#you know they fucked after those stein photos

[knownoshamc]

"Bed death" for loumand. No I think it's the opposite really, they tried resolving a lot issues with sex, which well, it can only work for a certain issues. Like they fuck, they do it incredibly well, and the next day they are all lovey dovey, but you know... issues still there.

[walks-the-ages]

"What would a Second Trump Presidency look like?"

How about how we're literally living and seeing right now, except liberals would have to pretend to actually give a shit about people who are not them?

If Trump was president, they'd be baying for his blood, screaming from the rooftops that he's a war criminal and a genocidaire and a fascist dictator committing genocide --

But because Biden is the one in office right now, Liberals keep saying, against all reality,

"he supports a ceasefire!" --

so why is he building military multi-million dollar piers in Gaza explicitly to aid Israeli troops in massacring Palestinians, including having US troops participating in the slaughter of 300 innocent people ?

"He doesn't want to support israel but he has to!" --

So why has he tried to make a law that a President can send any amount of military aid to foreign allies without ANY congressional or public oversight, because he was pissed off that the American public was horrified at him sending billions and billions of dollars towards genocide and he didn't want people to know what he was doing, even though by his own admission this would allow future Republicans such as Trump to send billions in weapons to anyone he wants with no one else being the wiser?

You can also listen to his speech here, and tell me, do you really think his opinion has changed in the slightest since that time, despite the increasingly -public atrocities and apartheid committed by Israel ?

"there's no way he could stop the genocide, he's just one man!"

Oh, Biden is "just one man" but Trump is a magically powerful unstoppable dictator who can do anything? You guys really gotta make up your minds about how powerful the President of the United States is.

Biden has been sending Billions, with a 'B' as in $1,000,000,000, and an 's' as in plural in weapons to Israel. In April alone he sent $15,000,000,000 in weapons to them right before the first Rafah massacre, and that doesn't count every single fucking other "smaller" exchange of weapons he's sent them every month prior or after.

Biden is directly responsible for everything Israel does with the weapons he continues to send them.

And, he's been deliberately spreading disinformation about October 7th to justify Israel's genocide since Octover 7th .

On the opposite side of the spectrum, a reporter wrote an article about her treatment when she visited the White House to try to speak to him about the situation in Gaza and when she tried to show him pictures she'd taken personally in Gaza, Biden dismissed her and ignored her, claiming "I've seen those photos already", despite these being pictures she'd taken personally with her phone and not published online.

Biden is more than aware of the reality on the ground for the victims of his genocide, but he does not give one single flying fuck about them, because he does not view them as human beings, all he views them as is acceptable sacrifices for him to achieve his political goals of keeping Israel in power, no matter how many atrocities they commit with his direct aid and support.

All Biden would have to do to slow or halt Israel's atrocities would literally be to just stop sending them fucking weapons and cash. Israel has received $300,000,000,000 in aid from the USA, it would literally not survive without funding from America which pays for all of their healthcare, their military, supports their economy, etc.

The United States literally cares more about Israel, a genocidal apartheid entity, than it does its own people.

Israel has universal healthcare for it's citizens, funded by USA Taxdollars. But somehow, if the United States had universal healthcare of its own, that would be a waste of money ? As the saying goes, "They've got money for war but can't feed the poor."

You really just have to sit there and absorb the fact that the United States, and Biden right now especially , are literally funding another nation's universal healthcare and economy, while millions of Americans starve, are homeless, and die from lack of healthcare. If you're insisting we need to vote for Biden, I want you to literally sit for five minutes and absorb this fact. Biden is commiting genocide, right now, with your taxdollars, and is giving Israel billions and billions so that their citizens can have universal healthcare so they can commit genocide

Do you still think voting for this man is in your best interests, as he commits genocide?

Do you still think the Democrats can actually pretend to care about people, when they joined in with the Republicans to censured Rashida Tlaib, one step below expelling her from the House over her calling for Israel to halt the genocide?

Do you still genuinely believe that Biden actually cares about Palestinians? Or "can be reasoned with" How ? Its been 9 months, including mass protests across the USA and worldwide, and Biden is still refusing to slow or halt aid to Israel, and this is while he's trying to get re-elected!

Do you really, truly believe that you can "pressure" Biden in any way shape or form when he gets re-elected and literally does not have to give a single fuck about what any of how supporters want?

Have you grasped that fact yet?

If Biden gets re-elected by holding your rights hostage, and promising to do all the things he failed to do and is currently failing because he's President right fucking now and has another 4 months to accomplish things, do you truly, genuinely believe that he's going to keep any of those promises on round #2 when he's no longer beholden to public option (laughable, considering he's literally not right now even as his own party begs him to step down, and as studens are brutalized by his militarized police he gave millions towards ) because he truly doesn't need to give a fuck at all about re-election on his last term??

Anyways, if you want to actually vote for a candidate who is pro-palestine, you can vote for Dr. Jill Stein this November.

For all the genocidal liberals crying about how "we all gotta band together and vote for Biden or the world's gonna end 😭", how about you actually take a look at his actual fucking poll numbers and what his own party is saying before you go harassing tumblr users to vote for a losing candidate whos commiting genocide?

As of this post [7/15/2024], ~56.5% of Americans disapprove of Biden, while only ~37.9% actually approve of him.

If liberals spent even half the energy they do supporting Biden against all rational and national sense on instead actually supporting third party candidates who are Pro-palestine, we'd effortlessly get our first Third Party President.

Instead, genocidal liberals will deny the ongoing genocide by downplaying and ignoring it, and instead use phrases like

"Biden isn't perfect",

"Biden has some flaws",

"voting for president isn't like choosing a valentine",

"candidates dont have to be flawless to get your support".

Hey, pro tip liberals: if you literally have to plug your ears and play dumb to the fact that your favorite candidate is committing genocide to try to get people to vote for him, maybe, just maybe, that's a sign you need to rethink your strategy and morality.

All you do when you deny the genocide in the pursuit of your own interests is show the world that you solidly do not give a fuck about anyone but yourselves, and that you're willing to support candidates mass slaughtering innocent people as long as those people aren't you

You're also literally just telling the Democrats currently and any future Democrats that it doesn't matter how fucking low they sink, that as long as they pretend and promise to give a fuck about liberals sensibilities, that they can commit as many atrocities with impunity as they want, because they're guaranteed your undying support.

Anyways.

Vote Dr. Jill Stein this November.

Vote anti-genocide.

[suffering-and-happy-about-it]

Ghostbusters (The Eighties Blasts Collection, Part 7.)

Description: Jim Hopper died as a hero. But with that, one certain problem rises up - who will now lead the cops of Hawkins? Hopper thought of that - he decided to write a letter, naming his niece, nineteen-year-old student of Indianapolis police academy, Y/N Hopper as a sheriff deputy in a letter. But anybody in the town doesn’t have a clue that being a cop in Hawkins is way more dangerous than it might seem.

A/N: The story is finally starting to settle down and I am into that big time! Also, I almost freaked out myself during writing this part, inspired by The Upside Down and Stranger Things from Stranger Things Soundtrack for season one by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein.

Warnings: THE MONSTER.

Word Count: 2.7 K

Tagging: @charmed-asylum​ @nemodoren​

Master list: The Eighties Blast Collection

The car's engine got quiet when you stopped the machine in front of the old lady's house. It didn't stench when you smelled the air with closed eyes and breathed deeply. But you turned your head to Steve.

"Do you... Smell anything?" - You asked with a frown and Steve shook his head. Then he inhaled another air to his nose and shook his head again.

"No. I don't smell a thing. That means that there's nothing to investigate and we can go back to the downtown..." - He tried to sly his way into your head, but you only checked your loaded revolver and the battery on the tight leather belt. You swooped the black turtleneck sleeves down and adjusted your uniform a bit. You got this.

"Where are you going? It's just an old house, Y/N, really, it's nothing." - Steve asked as you put your raincoat and stepped out of the old Chevy truck. When he figured out that you're not coming back, he got our too and ran after you in his jacket, staying by your side.

"That is definitely not professional, Steven." - You said annoyedly and knocked on the door.

"You're only nineteen and you're a cop. Shut up about professionality, Jesus." - Steve rolled his eyes and looked around. It was a quiet neighborhood and the houses were far away from each other - this is what small-town intimacy meant.

Nobody could say what is going on unless you were loud or liked to express yourself in other ways. So it wasn't as unusual when nobody knew what is going on in your own yard. But something wasn't adding up then. Why would anybody called the cops if they didn't know what it's up? Somebody must've seen or heard something. It couldn't just be a... Stench. Could it?

"There's something that isn't adding up to me, Steve." - You mumbled and almost jumped away when the door opened all of a sudden. But you kept your feet cold and your face serious. You were an authority after all. Steve had an answer on his tongue but decided to say anything in the end.

It was an old lady in a red jumper, with black-ish hair and glasses. And your blood froze down when you saw her. She was pale like a dead man, her eyes were weirdly stuck out and insanely blue just as her lips and teeth were in a tense, stuck smile. She looked like her face has a spasm. She looked... Weird.

There was something completely and utterly wrong about that woman. But you couldn't name what exactly it was. And you were not allowed to judge since you were a cop, someone who has to help and protect people no matter what. So her face? That wasn't a thing that should scare you away.

"Hello, Mrs. Duffer. I am a local police deputy Y/N Hopper and this is my colleague Steven Harrington. Would you mind if we come in and ask you a few questions?" - You smiled at the terrifying woman and controlled the walkie-talkie on your shoulder. You needed to tell Anderson if you would decide to investigate the house.

"Of course, come in, come in." - Her low, gnarling voice told you as she turned back to walk into her house. Her movements were weird, to say the least. She moved like a... Puppet. It wasn't natural at all. You checked Steve with a quick look before turning your walkie-talkie on.

"Anderson? This is Hopper. Do you copy?" - You muttered and turned away from the door. But the signal was just quiet like there wasn't anybody on the other side. - "Anderson? This is Hopper. Do you copy?" - Just as the first time, the wave was silent.

"Can it be the boys playing around with the signals? Could they mess it up somehow?" - You asked him quickly, but he shook his head. It was a Thursday midday - you two were at work, of at least you should be, and the boys had a holiday. Also Cerebro, some machine that Dustin had created wasn't disturbing the other radio waves normally.

"Okay. Anderson? This isn't funny. It's Hopper and I'm going in. Over." - You put the walkie on your shoulder and looked at Steve. You silently touched his shoulder and made him turn away for a moment. - "Something is... Wrong. My walkie-talkie went dead just like that. It shouldn't be a problem to reach here from the station... But... It's completely dead. I can't even hear the static, nothing. Like there are no radio waves here."

"Your walkie talkie went off on its own?" - Steve asked and touched it so he could try on his own.

"Steve Harrington here. Do you copy?" - He tried as well and stood there for a moment with his hand on his hip. He looked you in the eyes and rose his eyebrows. - "Yeah. It's out."

"Oh, thank you, mister genius." - You took it out of his hand and hooked it back on your shoulder. - "Now listen to me. You need to stay close, if anything happens, don't forget that I am the cop and that I will protect your kids, okay? Stay close, don't talk and do as I say. Nod if you understand." - You pointed your finger right up to his nose. He slowly nodded and you nodded as well.

"Alright, Mrs. Duffer. I and my colleague are now coming in." - You yelled and walked into the small hall. The house was definitely old and dusty, that lady wasn't the cleaning type. But something still felt kind of... Odd. - "Mrs. Duffer? Where are you?" - You walked into the silent, dark kitchen and looked around. Like if that weird, old lady just disappeared into the thin air. She walked out of nowhere, freaking you out.

You looked at Steve and remained silent. You were the authority, you were the cop - and for that, you needed to stay as calm as possible.

"I wanted to prepare you some cookies, do you like them? I heard that youngsters like cookies and sweets." - Her tensed face watched the both of you like she wanted to bite your head off. You just tried not to look at her and instead you looked all over the place. There were opened chemical bottles next to the sink, but the house was definitely not clean. Torn newspaper laid around the table, there was mud on the floor, almost a thick layer of it. Like if somebody dumped that place in water. The cabinets were full of broken plates... Something happened in that house.

But then you saw it. A family photo hanging next to her fridge. The woman there was relaxed, smiling, she was fine. She didn't have that weird, tensed expression, she wasn't looking like a clown. Whatever was with you at that house, it wasn't Mrs. Duffer at all.

Then you shook it off. It could just be an old photo. And people change over time. That was it.

"That's nice of you, Mrs. Duffer, but I don't want any. I just ask you a few questions and then we'll leave." - You smiled at her, still not looking to her face while standing up next to Steve. Something made you feel unsafe - and he didn't feel as well. Then it hit you. That disgusting stench. The thing the neighbors described to Anderson. You almost threw up on the spot.

"Okay... Shall we?" - You looked at her with an urge to puke into the sink and she nodded at you with her weird, puppet-like moves. She almost broke in her waist when she tried to sit down and you heard as something... Broke inside of her.

This was your first time doing something serious as a cop and Anderson sent you to some freak house. Great.

"So, have you noticed something weird in your neighborhood?" - You took out the notepad out of your back pocket and clicked your pen, smiling sadly while you took a deep breath in with your mouth. Steve checked you with his look and leaned his ass into the counter behind him.

"No. Should I, dear?" - She looked at you with those crazy eyes and you nodded, writing something down and showed it to Steve while you glanced over the lady. He read it in the most secret way he was capable of.

'CHECK THE FAMILY PHOTO AND TELL ME IF YOU THINK THAT SOMETHING IS GOING ON'. Steve nodded almost invisibly and went to check the photo out.

"No disappearing food, maybe chemicals? A strong stench? You couldn't smell it?" - You asked, eyeing Steve's back. Mrs. Duffer was, thanks to god, watching you with her bestial and hungry eyes. You felt like a slice of fucking grilled pork. 

“Oh, I didn't, darling.” - The old lady smiled at you again, showing you her mouth of fake teeth. You didn't have anything against that - just their condition was scaring you like hell. They were yellow and bloody. At that moment, Steve gave you a slight shook of his head, which was just the signal you needed - just to be interrupted by a creaking on the attic.

And it wasn't any creaking which could be just dismissed like that. It was so loud that you almost jumped on the spot. You shot your look there, looking at the old lady with a question.

“What was that, do you keep some... Animals out there?” - You asked in a breathy voice. Mrs. Duffer just laughed it off. At that moment, your brain was completely empty. What should you think about that lady? She looked like she crawled right out of Steven King’s novel, her house was looking like if a fucking hurricane stormed through the place and a strong stench could be smelled all over the place. Plus that loud creaking. You were on thin ice - this was your first intervention ever.

You tried your best to stay professional, but it was bringing you just chills.

“Oh no, sweetheart, I have just ghosts out there.” - She laughed as if it was a joke, but it sent chills down on your spine. It sounded like squeaking in your ears. 

“Can we have a look there?” - Steve asked out of blue. You shot a look at him and he carefully rose his fingers to calm you down. You subconsciously touched the revolver on your belt. - “You know... Investigation purposes. We will just have a short look and then we will leave. Alright?” - Steve said in a calm, slow tone. He was actually pretty good at this, you needed to say. He was humble and charismatic, and that actually calmed you down.

“I mean, if you need to, darlings, I will let you look there. You are not going to find anything there anyway, I tell you that.” - She laughed again and then reached her palm for Steve to help her stand up. He did and he was really gentle with her. Steve couldn't tell you, but he felt how ice-cold and sticky her skin was, which actually scared him. Old people were usually nicely dry if you know what Steve had on his mind.

She led you to the ladder which was leading into the attic and said that Steve can open it up. The stench that came out of that place almost made you faint. You gagged in your own mouth a bit, turning away from that place.

“Go on, go on, I will wait here.” - She said quickly, throwing her hand in the direction of the attic. Steve entered first, giving you his hand to hold on it as you climbed the stairs up. And men, something definitely rotted there. At first, you had the feeling that the old lady maybe went mad and she was killing animals. 

“Jesus, can you smell that?” - Steve turned his head at you and tried to cover your nose with your sleeve, so you didn't have to smell that. 

“Yeah. Yeah. Try to search for the source. If she’s truly abusing animals as I think, there must be some rotten corpse.” - You reached your hand to lighten up your surroundings. There were only two small bulbs for a huge attic, so you couldn't see shit precisely; at least you got your flashlight prepared. 

There were a ton of old things covered under sheets - old furniture, paintings, some boxes with clothes, old cages for small animals. You stopped for a minute at those. To your bad luck, it could be seen just with the eye that those cages weren't used in ages. They were old, rusted, the metal was basically crumbling under your fingertips.

“You got something over there?” - You stood up, turning your flashlight at Steve.

“I can't really see for... Shit, was is that? Ew!” - He shouted loudly. You slowly walked across the huge attic to him, looking at weird, brown jello on the ground. Late you realized you were staying in a track of blood. But it wasn't normal blood there was something abnormal about it. Before you could inspect that, you heard creaking on the other side of the attic. But before you could catch glimpse of anything, there were only sheets moving caused by the wave of air something created. Steve rushed to the attic stairs while you followed the trail through countless rows of boxes.

“Y/N, where is that old lady?” - Steve shouted to the back so you could hear him, but his question was abrupted by your screaming, coming from the depths of your lungs. 

Before you could stop yourself, you threw up to your right side. There was a rotten, staggered body laying down on the ground - parts of it were even missing. Clearly, you could still say that it was an old lady before that - the short curls, eyes, lips. Whatever spoke with you downstairs, it wasn't Mrs. Duffer. Because you were looking at her corpse. You were too shocked to even move or make a single sound, your eyes were glimpsing at the body with its left forearms torn away just as her bitten leg and stomach and scratched neck. 

Whatever killed her, it was brutal and animalistic, yet it had found the decency to hide that body. It was showing some kind of... Intelligence. 

You didn't even notice that Steve was standing beside you, looking at the corpse. A creaking made you look from it again. You wanted to point your flashlight at it, bit stopped working. Just like the bulbs. You could only see its silhouette - a slim, almost sinewy pale body resembling a human one, standing on two legs with something that looked like a head.

“Oh no, no, no...” - You could hear Steve whispering, but you couldn't tear your look away from that thing. It was moving slowly and its bones were cracking inside of it. It was walking on two feet like a normal human being, yet those moves were uncoordinated and puppet-like. You took the revolver out, ready to shoot at it any minute. 

“Stop, or I will be forced to shoot you.”  - You yelled at it with a high-pitched tone. But it didn't stop. It only hissed back at you as a form of an answer. But then it spoke to you in the exact same voice you heard downstairs.

“There is no need for that, honey.” - It said and hit your palm, so you let your revolver fall down. Before Steve or you could fo literally anything to stop it, it caught your forearm in its limb and held it so tightly that it almost crushed your bones. It opened up its head like a flower, showing you countless rows of sharp teeth that could tear your hand away just like that.

Steve was moving around you, screaming at you and maybe even at the creature, but you were paralyzed by fear. 

The creature in front of you was the Demogorgon.

[aggressivelyaverage21]

I’ll Cry At The Funeral

A quick lil oneshot on how Sara’s losses and what she gains in return. can be found on fanfiction.net 

Robert. Moirah. Tommy. Ivo. Oliver or so she thought. Countless League companions. That Carter guy. Herself. Sara Lance was no stranger to death but damn it if it didn’t crush her each time they were acquainted. 

1. D. Laurel Lance 

There was no funeral this time. Sara didn’t even really know what a funeral was like anymore. The league didn’t really have them. Death had been such a part of her but funerals never really had. Hell she had even had her own funeral, had needed at least a couple by now, but now even with her close acquaintance with death… This was too much. 

Laurel. 

Laurel Lance. 

Dead. 

She had come back from all that. All that bullshit chasing a physco immortal through history. A mission that Laurel had encouraged her to go on. She had come back looking to tell her sister about all the good she’d done. That though there were their hiccups that she and her team had succeeded. And she had found a family all on her own. That she was getting through the bloodlust. That she was doing better.

God she had been so excited to come back and get Laurel in one of those hugs only her sister could really give. Instead… Instead she found her father standing with his hands planted on the control center in the “arrow cave.” A look of pain on his face until he had seen “his baby.” 

His baby girl. Sara really didn’t know how, after everything, he could still see her like that. In all the relief that had flooded her father’s expression it immediately returned to pain as she asked for her older sister. 

Those words “I’m sorry, Sara” would be seared in her mind forever. And she knew. 

Laurel Lance. 

Dead. 

Laying in a grave next to where Sara had been for a year. Where she still should be. Alone. Without the company of her sister. 

Dead. 

Not Laurel. Not for a long time. 

But here they were. Laurel was gone. She was here. 

She was supposed to come back to just about the moment she left. Rip had lied to her. That wasn’t important right now though. There wasn’t going to be a funeral to cry at. That had happened. Months ago. 

So she broke. Sara Lance broke and she cried. She sobbed in her father’s arms. She screamed at Rip. She hit and lashed out and almost killed the man. She wanted to. But that wasn’t her, it couldn’t be her anymore. 

She had to be better. 

For Laurel. 

2. Leonard Snart

He had been there when Laurel… God Sara couldn’t even think about it right now. They had finally made it to the freakin time council or whatever the hell they were. Finally gotten past Mik/Chronos or whatever that bull shit was now. They had finally gotten where they needed to be and for what? One of them to sacrifice themselves? And it had to be Leonard. 

The one who had some honor. Related to her more than anyone else on the team. The one who would play cards with her or just talk in that drawn out way of his till she’d start to doze off. The one who would fold the cards back together in that way of his. The one who would lay a blanket over her as she was hardly awake and press comforting lips to her forehead. It was never romantically. It didn’t feel like that at least, it was more like he was just there. 

Sara had never really let herself entertain the idea before. It was Lenard. No way. They were teammates, not that that stopped other people but it was messy and Sara was so over messy. Until he shoved his arm into that stupid machine and gave himself up to save time and free will itself. 

Sara wasn’t sure if they were right or eachother but that didn’t mean hearing that explosion didn’t rip her heart right out of her chest. She’d lost Laurel and now she’d just lost the only person who made her feel like life could be ok again. Then people had the audacity to talk about how horrible he was when he might have been the best of all the legends. Ray included. 

There wasn’t a funeral for him either. There wasn’t a body and honestly who would have gone but the legends? Sara made sure she told Lisa thought. She made sure she knew the hero her brother had become. Had always been really. 

And Lisa was pissed. She was so pissed that her brother was such a fucking idiot. Sara was a little pissed to. It could have been her. Should have been her. She could have done it. She’d already died once. She was just living on literal stolen time. Not Lenard. 

Then she had kissed him. And yeah, maybe it was selfish of her.. Or maybe it was what he needed in those final moments. She really couldn’t tell. Maybe it was both. 

She had waited for a while but she was just so broken and he was so patient. At least… at least he got to know she cared in those final moments. Sara wondered though if maybe he had always known. 

When all the Legends were away and she had a night to herself she puts his beer up by a photo of him, leaning on a door frame with that goddamn smirk. So when she falls asleep with a beer across the table from her on the table as she drank herself to sleep there was no one to lay her down and drape a blanket over her. 

And damn it she was going to miss him. 

3. Martin Stein 

Things felt weird. The waverider without Martin was weird and it had only been a few minutes. The professor laying there dead. Shot. The professor separating himself with Jax. Taking his last breaths…

His body was still here but he was gone. 

Martin Stein. 

Dead. 

Sara needed to figure out how to get his body back to his family. His daughter. His wife. How to get her Legends closure. That would all have to come after this was all over though. She just couldn’t figure out what the best way to take care of this was. It was her job now, right? She was the captain. The captain had to make these decisions. 

Oliver looks at her in that gentle way of his calling her from her thoughts. Those understanding eyes. Despite his usual stony demeanor Sara always knew he was a softie. He always had been. “How you holding up?” Except right now Sara really didn’t need that look. She needed to keep moving and she needed Oliver to not do his Ollie thing and make this more difficult than it already was. 

Instead of taking her old friend’s comfort she tries to brush past his shoulder turing her grief cold with a deep breath. Cold was easy. Cold helped her stay solid. “I’ll cry at the funeral.” Sara responds as she tries to hurry down the p-way of the Waverider, wanting absolutely nothing to do with all this emotional bull shit- she had a job to do. They all had a job to do. Well… not Martin… not any more. Never again. 

“Sara -” He starts as he grabs her upper arm. He really should know better than to do that. If it wasn’t Oliver he’d have been down a hand to match his sister’s father. But this was Oliver and he was just checking on her. 

No matter how hard she had grown. No matter how good at things - killing things - she had grown Oliver still would always see her as she was before their lives all changed. Not that he ever doubted her competency or her ability to care for herself physically, he just couldn’t really get through the part where she had become more dark that even him. 

Dying will do that to you. 

But when she gives him an understanding, thankful, faint smile for just a moment she means it when she says “I’m fine.” For the time being at least. Or at least relatively. She isn’t breaking. She knows what that feels like. She’s in a good place. 

Well not a good place but maybe a good headspace would be a better way to put it. She knew she’d be fine to keep leading her team, to take care of this threat. She would be just fine and she could wait till it was all over to give the doctor the thought he deserved from her. 

She just didn’t know if it all being over was a reference to their current Nazi nightmare or the thing with Mallus. Sara suspected it was probably the latter. 

The funeral rolled around quicker than she had anticipated. That final fight with those crazy assholes from Earth X was carthic in a way. She could focus in the moment. She had to. There was nothing else. There was trading blows with those guys in black. There was sneaking peeks to check on her team, her whole team, to make sure they were good. But for the most part, it was just the fight and she loved the fight so she let it consume her for the time being. 

Now out in the damp chilly air she watched her feet as mud formed around where she allowed her weight to be pressed down into the slightly squishy grass. Her black bootie-heel-things sinking just a little bit each step she took toward the new stone.  Because of course, of course it was raining. 

She walked up to the group surrounding the fresh hole in the ground. The team. His family. Those who he had fought with. She couldn’t help but wonder if he had continued with all his science stuff instead of this FIRESTORM project how many people would have been there? The whole physics community? Colleagues who didn’t even really know or like him? It was a comfort to know that even if that life probably wouldn’t have ended this way, at least everyone here really cared for him. There would be no obligatory grieving here and for that the Captain was thankful. 

She didn’t really listen to Jax’s words as she stood between Ray and Lilly, the daughter he never would have had if it wasn’t for this little adventure of theirs. She tried to listen, she really did, but as far as public speaking went Jax wasn’t really that good at it, and she just couldn’t. Her mind was a million other places. A million different timelines, a million different missions. 

Because right now she could be a little distracted. She had time to let her mind wander, to remember. She wouldn’t as soon as they got back to the ship where she had to be locked on and ready to go for her team--for time itself. It was nice to breathe a second to stand there quiet but strong for her team and Martin’s family but that time was coming to a close with each stepforward of a friend to drop a shovelful of dirt on that wooden box. 

So when Sara nearly whispers down to the cedar “thank you for believing in me” she means it. She never would have been able to take this step and take on being captain if he hadn’t pushed her into it in that nudging way he had. And though she had her dad and she loved her dad more than anything, having Martin around as she tried to figure out what it meant to be alive again… it helped. It helped more than he would have even known. And he had become an uncle type character for her just when she needed it.  

She walked back to the waverider thankful to get to say goodby to Alex. She really hoped everything worked out for the woman. She seemed pretty cool. Maybe things would have been different if they weren’t from two different worlds and Sara wasn’t a time traveler. Who knows. At least it was fun while it lasted. 

Back on the ship they almost immediately get called back into the field the anachronism alarm going off. Fuck. Can’t her team just have five damn minutes to grieve. Just five. That’s it. They needed that. Sara could see they needed that. 

“Alright I know we just lost Martin. But I want you to take those feelings and put them in a box. Then I want you to close that box. Then I want you to lock that box.” It had worked for her and honest to god she didn’t know how else to help her team get through this and keep doing what they needed to because apparently time waited for no man. Especially not dead ones.  

She takes a moment to breathe over the control station in the center of her bridge. “That’s healthy” And she’s not quite sure who said it but was huffed with a certain degree of sarcasm that only a legend could muster. 

“Maybe not. But we’ve got a job to do.” 

And when later she made the assertion that “Kicking ass is how we heal.” She meant it, she did, but she was hoping that the more she said it the more it would become true. The more it would feel true. They were going to kick ass and move on because they had to. She had to. 

So when the Waverider notifies her of a call from one Ava Sharpe, Sara almost doesn't answer. She really can’t deal with that goody-two-shoes self-righteous woman and her judgment right now. Not her judgment for Sara being a terrible captain who can’t even take care of her own team. It was her job to bring them all back after all.  

That’s not what happens though. With a duck of her head, one that Sara finds infuriatingly adorable, and a quick tuck of hair beihind her air, the agent’s gaze softens along with her voice “but I also heard about Martin Stein and I’m calling to express my condolences.” 

“Well thank you.” Sara says, bristling. If she’d been expecting the kind words from the other woman… if she hadn’t been taken so off guard maybe then it would have been easier to keep her emotions in check. Instead she goes to what she knows, cold. “But my team and I… we have it under control.” 

She didn’t want to be like that with Ava. Not after her kindness. It was just instinct. She felt like she needed some separation from it but she also wanted nothing more than to actually grieve the man. So with a deep sigh she uncrosses her arms from her chest where they had taken a defensive position “to be honest, my team is still pretty raw from losing Stein. We could use outside perspective.” 

The fact is… Sara doesn’t just mean her team. She is still raw too. She just can’t afford to let anyone know that. She has to be the backbone. She has to be the one to keep them moving forward. Her team needs it. The world needs it. Ava knows. Of course she knows. Her and Sara never see eye to eye on anything but they understand each other like no one else really does and maybe that’s why it is so easy for them to get under each other's skin. Knowing that the captain would just ignore her if she offered more comfort Ava decides to stick to their usual dynamic. “Are you asking for my help?” She smiles as though she were amused at the prospect, perhaps even rubbing it in a little, just to distract Sara from everything else going on.

As expected the blond huffs out an annoyed “no” before an infamous Agent Sharpe eyebrow raise calls her out on her bull shit “ok, yes.” 

It’s not two seconds later before the other woman shows up. Sara knows that Ava knows what’s really going on with her. And Ava knows that Sara knows she knows. But it’s a delicate and practiced dance between the two and they’d both be damned if it was addressed now. There was work to do after all. 

So hours later when they are back to arguing, for real, about the viability of this operation things get more than a little heated. Sara is exhausted and more emotional than Ava had seen her. Ava is worried and being pulled in a thousand directions and just plain thinks that this is a stupid plan. “We have lost scores of agents.”

“So what, what does that mean?” Sara throws her hands up in frustration as the two argue in her office. Spinning to face the agent with more unhinged anger than is really warranted at Ava’s perfectly rational qualms. “You’re just going to throw in the towel?” Because that’s bullshit!

The Legends don’t quit when all odds are against them. Not now. Not ever. Sara would make sure of that. They didn’t get to do that. They were the world’s last defense. More than that. They were the fabric of reality’s last defense as scary as that was. 

“We really can’t afford to lose anyone else.” Ava says with regret. She hadn’t lost close friends but each loss hit the Beauro hard. There wasn’t a lot of people they could keep bringing in. She’d also be lying if she didn’t admit that though she wasn’t close with any of the fallen agents they were technically her subordinates and that made her feel complicit in each of their deaths. It was a heavy weight to bare, even for Ava. “And I can?” The hurt in Sara’s voice rips through the room immediately making Ava regret her words. That wasn’t what she meant. Not at all. But it was still a fact that couldn’t be overlooked. Neither team could afford that, granted for very different reasons, but it was still true. And even further, the implication that Legends were expendable was such complete and utter bullshit.. Except maybe it wasn’t. Sara did remember Rip telling them that none of them mattered to the timeline. 

“No-” That’s not what I meant.

“Do you have any idea how hard this has been on us?” And as the tears came into the reformed assassin's eyes Ava knows that us is not who Sara is talking about. Her. This has been so hard on her. She’d had to keep everyone focused, as focused as legends get, and keep them moving forward. 

It had taken a toll on the Captain that she hadn’t really anticipated. This leadership thing was tough. She kinda liked that part of the league. She worried about herself. The job. That was about it. Now. Now she was in charge of this bunch and their wellbeing and pretty much everything else, herself included, came after that. 

“I really am sorry Sara, Director Bennett has ordered me to return to the Time Bureau.”

“Screw his orders. I need you here.” Sara knows she isn’t just talking about the mission. She doesn’t know if means for Ava to be here to help her or if she needs Ava here to do the mission. Deep, deep, down she knows that she is basically admitting that she, on some level, needs Ava. Something about the understanding the other blonde offers but she wasn’t anywhere near a place where she could really start to explore that. 

“Look I know Dark is personal for you and you’re the last person to back out of a fight but you asked me to give you an outside perspective. If you’re concerned for the safety of your team you should leave Finland. This is not a fight the Legends can win.” 

So as the agent starts to leave - to  follow her stupid fucking order - the words just slip from Sara’s lips before she can even process them in her head. “After losing Stein, I can’t lose anyone else.” And all that bitch has to say about that is that she’s sorry. In general, Sara had a thing against using that word, but she hadn’t figured out quite an apt replacement for it yet. 

Anyway… What Sara didn’t know is that Ava was sorry for all the things. Not just her having to leave. She was sorry for all of it. She just didn’t see another way. Not right now. 

Not till Sara was sucked into some weird demon portal. Screw orders. People needed her help. They needed her help to help everyone else. She wasn’t going to just turn her back on them. The legends. This hand nothing to do with one Sara Lance. “You came back.”

“It’s like you said. You needed me.” Ahhh, screw it. She came back for Sara. She needed someone. Sara was breaking. She was doing her best but she was in dire need of some relief. Someone who got it. Someone she wasn’t in charge of. Sure the Legends were her family but they were also her responsibility. Ava was different. 

It meant the world to Sara that the agent had come back. But now that she was gone again, the mission was over. Thank Bebo for that. Sara was finally alone. The team was sleeping off the mission, or enjoying the time off the ship she’d insisted on so they could all now process their grief a little more fully. And so could she. Alone. On her ship. 

She hadn’t really meant it when she told Oliver that she’d cry at the funeral. She couldn’t. Not in front of everyone. It wasn’t anything as stupid as not wanting to look vulnerable in front of her team. Sure that was part of it but this one was on her. She didn’t get the luxury of falling apart. She had to be the backbone for the team. The constant. The example of strength for them. For Clarassia. For Lilly. She had to be there and give them enough comfort and support so that they could grieve. They needed that. They deserved that. 

It was on her and she didn’t get to need their comfort. No. She got to give it. She got to give a purpose behind the grief and then turn this… this tragedy… this loss of a brother, father, friend into something positive. She got to take this off of Jax’s shoulders. It had to be her. She’s the captain. 

And then there was “DirectorSharpe’s call not a few days later. And when Sara told Ava that the team was taking it hard, that they are off their game she really meant that she was taking it hard. That she was off her game. That this was on her and she doesn’t get to fall apart for that but she feels it happening anyway. So she pushed it down. She pushed it deep down into one of those many boxes. 

But now that the Bebo problem was taken care of and the team was nowhere to be found and  Sara had a couple more fingers of scotch than she probably should have knowing her true emotional state no matter how deep she thought she had pushed it, it hits her. 

She had Gideon fabricate a photo of the professor and placed it across the table from her spot in the study in front of an empty chair. A steaming cup of earl grey with a splash of brandy-- just like the professor liked it. And a photo of the smiling man. 

And Sara had left it until she fell asleep drinking and chatting with the man who was as much a mentor to her as he had been a friend. That old man wisdom he had despite being one of her legends. That lovely band of idiots. 

If Sara would have been awake she would have jumped at the tell-tale buz of a time portal being opened, but she wasn’t. Ava walked through to find a Captain Lance asleep with a loose grip around a half full glass sitting across from a still full tea cup and Ava bless her soul, had the wherewithal to surmise that Sara had left it for the professor. If the photo was any indication. So the agent pours the cup out and sets it on a shelf in the study and carefully places the photo next to it. Not wanting to wake the sleeping captain, her and the Legend’s leader weren't there. 

Not yet. 

4. Rip Hunter

“It’s alright Sara. I should very much like to see my wife and son again. I will miss you Captain Lance, you and the rest of the legends. My one hope is that you all live up to that name.” Sara watched as the man looked up at her from his chosen final position. His eyes shone with pride. He had accepted what was about to happen. Sara didn’t want to but she knew the feeling. She’d die for this team too. “Goodbye.”  

When Sara has to find it in herself to mutter “Goodbye Captain” one last time the words nearly get stuck in her throat. Damn it. Damn it, why can’t the universe just stop taking things from her. Sure Rip and her had their ups and downs but he was still family. He’d always be family. 

Back in the pub where they were scheming Ava had made a point to get the Captain alone. Outwardly Sara looked like she was doing fine. She was using Rip’s sacrifice to fuel their final charge. Their last chance with this time demon. At least it looked like it. But Ava watched Sara’s breath hitch and could see the pain behind her bright blue eyes. She always could.

“Sara.” She says softly after Sara had just given a speech vowing to make Rip proud, to make his sacrifice matter. Her hand catching the captain's forearm as it swung just before she would be moving to walk away. Everyone else had left the main room to go do whatever Legends do before a mission. 

“I’ll cry at the funeral.” And Sara kicked herself because that response was a dead give away of what she was thinking about. She knew Ava could pick up on it and she really couldn’t deal with that right now. Hell, there probably wouldn’t even be a funeral.

“Sara. No.” She grips a little it harder not letting Sara pull away instead turning the captain to face her a little more. Ava has to fight every instinct she has to cup that precious face and run her thumbs on those freckled cheekbones not yet damp with tears. And Ava didn’t really know if she got to do this anymore. She didn’t know what her and Sara were at this point but someone had to. 

“I can't… Not now Ava. I can’t. I won't let this be in vain and if I process this now it will be.” Sara doesn’t pull away so much as let her arms fall to her side with a defeated, busted, sigh. “Let it go.” Ava did. She got it. They had to do this. Screw healthy coping, healthy processing, because what did that matter if there wasn’t a world left to be in.

So when all was said and done Ava wakes up to an empty bed - one positive, she thought, she knew where her and Sara stood finally. She sides on a pair of shoes and hugs a loose cardigan around herself shuffling her way to the study to find Sara yet again holding a glass of scotch to her lips. Across the table an untouched drink glimmers in the dim lights. This time instead of a photo it’s a hologram provided by Gideon. Somehow a photo didn’t seem right.

Ava watched from the doorway as Sara, her Sara, took slow drinks from the crystal tumblr. Silent for a while before she pours herself two more fingers, more like four if Ava had any observations on Sara’s drinking habits. If Ava could read Sara’s mind she would hear her thoughts about their complicated relationship. “I hated you at first. You stubborn ass who tried to keep us in line. Then somehow you turned into a mentor, a friend, an older brother. Then you betrayed us again and again and that hurt but still I know you meant well. You killed me. And yeah that sucked but I got over it. How could I not. You believed in me when I didn’t even believe in myself. You really were a brother, Rip.” ” 

“God” Sara scoffs incredesiouly “you were an ass but you were our ass. Rest easy, Captain.” she knocks the glass back and wipes at her eyes as the hologram fades. The thud of crystal being placed on wood echoes for a second before Sara starts tracing the bottom of the glass around on the table, the crystal sliding easily over the polished wood. Apparently deciding she needed more she abruptly leans forward again to fill the cup. 

All Sara wanted was to drink herself into a coma tonight. Because with Laurel, Lenard, Martin, and now Rip gone all at least a little bit because of Damian Dark… Sara found herself just a little bit sad for the man. He had come around in the end. He had done the right thing on behalf of his daughter. Sara found sympathy for the family that had torn her’s apart. And she hates herself for it. It makes her absolutely sick. On second thought, maybe that was all the alcohol. Sara really couldn’t find it in her to care.  

Ava paces across the study to rest her hand on Sara’s wrist before it can pick up the half empty decanter. “Sara.” When the other woman turns to look at her, cheeks damp with tears, eyes red but also seemingly more blue then she had ever seen them. 

“I... “ The woman before her stutters moving to wipe her face with the back of her wrist before Ava stops it with another gentle hand. 

“No, Sara. It’s ok. It’s ok.” She pulls her into her chest and just holds the grieving captain. There isn’t sobbing. Not this time. But Sara let the tears fall as it hit her. They’d lost Rip once before but this time… this time it was for good. And no matter how much he had hurt her with the comments on her incompetence he’d always be the one who started her on this path who’d given her everything she’d never knew she needed.. Everything she never thought she could possibly deserve.. She still didn’t... but here Ava was, holding her to her chest as Sara let the silent tears run down her face. 

When Sara finally leans back from her embrace Ava wipes her tears with her thumb before tucking one of those blonde pieces of bangs behind her ear. She really loved doing that. It’s as if the hair fell loose like that just for her. “His drink, I don’t…” 

“I’ve got it.” She stands and disappears for a brief moment leaving Sara to cross her arms on the table to make a pillow. The captain unable to literally “hold her head up” any longer. One more of her team was gone and there wasn’t even a body to bury. She guessed it was just as well that way. Rip being lost to time, or however that had worked when the time core melted down, only seemed fitting. 

When Ava returned it was a frame, matching the one that held Martin’s, with a picture of Rip with his arms around what Ava knew to be his wife and his son Jonah. She’d never heard him talk about them much but it seemed fitting. She placed the photo next to Martin’s on the shelf and put the now sealed crystal filled with a generous pour of scotch off to the side in front of it. 

Sara looks up to see Ava adjusting the new frame and drink on the shelf when it dawns on her how exactly the professor’s tea cup and photo came to find their home with a perfect view from Sara’s desk. “You…It was you? I… thank you.” 

“Come on, let’s go back to bed.” 

“Ava. I…” 

“I’ve got you. Sara, I’ve got you.” And with that she feels the damp shirt against her collarbone from the tears still leaking from her precious Sara’s eyes. Pressing soft kisses to her temple and whispering sweet comforts until she feels the Captain fall into sleep against her. 

5. Quentin Lance 

When Sara got the call that her dad bad been shot and was in the hospital she couldn’t even remember how she initially reacted. He was fine. Well he was relatively fine. He was expected to make it through with really high certainty. 

There was no rush for her to get there. She could finish the legends current situation before leaving and she was a time traveler damn it. It wasn’t a huge deal. Yes her dad was shot but he was fine. Getting shot tended to happen in their, his, line of work. It’s not like he was the first Lance with some bullet holes. Hell those weren’t even his first bullet holes. Of course Sara was fine. 

Sure it had been unnerving to get a call from Laurel of all people telling her what went down but she was fine. Everything was fine. 

When she could, finally, get away and portaled into the supply closet at Star City General she had given Ava a quick kiss, telling her to stay, that everything was fine, her dad was ok but it really had been so long since she’d made a visit to her family… well her other family. What was left of her other family. Her dad. She had said “Ok babe. Let me know how it goes. I love you.” 

Ava didn't feel even a little bad about Sara wanting to go alone. She had work to do and Sara could tell Quentin about them when he was recovering. She knew she would probably meet this man that her Sara absolutely idolized sooner rather than later anyway. Sara was sure he was going to be fine. She wasn’t upset really or anything, it just seemed like another day with an excuse to sneak away and go visit. 

But as Sara made her way down the hallway to the group of “New- Old team arrow” she didn’t even register that something was very wrong.  And then the doctor came out and was all sad eyes and apologies and all Sara had was shock.  

Shock.

Shock then horror. 

Then grief. 

“Ollie” she said as she saw her friend in handcuffs. That bitch FBI agent wouldn’t even let her hug him. Sara needed him right then like she hadn’t for a long time. They were the only two left. The only two left from before. 

But when Felicity pulled her into her arms Sara lost it. There would be crying at the funeral. There would be a lot of crying right now too. He was gone. 

Her dad. 

Daddy.

Quentin Lance. 

Dead. 

Laurel, not Laurel, walked with her into his room and Sara honestly couldn’t tell if her being there made it better or worse or what. Finally as they talked she decided that nothing outside of what was going on would make this better. Her dad was dead. And how could it make it worse? Her dad was dead. 

She went radio silent with the team, with Ava, for two days. Sara didn’t remember any of it. It was a blur. She helped make decisions for his funeral. She knew exactly how he wanted it. Her mom and dad had that conversation with her and Laurel when they were pretty young. Just in case, you know. Sara wanted to laugh at the memory. She cried instead. 

Her father’s tomb stone would be next to hers. Right next to her’s. Laurel’s. Like some sort of timeline. Sara’s. Laurel’s. Quinton’s. Except Sara’s was empty. 

Again, she found herself, just a moment, wishing she was still down there so she could be with them. At least Laurel had some company now. 

It’s just that now.. now Sara was alone. 

Sara didn’t get to stay for the funeral. And honestly she was grateful. She got a call from Ava. Well Felicity got a call from Ava but she quickly passed the phone over to Sara. “Hey babe, how are things? Is your dad ok?” 

Sara didn’t have the heart to tell her. She didn’t have the heart to say it out loud yet. “Hey, what's going on? Is there a fugitive?” 

“Yes. Yeah, it’s in-.” 

“Ok.” Sara honest to god is relieved she didn’t think she could handle standing there in front of HER grave. Her father’s and her sister’s graves. Not alone. Not now. It was never supposed to be like this. “I’ll say goodbye and be to the ship soon.” 

“Sara -” Ava doesn’t even get a chance to ask what’s wrong. Sara has already hung up. She steps back into the room where Felicity is waiting patiently with the phone outstretched to hear friend in a silent thank you. 

“I have to go.” 

Her old friend gives her a sad smile “Ok.” And instead of pushing in that Felicity way of hers, instead of demanding that Sara stay, that they needed her there. She let it go. She’d never, never, seen Sara so defeated. So if Sara needed to go, she needed to go. Instead of that fire Smok scold when they hug goodbye, the portal waiting and open for Sara to step through, Felicity whispers with a squeeze “I’m going to kill him. I promise he will pay.” 

Sara doesn’t know why she doesn’t tell Felicity not to, that killing Diaz wasn’t her responsibility. She just nods and steps through. Her feet going from the tile of Oliver and Felicity’s kitchen to the metal of her ship. 

“Hey, Ava.” Sara basically croaks as she walks to the control center. “What do we got?” 

She doesn’t even bother telling herself to pull it together. She just needs a second and she’ll slip right back into her league training. Any second now. 

“Hey babe. Nothing major just a -” Ava smiles as she turns to face her girlfriend. Once she sees Sara her face falls immediately. She’s an absolute wreck. “Sara, what is it? How’s your dad?” 

Those soft eyes and Ava’s hand raising slowly to cup her cheek snap Sara out of her misery and back to her training. Thank god, about time. Sara offers a small smile before walking up to the control console on the bridge. “We can talk about it after we find this fugitive.” 

“Sara, no.” Ava’s arm is on her upper forearm grabbing it to gently turn her assassin girlfriend to face her. She puts both her hands so they frame Sara’s arms her thumbs tracing where her arm meets her shoulder over Sara’s black sweater. Well, she thought bitterly, at least I’m dressed for the occasion. “Talk to me.” 

“He’s..” Sara has to look away from Ava a second. Remember you training Taer Al Safar. She takes a deep breath, her face going cold. Her whole body going cold. “He’s dead.” She looks back at Ava watching her girlfriend's heartbreak for her but it’s no use. Sara’s already stuffed it down. Cold. Cold Cold. “Now can we please just get this fugitive.” 

“When’s the funeral? Did you get to go? Do you want to go?” 

“Tomorrow.” Sara huffs. “Now can we please just fucking get this fugitive?” And there stood Ava Sharpe, unmoved - completely unmoved - by Sara’s hardness. She knew her better than that and Sara finds herself hating Ava a little for it. 

“If you don’t want to go, that’s fine. That’s your decision, babe, but the team can handle this one. You can go. You can be there for that if you want to. We can be there for that if you want that too. It’s all up to you, ok? But none of this “I’ll deal with it later” bullshit. Ok? You do that enough. Sara do what you need to do, for you, for once. Don’t run. Don’t use this as an excuse to run. The team can handle it.” 

“Are you actually trusting the Legends to do something without supervision?” Sara tries her best to give Ava that smirk she knows the other blonde loves so much. No dice. 

“Don’t.” Ava whispers her hands rubbing up and down once on Sara’s upper arms as she drops her head forward to rest against Sara’s forehead. “Sara, don’t.” Don’t hide behind this. Don’t run. 

Ava watches as tears spill over Sara’s eyelashes and down her cheeks. She feels the slow shake of “no” as Sara moves her head against Ava’s forehead. Sara doesn’t even know what to say. Doesn’t know what she even wants. When Ava pulls her into a hug though Sara buries her nose in the crook of Ava’s neck and holds on to her for dear life. Or her third life. Maybe her fourth. She’d really lost count at this point. 

The two hear footsteps as one of the Legends approaches the bridge. Luckily, Sara thinks, she was out of tears and didn’t have red cheeks to hide. She just releases Ava and takes a step back to look back at the report Gideon had uploaded for them. 

“Hey, how’s your dad?” Zari asks as she finishes off the last bite of her powdered donut. 

What little softness Sara had just had with Ava was gone. She felt cold again. “Dead.”

“Oh Sara…” 

“Leave it Z. I’m fine.” The hacker glances to Ava who just shakes her head looking more heart broken than Zari had ever seen her. The director silently pleading to Zari to let her handle it, to just let Sara be for a minute.

Zari relents with a small nod to Ava before patting Sara on the shoulder and heading out. “Sure. Whatever you say, Captain.” Her friend muttered sarcastically not believing Sara for a second but also very aware of the clenched fists at her side just daring Zari to challenger her. “Let me know if you need anything, ok?” 

“Yeah.” 

“What do we got Cap?” Nate mozies on up to the bridge a moment later running a hand through his bed head. 

“Fugitive.” Sara basically grunts before taking a deep breath and briefing the team prior to their mission. Knowing, perhaps better than anyone, that she was not in the right mind to be leading a mission or even anywhere close to the fiend she sends out the Legends without her. All shooting worried glances at the Captain when she stays behind. 

“Go guys, it’s fine. I’m just gotta take care of some things in Star City for my dad.” 

“Oh, yeah. Sure thing.” Nate smiles at her. “Tell Papa Lance I said hey.” 

Sara doesn’t have it in her to tell the whole team yet. “Yeah,” she smiles “I will, Thanks. Don’t fuck this up guys.” If Zari hadn’t known that the man was dead she would have bought it completely. It was quite frightening actually for Zari and Ava both. 

Once they’re gone Sara turns back to Ava but cuts off the taller blonde before she can say anything. “Ava, I know I would be too dangerous in the field. Just give me a minute to shower. I’ll meet you in the study. If you can stay, I mean.” Sara didn’t want to hold Ava up, especially not on her account.. 

“I’ll be here.” 

“Can you monitor coms please while I’m gone?” 

“Yes Ma’am.” She says pressing her lips to the top of Sara’s head as she makes her way to her room.  

Once she’s there Sara falls into her bed wanting nothing but to sleep and sleep she does until she’s woken by Gideon about an hour later.  “Captain, you are needed on the bridge.” 

“Ok, thanks Gideon.” She runs her hands over her face to find them stiff with tear tracks she didn’t remember making. It’s harder for her to take a long deep breath than it should be but here she was. Needed on the bridge. Some things never change. 

“Hey, babe.  How was your shower - you didn’t shower.” Ava quickly amends as she turns toward Sara. 

“I took a nap instead.” Sara yawns rubbing her eyes. Sure she had slept but she only felt more exhausted. God her chest hurt. “What’s up?” 

“Oh, if I’d have known that I would have let you sleep. I’m sor-”

“No it’s ok. What’s going on? Who screwed it up this time?” 

“Actually it’s going relatively well. They had some questions and I handled them. I um.. I told Gideon to get you. I just talked to Felicity.” Sara can’t help but raise her eyebrow in question at Ava. She didn’t know the tech genius. At all. “She called to update you. I answered and told her that you were in the shower. Babe… I really think you should go.” 

And yeah, she probably should. It was the decent thing to do after all, she guessed. Sara really didn’t know if there was a play book for this one. But she knew she’d always wonder if she should have gone so for once she decides to just listen to Ava. So she concedes without a fight or with out any words at all just a little head nod and a half smile that absolutely shatters Ava’s heart if the shift in her eyes had anything to say about it. 

The funeral came and went. Sara didn’t remember any of it. It was a blur. Bagpipes. All the traditional cop stuff. Her father’s tombstone right there next to hers. Laure’s.

 Sara’s. Laurel’s. Quinton’s. Except. Except Sara’s was empty. 

And all Sara could think about was that same damn thing. Hers. Laurel’s. Dad’s. And the only one of them that should actually be dead was still there. Still fucking breathing. Even after everything. 

Again she found herself, just a moment, wishing she was still down there so she could be with them. At least Laurel had some company now. And yeah, she’d aready thought that too but who gave a fuck. Neither one of them should be there.

But now Sara was alone and honestly Sara didn’t even know if her mother was even there. Did her mother even know? Did she want to? Probably not. If she did she probably wouldn’t believe it anyway. “Laurel” had come back, Sara had come back. Apparently the Lances were allergic to death or at least it didn’t seem to want to keep them around for very long. “Seem” being the operative word. It loved them. It loved them all right. All the Lances. The ones that mattered. Even Sara. So much that it wanted her to keep coming back, apparently. 

Eventually though after dealing with the cops he trusted and the families in this old pub her dad liked before all the drinking got out of hand… They had him a party. They sang their cop songs and did their cop toasts and Sara let them watching from the back. The other team arrow members somehow in the same bar as all these cops for just these few hours honoring one of their finest to ever be in uniform. 

Honestly she had completely forgotten Ava was there until she slid into the booth Sara had occupied and pulled her into her chest allowing Sara to lean completely on her. “I love you, you know that?” Ava murmured into the top of Sara’s head. “I love you so much.” 

And for whatever reason all Sara could think to say back was “He would have loved you, Aves. God, he would have loved you.” 

So five minutes later when Sara was too exhausted to be there anymore and Ava picked up on it she opened a portal back to her apartment and wrapped Sara back up in her arms as they leaned against the headboard of their bed. “I should have been around more.” Sara mumbles with her cheek pressed into Ava’s collar bone. “I was such an idiot. I thought I had more time.” 

“You are not an idiot.” Sara opens her mouth to protest but Ava taps her pointer finger on her nose to stop her. “You aren’t. You were busy saving the world. I know it’s not going to help much right now that you feel like you missed out on time with him but I do know he was proud of you and I know he understood.” 

“How can you possibly know that?” She lifts her head from it’s resting place on Ava’s shoulder just enough to look her in the eye. The question didn’t have any bite to it and that honestly bothered Ava more that if it would have. This just sounded broken. Broken and vulnerable. 

“I talked to Felicity.” 

“Oh.” Sara mumbles as she drops her head, defeated, back to its place. Allowing her arm to rest across Ava’s torso once more. 

“And I also know that you, Sara Lance, are the most amazing woman any man could possibly hope his daughter would become. You are certainly no idiot. He knew you loved him. I have no doubt about that. And I know he loved you with everything he had, Sara. How could he not? He might be gone now, and I don’t know what that is like, but I hope you know that I’m here for you. Whatever you need. Whatever you want. You got it. You got me. And we’re going to get through this together.” 

“Ava. I have nothing left. No one left.” 

The taller blonde just wraps her arm a little tighter around her favorite person in the world and touches her nose and lips to the top of her head. She didn’t take it personally. She knew Sara knew that she had her. She had the team. But blood was different. Any sense of anything normal that could have been left was gone now. Ava didn’t blame her at all. “I know you might feel empty right now, Babe.” And Sara did, she felt absolutely gutted… and she knew what that felt like… but Ava knew that too “I don’t have the words to make it better but just let me hold you. For as long as you need. The team is giving us a little while. Giving you a little while.” 

Ava feels Sara’s jaw come unhinged against her chest to protest no doubt, “I know. I know that “kicking ass is how you heel” but that’s totally bullshit. I know you want to distract yourself with work but please Sara. Let yourself take a second.” 

Again she feels the blonde shake her head against her shoulder before she answers with a small “I don’t want to. I don’t want this to be -” real. 

“I know. We will figure it out. But right now, just let me hold you. I’m here.” 

“For now.” 

If Ava’s heart hadn’t broken before it sure as hell had just then especially when the assassin curled even smaller into Ava’s embrace. “I love you. And I promise you this, I will always do my best to be here and I will always, always love you.” 

Somehow in the last minute and a half Sara had fallen asleep in her spot, curled tight into Ava’s side. She gives one last kiss to the top of Sara’s head. “Sleep my love. I love you too much for words.”

[mss4msu]

You Go First

Summary: A cute date to a Halloween Carnival turns terrifying when you and your boyfriend, Chris, enter the Haunted House.

Pairing: Chris Evans x Reader

Words: 2095

A/N: I am scared of things, and only watch spooky stuff during Halloween, so this is inspired by me being a scaredy cat. This is for @until-theend-oftheline’s Marvelous Halloween Challenge!

“Ahh! The Halloween Carnival!!” you tugged Chris’s arm, forcing him to pick up his speed as you approached the gate decorated in spider webs and bones.

“You’re going to pull my arm out of its socket!” Chris laughed.

“Then we’ll just get you a new one if it means you’ll hurry up!” you replied, pointing to a plastic arm dangling from the gate.  

“But then I won’t be able to pull a helicopter as well,” he squeezed your hand, knowing fully well that the image of him caught between a helicopter and a roof beam from Civil War had been your computer background when the two of you had first met in that coffee shop way back when.

“Well, we can’t have that,” you slowed your pace so you were side-by-side and no longer dragging him along.

At the gate you paid the volunteer collecting donations for the event. Chris grabbed a map of the carnival and opened it up for you both to look at.

“I can’t believe they fit a corn maze, a haunted house, and a pumpkin patch all in one park in the middle of the city,” you said looking around, your eyes wide in fascination and adoration.

Halloween had always been your favorite holiday, and Chris had fully embraced your love for it. Each year he help you to decorate his house and your apartment with pumpkins, spell books, and vials of “potions” you had made yourself. Last year he had created his own jack-o-lantern pattern of Dodger for when you carved pumpkins. This year he had taken the initiative to research couples costumes, which you discovered when he left his laptop open back in June. His dedication to the spooky season made you fall further in love with him.  

Chris put his arm around you and squeezed you against him, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!”

You got on your tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek, “You got that right!”

“So, where to first?” Chris asked, holding the map out again.

“Hm, well, pumpkins should be last because I don’t want to carry one of those around all night. And as much as I believe in us, I don’t think we’d make it out of the corn maze once it gets dark, so we should probably tackle that first. Plus, it says that we win a prize if we can solve the puzzle at the end!”

“You sure you’ll be able to sleep if we do the haunted house after dark?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

“As long as I have you with me, I should be ok,” you replied with a slight smile, squeezing his arm.

“Alright, I’m holding you to that,” Chris raised his eyebrow at you.

“We may just have to watch a comedy when we get home….”

“I figured as much,” Chris hugged you, “To the corn maze?”

“To the corn maze!”

Hand in hand you went through the maze, stealing kisses in the dead ends you found yourselves in. After 30 minutes, you successfully found all of the spots within the maze that you needed to gather the clues to solve the puzzle for your prize. As you exited the maze, a carnival volunteer greeted you.

“Did you solve the puzzle?” the volunteer asked.

“Yes!” you replied excitedly, “It’s ‘Everybody hail to the pumpkin king!’”

“That is correct!” the volunteer replied, grabbing two carmel apple suckers from the box behind him. You both accepted them and thanked him before walking away.

“These are my favorite,” you moaned in excitement, hastily moving to unwrap the sucker.

“Hold it,” Chris grabbed your hand, “Don’t you want to eat dinner before eating that?”

“Ugh, fine,” you replied annoyed, “What’s for dinner, then?”

“Apple cider donuts?”

“Just so I have it straight, you’re telling me I can’t eat my sucker now, but I can go have donuts for dinner?”

“Yep,” Chris said with a sly smile.

“You’re a fun sucker,” you tapped him on the shoulder with your sucker as you emphasized every word.

“And you are soooo punny.”

“I know,” you smiled, letting Chris take you by the hand and lead you to the food stands.

Chris bought each of you a donut, which you happily ate accompanied with pumpkin spice lattes. You then wandered the various booths set up by local businesses.

“OH MY GOD, CHRIS!!” you screamed, pulling him under one of the tents which was filled with pet Halloween costumes. “Can we PLEASE get one for Dodger??”

“Um, nah, he doesn’t need one.”

“But Chrissss, look at how cute this dinosaur costume is! Or the mermaid one? AH! Or the astronaut one??”

“Yes, they’re cute, but no.”

“Why noooootttttt???”

Chris let out a long sigh, “It was supposed to be a surprise, but I already got Dodger a costume so that he’ll match with us….”

“SHUT UP! AHHH THAT’S AMAZING! UGH I LOVE YOU!” you flung your arms around him and showered him with kisses in the very small booth, much to the chagrin of the other shoppers.

Chris pulled you off of him, laughing, “Yes, I did and I love you too! Now, let’s get out of here,” he led you out of the tent and away from the stares.

You were in a fantastic mood as you continued through the other booths. You walked through everything there was to see and found yourselves in front of the haunted house.

“Well, are you ready?” Chris asked, squeezing your hand.

“Yep!” you said, putting on a brave face.

“Then let’s do it. Do you want to go first or should I?”

“Um….I’ll let you lead the way,” you said anxiously, “Since you’re my muscle man, you can scare off any of the spooky things before I see them,” you squeezed his bicep.

“Alright, babe, here we go!” Chris entered the haunted house and you followed after him.

You walked through the first room and looked around. There were the classic holographic photos that changed from old fashioned people into skeletons when you walked past them and dangling rubber bats. You loosened your tight grip on Chris’s hand.

“You doing alright?” Chris asked, pausing.

“Yeah, no big deal in here,” you smiled.

“Good,” he gently squeezed your hand, “Do you want to lead the way then?”

“Sure,” you puffed out your chest.

He playfully slapped your butt as you went in front of him. You giggled as you took his hand, walking into the next room.

You were blinded by strobe lights as you stepped inside, hardly able to see in front of you. You instantly regretted offering to take the lead and slowed down so you could feel Chris behind you.

“Did you see that?” you shrieked as you thought you saw figures moving ahead, but couldn’t be sure if it was just the strobes playing tricks on your eyes.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you baby,” he put his hands on your waist and led you from behind through the room, wrapping you into a tight hug as soon as you were out of the strobe lights.

The next room was a hospital setting, with limbs in scales and bodies on tables. From the side of the room, a nurse pulling a wheelchair suddenly appeared, causing you to jolt. The  nurse turned around and had a mangled face, with an eyeball falling out of its socket. She came towards you holding a syringe with a giant needle. You tried to avoid walking by her, and ended up right next to one of the tables, where the body suddenly came to life and groaned. You screamed so loudly your throat hurt. You practically ran into the next room.

In the new room, you found yourself in a graveyard. Tombstones were scattered throughout the room and one tombstone had a bump in front of it as though it were freshly dug dirt.

“Ok, this one seems less spooky,” you said hesitantly.

“I think so too,” Chris kissed the top of your head.

You tip-toed through the room and heard the rustling of leaves. You turned to look and the leaves atop the “fresh” grave were moving. You felt hands grab you from the back and you screamed, stumbling over your own feet as you turned around to see your assailant. You landed hard on the floor and looked up to see horror on Chris’s face as he rushed to you.

“(Y/N)! I’m so sorry!”

“What the fuck??” you were trying to regain your breath.

A zombie ran over to you and knelt down with a first aid kit.

“Are you ok?” the zombie asked.

“I’m fine,” you replied, giving Chris a dirty look.

“It felt like a good opportunity to scare you…I didn’t mean for you to fall,” Chris helped you up.

“You’re ok, though?” the zombie asked, “If we have any injuries we need to let the crew leader know to shut down the house for a bit so we can make sure that there is nothing that will trip people again.”

“I tripped over myself, not a prop. I’m really ok, thank you,” you said to the zombie.

“Alright, cool, continue on through, then!” the zombie replied before leaving.

“You jerk!” you elbowed Chris in the gut. “It might be funny to go around pranking people in comic shops, but don’t you dare scare me like that again. Otherwise you’ll be on the couch and Dodger and I will share the bed.”

“I’m so sorry!” he wrapped you up in a hug.

“You have to lead the way through the rest of this as punishment. And I swear Christopher if you pull something like that again…”

“Yeah, I’ll be on the couch,” he grabbed your hand and led the way out of the room.

You walked into the next room which was lined wall to wall in dolls.

“Oh fuck,” you muttered under your breath, tightening your grip on Chris’s hand.

Dolls were your biggest fear. You couldn’t even bring yourself to watch the Chucky movies. R. L. Stein’s Slappy character had been enough to give you nightmares.

“It’s alright, baby,” Chris said, rubbing the top of your thumb with his own.

You both walked through the room slowly. You couldn’t help it, the fear all but paralyzing you, keeping you from moving any faster. You were halfway through the room when Steve jumped.  

“Shit!” he yelled, causing you to scream.

The dolls on the floor had come to life and were crawling towards you. All of their eyes were glowing and it looked as though blood was dripping from their mouths

“Oh my god, run run run!!!!” you screamed, tears streaming from your eyes as you pushed him forward.

You got out of the doll room and found yourselves surrounded by crypts. You clutched your heart and Chris wiped the tears from your eyes, rubbing your shoulders to calm you down.

“That was fucking terrifying,” Chris said.

All you could do was nod in agreement, still trying to catch your breath and slow your heart rate. You and Chris both turned as you heard a coffin squeak open. A vampire sat up inside and began to lunge at you as a mummy entered from behind it.

“(Y/N), it’s your favorites!” Chris lifted your chin to look at the new monsters who appeared.

“A mummy and Drac!” a smile re-appeared on your face.

“Dammit, we’re never the scary ones,” you heard the mummy complain as it walked back to its hiding place.

“Whoops,” you muttered to Chris.

He laughed as he took your hand and led you through the next door and you felt the cool air on your face.

“Free at last,” you took a deep breath, smelling apples in the distance.

Chris wrapped you up in a tight hug, “I”m sorry again for scaring you in there.”

“Lucky for you, I forgot about it as soon as we were in that horrifying doll room. But now I remembered and you owe me.”

“What do I owe you?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“As my ‘feel-good’ movie tonight, I want to watch either What’s Your Number or Perfect Score.”

“Seriously?” Chris groaned.

“Yes,” you replied with a mischievous grin.

“Why those two?”

“Because you’re so sexy in What’s Your Number and you’re such a dorkus in Perfect Score.”

“I’m a douchebag in What’s Your Number and Perfect Score is embarrassing. Can’t we just watch something else?”

“How about The Bronze??”

“Only if we invite Seb.”

“Deal,” you grinned, “Now let’s go get me a pumpkin!”

Steve Rogers/Chris Evans Tag List:

@patzammit

Permanent Tag List:

@sophiealiice @sai-kida134 @mrsdeanwinchester19 @thisismysecrethappyplace @ailynalonso15 @221bshrlocked

[stillthewordgirl]

LOT/CC fic: Ripples in Time (Ch. 3 of 3)

Set in my "Chances Are" continuity. (In which Leonard Snart got stuck in 1958 with Sara, Ray, and Kendra.) Rip's already lectured Sara and Leonard about how their actions in 1958 may have changed many things. Turns out, at least one of those things strikes very close to home. Set between chapters 16 and 17 of "Somewhere on Your Road Tonight."

Can also be read here at AO3 or here at FF.net.

It’s late by the time they get back to the hotel, sneaking in like teenagers, but Sara’s still so full of adrenaline that she makes quite good on the promise of that kiss. Later, Leonard somewhat groggily asks for the number of the truck that hit him—though he does it with a pleased smirk on his face—before falling quite soundly asleep, and Sara follows soon afterward, still entwined with him on the far-bigger-than-Waverider-quarters king bed.

She sleeps soundly herself, waking by the time she’d planned to and rising quietly. Leonard only utters a sleepy murmur, but he opens his eyes a little by the time she returns, showered and dressed.

“Going somewhere?” he mutters, reaching for her. Sara evades him easily, but then leans back over to kiss him.

“I told you,” she reminds him. “I’m going to see Dig and Lyla and baby Sara, and then to lunch with Thea.”

Leonard blinks, but then she sees memory rise in his eyes again. “Right.” He pushes himself up on an elbow. Sara hums appreciatively as the sheet falls aside a bit, giving her a very nice view. “You want me to come with you?”

She’d already told him it was fine, but she gives it due thought again anyway. Something about the idea of seeing Len meet her small namesake is very appealing. But…

Leonard nods as he sees her pause. “Go see the kid without having to explain me,” he says quietly, stretching back out—and smirking as he sees Sara’s eyes trail slowly down his torso, following the line of dark (OK, maybe a little graying) hair under the sheet that’s still slung over his hips. “I’ll see you later.”

“Mmmm.”

“Sara. Aren’t they waiting for you?”

“They’re not going anywhere.” Her fingers twitch with the impulse to reach out and pull away that sheet.

“Neither am I.”

When Sara finally does leave, Leonard’s not ashamed to admit he goes back to sleep, enjoying the opportunity in a way he rarely can. When he finally rises, he gets ready in a more leisurely fashion, then tries to figure out what to do next.

It’s obvious, probably. It doesn’t take long before he decides to see if he can saunter into the Arrowcave like he does into STAR Labs. Hopefully without getting an arrow through the brain.

Well. He’s never been one to make the wisest decisions. And the challenge is intriguing.

Presumably, Queen & Co. won’t want to piss off Sara by killing him. So there’s that.

Memory gets him to the site. Skill gets him in. The security system is good, very good, but it’s not Leonard Snart good. He doesn’t even trip it. He just…convinces it.

So, he’s very, very smug when he saunters into the Arrowcave proper, smirk on his face, hands behind his back, trying not to look like a threat but completely willing to look like an asshole.

It lasts as long as it takes him to get far enough for Felicity Smoak (who’s sitting at her desk and studying her computer) to glance up and see him.

“Oh,” she says in a bored tone, “it’s you.” Then, to his surprise, she giggles. “The man of the hour.”

Well, this isn’t what he expected. Or wanted. Leonard frowns at her, letting his arms fall to his sides. “Come again?”

Felicity waves a hand at another desk. “Read ‘er and weep, lover boy.”

Leonard eyes her a moment, then sidesteps over to that desk. There’s a newspaper there, one of the more tabloid-ish local ones, and he glances down at it.

His jaw drops. Felicity snickers again.

There’s a photo there. It’s under the fold, as the top is face down, but it’s still clear and in full color. And it’s…him. And Sara. Kissing. There on the rooftop. A nearly full moon in the background, illuminating them in a scene like something from a movie.

The photographer had somehow managed to miss the archer in green who was on the rooftop with them. Leonard stares at it a moment, then skims the caption. Oh. Peachy. They’ve clearly identified him as Central City’s Captain Cold (“hasn’t been seen for six months since his escape from Iron Heights”) and they’re baffled by Sara (“another Star City Canary?…successor?...who?...why?”). To his slight amusement, the paper’s clearly linked them to the police raid on the drug operation, though not the Arrow, and they’re both being taken as well-intentioned, if vigilante-inclined, heroic types.

It’s a good pic, actually. Even if he never saw it coming. Leonard studies it a moment longer, imagining what’s going to happen if Lisa sees it before he can explain, then shakes his head.

“Way to destroy my image.” he sighs, tossing the paper aside.

Felicity is peering around her screen, looking like she’s holding back laughter. “You did it to yourself,” she points out.

“That’s who I was talking to.” Then something else occurs to him, something involving Felicity and how he first “met” her and who her friends are—and how she’s watching him with such gless. Leonard stops in his tracks. “Wait. Tell me you didn’t send that to…”

Too late. He closes his eyes in resignation as a golden-red blur darts into the room, resolving into a red-suited man who’s not even bothering to wear a mask, but who is wearing an immense grin.

“…Barry Allen,” Leonard finishes. “Gee. Thanks, Smoak.”

Felicity stands, eyes huge. “Wait. You know…”

“Yes, I know his name,” Leonard drawls in exasperation before folding his arms and leveling a stare at the other man. “Barry.”

“Snart!” the younger man says happily. He looks like he’s going to step forward and try for a hug, but Leonard steps deliberately backward when he sees it coming, and Barry stops. “I knew you guys were back for a couple days, but Dr. Stein and Jax and Mick wouldn’t say where you were. You and Sara Lance? Really?”

Leonard keeps his gaze chilly. “That tone of surprise is rather insulting, Allen.”

“I didn’t mean it that way!” Barry looks a little rattled, which is satisfying, but that big grin is still there. Once, Leonard would have assumed it was mocking him, but he knows better now, with 1958 and Gabriel Drive behind him. Barry Allen is idealistic and brave and, OK, kinda cute. He’s also kind, and Leonard knows it now for the odd strength it is instead of a weakness.

If he really thinks Leonard is happy with Sara Lance, that grin is 100 percent genuine.

“It’s just…” Barry actually scuffs a toe on the ground. It’s kind of adorable. Leonard scowls. “…I never even thought it was likely that you two would meet, let alone…ah…”

“Hook up?” Felicity asks gleefully from her desk, apparently deciding to try to stir the pot a little more for her own entertainment. Leonard ignores her, although Barry flushes a little.

“Yeah,” he mutters, though he keeps that damned grin. “After all that protesting about not being a hero…”

“I’m not…” Leonard gives up. “What’s your point?”

“Nothing! Good for you, Snart. I mean…is it serious? Um.” Barry darts a glance at Felicity while Leonard decides he’d rather sink into the ground and vanish than have Barry Allen fishing for clues about his intentions toward Sara. “Does Oliver know…?”

“Does Oliver know what?” The man himself stalks into the room and Leonard closes his eyes in a “give me strength” gesture. There’s a faint sound from the far wall and an elevator opens, letting Laurel out. It’s a measure, Leonard figures, of how weird this whole situation is that he’s relieved to see the lawyer. He tosses a glance her way as she wheels toward them, annoyed that it probably comes out a little pleading, and is even more annoyed when Barry…well, giggles is probably the best word…on his other side.

But Queen takes one look at the paper and snorts, a sound that Leonard thinks might actually contain a little amusement. “Oh, I did,” the archer says. “Frankly, I think everyone in the city has. And beyond.” He gives Leonard a cool look, but there is indeed a hint of humor in his gaze. “I should have warned you. The would-be paparazzi have taken to camping out in places with good views of likely rooftops. Sorry about that.”

He’s not sorry at all. Leonard regards him steadily, then decides not to take the bait. “Well,” he drawls, looking down at the photo. “It’s a good pic. Maybe they’ll give us a copy of the file in exchange for an autographed copy or something.”

Queen loses the smile, but Laurel chuckles. She starts to say something, but they’re interrupted by the footsteps, and Sara’s voice lifting in greeting.

“Hey,” she calls as she enters the room, “look who I found outside!”

Because this day couldn’t much any weirder or more awkward. Still, Leonard finds his lips lifting in a smile as he watches Mick sauntering in at Sara’s side, eyeing the gathered heroes with a look of wary uncertainty. He obviously brightens with relief, too, as he sees Leonard, though he quickly hides it behind habitual surliness and the expression that says clearly that he’s already decided to give no fucks about this gang of heroes before they can decide not to give any fucks about him.

“Allen,” he barks at Barry. “What the hell?”

Barry looks sheepish. “Well, I wasn’t going to bring you in here without asking,” he retorts, then looks at the nonplussed-looking Queen. “Uh. Hi, Oliver…”

Felicity raises a hand. “Uh. Did you just tell the arsonist Oliver’s name?”

“Already knew it, Ponytail.”

Eyes go to Leonard, who promptly jerks his thumb at Sara, perfectly willing to pass the buck. She rolls her eyes.

“They’re my teammates,” she says with exasperation, folding her arms, “no matter what you think of their prior career paths.” She glances at Mick. “You’re not going to burn down the Arrowcave, right, Mick?”

“Pro’bly not.”

“See?”

Queen finds his voice. “Sara…”

Sara can take care of herself. Leonard moves with some alacrity toward Mick. “You let Allen flash you over here? Really?”

His friend shrugs. “I was bored. And Allen wigged out over that pic…though not as much as Ramon did.” He smirks. “You OK? Blondie’s dad didn’t try to murder you?”

“Not yet, anyway.” Leonard’s trying to decide whether to surreptitiously get Mick out of there or stay and watch the potential chaos, when his thoughts are interrupted by a quiet, amused voice.

“Mr. Rory, I presume?”

He glances over and sees Laurel sitting there watching them, a smile hovering around her mouth. He offers her a wry smile, glancing at Mick, who blinks at Sara’s sister as she sits there and considers him.

“Yeah,” he finally manages. “Hi.”

Laurel inclines her head to him, extending her hand. Mick, looking slightly flummoxed, takes it, but keeps holding it as if he’s not sure what to do with it. Leonard, not sure whether to smirk or wince, clears his throat, but Laurel doesn’t seem to mind, considering Mick thoughtfully.

“I understand that you’ve known Mr. Snart here a long time,” she tells him. “In fact, I gather you’re the next best thing to brothers.”

Mick blinks. Leonard blinks. But neither of them bothers to deny it.

“Uh,” Mick says finally. “Yeah. And yer Sara’s sister.”

Leonard winces again. Laurel just smiles.

“I am,” she acknowledges. “And I have so many embarrassing stories about her. And I’m willing to share them.”

Mick brightens. Belatedly, he gives her hand a shake, letting go, but Leonard sees Laurel tighten her fingers around his, briefly, first, almost a gesture of encouragement. Then she starts asking him about Leonard, about how they met, and Lisa, and Leonard decides that even after everything, Mick won’t purposely try to sabotage Laurel’s opinion of him.

He backs slowly off even as Sara comes up beside him, bumping his shoulder with hers and chuckling evilly as she sees Laurel talking to Mick.

“She’s not Mick’s type,” he says, even though he’ll admit some uncertainty. “Too classy.”

“I think you might be wrong about that,” Sara murmurs without saying exactly what he’s wrong about, but continues without clarifying. “Well. Even if nothing like that does happen, I think they might be something even rarer and more special.”

She smiles at his inquiring look, answering the unspoken question. “Friends. And isn’t that unexpected?”

“Huh.” Leonard considers them. Mick can claim all he wants that he doesn’t have friends, but that’s changed, on the Waverider…and he’s certainly behaving himself for the moment.

“Laurel’s good with people,” Sara says softly. “Better than I am. And…she’s changed. Once, I could see her balking at…”

“Befriending a criminal and arsonist?”

“Well, yeah. Now…” Sara smiles a little more, watching as Mick answers some question or another, getting a smile from Laurel. “We’ve all changed.”

“True, that.”

Somehow, with Barry’s visit and the entry of a few of the other members of Team Arrow, the gathering at the Arrowcave’s developed an oddly congenial atmosphere. Barry’s dispatched to get Iris at Felicity’s insistence, and the Diggle family turns up with wings and pizza at one point. Leonard’s getting used to getting various sorts of once-overs as new players arrive, and he thinks he’s handing them with equanimity.

When the Diggles arrive, Sara reaches for the tiny, curly-haired girl with a murmur of pleasure, and Leonard can’t help but watch as small Sara Diggle reaches for her in return. He exchanges a glance with the namesake’s father—one that on John Diggle’s part says clearly “don’t mess with us—or her--and we won’t mess with you”—and nods in acknowledgement.

The man Felicity calls “Curtis” gives him another sort of once-over, and the men exchange a nod with its own sort of recognition. He’s cute, in the sorta-geeky-yet-sorta-badass way Leonard has a certain predilection for in guys, and it’s kind of nice to see the same sort of appreciation there, even if neither one of them will act on it.

Then Thea Queen arrives and, having apparently been filled in by Sara, checks him out in the sort of semi-lascivious slow scan that actually draws a smirk from Leonard’s face. She winks at him when she’s done, and he winks back, and just like that, they seem to be OK.

Someone, at some point, gets beer and other beverages. Leonard notes in bemusement that a few more familiar faces have arrived…the Steins and Jax, Cisco and Snow. Sara’s in her glory, talking to old friends and new, and after a while, Leonard merely gets a drink, parks his back against a wall and watches her, smiling at her happiness.

“Snart.”

“Queen.” Leonard takes a drink of his beer, not taking his eyes off Sara. Oliver Queen leans next to him, apparently watching the same thing. After a few moments, though, Leonard can feel the gaze on him.

“I do not...dislike you as much as I would have thought.”

As overtures go, it’s certainly not the friendliest, but it’s more sincere for all that, and Leonard turns a little, eyeing the vigilante. “Same,” he drawls. Then he tilts his head. “I’m sensing a ‘but.’”

(He thinks he deserves a medal for not layering innuendo in those last words. A freakin’ medal.)

Queen doesn’t seem aware of that, but he does acknowledge the words with a return tip of his head—and a frown that makes Leonard frown in return.

After a moment, Queen speaks again. “I want Sara to be happy. She’s been through a lot and…” He hesitates. “A lot of it was my fault. In one way or another.”

Leonard leaves that alone. “You don’t think she’s happy,” he says, watching Sara and the smile on her face, making it both a question and not. He feels Queen turn his head to watch her too, and the silence between them stretches.

“No,” the other man finally says, with a sigh. “I know she is. I can see it. But…” He looks back at Leonard, who’s rather surprised to see sympathy in his eyes. “Snart. For how long?”

Leonard narrows his eyes. “Explain.”

Queen looks back at Sara, who’s still holding a contented-looking Sara Diggle and talking to the woman named Lyla. “What are you going to do?” he asks. “Come back from killing Savage and go back to being a crook?” His gaze flicks back to Leonard. “Shift paths and be a hero?” He holds up a hand as the other man starts to retort. “I know it worked out all right yesterday. But…people know who you were. Do you really think they’ll just let you change?”

Leonard wants to get angry about the words, but…there’s a strong feeling of inside knowledge there, and even pain, in Queen’s voice. And he’s wondered about such things himself; it’s why he’d grabbed the opportunity to reinvent himself with both hands, back in 1958. But can he do it in 2016?

He hesitates, and Queen sees it. The other man nods curtly.

“If it doesn’t work out, whatever your new plan is, what happens?” he says. “Do you just leave? Sara…she’s had too many people leave. But do you really feel like there’s a future for you two?”

Leonard stares at him. He still wants to be angry. Hell, he wants to be enraged. He wants to deny what Queen’s saying. But…

He’s said it himself. Queen’s right. Many people aren’t very willing to let juvenile delinquents…or their adult versions…be anything else once they’ve labeled them so.

Leonard glances away. He hears the other man sigh.

“I don’t…” Queen stops. Then he sighs again. “Just…think about it,” he says, shaking his head. He turns and walks away, back toward Felicity.

Leonard watches him go. Then he looks back at Sara, who’s set little Sara down and is smiling at the small girl as she toddles across the floor. And then he turns away, heading for the stairwell.

He needs some fresh air…and some space to think.

“Where’s Leonard?”

Sara’s been enjoying herself quite a bit during this rather impromptu party in the Arrowcave. She’s kept an eye on Leonard and Mick as she catches up with old friends, pleased at how they seem to be relatively comfortable—definitely more comfortable than she’d feared, or even hoped. Mick had been pleased at the arrival of others he actually knew, and it seems like Stein, of all the people, has decided to be somewhat protective of him.

They’ve become family, on the Waverider. As amazing and unlikely as that might seem.

Leonard had been holding up the wall and watching everyone and everything in his usual fashion, but he’d seemed comfortable enough. But he’s not there now, and Sara realizes she can’t remember when she’d last seen him there. And when she had…

Oliver’s looking guilty. Goddamnit.

Sara starts for him purposefully, glaring, and Felicity, seeing her coming, glances at him too. Her eyes narrow—she’s even better at judging guilty Oliver Queen expressions than Sara is. Laurel, no slouch at that herself, glances over, then starts wheeling toward them.

Oliver looks alarmed. Good.

“We had…a talk,” he says abruptly, folding his arms as the three women converge on him. “But if he left, he left of his own volition.”

“Oliver Queen,” Felicity hisses. “What did you say?”

He starts sputtering, but Sara doesn’t want to hear it. She turns away, scanning the room, then starts for the stairs.

“Sara!”

She turns back, looking at Laurel. (Felicity’s already lighting into Oliver as others start to notice.)

Laurel studies her, empathy in her eyes.

“If he left,” she says, “he’s still planning to come back. That man wouldn’t leave you on Oliver Queen’s say-so.”

Sara gives her a reluctant smile. “That man,” she responds, “won’t do anything on Oliver’s say-so.”

Laurel smiles in return. “Go find him,” she instructs. “No matter what stupid thing Ollie said, this Leonard Snart loves you. He won’t have gone far.”

She’s right.

Leonard, for all his relative dislike of heights, had gone where Sara is likely to find him—up, to the Star City rooftops. She finds him there, staring out at the city, expression distant and thoughtful.

He turns his head as he hears her approach, and she sees a smile flicker across his face. Well, that’s something, at least.

“You OK?” Sara asks as she joins him, gazing out at her city as well.

Leonard makes a noncommittal noise. “I just needed some fresh air.”

Sara snorts. “What did Oliver say to you?”

“Nothing that isn’t true.” But he caves as Sara lifts an eyebrow at him. “Suggested I think about what sort of future we’d have, me and you.”

Sara resolves, again, to kick Ollie’s ass. “That…” She stops. Sighs. “I want a future with you, Leonard. What that future is…we’ll work that out together.”

Leonard gives her another flicker of a smile. “Yes. That’s a given.” He hesitates, then reaches out, taking her hand, a rare sort of gesture for him.

It’s a relief. But Sara frowns, wondering. “Then what’s wrong?”

Leonard looks down and takes a deep breath. But he’s still holding her hand, and he doesn’t drop it. “Sara,” he says slowly. “I don’t know that I’m…that I’m the marrying kind…”

Oh.

Sara takes her own deep breath. Her fingers tighten on his. “Len,” she says, just as slowly. “You and I both know that…that it’s not always just…just a man and a woman, a floofy white dress, and a big party-- and then a house with a white picket fence and 2.5 kids and a golden retriever.”

His eyes lift to hers. There’s so much in them, and for a moment it takes her breath away. Then she clears her throat and keeps going, the emotion in his eyes giving her the strength to continue.

“Really, I think, it just comes down to two people who…who look at each other and say… ‘I love you, and I’ll stay with you,” she says. “If you’ll have me.’”

The words come out more intense and direct than maybe she’d originally planned. But Sara knows immediately that she’s OK with that. She’s at peace in a way she never thought she’d be, actually, standing here on a rooftop in Star City, listening to the sounds of the city below, staring into the eyes of a snarky, infuriating, complicated, wonderful crook.

After a still, oddly serene moment, he tugs her just a little closer, expression gaining an edge of…something. Determination? Resolve? Sara puts her other hand on his chest, feeling his heart beat even through the layers he wears, strong and steady even through that armor.

Then he nods, almost to himself, and speaks.

“I love you,” he tells her quietly. “And I’ll stay with you. If you’ll have me.”

It’s a proposal, and they both know it. Or maybe she’d proposed first, and it’s just his half of a mutual proposal, which seems like them, to be honest. The thought makes Sara smile, even as she goes up on her toes to put them more on a level.

“Yes,” she says in return. “Yes. Of course I will.”

A return smile flickers across Leonard’s serious face, something more complicated than just happiness (though that’s part of it), deeper than just relief. He pulls her close and kisses her, then, there on the rooftop, and Sara winds her arms around his neck and kisses him back, pouring herself into it, letting some of the worries and concerns of the future drift away, because they have this.

They have this.

When they finally separate, they’re both grinning like idiots, even Leonard, for whom that particularly foolish smile seems quite incongruous. After a moment, he shakes his head and settles his features into something more Snartlike, sardonic amusement mixed with his habitual confidence, and holds out a hand. Sara takes it again, then tugs gently, starting to lead him back to the others, the friends and family who might be worried about them.

Leonard goes willingly, especially since she heads for the fire escape and not just the edge of the roof. Sara hears him chuckle as they start down, and glances back at him.

“Anyway, we don’t need a golden retriever,” he tells her solemnly. “We have Raymond.”

She doesn’t stop laughing until they get back to the Arrowcave.

[monsterpie]

mh questionnaire by @cryptoriascollectiblog !!!

I'm on mobile so I can't do a read more sorry

1) Introduce yourself and tell us how long you’ve been collecting Monster High dolls!

call me blue! i got my first doll (gooliope jellington) in late december 2015, but i began really collecting in earnest starting in 2016, so call it about 3 years 

2) How many MH dolls do you have?

very definitely over 200 probably at this point..... most of them are on display, but a few thrifted and boxed dolls are hidden away 

3) Is Monster High your favorite doll line? Why or why not?

that.... is really hard to answer. it’s definitely the doll line i enioy collecting the most, and i can pretty much say ‘yes, it IS my favorite!’ but there’s that little voice at the back of my head that’s saying ‘but you owe your love of dolls to barbie...’

4) Who’s your favorite MH ghoul?

ohhhh man i love howleen. i love her so much she’s so wonderful. 

5) Favorite Manster?

mm..... hoodude? heath? or.... honestly i do have a huge soft spot in my heart for jackson (even tho he is. a lot. and many of the people i’ve seen who are fans of his are. even more. not everybody tho!!! just. a sad majority....)

6) Do you own any dolls of your favorite ghoul and/or manster? How many?

i own a version of every howleen doll (inlcuding the reboot doll), and it was definitely one of the proudest moments in my collecting, finally having one of each. i have also thrifted at least 3 i think? and i have 2+ repaints of her. i have one heath doll (he was my second/third doll), one jackson that was thrifted, and no hoodude since he was an sdcc exclusive :( but i don’t think hes a great looking doll anyway, like i wasnt expecting hard plastic obviously but i was hoping for more than just a stuffed doll ya feel?

7) Do you own any playsets? If so which one(s)? If not, is there a reason?

i own the school playset (my niece gave it to me when she didnt want it anymore), the catacombs playset (still in box bc i dont have room for it lol), the 13 wishes dj set i guess its called?? and 2 of the fdc playsets. also draculaura’s car and bed, both cleo and frankie’s vanities, and the cam design lab, but idk if any of those count lol 

8) Of the original main ghouls (including Ghoulia, Spectra and Abbey) which is your favorite? Got any dolls of them?

ouch, okay, just make me choose then.... uhhhh i cant really rank them? i guess i would put frankie at the top but shes more default for me than anything else honestly. i dont really care for spectra tho so shes at the bottom whoopsie. also if operetta is also included (which it doesnt say she is but.) then i dont really care for her either tbqh anyway, yea i got several dolls of each lol

9) Favorite character with only one doll release?

off the top of my head im thinkin neighthan, but honestly all of the fusions are good and also all single release doll charas are good. OH i really like cupid too tho and also finnegan 

10) Character with too many dolls (in your opinion?)

spectra. idk i just!!! really dont like her i mean she has nice dolls but i can not make myself care about her. 

11) Any character you would’ve liked to see in a doll line that didn’t make it? (i.e. Lagoona in Sweet Screams or Draculaura in Power Ghouls, etc)

ok. i HATE gil. but i think his design was super good in gsr and i would have loved to see him as a doll. 

12) Any ideas you would’ve liked to see in a doll line?

oh worm ive been thinkin on this for YEARS actually, but get this: “Boogie Fever” - a disco inspired doll line. obv has twyla in it. also what if a line where they were in famous movies - frankie and gooliope in ghostbusters, and then other classics like casablanca and breakfast at tiffanys (i actually hate that movie tbqh but it is a classic) etc 

13) Is there a “grail” MH doll for you? If so do you own it?

mmmmmm pretty much all of the sdcc dolls, but i would love to have the home ick heath some day, since that’s the closest to a sig doll they have for him. i dont have him, but i do have one sdcc exclusive doll (the ghostbusters frankie) 

14) Thoughts on the cancelled Ever After High crossover?

neutral. once upon a time i was excited about it, but honestly i could care less now. part of the problem is that i would want the crossover to go a very specifici way, and part of it is that the eah fans are rabid. 

15) Thoughts on the 2016 reboot faces?

i mean. they are cute! super cute! but. they really arent the monster high i fell in love with, you know?

16) Thoughts on the 2016 “Monster Family” line?

weak. bad. the dolls are cute enough but the line is NOTHING. they didnt even make alivia look like her movie counterpart so like, what was the point. 

17) How bout the SDCC exclusives? What was your favorite? Do you own any?

mmm i LOVE all of the sdcc exclusives but i think the deadfast ghoulia, valentine and whisp, and hexacaiah and robecca are all super good. 

18) How about Amazon exclusives?

ADULT DRACULAURA!!!! god i love her so much she really is so fucking gorgeous and i regret every day that i didnt buy her for like $50 when i got the chance. i do have like 2 of the skelita amazon exclusives tho 

19) Favorite Frankie Stein doll?

im gonna assume for all of these favorite doll questions that the sig look is out for the count bc i love the sigs so much lol. aaaanyway, her classroom look is SUPER cute. also sweet screams 

20) Favorite Draculaura doll?

sweet screams, original dead tired (her pigtails!!! so cute!!!), forbitten love/school’s out, roadster playset, i heart shoes, die-ner, art class (any time she has yellow automatically makes it a good doll), sweet screams, draculocker, monster exchange, maul monsteristas, amazon collector, gsr..... she really has so many amazing dolls 

21) Favorite Clawdeen Wolf doll?

dotd, sweet 1600, ghouls rule, 13 wishes, ghoul sports, fierce rockers

22) Favorite Cleo de Nile doll?

skull shore, student disembodied council, byby, gloom and bloom 

23) Favorite Lagoona Blue doll?

DOTD, school’s out, skull shores, 13 wishes, monster exchange

24) Favorite Ghoulia Yelps doll?

dead tired, dotd, deadfast, skull shores, dot dead gorgeous, scaris, scooter playset , sweet screams 

25) Favorite Spectra Vondergeist doll?

ghoul’s night out, maul monsteristas 

26) Favorite Abbey Bombinable doll?

ihf, sweet screams 

27) Favorite Venus McFlytrapp doll?

zombie shake, ihf, gloom and bloom, fierce rockers 

28) Favorite Rochelle Goyle doll?

DANCE CLASS, swim class, ghoul chat, haunted, fdc 

29) Favorite Operetta doll?

dot dead gorgeous, picture day, fca

30) Favorite Toralei Stripe doll?

ghoul sports, freaky field trip, fdc 

31) Favorite Jinafire Long doll?

gloom and bloom, fdc 

32) Favorite Skelita Calaveras doll?

scarnival, collector, 

33) Favorite Howleen Wolf doll?

HER ORIGINAL SIG WITH THE ORANGE AFRO!!!!! all of them are good tho, that one is just the absolute best without a doubt . 

34) Favorite Twyla Bogeyman doll?

fdc, coffin bean, new scaremester 

35) What do you do with your dolls? (Display them, take photos of them, etc)

i display them! occasionally i take pics, and sometimes i move them around, but they’re usually just displayed 

36) Is Monster High the only doll line you collect? Why or why not?

no, but it was the line that got me into collecting in the first place! i collect barbies, eah, dcshg, lalaloopsy, and so many more. basically, if i see a doll i like, i get it (if i have the funds to obviously). honestly i buy/collect anything i like ya know?

37) Do you still collect Monster High dolls? (i.e. scour the internet and/or secondhand stores?)

mmm... kind of? i thrift them when i see them, but i’m more into ooak dolls now tbqh. there are a few still on my list tho that i would love to buy, fuly complete and all that good stuff. 

38) There’s a lot of new Monster doll/toy lines out now: thoughts if any?

no real thoughts, because i cant think of any monster doll lines out rn? i mean, im sure there are some, i just cant think of them right now

39) And finally, what’s your favorite thing about Monster High? Can be past or present!

uhhhhh everywhere??? threir character designs, lore, the fact that in original preboot canon normies and monsters actually know about each other, the lore, the messages it put out about embracing your freaky flaws and all that. monster high is/was just. such a completely amazing and wonderful series. 

[canaryatlaw]

so, lots to unpack here. first of all, to establish setting, I’m currently sitting in LAX (if that doesn’t mean anything to you, their airport in Los Angeles) waiting for my flight back to Chicago that is gonna take off at 1:10 am and arrive at 7:33 am (two hour time difference accounted for). So I figured now is probably the most logical time to make this post. Luckily I can control exactly when I’ll get tired enough to actually sleep because I’m dependent on xanax and melatonin now, isn’t that fun!! haha. so like, most of today was cool of course, and I’m gonna get there, but I feel like I should first establish that I feel profoundly sad right now, though I can’t tell if it’s from the big event and me seeing my friends being over and having going back to real life which now consists of FINALS, or from this nostalgia I keep having for a life I’ve never had, or if it’s because I was reading Captain Canary fan fiction on the flight here (from San Jose to LA) which now just makes me really fucking sad because all I can think is WE’LL NEVER HAVE THIS. and these posts are generally good at helping me unpack my feelings so I figured I’d write this while I have the time and internet connection (good for LAX for actually offering free internet, unlike the pretending heathens in Chicago). so. here we go. I had my alarm set for 9:15 but ended up waking up around 8:45 (because shared hotel room) and started getting ready. I was cosplaying today so I did my make up and then changed into my full white canary garb (which, omg, I forgot is SO uncomfortable), doing my best to make sure where Caity signed it back in March remained untouched. A little after ten we made our way to the convention center and pretty much immediately headed to Caity’s booth because where else are we gonna go? We continued to pretend to all be VIPs (victimless crime, really) and a guy who had rather elaborate Citizen Steel (or whatever the hell we decided was Nate’s superhero codename) cosplay on who was in Brandon’s line right next to us made eye contact with me and was like “hey captain!” which was amusing haha and we took a picture together when I finished with Caity. I don’t really remember exactly what was said at each conversation because we frequented her booth, but it was good, I was just sad when I saw the picture and I looked less than stellar. I had like, super been overheating trying to keep the big coat on (I like the cosplay a lot better with the coat) and trying to make sure my hair and make up don’t run from sweat because my head overheats really easily for some reason so I didn’t look totally awesome and you can actually see my stomach hanging out just a tiny bit between the top and pants in the picture and like, I wanted to vomit when I saw it and then had a bunch of super triggering and totally inappropriate thoughts about it for the rest of the day because my fucking mind can’t be like “hey maybe you should eat less junk food” it has to immediately be like “you should just stop eating again” because fuck being neurotypical am I rite? (I am fine, if you’re concerned right now, but thank you for your concern). We did something to take up some time (I don’t remember) then ended up going back to her because I was like okay I need better photos with my white canary stuff on so I did that and they came out much better. At some point after that I leached onto my friends VIP status and used it to cut the line at Justin Hartley’s table because fuck waiting in line, and I saw him and TOTALLY flipped out, I was like “I love Smallville so much but I started it late after the show ended and I liked it so much but I thought I was never going to get to meet you because it was over BUT NOW YOU’RE HERE AND I LOVE YOUR GREEN ARROW SO MUCH YOU’RE MY FAVORITE” that’s basically what I said lol, to his credit he took it well and was kind and gentlemanly, so that was nice. From there we got some food at some point (just the overpriced shit from the convention center, there was a really amusing exchange where my friend attempted to figure out if the hot dog on the menu came with a bun or not because apparently in the Philippines they come on a stick sometimes and the ladies serving were very taken aback) then I went to Italia Ricci’s booth, and if you don’t know who that is it’s because she’s not *really* an Arrowverse actor (she was silver banshee on a few episodes of Supergirl) but is actually Robbie Amell’s wife so they generally do a joint booth thing. I wanted to see her because she’s on Designated Survivor, which I really love haha and she was super sweet, I said I was a big 24 fan from back in the day (DS stars Kiefer Sutherland) and she was like “oh yeah I’ve never seen it, he’s always teasing me about it because he’s like you’re the only person who hasn’t seen it!!”) which was amusing haha and then I met Juliana Harkavy and got a selfie with her, and she was totally awesome as well and just a fantastic person. After that those of us who weren’t doing the photo ops got in line for the legends panel, which then happened at 2:45. I live tweeted pretty much the whole thing, so if you have specific questions feel free to check that out over on twitter @RachelEiley, but nothing terribly spoilerish was said, someone asked if they could have any person in the DC universe, either existing in the Arrowverse or not yet onto the waverider to fill Stein’s spot who would it be, and Caity was basically like “well I know who it is and I’m very happy about it so I’m not gonna say anything else” lol which has prompted a fair amount of speculation as to who that means. In the room it seemed like everyone was thinking she meant Nyssa, but it’s not very much info to speculate on so I guess we’ll have to see. the other amusing exchange was when someone asked if they weren’t an actor what job they’d have an Caity was like “astronaut” and Brandon was like “do you know math?” which is obviously funnier than one would normally observe it to be when you consider they were in 400 Days together, a movie where they both played astronauts (and were each other’s romantic interests). Caity responded that it was a “dream” question, so she could say whatever she wanted. When the panel was over around 3:30 we ran back to Caity’s table, but the queue was full and the staff guy was like “sorry we had to cut it off here” and wouldn’t let anyone else in but I was like haha no fuck that shit if we all stand here and be annoying we’ll get on the line which, unsurprisingly, worked very well and we actually got on the gold/platinum VIP line and were like one of the first people to actually see her lol so that was a good plan!! But we got a few group selfies in that look really awesome and got to say goodbye to her (which is when the exchange about me saying maybe I’ll do Clexacon if I don’t flunk all my finals and her responding with my law school class rank happened). Everyone else was pretty much shutting things down at that point, so we hung out for a little bit and regrouped before heading out. We went to In-N-Out because I had mentioned I’d never had it before, and the place was absurdly busy, so we ended up eating at the tables outside despite it being like 50 degrees out, but it was nice and fun, a good ending to being with my friends for a few days and just had a good time with them. We were basically across the street from the airport at that point so I was dropped off afterwards and we said our goodbyes. I ended up chilling out at the gate for a while doing quimbee videos, which I’ll probably go back to if I have any time between finishing writing this and boarding the plane, for a while and doing that, then got on the plane and finished the first sudoku puzzle really quickly, then fucking up the next one so badly I couldn’t even correct my way out of it (which like, never happens) that I just gave up and read Captain Canary fan fiction for the rest of the flight, which of course got me feeling very invested in the ship, and then I just felt sad and couldn’t quite figure out why. But the plane landed, got off on the gate and was directed to a little bus thing to get to another terminal, in which a cute pilot gave me his seat, and then I went to the other terminal, found the gate, found a airplane pillow that wasn’t entirely made out of polyester, and planted myself at the gate until the plan boards and resolved to write this in the mean time, and here we are. Now, further analysis on the sad thing- so, obviously, I’ve been looking forward to this weekend for a while now and it being over and me having to leave my friends and of course not seeing my favorite celebrity for at least a few months would reasonably make any person feeling sad, I feel like it’s not that simple. I mean, the fact that I’m going back to finals certainly doesn’t help, and I do have some anxiety about that despite doing this exact schtick every semester with my head going “but what if this time you actually suck at tests not like all the last times????” which of course is always fun. but there’s also that whole nostalgia thing that’s got me itching for something. It came out of course because of being around actors who are living cool lives and such, and links back to that thing I was talking about but not actually mentioning a little while back that had be thinking some of those things, and mostly just imagining that kind of life for myself and feeling wholly unfulfilled with the life I’ve chosen at being a lawyer and it wasn’t supposed to happen this way, dammit!!! I can’t exactly graduate law school and decide to go road trip out to Hollywood and become a waitress while auditioning, that would be a massive waste of time, effort, and money, and there is still of course stuff I want to do as a lawyer that has me not wanting to give up. I just want both, which I don’t think is possible, and that fucking sucks. The thing, anyway, was auditioning for a new show in development (that I’ll leave unnamed for now because despite not hearing anything they haven’t filled the part yet) that was taking casting videos and self-tapes through one of the casting sites I made a profile on at some point during college and was receiving emails from about it. And, this is subjective of course, but I felt like I really nailed the audition (and even if I did there’s no reason to think that would make it likely that I would get what is undoubtedly going to be a highly competed for part and one of which I do not fit the typical character description for), and I couldn’t help but imagine how much fun it would be, even if some of the stuff about the show that’s being said now (mainly how dark it is) makes me think it probably wouldn’t be the best idea anyway (my parents, for sure, would have a freaking fit over it). But that just leaves me here- going back to law school to finish my finals and leaving my friends and favorite actors behind and I just feel profoundly SAD over it all despite having a really fun and all around amazing weekend (it doesn’t help that my friends are going to continue hanging out, but this doesn’t really feel like FOMO). idk what else there is to write about that. it just...is. and I don’t think any amount of writing about that will change it. so I guess I’ll go back to reading my sad fan fiction? I don’t quite feel like going back to studying for bus orgs being that it’s 12:30 am (here, anyway, at home where I’ll be in 5 hours it’s 2:30 am) and now I just feel tired and sad after writing all of that. blah. this is a really shitty feeling and I don’t know what to do about it. there’s no quick fixes for this, obviously. maybe if I fall asleep on the plane (I probably will at some point) I’ll wake up in a better mood, and hopefully can get some more sleep during the day before I have to go to my review session and then make up class at 4 pm. So I guess this is me signing off, though feeling not very happy about all of it. Goodnight babes. Happy Monday. 

[pitubea1910]

Fresh Start - Part 13

Pairing: Barry Allen x Reader

Featuring: Caitlin Snow, Cisco Ramon, Supergirl, Mick Rory, Jefferson, Stein, Sara Lance, Ray Palmer, Oliver Queen, Thea Queen,

Words: 1813

Warning: fight and swearing

Tags: @onceuponateenpanwolfian @moonlightbae14 @writingsofagirlintomanyfandoms @jade-cheshire3303  @dejewskoo @castellandiangelo @captainboomerangsunicorn   @catscanwritetoo @arianna280398 @mikkywinchester   @oliviagrace02 @fofo64004 @l4life  @philautia-love-of-self @x-andallyourlittlethings-x @alina-hp @gothesimplethingsinlife @kindfloweroflove @yohoyohoafandomlifeforme @blue-berry-barry-allen @staceyisweird @megasimpleplan4ever

Request: none

Notes: I’m so nervous about this part! Please, tell me what you think about it since I’ve been looking forward writing this for so long!

MASTERLIST

When Barry paid that visit to Oliver, the vigilante just couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Aliens? Were they real? Apparently they were and they had always been according to Layla. Neither him or his team knew how to defeat them but they knew they had to try so they headed towards Central City immediately. At least he would get to see his little sister.

At the beginning he didn’t see too many chances of winning but once he saw the whole team together, including Supergirl, he really thought they could win this one.

“Okay Cisco, we should probably get started”, Oliver said once the presentations were done.

They all looked at the screen where Cisco projected a photo of one of the aliens. It was so weird looking at one of them and thinking they were actually on Earth. With a sigh, he looked at Barry.

“So these are the Dominators” Barry informed putting his hands on his hips. “We don’t know much about them…”

“Except that they’re really strong”, Kara cut off. “I heard a lot of stories about them when I was a kid. They came to my planet before I was born, they did experiments on a lot of people, killed a lot more…” she explained. Well, this wasn’t going to be easy.

“Well, they’re not the only ones with superhuman strength”, Thea interrupted. “I heard Barry saying that you’re more powerful than a locomotive”

“We should use Kara for training” Oliver said crossing his arms over his chest.

“Since when was Robin Hood calling the shots?” Mick, aka Heatwave, said. Oliver turned his head to look at him with an eyebrow raised.

“What I think Mick is trying to say is that it would be nice if we knew who was in charge”, Jefferson rephrased.

“I think we should take a vote, choose a leader, someone we can all trust” Ray proposed.

“Well I trust Oliver” Cisco said immediately. “He’s got my vote”

Oliver frowned a little and looked at Barry. It looked like something had happened between them and broke them apart which seemed impossible the last time they saw them.

“I appreciate that, Cisco”, The vigilante said after seeing Barry’s face. “But Barry put us all together, it should be him”

Barry looked at Oliver surprised as well but he was completely sure of what he said. Oliver trusted this guy, probably with his own life and he knew he would make a good work.

When Cisco and you walked into the nave it looked like a fight in there which kind of scared me since you didn’t expect it. There was people flying, some other on the floor. It was even a bit confusing.

“Barry!” Cisco exclaimed. “(Y/N)’s here”

You looked around for Barry, worried. Maybe Cisco had said he was okay but you had to see it for yourself. Finally, you spotted him a few feet away from you. He really did look okay. With a sigh of relief you started walking towards him but you stopped on your tracks as you saw a man in a green leather suit. You had seen that suit too many times on TV, on the news, on the internet. The Green Arrow was really there.

“(Y/N)?” Another voice said behind you. You turned around to find yourself face to face with your sister Thea wearing a red leather suit you also recognized. “What the fuck?” She mumbled.

“You…what are you doing here?” You asked not really knowing what else you could say.

Somehow you knew the answer but it was so unexpected and it made no sense at all so you just couldn’t wrap your head around it. But it was right in front of you. Your sister was Speedy, which meant…

You turned around to find Oliver’s pale face looking straight at you. Your brother was the Green Arrow, Star City’s vigilante.

“Oliver?” You mumbled not really knowing how to face this information.

“EVERYBODY STOP!” Oliver screamed.

Immediately, the fight stopped and everyone looked at you, not knowing what was going on. You and your brother stared at each other, not knowing what to do. A part of you wanted to go and hug him, but the other side felt betrayed, mad at him for keeping this secret from you for so many years.

“You’re kidding right?” You finally managed to say. “You’re him?” Oliver took a deep breath and nodded. “You’re the Green Arrow and you never told me?” Then you turned to Thea, feeling as mad at her as at Oliver. “And you…you kept this from me as well. All those nights I spent alone, wondering where you were, worried sick, thinking something happened to you. All those visits to the hospital were because of this and you never told me!”

“I…” Thea tried to talk but you didn’t let her.

“You what Thea!? You decided it was better to keep me in the dark!?” You almost screamed. “You thought lying to just one of your sisters was the best move!? Were you even planning on telling me, Oliver!?” You turned to your brother who was just looking down at his feet.

You were about to keep on screaming at them, even louder, when you spotted Barry once again. It hit you. You had never told him about your family, he didn’t know who your siblings were, and now he was seeing you yelling at these two people. You gulped and looked down taking a deep breath.

“What does this mean?” Caitlin said after a while of silence. “(Y/N)?”

“I…” you sighed and looked up, straight to Barry. “My whole name is (Y/N) Queen. The youngest of the Queen family” you said.

“What?” Barry said looking now at Oliver, his face going pale all of sudden. “Oliver is your brother?” He asked.

“Yes…” you nodded. “I never told you because… I don’t know, I didn’t want to be judged for my family’s decisions, I didn’t want to be asked about my brother’s past, I wanted…a fresh start and a Queen doesn’t get that too often” you explained.

“Oh God…” Barry said running a hand through his hair. “I’m screwed” he chuckled nervously.

“What?” You asked with a frown.

“Really? (Y/N), Oliver is the man who trained me, is one of my best friends, one of the people I trust the most and…” he gulped looking at Oliver.

“And you’re dating his sister” you finished the sentence.

When Oliver heard that, he could feel his blood boiling in his body. Barry Allen was dating his little sister. He looked at you and then at him. It couldn’t be possible. He had tried so hard to keep you away from all this and you ended up not only getting to know The Flash but also dating him. It wasn’t happening.

“Guys, I think we should give them some space” Kara said.

Apparently they all agreed since they all headed out of the nave until it was just Barry, Thea, Oliver and you. The four of you in silent. No one really wanting to break it since no one knew what would come out of it. Finally, it was Oliver who just couldn’t take it anymore.

“Really Barry? My sister?” Oliver questioned the speedster. You huffed and looked at your brother.

“Really Oliver? Green Arrow?” You snapped.

“It’s totally different” he said looking at you.

“Of course it is! All he did was loving me and protecting me while you’ve been lying to me ever since you got back from that damn island” you said.

“This is too much” you heard Thea saying. “How did you two meet?” She asked.

“When she got here” Barry shrugged. “She got robbed and came to the station. I met her there and then I helped her writing an article for one of her classes” he added.

“And you thought ‘why not? New girl, let’s go for it’ right?” Oliver said with sarcasm.

“Don’t you dare Oliver!” You exclaimed looking at your brother. “We did nothing wrong. He didn’t even know I was your sister until just now so don’t judge him. We did nothing wrong”

“He dragged you into this!” Oliver exclaimed. “Didn’t you have enough people around? You needed more help?” He added looking now at Barry.

“I found it out by myself you huge jackass” you said.

“Watch that tongue” Oliver warned you.

“Or what? Are you going to shoot me?” You said walking closer to your brother. “You’re a joke of a brother Oliver. I can’t believe you two kept this from me, especially after mum was killed right in front of us. You’re the worst” you told him.

Then, you just had nothing else to say so you just stormed out of the nave, ready to go back home where you should have stayed. But you didn’t make it far. As soon as you were out of the nave, Barry was right behind you.

“Where are you going?” He asked.

“Home” you replied. “I need to be alone” you added before looking up. You thought he would be mad at you for keeping your identity from him but all you could see in his eyes was how worried he was. “I’m…sorry I didn’t tell you” you said.

“I must admit I’m still confused” he said. “But hey…”, he placed both hands on your face. “I understand or I think I do” you chuckled a little and tried to look down but he wouldn’t let you. “I fell for you (Y/N) and those feelings aren’t going to change just because now I know your family, that just makes me love you even more”

You looked into his eyes shocked by his words. Love. Such a huge word none of you had ever said before but there he was, telling you he loved you after he found out what you had been keeping from him.

“Fuck Allen” you mumbled before kissing him slowly but deeply. He wrapped his arms around you, hugging you tight against his body. “I love you too” you finally said. He smiled a little and kissed your forehead.

“I know you do” he winked. You chuckled a little and hugged him. How did he manage to make you feel better even when you felt like killing someone at the moment? “Please, be safe. I’ll go visit as soon as we’re done here, alright?” He told you pulling away. “If something happens, call me immediately” he added.

“I will” you nodded.

He pecked your lips and let you walk away towards your car. Before you got in, you turned to look at him just to find Oliver coming out of the nave, looking straight at you like he wanted to talk to you. But you just wasn’t in the mood so you just got into your car and drove away as fast as possible.

[elliotthezubat]

HALLOWEEN DANCE RP ACT 80

TW for implied abortion mention

from new members of the agency, to fiery ladies, to dating sim antics

[[cont from part 79]

Assi: A~A "M-M-Mo-Mo-Mono?" mono: what? Assi: "D-Do you like parties?" mono: i guess. why? Assi: "M-My boss, Mr. Fitzgerald--the man who gave you that large tip and has been so kind to you at Deathbucks--is having a party tomorrow night..." mono: and? Assi: "A-And would you like to go? It's free? Lots of food...Fancy food. Chocolate fountain..." mono: ...eh, sure. Assi: *shiny eyes* "Yay! The party starts at 7--meet here at 6:30?" mana: isnt it tomorrow? Assi: "R-Right--6:30 tomorrow..." -elsewhere- higuchi: mmm.... =////T Gin: *lick* higuchi: *shivers* f-fuck... Gin: *passes her tongue past her lips, gripping her hips* higuchi: ah! *her hips jerk up* d-dont stop. Gin: *her lip along Higuchi's nub, her tongue reaches deeper...she slaps her bottom* higuchi: AHHN~ Gin: *pulls out her tongue, crawls up Higuchi--puts her lips along her nipple as she slides two fingers into her and starts thrusting* higuchi: gin! *wraps her arms around her back and grips her shoulders* Gin: *holds onto her, whispers in her ear...* "You better start fingering me, you little slut--or else." *pulls out her fingers--and spanks Higuchi* higuchi: nnh! *doing so* Gin: *sharp inhale* "Fuck!" *matches her pace* -after a few moments- higuchi: *laying in her arms* ........*sniff* Gin: *strokes her hair* "...Ready to talk?" higuchi: *nods* -she tells her the whole thing- Gin: "..." *hug* "I'm sorry." higuchi: *sobs into her chest* r-rain died because of this! Gin: "..." *nods* "Yes. And what do we do now...?" higuchi: i-i dont know.... Gin: "...Do you need a day off?" higuchi:....y-yeah.....b-but i should at least....tell them what i know.... Gin: "Chuuya?" higuchi:......*nod* Gin: *sighs* "At his apartment?" higuchi:.....t-tomorrow, at the executive meeting.... Gin: "!!! In front of all of them?" higuchi: it's important that they know this. this is the reason i went on this mission to begin with. Gin: "..." *sighs* "But this...is so much. I can only imagine the reactions." higuchi:...*whimpering* Gin: "Hey..." *holds her* "You'll need your rest for tomorrow..." -elsewhere- Chuuya: "..." *looks at Sonia, asleep* sonia: zzzzz Chuuya: *passes a hand over her hair to push it aside* sonia: =w= Chuuya: ("Please...be safe.") -morning- Tanizaki: *yawns* atsushi: *packing up* Kyoka: "..." *looks around* naomi: whats up? Kyoka: "Just...thinking who else to bring." naomi:... -at the airport- ????: um, excuse me, before you go? atsushi: ??.... !!! -its hans...and she brought sylvia with a suitcase- Kyoka: *eyes wide* sylvia: *small wave* hans: who of you is in charge? Dazai: "That would be--" *Kunikida and Hans both punch him in the face, knocking him back* Kunikida: "I am the representative for the Agency on this visit." hans: *ahem* mr kunikida, please accept this. *hands him a letter* Kunikida: "..." *takes the letter* "Is there a preference when to open it?" hans: right now would be acceptable. -there is a sigil on it, the same marking on ted's hand- Kunikida: *opens the letter* letter: to our new friends at the agency. we have decided to leave miss sylvia plath in your custody. all the paperwork has been taken care of, so you just handle the rest on your end. maybe one day we will meet again, sincerely, johann wolfgang von goethe. PS, by new friends, we mean all of you except dazai, he can fuck right off. atsushi: ._.; fancy handwriting. hans: i did the actual writing. goethe just did his signature and told me what to write. {goethe: *uuugh* handwritings such a pain.} atsushi: *sweatdrop* (so he's like your ranpo, then...) Dazai: Q_Q "...I want to go home now." sylvia:.... hans: <its ok, sylvia. they'll look after you.> *hands her her ticket.* sylvia:...o-o-ok... Kyoka: "Sylvia...We'll take care of you." sylvia:....*tearing up* o-o-ok, m-miss kyouka... Kyoka: "..." *smiles, takes her hand* sylvia: !!! Kyoka: "Let's go home." -elsewhere- Stein: *staring at a photo against a building* soul: *yaaawn* so glad this is all over with. cant wait to get home. Stein: "..." *rubs his eye* soul:...doc? you ok? Stein: "Just something in my eye..." soul:..... Stein: *sighs* "We filed our report--a lot of good it did against that Hughes." soul:...yeah.... -elsewhere- Poe: "I got the welcome home banner ready!" *holds it up--it's in very fancy handwriting* kirako: ^^; kenji: this is gonna be awesome! aya: yeah! Lucy: "The cake is in the fridge. Also, I put a lock on the fridge after the last cake we lost..." ranpo: *pout* Poe: ^^; "When is their flight coming in?" kirako: sometime this afternoon. Katai: "M-Maybe dust their desks?" *runs a finger along Kunikida's desk* -elsewhere- higuchi: *outside the door* ..... Gin: "...Do you want me to go in?" higuchi: *breathes and opens the door* Gin: "...Do you want me to go in?" higuchi: *breathes and opens the door* kouyou: miss higuchi, glad to see you. Chuuya: "..." higuchi:...*hard gulp* good morning. i would like to show my findings from the mission. Chuuya: *staring at Higuchi* -after higuchi explains her findings....- kouyou: !!!! *covering her mouth, stunned.* tachihara: w-w-what the hell?! Chuuya: "..." *his eyes are dull...he's just staring at the table* higuchi: .....*shaking* Gin: "..." *looks at Kouyou* "Your response?" kouyou: t-this is....a lot to take in... tachihara: t-t-this has to be a-a sick joke, right? *awkward laughing, but he's shaking* Hirotsu: "..." *removes his cigarette container, lights up, inhales deeply...exhales* "...Higuchi. This information does not leave this room." higuchi:...noted... kouyou:....chuuya? Chuuya: "..." *gripping the table* higuchi: chuuya- -the walkie talkie goes off- mafioso: m-m-mr hirotsu s-sir! Hirotsu: "Here. Report." mafioso: w-we're under attack! the- -BANG- higuchi: ???!!! naoya: what the hell's going on?! ???: "..." <Hello.> naoya: !!!!! fuck, that's beaky! Gin: "!!!" Ivan: "It is good to speak with you all again~" higuchi: shit. EVERYONE TO BATTLE STATIONS, NOW! DONT LET THEM GET TO THE TOP FLOOR. lydia: <what do you say to that, vanya?> Chuuya: *runs* kouyou: chuuya wait! yana: .... Ivan: *cackling* "...What makes you think we haven't already?" -elsewhere- mafioso: all those who can fight, hold them off, those who cant, evacuate! pushkin: aw jeez, aw jeez.... katya: pushkin, go with them, i'll go ahead. pushkin: try not to get killed ok? katya: i'll be fine.. *smirks* i've been looking forwards to this... -elsewhere- lydia: *searching*... *SLASH* lydia: *dodges* *It's a dark tendril--looks to be formed from energy and cloth* lydia: hmm, so the silent rabid dog has shown himself? Akutagawa: *intense stare out of the shadow...not blinking...* lydia:...so the name has meaning. *sending one of her beasts, a stag, after him* Akutagawa: *retracts Rashomon, wrapping it around himself until he blends with the shadows, escaping back* lydia:....so that's how you wish to play... so be it. -elsewhere- Ivan: *keeping to the shadows* -BULLET GRAZE- Ivan: "!!!" *something pulls him back in time* <Sh-Shit...> ???: <been a while, vachenka.> Ivan: "..." *smiles* <Quite. Enjoying your new home?> katya: <a lot better than the last shithole we lived in.> Ivan: <Now, is that any way to refer to Master's plans~?> katya: <after how he stabbed us in the back? gladly.> *charges at him* Ivan: "!!!" *keeps backing up and up* <New tricks?> katya: *guns out and shooting* Ivan: *dodges, hides behind a low barrier* "..." *smirks* <I have new tricks, too...> *Something clutches Katya's leg, with tiny fingers* katya: !!! *There are tiny golems, pulling at her, crawling up her* katya: *shaking them off* shit! *They start combining, wrapping around her--one jamming her gun* katya: !!!! Ivan: <I figured, why go for something big and cumbersome, when something more compact could get the work done...> katya: perhaps, but.... -10 seconds- *she takes a knife and stabs him in the ankle* Ivan: *howls in pain* katya: *smirks* *All the baby golems grab their "ankles" in pain* Baby Golem: Q_Q "WAAAAH!" katya: *holds her gun to his face* Ivan: *deep inhale* <You dare to turn your back on master...He will destroy all who get in his way...> katya: <what will happen when he turns his back on you?> Ivan: *smiles* <I'll smile.> katya:....<you really have lost your brain.> Ivan: <Funny about loss--> *SMASH* katya: HRK- Ivan: <Go big, or go home...> *A giant golem now crushes down on Katya* -a knife is held up to ivan's neck- ???: if you know what's good for you, goncharov, you'll let her go. Ivan: <...> *releases the golem* katya: .... !!! leo: *glaring at ivan* good. Ivan: <...That's not the look I expected, Leo.> leo: *ignoring him* katya, are you alright? katya: y-yeah. gun's jammed, though... Ivan: "??? Okay...All kinds of surprising..." leo: *glares at him...something about her eyes seems different....they seem more alive* Ivan: "!!! ...What happened to you?" leo: it's simple. i've found a reason for living. Ivan: "..." <Good.> -elsewhere- Chuuya: *running* ???: glad to see you again, mr executive. Chuuya: "...You." yana: *wearing the rat mask* how's your daughter? Chuuya: "..." *A pebble falls from the ceiling onto Yana's head* yana: *jumps back* Chuuya: "..." *opens his eyes--they are black* yana: !!!? Chuuya: *stands--* *and he's gone* yana: ?? *running to the stairs* (well shit...) *There are footsteps following her...They aren't behind her* yana: *looks up* !!! Chuuya: *he's keeping up with her pace...he is not feeling or thinking--he is only instinct, only a force of nature...* *blasts off the ceiling and at her* yana: *jumps up a few stairs to dodge* ah! ow... *GRAB* *Chuuya's crash broke the stairs...and a hand shoots out from the rubble* yana: !!! *Chuuya clutches her ankle* yana: *kicking at him* let go! Chuuya: *growls* "Moooooooooriiiiiii..." yana: ???!!!! Chuuya: *swings her around and throws her through--not in, _through_--the wall* -CRASH- yana: *groans as her mask cracks* <fuck.> *Light pours into the room, with Chuuya blocking it...Even with his shadow over her, his eyes glow white* yana: !!! (shit this is bad, think, yana, think!) *looking for an exit* Chuuya: "Mori...Dostoyevsky...Rain...Keek..." *marches inside, each step smashing the ground below his weight* yana: *looking around* (come on. come onnnnn....) Chuuya: *grabs her ankle--and squeezes, breaking the ankle* yana: *screams before taking the mask off and throwing it at him* *The mask just hits a gravity field, shattering into bits immediately* Chuuya: *stares at Yana* "...Child..." {???: "Papa?"} {Chuuya: "??? What is it, Sonia?"} {sonia: are you feeling alright?} {Chuuya: *smiles* "Yes. Just a bit tired..." *he puts away a folder of files...one sheet pokes up with a drawing*} {sonia: ...} {Chuuya: "I just have to wrap this up and--" *he drops the folder--and one drawing falls out...It's an artist's rendering of Yana, based on witness descriptions*} {sonia:......she was like me too.} {Chuuya: "??? What do you mean?"} {sonia: miss yana was born from the incubator like i was. she came out of it all grown up though...} {Chuuya: "...I didn't know..."} Chuuya: "...What the hell did Dostoyevsky do to you?" yana:....what do you mean? Chuuya: "...Incubaters? Child assassin? How old are you? Physically?" yana: i mean, i look about 19 or so.... Chuuya: "And you're only, what, 2 years old?" yana:.....not really sure myself. Chuuya: "...He screwed you up." yana: ......well, i am an 8th of him, genetically. the eyes should give _that_ much away. Chuuya: "And you don't know the other seven..." yana: hell if i'd know..... Chuuya: "...Dostoyevsky and Mori...Screwing up children and everyone in their way..." yana: what does the former mafia boss have to do with- Chuuya: "Nevermind..." *grabs her by the back of the neck* "We'll have plenty of time to talk..." yana: ......im not here to kill your leaders. i simply come with an ultimatum. Chuuya: "I'm listening." yana: our cleaner has released his ability. and the crimes he's covered up are slowly surfacing. within a month, the mafia's crimes will be discovered. Chuuya: "!!!" yana: so you have a decision. die to the rats, or die to the government. that's all i needed to say. Chuuya: "..." *POW* yana: grk-.... Chuuya: *grabs her by the wrists* "Let's go..." *marches her on her good foot down the stairs* yana:..... -elsewhere- Gin: *tosses a kunai* rat: GRK- *collapses* Gin: *looks around* -the other rats are either dead or have fled the scene- naoya: that clears this section Gin: "Use this as base to push forward." *calls into walkie talkie* "Report." tachihara: all good. ayako: CLEAR BABY! Hirotsu: "We need coverage in the East Sector--Akutagawa has not reported--" Gin: "!!!" -elsewhere- lydia: *attacking with her beasts* Akutagawa: *wraps Rashomon around himself...* *grabs a beast by the throat* beast: *roaring* Akutagawa: *grabs the tail of the beast and starts pulling* -BANG- Akutagawa: "..." *shudders* lydia: *holding a gun that has just been fired* if i only relied on my beasts......i would have died long ago.. Akutagawa: "R-Rash..." *The cloak falls from him in tatters...It's gray, lifeless* Akutagawa: "..." *stumbles back to the wall...leans against a glass window* -a beast charges at him…a tiger...- Akutagawa: "!!!!" *grabs the tiger by its jaws* -CRASH- *Glass shatters, as the tiger knocks itself and Akutagawa out the window, down 20 stories...* lydia:.....*walking away* *over talkie* <the rabid dog has been incapacitated.> *static* Chuuya: "..." *holding the talkie, listening* "..." yana:....heh..... Chuuya: "What's so funny?" yana: just thinking about something...... Chuuya: "!!! N-No..." Motojiro: "Yes..." *glances at Yana* "We got one of theirs?" pushkin: um...hi yana. long time no see. ^^;;; *he's all punched up* yana: <hey pushkin, you look like shit> pushkin: <fuuunny story about that.> {Motojiro: "EEK! A rat!" *picks up a crowbar and starts hitting Pushkin's shoulder and face*} {pushkin: OW! IM ON YOUR SIDE NOW! OW! STOP HITTING ME! ACK! OW! WAAAAH! <MAMA! MAKE HIM STOP IT!>} yana: <yikes> Motojiro: ^^; *now serious again* "Let's get her locked up..." Chuuya: "..." *sighs* "How many are we going to lose?" yana:.... -classical music has come over the intercom- yana: they'll be taking their leave now... -elsewhere- leo: *listening* (moonlight sonata....) katya: oh, dont think you can run away like a coward, gonch! Ivan: <Who's running~?> ???: "HA HA HA HA..." katya: wait a second....<MOTHER FUCK-> *SLICE* katya: *blood splatters onto her face* !!!!!!! leo: ........ ???: <Did that hurt?> *a finger reaches out of the darkness--and flicks Leo in the forehead* leo: !!! *stumbles back* *Gogol emerges* Gogol: <I bet it did...> leo: *coughing blood* Gogol: *kick to the torso before sending another playing card into her forehead* -BOOM- leo: *crashed into a wall* nnghh... katya: son of a BITCH! *aims her gun...out of ammo*....FUCK! *throws her gun* Gogol: *catches the gun, looks at it* "Hmm...Souvenir?" *keeps studying the gun--before another set of playing cards pins Katya by her shoulders to the floor* Ivan: "..." *looks at the destruction against the wall* katya: *glares* leo: *she just stares at ivan, harshly* Gogol: <Shall we depart?> Ivan: "..." *nods* katya: GO TO HELL, YOU LITERAL FUCKING ENEMA! Gogol: *smiles back* <Is this _not_ Hell?> *rests a hand on Ivan's shoulder, as they walk back into the shadows* Ivan: *stares forward from the shadows, no smile on his face* -elsewhere- higuchi: *looking around* any updates? naoya: the rats are fleeing the scene. Chuuya: "We got a captive..." naoya: awesome! Motojiro: "..." yana:....*glances* *The lights in the room flicker* pushkin: oh fuck... fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck! Chuuya: "...Higuchi? We heard a report over their communicators." higuchi: what is it? Motojiro: "??! What? What?!" Chuuya: "Higuchi...They got Akutagawa." higuchi: *her stomach drops* *The lights completely go out* pushkin: !!!!!! *SCREEEEAM* Motojiro: *grabs a lemon--* *SLICE* Motojiro: *screams, clutching his hand* *The lemon drops, rolls--and blows up* pushkin: ACK! *A hand grabs Higuchi by the hair* higuchi: !!!!!! *SLICE along her hair and at her shoulder* higuchi: AH! *The assailant pushes Higuchi into Chuuya, knocking them both down, and Yana with them* ???: <Whoops! Didn't see you there...> naoya: *trying to use her ability* fuck, too dark... yana: <hey, watch where you're shoving!> Chuuya: "Where is he?!" *swings his hand, trying to lift rubble to let light in--* *YOINK* Chuuya: "?!" *Chuuya can barely make out someone picking up...his hat* Gogol: "..." *slasher smile as he puts on the hat* Chuuya: "!!!!" Gogol: "Souven--" *CRASH* Gogol: "?!!!" Chuuya: *tackled Gogol--and slams his fist into Gogol's head* Gogol: <FUCK!> yana: just give it back, its not worth it. Chuuya: *punch punch punch* "GIVE IT BACK GIVE IT BAC--" *PUSH* Gogol: <FUCK!> *holding his mouth, blood pouring out* "TAKE IT!" *tosses the hat--which spins like a sharp metal disk* Motojiro: "!!! Duck!" pushkin: *DUCK* *A strand of hair falls down in front of Pushkin’s face, the hat embedded in the wall* pushkin: Q-Q;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; Gogol: <W-We done here?> yana: <ready to go....> mr executive, let the others know what i told you, alright~?.... <gogol, carry me out of here, he broke my leg> Gogol: "..." <Want me to break his?> yana: <nah, not worth it> higuchi: WAIT!....Q....where is he? yana: oh, you mean oreo boy?.....he's safe. for the time being. Chuuya: *seething* "...As monstrous as that father of yours..." yana: ........ Chuuya: "After what he did to Sonia, of course he'd put another child through that..." yana:......*looks way* higuchi: chuuya? Chuuya: "...Higuchi...That child is Dostoyevsky's daughter." higuchi: ???!!!! yana: clone baby is more accurate, but yeah. higuchi: !!!!!!!!!! Chuuya: "And what you did to Sonia--" Gogol: =_= *yawns* "Can we go now?" yana:....yes.... Gogol: *sneers--as multiple playing cards appear--* Chuuya: "!!! Hit the floor!" *SWIPE SWIPE SWIPE SWIPE* -they're gone- higuchi:......*slams fist down* SHIT! Chuuya: "..." *looks at Motojiro* Motojiro: *gasping, clutching his bleeding wrist* higuchi: *over talkie* GET MEDICAL IN HERE, NOW! -elsewhere- Tanizaki: "Doctor!" *waves* yosano: *waves* Kyoka: "That's Yosano, the doctor." sylvia: .... yosano: ?? oh? who's this? sylvia: eep! >.< Kunikida: "She was turned over to our care. We'll explain on the way." Dazai: ^^\\ *he has a slap mark on his face* -and so- *Confetti goes up* sylvia: EEP! *hides behind kyouka* kirako: welcome back everyone! aya: WELCOME BACK! kenji: ^^ Kunikida: "..." *looks at Aya* "...Aya." aya: *HUG* Kunikida: "..." *pat pat* Lucy: "..." atsushi: *hugs lucy and smooches her, dipping her as he does so* Lucy: O\\\\\O atsushi: h-how was that? .//////. Lucy: .\\\\\\. *steam coming off her head* Dazai: *sniff* *wipes a tear* "He's become an adult now..." Tanizaki: ^^; atsushi: i-i saw that in a movie and figured i should try it. ^////^; Lucy: "..." *hug* *whispers in his ear* "Good movie..." atsushi: hehehehe.... =/////= sylvia: .....*shuffling feet* Kyoka: "...Sir? This is the person I had mentioned." fukuzawa: *looks at her* sylvia: Q~Q *shaking* fukuzawa:...................for now, we'll set up a room for her. Kyoka: *nods* "Thank you." Dazai: *looks at Ranpo* "We miss anything?" ranpo: nothing much. Poe: "..." Katai: "..." Poe: ("Her eyes look like Karl's...") sylvia: Q____Q;;;; m-miss kyouka, there's so many people here..... Kyoka: "I know. They're harmless. Mostly." *whispers* "Ranpo steals sweets. Don't let him near." Poe + Katai: *serious faces* ("PROTECT HER.") sylvia: *answering whine* Dazai: *his ear is next to Kirako's stomach* kirako: *funny voice* hi papa, we missed you. ^^ Dazai: TwT "I missed you, too..." sylvia:......mr dazai you're awful. kirako: ?? naomi: *whispers* kirako: O-O oh, we're not actually married. its friends with benefits! ^^;;; sylvia:....oh...s-sorry....Q_____Q Dazai: QwQ "...Haven't I been embarrassed enough by this German expedition?" Everyone in the room: "NO." -elsewhere- Akitaru: "--and more attempts at arson have been popping up." shinra: dang....any updates on the meeting with arg? Akitaru: "Approved and ready." shinra: finally..... Akitaru: "Yeah, bureaucracy is a trickle...Speaking of which--" *holds up two ties* "Which one should I wear?" shinra: um....that one? Akitaru: "Good choice...Sorry, just nervous. I have a meeting with an agency director...and I didn't want to ask Takehisa because...Well..." Takehisa: *wearing a tuxedo shirt, heart boxers, bunny slippers, sipping coffee* shinra:......right. ._.; Akitaru: "While you're getting info from the 6th, I'll be trying to rope in some help outside the brigades. I asked Hibana to talk to Haijima...It didn't go well." {Hibana: *screaming into the phone* "YOU ASSHOLES BETTER GET IN FUCKING LINE BEFORE I GO IN THERE AND TEAR YOUR BALLS OFF--"} {Akitaru: -_-# } iris: yikes. Akitaru: "Please help your sister find religion again..." maki: alsooooo, BENIMARU AND KIREI ARE ENGAGED!!! <3 shinra: glad to hear. Akitaru: "!!! That's great!" Arthur: *pops up from underneath Akitaru's desk* "Wait, they were dating?" Akitaru: "..." tamaki:......*facepalm* -elsewhere- ???: *groans* "G-Gin..." ???: ?? hello? *Akutagawa's eyes break open--and his hand reaches out to grab the threat* ????: woah! *falls over* h-hey, are you alright, dude? Akutagawa: "St-Stay back! I'll...I'll..." *looks down* "..." *he's in only his ripped pants* "...Oh. Rashomon..." ???: easy now, you're really hurt badly. come on, one of my coworkers is a doctor. *holds their hand out* Akutagawa: *snarls--then clutches his side with a whine* ???: hold on, i got you. *helping him up* Akutagawa: "Wh-Where are they?" ???: hm? Akutagawa: "Wh-Where did you find me? Was I followed?" ???: i just found you lying on some trash bags, dude. Akutagawa: "...Who are you?" ???: *they smile* call me 'Kan'. Akutagawa: "...Ryu." kan: ok ryu, just hold on, we're almost there. -elsewhere- sonia: ..... Babysitter: "...Sonia? Would you like to play a game while we wait?" sonia:....i dunno..... Babysitter: "...I know you're worried. But I called your father and left a voicemail. I'm sure he'll respond--" *SLAM SLAM SLAM against the door* sonia: !!! Babysitter: "Oh my..." *walks to the door...which has multiple locks...there is also a compartment next to the door* *peeks through the peephole* "!!!" *throws open the door* "Mr. Nakahara--!" Chuuya: *he looks exhausted, beaten, but standing* *he's leaning against the doorway* "S-Sonia...Where is she?" sonia: !!! papa! Chuuya: "!!!" *tries to walk in--and stumbles* Babysitter: "!!! What the hell happened?!" sonia: *runs over to him* Chuuya: "Sh-Shut it...lock it..." *hugs Sonia, holding her tightly* mito: *mreow* Babysitter: "..." *slam the door, locks all the locks, starts typing onto the compartment* sonia:...papa? whats going on? Chuuya: *holds Sonia's face* "Sweetie...I want you to go into your room, and grab your emergency suitcase. Put clothes in there. Grab what you need. Do you understand?" sonia:... o-ok....*going to do so.* Babysitter: "...How bad?" Chuuya: "We're all going underground." *takes out his wallet, shoves $100 bills to the babysitter* "You need to get out of town until this blows over." Babysitter: "..." *pockets it, opens the compartment--and removes a gun* "Not the first time...I told you that babysitting wasn't paying me shit." Chuuya: "I'll call you when it's all clear. You need to contact the others outside." Babysitter: "Why?" sonia:..... *listening as she packs up* Chuuya: "The police will be after them to. Get them all underground--and get ready for the Goose Chase." Babysitter: "!!! Now?!" Chuuya: *whispers* "After the shit I heard today, you're fucking right. This stops now!" sonia:....... -elsewhere- fukuzawa:.... *knocks* mori? Mori: "Hmm?" fukuzawa: surpisingly, dazai brought you a gift. *hands him a wrapped item* Mori: "??? What is it?" fukuzawa: open it. Mori: "..." *small rip* "I hope Dazai didn't put a bomb in here..." fukuzawa: *shakes head* {Dazai: "I assure you, there is no bomb. I got it through security, and you know I would never try to get something through security illegally. You can even have it scanned!"} {Kunikida: *already pulling a bomb scanner from his book--*} {Dazai: "NO ONE TRUSTS ME HERE!"} Mori: *opens the gift--and just stares, shocked* -it's a doll. like elise- Mori: "..." *A drop falls onto the doll* fukuzawa: .... Mori: *smiles, crying* "Elise..." fukuzawa:....i'll leave you be for now....*exits the room* Mori: *hugs the doll* -elsewhere- Stein: *opens the door to the lab* aya drevis: welcome home, dad! valentine: ^^ marie: welcome back! Stein: "...Hey." *hair ruffle on Aya* aya drevis: ^^ -elsewhere- Yohei: *pulls over* "Okay. What time am I picking you two up?" mono: *looks at ashi* Assi: AwA chie: have fun now, ok? Assi: "Th-Thanks!" *opens the door for Mono* mono: woah. *The interior is a celebration of wealth--with extravagant drinking and dining options* Assi: "I see he went all out..." mono: i feel so small. Assi: "Yeah...It's kind of like that a lot. But people here at work largely make it welcoming." ^w^ "Want something to drink?" mono: maybe some soda. Assi: "Sure thing!" *waves* "Two sodas, please!" Zuno: "You got it!" *hands them* "Here you go, Mono and...um..." Assi: ^^;;;; mono: assi. Zuno: "???" *points at Mono* "Wait, you're Assi? I thought you were Mono." mono:... -_-; -elsewhere- Daisy: *arms crossed, tapping her foot* eckleburg: *scoot scoot* Daisy: *turns her head* eckleburg: ^^ *wave* Daisy: "..." *nods* "Hey. How you doing?" eckleburg: LOOKING GOOD TONIGHT DAISY! *ahem* s-sorry. Daisy: "Wow, volume control, much?" *looks him up and down* "Nice threads." eckleburg: thank you, it was my grandfather's. Daisy: "Huh, retro. Nice. What you having?" eckleburg: nothing too strong. Daisy: "You a Shirley Temple dude?" eckleburg: sure. lets go with that. Daisy: "One Shirley Temple, one gin rickey." Hyde: "On it...Ochaco, get some ice." ochako: yessir! Daisy: "...Isn't she a little young to be making drinks?" Hyde: "Just the non-alcoholic ones." ochako: *whistling* *Hyde serves them up* Daisy: *sips* eckleburg: thank you. Daisy: "..." *holds up her drink* "Cheers." eckleburg: cheers. ^^ -underground- zoey: *patching everyone up* Ivan: TT_TT# zoey: *bandaging his ankle. tightly. * Ivan: "GAH!" zoey: awww, was that...too much~? Ivan: "You know it was..." zoey: hehe~ yana: <vanya, stop your griping, we're all hurting...> Ivan: Y~Y <I didn't mean to ignore your pain, Young Master...> yana: <its fine...> *staring up at the ceiling* Ivan: "???" <May I do anything?> yana: <for now, lets all just take it easy until we're all healed up.> Ivan: *sighs* yana:......<something bothering you?> Ivan: <...Seeing Lev again...> yana: <oh?> Ivan: <She looked...happy.> yana: <happy to see you? makes sense-> Ivan: <Happy to be threatening to kill us.> yana: ?! Ivan: <...I think she _likes_ being with them.> yana: <well, a lot can happen in two or so months.......does it bother you?> Ivan: "..." <No. It's fine...> *looks away* yana: ........ <he _did_ remove your 'unhappiness', right?> Ivan: *puts on a smile* <Of course~> yana:.....<i see.> *staring up at the ceiling* Ivan: "..." <We'll need so many drugs...> yana: *replying grunt and turns away* Ivan: "..." <Rest, okay?> yana:...<yeah......one more thing...> Ivan: <Hmm?> yana: <do you think....there's a reason why i was born?> Ivan: <Of course! To serve Master~> yana:.....<right.....night gonch....> Ivan: *yawns* <Night...> Fitzgerald: "Everyone having a good time?" mary: you bet! bram: *nod nod* Mr. Tsubaki: *munching on grapes* mary: having fun, toby? ^^ *pet pet* Mr. Tsubaki: *tail wag, grape juice on his face* mary: hehe ^^ -elsewhere- Daisy: =w= "Sip a little more--it's not that alcoholic..." eckleburg: miss daisy. ._.;; Daisy: "Don't be such a stick in the mud! Loosen up...Come on, you never drink?" eckleburg: well i am driving home tonight. Daisy: "Aaaah, we can share a ride. I'll call a Hyrs." eckleburg: um. ._.; Daisy: *smiles* "Cool..." *lays back, looking up at the ceiling* "Hee hee...Shiny chandelier." eckleburg: come on, lets get you sat down... Daisy: "I'm fine--" *leans too far back* eckleburg: *holding her up* Daisy: "...Um...Thanks?" -elsewhere- Assi: "C-C-Care to...to..." mono: ?? Assi: "D-D-D-Dance?" mono: eh, sure. Assi: OwO "O-Okay..." *walks with her to the dance floor* mono: ... 7///7; Assi: *starts to dance by himself, a bit nerdy* mono: *rolls eyes and grabs his hand* here, like this. Assi: .\\\\\\. "O-Okay..." *follows her* -elsewhere- Kyoka: "And this is your room." sylvia: ..... Kyoka: "We have more blankets in the closet. Other pillows...Are you hungry?" sylvia:....*sits down on one chair* ...... Kyoka: "..." *nods* "I'll make some tea..." sylvia: t-thank you....m-miss kyouka.... Kyoka: "..." *nods* "You're welcome." *walks to the kitchen* sylvia: .... Kyoka: "Atsushi, did you want tea?" atsushi: sure. lucy? Lucy: "That'd be nice." *smiles* "...Thank you for helping that girl." Kyoka: "..." *small blush, nods* sylvia: ..... {Ted: *smiles*} sylvia: *cowering and crying* Kyoka: *returns* "...Sylvia?" sylvia: h-he's in here. h-he's in this room... atsushi: its ok, sylvia. he's not here. hes gone. *pats her back* sylvia: *wince* Lucy: "..." Kyoka: "You're far away now. And you'll be safe here." sylvia: *sniffle* *hic* Kyoka: "..." *hug* sylvia:.....*awkward hug* Kyoka: *smiles* Lucy: "..." *sets down the tea* -elsewhere- Dazai: "Sure you're okay?" *rests a hand on her stomach* kirako: *nods* mii: zzzzz Dazai: *strokes Mii's back* mii: *purrs* Dazai: "This little guy been a good protector?" kirako: he sure has. *cuddles mii* mii: >w>;;;;; Dazai: *holds her* kirako: ^^ Dazai: "Good kitty..." -elsewhere- Gin: *covering her face* higuchi: *pats her back* we'll find him. naoya: this is akuta we're talking about, he's a tough kid. Gin: "Are you sure that was what you heard?" pushkin: 'incapacitated' doesnt mean 'dead'. Gin: "..." *nods* -elsewhere- Yohei: *checks the clock* "...Getting late. Ready to go pick them up?" chie: *she nods* Yohei: *picks up the keys* "Mana, you're in charge. Make sure those two behave." Shotaro: ^w^ *angel halo* Emine: -_- *devil horns* mana: noted. Yohei: *opens the door for Chie* "Ma'am." chie: why thank you~ Yohei: *smiles, guides her to the car* Emine: *already has a stick of dynamite out and a match* mana: emine no. -elsewhere- sakutaro: *having removed the bullet from akutagawa's injury* there. Akutagawa: *pants* "...O-Ow..." kan: thanks, dr hagiwara. Akutagawa: *whimpering* sakutaro: just doing my job. when he's back to health, i want him out of here. Akutagawa: *groans* kan: you gonna be ok, ryu? Akutagawa: "...As soon as I get home...or, rather, to my...family." kan: right....family...... Akutagawa: "..." *yawns* kan: get some sleep, ok? Akutagawa: "Y-Yes..." *muttering* -morning- Kunikida: *sorting files* kirako: morning everyone. Tanizaki: "Morning." Kunikida: *nods* "Busy day..." *pours coffee* "Ready for today?" yosano: yep. naomi: so what's the gameplan? Tanizaki: "Still trying to keep pace with all the new cases--and how Katai..." *picks up a blanket* "Erm, 'files' papers..." fukuzawa: .... Kunikida: *looks at a few files--* "!!!" fukuzawa: if you're all here. there's an important meeting to be had. attendance is mandatory. Kunikida: *shakes slightly, setting it down* Tanizaki: "??? Kirako, where's Dazai?" -in the meeting room- Kunikida: "All are present." fukuzawa: good. now onto business......we need to prepare for kirako's baby shower. Tanizaki: ._.; "R-Right." naomi: *phew* (how surprisingly lighthearted...) Dazai: ^^;;; ranpo: oh. Kyoka: "We begin with the diapers. I counted how many months a baby needs them. More without potty training." yosano: and baby clothes. Tanizaki: "Some neat toys?" atsushi: *smiles* (any ideas, odasaku?) Odasaku: ( Q____Q "...Plenty.") atsushi: .... (i dont know how to pat a ghost on the back. ^-^;; ) Odasaku: ("Just...start with some soft toys--no small parts. A doll. And some books--they'll need to hear someone read to them...") atsushi: *writing this all down* Kyoka: "???" Kunikida: "Well, someone is generating ideas..." atsushi: ^^; (thanks, odasaku.) Dazai: *looks over his shoulder* "...Hmm...Good choices." atsushi: t-thanks...(odasaku what do i tell him??? D8> ) Odasaku: ("How about 'been looking into this sort of thing'?") atsushi: been doing my research, i guess. Dazai: "...What, Lucy's pregnant or something?" atsushi: .///o W-W-WHAT?! NO! THAT'S NOT- Kunikida: *death glare at both of them* Dazai: .w. *sits down* Kyoka: *judging them* Odasaku: (Q~Q "...Sorry.") atsushi: ._.;;; Kunikida: "Back to priorities...We'll have a party. Ranpo, handle the menu--" ranpo: *opens mouth* Tanizaki: "Maaaaaaybe we should have someone who isn't going to just pick sweets?" ranpo:...fine, then i guess i just pout. Tanizaki: ^^; "Hey, we can still have a few chips and cookies...but maybe some fancy cheeses and crackers?" Kunikida: "Oh, I think there's a sale on that." -elsewhere- Sid: "A lot of students not here..." nygus: hmm... but plenty of other still are. soon it will be time for spring enrollments... Sid: "And orientation." nygus: *nods* Sid: "We're about ready with the next course offerings. Wanted to check with you on your schedule..." -elsewhere- Assi: ^\\\^ "I had fun..." mono: y-yeah.. same here... 7///7; Assi: "...Well, good luck at work! Maybe we can...talk after?" mono: i guess..... -elsewhere- Chuuya: "..." sonia: *asleep in a cot with mito* Chuuya: *sighs* ("What am I going to do...") ayako: this is AWESOME! its like a big old sleepover! this one time i did an in school sleepover in 7th grade- *bla bla bla bla* Motojiro: *shifts awkwardly, favoring his non-injured wrist* leo: how are you feeling? Motojiro: "Better...It'll take a little longer to heal--that card really went through." leo:...*hug* Motojiro: *hug* "Are you okay?" leo: yes. partially injured, but im better now.... Motojiro: "..." *nods* *holds onto her* leo: u///u kuniko: ._.; Gin: "Kuniko? You okay?" kuniko: yeah. kinda freaked out though. ._.;;; higuchi: *pats her back* Gin: "...We'll figure this out soon." higuchi: for now, lets just get our rooms set up. Tachihara: "I call the room that's not weird..." -elsewhere- Black Star: [how was germany?] soul: [busy] Black Star: [can imagine. they at least give you a week off?] soul: [ya] Black Star: [well catch some z's. want to meet up for dinner?] soul: [pizza plz] Black Star: [u got it!] -elsewhere- shinra: *shaking* Asako: "??? Mr. Kusakabe?" shinra: yes ma'am? Asako: "Are you nervous, too?" shinra: very much so ma'am! Asako: "...I am, too. I haven't seen Grandfather in some time..." shinra: ....did you get along with him? Asako: "..." *sad smile, nods* "Before...his injury." shinra:....right..... Asako: "I forget--have you been here before?" shinra: yeah, i was a student at the training school. so was arthur. Asako: *smiles* "It's good that you got to be placed together in the 8th." shinra: yeah... <_<; hurray for us. -fwiiiip- shinra: X-O we're here. loud.... pan: ah, commander arg, kusakabe. *nods* Asako: *nods* "Hello, sir." shinra: ._.; pan: been a while, kusakabe. not getting into trouble at the 8th i hope. shinra: -___-; no, sir. ???: "Oh, that sounds--" *clap* "--like a lie--" *clap* *Carin is doing push-ups--and clapping on every one to show off* shinra: *glare* carin. Carin: "Hey, Shinra. What's wrong--toilets backed up at the 8th and left you here?" shinra: not in the mood carin, i've got stuff to do. Carin: "???! Hey!" *bounces up* "You don't get to just walk on in here--" pan: carin, lay off, go get dressed. Carin: *grumble grumble* "Don't blame me if your mom gets killed next..." gwen: ............ juria: *chewing gum and leaning against the wall* Asako: ._.; shinra: *ahem* hey gwen, sorry about morgan.... gwen:.....t-trying to survive. Asako: "..." *looks to Pan* "Is the Chief in?" pan: should be. Asako: *nods* "We'll follow you." ogun: *waves to shinra* ^^ shinra: *waves back* juria: the hell you staring at, pipsqueak? shinra: 0_0 i wasnt talking to you ma'am! Asako: ._.;; "Former classmates?" shinra: ogun and gwen are. the oni, not so much... ._.;;;;;; -inside- Asako: "Mr. Kusakabe, you should go first..." shinra: are you sure? he is your grandfather... Asako: "...When I wrote to him that this was about the Adora Burst, he insisted on speaking with you." *puts on a smile* "It's okay. I don't want to get in the way." shinra:.....ok....*gulps* um.....h-hello?....c-commander arg? sir? *A man stands behind the desk, back facing the door, staring at the window curtain* shinra:...*ahem* *salute* shinra kusakabe, reporting, sir. Souichirou: "...I've been waiting for you...wielder of the Adora Burst." shinra: y-you can just call me shin- *Souichirou turns, light reflecting off his glasses* shinra: OwO;;;; Souichirou: "Burn..." shinra: i beg your pardon? *Souichirou marches forward, face to face with Shinra* shinra: O-O;;;;;;;;;;*gulps* Souichirou: "I want you to burn me..." shinra:....i-i-i-i-i'm sorry, what now? Souchirou: "Bless me with those divine flames...so I may see Adora again." shinra:.....*INTERNALLY SCREAMING* ???: "So just do it." shinra: ???!!! ???: "He wants to be burn--so burn him. Seems easy..." shinra: (who the heck...) *The room is not bright...with fire everywhere* shinra: !!!!!!! ???: "After all...you wanted to burn her, too, right?" ???: "SHIIIIIIINRAAAAA..." shinra: ???!!! *The Infernal--his mother--appears* shinra: *nervous smile, but he's crying* m-mom? *Hands grab his shoulders* ???: "Are you okay?" shinra: ??!! Souchirou: "Kusakabe!" shinra: !!!! Souchirou: "S-Sorry...Maybe I shouldn't have been so direct." shinra: r-right.... (my head hurts...) *stumbles to a chair* Souchirou: "It's alright, take all the time you need--" ???: "--because I'm here to help." *flames appear in front of Shinra* shinra: !!!! *falls over* w-w-what the hell?! *The flames assume the form of a woman* shinra: ??...iris? *The woman smiles...and keeps smiling, her mouth contorting into a mad shape...As she leans closer, something wraps around Shinra* shinra: !!!!! *trying to back away out of fear* *Something is scratching along his skin...It's bones! Bones, fused into strange, monstrous shapes* shinra: *screams* Souchirou: "!!! AAAH!" *stumbles back* "I-I just meant a tiny bit? A teensy bit? A teensy-weesy bit?" shinra: *breathing hard* w-wha...what the hell was that? w-who was that lady? Souchirou: " 'Lady'? ...You saw something, didn't you?" shinra: i...i think so.... i saw a woman.....i-i dont think she was human... Souchirou: "..." *pulls up the window blinds* shinra:....sir? do you know anything about the adora burst? Souchirou: "...So...It may have been our meeting that triggered that vision you had...Yes. I know." shinra: .... is that why you have the scars on your face? Souchirou: "...I've always worked hard. That was the ethic instilled into me by my family...and that I've tried to instill in the next generation." shinra:...... but then? Souchirou: "...About seven years ago..." *smiles* "I opened my eyes." shinra: *listening* Souchirou: "You remember, in your history class, about the Great Fire seven years ago?" shinra:....y-yeah.... an entire section of the city, destroyed. since then, it's become the slums. Souchirou: *nods* "...Despite best efforts...I let so many die..." shinra: .... Souchirou: "But...at the time of that incident..." {Souchirou: "!!!"} {*He is surrounded by light...and looks up to see a hand approaching his face*} {*SLICE*} {Souchirou: *howls in pain, clutching his face...behind his glasses appear clawed slices into his skin*} Souchirou: "Despair...salvation...Two sides of the same coin." shinra: ....... Souchirou: "After that encounter, I felt freed, like I had saved everyone...The Adora Link…It is a baptism. Returning to Adora, to that divine world...would be salvation." shinra: *shaking* arg, you're scaring me. Souchirou: *leans forward, smiling* "This mark on my face is a stigmata–a sacred wound. It opened my eyes. Please...Kusakabe: bless me with your holy flames, so I may return..." shinra: y-y-you're out of your mind! Souchirou: "...It's said...in madness can lie truth..." *smiles more widely...and widely...and widely...as the room gets white again for just a second, revealing the Woman* Woman: *smiles* *Then everything is back to normal, and Souchirou looks confused* Souchirou: "??? Kusakabe?" shinra: i dont....feel so good, sir.... Souchirou: "...Let's pause here. I'll get you something to drink--" *Outside the door* ???: "WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?!" juria: hnn? Asako: Q____Q "...So creepy...Those outfits are so creepy..." juria: what'cha talkin' about, eyebrows? Asako: "THEM! 1-1-9!!!" *shuddering* "CREEPY CREEPY CREEPY!" >~< juria: yeah. they look like some shitty theme park knockoffs. Asako: *covers her eyes* "What are they even doing here?!" 1-1-9: *march forward past Asako and Juria, towards Souchirou's door* juria: as if i'd care....i've seen freakier shit at the old meowkies. Asako: Q~Q *crying into a puddle that has already formed at her feet* -inside- shinra: ......so, your granddaughter is here... Souchirou: "...Oh." *turns his back to Shinra* shinra:....she's right outside. Souchirou: "...Tell me more about Adora." shinra: what the hell, man?! your family is here wanting to see you, and you arent even giving a single shit?! Souchirou: "There are bigger things than family!" *turns, slamming his fist _through the desk_ * shinra: !!! why you- Souchirou: *looks up--deadly serious* "Will you burn me now?" shinra: ..........*just glares at him* (keep it together, shinra....) Souchirou: "...I'm sorry. I just want--" *BOOM* shinra: ??!!! *Flames and smoke pour in, obscuring three figures...* shinra: what the heck?! *It's 119, including the old man-face Mamoru* shinra: alright what the actual heck? Souchirou: "??? 1-1-9? We're kind of in the middle of something--" Mamoru: *rushes at Shinra* shinra: !!!! *KICK* *Mamoru is decapitated* shinra:.... !!!! carin? Carin: "..." shinra:...carin? Souchirou: *intervenes between the two* "Knock it off! Carin! There is only so much I will toler--" *PUNCH* Souchirou: *coughs up* shinra: !!!! CARIN, WHAT THE SHIT, DUDE?! YOU DONT JUST PUNCH OLD PEOPLE, EVEN IF THEY'RE CRAZY DICKS! Carin: "Kill...Kusakabe..." shinra: ???!!! Carin: "Kill..." ???: "This is perfect." shinra: *looks behind him* *The Woman smiles* Woman: "You've held so much back for so long...Give into your urges." shinra: shut up... {Carin: "Least I didn't kill my mom--"} shinra: i said shut the fuck up... Woman: "KILL HIM. RELEASE THAT BLOODLUST. KILL HIM. BURN HIM TO ASHES." shinra: i said SHUT UUUUUP!!!!! Woman: *hug* shinra: *screams* Souchirou: "!!! His feet! He's burning up!" shinra: GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HEAD!!! Souchirou: "...The Adora Burst..." *smiles* "He has it..." *reaches out his hands--* -BOOOOM- pan: ???!!! Asako: "!!!" *The doors blast open, with Souchirou kicked into the hallway* shinra: *snarls* you're not the one who's fucking in control of me... Woman: "I'm not trying to control you...I'm here to help." pan: commander, what the hell is going on? Asako: "Grandfather!" Souchirou: *stunned* "Wh-What happened?" shinra: *ROAR* Asako: "Shinra!" shinra: make it stop....MAKE IT STOP!!! Souchirou: "...No...He's possessed..." juria: tch- then i'll just beat it out of him, no big deal. *flame gauntlets* Souchirou: "Do not kill him!" juria: *ignoring and charges at him* shinra: *dodge and kicks* juria: *catches it and tosses him* -outside- charon: what do you make of it, lady haumea? guruna: *humming* Haumea: "..." *smiles* "Hitohashira Me." charon: !!!! guruna: yeah, she really hates humans, doesnt sheeee~? kururu~ but kusakabe's more resilient than we thoooought~ Haumea: "Hmm...We need her to use Shinra's anger…to release all her fury…" -back inside- -shinra and juria are still battling it out- pan: commander, arent you going to stop them?! Souchirou: "..." *grabs a rope and an axe* "I can't allow any fires in this office..." *tosses the rope around Shinra--* shinra: !!! Souchirou: "So out you go..." *runs for the window--and tosses the axe through it* -CRASH- shinra: *lands on all fours, growling* Souchirou: "Pan--the axes!" pan: *FWWWWIP* juria: *glares* i aint finished yet! *runs outside* *The woman, Hitohashira Me, speaks to Shinra...* Hitohashira Me: "You don't have to hold back..." shinra: shut up, you're not the one in control of me! Souchirou: "Kusakabe, control yourself!" *tightens the rope, pulling him closer* shinra: GRK- -FLAME KICK- Souchirou: "AAAAAAAAAAH~" juria: *gags* gross, old man. shinra: *SCREAMING* pan: COMMANDER! WHY DONT YOU DODGE?! Souchirou: =w= "I understand...I am blessed..." Asako: *running downstairs, reaching the floor* *pant pant* "G-Grandfather! Are you okay?" Souchirou: "It burns...so divinely..." Asako: "..." Q_Q pan: sir, you cant let yourself be killed like this! Souchirou: "...But I want it..." *gets up* "But I want the Fourth to survive beyond me..." shinra: *charging and screeching* juria: *PUNCH* Asako: "!!! We need a barrier! Can't someone contain them?" -lances fall from the sky, separating shinra from juria- juria: lances? heh, took you pipsqueaks long enough! Asako: "Eek!" ???: "Sorry...I got lost." ogun: sorry for being late, i had to go get backup. tamaki: ... shinra: *grunt* r..re....l....? Relan: Q~Q "Sh-Shinra?" shinra: *insane smile, but tears falling* re-l.....run...p-please..... tamaki: just stay behind us, relan, we'll make sure he doesnt die. Relan: "WHAT?!" *shaking* Asako: Q~Q Arthur: *removes Excalibur, charges it with plasma--and his hair sticks up on end* "..." pan: boyle? and....who're those two again? tamaki: dont worry about it for now. Relan: *crying* Arthur: "..." *pats his hair* "...Static electricity. It's that woman from the Nether. Again." ogun: hey, come on, buddy, everything's going to be ok. *smiles* shinra: uuuu......AHHHHHHGH!! *charges* Arthur: "Not sure about that. This electricity possesses people very easily. I don't know how to shake it out of him--" tamaki: *TAIL ATTACK* *SLAM* shinra: *knocked back* Arthur: "!!!" "Good save." tamaki: arthur! pay attention! ogun: oooi! shinra, can you hear us? shinra: make it....stop....get her out....get her out of my fucking head!! Relan: "?!!!" Arthur: "The woman from the Nether again..." juria: wait what the fuck?! ogun: !! pan: commander, fall back! Souchirou: "But I want to feel the flames!" ogun: commander pan, you're support! Arthur: "..." *light bulb* "IT'S A WITCH!" *points at Ogun* "The soldier." *points at Pan* "The medic." *points at Tamaki* "The Were-Cat." *points at Souchirou* "Masochistic shield." juria:....the fuck? ogun: dont worry about it. Asako: "NO ONE HERE IS A SHIELD, YOU FOOL!" *turns to her grandfather* "Will you wake up already?! Shinra needs your help! And you're not even listening to us!" Souchirou: "Leave me alone--This is more important--" Asako: "!!!!" *grabs an axe* "Will you listen to me?!" *takes the butt of the axe and bashes it into Souchirou's chest* juria: oh shit! Souchirou: "!!! ...A-Asako? Stop that! I am--" shinra: *charging* -on the roof- guruna: !!!!! IT'S TAMAKINS!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 Haumea: -_-# "And that awful airhead...Guruna, when this is over, rip his head off and take the cat girl for yourself." guruna: kururururururun~ of course~<3 -back on the ground- tamaki: *cold chill* urg.... Asako: *butts again* "STAY DOWN!" *grabs him under his armpits, drags him away* "I'm getting you to safety--Now!" Souchirou: *dazes* "B-But the flames..." shinra: *KICK* ogun: oof- d-dang.. pan: dont worry, im giving you all buffs. ogun: still hurts like shit. Arthur: *sighs* "Well, time for the kingly knight to do what you pleebs fail to." juria: *punching the ground, causing a fissure that cracks and heads for shinra* shinra: *dodging* Arthur: *leaps forward with Excalibur* "Time to knock that woman out of your head!" ogun: yeah! -inside Shinra's mind- shinra: *struggling* get out of my head! *attacking hitohashira-me* Hitohashira Me: *absorbs the blow...smiles sweetly* "I know what you want." shinra: just shut the hell up! *attacking, crying* Hitohashira Me: *holds him--in a hug* "Shhhh..." shinra: *trying to get away* let go of me! Hitohashira Me: "You miss her, don't you?" shinra:...... Hitohashira Me: "You've seen our power...You know what we can do...We can turn humans into Infernals...and we can turn them back. We can bring her back." shinra:....*shaking* -back to reality- Arthur: *blocking* "I'm always having to save your backside, pulling it out of the fire--" {Arthur: *about to jump off the roof* "A KNIGHT CAN FLY!"} {shinra: *yanks him back* ARE YOU STUPID OR SOMETHING?! YOU COULD HAVE DIED JUST NOW! D8< } Arthur: "And now it's time to keep hitting you in the head until that woman is out of it! Come back to us already!" *swings Excalibur* {mrs boyle: *watching the tv*} {Anchor: "--followed by food poisoning. The restaurant is under investigation now for arson and insurance fraud--"} {mrs boyle: *sighs and turns off the tv* .... arthur sweetie, dinner's almost ready, go get your father, ok?} {Arthur: "Okay..." *walks into the bedroom...it has no bedframe, just an old twin mattress, no sheets, one frayed blanket* "Hey. Dad? Dinner..."} {Mr. Boyle: *wearing a cowboy hat over his face*} {Arthur: "..." *lifts the hat* "What are you looking at in here?"} {Mr. Boyle: "??? ... “ *he chuckles*} {Arthur: "???"} {Mr. Boyle: "You always have creative ways of thinking, Arthur." *holds up the hat* "Your old man's okay...Just been looking into outer space in here."} {Arthur: "...Nah-uh!"} {Mr. Boyle: "Don't believe me?" *drops the hat over Arthur's face*} {Arthur: "?!! ...I only see blackness."} {*Suddenly, there appears--*} {Arthur: "!!! Dad! There's a castle!"} {Mr. Boyle: "Neat-o! What else?"} {Arthur: "And-and knights! And horses! And trumpets! An-And...maybe a dragon?"} {Mr. Boyle: "See? You just have to see things differently..."} {mrs boyle: what's going on in here you two-} {Mr. Boyle: *takes her hand*} {mrs boyle: *blushing* e-eh? ###, what are you doing?} {Mr. Boyle: "Treating my queen the way she deserves~" *looks at Arthur* "Come on, son--time for the ball to start..."} {-...-} {Arthur: *yawns...shivers, pulling the frayed blanket more over him*} {-the apartment is silent...-} {Arthur: "..." *looks at the blanket* ("Wasn't this...") "Dad?" *gets out of his cot, walks to the kitchen, dragging the blanket* "Mom?"} {*The kitchen is empty...There's a note on the table*} {Arthur: "???"} {note: arthur, your mama and papa have gone on a long journey to save the kingdom. you are now the king of the castle.} {Arthur: "..." *shaking* "Th-The kingdom?" *his eyes are wet* "...It was true!"} {-...-} {*knocking on the door*} {???: *female voice* ###? are you there? it's me, sandi! hello?} {Arthur: "The knight is not seeing anyone."} {???: arthur? it's your aunt sandi, may i please come in?} {Arthur: "..." *shudders* *opens the door a crack* "...Hello."} {sandi: *kneels down and smiles* hey kiddo, are your parents at home?} {Arthur: "They left."} {sandi: do you know when they'll be back? *worried* } {Arthur: *shakes his head* "Not until they save my kingdom."} {sandi: may i please come in?} {Arthur: "..." *opens the door* "Very well, Duchess."} {sandi: *she looks around the apartment, calling out for the names of her brother and sister-in-law, but is only met with silence*} {Arthur: "I said they were out. They're fulfilling their obligations to the kingdom."} {sandi:....*making some phone calls....no reply...* damn.....*looks at arthur* how long have they been out?} {Arthur: "Two sunsets."} {sandi:.....*shaking and gets onto her knees* my lord, you must pack your things. we will be going on a trip to the neighboring kingdom to complete your royal training.} {Arthur: "Ah! Fair point! I shall retrieve my possessions. But I'm without venison..."} {-...-} {sandi: hiro? hime? im home!} {Arthur: "..." *looks around* " 'Tis a fine castle."} {hime: hi arthur! *wave*} {Arthur: *small bow* "M'Lady."} {sandi: *smiles and looks at mr kenshimono* *whispers* can you him to the guest room.} {Hiro: "??? Why's he talking all funny?"} {Arthur: "How else does would a kingly knight speak?"} {Hiro: "??? Are you playing pretend? Aren't you a little old for that?"} {sandi: *takes his hand and whispers* i'll tell you in a moment, hiro.} {Mr. Kenshimono: "Right this way, you're highness."} {Arthur: ^u^ } {Hiro: -_-# } {-after arthur leaves the room, sandi sits down and looks at her children-} {sandi: your cousin's going to be staying with us for a while. your aunt and uncle have gone on a trip, and we dont know when they're coming back...} {Hiro: "But why is he talking so weird?"} {sandi: ....*shows him the note* i think it helps him cope...} Arthur: "The kingly knight defends his kingdom! That includes all within it!" ogun: ..... shinra: *charging and screaming* im not your fucking puppet! -in shinra's mind...- shinra: *slams foot into hitohashira-me's gut* GET OUT OF MY GODDAMN HEAD!!! Hitohashira Me: "UMPH! ..." *looks up...smiles...and tilts her head...way too much...* shinra: *hard glare but shaking* Hitohashira Me: "You have...no idea the level of wrath THAT YOU ARE DEALING WITH, CHILD." shinra: *he doesnt reply* Hitohashira Me: "..." *sharp inhale, smiles* "I'm fine. This is nothing I have not encountered before. Still, the other three never gave me such problems." shinra: ??? do you mean...? Hitohashira Me: "Or was it four? I lose track--they've been popping up in this time period so more frequently--!!!" *lets out a groan* "Seriously? Another one?" shinra: ??!! (more adora links? other than me, mikami, sho, and that girl?) Hitohashira Me: "I suppose that's the next one to visit..." *looks at him* "Pillars. Am I right?" shinra: what are you talking about? Hitohashira Me: "You already know, don't you? Ones like you." shinra:.........are you some kind of demon? Hitohashira: *smiles* "I don't think that's a suitable description--" *She's suddenly behind him* Hitohashira Me: "--for how limitless I am." shinra: !!! then....what the hell are you? -back to reality, shinra is still rampaging- ogun: damn, he's not letting up. tamaki: *still attacking* shinra: *ROAR* Arthur: *knocked back* "..." *holds the blade* "Three chances...That's all you get. Then, I'm killing you." Relan: "..." *shaking* tamaki: COME ON SHINRA, GET IT TOGETHER! shinra: *KICKS HER INTO THE WALL* tamaki: GRK- shinra: if it gets this devil out, then do it! Arthur: "..." *aims the sword* "..." *runs forward--* *Someone darts in front of Shinra* Arthur: "!!!" *stops just in time, as someone throws themselves over Shinra* shinra: !!! tamaki: !!!! juria: ??!! ogun: !!!! Relan: *hug* "Please...Shinra...Stop." shinra:.....*he's shaking.....and begins cackling.....taking a sharp inhale......and then breaks down sobbing* Relan: "..." *strokes his back* "It's okay..." shinra: *hic* *sobs and clings to him tightly* Relan: "..." *closes his eyes, holds onto him* -later- shinra: *laying on a medical bed in the 4th, resting his head on relan's lap* ...... 4th nurse: and that's what happened? shinra: *croaky* yes, ma'am... Relan: *strokes his head* Asako: "...The injury to your chest was not as severe." Soichiro: "..." Asako: "..." *closes her med kit* "Excuse me." *walks to another patient* Soichiro: "..." shinra: ......*shaking* -on the roof- charon: a new pillar??! Haumea: *nods* "She whispered it." -elsewhere- Akitaru: *stares at his phone* "..." *puts it down* "Maki's report only emphasizes my point: we need to mobilize all available resources." director: i have informed various companies. several seem to be on board with it, while others like haijima aren’t so keen. Akitaru: "I understand. But the new evidence--the chance of another great disaster, another Burst--that should motivate not only the brigades and our associates but the city itself." director: yes, but there are still other factors to be aware of, such as the rats, kishin worshippers, and other such groups. and there's not enough concrete evidence. Akitaru: "Sir...If this evidence is what I think it is, imagine if any of those other groups got a hold of the Bursts." director: exactly, thats why we're counting on the brigades. Akitaru: "...I understand. Thank you." *finishes his tea* "I will head out, then." -elsewhere- Master: "Here you go--some black and white cookies." Assi: "Kind of like you." mono: *nom* Assi: ^w^ *nom* "How's work been?" -elsewhere- madoka: a dance? that sounds like fun! Rin: "Exactly! You up for it?" madoka: *she nods* i heard CyariS and Kirafina will be there two, those are two of my favorite groups! -elsewhere- shura:....hmm, there you are. Takara: "..." -elsewhere- Shima: T~T konekomaru: *pap pap* Bon: "The reason no one wants to go with you is, A, the perv factor, B, the annoyance factor, and C--" Shima: "I'm too handsome?" TwT Bon: "...Yeah. Let's go with that." -elsewhere- Arthur: "Does it still hurt?" tamaki: i-i think i'll be fine Arthur: *nods* "It was scary, wasn't it?" tamaki: ....yeah..... Arthur: "..." *hug* tamaki:....*hugs* Arthur: *pat pat* "You're okay..." tamaki:....yeah... {???: worthless whore, your mother should never have given birth to you!} tamaki: ..... Arthur: "Tamaki?" tamaki: hmm? n-nothing. -elsewhere- Akutagawa: *shifts, wincing* kan: easy now. *giving him some toast* i made toast. Akutagawa: "...Thank you." *takes it* "...Your friend will be having me leave today?" kan: likely...how're you feeling? any better? Akutagawa: "A bit..." *looks at the shirt he was given* "...What kind of fashion sense is this?" kan: it's a t-shirt. Akutagawa: "...What's a 'YOLO'?" kan: *sweatdrop* Akutagawa: "..." *gets out of bed, limps* "I suppose I need to return the shirt, then." kan: easy now. -elsewhere- Relan: "..." shinra: *holding onto him* Relan: "I'm sorry..." *supporting him* shinra: you didnt....do anything wrong..... Relan: "And neither did you. What happened back there...was not you." shinra: i know.....*trembling* im scared of myself.... Relan: "..." *hug* shinra: *sniff* theres almost a small part of me that wishes i was back in the pantry....that way, that demon lady or whatever she is, cant get to me....r-right? Relan: "Shinra...No. That was abuse. That doesn't help anyone." shinra: i know....and i'd still take that over being possessed..... *smiling, but crying* Relan: "..." *cries, holding onto him* iris:..... -elsewhere- Kafka: *standing with his arms on walking beams to bring back strength to his legs* hans: at least he's doing better than he was. Walter: *nods* "That's one thing about Kafka--he's stubborn. Isn't that right, Harriet?" harriet: *chameleon sounds* Walter: "Harriet agrees." hans: ^^; Kafka: *slight stumble, but still holding onto the beams* hans: your doing good. Kafka: "It-It's not p-perfect...This progress is 23.7 percent slower than last time..." hans: just remember to breathe. we dont want you passing out like last time. Kafka: "..." *nods* "...I imagine Goethe is upset with me not being there to finish my work." hans: at worst, he's annoyed. leroux: despite the whole hughes fiasco, lord goethe is rather lenient. Walter: "And the work wasn't too much--I was able to finish your part of it lickety-split!" Kafka: "!!!! ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE ME LOOK BAD?! If you're able to do my work that quickly, then I'm e-easily r-r-replaceable!" hans: kafka, inhale! Kafka: *DEEP INHALE* "..." *falls dramatically onto the cushiony pillowy floor* hans: *sigh* -elsewhere- Alone: *tossing a ball against the wall--and chasing after it himself* grimoire: ..... Alone: "Want to toss it for me?" grimoire:...*toss* Alone: ^w^ *barks happily as he chases after the ball* "Ball ball ball ball!" grimoire: ... (he's so amused by the most simple things...) Alone: "Now Shaula--you throw it!" shaula: *throws it. right into his face* Alone: "UMPH!" *concave face* "...Stressed?" shaula: no, its just a bit chilly out and IM STILL IN PRISON! Alone: "...Huh. Kind of surprised Beatrice hasn't busted you out." shaula: she will soon! >3< Alone: "Could she take us with her?" shaula: ... *shrug* Alone: QwQ *puppy begging noises* shaula: *rolls eyes* eh sure. Alone: *SQUEE* >w< shaula: shhh keep it down! Alone: .w. *small squee* -elsewhere- Kyoka: "Maybe this?" *holds up a t-shirt with a kitty* sylvia: um... Kyoka: "Not a big t-shirt person, huh? How about jewelry?" sylvia: i-i guess....i dont...w-wear a lot, though... Kyoka: "...Maybe something to pull back your hair?" sylvia: m-maybe.... Kyoka: "...This one has a flower." sylvia: pretty.... Kyoka: "Let's try it." *hands it to her* sylvia: its.......cute. Kyoka: *smiles* "It suits you." sylvia:... *small blush* t-thank you...miss kyouka... Kyoka: "You're welcome. We'll go pay for it. Or did you want to grab something else? Maybe a dress?" -elsewhere- Steinbeck: *running for his life* "I SAID _NOT_ TO STEP ON THE SQUARE TILES!" *poison darts are coming out of the walls at them* twain: *SCREEEEAM* oscar: OwO;;;;; Hemingway: *grabs a shield from a skeleton, blocks the darts from hitting them...then notices the skeletal arm still on it* "...Ew." *tosses back the arm* twain: at least there's no boulders after us! *RUMBLE* Steinbeck: "..." Hemingway: "..." emily: twain......REALLY?! *A boulder is now after them* Steinbeck: "I HATE YOU SO MUCH!!!" twain: YOU HAVE TO HAVE A BOULDER CHASE SCENE IN A TEMPLE ESCAPE! IT'S THE LAW! Steinbeck: "SO IS HUMAN SACRIFICE!" *picks up Twain* -fortunately, they made it out with no one dying- Hemingway: "Th-Thank goodness you're all light-weight..." *pulls out a flask, sips* baum: glad you're all back safe. twain: *hands steinbeck his granola bar as a peace offering* OuO Steinbeck: "...If we did not need every last bit of food we have left, I would beat you with this granola bar." emily: well, we'll be heading home soon. oscar: thats wonderful, feels like we've been out here for years. Steinbeck: *grumble grumble* -elsewhere- Victor: "--and that's about what's new. He's really freaking out." scarlet:...... ivy: sucks for him. *sips drink* Victor: owO;; "...That's kinda mean..." scarlet: and all misora's been whining about is the 7th commander's engagement. ivy: she should just accept that he's completly out of her league and get over it. Victor: "Hmm...Maybe get her a date. Or a hobby." scarlet: you mean besides indulging in fantasies of being an idol? Victor: "...Maybe she should try a talent show." scarlet: i'll see what we can find. Victor: ^w^ "...So, where's the boss?" -elsewhere- Black Star: "Dig in, buddy!" lilac: *nom* Black Star: "So Soul, catch up on your Z's?" soul: yeah. getting there. Black Star: "At least you can put that mission in your file. Had to be better than other ones..." soul: i guess so. long one, though. Black Star: "No kidding. You in Germany was about as long as Tsubaki and me in Japan." *gobbles up his pizza, talks with his mouth full* "Take in any shows?" -soul tells them about his mission- Black Star: "...Dude...That's crazy. You ever find out what happened to that dancer?" soul: *shrug* naho: jeez, if you were habing that much trouble with the language, maybe sham could have given you lessons. otogiri:..... Shamrock: X_-; "I'm...not the best teacher." *sips* "Although those ruffians sounded most uncouth." soul: it was freaky. Sakuya: "Sound like it. Those abilities...What'll they think of next." soul:.... *side glance* who knows, sakuya. who fucking knows. -elsewhere- Dazai: "I HAVE GAINED A NEW ABILITY!" yosano: do i dare ask? Dazai: "I have learned diaper changing!" *holds up a teddy bear with a diaper on it* yosano: congrats. ranpo: .....should i tell him, or let it be a surprise? Kunikida: "Don't. I want to savor his humiliation." Dazai: =w= "Now to try treatments for skin rashes! Atsushi, pull down your pants--" atsushi: WHAT NO! D8> Dazai: "Tanizaki--" Tanizaki: "With every bit of respect owed to you, fuck no." Dazai: "Well, I'm all out of people, then." *throws the teddy bear over his shoulder--landing in Kunikida's face* Kunikida: "..." fukuzawa: *from his office* did he just throw the goddamn baby? atsushi: so much is wrong this this scenario. *sweatdrop* Dazai: "It wasn't really a baby--it was just a dummy baby." yosano: *hitting dazai with a rolled-up newspaper* YOU DONT. THROW. BABIES! oh, seems the 7th brigade commander's engaged now. -elsewhere- Fitzgerald: "Everyone doing well?" louisa: yes sir. mary: yep! bram: *urg*, been better. =~=;;; Mr. Tsubaki: *nuzzles against Bram* Fitzgerald: "Oh dear...Need water?" bram: yes please. Fitzgerald: "Owl Eyes! Fetch me the finest mineral water from the mini fridge!" Owl Eyes: ( - ) _ ( - ); *opens the mini-fridge...that is right next to Fitzgerald's foot* -elsewhere- Panda: *wearing headphones, singing along* "Makin' G's, gettin' honeys, running down the streets--" sasori: ...... inka: *whistling along* Sancho: *adding a beat* sasori: -_____- remind me what we're doing here again? Panda: "They say we blow up--BLOW UP! Blasting through this town. They say we blow up--BLOW UP--" sasori:.....fine, ignore me then. -_-# Sancho: *pulls off Panda's headphones* "Simple--Inka smelled something." inka: here we are. Panda: "Huh. How much you think they got?" sasori: a warehouse? inka: who knows. sasori, scout out for us. sasori: *enters the building* ..... Panda: "Wow...Boxes!" inka: boooriiing....(still, i know i smelt something here.....) sasori:....*glance and snarls, firey scorpion tail out* Panda: owo "What is it, girl? Trouble at the well?" sasori: dont patronize me........someones here... Sancho: "..." *peeks around a corner* *A flaming dart is coming towards Sancho's face* Sancho: "..." *stone faced* -SLASH- sasori: *slashes the dart away* Sancho: "..." *sharp inhale* "..." *LOUD HIGH-PITCHED SCREAM as he jumps into Panda's arms* Panda: "?!! Dude!" inka: what the fuck?! *looks* ???: well well, what have we here? some low grade hoods? ???: "They wrecked my freaking dart!" Panda: "Hey! We're _high_ grade!" Sancho: "Or just high." Panda: *high five* ???: stop your whining, mantis. Mantis: >3< "YOU NEVER LET ME HAVE ANY FUN!" inka: who're you assholes anyway? Mantis: "..." *licks lips* "We could ask you the same, interlopers!" inka: we're from this small town called nanaya. Mantis: "Good--now we know WHERE TO MAIL YOUR ASHES!" Panda: "...'Nanaya'?" inka: yeah. nanaya business. [as in ‘none of your business] Mantis: >_< "LET ME RIP HER ARM OFF AND BEAT THE PANDA WITH IT!" Panda: .w. ???: hehehe, i dunno, the tall guy's kinda cute~<3 Sancho: .\\\\\\. pixie: *wink* *flame devil tail twitches in a 'come on over' fashion* Sancho: "..." *glances at Inka* inka: bad sancho, dont be distracted by the cute demon girl Sancho: >\\\\\< "I'm not distracted! I'm conflicted--there's a difference!" ???: pixie, you're shameless. -_-; pixie: hehe~ ???: given how you act, im surprised you arent the oni of lust. pixie: well, they've more than earned that title~ inka: wait, oni-....you guys are with the hell blaze gang, right?! ???: yes. i am taoka, oni of sloth. inka: *grins* YOU GUYS SUUUUCK! Panda: OwO; Sancho: "REALLY?! Right now?!" taoka: *weapon out* Panda: "Sic 'em, Sasori!" sasori: *charges at them* Mantis: *chitters, summoning flame-pincers* sasori: *flame scorpion pincers and tail slash* Mantis: *swings a pincer to block the slash, just barely dodging the pincers* "!!! Stop stealing my schtick!" *tries to grab Sasori* -KICK TO THE FACE- Mantis: "UMPH!" *knocked back* sasori: judging by what that girl called you, mantises and scorpions are two different things. Panda: "Woot! Now kick them in the painful bits!" -elsewhere- Vulcan: "This is just not good..." yu: ? what isnt? Vulcan: "It's just...another person here getting screwed over by...whatever fucking Giovanni..." yu: ......is lisa doing better? i had a nightmare about her last night.... Vulcan: "..." *pours some milk* "She's doing as best as she can. Want to talk?" yu: ....she was....in the bathroom, bleeding on the floor and shaking......there was a red blobby thing in front of her with a hanger stuck in it.... Vulcan: "...Yu..." yu: y-you dont think she.....she was....d-do you? Vulcan: "I don't know...It's not for us to know. Lisa gets to decide what she wants to talk about." yu:....r-right...... lisa: ......... -elsewhere- Kid: "Okay...Open." stocking: *opens her eyes* *Kid has made a tiny Stocking cake* stocking: oh my gosh that is so cute! Kid: ^\\\^ "I-I was worried you would think this was corny." stocking:... *takes a bite*..........*serious face* i taste delicious. Kid: "..." *small laugh, blushing* stocking: *huuugs* Kid: *hug* "I'm glad you like it, sweetie." stocking: *KISSSSS* Kid: "Mmmm!" >\\\\< stocking: hehe~<3 Kid: "..." *licks his lips slightly* "You're right. You are delicious." stocking: hmhmhm~ *whispers* better lock the door, babe~ Kid: "..." *doesn't let go of her, as he leans back and locks it* -elsewhere- Tsuyuki: *flipping through pages* tinker: *making adjustments to robo-chan* Tsuyuki: *not even looking behind him* "How is the progress?" tinker: looking good. ^^ Tsuyuki: "What is the next task you are giving your creation?" tinker: instant livestream button. Tsuyuki: "..." *lifts his head, turns* "What?" tinker: *dead serious* instant. livestream. button. Tsuyuki: "Why. Do. You. Need. One?" tinker: for my vlog! Tsuyuki: "..." -____- "Don't you think we need to be a little more covert?" tinker: its not public, it's on C3's private server! -elsewhere- Panda: "THIS IS CRAAAAAAAZY!" >w< Sancho: Q____Q *running as fast as he can* inka: *driving the golf-cart* WOOOOOHOOOOO!!!! taoka: *running after them* Mantis: "GET BACK HERE!" *throws another flaming dart* pixie: aw, we were having fuuuun, dont go nooow~ sasori: *BLOCKING* Sancho: *leaps, grabbing the edge of the golf cart--and getting dragged behind* D: "AAAAAAAAAH!" Mantis: "I'LL SLICE YOUR TAIL OFF, YOU DAMN SCORPION!" sasori: <how annoying...> Panda: "Sasori! Flip them the bird! They love that!" sasori: *middle fingers up* Mantis: "..." *LOUD SCREECH--flame pinchers come up in _front_ of the golf cart_* inka: OwO HOLY FUCK. Mantis: "WE GOT YOU NOW!" Sancho: "WE'RE GONNA DIE!" Panda: .w. "Hey, Sasori? Can you, like, make a flaming ramp or something?" sasori: no. Panda: "Oh...WE'RE GONNA DIE!" >w< inka: *EPIC DRIFTING* Panda: *slow motion* "Wooooooooooow--" Sancho: *slow motion* "BLAAAAAAARG-" *covering his mouth* sasori: -____________________- Mantis: "?!!!" "ONE OF YOU--DO SOMETHING! BLOW UP THEIR ELECTRIC CART!" -elsewhere- Souichirou: "..." ogun: he hasnt said anything..... Carin: *holding ice to his head* "Then ask Pan to talk to him..." -elsewhere- Johannes: *muttering* metsu: ?? Johannes: "..." *sneers* "That's...it." *writes something down* metsu:....doctor? Johannes: "???" *smiles* "Yes~?" metsu: did you need anything? *glances* *The notes refer to a "solution"* Johannes: "I think...this calls for something to celebrate. Fetch the sugar-only cola." metsu: ._.; -elsewhere- Chuuya: "..." higuchi: i brought snacks if anyone's hungry. Motojiro: *raises a hand* katya: thanks! Gin: "..." -elsewhere- kan: hey, you mentioned 'gin'. who is that? Akutagawa: "...My sister." kan: ah....must be nice having siblings... Akutagawa: "...You are an only child?" kan: yeah.. Akutagawa: "Hmm. ...Any family?" kan:......my dad was murdered. Akutagawa: "!!!" kan: ....sorry, i guess that was a bit much to say all at once, huh? Akutagawa: "...Can't be helped. I'm sorry." kan: .....do you know where your sister is now? Akutagawa: "..." *shakes his head* kan: well, i hope she's alright. *smile* Akutagawa: *nods* "Likewise..." -elsewhere- Walter: "Should be back at 100 percent soon! Or at least 80 percent." goethe: good for him.... <damn, out of wine again...> Walter: "Need us to pick up groceries?" goethe: <yes.> Walter: " 'Kay. Anything, Hans? Kids?" wilhelm: cookies! Jakob: "Lots of them!" Walter: "Right on!" etta: and new lipstick! Walter: "Oh! But which color would look best on you?" -elsewhere- elizaveta: *walking along, holding her doll and humming* *A small chuckle is heard in the alley* elizaveta: !!!! *rushes in* *Light singing is heard* ???: <The thieving magpie cooked the porridge, fed it to the little children...> elizaveta: <KOLYA!!> Gogol: <Is that you?> -TACKLE HUG- elizaveta: >w< Gogol: *bones cracking* QwQ "Yep! Definitely y-you!" elizaveta: leila missed you too! 'leila': oi oi! good to see ya! Gogol: .w.; "...I...see... *ahem* Ready to rejoin the others?" elizaveta: *nod nod* is mr dosty still locked up? Gogol: "Yep...He'll get out soon, right?" elizaveta: yeah! but until then, can i show vanyusha my trick? Gogol: "Go for it!" elizaveta: yay! *click* *speaking in fyodor's voice* im sure he'll be happy with that. Gogol: .w. "...That will either speed up his recovery or turn him into a puddle of goo. Either way, I'M HAPPY!" elizaveta: *click* *normal voice* is he sick? Gogol: "He got his ass kicked." elizaveta: ouch. Gogol: "Yep. That attack on the Mafia could've gone better..." -elsewhere- Kid: =w= "That was so good..." stocking: *panting* Kid: "Are you okay?" *spoons with her* stocking: still feeling good. *rubs her butt against him* Kid: *moans* "St-Stocking..." *rubs against her slightly, his hand reaching around her* stocking: oh~ up for round 2 already~? Kid: "Depends~" *his thumb rests along her clitoris* *he's a bit hard against her* stocking: kid...i want you to take me from behind. Kid: "..." *leans to her ear* "Yes..." *coaxes her to her knees--with a small spank* stocking: *small moan* Kid: *he leans over her, one hand holding her breast, as his finger massages along her lips* -elsewhere- twain: *shaking Steinbeck awake* steinbeck. steinbeeeeck.... Steinbeck: *groans* "Not the dust...I just planted..." twain: dude, wake up. Steinbeck: *opens his eyes* "...What the hell?" twain: i just had a really fucked up thought. Steinbeck: "...Dare I ask?" twain: what if....fitzgerald had a mustache? Steinbeck: "...What time is it?" twain: 4 in the morning. Steinbeck: "..." *grabs Twain by the neck* twain: GRK- OwO;;; Steinbeck: *and tosses him across the ground and into the river* twain: that's fair! -morning- Akutagawa: "..." *checks his wallet* -yep, everything is still there as he left it- Akutagawa: "..." *takes out a $100 bill* "Here. I'm sorry for the inconvenience I caused." kan: woah, is this really alright, ryu? Akutagawa: "It is not whether it is alright: it is what is fair...Or is it not fair? Did you want more?" kan: it would be wrong to ask you for more when you're already offering this much. ^^; Akutagawa: "...Sorry for being a bother. I will leave now."' kan: good luck, ryu. maybe we'll meet again someday. ^^ Akutagawa: "..." *nods* *looks at his shirt* "...Oh. I should return this--" *starts to take it off* -elsewhere- Akitaru: "Ready for the company meeting?" miwa: *nods* Akitaru: "Okay...I'm giving Shinra the day off. I'm still trying to find the others...Anyone seen Tamaki?" tamaki: here sir. Akitaru: *nods* "Okay. I wanted to review with all of you where we are after Shinra's report." tamaki: *nods* Akitaru: "Arthur reported sensing electrical discharge, suggesting the Hoods had a hand in this. Did you see any evidence of their presence?" tamaki:....just a cold chill.....i think that creepy girl i encountered was there too.... Akitaru: "!!! For real?" tamaki: *tenses...and nods* Akitaru: *sighs* "All the more reason to be on alert. I don't like the any of you being on your own out there, so you'll have to buddy up again." tamaki: *salutes* understood. Akitaru: "Onto other business, Doc, how is work on your mech?" karin: coming along great. just fixed the engines and she should be ready to roll. Akitaru: "Let me know when you conduct the test--I want to check it out. I think we're going to need it sooner than expected. Maki, I want you to keep the newer soldiers' combat training on schedule." maki: yes sir! Akitaru: "Nozomi, any luck tracking the Hoods?" -elsewhere- Medusa: *reclines in seat* "..." neian: zzz Medusa: *rocks gently* -elsewhere- Daisy: "Yo, TJ--how's it hanging?" eckleburg: ?? oh, miss daisy, thought you were jordan for a moment. ^^' Daisy: "??? Well, now I just feel insulted." Death the Kid joined the chat 16 minutes ago jordan: hey! -elsewhere- Spirit: "What day would be good? Sachiko wanted to see you and Jackie again." kim: maybe this weekend? Spirit: "Sounds good. Care to pick up some dessert?" kim: will do, anything in mind? Spirit: "Can't go wrong with cookies--Izumi loves them in variety. Even the cheaper ones..." kim: alright then. Spirit: "Thanks. See you both then!" -elsewhere- Mephisto: "Happy birthday to the most perfect child." felisia: ^^ stocking: aww, guys. ^^ Mephisto: "Your mother put in a lot of work on something for you..." felisia: ta-dah~ -it's a comforter- stocking: aww, thanks mom! *hug* Mephisto: *group hug* stocking: any idea what his name's going to be? felisia: still thinking on that. Mephisto: "Mephy Jr~?" stocking: dad. -_-; Mephisto: "Kidding! Mostly..." stocking: *sweatdrop* Mephisto: *ahem* "And is Kid taking you out tonight?" stocking: *she nods* Mephisto: "Then enjoy your day of birth." *forehead kiss* stocking: ^u^ -elsewhere- Sancho: *asleep on the couch--hugging a teddy bear* "N-No, don't...You don't have a golf cart license..." Panda: *asleep on the rug--scratching himself with his foot like a dog* inka: *asleep in a hammock* nnn...... sasori: *awake, keeping watch* ....... {girl: *crying* <IT HURTS! IT HURTS!>} {shaula: hold still, brat, it wont take long if you quit struggling!} sasori: ....... Panda: *dog yawn* *smacks his mouth* "...I'm dehydrated. Time for Dew!" *looks* "Want some? Or are you a Crystal Pepsi girl?" sasori: .....i dont care. -elsewhere- Akutagawa: *walking* ???: psssst, akuta! Akutagawa: *presses against the wall, ready to attack* naoya: *waves him into the alley* Akutagawa: "..." *approaches* "Where have you been?" naoya: we could ask you the same question! now come on, its not safe out here.... Akutagawa: "..." *follows* "The others..." naoya: somewhere safe. gin's worried sick about you... Akutagawa: *nearly passes out* "Thank God..." naoya: easy there!......how bad are your injuries? Akutagawa: "Bad enough...I need sleep..." naoya: here, get up onto my back. Akutagawa: *crawls up* "Embarrassing..." naoya:...what happened to your coat? Akutagawa: "...I lost it in the attack...and the fall...and I don't know." naoya: .....well, we'll find you a spare for now.... Akutagawa: "Hmph...Can't be any worse than other fashion choices." -underground- Gin: *shaking him* "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED I WAS--" higuchi: *smacks akutagawa in the face* WE THOUGHT YOU SERIOUSLY DIED OR- Akutagawa: *rattled* "I. AM. SOR. RY. St-Stop--My kidney still hurts!" kouyou: girls, there's enough to yell at him later after he's healed. for now, get him to medical. Akutagawa: TT~TT "I'm sorry..." katya: jeez, who fucked you up in there? Akutagawa: "...A big dog." katya: oh? Akutagawa: *shudders* "I now hate them more than before..." pushkin: was it big and shadowy looking? Akutagawa: "..." *nods* pushkin: then i think you might have seen one of lydia's beasts. Akutagawa: "Hmph. Ferocious." -elsewhere- elizaveta: hiiiiiiii everyooooone~<3 lydia: <vetya, glad to see you're well.> elizaveta: yep. *giggles* *click* *fyodor voice* <oh vaaaanyaaaa~> *Loud footsteps are heard--running quickly* lydia: *sigh* Ivan: "I KNEW YOU WOULD RETURN, MY MASTER!!!" elizaveta: *click* *normal voice* hi. ^^ Ivan: "..." QwQ <Vetya, whyyyyyyyy?> elizaveta: <i thought it would be funny.> ^^ lydia: *chop* <dont do that.> elizaveta: >3< Q: ?? Adam: "??? Who's she?" elizaveta: who's that guy? and the boy? and the lady? zoey: ........? Ivan: <Fire person, psycho child, bitch whore.> elizaveta: ooooooh hehehehehe. Q: uncle ivan, who's the new girl? elizaveta: im elizaveta akmatova, im 14! Q: im 14 too! Ivan: >3< <Whoop dee doo...> zoey: how sweet, my baby...has a friend now. ^^ Ivan: *trying not to vomit* -elsewhere- Hyde: "How much you trying to make anyway?" ochako: right now, enough for camping supplies this summer. Hyde: "Yeah, you UA students are going to be doing roasted marshmallows while camping?" ochako: you bet! Hyde: "Well, not to get your hopes down, but that's gonna be a few hours of work to get it all. Didn't want to borrow someone's camping gear?" ochako: i guess it makes more sense to work hard for something, right? Hyde: "...Yeah. You're right." ochako:... ?? Hyde: "Sorry...Just thinking about what work I'm doing. When you work with someone who's got all the attention, you feel like you're falling behind..." ochako: i guess. -elsewhere- itsuka: alright. epic hamster ball race, featuring django, sybil and chacha, take one. Bakugo: ._. tetsutetsu: ok, filming begins in 3. 2. go! -elsewhere- shiemi: *studying* izumo: hmm..... Paku: "So...excited about the festival?" shiemi: yeah. im thinking about asking yuki to go with me. izumo: *rolls eyes* Paku: *small gasp* "Dating your teacher?" shiemi: paku! *shhhhhh* izumo: he's still the same age as us. -_-; Paku: "Still..." *smiles* "I hope he says yes, Shiemi." shiemi: r-right...so, did you ask anyone, or did anyone ask you? Paku: =\\\\= izumo: ?? Paku: "Shima...did ask." izumo: SHIMA?!?! Paku: "To be fair, I'm pretty sure he asked everyone." ^\\\^; izumo: he did. -_-; he even asked girls that dont even _go_ to our school. i think he even asked a collage senior. Paku: "He may not be good in his lessons, but when it comes to dating, he's persistent. But that's a bit too much for me, so I declined." izumo: *sigh of relief* oh thats good, i nearly had a heart attack. shiemi: maybe you could ask godaiin? Paku: "???" *looks around--then points at herself* shiemi: *nod nod* Paku: "I mean, I would--but he hasn't asked me...Is he even going?" izumo: heck if i know. shiemi: then lets ask him then? izumo: right now?! Paku: .\\\\. shiemi: come on. ^^ izumo:....*siiiiiiiiighs* unbelievable. Paku: "I-I just thought we had studying to do and--" *spots Godaiin* "!!!" godaiin: *reading* Paku: "...HELLO GODAIIN!" *covers her mouth* .\\\\. godaiin: um.. hi paku. w-whats up? Paku: "..." *tries to play it cool* "The ceiling!" *points at him with both index fingers* godaiin: um..*looks up* yeah, the ceiling is definitly up there. Paku: ^\\\\\\^;;;; "So...You heard about that festival...thingie?" godaiin: yeah. thats later in the month i think? Paku: "Yep...You going?" godaiin: i guess so? Paku: "...With anyone?" godaiin: not really. Paku: "...Want to go with me?" godaiin:...... O///////////////////////////////////////O EGG! Paku: "?! Egg?" *pictures Godaiin as a chicken popping out of an egg* godaiin: I MEAN- YEAH! SURE! SEE YOU THERE? Paku: "YES! SEE YOU THERE!" shiemi: success! Paku: ^\\\\^; *stiff walking* "..." *whispers* "Oh God, I thought I was going to pass out..." Student: -_-# ("Does no one keep quiet in a library?") -elsewhere- Bon: "..." *pokes the bed* "Get up and stop moping!" Shima: >~< konekomaru: *has a fist bruise on his face* i didnt think that would insult her.... Bon: "You two need help! Like, can't we have someone advise you on how to ask people properly on a date?!" Shima: *sits up in bed* "Like you're one to talk! You can't get a date either!" Bon: .____. -and so- sayaka: *hands them a game; specifically, a dating sim.* Shima: "...Sweet! Thank you!" Bon: "You got to be kidding me! How is this going to help us?!" konekomaru: i see, by using the game, it might help us with real life? sayaka: yep! it even comes with a player's guide inside it too! Shima: *staring at the drawings of the characters* "...Video games just got so much better than when I was a kid!" Bon: -_-# "...Let's just get this over with." konekomaru: i'll get it installed. you're a livesaver, miki! -and so- Bon: "...Why is he giving us tickets?" konekomaru: maybe ask him for help? Shima: *selecting the option* "Okay, bro--can you help us get a date?" [tomoda: hoho, so you want to know your current popularity ranking, eh? here's how you rate so far!] -the girls shown are a sweet looking girl resembling a brunette shiemi, a girl with twintails, a girl with long lavender hair, and a cute girl with glasses- konekomaru: so we have the childhood friend type, the tsundere class rep type, the mysterious transfer student, and the clumsy nurse's aid. Shima: "...Ah, man--so many options! The brunette is so pretty--but that twintail girl is probably a real vixen! And I bet the clumsy girl--" Bon: *chop* "No." Shima: >_<# "But we got to pick one, man! Konekomaru, which one?" konekomaru: hmm. not sure. but why is tomoda helping us? Shima: "To move the game along." Bon: "No...No, there's a deeper reason. Let's keep going..." konekomaru: i guess. this one then. [haruna: *the childhood friend* hm? oh, ShiBonKo! good morning. ^^] konekomaru: ok, now what do i do? Bon: "Say hello to her." [-hey haruna-] [tomoda: morning you two! you lovebirds walking to school together, haha!] [haruna: e-eh? tomoda, its not like that! >///<; ] konekomaru: hey guys....i just had a thought. Bon: "Y-Yeah?" Shima: ._. konekomaru: maybe, tomoda has a crush on the player? Bon: "..." Shima: "..." Bon: "...That makes perfect sense." Shima: "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAND I'M DONE." konekomaru: SHIMA. SIT. BEHAVE. Shima: >3< "I'm here for the ladies, not Tomoda--" Bon: "SIT DOWN AND KEEP PLAYING!" Shima: *grumbles* *proceeds* -as they keep going, one could see how much tomoda cares for the player- [tomoda: you know, im glad i met you, ShiBonKo.] [end credits roll] konekomaru: ........... Bon: "......" Shima: "......." konekomaru: t-..to..- bon + shima + konekomaru: TOMODAAAAAAAA!!!! TT______TT Bon: "WHY DID YOU GIVE UP YOUR HAPPINESS FOR US?!" Shima: "WE DIDN'T EVEN SCOOOOOOORE!" konekomaru: YOU IDIOT! YOU SHOULD HAVE ENJOYED YOUR YOUTH TOO!!! TT~TT Bon: "HE GAVE UP SO MUCH FOR US--AND WE CAN'T EVEN REPAY HIM!" Shima: "NO! We _will_ repay him!" konekomaru: *NODS* WE'LL GIVE HIM HIS HAPPY ENDING IN DOUJIN FORM!! Shima: "YEAH! ...Wait, what? I meant we'd go get dates--" Bon: *already putting out the paper and pencils* "We get to work now!" konekomaru: RIGHT NOW WE NEED TO FOCUS ON TOMODA'S FEELINGS! -one setting up of supplies later- konekomaru: *checking player guide* alright, so who should tomoda's love interest be for this scenario? Shima: "Pick the girl with the money." konekomaru: you mean kaorin? that would be the class rep. i supposed their interactions would make an interesting comedy... Bon: "But is that really taking Tomoda's feelings into consideration?" konekomaru: !! you're right! i wasnt thinking right! im such a fool! TT^TT Bon: "It's okay--we know Tomoda has a big heart and will forgive...Instead, let's find the person who makes Tomoda the most happy." konekomaru: hmmm, *re-reading tomoda's bio* lets see....someone who tomoda would be happy with... Bon: "...even during three years...that he'd be devoted to for so long--" Shima: "...Who'd make him happy..." konekomaru:....!!!!! of course, it was right in front of us the whole time! Bon: "You're right! It's--It's--" All three:  THE MAIN PLAYER CHARACTER!!! -morning- Rin: *knocks* "...Bon? Come on! I need to borrow your homework!" madoka: maybe they're out? *tries the knob. it opens* ?? guys? ... !!!!! konekomaru: *passed out* zzzzz Bon: "Zzzz..." *his head on the table* Shima: "Zzz...D-Devoted..." Rin: "..." *whispers* "I think they had a sleepover--without me! I'm so bummed!" konekomaru: nyehu? *his glasses are sideways* oh...hey rin, hey madoka. *yaaaawn* madoka: what happened in here? Rin: *picks up a paper* madoka:..... o.o is this......? "ShiBonKo": "Can't you see? I LOVE YOU MORE THAN 12 GIRLS!" "tomoda": ah....*crying* i dont get it, i would have just been content supporting you. madoka: .-. *blinks* Rin: ._.; "...Guys...The shading is all wrong in this panel." -elsewhere-

[nightwingswing]

“SIBLING WAR!” Headcanons.

Hello! im so so sorry for not updating this series! I’ve been busy with college work and these weeks i have the final tests.In the first week of June i’ll finish writting the next part of this series. I also need to catch up on the next chapters!

I got so many prompst regarding DC LOT, I’m so sorry for not be able to write them! as i said before, this summer i’ll write them all. Sooner than you think!

I’ve got a lot of prompst to continuate this series, i will do them all once im free of college in June. until then, i’ve let some easter eggs in these headcanons.

What happens in them can maybe happen in the official Part4!

So enjoy these hc, that way the wait for the much wanted part4 will be shorter.

Tags: @hamsterforlive ( she wanted to be tagged in all my imagines, if you want to be tagged, be free to message me!)

“Sibling war!” (Waverider crew x reader) Part1  Part2   Part3  HC (Here we are!) Part4

Well, we all know they’re overprotective assholes.

So after Savage and your last heart….they don’t let you out of the ship

Like, really. They don’t.

You try to sneak out

“(Y/n) Where do you think you are going?” Len appeared in front of you, as you felt Mick behind you.

S*it

“huh,…I was getting-getting a glass of water? Yes water!”

“bulls*it, go back to your room” Mick said.

You pout but do as you were told

You’ll sneak out after they go on a mission.

When they got away, you successfully escaped.

You made new friends!

There was this superboy fellow…he was nice.

…Until they cached you

“(Y/n) (y/l)! what the FUCK?”

“Sara, errr this isn’t what it looks like?”

“you are coming with us, NOW!” Rip hands grabbed yours.

“But, Con and I-“

“WHOS CON???”

“Me”

Your fam glared at superboy, who stood there.

“Let’s get going, we are needed elsewhere” Kendra eyes never left superboy’s as she was threatening him to back off.

“You and I are going to have a talk” Len said

“oh no”

“oh yes” said Mick

You were grounded

Again

Srly, you ain’t 5 anymore.

Well

That was until a crazy woman hit you with her so called “GREATES WEPON IN THE 52 UNIVERSES….THE REGRESIVE GUN! THE AWESOME GUN THAT TURNS YOU IN A YOUNGER VERSION OF YOURSELF!!!!!!!OH SO GREAT!!!OH SO USEFUL!!!!” (Her words, not mines)

Now you were 2

And the Waverider couldn’t get enough of you

“Are you sure she can’t stay like this??” Ray coed “SHES SO CUTE!”

“No, now stop hogging her!” Mick said as he swooped you up. “She’s my little wildfire” Mick’s beard ticked you and you let an adorable laugh escape.

“AWWWWWW!” Coed everyone.

Kendra and Sara stole you from Mick and ran to their room.

“YOU-“

“There are kids present, Mick” Len put one of those horrible cereal bars.

“UAGH!” Mick coughed.

Hours passed before the guy could see you again

Kendra and Sara got out of your room with a white fluffy onesie with bunny ears and a lil tail.

The guys looked at your cuteness

They were cuteness overload

The first to come back was Ray, who hugged you tightly

“OMG, SHE’S SO FLUFFY IM GONNA DIE!” ray’s hair tickled your nose and made you sneeze like a kitten.

“Give her to me” said Len.

“no” ray answered.

“to bad” Len hit Ray in the shoulder and grabbed you.”gonna take MY little sister” And ran to their room

“SNART! GIVE ME MY DAUGHTER!” Rip yelled, running behind snart.

“NO”

“IM THE CAPITAIN OF THIS SHIP!”

“DO I LOOK LIKE I CARE?”

“Sh-sh-shhhhip!!!” you laughed

AAAAWWWWWWWed everyone

Rip glared at Len.

“Give”

“no”

The next day, you were still a lil bundle of joy

The crew was so enamored with you

……AAnd the  JSA kidnapped you

Yep

The crew went bonkers

So bonkers that they got kidnapped too, (or would it be adultnapped?)

You rescued them

Yep

How? Would you ask

Easy, this lil cute chubby face*squishes (y/n)’s cheeks* so cute

You had the JSA tied around your lil finger.

“Can i hold her, now???” stargirl says

“NO LET MY SISTER GO YOU LUNATICS!”

“No.” Mid-nite says

“Awww,please?” Courtney insists

“….”

“let us hold her!” Vixen insists.

In the end they got to hold you.

“You ain’t going back with them, you’re ours now.” Mid.nite said

You started crying

No one could make you stop

“If you release me, I’ll calm her” Len said

“WAAAAHHHHHHHHH”

“….release him”

“but-“

“JUST RELEASE HIM!”

They did

And Len shushed you and sang you a song his mom used to sing to him

Then everyone got free and flied with you back to the ship

“MA BABIEEEH!!!” Cried Stargirl

“We’ll get her back” Said Vixen

Once in the Waverider

Everyone was fighting to get a hold of your tiny form

Like flying horrible cereal bars

A fight fight

Then Jax and Stein got a hold of you.

“she looks sleepy, we should read her a bedtime story” Jax said.

“Well, I got the Quantum vortex theory of the ultimate black hole, it’s a good thesis.”

“….” Jax looked dumfounded at Stein. He didn’t have any more books.

“…well If that can’t make her sleep, nothing will.” Jax said

A page in the book and Jax and you were soundly asleep.

Your soft breaths made everyone come to see your cute, peaceful expression.

…. Until Jax snored

That broke the moment

“…Do we have to return her to normal?” Ray whined.

“Yes, even though she’s the cutest thing ever” Kendra said.

Rip looked at you, grabbed your tiny form and went to your room.

He laid you on your bed, and caressed your hair like he did before.

You  looked at him and smiled, he smiled back

“Go to sleep, darling”

“p-pa-pa-paaaa-a-PAPA!” You smiled and raised your arms to Rip

His eyes clouded with tears.

He grabbed your hands and kissed them, making you giggle.

“Yes, darling. I’m here, you are safe. Papa is here.”

You yawned cutely, and feel asleep with Rip’s hand in you.

“My darling princess” He kissed your hairline.

In the end, they turned you back to normal

Much to Ray’s, Kendra’s and Sara’s sadness for losing their lil’ bunny.

“You can still dress her in fluffy thing you know?” Jax said

“Don’t give them ideas? Grumbled Mick.

Ken, Sara and Ray’s eyes twinkled

“Great, now you gave them ideas.”

“(Y/NNNN) COME HEREEEE! WE GOT A LI SOMETHING FOR YOUUUU!” Ray yelled

“What ray? Ken, Sara? Is that- oh god no HELP! SOMEBODY HEEELPPP! NO PLEASE NOT THE BUNNY ONESIE NOT THE BUNNY ONESIE-GOD NO- NOOOOOOOOOO”

“It’s all your fault” Mick said as he slapped Jax’s shoulder as he leaved the kitchen. Jax saw the face of revenge in your eyes

“s*it” thought jax

In the end the Waverider got a pretty lil bunny and an angry lil kitty.

Oh so much photos

Oh so much blackmail.

[thebowerypresents]

Robert Ellis Brings Weekend Energy to Weeknight Show in Brooklyn

Robert Ellis – Rough Trade NYC – April 2, 2019

In between the heartfelt solo opening stint from Deer Tick’s Ian O’Neil and Robert Ellis’s set at Rough Trade NYC on Tuesday night, the audience was treated to songs by the Beatles, Bob Dylan and Fleetwood Mac played over the PA. In some sense, a cliché set of classic rock, but as Ellis strolled through his repertoire, it was also clearly a rendering of his musical influences. While he’s taken on the country-ish persona of the Texas Piano Man, a white-tuxedo-wearing singer with a brand-new album of the same name, he proved himself to be a classic songwriter in the vein of those played between sets.

A Robert Ellis show is supported by four pillars—his style, his voice, his songs and his band—and all were on display during Tuesday’s rollicking show. Ellis has traded in his Houston astronaut-inspired suit for that white tux, and his stage is decorated like a Texan diorama with yellow roses and a cow skull, not to mention a huge lit-up sign advertising Ellis as the Texas Piano Man with an arrow pointing at the stage like it was outside a Texas roadhouse. He opened with “Fucking Crazy,” which literally and figuratively drew the line between Ellis as dead serious and totally nuts. His voice, a barrel-aged whiskey of a tenor filled the room at a perfect spot from the start, open and honest, but with stomach-burning grit. He featured songs mostly off the new album: “When You’re Away” a kind of Paul Simon–meets–Paul McCartney thing with whirling guitar and a looping bass; “He Made Me Do It” more in the Billy Joel catchy-clever vein. Of course Piano Man Billy Joel is the joke here, but also the target of a heartfelt homage that felt especially strong in Brooklyn, Ellis singing literally as close to Joel as he had all tour long. Some older songs were mixed in as well, “Perfect Strangers” slipping into “Good Intentions,” the latter with a darker rock to it, hearkening back to the Fleetwood Mac between sets.

As Ellis hopped from song to song, and influence to influence, it was his longtime band—Geoffrey Muller on bass, Michael “Tank” Lisenbe on drums and Kelly Doyle on guitar—who helped channel the emotions in the words. Ellis’s songs are real in the true sense, real stories of hurt, anger, regret, longing and love, feelings that come through his charmed lyrics, but even more so through the band’s knowing accompaniment. After a quiet, almost pained take on “Father,” they finished with a string of rockers, each member bringing weekend energy to the midweek show. “Drivin’,” “Couples Skate,” “Passive Aggressive” ratcheting up the rock, Doyle, Muller and Lisenbe showing what years on the road together can do for a band. By the time they got to a cover of Joel’s “You May Be Right,” it felt like a natural everything-building-to-this moment, Ellis kicking away his piano stool, the snarled “I may be crazy” echoing the opening song, the perfect cover paying tribute to a songwriting influence and the band sounding as good as ever. —A. Stein | @Neddyo    

(Photo: New West Records via AP)

[belletristbooks]

After finishing taping The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Emma raced out of the Ed Sullivan Theatre and made her way through Midtown to meet Karah at the legendary Strand Bookstore for a conversation with the one and only Ariel Levy:

EMMA ROBERTS: It was interesting that you said during your conversation with Emily [Nussbaum] that The Year of Magical Thinking is the bible on grief because the last time Karah and I met up and chased after a writer at an event, it was Vanessa Redgrave and Joan Didion at St. John the Divine…Early that day, I had been at a photo shoot and they were like, "You're not going to make it to your book event," and I started crying, and I said, "I have to see Joan!" And she [Karah] was waiting for me outside, and we ran in laughing. So tonight I was at Colbert and I ran here and met Karah outside, and it was a Joan moment…

ARIEL LEVY: I just think it is the coolest, best thing in the world that you're putting your weight behind books.  It just makes me so fucking happy, I can't even tell you.

EMMA ROBERTS: We literally love books. I think that's been the strongest part of our friendship. We met through mutual friends, and it was one of those things where people thought maybe we wouldn't really become that close, but we ended up becoming really close because of...

KARAH PREISS: Books.

EMMA: ... a love for reading and just wanting to learn more, read more and ... she [Karah] really imposed such a reading list on me.

ARIEL: It's such a gift to writers that you guys are like, instead of using the power of social media to sell a handbag... KARAH: Tell her. EMMA: You tell her! KARAH: We said we want to do what Kylie Jenner has done to lip kits ... EMMA: ... for books. KARAH: For books.

EMMA: Well I know you said The Year of Magical Thinking obviously influenced you, but before, even when you were a teenager, what were some books that you remember that you fell in love with, or even just ... ARIEL: When I was a teenager I read some weird things. When I was in my early twenties, or when I was in college, I was super into Grace Paley, who I still love. Grace Paley, was super important to me always. I think when I was right out of college, I was reading Jeannette Winterson…I think that may have also been when I first started reading Joan Didion, actually, like Slouching Towards Bethlehem. And also Janet Malcolm, who's now my colleague, who I worship. I think probably the first thing I read of hers would've been The Journalist and the Murderer. But my favorite Janet Malcolm book is Two Lives, about Alice B. Toklas and Gertrude Stein. When I was at Wesleyan, there was no core curriculum, and I was very committed to having a canonical education, so I took a lot of Greek mythology and Victorian literature. But then when I was out of school is when I got ... I was really into short stories. I was really into reading short stories. I particularly love American short stories. I think we're good at that. I mean, not me, but other Americans who can make things up. EMMA: I love short stories. Would you write short stories? ARIEL: I can't. I can't think of things. I can only ... EMMA: I beg to differ after reading this book, I think you can ... ARIEL: I can only think of things ...I can't make things up. EMMA: Did it ever cross your mind to maybe rework this book into a novel and not write it as a memoir, or was it ... ARIEL: I probably should've so I wouldn't have hurt people's feelings as much, but... no, I really think of myself as a nonfiction writer. I think that's what I do. I'd feel like I was fronting if I was just like, "It's a novel!" EMMA: You'd maybe slip up in press, too. ARIEL: Yeah, I can't ... I just am not, I don't have it. Liz Strout told me that the way she writes is like a character comes to her, and she just sees it in her head and then she starts writing from that character's point of view. And Zadie Smith told me not that, but something enough close to that, that I'm like, there's a thing that is being a fiction writer, and it's not what I've got. I've got a desire to see the things in front of me and write about them, and try to convince readers that that's the world. EMMA: Yeah. Well, it's a gift. You do it really well. KARAH:  Very, very well.

ARIEL: How old are you guys? KARAH: I'm 27, and you're [pointing to Emma] 26 ... EMMA: I'm 19… ARIEL: Yeah, yeah, yeah. KARAH: I was just wondering, from when you were 20 up until now, how much have you grappled with domesticity versus ... your wild life?

ARIEL: A ton. A ton! ... in my twenties and my early thirties, that's all I thought about. I think I thought about all that stuff constantly, and I think that it's very much a human conflict, the fundamental human conflict between the desire for adventure and novelty and excitement versus the desire for stability and intimacy and safety. That's humanity ... But I think it's extra-complicated for women, because ... I think that men have been able to have both without much trouble for generations. And it's only recently that the world of adventure and being the protagonist in your own life is even available to us. So I think that this whole thing where people are like, "Can women have it all?" It's like, well no one can have it all, but the reason we're asking that about women is because, until recently, we didn't get to leave the bloody house! So of course we weren't out having adventures! Of course you didn't grow up reading stories, other than Pippi Longstocking ... it's always a boy. You had to learn how to project yourself into the male protagonist because it would be boring to always identify with the female sidekick. EMMA: Well, I think also it feels like it's being asked more and more now because ...the question is allowed to be asked louder, which is a good thing. ARIEL: I think that is a good thing, and I also think it's not untrue that being a mother is demanding in ways that are unique. Physically, for one thing. I mean, I think that pregnancy, breastfeeding, all the stuff that you have to do as a female animal as opposed to a male animal when you have an offspring, it's a different project, and it is ... just because I can't have children doesn't mean that you have to pick between being an adventurer and being a mother... all those women I was just talking about. Janet Malcolm, Joan Didion, many of my colleagues- ... they all have kids. They've all managed to do both. It just didn't work out for me. And that blows! That's a sad thing. And now I have so much extra maternal energy that I have an almost inappropriate reaction to younger women. Like, I'm like, "I want to raise you." I have a lot of extra maternal energy. EMMA:  ... you have hands that are ... like when you were talking up onstage, I was like ... ARIEL: I have the hands of a Muppet, it's true. EMMA: No, very ... comforting.

EMMA: When did you realize the title of this… ARIEL: The initial title I had in my mind was: To the Blue Sky and Back, because it was like, "to the blue sky and back adventure," but also the hotel in Mongolia was called the Blue Sky. EMMA: I love any reference to Blue. Bluets by Maggie Nelson is ... ARIEL:  Oh, it's a beautiful book. EMMA: ... the Rebecca Solnit Field Guide to Getting Lost, she talks about “the blue…” ARIEL:  And Joan Didion has Blue Nights. EMMA: Blue Nights. My eye starts twitching when I think about Blue Nights, literally. ARIEL:  But my editor convinced me, and I think she was right. She was like, "It sounds too dreamy..." Don't call it that. It's too dreamy." And I thought it was like, it should have a more aggressive title. EMMA: I also like it because The Rules Do Not Apply to some… that is actually a positive thing sometimes, like the rules don't apply to you, so it's kind of ... it's a little ironic at times, obviously in this [book]. ARIEL:  It's both. That's what I always look for with New Yorker profiles. I'm always trying to write about women who, like Edith Windsor, or Diana Nyad who swam from Cuba to Florida when she was 64 years old, just who are like ... "I'm just not going to be constrained by society's definition of women or the expectations of my gender." So I think it's a very positive thing. I mean, I don't think we'd have many of the advances we've had. You wouldn't have gay marriage, for example, if someone hadn't been like, "No, that's a bad rule. I'm not following it." But it's also the case that once you're like, "I'm free to do anything I want," you can get into the delusion that you have the power to do everything you want and that you can control things. Your life. KARAH: Well, I was going to ask you a follow-up about visionaries being narcissists, do you think that's ... ARIEL:   No. No! I don't think visionaries are narcissists, I think that it just happens to be the case that the Venn diagram of narcissism and the Venn diagram of visionaries intersects, and that they think the rules don't apply. So like Donald Trump doesn't think the rules apply to him, right? He doesn't have to tell the truth, disclose his taxes, have a press co-, he doesn't have to do anything a normal president has to do. That's bad. That's narcissism. But it's also true that Hillary Clinton thought the rules didn't apply. She was like, "I'm going to be the first woman president." So it's both a liberating, exciting, fantastic way to look at the world, and has the potential to be a perspective where you don't realize that there are limits to every life.

EMMA: I love the Lamar Van Dyke quote, you quote her in saying, where she's like, "We weren't all looking at our screens, we were actually doing stuff ..." I love that because I feel like, as much as I'm a part of social media and I like social media, and even starting this book club, social media is a huge part of it and we get that, but there is a love-hate relationship with it of when to step away and when ... ARIEL: When to be in the world and when to be ... EMMA: Exactly. So I was just wondering what your relationship is with social media and with your phone in general, and especially being a journalist… ARIEL: Well I use the recorder like you guys do a lot, so it's become important, like I always have it. EMMA: So what is your relationship with social media? ARIEL: Really, really glad you guys are helping me with it, because … I don't quite get it. EMMA: Honestly, I feel like I was so ahead of everything being a millennial, and now everyone who was a toddler is now a teenager, and so they know more than me, and now I'm the person that doesn't know anything. My sister's 16, so I'm like ... so now I'm the idiot. I was the genius, now I'm the idiot. You know how it goes. ARIEL: I know exactly. I read you say how you always like the book itself. EMMA: People make fun of me on trips because I'll bring a tote bag to the beach of all these books, and they're like, "Put it on your iPad!" and I'm like, "No, I want to see what I'm reading, I want to look at my ... I want to see it all, and I want to have my notes." Also, how many times have I gotten on a plane with one of my stupid friends whose iPad's dead, and I'm like, "Hm! I guess you're going to be bored the whole flight." That's a diss, by the way. That's my version of a diss. "Your iPad died, loser, you don't have a hard copy." ARIEL:  That's tough stuff. You pack a punch.

EMMA: Anyway. Karah? KARAH:  ... in the book, there's a line, I think basically where you had decided to have a child, and you said, "I decided that I no longer wanted to be ruled by wanderlust” and I don't know if this is because I'm neurotic, but I wonder, had you not been ruled by other things ... and I know maybe you were taking creative license ... but had you not been ruled by other things before that, and what are you ruled by now? As you've said, you know you're not going to have a child. What are the things that rule your life? ARIEL: The upside of having my whole life fall apart at such a speed that I was like, "The fuck is going to happen next? Is my apartment going to crumble?" I was just like, "This is getting ridiculous!" You know? The upside of that is that it left me like, "All right, I guess I'm just going to surrender to what happens." And because of that, I was able to be like, "I guess I'm going to keep emailing with this dude who is a doctor in Mongolia who lives in South Africa," and then eventually like, "All right. I guess we're in love!" Like, "All right, I guess I'm going to spend half my time riding horses in the mountains in South Africa." I didn't see that coming. So now it's like, I would say I'm a lot more open to whatever's coming my way, but also the thing that I was always ruled by was writing. That was always the A #1 priority and it still ... it's writing and ... the nice thing about my relationship with the person I'm about to marry is that he's got a lot of wanderlust too. It's not for nothing that we met in Mongolia, and we're back and forth between New York and South Africa and wherever, and it's like we can take this home that is each other on the road. My dream as a kid was always to be in a gypsy caravan, and I think you [looking at Emma] know where I got that idea. EMMA: “Emma Rose”

KARAH: I just want to say to people, I want to say to girls [grabbing The Rules Do Not Apply], I want to just be like, "Just go read this in the fucking corner and come back and talk to me." ARIEL: Well I wish you would do that. EMMA: Well we're going to. KARAH: We're going to do that. EMMA: I just want to show you something really quick. So last night I was deep ... I was watching interview after interview with you and reading all your articles just so I was prepared ... ... and then I was like Who did say you can have it all?" ARIEL:  Well, who did? EMMA: [Showing Ariel phone screen] "You are not connected to the internet." That's what came up! I typed it in, I said, "Who said you can have it all?" and my browser, it said, "You are not connected to the internet!” I was like ... yeah, I was like, "That's the answer. You are not connected to internet." ARIEL: Well there it is. EMMA: Witchery. 

[glamrock-lizardman]

Purple and blue!

Sorry this took so long I've been running around town!Purple: 10 facts about my room-I have a life cast of David Bowie's face on my wall since I am an SFX makeup artist and Bowie fan.-I have a Post Pop Depression record signed by Iggy Pop hanging on my wall with a photo of me and him from one of the times I met him.-I also have the clear vinyl of Blackstar hanging on my wall. Both those records I mention I have second copies to play. -I have a ton of signed shit hanging on my walls so I'm just going to go through them on this one. I have Carrie Fisher's autograph, a Hamilton poster signed by some members of the cast, a Lazarus poster signed by main members of the cast along with their favorite lyrics try sing from the show, a Something Rotten poster signed by the cast, a bunch of signed Hedwig and The Angry Inch stuff including signatures of Lena hall, The Tits Of Clay, Michael C Hall, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Stephen Trask, Darren Criss, and John Cameron Mitchell. I have an Archie Meets The Ramones comic signed by the artists and writers, I have a Ramones poster signed by both the photographers that took the pictures in it including Roberta Bayley, I have a poster of the Rocket To Russia artwork signed by the artist John Holmstrom, I have a issue of Punk magazine signed by John Holmstrom as well, I have a poster of the first issue of spider man signed by Stan Lee. My apartment is basically a museum at this point.-I have a book collection that I really love including a book signed by Bill Nye, the Total Chaos book signed by Iggy Pop and the author, and the newer Bowie Mick Rock book signed by Mick Rock. -On my wall I have a holder for my records where I have a shit ton of records. I adore my record collection but it's a lot to list in this post 😂 I swear it's cool though I'll go through it one day.-I have a little collection of Funko Pop toys that I have with an action figure of Iggy Pop.-If you look out my window there is a billboard for the play Wicked. -I have a string of Christmas lights around where my records are and in my lamp I have this color changing bulb that is called "the party bulb" that my dad got me as a joke.-under my bead I have a shoe box filled with broadway playbills, signed Broadway playbills, concert ticket stubs, and a bunch of random little things I've picked up in my travels.-I hardly have any wall space in my apartment now so I have some posters at my parents house waiting to be hung up when I get a new place.Later when I'm at my computer I'll see if I can add some photos! Blue: 9 facts about my family-My uncle has such a large record collection he has a room in his apartment just to hold his records.-Another one of my uncles saw queen with Freddie Mercury 9 times and saw David Bowie on the Ziggy Stardust tour.-My aunt once was really drunk at a Ramones show and found Joey Ramone talking to someone outside and she just walked up to him and started scratch his back and when he was done she asked him for a photo and he said "yeah if you keep scratching my back".-My uncle that saw queen a bunch once went to a Broadway show and ended up sitting next to Keith Richards and after the show got a picture with him and they have their arms around each other (I have to find it it's super funny and they both look happy).-That same uncle is a gym buddy of the drummer for Kiss and they sync up their gym schedules up in point pleasant so my uncle can show him how to use the equipment right. My uncle still hasn't told the drummer he knows how he is (my family is fucking insane).-When my mom danced for The Beach Boys they didn't give any water to the dancers so my dad loaded all of them into his small car for find some place to find drinks after the show and he said that was the most scared he has ever been because they were all in a bad mood because of how thirsty they were.-My Dad once took my mom to a Ramones show where Blondie was opening and my mom was a huge fan of Blondie but didn't know they were opening and went their already so drunk that she fell asleep on a bench outside until my dad found her and she was able to see like 3 Ramones songs and then the show was over. It wasn't until like a year ago that my mom found out that she missed Blondie when she overheard my dad talking the story and she was so upset. When me and my dad met Chris Stein at the Ramones museum when it was in Queens we told him the story and he was laughing (my dad is better at telling the story than I am).-My grandma was always a huge Beatles fan and was in love with Ringo and a girl at her school called Ringo ugly and my grandma wasn't great at English at the time and couldn't form a good argument in English so she just started crying cause she was upset, offended, and frustrated.-My youngest brother is Aerosmith's biggest little fan.

[mariamirallegro]

"Yes" : Ch1 - "Rae?"

YOU GUUUUUYYYYYSSS ok so it's been FOREVER since I posted a fic and I promised myself I'd get one done over school break. Ok SO this is one of the many fics I've started but haven't gotten around to posting. A while ago I posted a preview (I'm on mobile and can't link) based on a prompt. A post Dreaded Season™ AU in which Finn and Rae haven't spoken since she left for school. Then one day during a boring class she texts him and they rekindle their relationship. This chapter is really short but hope it'll warm you up for what's to come. Enjoy!!!     Ok, Rae thought to herself while biting at the end of pencil, if d is equal to distance fallen, and t is equal to the time from jump, then f must be equal to... fuck if I give a shit.       She glanced around the classroom and noticed every other student with their noses buried in their notebooks. Everyone else was busy writing down the notes written on the board in front of her, but Rae couldn’t care less. When would she ever use calculus in real life? Honestly? She let her pencil plop onto the desk, and took out her phone. She needed a break, at least for a little bit. After checking her social media accounts, and realizing that she was the only person actually ON their social media, she decided it would be best to try and focus on what the teacher was saying; even if she would rather listen to Ben Stein list and explain every chemical in those Clear Eyes drops he was always on TV about.       As she was putting down her phone her finger slipped and opened up her camera. She looked briefly at the little preview that was on the bottom, and she couldn’t remember what photo that was. She touched the small square, and suddenly felt a lump in her throat. Oh, she thought to herself, Yeah. Now I remember.       The picture was of her and her ex-boyfriend, Finn, during her Leaver’s Ball. They were standing together, her in her red dress, him in his tux, it looked like they had just been dancing. It also looked like they were happy. And even though pictures are worth a thousand words, sometimes those words can be deceitful. They had actually broken up that night, before this photo was even taken, but they promised to stay in touch. To stay friends. But being friends with him had never been easy.       Rae sighed and put her phone down. She hadn’t spoken to Finn since that night. She didn’t even say bye to him before she boarded the train for school. It just seemed easier that way. She figured she’d text him once she got here and say hey, how’s it going? By the way, I’m in Bristol now. Although now more than a month later and she still hadn’t sent that text. Ok, Rae realized, maybe what I did was kind of a dick move.       She glanced down at her phone. Should she do it now? It’s not like he reached out to her, either. But then if he had been the one to go away without so much as a see you later would she have texted him first? Absolutely not. What if he was mad at her? She hadn’t spoken to him in a month, how could he not be mad?       That seemed to settle it. He was definitely going to be mad at her, it was inevitable. She was just going to have to accept the fact too much time had passed. Her and Finn were no more, not even friends. She tried to focus on what the class was learning in front of her, but her legs kept bouncing, and she became completely aware of the dark phone screen laying next to her.      She sighed, “Fuck it,” she muttered under her breath.      Hey Finn. How’s it going?      She pushed send before she had a chance to back out. And then she waited.      Finn was sitting on a stool in a corner of the garage. It was a slow morning, especially for a Monday. They only had a handful of costumers all day. He decided to check to see if the parts he had ordered had arrived. He grabbed his phone and almost thought the little icon on top was an email. He opened up the text message and felt like someone had just splashed cold water on his face. He had check who the sender was twice just to make sure it was right. He reread the message over and over. It was so simple, and he didn’t know if that should make him angry or not. She acted like they had just spoken yesterday. He typed out his response, and even though it was even simpler than hers, he was glad that even despite the fact his fingers felt shaky he was still able to type it out properly.      The few seconds that it took for Rae to receive the text back felt like forever. When she saw her screen light up she didn’t realize how nervous she would be to get a response. Would he tell her off? Tell her not to text him anymore? She opened up her screen and was slightly relieved, though admittedly a little disappointed       His message was just three letters.       Rae?  

[stillthewordgirl]

LOT/CC Fic: To Make It Possible, Ch. 3

When Sara Lance wakes up in a timeline she doesn't remember, with a man she can't let herself care for, she's desperate to return to the world she knows. But the longer she's here, the more she wonders...

And wants...

Thanks to @larielromeniel for the beta! Can also be read here at AO3 and here at FF.net.

After a moment, Leonard turns away, heading off to the side into the kitchen she'd caught a glimpse of earlier. Sara sighs as she feels his eyes leave her, the weight of the regard like a physical thing.

Aimless, she turns, meaning to go to a window and make sure the changes here aren't even more profound than she thinks. (Say, dinosaurs loose in the streets.) But as she does so, her eyes catch two other photos, just snapshots printed and propped against some books on a shelf, and for a second, she can only stare.

Her hand actually shakes as she reaches out to pick up the snap of her, and Ollie, and Felicity, and... and Leonard. She knows right where it was taken, and when, the day they'd been honored for beating the Dominators, Teams Flash and Arrow and Legends, but...

She and Felicity are leaning into each other, grinning, and Felicity's other arm is wrapped around Oliver's waist. Fully garbed in green, he's looking past the women, at her other side, giving the certified Oliver Queen stink-eye to the man with his arm thrown over Sara's shoulders, a smirk directed at the mayor of Star City. He's wearing his parka, but the hood is down and his goggles are around his neck, and this didn't happen, he was gone, he was dead...

There's a noise from the kitchen and she jumps, glancing back over her shoulder in odd guilt. But nothing happens, and she turns back, gently replacing the photo.

Next to it is the team snapshot they'd had taken, every one of the heroes of the day together. She scans it, counting heads. Everyone's there. It's much as she remembers. With that one notable addition.

Leonard's arm is around her again. He's looking at her. She's looking at him. And the feelings there are just so damned blatant that they take her breath away.

She stares at it another long moment, focused on the two of them, then looks at the others again. And finally realizes what she hasn't asked yet.

She nearly runs into the kitchen, stuttering to a halt at the domestic scene before her. Leonard is standing at the stove, spatula in hand, other hand holding the handle of a skillet. He glances at her, then turns back to his work, and she can't help taking a step closer to see if her sense of smell is misleading her.

"French toast?" The question comes out pitched oddly, and she closes her eyes briefly at the sound of her own voice.

"MmmHmm." He runs the spatula under the piece and flips it. "There's coffee made over there. If you want it."

Numbly, she glances around and then drifts toward the coffee maker, still watching him. "I love French toast."

A mild, "I know" is all she gets in return. She opens one cupboard door at random, then another, looking for a coffee mug—even in the midst of a world turned upside down, there's no reason to go without caffeine. She can feel him watching her, but on the third try, she finds a shelf full of mugs and glasses and takes a "Jitters" mug at random.

The coffee is fresh and strong, just the way she likes it. No sooner has she taken a sip then Leonard slides a plate with a few evenly browned, luscious-smelling slices of French toast over to her, setting a fork and butter knife down next to it. He shrugs when she stares at him.

"You still have to eat." He turns back toward the skillet. "It's tradition, anyway."

"Tradition?" What the hell; she cuts and eats a forkful. Amazing; cinnamon in there, somewhere, and just the right amount of crisp...

"French toast on Sunday mornings." He stares at the stove a moment, then shakes his head and moves the skillet off the burner, turning the flame off. "Even on the Waverider. Better here, though."

Just like home... how could she have forgotten again?

"Laurel. Is my sister here?" Anyone who was going to try to trap her in an ideal world would have to...

But Leonard is shaking his head, and there's a look in his eyes that's a painful mix of sympathy and... is that guilt?

"No. No. She..." He hesitates, leaning back the counter. "How... in the timeline..."

"She died. In the spring, after I left on the Waverider. I didn't find out for a few months." She swallows, the French toast ashes in her mouth. Right after you died. "Damien Darhk killed her." And you worked with him anyway...

"Yeah. Same here." He glances at her, then away. "I tried, Sara. I really did."

"Tried... what?" She blinks at him, belatedly realizing that she's staring.

"Tried to help you save her." His brow furrows. "What, you mean you don't rem... I didn't..."

If he finds out he's dead in the real timeline... well, she's just had experience with what he'd do to try to change that. She stares at him, mentally scrambling for an explanation as he gazes back.

"Leonard..." she says finally, trying for distraction and a mock-stern tone, knowing that getting him to brag has the best chance of working.

He allows it, a slight smile crossing his face. "Well." Sidelong glance from underneath those damned lashes. "I was a hell of a thief."

You'd better be one hell of a thief. "What did you do?!"

"I stole the jump ship. Right out from under Rip's nose." Definitely pride in the words, there. "Took you back to Star City." He shrugs, missing the look on her face. "I'm sorry. Rip had been right about this one. There wasn't any chance of... of saving her, not without you and your dad dying too." She schools her expression as he looks back at her. "But we made it to the hospital; you did get to say goodbye. And..." A flash of something dark and cold in his eyes. "… you got to kill Darhk. I know you're not trying to do that sort of thing anymore, but that... well, that needed doing."

For a few seconds, all she can do is stare at him.

She couldn't help, in those painful days after his death and then the horrible gut-punch finding out about Laurel's, thinking about how much she wished he'd been there. Backup against Rip with the usual Snart fuck-the-rules attitude, a shoulder to cry on from someone who'd understand the whole sibling thing, a distraction with cards and booze and snark when she just needed to forget for a little while.

And other potential pleasant distractions always there between them--until he was gone, and it was too late.

She'd missed him so much, the way he'd seemed to understand her, the way he'd had her back, the oddly familiar way they'd worked together. The flickers of a deeper affection rising at odd times, confidences over cards and that sense of connection...

She'd buried it, because she couldn't save him any more than she could save Laurel. She'd carried on, refusing to let it show, because there was work to be done and grief for a maybe wasn't productive or helpful.

And then he'd showed up with the Legion, and maybe she hadn't known Leonard Snart as well as she thought she had.

Or...had she? Stealing the jump ship... that is just much a thing her... Leonard would do.

The little voice at the back of her head speaks up, then, getting past her defenses for the first time since she'd woke up here: What if this is the correct timeline?

What if I could keep this?

Would I want to?

What if something they'd changed had led here, to this? But then, how is that Ray, at least, doesn't seem to remember before? And why does she?

Leonard is gazing back at her, and she thinks maybe he guesses a fraction of her thoughts, judging from the look in his eyes.

But neither of them, at this point, get a chance to speak.

At that moment, someone hammers on the apartment door, making both of them jump, and Leonard turns swiftly aside, straightening from his slouch against the counter as he moves toward the door, a purposeful stalk that manages to carry suspicion. Sara, watching with a hand on her knife, notices as he casually scoops up something...a weapon?... as he moves past a table, then pauses before taking a look through the door's peephole.

His expression changes as he does so, and he throws the latch and opens the door, leading a dark-haired woman to nearly tumble in.

Lily Stein's eyes are wide as she catches herself on Leonard's arms, a familiarity that Sara notices makes him flinch, although he accepts it. Martin's daughter takes a shaky breath, staring at him, flicking her gaze to Sara and then back to the crook.

"It's Ray," she blurts out. "He's gone. He just... vanished!"