). Also ik the house was going to burn but I hadn't thought of the implications, that they would loose all the memories and stuff and that's so sad, I totally get her panic about wanting to get everything that's on her phone to still have SOMETHING.

-Bobby : please bobby never leave the 118, maybe they could handle it but I couldn't, so please don't leave ever.

(-Tommy : whether you ship them or not, the last scene we got of them together (dinner at Buck's) should start an alarm in your brain about their future together, specially once you consider Gerrard's come back. Tommy literally says that Gerrard's the closest things he got to a father figure when he was in the 118, and that it didn't help him be a better person. (ik he's not saying he saw Gerrard the way Buck see Bobby but he still acknowledge that he saw him as a model of some sort), that's the online line 'acknowledging' Tommy's past actions, but also showing that he followed Gerrard's lead, and we know Buck is not going to appreciate Gerrard's way of leading and this definitely could be a big cause of conflict between Buck and Tommy...)

It feels weird to finally be up to date, and to know killer bees will attack LA in two days😭

I FORGOT RAVI!!

He was there for 3seconds but still, I was so happy seeing him, and ik so far it doesn't seem he'll be back in s8 for some time, so I'm devastated

[bamber344]

An Olive Branch

prev/next

masterlist

late afternoon chapter because time has no meaning

idk what it was but this chapter kicked my ass a little bit. I was just very distracted for most of its writing process. Happy with it though! Final chapter of the arc! If this were a TV show this would be the season finale. Enjoy!

CWs: references to pre-canon character death, manipulation, non-con body modification, references to previous torture (whipping)

An Olive Branch

Madeline sighed, running a hand through her mullet and pulling her shirt collar out to try and get some airflow going as she walked down the street. The midday sun was blistering, not at all helped by the business casual she’d been forced to put on for the job interview she just totally bombed. She supposed that was to be expected, considering she was notably mentally ill and hadn’t worked a proper job in years. Still sucked, though. Her plans for the rest of the day involved hitting up the bar and trying to get her head on straight enough to flirt with the person she’d matched with on her dating app.

She hadn’t told anyone about it yet; that she was finally starting to give moving on a try. It still just… felt really weird. Like a betrayal. Logically, she was sure Rosie wouldn’t want Maddie to be hung up on her forever, but that didn’t make it not feel like she was spitting on Rosie’s memory every time she came up with some cheesy line to hook someone on an app.

The bottom line was, Madeline was lonely. Not in the friendly, platonic sense, but in the sense that she missed having someone to cuddle with at night, and someone to confide in above all others, and frankly, someone to screw around with in the bedroom. Her body and heart yearned for Rosie in all those respects, but that just wasn’t an option, so she had to find something else.

She knew that nothing would ever really fill the Rosie-shaped hole in her heart aside from Rosie herself magically coming back to life, but surely it was better to try opening herself up to love again, rather than letting that hole fester and wither and eat away at her until there was nothing left. Maddie was tired of letting it control her life.

It was just like her therapist said. One day she would get to be happy again, and Rosie’s memory, while still tender, would just be a reminder of back when her happiness took a different form. It would be okay, but it would be different, and that was okay. Madeline needed it to be okay.

“F-fuck!”

Madeline paused in front of the alley that the curse had just echoed out of. That sounded… oddly familiar. She couldn’t place where, but she’d definitely heard that voice before.

Tuning out the rest of the city, Maddie could just about make out the sound of someone crying at the end of the alley. 

The urge to just keep walking was strong. People’s problems were their own business, and she had more than enough of her own. At the same time though, she would be lying if she said she didn’t want to see who’s voice that was.

Also, well… she was a hero, wasn’t she? Wasn’t helping people like this kind of the point? Rosie would want her to check it out. Probably. Maddie imagined she’d share her curiosity, at the very least.

Sucking it up, Madeline turned and strolled down the alley. It didn’t take long to find the person at the end, clad in familiar black armour, curled up with her face hidden against the ground. Her helmet sat on the floor next to her, facing the wall.

“I… I-I don’t understand…” Jordyn whimpered through sobs. Maddie’s stomach clenched with sympathy. The girl was clearly going through it.

She inched closer, spotting something marking the tan skin on the back of Jordyn’s neck. A tattoo of some sort, perhaps? When Madeline got close enough to read it, her heart sank. Vivienne wasn’t kidding when she said something seriously messed up was going on here. A very obvious barcode lined the back of her neck, and below that, writing.

G-7: ‘JORDYN’

PROPERTY OF PRECINCT 23

…Good lord, this poor woman.

Madeline remembered the conversation she’d had with Ashley and Viv; that they would try and encourage Jordyn to join the Union. Apparently, that was all on her now. Great. She cleared her throat to announce her presence.

Jordyn jerked like she’d been electrocuted, scrambling for her helmet and putting it back on before whirling around to face Madeline. 

“H-Huh?”

Maddie sighed. No backing out now. “Hey, you alright? Heard you crying.”

Jordyn loudly and obviously sniffed. “I, uh… I-I’m fine.” She climbed to her feet and dusted herself off. “S-sorry for disturbing you.”

Before Madeline could even attempt to reply, Jordyn was already scurrying off, pushing past her and running out of the alley.

“Wait! Seven!”

She didn’t stop. Maybe this was risky, given that de Vygon was no doubt surveilling everything she saw and heard, but Maddie needed to talk to her if they were going to have any chance of helping her. Viv would be mad if she didn’t at least try. 

“Jordyn!”

Jordyn paused at the mouth of the alley, slowly turning around.

“How do you know my name?”

“Uh, Viv told me? Look-”

Jordyn flinched. “H-how does Vivienne know my name?”

Madeline frowned. “Because you told her?”

“No I didn’t!”

Maddie was pretty sure Viv mentioned that Jordyn was drunk during that encounter. Apparently, it had become a bit hazy for her. Hah, lightweight.

…Or she was just trying to cover for herself, since de Vygon was probably watching. Great, now Madeline felt like a bitch and probably just got her in trouble. Ugh.

She shook her head. “Whatever, that’s besides the point. I know you don’t really know me, but can I just talk to you for a bit?”

Jordyn looked away, hesitating. “I… I’m not allowed to talk to you.”

Typical. “Just five minutes, that’s all I ask. Surely your boss can begrudge you a measly five minutes?”

Without being able to see her face, it was hard to tell what Jordyn was thinking. She reached up and touched the side of her helmet, whispering to nobody. Madeline could just barely make it out.

“Sir, are you watching? Do I have permission to speak with her? I know you told me- Oh. Okay. Yes sir, I understand. Thank you.”

Jordyn turned back to face Maddie again. “What did you need to talk to me about?”

It was at that moment Madeline realised she hadn't even thought of a script yet. God, she was an idiot.

“Do you, uh… wanna sit down somewhere?” Madeline asked in a desperate bid for time to think.

“Um…” Jordyn looked around a bit, before glancing up at one of the buildings bordering the alley. “Up there?”

Madeline blinked. “How am I supposed to get up there? I can’t jump like you and I can’t teleport like Viv.”

“I could… c-carry you?” Jordyn’s voice cracked a little as she said it. 

“Uh huh. And how am I supposed to get back down again?”

“Um… I just thought I would carry you again.” She wrung her hands together.

Call her egotistical, perhaps, but… was that a little crush Madeline sensed? Oh yeah, she could work with that.

She sighed. “Fine, let’s do it.”

Strolling over to Jordyn, she looped an arm around the back of her neck. “Come on, scoop me up.”

Maddie could practically hear the nervous swallow through Jordyn’s helmet. “Uh… O-okay.”

Not unexpectedly, Jordyn picked her up with ease, holding her in a bridal carry. What was unexpected was the little jump in Madeline’s gut as she did so. It had been a long time since anyone had carried her like that. She tried to ignore how much she liked the feeling.

“R-ready?” Jordyn stuttered.

Madeline smirked, trying to ignore the slight heat in her ears. “Whenever you are.”

Jordyn bent her knees, and all of a sudden they were flying. Maddie yelped, clutching onto Jordyn tighter as her stomach dropped out and wind buffeted her hair. In no time at all, they landed on the rooftop and Jordyn hastily set Madeline down.

Madeline watched as Jordyn walked over to the edge of the building and sat down, her legs hanging off the side. She craned her neck around to look back at Maddie, and patted the space beside her.

Well, at least the view was nice. Madeline joined her and sat down, looking out over the city.

“This is what I like to do when I get some down time,” Jordyn said. 

“That’s cool,” Madeline replied. 

A short silence reigned between them, until Jordyn finally spoke again. “So… What did you want to talk about?”

Okay, go time. Madeline put on her best bashful look, glancing down at the street below them. “Well, I was wondering if… maybe you’d like to join the Heroes’ Union?”

Jordyn cocked her head to the side. “Why would I do that?”

“I know you do pretty different work than most Union heroes, but there are still a ton of benefits for you. We provide free food and lodging, training areas, medical care, a guaranteed minimum-wage salary with bonuses for when you help out with monster attacks and other disasters. Like I said, I know monster attacks aren’t really your M.O., but we could easily hook our analysis systems up to a police scanner so that you can find crimes easier. And all that’s not to mention the biggest bonus of the Union: you get to hang out with other heroes! People who actually… get what it’s like, y’know? They understand the struggle of trying to manage your powers, and might even be able to teach you a thing or two on how to utilise them. Viv wasn’t always a master teleporter, believe it or not. I can’t even count the number of times she popped back into HQ totally covered in sea water because she accidentally thought about the ocean too hard, way back when she first joined.”

Eugh. God, that made her feel like a door-to-door saleswoman. Thankfully, it seemed to get through to her somewhat. 

Jordyn hesitated. “It… would be nice to get to hang around other heroes, I guess. But… What did you mean by minimum-wage salary? I don’t know what that-”

Jordyn paused, touching the side of her helmet. “Sorry sir, could you repeat that? Oh. Okay. Understood.” She turned back to Madeline. “Sorry, something’s come up. I have to go.”

Was she about to say what Madeline thought she was? That Jordyn didn’t know what a salary was? Yeah, if she were de Vygon, she’d cut her off too. What on earth did he do to her to make her so clueless about the world?

“Wait, just… just think about it, okay?” Madeline asked. “Ask your boss. I promise you won’t regret it!”

Jordyn nodded. “Okay, I will.”

With that, Jordyn jumped away, leaping from building to building faster than Madeline could track.

She left her on the roof.

Maddie sighed. “I wish you weren’t so clueless. That way I wouldn’t feel bad about calling you an asshole!” 

Great. Now to find a way down.

—

Finally, with the help of the fire escape and a teensy bit of property damage (wedging icicles into the brickwork), Madeline was able to get back to street level and make it to the Union HQ. She knocked on the door to Ashley’s office before entering. He was inside, at his computer, and looked up at her approach.

“Hey, Madds. What’s up?”

“Got some news about the whole ‘Jordyn’ problem. I ran into her a little while ago, and… Yeah, she was not doing good. Girl was crying to herself in the back of an alley.”

Ash leaned back in his chair. “What about?”

Madeline shrugged. “I dunno. Didn’t ask. But, dude, she’s got a fucking barcode on the back of her neck. And a tattoo that says she’s the property of precinct 23.”

Ashley let out a long exhale. “Shit. Did you manage to ask her about the Union?”

Maddie nodded. “Yeah. Dunno if it’ll stick, though. De Vygon was definitely listening in to the conversation. She tried to ask me what a salary was, and he cut her off.”

“Rat bastard,” Ash muttered. He sighed again. “Well, I suppose we’ve done what we can. Now we just have to wait and see about the results.”

Madeline hummed. It really didn’t feel like enough. But… What more could they do?

The air popped, and Vivienne suddenly materialised in the room, glancing around to reacclimate with her surroundings. Her eyes were puffy and bloodshot.

“Woah, Viv, what’s wrong?” Madeline asked. Ashley stood up, clearly alarmed as well.

She shook her head, sniffling. “I… It’s just… fuck. Something really bad happened.”

Maddie opened her arms in an invitation, and Viv fell right into the embrace, sobbing against her chest.

“Shh, hey, it’s okay. You’re safe,” Madeline whispered, holding Viv tightly. “Can you tell us what happened?”

It took a bit, but Viv eventually pulled herself together enough to step away from Madeline and speak.

“I-it’s my uncle. I… I told him about our plan to help Jordyn because… I don’t know, because I wanted to do more. It didn’t feel like enough. S-so, we made a plan together, to sneak into that facility under the precinct to try and get some incriminating evidence on de Vygon.”

“Oh god, please tell me you didn’t go through with it.” Ash whined.

Viv’s throat bobbed up and down as she swallowed. “I didn’t get the chance. Steve went without me, b-because he thought it would be too dangerous and he didn’t want me to get hurt. He actually found a lot of really incriminating stuff, but… de Vygon wasn’t far behind him.”

Madeline clenched her fists. “Is he…?”

Viv took a deep breath. “He’s alive, just about. Stuck in hospital, though. De Vygon sent someone to his apartment that beat the hell out of him. I… I don’t know what he’s gonna do after he gets out. The doctors don’t think he’ll ever walk on his own again, a-and he can forget about going back to work under de Vygon.”

Ashley walked up and put a hand on her shoulder. “It’ll be okay, Vivienne. I’m not sure how much we’ll be able to help him, but we can at least give him a place to stay while he recovers. We can even see about a job, maybe.”

Viv nodded, wiping her eyes. “I’ll let him know. Thank you, Ash.”

“You said he found some incriminating evidence,” Madeline said. “Do you know what?”

“Yeah, and you’re not gonna believe it.” Vivienne reached into her pocket and pulled out a USB. “It’s all right here.”

Ash took the USB, examining it as if its outsides would hold a prelude to the data within. “Well, let’s check it out, then.”

—

“...I don’t even know what to make of any of this,” Ash said. Madeline was right there with him.

There was something viscerally upsetting about the tone of the notes, glossing over these major human rights violations as though they were mere steps in a science experiment. Subdued panic stung the back of her throat, though she didn’t fully know why. Something about this ‘Source’ that kept coming up unsettled her, as did the fact that G-2 was asking to see her wife. She just… couldn’t put her finger on it.

“Turns out you were right about the test-tube baby thing,” Vivienne said. “From the sounds of it, de Vygon grew Jordyn and her sisters all the way to adulthood before letting them out.”

“How is it even possible?” Madeline muttered.

“The real question is, what do we do with this information?” Ash asked. “Who’s gonna believe this if we try to release it? It’s so perfectly vague that it almost seems intentional. No court on earth would convict with just this document.”

“It’s a start, isn’t it?” Viv pleaded. “I know it’s not gonna actually do anything on its own, but maybe if we showed it to the right people, it could be enough to start an investigation?”

Ashley sighed. “There’s really no way to tell. I’ll look into some stuff, see if there actually is any way we could use this. It’s good to have just for reference, at least. It gives us a bit more understanding about Jordyn’s experiences, which could be helpful in getting her to trust us.”

“I managed to ask her about joining the Union,” Maddie explained to Viv. “We’ll see how it pans out.”

Viv slumped down onto one of the chairs. “It’s something, I guess. Ugh, everything just sucks.”

Madeline gently nudged her foot. “Wanna get your mind off it? Go have a few drinks?”

“Ordinarily, I would say no to that for your sake. Today, though… I’m more than down. I can’t stay for too long, though. I’ve gotta get back to Uncle Steve.”

“Hey, I only said a few,” Madeline teased. 

“I’ll hold you to that, Maddie.”

“Yeah, that’s cool, just talk about it in front of me,” Ash joked.

Madeline huffed a laugh. “No one said you’re not invited, dude. Come on, we all need a break.”

He grinned tiredly. “You’re a bad influence, you know that? But… sure, why not?”

—

I arrived back at the facility at the usual time, heading down the elevator towards home. My mind was elsewhere, however. Far, far away, back at the encounter I’d had with Madeline Garcia-Holmes.

I’d been in the midst of another episode of… remembering what I did to Steven Matthews. Rather than letting my distraction cause me to risk making a mistake, I found a quiet, secluded place to take off my helmet and just let everything out for a few minutes. Only, clearly it wasn’t as secluded as I’d hoped.

Seeing Madeline again was certainly a shock. Just like last time, the sight of her sent my heart-rate skyrocketing, and I had no idea why. It wasn’t like with Vivienne, where I knew she was someone I could let my guard down around. She just… looked really pretty, I guessed. I didn’t know how else to describe it. Getting to carry her was also an experience I definitely wouldn’t forget any time soon.

But her offer… joining the Heroes’ Union? I’d never considered it before, but it made sense, right? I was a hero, so why shouldn’t I also work with the other heroes on top of my police duties? Only, Father wouldn’t like it. I’d heard him bad-mouthing the Union too many times for him to possibly approve. He definitely knew more than me when it came to them, but… surely they couldn’t be that bad? Madeline, Vivienne, and Brianna were all really nice, and the rest of the heroes probably were, too. It would be nice having people to relate to, in any case. No regular citizen would understand the difficulty of all the training and punishments we had to go through to get to be heroes.

I shuddered, remembering the feeling of a whip ripping the skin from my back. The thought that Vivienne or Madeline might have had to deal with that too was upsetting. At least they would… understand the struggle. It was a small comfort.

I shouldn’t get my hopes up. Father probably wouldn’t agree, anyway.

The elevator doors opened and I stepped out, making my way to his facility office and knocking before entering.

“Seven,” he said, looking up from his work.

I nodded to him. “Father.”

“I assume you’re here about Mrs. Garcia-Holmes’ request?”

“Yes, sir. I was hoping for your input.”

He leaned back in his chair. “I’ve given it a bit of thought. The Union isn’t the sort of place you would thrive to your utmost potential. The quote-unquote heroes it employs can’t hold a candle to the heroism you exhibit every day in your police work. Sure, they may be useful every so often when the Godling creates a monster or a disaster strikes the city, but those events are few and far between, and in the meantime, they do nothing but soak up taxpayer money. They’re freeloaders, prancing around doing nothing ninety percent of the time and sullying the title of ‘hero.’ Don’t get me started on their leader, Ashley Min. He doesn’t even have a power, yet he leeches off of taxpayer funds all the same, managing his little cabaret of fools and pretending like he actually has a use in our society. Hear me well, Jordyn. If the de Vygons – if our family still ran the Union, it would be unrecognisable from the farce it is today.”

There he went again. I really did my best to listen, but most of it just went over my head. What even was a ‘taxpayer?’

“...that being said,” he continued. “I believe this is an opportunity we can’t pass up.”

I froze. That wasn’t what I was expecting. “Sir?”

Father smiled. 

“I have a job for you, Jordyn.”

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Ooooh cliffhangerrrrr >:)

this arc was a whole lot of whump and a whole lot of fun! I'm not entirely sure what the next arc holds tbh, I know exactly where i want it to go but i'm not sure what happens in between that and now. I wouldn't call it a recovery arc, but it's definitely something. It's... the Heroes' Union arc :)

in that respect, there may be more of a delay than usual until the next chapter. Between writing my book, working on a dnd campaign that i've just started, and now figuring out the next arc before i dive too deep into it, it may take a hot sec. Hope y'all don't mind!

Thanks for reading! let me know what you thought with a comment or reblog :) see you next time!

BUT!

before you go. Purely because I'm curious...

Poll :)