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oops-aquarius · 3 years

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tainted kisses

summary: steve needs some relaxation, which you provide to him

warnings: smut (!!!!), praise kink, slight degradation kink, a little bit of angst cuz a hoe is sad, oral fixation (duh), slight dom/sub dynamics (?), mentions of sadness/depression, tiny mommy kink (like barely there)

pairing: steve rogers x reader

word count: 2.2k

note(s): not edited well at all, also i used a prompt generator to get the promt i used (which is below !!)

prompt: ��baths or water (tubs or jacuzzis; hot springs; water houses or steam rooms; the ocean; swimming pools.”

kink: “Oral fixation or fetishization (lips, tongue, or whole mouth; french-kissing; licking; oral displays using food or beer bottles; smoking cigarettes, cigars, or pipes; biting or chewing one's lip(s))”

***this is post-endgame except nobody died, cause im a hoe for all of the avengers***

Steve never realized how much he liked things in his mouth. Not always in a sexual way, at least not until after fighting Thanos.

After fighting for so long, bottling up his emotions was not at all how Steve needed to cope. He tried the yoga and meditation route Wanda had so kindly suggested. Yeah, after one session of hot yoga, Steve decided that it wasn't going to happen. Tony, obviously, suggested sex. Said something about it being a “healing experience for the soul”. That’s bullshit were Steve’s first thoughts when that came out of his mouth. Bucky told him to get some goats and raved about how therapeutic it was to raise them. But Steve could barely take care of himself, how would he even take care of a goat? Steve felt a hot sense of hopelessness burn against the back of his eyes as he sat on the floor of his bedroom, back pressed against the adjoined bathroom door.

“Steve?” A soft knock came from the front door. He took his thumb away from his mouth, he had resorted to subconsciously nibbling on the tip of it. Pulling himself off the door and towards the voice, he rubbed his tear-stricken cheeks in attempts to clean himself up a bit before seeing you.

“One sec, Y/N/N.”

When he opened the door, your face softened a bit before the smile that Steve, secretly, loved so much dropped off your face completely. “Stevie, what happened?”

Stevie, a nickname he hated for his entire life. A name that reminded him of the days before the super solider serum where he was a little guy getting beaten up on the streets of Brooklyn. Stevie, a nickname he loved hearing from your caring voice. Nobody else’s.

“Just tired, Y/N” he sighed, “so,so tired.”

“Stevie,” your voice caught at the back of your throat. Seeing him in so much pain made your life turn upside down. He doesn't deserve to be in pain. “ S’there anything I can do to make you feel better?”

“Just stay with me? Please?”

You took him back into his bed and sat with him, just talking about life until his breathing turned back to normal and he seemed partially-okay.

“Do you want to take a bath?” you asked, still stroking the blonde strands of his hair.

“Are you saying I smell?” He took his face out of the crook of your shoulder, feigning a look of hurt.

“No, punk, I meant to relax. You seemed pretty shaken up and I just wanted to help. I mean, that’s what I do when I feel down, relax in a bat-”

He cuts you off, “I appreciate it. Really, Y/N, I don’t know many people that are as loving and caring as you, sweetheart.” The nickname made a pang in your heart. You had like the super solider since you had met him, but never felt like he reciprocated the feelings. Even though you both cuddled often, and had movie nights, and he always let you beat him while sparring, and that one time you came down with a stomach bug and he fed you soup and-holy shit. Did Steve like you? “Sweetheart?”

“Huh?”

“I said, ‘A bath does sound nice’. What’s got you so suddenly zoned out?” He says, donning a smirk.

“It’s nothing. Let’s get you into that bath, mister,” you had a faux grumpy look on your face as you got up and walked to the bathroom, starting to fill the white, ceramic bathtub with warm water. “Okay, big boy. You need help getting up or are you okay?”

Rolling his eyes at your inauthentic tone, Steve pushes his tensed frame off the body and managed to stumble into the bathroom, while you following him closely to make sure he doesn't fall over from exhaustion.

“I get it, I’m old, but damn Y/N. I can walk perfectly fine,” He chuckles as he pushes himself up to sit on the counter top.

You start to fill up the bathtub with warm water, adding bubbles and lighting a few scented candles. He looked so pretty, hair sticking out in every direction, lips pink and puffy from biting them, his ocean blue eyes still misty as he looks down at his cuticles, picking them slightly.

“Okay, I’m gonna leave so you can take this bath,” you say, shutting off the faucet, “Got it?”

“Y/N?”

“Yes, Stevie.”

“Stay, please.” His eyes were watering more than earlier. He had those puppy dog eyes, lip quivering as his voice cracked and wavered even with just a few words. He looked so vulnerable, how could you say no to him?

“Of course, Steve. I mean, the bubbles with kind of cover everything. I’ll just sit next to the tub with you, alright?” You awkwardly giggled and scratched the back of your neck. He nodded, hopping off of the counter and starting to undress himself with a wobble. “Stevie, you’re shaking like a leaf, let me help you.”

His eyes never met yours as you helped him pull his t-shirt over his head and looped your delicate fingers through the waistband of his sweatpants, dragging them down his muscular thighs. “You’re not gonna finish your job, doll?”

His boxers. The only clothes he had left on were his grey boxers. You wanted to give him privacy and not look, especially in such a broken and vulnerable state. But god, you could see the outline of his partially-hard cock through the soft cotton. You thought about what it would be like to have your mouth around his hard length, chocking on it as he rammed himself into the back of your throat.

“Ummm, I just--I thought--I mean I can---Only if you want--” The dirty thoughts clouded your brain. It made speaking a speaking a sentence almost impossible as your mouth watered just thinking about his cock.

“It was a joke, sweetheart,” he laughed heartily, “You’re too adorable.”

Pulling his boxers down his legs, he waddled tiredly over to the tub before stepping in. He groaned in pleasure at the feeling of the warm water encapsulating his exhausted body. You imagined that’s how he’d groan if you sucked his cock so hard he was seeing stars.

You were still facing the door, like you were as Steve got completely undressed. You knew if you turned around and look at him, naked and at ease, you’d jump his bones in a heartbeat. “Come sit with me, Y/N”

And you did. You turned around cautiously, like you expected, the bubbles covered his body enough for you to be able to handle yourself as you sat down next to the tub. You grabbed his hand away from his lips, running your soft fingers over his rough calloused ones. “I always see you biting your nails or cuticle or lips or your pens. Why?”

He sighed, “I’m not sure, I guess it just distracts me?” He said it more like it was a question rather than a statement. “I guess I don’t truly know why I do it, I guess I just enjoy having things in my mouth.”

You could read Steve like a book, his pupils blown with lust, his lip stuck between his teeth, a blush heating up his cheeks. You took a leap of faith.

“Yeah, like what?”

“You.”

His lips were on yours in a flurry, it took a second for you to react, but as soon as you did it felt amazing. Neither of you seemed to care about the water splashing over you as his hands trailed up your body, tugging at the hem of your shirt.

He pulls away panting, “F-Fuck, Y/N, I need you. Please. Oh my god I need you so bad,” His eyes looked as if they were welling up with tears and he looked so pretty still in the relaxing bubble bath, whimpering and whining for you.

“God, I need you too, baby,” you stop to look in his eyes sincerely, “Are you sure you want this? I don’t want to do anything that you don’t want to do or that you will regret.” Your hand caresses his cheek.

“Just get in here with me and I’ll show you how much I want you,” he whispered, “Need you, really.”

You sighed before your hands moved shakily to take off your t shirt. As much as you wanted this, you were still scared of how the ripped super solider would feel about you and your body, As soon as your shirt was off, Steve was whimpering, dipping his hand into the soapy water to massage his aching cock. This only spurred you to take off your clothes and join him faster.

“Did I say you could touch yourself, puppy?” Your stern voice caught him off-guard, making him pause his actions with a look of fear on his face. You step into the bathtub, straddling him. Your nails raked up his milky white thighs, trailing up his body admiring the beauty of it. “Y’Know I was planning on being nice to you because you’ve been so good to me, but you might need to be punished, baby? Do you need to punshied like a brat?”

He mewled, bowing his head in shame. You could feel him growing harder and harder by the second and you were starting to go crazy with the empty feeling inside of you that on he could fill. “No, ma’am. I’ll be good, I swear!”

“Mmmm, that’s my good boy.” Your hands slid up his chest and rested on his cheeks, hearing him preen at your praise, as you repositioned yourself over his cock. “Are you sure you want this?”

“If you dont ride me into next week right fucking now I’m going to scream, Y/N,” He breathed out with a chuckle, Grabbing your thighs, he helps you sink down on his cock. Both of you were moaning and whimpering messes by the time you were sitting at this base of him, trying to get adjusted to his large size.

Hot tears burned at the back of his eyes as soon as you lifted yourself up off of him, only leaving the tip of him inside of you, and slamming back down on his dick.

“Baby-please,” he whimpered, “n-need, shit, need your fingers, bad.”

You were confused, slowing down a bit to make sure he was okay. But his puppy dog eyes showed that he was okay. Slowly taking your wrist from his cheek, he puts your fingers in his warm mouth. Moaning around them and swirling his tongue around them. He did it the same way you always dreamed about sucking his dick, chocking and gagging on his length.

“Yeah, you’re such a needy little slut for me, for this pussy. Look at you, so ruined and fucked out just because I’m fucking you.” He moaned sensually at your words making your core tighten impossibly.

You had gotten a good idea as you were riding him. Slowly, you start to thrust your hand in and out of his mouth, watching the saliva dribble out of the corners of his mouth as he choked on you. The band in your tummy starts tightening as you feel yourself getting close.

“Shit, fuck, baby, I’m gonna come. Oh my god, you’re make me come with your beautiful cock, puppy. So good for me, aren’t you?” Your free hand dips into the water, cupping his balls and rolling them around your soft palm.

He nods, choking on your nimble finger yet again his you massage his sensitive balls. “Gonna come,” he slurred and spit around you.\, “almost there.”

“I didn’t” you moaned as you feel his balls tighten, fall back down on his cock at a faster pace, “give you permission to do that. I thought you were going to be good for me?”

“I am” he spluttered loudly, “i am good, I swear. Just please let me come. I need it, oh shit, mommy.”

The name went straight to your core, making you grow weak as you feebly give him permission to come as you come undone with one more bounce on his large member. His hands come up to grope your breasts as he come with hot spurts inside of your tight cunt.

“Oh my god,” you stifle a giggle as you stand up on shaky legs. You wordlessly helped him out of the tub and wrapped him in a white towel, walking him to bed while you dried yourself off. Collapsing on the bed with a grunt, the solider hollds out his hand to you, signalling you to lay down with him. You could easily tell he was still coming down from his sex high, starting to regain his self back.

“I dont know what possessed me to,” he pauses, trying to figure out a way to word the rest of his sentence, “to suck, I guess, on your hand. I’m sorry, Y/N, that was really weird of me.”

“What do’ya mean, baby? Having an oral fixation isn’t something to be ashamed of.” The words make him smile with droopy eyes, tucking his head into your neck and starting to fall asleep, happy and comfortable, cuddling you.

“And to be honest, puppy. I think it’s really hot.”

#steve rogers #steve rogers smut #mcu #avengers smut #steve x reader #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers angst #steve rogers x oc #steve rogers fic #steve rogers drabble #steve rogers headcannon #smut #angst #fluff #the falcon and the winter solider spoilers #wtf even is this crackfic #i hate it but oh well

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writing-in-april · 3 years

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Unsolved

Raymond Wadsworth (MGG in Suburban Gothic) x Gender Neutral Reader

Summary: Raymond runs into the buzzfeed unsolved duo again while investigating the same place he is, plus their cute camera operator.

A/N: Day 3 of 7 for my 500 follower celebration! This ended up in a wildly different direction then I was planning on going but I still really like this one a lot- plus it’s my first time posting for Raymond! Thank you to @ontheoddoccasioniwritestuff who planted the idea into my mind 🥰 Go check out their stuff it’s amazing (Especially Between Bars it’s my favorite) ~this is also unbeta’d so sorry if there are grammar mistakes~

Warnings: A few swear words, Sexual Innuendos- Plus the lightbulb breaking over Raymond story (this is way more tame then the movie however)

Masterlist Word count: 1.0k

Working as a camera operator for Buzzfeed Unsolved was a dream come true for a young adult not that long out of college like myself. Now, I personally didn’t believe in ghosts like Ryan did, but the appeal of the show for me was being able to be surrounded by great moments in history. I got to visit some of the most famous historical landmarks, ranging from the supposedly haunted ghost town of Tombstone, Arizona to the subterranean terrors of the London Tombs. Sure- it was all under the guise of ghost hunting but even that still had its charms even if I did believe every ‘encounter’ was bullshit.

My most wild encounter at a site we were investigating didn’t come from a ghost at all, rather it came from a man named Raymond when we had been at Waverly Hills Hospital. Raymond was a paranormal investigator who was far more invested compared to our group- even more so than Ryan.

It was funny to hear Raymond’s ‘experiences’ with ghosts. Compared to what I had seen with Ryan and Shane the ‘ghosts’ that had haunted him in the past seemed rather amusing to me. However- I still did not buy his story. I was more inclined to believe that any encounters with ghosts were a figment of everyone’s imagination or a story made up for profit.

When it comes to Raymond normally I’d assume that his whole story was just to get a quick buck, I mean he did have a business based around the supernatural. But, the difference between everyone else’s stories Raymond’s seemed wildly outlandish to the point that I slightly questioned his sanity. (However, that didn’t affect how attractive I found him)

Who would make up stories like his? If they were fake it was a bold move to make his whole business based off of ghost stories that even the biggest ghost enthusiast would have a hard time believing. Even Ryan raised his eyebrows every time Raymond told another one of his tales. Either that or his story of a jizz filled light that broke above his head was really true and everything I’ve ever known or believed in was bullshit. He was a puzzle for me to solve and it was one that I wanted to solve desperately.

“So you’re telling me a light bulb exploded above you and jizzed all over you?” Shane was in disbelief at this new story that Raymond was telling us. We had run into him again when we started to investigate the Sorrel-Weed house just as we were about to enter.

“I believe you think you saw that.” I piped up to say right after Shane, it was fun to get Raymond riled up. He always tended to look down at the ground with a frustrated glare whenever we tried to disprove his theories everytime we saw him. However, even though I definitely did not believe his stories, there was still something incredibly endearing about him. The way he talked animatedly and with passion every time we had a rousing debate about the existence of the paranormal or maybe it was the fluffy curly hair that looked like a bird’s nest. Whatever it was didn’t matter- just the fact that every time I was in his presence my eyes were glued to him, hanging on to every word no matter how unbelievable they were. I couldn’t help shamelessly flirting with him this time around as well the little blush he had on his cheeks everytime that I dropped a sexual innuendo during our debate only egged me on further. When Raymond left so we could film our episode I found myself getting sad, I wanted him to stay and investigate with us.

—-

After we had investigated the place we were standing by our cars listening to Ryan talk excitedly about how he saw a ‘ghost’ in the house. My bet was that it had actually been the caretaker though there was no chance in convincing Ryan of that, though I would've given anything to see Raymond’s reaction to the ‘ghost’. I was more focused on what Shane was doing at the moment, he was leaning back giving me a funny look- one that he had been giving me the whole night for some reason.

“You like him don’t you?” He suddenly remarked to me after a brief pause in Ryan’s spiel, which also gained Ryan’s attention.

“What? Who?”A blush fell across my cheeks and the rock that I had absentmindedly been kicking was now the most interesting thing in the world. I pretended to play coy, I knew who he was referring to- I had not been exactly subtle in my flirting with Raymond today.

“Raymond- You were looking at him in like- awe the whole time he was here.” He kept pushing and Ryan concurred with his thoughts. I might as well come out and admit the fact that I liked the lanky spaz. I nodded my head in confirmation to the two of them, my blush deepening even further.

“Well- just promise that you stay a Shaniac if you ever act on your feelings, I don’t want to be outnumbered.” I snorted a little at his comment and Ryan let out a little wheeze. Maybe this would be the push I needed to act on my feelings- I was pretty sure he liked me as well as his eyes tended to light up everytime I walked into a room or I started talking with him. So why not? I already happened to have his phone number in my phone so I took a leap of faith, texting him and asking him out on a date. Maybe we could go ghost hunting.

Whether or not the Sorrel-Weed house was haunted will remain-

Unsolved. (Though Ryan would debate that)

But- Whether or not I feelings for Raymond was-

Solved.

#raymond wadsworth #suburban gothic fanfic #matthew gray gubler #matthew gray gubler x reader #buzzfeed unsolved #mgg x reader #suburban gothic #mgg fanfic #matthew gray gubler fanfiction #matthew gray gubler fanfic #mgg fanfiction #raymond #raymond wadsworth fanfiction #raymond wadsworth fanfic #mgg #shane madej #ryan bergara

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felassan · 3 years

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Thoughts on Dark Fortress #2

(This post is under a cut due to spoilers.)

So late with this one! some stuff irl was keeping me really busy and hyper-distracting me lately, but it’s finally over now so I’m back on my bioware bullshit. :D

Overall there were a lot of beautiful or awe-inspiring scenes in this issue, and a lot of great, meaningful / poignant character interactions and moments between characters. It’s pretty impressive actually how much was able to be packed in. I posted some of my favorite panels here. also omg! the action sequences! the big reveal! the ending!! woww

cool scene-setting, panned out shot of Neromenian and behind it, the Dark Fortress, to immediately pull you back into the world and ‘where we left off’. the combination of ruined dead trees, red lights, lightning and fire/smoke is very atmospheric and hints at what’s ahead

“From this... city, if we can call it that” is a sick burn and reminds you that the Qunari are technologically more advanced than most of the rest of Thedas, from their cannons to their aqueducts

more individually distinct Qunari soldiers, sth I again appreciate

! last issue there were big ‘You haven’t seen the last of Tractus!’ vibes, naturally, but I didn’t expect him to escape by stabbing and killing the Qunari using a chair-leg..!!

the last panel on the first page of Karasten is really good. the way it’s colored, the way it’s lit, the light and shadow, the fiery backdrop, cinders floating, the details of his expression.. 👌 it also makes me think to the possible future, to DA4 when mainland Thedas may be continuing to face the entirety of the Antaam

in Vaea’s acrobatics scene on the bridge, I know rationally that she’ll be fine but couldn’t help but worry for her. again I like how they don’t shy away from showcasing Vaea’s specific abilities. also the attention to detail - you’d think some rocks are just some rocks, but it highlights the risk she’s undertaking that if she falls it’s into rough seas which could dash her against the jagged rocks :’S. Vaea, gooooo!

Fenris’ “Enterprising girl” line has big “Clever girl” meme energy :D

my heart can’t take Fran and Autumn leaning over the edge after Vaea in worry ;; or Aaron looking back in concern over his shoulder ;; or Fran’s tender reassurance ;; or Autumn’s Worried expression ;; the care and bonds which have grown between this group of characters ;;

notice Aaron starts drinking when Vaea’s away from them and they’re beginning to grow worried about her safety. the poor man’s nerves and stress levels

Fran touching the vegetation while she’s considering if she could use her magic to open the entrance from the outside is a nice touch

did Marius leap in front of Fenris and Fran there when the entrance opened?? damn, he’s quick. and the three of them look all scary and formidable here ready for combat. notice how the curve of the door and the spikes that go into the ground, and the composition of this panel, make it look like they’re standing in front of an opened dragon’s maw? ‘teeth’, a rumbling ‘roar’.. some nice foreshadowing here.

the reunion panels are so cute. Autumn’s lil tum as she jumps and Fran and Fenris’ lil smiles of relief and at Autumn’s reaction to seeing Vaea, then a rare happy beam from Aaron.. feel.. the love ;__;

red lighting in the tunnel sets a dangerous, dramatic build-up mood

👀 more info on Fenris’ past, on the specifics of the process which gave him his markings. in the panel where he says that it took a long time, his shadow on the wall behind him reminds me of the shadow of his past that has dogged him for so long :(

Fenris and Marius height difference

discussion of the process shows the power difference between blue and red lyrium. blue lyrium took a long time, red lyrium is almost instant

Autumn is such an intrepid little explorer and alert scout, tail and ears up, head forward. good girl!

“I just... worry about you, my girl” ‧º·(˚ ˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ )‧º·˚ I’ll be so sad if these are death flags for Aaron and he doesn’t make it out of here. also note Fran in this panel, who recently had to kill her own father and is still dealing with that, watching the strongly paternal moment between Aaron and Vaea :(

love Vaea’s faith in Aaron and her sense of humor. also I don’t know why, maybe it’s because Vaea met Sebastian, but her “Maker, no!”, although in a completely different and light-hearted context, reminds me of Sebastian’s “Maker nooo!” at the end of DA2 hh

the reference again to Hawke, who Fenris saw haunted by what they tried to do - save their mother - and couldn’t :’(. also with the shadow in this panel, here’s another person struggling with the shadow of his past qq. this is later emphasized again in Aaron when he continues to talk about his past and in the panel is a chain and manacle. smart visual metaphors, a must in the comic medium with limited space

mushroom skull 💀🍄

“It isn’t about what I’ve done. It isn’t about my failures. Or my choices. It’s about their impact” - he’s misty-eyed here as he thinks back to Ostagar.. does this line btw seem almost meta to anyone else btw? :D it feels like a meta reference to the experience of DA players and PCs, who are always having to deal with the impacts of their choices

I wanna point out that I was right on reading issue #1, when I said “I’m positive that in panel 2 here, it’s the exact moment when he sees Cailan die” ;;

So Aaron is also a veteran of the Battle of Denerim

reference to the Hero of Ferelden - “Those were someone else’s battles”. I’m being captain obvious here but I can’t help but [heart pitter-patter] at any and all references to the HoF

I like the.. parallel? is that the word? Aaron’s stories were him trying to inspire people to make a change, or him trying to convince himself of that. and now here’s Vaea, inspiring Aaron with her words in these panels. the little guys can make a difference! in the world of Thedas, you don’t need to be a big bombastic hero or a Player Character to have an impact

lmao Fenris right on cue. the moments of humor/light-heartedness are nice because they break up the tension and are sprinkled throughout without derailing build-up or taking away from dramatic story impact. yknow?

yeah Aaron!! leave it behind. leave it to rot with mr mushroom skull (and hey the mushroom skull was there for a reason). again tho if this is a death flag i

Fenris straight down to business with the tactics

its cute how close Autumn has been sticking to Fran

Tessa checking in on Fran again, as she did in issue 1

Could Vaea’s “Well, shit” be an homage to Varric? :D they have met

I also wanna point out that I was right on reading issue #1, when I said “My guess is that the thing Tractus shows Marquette and Nenealeus is probably a chained up dragon or similar”

the poor dragon :’( big dragon the Qunari had in Trespasser vibes

the sword has a really cool design, kind of reminds me of something a samurai might be depicted wielding

👀 lore-drop! so ancient elven arcane warriors used lyrium-infused swords. this seems to confirm the sarcophagus is an ancient elven artifact, no? makes sense, wasn’t it said that the sarcophagus’ design was based on the architecture/outfit-design type elements of a specific faction, and that this was done intentionally? it looks kinda ancient elfy in make, right? also about the lyrium-infused swords of the arcane warriors, well well well.. remember that the Evanuris and the ancient elves mined the bodies of Titans for lyrium, for power and to use as a resource. here’s an example of that use

as I read through this portion I became increasingly concerned for my boy Shirallas.. we really are in it now aren’t we 😭

the Qunari are launching STRAIGHT-UP ROCKETS ohhhh

pretty ‘lightshow’ over the wall in the “Let’s hope the fortress is as secure as Danarius boasted” panel hh

protective older brother Fenris, impish younger sister Vaea. love that dynamic, we love to see it. sheepish and exasperated Fenris is so cute

the Bone Pit dragon fight with Hawke and co reference!

I wonder how long the dragon has been captive here, and how Danarius/Tractus was able to capture it

lore-wise what are the implications here? when Fenris’ ritual was being undertaken, the sword and the sarcophagus were bombarded with magic, fire spells. in this one they aim to have the dragon bombard it with fire-breathing. is it just fire that makes it work/powers it, or is there magic in dragonfire, in dragons? it reminds me of “Your heart beats with the old blood, as well. Where do you think it comes from? It sings of a time when dragons ruled the skies. A time before the Veil, before the mysteries were forgotten. Can you hear it?”

purple color for the dragon’s growling sounds/typeset is a great idea

lets.. goooo!!!!

Marquette is such a nerd. later on when he activates the sarcophagus he has mad scientist vibes

the dramatic reunion face-offs begin!! as the prophecy foretold!!!!1

true to form, Marius DOES have nothing to say ahahaha, even at this, his personal climax. maybe Marius dies in the next issue, but Tessa lives and gets to go back to Charter

these Venatori look almost Star Wars

Shirallas my boyy.. nooo... don’t do it 😭

ah ah ah! try casting magic with no ARMS

Francesca a beacon of blue light and goodness

the splash combat page is masterful. everyone playing a part, so much going on, everything happening at once. a thing that sticks out to me about it is Aaron’s outstretched hand and alarm as he watches Fran fall

Autumn with her lil hackles raised

“The Venatori have returned” dun dun dunn

goodbye Shirallas 😭😭😭

the composition of the second to last page with triangle/diamond-shaped panels and the framing of dragon wings is awesome

the Dread Wolf rises, “the Tevinter Imperium will rise again”.. on-point on-point cohesion

there he is, the red wraith

Super Saiyan Shirallas

what a note to end an issue on

wow wow wow!!

and separate to the above, some speculation based on the cover of Issue 3: the piece of metal looks like a broken collar coming off Shirallas, like the one there was on the cover of Issue 2 coming off the dragon. also he’s all bulky now with draconic talons/claws (reminds me of in-world legends of Reavers who dug too deep of their own power after drinking dragon blood and whose bodies consequently began to manifest subtle reptilian traits actually). I’ll be interested to see what results of this allusion between Shirallas and the dragon!!

#dragon age #BioWare #dark fortress spoilers #dark fortress spoiler #spoilers #spoiler #dragon age: dark fortress spoilers #dragon age: dark fortress spoiler #video games #gore cw #dragon age 4 #the dread wolf rises #da4 #feels #fenris #the Fenaissance #long post #longpost #alcohol cw

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drethanramslay · 4 years

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Voicemails (part 1)

Pairing: Ethan x mc

Word count: 5.5 K words (damn that's the most I have written

Masterlist

Warning: ANGST

Taglist: @miyakokurono @trappedinfandoms @openheart12 @sekizincimektup @junggoku @ethandaddyramsey @edith-eggs1 @ethanramseysgirl @samihatuli @loveellamae @x-kyne-x @paulfwesley @zeniamiii @binny1985 @an-urban-witch-ig @ramseyegerton @noboundariesplease @mrsdr-ethan-ramsey @newcolonies @theodorepjames4 @unluckygs @choices-love-affair @kaavyaethanramsey @caseyvalentineramsey @ohramsey @virtualrain202 @squishywizardhq @junehiratas @lilyvalentine @nooruleman @itsgoingnuts @cordonianbleu @agent-breakdance @jamespotterthefirst @choicesfanaf @temptress-of-death-and-desire @ac27dj @rookiefromedenbrook @gaiusimp @theeccentricbibliophile @oofchoices @hatescapsicum @sanchita012 @edgiestwinter (if you want to be added to the taglist, let me know ☺️)

Author's note: Well I know I said I was going on semi hiatus but, my studies are going great so I decided to post 🤪 also, shout out to @kittykatchoices for helping me in bouncing ideas( she is amazing)

also I went full out and posted screenshots and dividers sike

Songs: Callin by Alec Bailey is my main muse but I made a playlist too

Forgive me if there are any errors

Day 1

Ethan was jolted awake from his slumber as the flight touched down. It continued to speed down the runaway when it eventually reduced to a slow crawl and he saw the glass facade of the airport, glinting in the afternoon sun.

AEROPORTO INTERNACIONAL DE MANAUS EDUARDO GOMES. The banner read and Ethan let the reality sink in that he actually was in the state of Amazonas, South America.

"Welcome to Manaus International Airport. The weather here is partly sunny with 98% chance of precipitation. The temperature is..."

Ethan zoned out. His back was killing him and the need to stretch was becoming unbearable. Even though the WHO team of doctors had settled in comfortably in the plush seats of the private jet, it was a very boring flight.

There is a certain restrictions to the number of boring and wasteful romantic comedies you could watch in a 40 hour flight.

They did have 2 stops for refueling but they weren't allowed to step out of the plane.

God I want to go on a run so bad. He thought mentally as he massaged his spasming neck.

The doctors kicked back and relaxed, ocassionally discussing the cholera epidemic break out in Tefé, a small city on the riverside. It was very productive and they did manage to make a dent in the treatment plan but, when everybody was asleep and it was just him and his thoughts.

And his thoughts mostly revolved around the reason why he volunteered to join these prestigious doctors to battle the epidemic.

It wasn't out of selflessness, or the need to save humanity or for some mindless award.

It was an opportunity.

An opportunity to run from the girl who has invaded his head and heart, and resided there.

Leah.

You are doing this for her own good. You are doing this for her professional development. You are doing this for her success. Feelings are fleeting, they will fade away. Ethan repeated those sentences like mantra, trying to ingrain it in his mind that he was doing the right thing leaving her behind.

No call, no text. A clean break.

But no matter how much you lie to your brain, you can't lie to your heart.

Ethan you know you are running away from her because she confessed that she loved you, stop lying to yourself. The snarky inside voice spoke up.

But, if he paid attention to it closely, it sounded just like Leah, calling him out in his bullshit.

He shook his head, trying to erase all the thoughts in his head as the aero-bridge connected to the door and they were opened. Standing up, he stretched his sore muscles and took out his duffle bag.

When he reached the exit, the air hostess with a face caked with makeup, gave him a polite smile. "Hope you had a pleasant flight doctor."

Pleasant my ass...

As he walked through the corridors towards the baggage claim area, he switched on his phone.

As he stood there waiting, he saw an influx of messages from Naveen and his dad.

But that was not what caught his eye.

Leah🌞

(3) missed calls (1) voicemail -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was midnight here and around 1 am in Boston.

Ethan walked out of the bathroom, exhausted to the bone. It had been a long day for him. The moment they had landed they had been rushed to Tefé, where they dived straight into work. The hospital was already flooding and there was so much pain and suffering all around.

Ethan has the emotions of a block of granite but, seeing so much misery and sadness, made his energies drop low.

And it did not help that the pocket in which his phone was kept, was weighing him down.

(1) voicemail from Leah🌞.

He wanted to delete it immediately but every time his finger hovered above the delete button, he just could not. So, he let it lay there in his inbox as a heavy reminder.

The moment Ethan's back hit the mattress a huge sigh of relief escaped his lips. He was weary and his body ached.

But, sleep didn't come to him.

He just lay there staring at the ceiling, seeing the different shadows casted by the moonlight. He saw the shadows of the trees swaying and the reflection of the Amazon.

His eyes landed on his phone on the bedside table and he stared at it for a long time, contemplating if listening to the voicemail was worth it or not.

You don't have to respond...

But, then my resolve will weaken...

His logic and conscience went back and forth but there wasn't any clear winner.

If this is what having feelings for someone is like, I don't want it...

But, you would take a 100 leap of faiths for Leah, won't you?

"ARGH!" Ethan threw the comforter off and got up. He started pacing around the room, trying to work off his restlessness. He walked around the room, his eyes trained on the phone as if it was a bomb. He clenched his jaw and tried to not let one insignificant notification affect him, but it was getting harder with every passing minute.

"Ah fuck it." Ethan said as he picked up the phone to listen to the voicemail. Leah's uncertain and raw voice flooded which forced him to lie down because of the emotions which bubbled to the surface.

"Umm.. hey Ethan, Leah here. I..uh heard that you went to the Amazon to fight the cholera epidemic from Naveen today... And I am proud of you but, I know that is not the reason why you ran, is it?

It's because I said 'I love you' three days ago, isn't it?"

Leah's voice cracked as she took a deep breath, before continuing.

"Are those three words that scary?

I had prepared myself that you would ignore my very existence and shut out all the feelings and that would have been painful but bearable, but... You literally ran to another fucking continent?!"

She bitterly chuckled and Ethan's heart squeezed.

"I don't even know what to do at this point. Don't they say that you should confess your feelings the moment you realize them, otherwise you will regret it? But... I can't help but feel regret... Why do I even try? I should have just shut the fuck up and get on with my day but NO! I had to open my mouth and here I am here talking to your answering machine.

I just can't help but feel that I let you slip away from me...

Anyways, it's okay.. I will wait. I promised you I would always wait.

Just...come back to me..okay? Bye."

The phone beeped, signalling the end of the voicemail. Ethan lowered his hand to stare at his phone's screen.

"I love you Ethan. And it's okay if you don't say it back. I know you need time and I will be here waiting for you..."

That's what she had said three days ago. And as much as they lifted him, it pained him. He was confused and just couldn't think straight. He needed some space.

But, he could feel his resolution weakening. The itch to dial that number and talk to her was irresistible.

You made a promise to yourself Ethan. You can't go back on that now.

He let out a deep sigh and ran his hand through his brown locks. His eyes landed on the table on which there was the complementary stationary provided by the b&b. An idea slowly bloomed in his head and he nodded to himself.

Sure I can't call her. But atleast I can write down my reply so that it won't keep on being a burden on my shoulder.

With that being said, Ethan sat down on the desk and poured his heart out on the loose sheets of papers.

DAY 10

For the next ten days, Ethan would keep an eye on the phone for any notification.

And by any notification, it meant a voicemail or a message from that one particular woman who had him in the palm of her hand.

He would get excited whenever his phone would ping but, his hopes would immediately crash when it would just be a message from the telecom company telling him about his telephone bill.

After he got his seventh 'Bem-vindo à Amazônia'(welcome to the Amazons,) he just let out a sigh of disappointment and turned his phone off and got on with his day.

I am such a moron... Look at where the mighty have fallen. The person who hated texting looks forward to a text. Ethan chastised himself as he entered the local hospital for a busy day.

Around noon when he headed to the cafeteria down the street, he turned his phone on to find a notification that made his heart beat faster.

(1) voicemail from Leah🌞

He pressed the button and brought the phone to his ear.

"Hey Ethan, just wanted to update you on the hospital and your patients. Everything is running smoothly and all your patients are alive. Chief Naveen and someone named Dr. Hirata are managing them. Mrs. Rodriguez went home today and she left you some cookies which I may or may not have stolen because well... they might catch fungi and that's sure would be a tragedy. Also, you don't even like anything sweet and would have given it to me anyways."

Ethan could imagine her shrugging as she stuffed her face with a cookie. That mental image was way too cute and Ethan couldn't help but melt a little. He sat down on his designated seat in the cafeteria and Leah continued.

"Also, Mr. Agarwal from room 456 was taken in by Harper for emergency brain surgery. He had an aneurysm and is in recovery. So far, he is showing great scope of a full recovery.

In short, everything is fine and smoothly running in your absence.

To be honest, I don't miss you that much. It just feel like a normal day when you are in one side of the hospital and I am in the opposite side. But... When I cross your office before clocking out, instead of seeing you working on your desk or lounging on the couch in your office, I just see emptiness.

And then that reminds me of the emptiness in my chest... But fuck that, who cares?!

Seriously, I don't miss you at all. But... That doesn't mean it's an invitation to stay in the Amazons indefinitely.

I would very much like it if you come back to me...okay? Bye."

A grin decorated his face and it made him so happy that his cheekbones were hurting. He shook his head as he put his phone down on the wooden table.

I don't miss you at all...

Who are you trying to convince sunshine?

Those words may be biting but he also knew his sunshine pretty well. He knew that she also missed him the way he did but, both of them were stubborn and had their heads all the way up their asses.

Neither of them were going to cave in and confess.

It's a tiring game and Ethan often wondered how long is he going to last.

So with his head full of thoughts, he took out the hotel stationary and began writing his response.

DAY 19

"Put the patients in bed number 4 and 25 in the recovery ward and ask if they are willing to provide blood for plasma therapy. Bed number 20 is going downhill so increase the dosage of the narrow spectrum antibiotics from 100mg to 250 mg every two hours. And..."

Ethan turned around and let his eyes run over the different patients. He was covered from head to toe in scrubs and goggles donned his face. The mask muffled his speech.

"Bed number 40 should move to another ward because it isn't too severe in her case. And can you update me on the patients in the gymnasium?" Ethan asked as he looked up from the clipboard.

"Most of them are infected sir. We have been segregating them from the healthy ones. We made the banquet hall the centre of testing and if anyone tests positive we are either sending that person to the hospital or to the gym. We have even initiated lockdown to prevent the spread of the disease." The doctor spoke with a heavy Portuguese accent.

"Good. Keep me informed about the patients in bed 12, 39, and 26 throughout the night."

"Yes Dr. Ramsey. Boa noite!"

"Good night."

Ethan walked out of the isolation ward and headed into the locker room where he could sterilize himself. Getting out of the numerous layers of scrubs was a task in itself and he felt so suffocated in them.

As he pealed out the layers off his sweaty body and removed the mask he stepped into the shower cubicle and turned the tap on.

He sighed in relief as the cold water washed over him, washing away the day's dirt, grime and sadness. Working in the isolation ward was never easy. It was always filled with fear and despair. Ethan would try his best to make them comfortable but, he never had a knack of people's skills.

If Leah was here she would have them laughing in no time. The thought rushed through his mind.

Leah.

Ethan was missing her terribly. The first few days were easy to handle the absence but now? Good lord, he craved her.

She was his sunshine and she always knew how to lift his spirits up when he had a rough day be it by cracking awful dad jokes, her infamous puns or her just being around him.

He missed those hazel eyes which would fill up with concern the moment she noticed his discomfort. He missed the way she would reach out for his hand and squeeze it twice when they were in broad daylight. He missed the way she would wrap her arms around his waist and lean her head against his chest when it was just them.

He stepped out of the cubicle, water dripping down his toned abs. He slipped on a fresh pair of jeans and a plain tshirt. He was about to pick up his messenger bag when he saw the screen of his phone light up with a notification.

Leah🌞

(1) missed call (1) voicemail

Ethan gave a small smile before pressing the button to hear the message.

"So apparently now I am Jenner's emergency contact, huh?"

Amusement laced her voice and Ethan groaned, hiding his face with hand. He hoped that Leah would never have to know but now the secret is out and all he wanted to do was curl up and hide.

She chuckled before continuing. "Don't be embarassed Ethan. I think that it is cute and I am so glad that you can trust me with your girl. Look at you, growing up and trusting people."

Ethan chuckled and Leah's tinkling laugh joined his.

"Basically, Jenner's dog sitter had to go out on an emergency so she called me to go to your apartment and feed her. Not going to lie but... I am scared."

She sighed before continuing.

"It's just that once I cross the threshold and see the cold empty penthouse shrouded in darkness... It would confirm that you are actually gone and that I can not continue living in the state of denial.

So, if you are getting calls from your neighbours that there is a hobo muttering to herself and pacing in front of your door, that's me."

Nervous laughter resounded on the line followed by another sigh.

"...you know what, fuck it. It's just a door."

Jingling of keys was heard on the line and it was shortly followed by excited barks.

"Oomph!" Leah was cut off by Jenner tackling her. A crash was heard, which might probably be the phone falling down on the ground.

Ethan smiled. He liked seeing his girls interacting.

Leah's coos were heard along with barks and whines from Jenner. Leah's voice sounded faraway as she spoke to Jenner in a baby voice.

"Oh girl... Don't be sad. I know he hurt you by leaving you here all alone. But you are not alone. Well, he hurt me too. So, don't worry we are on the same boat girl."

Those words were like a sucker punch in the gut and Ethan could not help but sit down on the bench as an after effect.

Don't worry... He hurt me too... Those words continue to echo through his head. He knew that Leah didn't say those words intentionally but, it just made him realise just how much of a facade she had put up, to hide her pain.

God, sunshine...

Leah's voice continued. "Well Jenner misses you too. We are okay, aren't we?" An excited bark sounded throught the phone and Leah chuckled.

"Sorry to disturb you. Go back to do your job of saving lives. You are doing a service to humanity Ethan, and I am super proud. You are so brave."

There was a pause before Leah blurted out.

"I- I miss you Ethan. A lot. And it hurts not seeing you here. But don't worry about me, I am a strong cookie and I will stay strong... For you. I just have one request though..

Come back to me soon...okay? Bye."

You have reached the end of the voicemail. If you want to hear agai-

Ethan immediately pressed the button and he heard her voice through the speaker of his phone. As she spoke, Ethan hauled a taxi to take him to his b&b.

You are doing a service to humanity... You are so brave..

Oh sunshine, if only you knew... it wasn't bravery.

I miss you a lot...

I miss you too sunshine...

Ethan sat and stared out of the window of his cab, a turmoil of emotions just running wildly in him as the words of the woman he loved, ran in his mind.

DAY 28

It was 12 am in Tefé and Ethan sat on the edge of his bed, staring at his phone's screen with narrowed gaze.

C'mon Ethan, don't be a pussy. It's just a message.

And that one message will be the breaking point for all of my will power and resolve. Might as well catch a flight home and personally wish her.

You are blowing things out of proportion... His inner voice reasoned.

"Shut the fuck up." Ethan exhaled, clenching his jaw, the muscle ticking as his eyes again landed on the blinking cursor, mocking him.

It was the 29th of April.

His sunshine's birthday.

And Ethan sat, twiddling his thumbs, contemplating what to type and send.

His thoughts went to last year when they were so at ease and could stay up and talk for hours but now, here he was, not able to formulate a single text message for the girl he had feelings for.

What have we come to?

Ethan couldn't help but feel guilty all of a sudden. Doubt clouded his mind and he wondered if running to the Amazon was really a good idea or not.

I needed space to think and figure out this 'love' thing... Right?

Shaking his head, he cleared all those lingering doubts and looked down at his phone again and wrote what came to his mind.

When did the great Ethan Ramsey get so cheesy? His inner voice snickered.

As he continued to read and re-read the message again and again, he started hating what he wrote.

"This is utter garbage. Who in their right mind uses emojis? Fuck this." Ethan muttered as he erased the entire message. He locked his phone and placed it on the bedside table before getting comfortable in the sheets and slipping into a deep slumber.

11:57 am Ethan had finished his rounds and was just taking a five minute break before he headed into the conference room where the team of doctors would discuss their approach.

The condition did improve a bit here on Tefé, but it was a massive outbreak and things were getting harder to control. It was a stress fest 24/7 and Ethan could feel his brown locks greying by the second.

In this five minute break, instead of grabbing something to eat and regroup his thoughts, he stood in the hallway, looking down at his phone. He had typed another message with lesser mixed signals.

Well... This sounds robotic... No wonder Leah called me Dr. Terminator the first time. Ethan snorted as he shook his head, disappointed.

He was about to type more when he heard his name being called by one of his colleagues.

"Dr. Ramsey, we are good to go."

Ethan looked up and curtly nodded. "Yes, I'm coming." He locked his phone and slipped into the pocket of his denim jeans, diving into work again.

7:16 pm Ethan was sat down on the bench outside the hospital and let out a breath of relief. He had been on his feet since the last 5 hours, running between the gymnasium, the hospital and the banquet hall.

The mask and goggles he had worn, had left bruises on his face and he just needed a fresh breath of air. Ethan took big gulps of the humid air which had hints of rain.

The thing about Tefé was that it rained everyday, without doubt. He enjoyed the rain but hated the humidity which was an inconvenient side effect. Though it was relatively cool at night, Ethan's shirt stuck to his chiseled body due to the excessive sweat.

Ethan took his phone out of the pocket and opened the messaging app again. "Short and sweet is better." Ethan mumbled as he started typing again.

He was half way through the message when his phone died due to the low battery. Ethan just looked up at the sky with defeat.

Was this the time to come at me karma?

He was about to head to the locker room to put his phone on charging when he heard panicked voices calling him. "Dr. Ramsey!"

"Yes?" He got up and started jogging to the entrance.

"Five patients in isolation ward CC-23 are deteriorating and they need help ASAP. We are short-handed and-"

"Say no more. We have lives to save."

12:00 am It was a stressful evening to say the least.

The patients kept on flat lining and Ethan and the staff tried bringing them back to life by injecting them with adrenaline. After a giving quite a few scares, they were finally stable and moved to the ICU.

Ethan dropped his duffle bag on to the sofa in his b&b and stretched his arms above his head, cracking his neck to release the tension in his shoulders. He fished his phone out of his pocket and immediately connected it to the charging port.

His screen lit up after sometime and he saw a notification which made his heart sink.

Leah🌞 (1) voicemail

I could not wish her...

Ethan opened his notifications and pressed on the voicemail she left, preparing himself to face the music.

"Uh..hi Ethan. I hope things are going as smooth as they can over there. I have been reading the news and keeping up with the situation there. I ain't worried about that because well... You are Ethan freaking Ramsey, the best diagnostician of your generation!"

Nervous laughter flitted through the phone speaker before it turned into a sigh.

"I know you are busy with the epidemic and all but... You missed my birthday. And- and I don't want to sound like those middle school teenager crying over an unwished birthday but... It hurts when the love of your life doesn't do it.

I have been trying to reason with myself that you could have forgotten but, I know you. I know that you never forget... And I didn't expect an elaborate gesture or anything! Even a small 'happy birthday Leah' message could have made my day... And I know you are caught up in your work but... How long does it take to type three words?"

Leah's voice cracked and Ethan felt regret gripping at his throat.

"Ethan- I am running out of reasons to convince myself. I am running out of those optimistic reinforcing shit. I am running out of the the number of benefits of doubts to give you. I am running out of faith that you feel the same way as me.

The longer I am spending time without any communication from you, the more I am loosing myself into the vicious cycle of doubt and self loathing.

I am angry at you and I hate you so much right now. I want to burn down your sweater in my closet and throw away the sun pendant you gave me. Just forget that you existed and go back to being the old happy me."

Ethan gasped, feeling breathless all of a sudden. The heavy burden of her pain and his self loathing was crushing his chest, making it difficult for him to breathe.

In a soft, broken voice Leah spoke.

"But I won't. I don't have the strength to yank the necklace off me. Even though it burns me and is a reminder of the person who left me, I still wear it. Even though your name hurts me, I still want to hear it...

...I love you Ethan, so damn much that it hurts me. I need you Ethan, I really do and I know it's selfish of me but...

Just come back to me... Please. Bye."

Ethan leaned his elbows on his knees and let out a breath which rattled through his body. He put his head in his hands and let out another breath, trying to breathe through the heart shattering pain.

I am so sorry sunshine...

So fucking sorry...

DAY 36

It had been eight days since the last voicemail and Ethan had been tormented, swimming in gut wrenching guilt.

Most of the times he found himself reaching for the phone to call her, but he would just clench his fist and resume his work. All the words left unsaid, he would just pour it out on to the loose sheets of paper. That was the only thing that prevented him from slipping into insanity.

He was never one to understand the sentimental reason behind having a diary or journal. From a scientific perspective, he knew that it has long lasting effects in mental health and helps get rid of the anxiety.

But now, whenever he felt like he was going to get crushed under the guilt, he often found himself writing.

If he wasn't writing, he would be working. He started staying at the hospital longer and worked for longer hours so that he could tire himself out. That way, when he went to sleep, he would immediately fall asleep.

But still, no matter how much he tried, his thoughts would always go back to her.

Funny how one person could make or break your life.

It was 4:45 am and Ethan was in the lab, checking in on the newest vaccine that they had worked on. The doctors had been utilising the plasma of the recovered patients to formulate vaccines using the antibodies created in defense. And so far, it had been helping them. They were already vaccinating the asymptomatic people and it made a huge impact.

But still, there was a long way to go.

"Dr. Ramsey, why are you still here?" Dr. Batra, a 50 year old woman from India asked, her voice laced with inquisitiveness.

"Just working on the vaccine strains, Dr. Batra."

"You and I both know that those strains are highly effective." She said as she leaned against the door frame.

"Never hurt to be perfect." He shrugged as he leaned back from the microscope.

"But it does hurt when you over work yourself."

Ethan sighed as he took his glasses off. He rubbed his face.

"How long have you been awake Ethan?" Dr. Batra asked, the maternal concern evident in her tone.

Silence.

"Ethan..." She gave him a stern look.

"Yeah, yeah I will go now. After some ti-"

"You do know that avoiding your problems won't make them go away, right?"

Ethan's eyes snapped to her and immediately looked away not able to hold her gaze. She reminded him of Naveen and how he could never hide anything for him.

I wonder how he is doing...

"But I am delaying the inevitable, as most doctors must do."

"Ethan... I have known you for a very short duration but, I know for a fact that you are not a man who gives excuses."

Ethan sighed. "It's complicated."

"As must all the things in this universe."

"It's just... There is this girl, and she confessed her feelings for me. And the intensity of the feelings scared me. So here I am, taking a break. But... There is this small pain in my chest whenever I think about her. She fills me up with euphoria but can also break me down. When I reflect back on all the happy moments, I get light headed, as if I am on drugs. That is why I am here, to analyse and figure out my feelings whilst helping with the epidemic."

"Well... I think you know the answer but, you are just living in a state of denial."

Ethan sighed as he looked down at his hands. "Don't I know that?"

"Well, if you know the answer then what's stopping you?"

"I-" they were interrupted by the shrill ring of Ethan's phone. He saw the name 'Leah🌞' and pressed the silent button immediately.

"You won't take that?" she asked eyeing the phone.

"I don't think I am strong enough to do that."

"Love is for the brave Ethan. Remember that." She got up and patted his shoulder before stepping out. The sun rays filtered through the gigantic windows of the lab, slowly illuminating the clinical set up with its golden rays. Ethan picked up the phone and saw that Leah had left another voicemail.

Picking up the phone, he stood in front of the window, letting the warmth of the sun wash over him. Be brought the phone to his ear and he heard her.

"Hey. Its 6 am here and I was bored so I decided to call you. Or leave a voicemail because you never pick up my call. I was just feeling lonely so here I am! Kinda ironic but meh.”

Ethan could hear her shrug though the phone.

“I have been taking double shifts all week and it's been so productive. The cool cases I have done and solved, the lives I have saved... they have been giving me my quota of serotonin.

Literally nothing interests or makes me happy now. So my job is the only thing which I look forward to. The things I used to enjoy doing, seems like a chore.

Everything seems like a chore.

Sleeping, eating, breathing, everything seems like an exhausting task. I don't even like sleeping anymore. Because whenever I sleep I dream fo you and when I dream of you, it's like I am being stabbed in the heart.

I don't even want to go home, because whenever I am home, I see your sweater and then my mind goes back to the numerous night outs we had, working on our cases.

The hospital is okay but, every corner I turn I think I see you which, I am going to blame on my sleep deprivation. Don't worry, I am not going into self destruct mode. I still force myself to eat three square meals a day and I get around 4 hours of sleep for every 48 hours I am awake.

So it's okay... I am okay.

I maybe a ticking time bomb BUT, I am not a working hazard. I am alert at all times and all my patients are in tip top condition. I think I should give credit to the two energy drinks I downed along with a cup of coffee.

Don't worry, my heartbeat is under the safe limit of 180 BPM.

In short, don't worry. I am golden.

I hope you are taking care of yourself too! I just hope that you come back to me.

Bye. Love you."

"FUCK!" Ethan exclaimed as he threw he phone with a thud on the table. He placed his palms on the cool granite countertop, breathing heavily.

Shit, shit, shit.

He started pacing in the lab, playing with his beard, his mind racing with worry and concern.

This was not supposed to happen.

Ethan stood and gripped the counter again closing his eyes, trying to centre his breathing but it was futile.

I need to do something, anything! His conscience egged him.

He opened his eyes and it landed on his phone.

Well, I guess it's time to make a call.

well, I hope you guys liked it!

do you think Ethan finally caved in and called her?

like, comment, reblog and let me know what do you think :))

271 notes · View notes

collectsfallenstars · 4 years

Text

Lee Gon’s 3 Rules and How and When He Fell In Love With Jeong TaeEul: An Analysis in 2 parts

Part 1: Love like You Row

It’s pretty easy to say that Lee Gon starts off in “The King: Eternal Monarch” already in love with Jeong TaeEul and he remains in that constant state all throughout the series. That his character is that flat, as flat as the world according to Jeong TaeEul. While it may be true that his character remains deeply devoted to her all throughout, I’m here to show you that he isn’t a flat character. Aside from the external struggle he has with his uncle Lee Lim, and convincing TaeEul of his identity and depth of feeling for her, loving TaeEul also forced him to confront certain things.

On their first chicken dinner together in episode 2 which felt more like an extension of his interrogation instead of a friendly dinner, Lee Gon finds out exactly what kind of person he’s dealing with with Jeong TaeEul. He had just thanked her for being the reason why he survived the last 25 years of his life after his father had been murdered. She was tied to that one great big mystery of his life and he had wanted to find her all these years. Now she was there, eating dinner with him. But she didn’t believe anything he said, almost canceling out his entire existence because she did not have enough proof.

We are then taken to a flashback of baby Lee Gon talking with Lady Noh about the night his father was murdered while a cute baby Maximus ran around in the background. Lady Noh hands over the two things Lee Gon had held onto that night – half of the broken bamboo flute and Jeong TaeEul’s ID. And then little Lee Gon asks,

“DO YOU THINK IT’S HERE, THE REASON WHY I SURVIVED THAT DAY?”

The flashback ends and we are brought back to the present time with Lee Gon asking TaeEul,

“WHY DO YOU NEVER BELIEVE ANYTHING I SAY?”

This was a very good juxtaposition of events. As a child, the question of why he survived had been foremost in his mind. That’s him questioning the purpose of his existence and he’s tied it to these two objects – the flute and TaeEul’s ID. One is a symbol of utter power, and the other, I suppose, is love, or his destiny.

And all his life he believed held on to the idea that his life had purpose, had meaning, and it was tied to this woman, before him, who sat there not believing anything at all. She tells him to stay put till she gets back his DNA test and he takes it out of context and asks her,

“ANYTHING ELSE? IS THERE ANY OTHER REASON? THE REASON WHY I HAVE TO STAY IN YOUR WORLD? COULD THERE BE A REASON?”

This is him grasping at straws, a little desperately. He’s basically asking her to tell him, give him his purpose. He’s waiting for her to say, “I want you to stay because of me.” To hand it over to him. But of course, TaeEul thought it was all bullshit.

In Lee Gon’s world, he’s the king. He has never needed his existence to be validated. And he has always been sure of who he was. But one thing he was never sure of was his why he survived that night, his purpose. So he tied his purpose to the flute and to TaeEul. He had probably hoped that he would find it if he could just find her.

And he did find her. But she doesn’t believe he exists. She doesn’t believe his Kingdom of Corea exists. And the only reason, she says, that she’s helping him is just so she can send him back home and get rid of him.

He realizes two things here. Just because he found Jeong TaeEul doesn’t mean he gets an instant answer as to what his purpose is for surviving that night. And just because he’s spent the last 25 years attached to the idea of TaeEul doesn’t mean that the moment she sees him, she’ll come running into his arms like a long lost love. There is no love. At least, just yet.

This must have been a lonely time for Lee Gon. After this scene, we are shown a clip of him visiting an exhibit of Korea’s last monarch. The building occupies the same place where he and his father were attacked in the Kingdom of Corea. But that history of the royal family doesn’t even include his line. He has no identity, no history, no purpose.

And in this world, if he wanted purpose, it wasn’t just going to be a simple find Jeong TaeEul and she’ll give you the answer. He’ll actually have to work for it, find it by solving the mystery of the bamboo flute and work on building a real connection with Jeong TaeEul.

He finds out exactly how to best do that on this dinner too. When Jeong TaeEul answers his question about why she wont’ believe him, she says,

“IS THAT HOW BELIEF WORKS? I’M THE TYPE OF PERSON WHO STILL CAN’T BELIEVE THE EARTH IS ROUND.”

It’s in this part when he realizes they don’t see the world in the same way. I like how he doesn’t force her to believe him just because he believes it, doesn’t guilt her into seeing things his way. You know how most people would go, this is how I see it. why cant you see it my way? Nope. He shuts up. He listens to her and understands that she needs to see things before she can believe them, and works with that instead of trying to change her mind.

He takes on 3 tasks. He must first convince her that he is telling the truth about his identity. He next has to convince her that parallel worlds exist. Once those two things are done, it will be easier for him to convince her that his feelings for her are real. He then formulates a plan the only way a mathematician and a rower would, tailor fitting it to meet Jeong TaeEul needs. I've written about this on a previous post, detailing how Jeaong TaeEul’s feelings for Lee Gon devloped exactly because of this method. If you’re interested, you can just scroll down my tumblr. It’s in there somewhere.

As I said, he looks at situations like a mathematical equation. If there’s a problem, there has to be a solution. A beautiful one. And his solutions are pretty simple. Patience and honesty. Every time she asks him anything about his identity and where he’s from, he will tell always tell the truth. No matter how many times she asks the same question, he will always give her the same answer. This is why rowing is such a perfect sport for him. He makes repetitive motions, moving in a single direction and onwards until the finish line. That’s exactly how he was with Jeong TaeEul. Keep telling the truth until she believes. But he won’t try to force her to believe him before she’s ready and endures it every time she insults him or accuse of fictionalizing everything.

If you look at episode 3, on what’s probably their 2nd chicken and beer dinner, he tells her,

“YOU GOT NOTHING ON MY DNA RESULTS. BUT YOU STILL CAN’T REALLY BELIEVE ME, RIGHT? SO WHO DO YOU THINK I AM? THERE IS NO INFORMATION AT ALL ABOUT ME IN THIS WORLD.”

He leans forward on the table again, making the gap between them slightly smaller. Notice that he doesn’t make the conclusion for her. He just asks her the questions. He lets her make the conclusion on her own; and gives her time until she’s ready to actually say it out loud that she believes him, which won’t be until the 5th episode.

Having gotten no results for his DNA and fingerprints should point TaeEul towards the existence of another world where he does exist. But keep in mind that TaeEul needs to see something before she believes it. And no results mean no evidence. No evidence means, it’s all bullcrap form TaeEul. So when he tells her,

“I HOPE YOUR EARTH CAN BECOME ROUND SOON.”

He is saying “I know you can’t see it, but I hope you believe that my parallel world exists, and that I exist for you.” Just like the world being round. He’s essentially preparing her for what’s to come next. And it has nothing to do with seeing his world and him being king because those are things she will be able to see for herself. He’s preparing her for one of the greatest leaps of faith of all time – believing in love. It is, after all, an intangible concept. You can’t see it, you can only feel it to know it exists.

Now, when the time finally came that TaeEul got all the evidence that she needed and was finally prepared to believe him, he was still very patient with her as he answered all of her questions about her ID card that was issued exactly when he said it would be.

He goes to her, gathers her hair together in ponytail in one hand, and holds on to the side of her neck with the other, while he answered all her questions correctly, getting rid of her last excuses for not believing him. He is literally and figuratively holding her steady, as her world kind of fell apart knowing that she had been wrong all this time. He didn’t jump with glee or anything because he was right and she was wrong. He understood how this must have been terrifying for her and he kind of just was there for her to help her keep it together. Then he offers her his other world, letting her decide if she wants to see it for herself.

“DO YOU WANT TO SEE FOR YOURSELF? COME WITH ME TO MY WORLD.”

He holds her hand, pulls her to Maximus, puts both her hands on his shoulders and he puts this woman who had never watched fairy tales on a white horse fit for a prince and princess. I swear, when snow started falling in this scene, Maximus turned into unicorn for me. It was that magical.

Physically, you can see him become more protective of her in this instant. He closes his hand over hers. Puts her hands on his shoulders as if to tell her you can depend on me, you can trust me. He cages TaeEul between his arms as they ride off. And even when they get to Corea, he still has her inside his arms in a protective circle, asks the guards to step back because he knows exactly how flat earther Jung TaeEul will feel in a parallel world.

He already knows she’s a strong capable woman. But he didn’t hesitate to provide comfort and protection because he understood that even the strongest ones may need comfort and protection at times.

He does gloat here, a little.

“SEE? I WAS RIGHT, WASN’T I?”

Still on his horse, he leans closer to her, almost speaking right into her ear. His lips quite possibly less than two inches away from her earlobe. I mean…if I was Kim Goeun I’d be shivering with want. But of course, she’s very busy taking in the fact that a parallel world exists so maybe her libido is in the backburner for now. But when she turns her head to face him, and it was , quite possibly, the sweetest, most electrifying non kiss kiss ever.

Now at this point, he seems to have ticked off all his tasks. Convinced her he’s a king. Convinced her that a parallel world exist. Now the next thing to do is to convince her that his feelings, 25 years in the making, are real.

Part 2: Love of a Monarch with a Scar

But how real are his feelings? Because the Jeong TaeEul he’s now with is very different from whatever he imagined Jeong TaeEul to be when he was 8 years old! That’s actually the first thing he had to confront the moment he met TaeEul at Gwanghwamun Square. After they bicker and he insults her intelligence by asking,

“IT SEEMS YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT A PARALLEL WORLD IS. DID YOU NOT STUDY SCIENCE?”

He finally observes something about her. He says,

“IS THIS WHAT YOUR PERSONALITY IS LIKE? I HAVE NEVER IMAGINED IT. I THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE SOFTER. THIS IS NEW.”

And this signals to the audience that he is aware that the Jeong TaeEul he had imagined and possibly loved for the last 25 years is different from the real Jeong TaeEul. He might have arrived at the scene loving only the idea of TaeEul but as soon as the 2nd episode, he takes it upon himself to actually educate himself on all things Jeong TaeEul, setting aside all of his built up notions about her.

In the precinct, even in the midst of his interrogation, he takes the time to really look at her and come to a decision that she “LOOKED BETTER IN REAL LIFE.” So that’s great right, he prefers the 3 dimensional version of her as opposed to a picture. And then when TaeEul finally released him from jail, he reveals that he has already pumped Eunsup for information about her life. He is making sure that he gets to know her right from the get go. It was also on the 2nd episode that he went to the library to get to know her world’s history. He looked up the poet Kim SoWol and bought his book before going back to his world, just because TaeEul randomly quoted him during their conversation in the bamboo forest in episode 3.

Now he didn’t completely let go of his imagined version of a TaeEul because he did manage to get a short glimpse of a softer TaeEul during their early days together. Time had to stop before he could see this softer side of hers because at this point, she still didn’t believe anything he said and was less likely to trust him enough to show him her softer side. So when time stopped, that was the first time he got to see the TaeEul he had imagined all this time. It was just there, buried underneath the hard, flat-earther exterior. He just had to wait til the 9th episode to finally see this softer, sweeter side of hers.

He also asks her important questions like, “Why did you become a detective?” which is essential when you’re trying to get to know someone. You ask them about their dreams to get an idea about the kind of person they are. Now, when TaeEeul answers,

“NOT EVERYONE IN THE WORLD CAN BE BRAVE. SO I DECIDED TO BECOME BRAVE.”

it absolutely fascinated him. For someone who’s had his life set for him the moment he was born, the fact that someone can make a choice about which direction to take their lives must have amazed him. He admires this trait, that she can make a decision to be a cop just like that.

Notice also that she didn’t say, “I am brave so I joined the police force.” She said, I DECIDED TO BECOME BRAVE.” If you look at Lee Gon, the kind of decisions he tends to make are what to do. Do I leave for my home? Do I stay a little bit more? Do I give her my name? But the one thing TaeEul shows him is that he can make decisions on what kind of person he wants to be, just as she did. So as he’s getting to know her, learning her, he’s also learning from her.

Why is this important? Because his identity is tied to him being a King. There’s a flashback of his time with his father on episode 4 where the father talks about the duties of a king. He asks,

“DO YOU THINK YOU CAN FULFILL THIS CALLING, GON?”

So it’s all about performing a duty that is attached to the title of King. CAN YOU DO IT? It is never about what kind of King do you want to be? Which makes this part very important.

After she talks about her own dreams and what she wanted for herself, she asks him,

“SO THAT’S MY STORY. TELL ME WHAT KIND OF KING YOU ARE. A YOUNG, HANDSOME, AND RICH KING?”

This question appears to pleasure him, as much as bother him. He answers,

“A ROWER, MATHEMATICIAN, A WELL-GROWN ORPHAN, AND THE OWNER OF THE FOUR TIGER SWORD. A KING WHO HAS NEVER BEEN ASKED SUCH A QUESTION AND TRYING HIS BEST NOT TO PANIC.”

This is her asking him, “How have you been doing as a king so far?” How are you? A question on his well being as a king. Like whenever he returns to her from his world, he always asks how she has been and if she’s been well. It appears to have the same effect on him. It pleases him to know that she wants to know he has been doing.

But then, he also has no idea how to answer her question. And this makes him panic.

Since no one ever bothered to ask him what kind of person, what kind of King did he want to be, he never thought about it. He just simply accepted that he was a king and had to fulfill the duties that came with it. It probably never occurred to him that he can decide what kind of king he wanted to be. It wasn’t just a job, which I suspect is how he sees it. That’s why he likes escaping from time to time when it becomes too much. But here was Jeong TaeEul, teaching him how to be a better King because being a cop is so much more than just a job for TaeEul. Lee Gon is slowly becoming a better King, just by talking to TaeEul. Imagine how much more glorious he would become once he gives himself fully to her, and she reciprocates that love?

Ironically though, this love that taught him how to choose to brave is the same love that he has to give up when he finally chooses to be a brave King and save both worlds. But, we still have one more episode so that’s still up in the air.

Now, let’s go back to simpler times when their only problem was themselves and their own trust issues. So as I said, he makes great effort to really get to know her and once he was able to tell apart the Jeong TaeEul in his imagination and the Jeong TaeEul in reality, he lets her know that he much prefers the real version of TaeEul. At the end of episode two, he tells her,

“YOU’RE ALWAYS BUSY AND YOU DON’T CARE MUCH FOR ME. BECAUSE OF YOU, I’M POWERLESS HERE. BUT IT’S FINE. YOU ARE MUCH MORE AMAZING THAN I HAD IMAGINED.

This moment was especially pitiful because he said this after revealing to her that he felt hurt that she kept leaving him when she’s the only person he knows in this world. But even through his hurt feelings, he is able to understand why she does this. He understands that she’s busy, that she has a life, and that to her, he was simply just a stranger. So if we jump to episode 8, when TaeEul asks him if he would have fallen for her if she had been rude and decided not to help him, Lee Gon really wasn’t lying when he said,

“I WOULD HAVE UNDERSTOOD AND THAT UNDERSTANDING WOULD HAVE LED ME TO FALL FOR YOU.”

Because he was already doing it as early as the 2nd episode. She had just upset him and there he was, understanding why and still finding her amazing despite it all. He tells her this in what seems like a love confession, at first, but it really isn’t. When he compares her to the number Zero, he’s essentially saying that she alone can make him weak but at the same time, has the power to give him strength. And that whenever he felt trapped, she was the only one had the power to save him – like that night of treason. He was seeing firsthand the effect she has on him. And he sees that

she already has this much power and influence over him even without an established relationship. That’s how much power he has handed to her by the simple fact that he has hung on to her existence for the last 25 years.

This was not a confession of love but somehow, it feels heavier than that. I appreciate how he didn’t rush to say the words I love you to her at this moment, but instead chose to show her what she meant to him.

I feel like saying I love is sometimes a cop out, you know. I’m just gonna lump all these feelings for you together and call it love. But Lee Gon does not do that. He constantly reveals to her how she affects him. He is constant in allowing himself to be vulnerable and honest with how he feels for her.

“YOU LOOK BETTER IN REAL LIFE” is attraction.

“WHY ARE YOU TYING YOUR HAIR? DON’T TIE YOUR HAIR,” is a marked preference for the TaeEul in real life because the TaeEul in his imagination has her hair gathered in a low ponytail.

“DON’T GO. IT TOOK 25 YEARS FOR ME TO MEET YOU. I HOPE TODAY WILL BE A LONG DAY,” is him begging, or bargaining for more time with her after having pined after her for so long. And he doesn’t hide the fact that he has pined for her for a long time.

“THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING. BECAUSE YOU EXISTED SOMEWHERE, I WAS LESS LONELY FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS,” is deep gratitude. Just the thought of her somewhere brought him comfort in his lonely life and that’s a powerful thing. Most people depend on an actual presence of a person for them to be significant enough in their life. But for Lee Gon, just the idea of her had been enough.

“THAT’S COOL, LT. JUNG TAE EUL,” is open admiration for her character and spirit.

But I think what really drove it home for me, and also my favorite declaration of devotion, is when he said, “I IMAGINED BRINGING YOU HERE LOTS OF TIMES BEFORE” when she asked him why he looked so calm after bringing her into the palace and the entire staff erupted in disarray. It is a very simple line, but so naked in its honesty. And Lee MinHo delivers it with the glee of a child who opens his gift on Christmas morning, gets exactly what he wants, and proceeds to tell his parents thank you because he’s dreamed of it all year long and now it’s his. Except for Lee Gon, he’s dreamed of it for 25 years already. Just the weight of that longing is flabbergasting. Can you imagine anyone loving you this much?

However, for all of Lee Gon’s openness about how he feels for TaeEul, I don’t think he ever fully allowed her into his world until the 6th episode. And this is because of the 3 rules he has always abided by when it comes to himself and all three are rooted in his trauma from that night of treason in 1994.

He doesn’t eat food that hasn’t been tasted beforehand.

No one touches his body.

No one can call him by his name.

Now the first two are broken as early as the 1st and 2n d episode. TaeEul cuffs him at Gwanghwamun Square and once more back in the precinct. Then on the 3rd episode, she tapped Lee Gon on the shoulder on her way to the restroom. By this time, he’s not even protesting when she touches him, he even welcomes it now. And this is growth for him, considering the last time someone touched him in such close proximity, he almost died. And on their first dinner together, he actually surrenders that rule willingly, using that point to tell her what the idea of her has done to comfort him for the last 25 years.

But his last rule, the one rule he clung steadfastly to, was the one that did not allow anyone to call him by his name. He consistently refused to give her his name in the first 4 episodes, and even when he finally did give it to her at the start of the 5th episode, he still stuck to the rule. He gave her his name, but she is still not allowed to use it.

Now, on episodes 5 and 6, we see him on uber boyfriend mode. He’s like a kid who finally got a puppy. Here, let me take care of you. Here let me feed you. Here let me give you alcohol. Here let me kiss you. Here let me pick you up when you’re stranded. Let me play with your hand and show everyone how I feel about you. Let me pat your head to comfort you when you’re lonely.

He’s basically a giver. Let me love you. But the danger in being with someone like this is that they control what part of them you’re getting, because they pick and choose, very frequently, so you never feel like you’re lacking for any affection. But you’ll never know the full extent of what they’re giving and holding back because they won’t let you in. And he hasn’t. At least, not completely.

TaeEul had to find out the whole deal with Lee Lim and the night of treason by google searching Lee Gon and his family. When he tells her,

“I GUESS YOU NOW KNOW WHAT ROOT YOU ARE STANDING IN FRONT OF. IT’S MY HELL AND MY HISTORY THAT WAS ENGRAVED ON MY BODY BY THE GREED OF THE PERSON THAT KILLED MY FATHER AND STRANGLED ME.”

he simply confirms what she found out. But he didn’t offer the story himself. No matter how vulnerable he is with everything else, this source of his trauma is still something he struggles with. And the way that he clings to the rule that his name must never be called by anyone is a manifestation of this.

Names are deeply personal and the people who are close enough to him to say it out loud are both dead. So since he was 8, his name has never been called. He has always existed as Pyeha to everyone and this safe distance has guaranteed him safety. No one will ever get close enough to try and murder him like his uncle did. But this also afforded him great loneliness. Because Pyeha is only a title but being King has swallowed up his entire existence. That’s why he panicked when TaeEul asked him what kind of King he was. That’s why the idea of his purpose for surviving that night still evades him. Because if he doesn’t know who he is beyond the title of Pyeha, or King, it’s going to be hard to find out his purpose too.

And his name is his last barrier against TaeEul. He’s given her everything, except for the right to call him by his name. But she doesn’t wait for it. She punches right through his wall when she said,

“I WILL SEE YOU AGAIN, LEE GON.”

And he is left there, dumbfounded, because she dared. He says,

“I THOUGHT MY NAME WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE CALLED. BUT I GUESS IT WAS SUPPOSED TO CALLED ONLY BY YOU.”

And with this, by calling him by his name, she is now the person closest to him. And the impact that this had on him was huge. He’s been an orphan since he was 8 and no one has probably called his name with love until now. She just blasted his whole world wide open. And this, I think, must have been the moment when Lee Gon fell in love with Jeong TaeEul, completely, helplessly, and fiercely.

#the king eternal monarch #thekingeternalmonarch #lee gon #leegon #jeongtaeeul #jeong tae eul #leeminho #kimgoeun #lee min ho #kim go eun #kdrama #analysis

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beevean · 3 years

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Thoughts on Castlevania 3? And any words of farewell to the Classic Castlevania games while you're at it? .P

This is how you sequel. The original Castlevania was... good on its own merits, but at the end of the day didn't leave me much of an impression beyond "okay why is it now bullshit hard". Castlevania 3 takes every feature of the original and improves on it, plus adds something of its own. ... Well, it sure didn't fix the controls, and in fact they're even jankier than in the original (I accept that it may be my fault that the game didn't always make me crouch, but there's no excuse for the stairs). That's my major complaint.

(also fuck level 9.)

However! I'm amazed by the fact that this game has 15 levels, of which you play 10 in one playthrough - that is a massive jump compared to the original's 6. The partner system is also a very fun way to spice things up - I was afraid that I'd solely rely on Sypha because man her ball-casting spell can make a joke out of bosses, but no, Trevor's whip was actually useful at times! It was much more balanced than Rondo of Blood. (I wonder if Grant would have been enough of a game breaker for me to forget Trevor though :P)

I never played with Alucard, though, but from what I've heard, I didn't miss much, dude's the weakest character, and he's not even as handsome as he will become post-SOTN :P

Graphically, the game is gorgeous, although sometimes there is too much shit on the screen and the poor framerate can't keep up. The fog effects? Beeautiful. The forest in particular had a great aesthetic, and the clock tower reminded me of Metal Man stage!

That's a very good looking palette.

The music... ah man. Too many bangers to list. I was already familiar with Beginning (duh), Aquarius and Riddle, but Clockwork and Mad Forest deserve a mention too. The soundtrack keeps that mix of NES style and gothic, but I feel like it edges more towards the dramatic, and even unsettling at times.

And this concludes my adventure with the Classicvania series! I didn't play all of them, but I'd say 6 was enough :P

It's really hard for me to explain the appeal. With Metroid, I got it immediately: exploring, becoming stronger, finding secrets, learning the lore of an alien world... But Classicvania, at its core, is yet another platformer made deliberately hard for the purpose of convincing kids to buy games instead of renting them.

I once said that once you learn the rhythm, avoiding enemies becomes fun. And I think this is what makes the style so addictive: you, with your limited tools (and even physics most of the time), are tasked to understand the right strategy to get to the end alive: move this way, jump that way, learn how to use the subweapons, feel the timing of the whip, go slow here and go fast there. You said "remember when you thought Sonic 2 for Game Gear was hard", and I still say, Sonic 2 was mean and unfair, and most of its difficulty came from elements you couldn't control like the small screen. Castlevania rarely felt unfair, and in fact reminded me of Eggmanland if I have to make a Sonic comparison: it knows it's bullshit, it doesn't hide its bullshitness, but it gives you all the tools necessary to beat the level without having to resort to dumb stuff like leaps of faith or guessing randomly. You want to beat the game, you want to prove you're as good as it believes you to be. Add interesting levels to look at, soundtracks made of masterpieces, and some memorable gimmicks, and you're sold!

#castlevania #castlevania 3

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psyga315 · 3 years

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Sometimes It's Worth It All to Risk the Fall... A Rewrite of Volume 8, Finale

This part is going to be the most heavily overhauled part of the Volume, since we’re going to be moving the two final episodes over to Volume 9. As such, we get two full episodes worth of content that will be wholly original. For right now, however, let us begin with…

Trial

We open with Ironwood greeting Qrow, knowing full well they are done being friends.

“Qrow. I’m only going to ask this once. Stand. Down.” He stands up, getting a hold of one of his guns.

“No. You’ve done some stupid things in the past, but this… this takes the cake.” Qrow slowly approaches him.

“I’m not the one who ran through someone with a blade. You’re a madman, Branwen.” Ironwood said.

“I’m not the one who killed him, genius. But go ahead, keep being a bone-head. Worked wonders for you in Beacon, and I’m sure it’s doing wonders right now.” Qrow knows this is a deep wound and he salts it.

“I have done nothing but my hardest to pick up the pieces Ozpin left behind. If he were here right now, he would see the work I’ve done and marvel.” Ironwood clearly doesn’t want to fight Qrow and tries to delay this as much as he can.

“And yet, here you are, leaving behind pieces for us to pick up. Oz would be really proud of you, James… No… Friends call you James. To me, you’re nothing but a bloodthirsty general.” He then opens fire as Ironwood dodges out of the way. The two have a rather intense gunfight set to a rock song. It’d be a Quarreling Song between Qrow and Ironwood, sung for by Jeff Williams and Caleb Hyles respectively, in which it argues whether sacrifices are necessary. Ironwood argues that sacrifices are indeed necessary for a better future while Qrow argues that no one needs to sacrifice their life if it’s going to be in vain. For this hypothetical song’s title, something like “No Heart, No Brain” or something that ties into them being the Tinman and Scarecrow. That or if you want to be cheeky, “Sacrifice, Pt. 2”.

We have to remember their characters up to this point, especially for the rewrite. Ironwood believes sacrifices need to be made, thanks in large part to learning under Ozpin and getting the wrong ideas from him. Mettle kicks in to stop him from worrying about sacrificing things like Mantle or his army. Qrow, on the other hand, has a crisis of faith with Ozpin and believed that every sacrifice made was for nothing. Ironwood only served to bolster that reminder and have him realize that every Headmaster has sacrificed only for their own personal gains. What makes it worse is that the people sacrificed were almost always his close friends: Clover sacrificed by Ironwood, Shiro (and others) sacrificed by Lionheart, and Summer sacrificed by Ozpin.

This sets up an interesting crossroads where both Ironwood and Qrow, who would otherwise be heroes given optimal circumstances, are villains or close to being one. Ironwood’s office gets shredded as Qrow pulls out all the stops, transforming into a bird to disorientate Ironwood, using his bad luck to cause Ironwood to fall over or run out of bullets, and using his weapon to cut into Ironwood. In the middle of this, Qrow brings up how he sacrificed nothing, only for Ironwood to reveal his broken body and reveal that he has indeed sacrificed himself. He just has the misfortune of living through it and not dying like the rest of the heroes, not to mention the curse of knowing your sacrifices were for nothing.

The battle ends with Qrow breaking a window and having Ironwood on the ropes, Palpatine vs. Windu style. He holds Ironwood at sword point. Ironwood’s aura breaks and his Semblance goes with it. He is stuck in a pile of remorse and regret. He looks up to Qrow and tells him to finish it. Qrow, however, just says:

“You don’t get to rush this.” Just before he hits, though, an arrow whizzes past him.

“That was a warning shot.” Robyn said.

“I didn’t realize idiocy is a disease. This monster’s too dangerous to be kept alive!” Qrow said.

To make a long chat short, Robyn tries to argue with Qrow that killing Ironwood isn’t the answer, that it won’t bring Clover back, the usual ‘if you kill him, you’ll be like him’ bullshit. Qrow brings up that every moment Ironwood is alive is a chance for Atlas and Mantle to fall in flames. They could change it for the better, but it has to start by killing Ironwood. Just as he’s about to pull the trigger, we hear two clicks. One is from Qrow’s gun, the other is from Mettle.

“So… What you’re saying is that I’m the sacrifice needed for Mantle’s future?” Qrow’s eyes widened as he gets up and points his gun at Qrow’s head. “Do it then. Shoot me like I am one of your soldiers. You’ll realize then just how easy it is to shoot anyone who poses as a threat…” He aims his second gun at Robyn. “Or a hinderance.” There’s a tense moment as either person is just moments away from killing someone. Then…

Ironwood puts his guns away and calmly walks off. “You don’t have the resolve to finish what you’ve started.” His Aura gives way yet again, having only recovered enough just to use Mettle one last time. Qrow is left there to ponder if he was about to do the right thing. Robyn comes over to comfort him.

We cut to the whale. We see Weiss and Winter do a sisterly team up to fight the Grimm armies as the Ace Ops wonder what to do about the bomb. Harriet votes to have Ironwood arm it anyways, knowing that, chances are, it will blow up while Marrow votes not to. However, they don’t need to wait for long as they see that the bomb is armed and ready to go off in an hour. They turn to see Watts holding a phone and smirking.

It doesn’t take a genius to know that Watts had hacked into the bomb using the credentials from Ironwood to activate it. The reason for the time delay is so that they can take the bomb and bring it to Mantle, blowing it up and making it look like Ironwood did it to force its people to comply. Before the Ace Ops can rush him, Neo and Cinder leap in and make short work of them. However, they are the Ace Ops for a reason. Marrow Stays Cinder and holds her in place long enough for Harriet to rush over and kick her.

Vine holds Neo in place while Elm smashes her. Basically, the two pairs mess up Cinder and Neo until Watts hacks into their weapons and makes them work against them. Fast Knuckles freezes up and locks Harriet’s upper body in place, Fetch flies back to Marrow and smacks him, and Timber refuses to come out of the inappropriate launcher mode. In an effort to get it unstuck, Elm smacks it and accidentally causes a missile to launch, with Watts guiding it towards Marrow. Vine uses his Semblance to block the missile but it blows up and drains his aura, right as his throwing star comes back and stabs him in the chest.

The Ace Ops have no time to even say goodbye to their mortally wounded friend as they are stuck right where the villains want them. Despite this, they manage to have one final stand. Harriet gets so pissed that she breaks her own weapons and runs over, smacking Neo with a Gravity Bolas. Elm uses the blunt end of the launcher to attack Watts and get him to relinquish his phone. And, of course, Marrow uses Stay one last time on Cinder and Neo, freezing them in place. However, he’s drained and is about to lose control at any second.

Harriet comes in clutch, however, fastening the bolas around Cinder’s neck and trying to choke her out with it. This triggers Cinder’s memories of when she had the collar and it’s a baaaaad move on Harriet’s part. She bursts into flames, knocking Harriet’s aura out just as Marrow’s runs out too. Cinder rips the bolas from her throat and, wanting to get revenge, is about to grab Harriet’s neck with the Grimm hand. However, Marrow runs in and takes a mortal wound. Harriet becomes distraught and sees as Marrow dies without any sort of last words. Vine had expired a few minutes prior. With them dead, the two remaining Ace Ops are at the villains’ mercy when suddenly Cinder gets sniper rifled. Cinder turns to see Ruby and co arrive, now having finally evened the odds.

But then, Cinder sees Emerald and the true title of Trial comes in as Cinder tempts Emerald to return to her side. This is Emerald’s trial. Is she truly remorseful for what she’s done or does she only care for Cinder?

That’s when we cut to black…

Midnight

Ooooooh yes. Yes, we are doing this.

We open with Qrow, slinking through the Atlas halls. Everyone is noticeably gone from their posts. He realizes that Salem’s forces are causing the priorities to shift to her. Otherwise, he would have been gunned down. All he has for opponents are robots that have gone haywire from Watts’s hacking and engage in kamikaze attacks. Unlike in the original, though, Qrow doesn’t just fire once then give up, but rather apathetically cleaves through each of them. He drops his weapon and lets the last one finish him off, but Robyn comes in and shoots down the robot before it can explode.

She confronts him for his suicidal behavior and Qrow admits that killing Ironwood to save Atlas and Mantle would fall under the logic of sacrifice that he loathes so much. Not to mention the unrest that would come from his death as he experienced first hand with Lionheart and Ozpin. He asks Robyn if people would cheer for his death, to which Robyn instantly rejects. His death will not solve anything. Yes, he needs to answer for his crimes, but a summary execution will only make their situation worse.

What they need is a revolution. Something to upend the system of an Atlas council overlooking Mantle and neglecting their needs. She briefly mentions how this was a problem with Mantle even before Ironwood took his two seats, since Mantle has been stigmatized heavily for causing the Great War. Maybe even hint to that idea I had written a year ago where the Mantle that actually caused the Great War became Atlas, left the rest of Mantle to take the fall, and that Ozma was well aware of this but let it happen anyways because “we are in a time of peace”. Qrow seems to be moved by Robyn’s words and promptly joins her side. We’ll see them commandeer an aircraft that’ll get them to Mantle later in the episode.

Another scene that will be later in the episode will be Jacques and the Councilmen figuring out how to restore the heating to Mantle. Not a huge scene, but just to catch us up on where Pietro and Maria have been, as they find themselves also working with Jacques to fix the problem. We can even have a funny quip from Jacques where he wants to go down as the man remembered for saving Mantle and everyone being like “bruh, you put it in this situation in the first place.”

Emerald and Cinder stare each other down. Ruby goes up and tries to Silver Eyes the problem away, but Neo rushes her, with Yang rushing to her defense. We get a good look at Ruby & Yang vs. Neo while Watts takes on Blake and Yang. Jaune, Ren, Nora, and Oscar rush up to Emerald as Cinder taunts Oscar about how he lost the last time. Oscar retorts that he won’t be fighting alone this time.

As Team ALPN/ORNJ/JNPR2 fight Cinder, Emerald is frozen in fear. On one hand, she doesn’t want to fight for a Grimm commander seeking to destroy the world. On the other, she really wants to stand by her waifu’s side. Unfortunately for her, Cinder begins to gaslight her or whatever abusive partner trick this is:

“Come now, Emerald… You remember how poor and desolate you were before I found you… I picked you up from the gutters and gave you a life you could have only dreamed of.” For the first time, though, Cinder sounds incredibly genuine with what she says. As she does, we cut…

To a younger Cinder. This is where the flashback kicks in. However, we’ll be expanding on this quite a bit. For one, we can see Rhodes try to get Cinder out of her confinement, only for someone (tempted to make it a younger Ozpin, as though Cinder killing him back in Volume 3 would be some form of karma but might be too dark) to stop and tell him that “we live in a time of peace.” This sets Cinder off something fierce, since people would rather turn away from uncomfortable subject matter. The story continues as normal until Cinder kills Rhodes.

We get a montage of Cinder trying (and failing) to adapt to her life of freedom, ironically proving Rhodes right that she’ll never stop running. I’m thinking a few montages where she goes from town to town, working for a bit before either her past catches up to her (wanted posters, most likely) or she is reminded of her painful experiences, in which case, she runs more.

We’ll see her meeting with Salem, though my idea of how, admittedly, would be too fanservicey. Something “she ends up seeing what Salem’s old team used to be like and it was filled with people who are clear counterparts to the team she’s currently with, like Merlot is Watts, Tock is Tyrian, and this big buff girl based off Helios is Hazel.” Realistically, I’d see the classic WTCH set up. The long story short of it, though, is that Salem asks Cinder a question:

“You keep running from a society that is filled with problems but you never stopped to ask yourself… What do you want most of all?”

And that’s when we get Cinder saying her desires that she said in V3.

Cut back to the battle at hand as Cinder offers Emerald to join her side. And, shock of shocks…

She accepts. She immediately backstabs Oscar and Jaune, allowing Cinder to rush past Nora and Ren to grab the bomb and commence the bombing of Mantle, ranting about how Atlas had ignored the people in pain for far too long and that now it’s time to pay for their actions. However, just she is about to gloat about having power, she notices that Jaune and Oscar… weren’t really there. She realizes what just happened as she sees Emerald joining Ruby and Yang’s battle against Neo, just long enough to grab the Relic of Knowledge.

“What are you doing!?” Cinder asks her.

“Before I work with you and take even more lives… There’s something I want to know… Jinn!” Emerald shouts into it as Jinn appears. Without any hesitation (knowing that Cinder or someone else can easily steal the final question from her), she asks: “Does Cinder… truly care for me?”

Jinn looks to Emerald and pouts. Her power could be used for anything… And yet, like before, she is used to air out dirty laundry.

But, she complies and gives her a look back at her past. We see the scene in Volume 3 where Cinder meets Emerald unfold, this time in Maya, where we see things from Cinder’s perspective. When she cornered Emerald and noticed how desperate she was, she was reminded of herself. She thought about how Rhodes took her under his wing. She offered to do the same, almost genuinely. It seems as though Emerald got her answer…

Then we see her interact with Emerald on different occasions, including when she slaps her. We get deep into Cinder’s thoughts about how she viewed Emerald as the weak self she discarded long ago and thus, she treats her like shit because of her past. Not even taking her recent action to defend her at Amity with the slightest amount of gratitude.

Jinn concludes the flashback by telling her “yes, she did truly care for you… But that has long since went away. I hope it was worth it.” Jinn then returns to the Lamp as it dims. A moment of silence later and Cinder is furious. Not just at the fact that Emerald wasted a question, but that her past was revealed to all of her worst enemies at once. She rushes to kill Emerald, Emerald freezes and flinches in shock… And then…

STAB!

Cinder finds herself impaled on Crocea Mors. She coughs up blood as she sees Jaune in front of Emerald.

“So… that’s how broken you truly are… I have nothing left for you… but pity.” Jaune takes the sword out, refusing to kill her. Though, it looks to be a mortal wound. Emerald’s eyes widen as Cinder begins to writhe at her wound. Her arm goes out of control, and she begins to hyperventilate.

“No… I won’t die… to a mere insect like yourself! Do you realize who I am!? I am strong! I am feared! I’m…”

“Weak.” Ruby tells this to Cinder. Her eyes then begin to glow as Cinder goes “oh shit”. With nowhere to go, she takes the full blast of Ruby’s silver eyes, which also turns the immediate area inside of Monstra into stone. Cinder notices her arm begin to shrivel but still trying to stretch to its length. Cinder’s on her last legs and she knows it. She desperately tries to find some way to linger on…

And that’s when it dawned upon her.

Immediately, she cheap shots Ruby with a fireball and flies off. Neo holds off Ruby and Yang to distract them. Cinder sees Salem, still on fire (though the embers and stasis seem to be dying down) and, clutching to her wound, tells Salem that, yes… Without her, she is nothing. But, because of her…

She will be powerful.

Her Grimm hand impales Salem’s chest and begins to absorb the magic from her. Salem can do nothing but watch as her magic is being drained. However, it became fortunate that Cinder doesn’t steal her magic. As she sees the stab wound close on Cinder, Salem realizes that Cinder is robbing her immortality and lust for destruction. Though, not entirely.

See, they were curses from the Gods and not directly magic. As such, trying to absorb or otherwise destroy them wouldn’t exactly work. Not even Maidens can hope to replicate it, so the most it gives Cinder is a healing factor and, as the Brother of Darkness’s curse came from the Grimm Liquid… Oh yeah.

Cinder’s arm begins to grow more onto her body and she cackles in a maddening fit of laughter as the Grimm part over takes her, almost like a certain black goo. It then engulfs her head, creating a sort of Grimm helmet. We are introduced to the Hound 2.0: Cinder Fall.

One immediate difference is that she retains not just her Maiden powers, but also her intellect (‘haha, Cinder is dumb though!’, I meant as in she’s not as brainwashed as the previous Hound). She thanks Salem for the gift as Salem glares at her. Obviously, this moment has become Cinder’s “letter of resignation”. Now she goes back into the fray with her new powers in tow. I don’t want to say she goes all Mortal Kombat 9!Sindel on their asses, but… It’s a new power upgrade for Cinder and her big W for this volume. Try as they might, they can’t land a decisive blow against her. Winter is the closest, but she’s also the one that almost gets mortally wounded.

Cinder takes the bomb, with only ten minutes left on it, and flies out with flaming Nevermore wings. That’s when Penny interferes and the two have your boring superhero dogfight you’ve probably seen Nerdstalgic take the piss out of. Look, not all fights can be winners and you need at least one bad fight for this rewrite. However, visually, it is pleasing to see with Cinder and Penny blasting fire and ice at each other, utterly decimating both Atleasan and Grimm armies.

Meanwhile, RWBY manage to beat their foes now that ALPNE joined up as back up. Now all that’s left is to take on Cinder and get the bomb back. Weiss and Winter dual summoned a Nevermore and they try to rush out, but unfortunately, Salem’s timer has just run out and she is free to curbstomb them. Ruby tries to get her Silver Eyes to work on Salem, believing that, since she’s part Grimm, maybe that could stop her in some way, but Salem immediately goes right for her and smirks.

“You will be a fine addition…” She drags Ruby, shrugging off any and all attacks on her, while she finds a pool of Grimm Liquid. Ruby knows what she is planning to do… But, just then…

Boom!

Harriet and Elm come in and knock Salem by surprise. Harriet says that this changes nothing about them wanting to arrest RWBY, just that they have a bigger fish to fry. Salem goes for a 1v12 and… well, if people insist that Adam and Ironwood wouldn’t be able to solo half that, it shouldn’t come as no surprise that Salem finds herself on the losing end of the battle. This was the outcome she wanted to avoid for so long: unity. Despite the division she gave onto Atlas and RWBY, they still manage to work together to overcome her. Worse still, Neo and Watts decide to join the winning side and defect to Cinder.

However, the battle, now that everyone else is getting involved, becomes chaotic. In the chaos, Harriet takes the phone from Watts and renders him useless in battle while Yang finally beats Neo and sends her flying. During this battle, Cinder finds a weak spot and exploits it, mortally wounding Watts and sending him falling to his death to the city of Mantle.

Cinder, now edging to the brink of insanity, takes the bomb in her hands and rushes to detonate the bomb at Mantle. However, Ruby stuns her long enough for Penny to take the bomb. Realizing what must be done, Ruby and Penny look at each other. Of course, Ruby insists she drops the bomb and gets out of there, but Penny tells her like it is.

“I’m tired of letting people decide for me… All it’s done is make this situation worse. So, please… Let me make my own choice.” Penny hands Ruby her Floating Array and flies off to the whale. After a few moments… boom. The bomb goes off and destroys the whale. Cinder is furious at having lost the opportunity to obtain her powers, but then she gets a big surprise when she gets stabbed in the back by Winter. Making matters worse is that Ruby’s eyes go off and clear away some of the Hound armor on Cinder, forcing her to retreat. Still, a massive win on Cinder’s part as she gets away with a lot more power than what she started the volume off on.

We end with everyone gazing at total awe at the explosion going off. We see that Penny had sacrificed herself to hold the bomb in place so that it destroys only the whale and makes Salem’s regeneration time the longest it’s been. About twelve to twenty-four hours.

Which brings us to our final episode:

Creation

It has been an hour since the bomb went off. The heat on Mantle begins to be turned on again, however the Mantleans are still afraid of Atlas for their willy nilly neglect. They do not trust Jacques as the person who restored the heat, but they’re not going to tear him limb from limb when he comes on to announce his role in saving Mantle. However, that’s when the civilians point out his ships that rescued people were destroyed by Grimm. As a result, they blame him for killing more Mantleans and they shun him. I want his comeuppance to not be some sort of “lol, boom” and then he’s dead. Give him consequences that are inherently tied to his character.

Just before things get into a riot, Robyn and Qrow arrive to try and calm down the situation, reminding them that the Grimm will only make their situation worse. Robyn doesn’t make a rousing speech (since the episode will be pretty long already) but she asks whoever would be willing to finally stick it to Ironwood and the Atlasian Council to come with her. People comply, with Qrow slinking away into the background.

We then cut to RWBY and the rest at Pietro’s shop where he learns the unfortunate news. Despite knowing he can bring her back, he’s still upset because he doesn’t really know if he’s able to split his aura again. The despair he feels causes Emerald to be remorseful at the fact that she killed Penny and made it look like Pyrrha did it. Ren then notices some aura petals coming from the Floating Array. He realizes that Pietro may not even need to split his aura, then asks Ruby, since she was the last person Penny spoke to, if she had received the Maiden powers. She shakes her head and Winter can confirm that it hasn’t gone to her either.

Ren then confirms his suspicions. Penny is still alive, since she would have otherwise clearly had Ruby or Winter in her mind when she died. There’s a short scene that confirms that, yes, she had backed up her aura in the Floating Array. Now comes the solution of rebuilding her and transferring the aura over. Unfortunately, it’s easier said than done, as the Grimm invasion left Pietro’s shop ravaged and Atlas is still engaged in battle with the Grimm (albeit now at a reduced level than when Salem was invading). Not to mention that Pietro is branded as a criminal. Penny is stuck in this state of being and knowing that causes Ruby to have a breakdown.

She realized that this was the massive consequence to betraying Ironwood’s trust and trying to win a battle with just their group. This is followed with a brief bit where both sides talk about how they basically failed what they set out to do. However, Oscar brings up that even though they have failed, they also succeeded. Salem’s suffering the greatest setback she’s ever had, they made Ironwood’s dream a reality, and they managed to Mantle. He admits the chances someone will come to Atlas’s rescue are slim to none, but what matters is that they had the truth come out.

He pauses.

“Speaking of the truth…” He closes his eyes and lets Ozpin take over.

Immediately, RWBY, Jaune, and Nora turn their weapons on him. Ozpin calmly addresses his people.

“I know you have a reason to despise me. I also know that you’ve walked a day in my shoes and have learned the painful lesson I had learned. However, you confronted the consequences of your actions instead of running away like I have been doing all my life. This past day has taught me just as it had taught you. And I feel like I should share with you what I know about the Relic of Creation.” We’re not gonna drag with lengthy exposition, so after that, Harriet, Elm, and Winter arrive. They were told by Ironwood to take them to the Vault. Not as criminals…

But as challengers.

We cut to the Vault where Ironwood is standing by the door. His posture is relaxed, yet there’s tensed shoulders. He sees some guards enter the room and allowing RWBYALPNE in. He’s surprised that Emerald’s with them, but he nonetheless lets her in.

“What is this about? If you still want to levitate Atlas into the sky…” As Ruby was about to bitch at him, Ironwood shakes his head.

“This entire kingdom will crumble if we continue to bicker. I’ve seen you lot risk everything to save everyone. I’ve also heard of Penny’s… sacrifice.” He frowns a bit before he continues. “However, Salem will not stay dead for long. However, with the Relic, we can ensure that she can.” Oscar seems perplexed with the idea.

“You know that Salem can’t be killed. Many have tried, even herself. What makes you different?” Ozpin asks.

“…” He acknowledges Ozpin’s return for a moment before he talks. “I will use the Staff to recreate the bomb, then merge it with Salem’s remains. When she reforms, the bomb will be fused to her and will be detonated, restarting the process over and over. The Staff can’t destroy her, but what it can make will.”

“But… then Atlas will…” Weiss said.

“I know. But that’s a sacrifice I am willing to make. Or… at least that’s what I want to believe.” As he says this, Ren can see the purple petals of fear and he is the first to step up.

“But you don’t, do you? You don’t want to commit to it and take responsibility.” Ren said.

“I have always taken responsibility for my actions. And this is just another one.” He then holds his arms out and tells them the reason he called them here. “It’s time for you to take your responsibility. Fight me for the right to use the Staff.” As he says that, guards flank the door leading to the Vault, making a simple B-line impossible without getting shot. Harriet, Elm, and Winter join his side, even when Ironwood insists that they stay out of it. However, he can’t fault them for doing what their heart desires. He steps forward, guns drawn as we hear the Mettle click. The petals on him turn white. Ren calmly closes his eyes.

“You can’t be serious… We’re going to trounce you!” Jaune chuckles only for Ren to tap his shoulder.

“This isn’t a test of strength… This… is a question that must be answered: ‘can you match my resolve?’” With that, “Be Strong, Hit Stuff” plays as the group engage in battle against Ironwood. As stated before, Ironwood is fighting a losing battle, but it gets dragged out on the merit that both of them have run ragged. It breaks down to some smaller scale fights: Winter vs. Weiss and Emerald (ironic given how the Openings always had the two fight each other), Elm vs. Ren and Nora, Harriet vs. Jaune and Blake, and lastly Ironwood vs. RBY.

These become more philosophical debates in the form of battle. The Schneebowl ft. Emerald is about devotion to your savior, as Winter and Emerald were pulled out of shitty lives but placed in the care only for their use to their plans. Elm vs. Renora could have the hotly debated “was Mantle more important than Atlas” discussion. Harriet is lashing out about her loss of her friends to Jaune, who just goes “yeah, I know that feel, bra” throughout the whole fight. Harriet, mid-fight, reveals Marrow’s motivation to join the Ace-Ops was to better the relationship between Humans and Faunus. She even reveals that she was a Faunus herself, but that she took a more drastic measure to hide her Faunus traits and removed the rabbit ears she had.

However, it’s Ironwood vs. Ruby, Oscar, and Yang that gets the most focus. We have Yang and Ironwood trade punches as we finally hear Yang thank him for the prosthetic. He apologizes if he ends up breaking it during the fight and that, regardless of outcome, he knows Pietro will make Yang a new one.

Finally, we have Ruby and Oscar’s fight with Ironwood which will no doubt fan the flames of Rose Garden shipping and cause a delicious flame war to follow. They come to blows with the fact that they trusted so little in each other, Ruby calling him out for expecting people to follow his orders exactly and Ironwood calling Ruby out for being exactly like Ozpin and asking him when she would have told him the whole truth if Mantle wasn’t at risk.

By this point, Harriet, Elm, and Winter lose, with Weiss and Winter having a badass final strike. At the same time, Qrow and Robyn come onto Atlas with the HH in tow. I’d say that RT would have had an entire army of rioters accompany them, but because of recent events, they decided to nix that idea and just have the HH.

Ironwood manages to take Yang out, predictably breaking her arm. Oscar is tired out because he and Ozpin just took hours of torture at Salem’s hands. It’s down to him and Ruby, but they’re both tired out. Ruby uses the last of her Aura to boost herself to Ironwood and, using Penny’s sword, chops off Ironwood’s robot arm, literally disarming him. Ironwood’s Aura is turned off and he realizes his path, his resolve, couldn’t match that of Ruby’s. Instead of blubbering or ranting, he calmly tells Ruby that whatever she plans to do with the Staff, she must take note that she will endure the consequences. He’ll probably instruct her that the genie inside the Staff will want blueprints. With that, the gang head over to the gate to open it using Penny’s swords as a sort of key.

Yang stays behind and tells Ironwood that they apologize for omitting the truth, but before she could finish

Ironwood turns to Winter, Harriet, and Elm and is about to calmly give them his last order as general, when suddenly…

STAB!

Qrow impales Ironwood from the back.

“I made a promise that you’d take the fall… No matter what.” Qrow coldly whispers to Ironwood. He lets Ironwood bleed out as he faces the remaining Ace Ops. Holding onto Clover’s charm, he taps into his Semblance and causes each of them to fumble and lose their weapons. Robyn comes in and yells at Qrow.

“DAMN IT! THIS ISN’T WHAT WE AGREED ON!” Robyn loaded her gun, but notices it jammed… Another use of his Semblance.

“Sorry, tuts, but in a revolution, the tyrant often loses his head.” Qrow smirks and is about to behead Ironwood, only to see Yang from afar. She had witnessed him stab Ironwood. Ruby comes back to check up on Yang and sees the bloodied general. Yang calls him out on betraying them, believing Harriet to be right, only for Qrow to retort that she betrayed them all, then asks her a simple question:

“When you were in the Vault, you knew your mother was the Spring Maiden, right?” With that, the other shoe finally drops as Ruby looks over to Yang and realizes this mini-betrayal. “You talk a big game about having people tell you the full story but when it’s your turn, you decide to omit crucial facts.”

Ruby, having been personally betrayed by her own sister, hurries off into the vault and proceeds to shut the rest out. Not even Oscar can break through the door. Harriet loses it and believes the gang was in on this, but seeing how they betrayed they feel, she quickly assumes that, no, they didn’t know Qrow turned traitor despite her warning. Qrow smirks and flies away via bird transformation. Robyn finally gets her weapon ready and fires at Qrow, only for bad luck to activate again, ricochet and stab Harriet right in the chest. Her fate is left ambiguous.

Ruby activates Ambrosius and the scene goes pretty unaltered except for the choice in music. It’s now a more dark, sinister song, almost in tune to Salem’s theme or even the song used when she begs the God of Darkness to bring Ozma back. This is to play into the awareness that, like what Salem did long ago, Ruby is going to indirectly doom Remnant to bring back a loved one. And that there are going to be consequences for her trying to fight for every life.

As Penny is “revived” and given her human form, Atlas begins to fall and everyone can see and feel it. Ironwood chuckles and in his last words, he gives everyone his final order: Save yourselves. We end with Penny asking Ruby what she had done as Cinder looks at the falling Kingdom and chuckles to herself, giving us the final word:

“In the end… Chaos wins.”

Stinger

Qrow witnesses the fall of Atlas for himself, but looks to a list he has written down. On it are two people: Tyrian and Theodore. He smirks, then flies off.

Conclusion

And that was how I would rewrite Volume 8. Honestly, this was a bit of a work to give every arc a pay-off and I feel like it might have been better off if a few were excised. There are obviously still problems, such as this still not being Weiss’s story like it was hyped to be. However, the overall point is to fix some major problems with Volume 8 and obviously, the piss poor fight with Ironwood was what motivated me to do this rewrite.

Well, I hope you enjoyed reading this. Let me know your thoughts down in the description below.

#RWDE #RWBY #Rewrite #Volume 8

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ifeveristoday · 4 years

Text

well, that escalated quickly

The first card of the Major Arcana, The Fool is generally a positive card indicating new beginnings. If it appears in your readings it could mean that you are on the verge of an exciting, unexpected new adventure. Your new adventure will bring you along a path which may require you to make a leap of faith but you will grow as a result of this new experience. This new adventure could be a literal new adventure, like travelling to a place you’ve never been before. The change this card can bring will usually be a welcome one. While the Fool is generally a positive card, its appearance in a reading can also indicate that you need to take the time to look before you leap. [x]

Even when reversed, the Fool is an indicator of newness; as well as the purity and open-hearted energy of a child. This is generally considered a positive card, with the caveat that it's important to take time to be sure that you are "looking where you're going." In reversal, The Fool can show that there is a need for a new beginning, but that there is some hesitancy about making it happen. [x]

When the Fool card is reversed, you are encountering an unfinished side of yourself, a part still caught in the shadows of ignorance or immaturity. An emotional reflex or psychological attitude could be holding you back from responding authentically and naturally.

Release yourself from any dogmas or taboos so your natural truthfulness and instinct for right action can be restored. [x]

Light some incense and find a crushed velvet vest and let’s get to issue 16 of Buffy.

Spoilers, as always underneath the cut. Also long and semi-rambly so if you’re new to this tumblr...yeah.

Short version: There’s a thing I’m not sure I like yet, the usual layer cake of THEMES and how it all ties together, and good character stuff.

Wow. So they’re really going there with Buffy and Evil! Xander. But it’s not like the comic hasn’t left crumbs of a potential -- something happening between them. Vamp! Xander’s first confrontation with Buffy was a crude sexual come-on, which she rebuffed very quickly, and then when he had his soul, there was an ambiguous hug between them in Hellmouth. Xander’s feelings about Buffy have always been pretty clear.

And while I’m not thrilled that in the year 2020 we still can’t have a platonic relationship between Buffy and Xander (like, I joke about this being a Point to the reboot that Joss insisted on, but of course that’s just speculation. But come on. He totally would), it’s not like the comic was not giving clues, clunky though some of them may be. Buffy’s Slayer dream of Vamp! Xander and Vamp! Her, Robin’s oddly insistent interrogation of Buffy’s feelings for Xander, the dinosaur gift of Zeppo, and Buffy’s own ambivalence toward Robin as a real potential boyfriend.

Issue 14 (which I still haven’t written a thorough post about) showcases (not explicitly written as such, but the characteristics are there) a PTSD-afflicted Buffy, who has lost both of her best friends in a matter of weeks. She’s not on good terms with her mother, Giles is still weird after his descent into magically induced MRA-ness and not exactly comforting her, and having to accept the reality of Kendra being a Slayer as well. There’s a lot of anxiety, jealousy, and survivor’s guilt thrown in there as well, and we all know Buffy’s favorite thing to do when she’s going through a lot of pain: ISOLATE HERSELF.

And then here’s Robin, telling her he’s on her side and is a friendly face and Buffy seizes that emotional life line and decides, well if I can’t like myself (this is referenced in Issue 15), Robin will do it for me. It’s a lonely, but understandable grasp at something normal and not...the reality of her present life.

Except Robin realizes he can’t be Buffy’s emotional support almost-boyfriend, and that Buffy has a martyr complex where she can’t be just the hero but also the villain in her own story - she takes on all of the fault but none of the help and love that does exist in her life.

He tells her that one of her problems is that she just doesn’t like herself.

And it’s a hard truth for Buffy to bear but she admits it.

Issue 16 dips into Buffy’s mixed up feelings re: love and connection and the thread that ties it together is the tarot card Jenny pulls from her spread to read to Dolly, her cat.

Best reveal of the reboot so far, no I won’t take any objections. Her cat! Is named Dolly! Possibly after Dolly Parton, stealth producer of BtVS!

Jenny, lone human adult voice of Reason, pulls the upside down Fool and I’ve included three meanings of it up above. The reason why I think it’s a common thread for this issue is because in Buffy’s slayer dream where she’s riding Zeppo the Symbolism? What Symbolism Dinosaur with Xander (with some terrible punning), Buffy says that they can’t let Zeppo drive, he’s too young and doesn’t know how to get to where they’re going. Xander replies, “Do you even remember where we’re going?”

And prior to this Buffy worries that they’re going too fast and to slow down.

This could signify a number of things - definitely new beginnings with Evil! Xander and the changed nature of his relationship to Buffy, Buffy’s personal fear that she doesn’t know what’s happening, only that it is too fast, and the fact they’re both so young. And for the moment, Xander will forever be this young. And with his reputation as being the ‘funny’ one, Xander could also be considered a Fool.

He’s in a state of being unfinished - he’s never going to experience the trials of regular adulthood, the personal milestones a human being has. And Buffy is unfinished in that she’s not done growing up, but she is also the Slayer, which requires a level of sacrifice that other girls her age wouldn’t experience.

Jenny pulling this card - well, there’s the unfinished nature of her relationship with Giles, they’re broken up but still pining over each other, and the fact that she doesn’t seem to have stayed in touch with anyone in the Scoobies? And her only confidante seems to be her cat. Which, no judgement, cats are good listeners.

Dolly is also a good detector of Ye Olde Supernatural Bullshit, as she senses something bad behind Jenny’s all of a sudden visitor, and Hulk! Giles a few issues back.

It is of course, Xander, who is gleefully pleased that it was that easy to trick Jenny into inviting him in.

Fade into black- sort of, as the next step is Xander playing mind games via text.

Right after Buffy has her weird dinosaur dream, she tries to google meanings of it, as well as sending Willow texts in a long chain of non replied thread, updating her about what’s been happening in Sunnydale in her absence. I noticed she used a similar - “I’ll be here for you” in her message to Rose, and I think that’s Buffy’s way of changing. She wants to be there for her people, instead of avoiding them.

And she gets a text (Miss me?) from Xander, which prompts her to run to Giles and Kendra.

This is a neat(?) reference to how Xander got catfished by Drusilla when she texted him from Buffy’s phone. God, the way this sentence sounds out of context to an TV canon fan.

ANYWAY.

Buffy states that Xander died the night the Hellmouth closed, and they had a candlelight vigil and his parents barely leave the house - which makes me think while Hank Summers is a bastard in every ‘verse, Boom! has a good dad for Robin, Joyce and Eric for Buffy, and apparently good parents for Willow and Xander as well. Yay.

Kendra, who is more objective than Buffy and Giles can be regarding Xander, theorizes that Xander’s disappearance might not be death in a final sense, but rather his soul disappearing. Which causes the question, where has his body been this whole time? Also, I see that I Robot, You Jane easter egg, Jordie.

Setting Jenny’s house on fire, that’s what. Giles gets a similarly upsetting text on his phone, and they run to her house. Buffy and Kendra immediately throw themselves into save the cat (and Jenny!) mode and run into Evil! Xander. Quite literally - Xander grabs Kendra by the neck and throws her out of the window from the second floor - don’t worry, she survives.

We can’t be fridging the POC this early, after all.

Then it’s Xander and Buffy’s first glimpse of each other since Hellmouth, and standard enemy banter ensues - Xander says it’s just them and Buffy snaps that it’s only in his dreams. Then the staircase starts cracking due to the fire’s heat and Buffy’s thisclose to falling off when Xander grabs her, and in his human mask tells her that it could just be them together, if she wants it. Buffy takes Kendra’s advice to stop feeling and just think, and kicks Xander in a jump with both her feet aimed at his chest. Also she says she’d rather die than let that happen, which...I really hope aren’t famous last words.

The fool card flutters down and lands on Buffy’s forehead, reminding her that she’s on a rescue mission for Jenny. Who is nowhere to be found, but Dolly leaps into Buffy’s arms, and she carries her out.

Giles, Kendra and Buffy reconvene at Giles’s and try to figure out why Xander targeted Jenny.

Giles, who started the issue being a concerned mentor has grown smaller and less confident toward the end as he asks Buffy and Kendra to find Jenny. Buffy vows that they’re going to make Xander pay. Giles sadly agrees and then leaves to show Dolly the garden.

Let me pause a moment to cry about the fact that Giles is showing Jenny’s cat the garden.

Kendra and Buffy bond, sincerely, for the first time since Kendra made her appearance. Sister slayers, fuck yeah! Also, I love Kendra’s characterization and I hope she stays for a long time. And not die.

There’s a thawing there as each switch positions - Kendra tells Buffy it’s okay that she feels the way she feels, as Buffy tells her, no, she’s right, Xander isn’t the boy she knew, and to treat him like he’s just a regular vampire.

Then she admits she’s not sure if she misses Xander, or if it’s something else, to which Kendra replies, “I think when you know, you know.”

And Buffy asks her like her and Rose - and Kendra confirms it.

Just as Kendra’s words end the issue, Willow - who could be OG timeline Willow, or an Alternate Verse Willow, comes into the light and holds Rose’s hand.

DRAAAAMA.

So. Xander and Buffy heading toward something, Kendra/Rose confirmed, Giles has now adopted Dolly, Jenny’s status: Currently Unknown.

And Willow?

Though with the Fool, there’s that meaning of new adventures and travelling to a place you’ve never been before. That sums up Willow’s current journey so far.

#buffy comics #boom! studios #boom! verse #thoughts and reactions #spoilers #also i knew all those past tarot card covers and just the symbolism in the cards had to come back #unless it was all a neat coincidence

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melwritesstufff · 4 years

Text

Bakugou x Reader-Confessions

I realize I have no stories posted so here’s a reader insert I did a few months back. Enjoy! :)

Warnings: No nsfw, it’s just fluff and kissing

Word count: 1566

(Y/N’s P.O.V.)

Brrrriiiinnnggggggg

ugh

Brrrriiiinnnggggggg

“Y/N Get up you’re going to be late for school!”

Stop please

Brrrriiiinnnggggggg

Y/N if you don’t get down here you’re going to miss breakfast AND the bus!”

Fine, I'll get up

I kick off the blankets on my bed, rubbing my eyes trying to wake myself up. I get up and look in my closet for my uniform. Which are, of course, all identical. Once i’ve gotten ready, i go down ready to eat breakfast.

“Hey Mom whats for bre-”

“No time to eat! You missed your bus! It left almost five minutes ago!”

My eyes widen, I quickly grabbed my bag and run out the door.

As I'm running, I see a certain head of blonde spikes, who is also running on the other side of the street. He spots me as well, sends me a smirk then starts sprinting to the school gates. I speed up, my new objective not to get to school on time, but to beat Mr. Spikey Hair. Are you kidding me Bakugou? I’m already late and now you have to turn this into a race? It. Is. On.

He looks back at me as we get closer and realizes I'm gaining on him.

“Hey funny face! Finally catching up I see!”

If i want to beat him i’m going to need to be smart about this. Maybe if I distract him i can get ahead. I got this.

“Oh shut up. I’m just as fast as you are Bakagou”

That really set him off. Now everything falls into place as i am about to win this dumb race.

“OI THE FUCK YOU SAY TO ME YOU LITTLE SHIT”

He starts his usual angry boy routine you know, the yelling, the explosions the unnecessary name calling, and most importantly, getting distracted. As he starts to fire up his explosions, I sprint to the school gates, hoping he won’t notice until I’ve made it through the gate.

“HEY GET BACK HERE”

I start running faster. Come on YN, almost there. Just as i hear bakugou starting to catch up to me as i did with him before, I make it through the gate.

“YES! I win!” I turn around to see a very mad bakugou.

“Heyyy bakugou.”

“I’m going to give you three seconds to run you cheating fuck”

I bolt it down the school hallways, Bakugou close behind. As I get close to the classroom door, Bakugou grabs me by my back collar and pushes me against the wall.

“You fucking cheater. ‘I’m much faster than you bakugou’ you say that but you have to fucking cheat to win” He’s unnervingly calm. It’s scary. He’s going to kill me.

“Well all i did way say something. It’s not technically cheating right Bakagou?”

He lets go of me, once again getting mad.

“My NAME is BAKUGOU YOU LITTLE SHIT”

Before can grab me again i run into the classroom to see everyone in their seats. Oh right, I’m late.

“YOU LITT-”

“Bakugou, Y/N, how nice of you to join us. If you could go to your seats, that would be great.”

“Yes Aizawa-sensei.”

“Tch, whatever”

Me and Bakugou go to our seats.

Denki, who i sit next to whispers to me “hey why were you late? Did you and Bakugou, you know, do stuff” he wiggles his eyebrows at me, knowing of my crush on Bakugou.

“What?! No we just had a race to school. I won.”

“Ooh that explains why he’s so grumpy” Denki snickers but goes silent as Bakugou glares back at us.

~<Time skip lunch>~

(Bakugou’s P.O.V.)

“Soooo, you ever going to tell her?”

Shitty hair sits down next to me and starts eating his lunch. He’s been bothering me about this ever since he found out. Always trying to get me to tell her. It’s annoying.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Come on bro you know exactly what I mean. When are you going to tell Y/N that you like her?!”

We hear a gasp behind us and turn around to see Purple Grape Balls with a shocked look on his face.

“BAKUGOU YOU CAN’T LIKE Y/N SHE’S MINE”

“She doesn’t belong to anyone. Why don’t you shut the fuck up before I make you”

I look around to see if anyone heard the little shit yell. Well just my fucking luck, Y/N is standing up and staring at me in what seems to be disbelief. She turns back to look at stupid Deku. ‘Of course, she likes that nerd and not me. Fuck this.’ I walk out of the lunch room into the hallway.

(Y/N’s P.O.V.)

“I dunno Deku. Maybe if you get her parents to approve then she’ll say yes.”

I take another bite of my sushi and listen to deku’s reply.

“Yeah you’re probably right. I just don’t know how to ask though! How would i even start that conversation? Just go ‘Hey Uraraka’s parents! How’s your day? By the way can I ask out your daughter?’”

I sigh. He just needs to man up and ask her already. He’s been debating about this for the past two months. I understand that he’s nervous but she obviously likes him back. Of course when i try to tell him this he brushes it off as her just being nice.

“Izuku i think you just have to take a leap of faith. Just go up to her and as-”

“BAKUGOU YOU CAN’T LIKE Y/N SHE’S MINE”

I turn around in disbelief at what I just heard.

‘Bakugou.. likes me?’

I turn to Izuku to see if he heard it too. I’m guessing he did because his mouth is wide open, in just as much disbelief as i am in.

As I turn back I see Bakugou walking out of the lunch room, into the hallway.

“What are you waiting for? Go after him!” I look back to see Denki, who was sitting to the left of me previously, pushing me towards the hall doors where Bakugou left out of.

“Okay okay i'm going! No need to push me.”

Denki lets go of me and I run down the hallway to see Bakugou sitting at the end, his head in his hands.

“Hey Bakugou.” I slowly approach him. Careful not to startle him.

“Go away” he grumbles. Burying his head further into his hands.

“Bakugou…” I sit down in front of him.

“Is.. is it true?” I carefully try to lift his head back up so I could look at him. As his head comes up I see his eyes watering. ‘Wait... is bakugou.. crying?’

“Yes! I like you okay! The secrets out! It’s not that big of a deal! Just… just go be with Deku and leave me alone...” he moves my hands away from his face and turns away from me.

“Wait, Bakugou, do you think Ilike Izuku?” I turn to him again.

“Just go away.” he tries to get out of my grasp again but i stick my ground.

“You absolute idiot Bakugou” i chuckle.

“Yeah, I know. No need to rub it in.” he grumbles.

“No that’s not what i mean.” I push his face so I can see his eyes more clearly. “I like YOU dummy!”

His eyes light up as he tackles me into a hug. As he pushes me against the wall with the force of him tackling me, he looks me in the eyes. “Are you sure?” I laugh and peck his cheek. “Of course I'm sure.”

He looks at my lips and very carefully, almost like he doesn’t want to hurt me asks “Can… can I kiss you?”

I nodded my head and we both slowly close our eyes and lean in. when our lips finally touch, it feels like fireworks have gone off. My lips felt like they were on fire, moving in sync with Bakugou’s Sparks were flying and the world around me disappeared. The only thing that mattered to me at that moment was that kiss. We soon both ran out of air and had to break apart.

“Y/N, will you be my girlfriend?”

“Bakugo-” i started

“Call me Katsuki, none of that ‘Bakugou’ bullshit” he growled

I giggled a bit and rested my head on his chest. “Okay Katsuki.” I lifted my head and looked him in the eyes. “Katsuki, i love you, of course I'll be your girlfriend”

He looked a bit surprised at my confession but smiled at me. He gave me another peck on the lips, but then the bell rang.

“Come on Katsuki, we gotta get back to class. As much as i love this, if we get caught we’re going to get in a lot of trouble, again.” I reluctantly push him away and he lets go of me. As much as I would love to stay with him like this all day, the risk of us getting in trouble is high, and not exactly worth it right now.

“Fine, let’s go” Although I pushed him away, he still grabbed my hand, not letting go. As we’re about to open the classroom door, we see a camera flash. I look back to see denki with a phone already running from my now very angry, and very blushy, newfound boyfriend.

“YOU BETTER FUCKING DELETE THAT CABLE WIRE!”

#bakugou x reader #bnha bakugou #bakugou katsuki #mha bakugou #mha x reader #my hero acadamia #bnha x reader #mha katsuki #katsuki #katsuki x reader #katsuki bakugou x reader

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alexistudies · 4 years

Photo

Spring ‘20 Semester Reflection

Hi everyone! So, I’m trying to make it a routine to reflect after every semester on this blog so 1) I can keep you guys updated on my trials and tribulations and 2) although I reflect with my advisors, its a nice to put it in writing and have something to refer to when the next semester comes!

This post is going to be broken into 3 pieces:

explaining how i implemented my “places for improvement” outlined in my Fall ‘19 reflection in Spring ‘20

talking about my highlights this past semester

outlining my “places for improvement” for Fall 2020

Let’s get started!

How I implemented my “places for improvement” outlined in my Fall ‘19 Reflection

improvement number one: falling off around the second round of midterms

Hm, this time around, I don’t think that happened. The way I nipped this in the bud was by pacing myself more at the beginning so I didn’t burn out by week 9. Last semester, I was on a constant push to redeem myself since I was making up two classes, but this semester was more of just trying to improve overall. I was also excited because I was finally able to move onto classes that were more interesting to me!

improvement number two: not doing well on a single test in ChE 200 because of not dedicating enough time to it

Well, this honestly repeated itself into spring ‘20 with ochem. but, I’m trying to give myself some grace considering my professor’s tests were ridiculously harder than the other professors’ exams. he even said that he makes his tests EXTREMELY hard. I only got a passing grade on one test, HOWEVER, considering I didn’t do well on any tests in ChE 200...this is some improvement. I tried to equally divide my time up this semester between classes and it seems like it paid off more. It’s just hard to find that balance when you’re in 4 classes at once. Even as i go into my 4th year, it is still something I’m trying to figure out. [note: will reflect on ochem later in the post]

Highlights

dealing with faculty (self-advocacy, building relationships, etc)

My thermo professor wasn’t that great this semester, and he never returned assignments or told us what grades we had until he submitted final grades. when I saw that I got a ‘C’, I emailed him and asked for an assignment-by-assignment breakdown of how I got a C. after some deliberation, he changed my final grade to a B! I was so proud of myself; instead of letting it slide, I challenged him and got what I deserved: a B. This was a big step for me, especially because I need my GPA to go up a bit for grad school apps (which I’ll be starting next fall) and I just knew he was in the wrong.

I, also, was able to start building a relationship with my current faculty mentor by taking a leap of faith! McNair was definitely a push for this, but I’m still glad I did it. I went to her office hours, nervous as hell, but she was so sweet and I found someone who shares the same passion as me. Now, I’m a research assistant in her lab. Its amazing.

taking a class outside of my comfort zone

To keep it 100 with anyone who reads this, these STEM classes can get monotonous and dry. So, forcing myself to take a class that wasn’t STEM was so nice and enlightening! I learned so much about how families manage resources, how their management style affects how they make decisions, and the like. It was so refreshing and it was nice to have a class to turn to when I needed a break that wasn’t so taxing. see, GEs aren’t always bad! lol

Places for Improvement

Implementing a Bloom’s Taxonomy focused study method

My ochem professor was just cruel. Idk what else there is to say about him without getting redundant, but he intentionally made his tests and quizzes impossible. I did the best I could, which resulted in me not passing by 4% (I opted for CR/NC so my GPA wouldn’t be affected). Early in the semester, I asked him for study tips and he said learn concepts and study from the book, which is what I was doing, but that was just bullshit advice. THEN, at the end of the semester, he gave this GREAT study method to use that was more centered around like.. Bloom’s Taxonomy language and it can apply to any class! It’s exciting because now, when I retake it, I can apply this method and I’ll do better (especially because I’ll have an easier professor). I’ll make a masterpost on this soon, as it was really eye-opening for me and made me realize small holes in my study plan.

Needing to find more balance b/w school and personal life

okay, COVID rocked my jaw and messed up my flow. as soon as we transitioned to online classes, it made it hard for me to separate class from home, and put me into constant work mode ?? so, next semester, i want to find that balance of working a little bit then relaxing or doing what i love. its funny because I had balance in Fall ‘19 and then it basically disappeared Spring ‘20. We got this next semester though, because balance is the major key *cue DJ Khaled adlibs*

Summary

Spring semesters seem to be my weak point, but this semester was a rollercoaster. Not only due to COVID, but just nothing seemed constant this past semester. But they always say that the only constant in life is change! I enjoyed this semester; I made more close friends in my major, I finished my last semester as a SWE officer and I transitioned from a more industry focused drive to more research based. It’s been a good one and I can’t wait for Fall!

#alexistudies #studyblr #studyspo #smartspo #my masterpost #engblr #stemblr

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whirlybirbs · 5 years

Note

oh my GOD if you’re back on your Bucky bullshit I’ll die of happiness 😭😭😭😭 can they dance please?? or just keep flirting??? I’ll take anything at this point

——- here’s a shameless band of brothers gif to get you in the mood for some more of the #DUCKANDCOVER lovestory. england brings peace of mind, r+r, and a new-found tension. buck insists it’s nothing. everyone else knows better than that.pairing: medic!reader x wwii!buckyrating: e for everyone bc we all need buck a/n: hi i love these two so much wtf.

read the series on AO3!

England.

The country seemed worlds away but you’re here, boots landing on Ally soil and you could kiss the dirt.

You’re the first to peel away the curtain on the back of that U.S. Army transport, the first to breathe in the welcoming smell of civilian life. Outside the truck, over the throaty croak of the diesel engine, you can hear the goings-on’s of life. War hasn’t stopped life here. Even as you rumble by the debris of a bombing, there’s life. Kids play in the street. A dog barks. Girls coo at the passing Jeeps of men in their dress uniforms.

Birmingham breathes.

Spring is here. The streets are damp with the melting snow of winter and you take it to heart – in your mind, the rattle of Bastogne sticks to your bones like a shiver. The name of that godforsaken place brings a bitter taste to your mouth. You try to let it melt, to disappear with the changing seasons.

Things haven’t been the same since The Battle of the Bulge.

You’ve been distant, locked in your head and wrangling with the ever-pressing guilt of death. Bucky knows the feeling all too well. Between the both of you, an unspoken bond has quickly cemented itself – it’s wordless and tentative and strung together on a bullet and prayer.

(He says nothing of your breakdown post-shelling. He carries on, and so do you. He leads by example. Stomach it, deal with it, keep moving. Bucky is always moving – always.)

You have his back and he has yours.

The truck stops, jolting half the occupants awake. Against your knee, Bucky jumps – his eyes pull open fast and his hands fly to the bolt-action rifle in his lap in a natural reflex. Blue eyes go a bit wild, sleep pulling a deep inhale as he stretches and realizes… oh.

You’re smiling down at him, face frozen in a moment of sheer happiness as from a window up above the makeshift HQ Phillips has been billeted in, you hear the even-keeled crooning of big band swing.

“Hear that?”

“I’ve never been happier to hear Glenn Miller in my damn life,” says Dum Dum as Bucky swallows down his dreamy look.

He moves, always moving, fast.

You laugh – for the first time in weeks – and follow Buck out the back of the transport. He offers a hand. You snag it, leap and land. His hold lingers – and as the rest of the Howling Commandos pour from the truck, you quirk a brow.

“Tryna dance, soldier?”

“Keep smilin’ like that an’ I might have’ta.”

There’s a solemnity that sticks to his words; you can hear it. It’s as if he’s glad to see you back in the sunlight again.

You shrug. “Maybe I’m just lookin’ forward to a hot bath.”

And were you ever.

The home Phillips was billeted in was huge – some old money mansion donated to the war effort by a RAF pilot’s family. You try not to gawk as Peggy meets you at the door and leads the unit through the HQ.

In close quarters, you’re struck with the sudden realization that the men by your side of heroes. Eyes follow as Dum Dum, Steve and Buck lead the unit through the winding halls. Conversation is forgone for staring on your part – this place is the sort of thing you’d read about in Pride and Prejudice.

Silently, you wonder what the bathroom situation was like. Soaps! Toilet paper! Running fucking water.

“Sir.”

You snap to attention like the rest of the men.

Phillips is a sight for sore eyes. His debrief is short and you’d be lying if you said you were listening. Instead, you were trained on the well-put-together girl by the Colonel’s side. Her stockings don’t even have a run in them.

On the other hand, you haven’t showered in weeks. Under your white head-scarf, your hair is wound into manageable braids in an attempt to hide the grease.

You are anything but pretty, anything but pink rouge and red lips and tightly wound curls.

From the corner of your eye, you catch Buck eyeing the assistant with his usual amount of distrust and disdain and that does a little to quell your jealousy – but when Peggy catches you post-debrief with an armful of white cotton, you remember how much you’d never really liked your nursing uniform anyways.

“The boys are billeted across the way,” she says, “But, I’ve arranged for you to stay in my room for a night…”

You blink. Peggy’s lips quirk.

“There’s a master bath.”

Bucky notes the extra pep in your step. He lights a Lucky Strike and pulls a long drag on the steps of the Birmingham home.

“Don’t drown,” he calls at you as you cross the street, headed to drag your medical bag from the transport.

“It’d be a good death,” you laugh, shouldering him on your way in, “A great death.”

You miss dinner that night.

Bucky bites back worry and shovels the cold pasta back with a dry roll – Pinky notes the anxiety in the sniper’s shoulders. Waving his dinner roll, the Englishman chirps:

“Don’t worry, Buck, she’s probably soaking it up –”

Beside him, Happy faux-reclines and drops two beer caps onto his eyes. He hums a tune, bringing a raucous wave of laughter across the back of their faithful truck. Buck fights a grin, forking his ration-born dinner from its tin. Next to him, Steve offers a smile.

“She’s earned it.”

“Yea, yea,” Bucky waves a hand, dropping his fork into his mouth and handing off the rest of his dinner Steve’s way. Old habit, “I’m gunna go make sure she ain’t dead yet.”

A series of wolf-whistles follow him.

Buck shoots them all a look. “Cut the shit.”

“Hey! Take the wine –”

How in the ever-loving fuck Jim managed to snag a whole bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon escapes Bucky; he lingers, bent over as he steps over Falsworth who’s whole chest is shaking with laughter from his spot on the floor. The sniper pulls a look, deciding he’s not going to fucking ask.

He takes the bottle and the group jeers.

“Don’t get any funny ideas,” Bucky says sternly to the Commandos as he opens the flab of the Jeep and hops out, “Alright?”

“None.”

“S’not romantic at all, Sarge.”

“Not at all.”

“A candlelit bath and wine…”

“Naw.”

Steve shrugs when Bucky spares him a pleading look. “I’m not gettin’ into it, okay?”

“– Stevie, c’mon –”

“Go check on your girl,” the blonde chirps, “She needs a lifeguard.”

Whistles and laughter follow Buck as he rolls his eyes and shuts the flap of the transport. The wine bottle in his hands feels heavy as he makes his way through the HQ quickly. Downstairs is a hub of Officers and Buck keeps his head down, cigarette balanced in the corner of his mouth.

Before he can knock on the door Peggy had mentioned was yours – he pauses. The slow drone of a crooner’s lullaby is playing from inside. He laughs, then, ducking his head and tugging his unlit cigarette to tuck it behind his ear.

Knuckles rap quick on the mahogany.

When the door opens, the girl on the other-side of the door takes his breath away.

Your hair is swept into a tight knot, adorned with a soft cotton towel. The robe around your shoulders is plush. Delicate fingers push at your cheeks – you’re glowing from the steam of the bath, smelling like roses and lavender. You look like something out of a magazine… or a dream.

Buck tries to find words, but suddenly he’s swallowed a bundle of love-sick cotton.

Your smile breaks his stupor.

He raises the wine bottle in a harsh grip. “Courtesy of Jim Morita.”

You laugh. “How in the hell –”

“No idea,” Buck says, offering it, “But, it’s all yours.”

You take the bottle. You eye it, and then him. “… Why don’t you stay and help?”

In that moment, Buck doesn’t know how to say no.

#duckandcover #bucky x reader #wwii!bucky barnes #wwii bucky x reader #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes imagine #Anonymous

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antiquecompass · 5 years

Text

So I couldn’t help myself and here’s the second part of today’s Dynamic post for The Untamed Fest

See, the thing was, Lan Sizhui was easy to love. With his soft smile and kind eyes and always smelling like fresh cotton and good things. He wasn’t arrogant, even if he had every right to be, and he quietly led by example, totally unaware that he had most of the school, the town, and generally anyone he met, wrapped around his fingers.

So no one, least of all Jingyi himself, would be surprised to find out Jingyi loved Sizhui. In fact, when he sat back and really thought about, he couldn’t remember a time in his life when he didn’t love Sizhui.

Being in love with Sizhui? Now, that was an entirely different matter.

It was hard as hell.

It was hard as hell to not lean over the table while they studied and kissed that spot on his cheek, right over his mole. It was impossible to not reach over and grab his hand as they walked, a constant anchor since they were kids, that had started to mean so much more to Jingyi as they grew older. Every single time Sizhui laughed or smiled or did anything to cause his eyes to crinkle up in joy, Jingyi had to pinch himself or bite his own tongue to not just scream, I love you I love you I love you, over and over again.

His parents had been absolutely no help when he went to them with his problem. He should’ve seen that coming considering who they were--the most flighty of artists who raised him to believe in things like, truth, valor, true love, soul mates, and romance. They were loving parents, but also absent, as they spent more time traveling the world in pursuit of finding their bliss and following nature’s true beauty or whatever other bullshit they’d decided on that month to justify their traveling of the world. And even though they’d left Jingyi behind (granted with the family to be raised in a normal, stable, childhood), they always answered his calls.

When he’d called them with this problem, his father had sighed dreamily into the phone about young love while his mother told him how much she’d always liked Sizhui. So, no help there.

Great Uncle Lan was an option Jingyi refused to even think about. The man would probably give him a detention for daring to have emotions.

Headmaster Lan, Cousin Xichen, would be kind and understanding and offer him some sort of baked good that he’d tried to make on his own, but would in fact taste like concrete, because Cousin Xichen was a disaster in the kitchen. And the laundry room. And a menace in general to household chores, even though he really, really tried. So Jingyi would probably go over there for advice, end up eating a brownie made with salt instead of sugar, and fixing Xichen’s dishwasher. Again. For the fifth time. All without actually getting any helpful advice besides a pat on his shoulder and an assurance that he was a good kid.

Auntie Molly, proudly named after Molly Brown and the breaking of over a couple centuries of family naming traditions, was the one currently boarding him during his parents latest adventure. She was one of the more unique Lans. Free-spirited. Communed with nature type. Claimed she could talk to ghosts and see past lives, and Jingyi would call bullshit, but the woman had a talent for guessing the lotto numbers right. She never played, because she claimed it would be unethical, and besides Lans didn’t gamble, but she hadn’t been wrong yet. She’d probably take his hand and try to predict his future and Jingyi didn’t want to know yet if Fate wanted to fuck him over or throw him a gimme, so she was a hard pass.

There was one solution. Perhaps obvious, but so, so awkward.

So with no other viable options, it was time for Jingyi to undertake Mission Ask My Best Friend’s Father If He Thinks I Have Even An Iota Of A Chance In Dating His Son.

************

“Jingyi, is that a golf cart?”

Jingyi turned from the entrance of the Lan-Wei greenhouse, where his teacher, his best friend’s father, who was also his pseudo-cousin, stood with a garden apron covered in flying pigs over his clothes and lime green work gloves on his hands.

None of his fellow students would ever believe how relaxed their exalted Hanguang-Jun was in the confines of his own home. Jingyi had seen him in bunny slippers. Multiple times.

“Jingyi?” Cousin Zhan asked.

“Yes,” Jingyi said, turning back from the golf cart he’d parked in the driveway. “Well, you know, I can’t drive a real car yet, and I wasn’t going to skate or bike here, and my dirtbike is still recovering from Zizhen’s attempt to ride it. So, I borrowed Aunt Molly’s golf cart.”

“And they let you out of the neighborhood with that?

“Me and Officer Shelton have an understanding,” Jingyi said.

Cousin Zhan had that look on his face that meant he was debating if he needed to give Jingyi a punishment for whatever he’d done this time. He finally shrugged.

“Not your circus, not your monkeys?” Jingyi asked.

Cousin Zhan nodded before returning his greenhouse. “I assume you know Sizhui is with his cousins in Boston for the weekend.”

“Yes. I actually, I came here to see you, Sir--Teacher--Mister--Cousin.”

A clatter of garden shears and a broken pot made Jingyi wince as Lan Zhan turned back to him, eyes wide and face almost stunned.

“Is it happening?” he asked.

“Uh,” Jingyi looked around for anyone who might be of help if he was about to be killed with a rake. “Is what happening?”

“Are you not here to ask if you can date Sizhui?”

“How do you know that!”

Jingyi only yelled loud enough to startle the crows in the garden. Hopefully Sizhui’s dad didn’t hear him, locked up in his tower working, or else he’d never live it down.

************

A warm cup of tea and a plate of gingersnaps were set down in front of Jingyi. He didn’t like gingersnaps or fruity teas, but all of the Elder Lans tended to default to them when it came to comfort food. Or when they thought someone needed to be calmed down.

“I’m sorry I yelled,” Jingyi said as he put a sugar cube in his tea under his cousin’s judging eyes.

“I’m sorry I startled you,” he said.

The flying pig apron and green garden gloves were gone to leave a man in worn jeans and an old Vanessa-Mae t-shirt. He looked far less intimidating now. More like the family member who had hugged Jingyi and rocked him back to sleep the first time his parents had dropped him off before going to see the world. He was the adult who always took him to the dentists and the doctors and tried to include him in as many family events as possible, even now when it was obvious he knew how Jingyi’s feelings had started to change towards his one, and only, child.

“I do want to date Sizhui,” Jingyi said, the words starting to tumble out of his mouth under those trusting eyes. “And I know it’s up to him, how he feels, that it’s his decision. That he’d respect what you and Mr. Lan-Wei would feel, but in the end would follow his own heart. He’s fair like that. And I don’t know, maybe part of me came here in the hopes you’d talk me out of it, because, l, honestly, Cousin, I’m fucking terrified.”

“I know,” he said. Warm fingers patted Jingyi’s wrist. “It’s a leap of faith, even when you’re in love with someone you know and trust. That fear lives in you, the doubt, that maybe you’re not good enough for them, or exciting enough to hold their attention, or that they’ll move on from you, getting tired of waiting.”

That all sounded pretty damn familiar.

“But Jingyi, you also have to remember who Sizhui is.”

Kind. Caring. Trustworthy. Gentle. Determined. Stubborn. Defiant when he felt he was right and someone else was wrong. Quietly sarcastic in a way few got to hear. And while polite and willing to listen, would never bend from the beliefs he held true to himself.

“I think it’d break my heart even more if he lets me down all gentle and nice. Because, like, I couldn’t even be hurt. I shouldn’t be anyway because his feelings are his feelings and they’re valid, but I’m like a little moth flitting around and he’s the friggin’ moon.”

“Then perhaps you need to fly higher,” Lan Zhan said with the small quirk of a smile. “Is he worth trying for? Even with the risk of failure?”

“How is that even a question?” Jingyi asked.

“Then you have your answer,” he said.

“Right,” Jingyi said. “Right. I do. I can do this.” He looked down at his hands. “A timeline. I need a due date. Halloween? No, that’s his dad’s birthday, that would be awkward. The 21st. I’ll ask him out on the 21st.”

His cousin looked seconds away from laughing at him, but he just lifted his own cup of tea and took a sip.

“The 21st,” Jingyi repeated. “I can do this.”

#long post #verse: lahl #fic: tales from lan academy #fandom: the untamed #my ridic writing

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praecipiopatronum · 5 years

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A love-letter to rp

So! I’ve reached 500 followers today, which is absolutely insane!

I wanted to write something on the topic of the hp rp community for a while, but never really had the time/emotional capacity, and I don’t have much of it today either, but it’s a well enough opportunity to do it anyway. It’s gonna be a little sappy and very personal, but I’m someone who thinks a lot about their own mind and this is where it got me. Also it’s TMI-tuesday, so buckle up!

I am still fairly new to this community, started in /checks profile/ April. (I could have sworn it was longer). I don’t know a lot of people, though I’m slowly expanding the list of people I follow and get in contact with and there are a lot of amazing creators here to be added. So many brilliant writers, impressive actors, actual shapeshifters... It can be intimidating. It definitely was for me. I saw you guys supporting and celebrating each other and I really wanted to be a part of that, because there are literally no limits or bars here that you need to meet. You don’t have a uniform? Casual clothes it is, then! You don’t have a wig? Fuck it, what is canon hair anyways? Got no binder? Who cares? You are still a valid and included member of this community and that’s mindblowingly beautiful to me, who’s seen the competitive sides of cosplay in various forms.

I’ve always admired creative people. People with a passion. I don’t care about the value of a production, I want to see the spark in your eyes when you talk about it! I want to see how much you enjoy what you’re doing! And boy, do you guys deliver!

This goes for me, too. I love to create. My mind is spinning stories and making up scenarios 24/7 and I like that about myself. The problem is getting it out. I have a history in creative outlets, including acting on stage in amateur productions, writing wholeass plays for those productions, writing fanfictions, shooting videos. All of these are great and fullfilling in one way or another, but there’s always a downside.

Acting in groups means compromising. Right now, it also means traveling a lot for rehearsals in a different city. It’s expensive and draining. Sadly. Writing for these groups ended up being a chore, because my love for writing was overshadowed by the task when it came to plays on topics I wasn’t invested in. Writing fanfictions is easily the most ungrateful fanwork, with minimal recognition and when you feel like no one is reading what you write, you start asking yourself why you even bother? I also lack the stamina to write the full length fanfictions my mind comes up with. I’m not a native english speaker and will never be as good as the writers that are and that discourages me. More to that later. Shooting videos and pictures was the best outlet so far. I got to work on more stuff just for me, stuff I like doing and that made me happy. But it’s also hard to shoot a video and act in front of the camera at the same time. And bigger projects require a lot of planning and scheduling and when all your friends literally live at the other side of the country or in different countries. I don’t want to plan, I just want to create. I want to portal to friends, I want them to magically have time, I want some time on my own -which I literally never have- and I want to be able to control my camera x-men style, with the power of my thoughts only.

All of that is obviously never going to happen, this is why I love this form of creativity here so much. I don’t have to write down every single thing for an online. I don’t have to write down shorter threads that I’m doing on my own. I don’t need a shit-ton of planning, I just get into costume whenever I have the time, whenever it suits my schedule, and then I create! Absolutely mind-blowing!

I pay a lot of attention to details. Backgrounds, costumes, I’m a sucker for the little things that in the end, half of you don’t even notice. And I want things to be perfect. I have this really high standard for literally everything I do, that doesn’t count for anyone else, just for me. I need to know that I gave something my best shot and with every other creative outlet before, I didn’t feel like I did/do them justice. I always feel like it’s not good enough or I could have put more effort into it, I constantly strugge to meet my own expectations. (I want to stress that this does in no way go for others. I don’t judge based on “quality”, I don’t judge based on ressources. I’m not trying to “raise the bar” -which I’ve been told in tags that I do-, the only person who needs to impress me, is me. Anybody else: If you love what you’re doing, that’s absolutely enough and I love you for doing it!)

Anyway: Here, it’s easier. The limitations to this format give me a different goal. I don’t have to think about different camera angles, filling time with beauty shots, camera movement, because those don’t exist here. I don’t have to worry about correct pronounciation or my accent, because they don’t exist here. I can’t compare myself to people coming up with the most extravagant phrases and vocabulary that’s just far enough from day to day language for me to know it but not think of it myself when writing narration, because most narration is done visually here! Emotions, inner struggle, everything translates via acting only and I’m absolutely loving it!

So thank you for this community. Thank you for this opportunity. Thank you for including me. The interactions and feedback here mean the world to me and I have so much planned that I can’t wait to get to once my offline-life lets me. Collaborations with people I’ve grown not only to admire but genuinely love. Special shout-out to @softsiriusblack and @the-moon-and-stars-my-love, who put up with literally all my angsty bullshit and have been nothing but kind and supportive.

I’m still anxious every time I dm someone about literally any kind of collab. I’m still incredibly nervous every time I send someone a script. I’m still awfully scared whenever I post any content, but I’m getting there and the soft landing within this community that follows after every tiny or huge leap of faith, is a blessing.

Thank you.

One more thing, that’s less related to the hp rp community itself: This is the first time I added they/them pronouns to any online bio. I always only went for she/her, which is still fine, I guess, but I’ve been struggling with gender a lot lately, trying to know myself better and I thought: Where if not in a majorly lgbtq+ community on tumblr, just to kind of “try it on”. And it feels pretty incredible that you all immediately used it. Because it feels kinda nice.

So, another thank you for that <3

#hp rp community #tmi tuesday #personal #creativity #congratulations to the three people who actually read the whole thing #sorry for rambling and wasting your time xD

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bakudekuficlibrary · 5 years

Text

BakuDeku: Protective Katsuki Part I

Click here for Part II & Part III!

1 Series. 64 Works.

Before Midnight by DriftingGlass ( E | 211,528 | 28/28 )

Izuku Midoriya takes the same train to and from school Monday through Friday, morning and night. His only company during these lonesome hours comes in the form of another boy his age—a teen with scarred hands and blood gem eyes, a stranger with ash-blond hair who walks in a shroud of danger and mystery.

"Would you stop with that fucking muttering, idiot?"

And before Izuku can find his footing, his life becomes a full-blown collision course thanks to walking cannonball Katsuki Bakugou.

(And along the way he may have found the missing fuel to his fire).

[Graphic Depictions of Violence | Underage | Abuse]

Cinnamon Bun Bun by DarkMachi ( E | 108,071+ | 45/? )

In a world with humanoid creatures called "pets", Katsuki Bakugou finds himself suddenly the owner of a timid curly haired rabbit. How the fuck did that happen? Will the reluctant new owner and abandoned pet be the best thing for each other or will it end in disaster? Only the tags will ever know.

Warm and fuzzy fluff pet AU with hints of angst and humor!

*This story is mostly about fluff. Warning and "past" tags for a backstory chapter(s) almost exclusively. Will warn at the beginning of ANY chapter with ANY sensitive issues.*

[Rape/Non-con | Past Abuse | Panic Attacks]

Lost Omega by GreyDayMoon ( E | 45,574 | 15/15 )

Izuku was just trying to take care of himself and his mother but a single slip up sends him into unfamiliar territory where he encounters an aggressive alpha who drags him into tribe life.

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Underage | Dubcon]

Dark Side of the Sun by Synnie ( T | 51,597 | 20/20 )

Staying up too late playing video games, Kirishima wasn't expecting to get an urgent call begging for help. Next thing he knew, he was letting his classmate Izuku Midoriya take refuge in his apartment - without consulting his always angry roommate.

Series Part 1 of Dark Side of Space

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Past Abuse | Stalking | Self Harm | Panic Attacks]

briar roses (and hundred years of sleep) by vannral ( E | 15,951 | 5/5 )

In complete honesty, no one who knows the Class 3-A should be surprised anymore. Izuku is asleep.

In which Izuku is hit by a ‘Sleeping Beauty’ Quirk, Class 3-A tries to find his True Love and get them to kiss him, and Katsuki’s very angry about it all.

In A Sky Of A Million Stars (Who Cares If One More Light Goes Out?) by Stringlish ( M | 49,956+ | 15/? )

He could never forgive himself.

It was his fault.

He’d planted the idea like a seed he’d never known would grow.

(Or: What if Izuku jumped?) (OR: The one where Izuku jumps and lives and Katsuki visits him every day and Class 1-A not-so-secretly finds it adorable that their designated angry pomeranian brings flowers to his comatose childhood friend.)

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | PTSD | Suicide Attempt]

Hear Me by my_name_is_Levi ( G | 22,419 | 5/5 )

It wasn’t as if nightmares were uncommon for the freshman class of Yuuei. They’d seen plenty of things, heard and felt and witnessed enough travesty in their lives to last them a lifetime. But Midoriya Izuku was screaming, and no one, not even Bakugo Katsuki could ignore it.

On The Run by Justaperson1718 ( E | 159,534+ | 29/30 )

(Based in an AU where All Might loses to All For One)

Follow Izuku and Katsuki as they fight together for their very survival and mature through their experiences with each other, on the run together from the League of Villains with no one to depend on but each other. The two will have to work out their differences if they want to continue to live and escape the villains.

Izuku will have to become stronger to finish what All Might started, meanwhile Katsuki will figure out his feelings for his new companion while slowly overcoming some of his bad habits.

[Major Character Death | Underage]

{Note about completion status: The fic is essentially complete, as the author has stated the main story is complete and the epilogue is up. The final chapter that is yet to be posted will show a side-character’s side of the story.}

New To Both Of Us by GrumpyTanner, underoriginal ( E | 37,774+ | 16/? )

Bakugou hadn't expected this when he got his first (and only!) Pet on a whim. He hadn't expected the nibbling, the teasing, the fear...

And he definitely hadn't expected to find the love of his life. But here he is, with a rabbit and a hard-on. What's a hero to do?

[Past Abuse]

Quirks of the Soul by Rxel ( M | 52,047+ | 38/? )

Something in Izuku's mind snaps when Kacchan flings the words "Make a leap of faith from the roof and believe with all your might that you will have a ‘Quirk’ in the next life" at him after he exploded his Hero notebook.

It was the last push he needed to tip over the edge.

Quirk!Izuku

Series Part 1 of Katsuki and Izuku

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Suicide Attmpt | Self Harm]

[On Hiatus] Forget Me Not by datboii ( M | 52,542+ | 17/? )

Izuku was hit by a memory regression quirk. Katsuki was having none of that shit.

[On hiatus]

Hummingbird Heartbeat by Tokiji ( M | 76,731+ | 16/? )

“The knife went through his fucking chest, Kirishima.” Katsuki spat his name into his face, mouth twisting into a vicious snarl, teeth and all. “You know that's where his heart is, right? And his fucking lungs? All the vital shit?”

Kirishima blanched. “I-I know, I just meant—”

“What, you mean to tell me that your stupid fuckin’ ass is so ignorant to forget that he lost a shit ton of blood, hah?! Yeah, it was a flippin’ knife wound, oh hoo-ray, but look at the nerd now! He’s fucking dying because of it!”

The World Is Silent (we are loud) by RedHeadsRock1010 ( T | 62,233+ | 14/? )

There is only one Angel and one Demon at a time – born each generation after the previous one dies and destined to keep the balance of the world in a vicious battle of good verses evil until the end of existence.

The current Demon stared at the Angel humming and weaving pink flowers into his own bright green curls next to him. A crown of red roses already sat on the Demon's head.

Yeah, fuck that bullshit.

surveying, reconciliation (and other forms of not-matchmaking) by vannral ( E | 17,449 | 6/6 )

In all honesty, Izuku thinks he really shouldn’t be having this crisis.

In which Mina has fun trying to play matchmaker, Izuku has Realizations™ about his feelings for Katsuki, and the class 1-A will witness many weird things.

Second Chance by Saysi ( M | 84,140 | 42/42 )

"If you are still breathing, you have a second chance" - Oprah Winfrey

Izuku Midoriya's life has been plagued with mistakes. People have been hurt, friends have been lost, accidents have happened. When the country is nearing imminent destruction, he remembers every bad move, every wrong word, and wonders if he could have changed things.

Then time stops.

Izuku Midoriya grew up thinking he was Quirkless - turns out he just needed to face death to activate it.

PSA: People, please, do your homework before reading. The fic will still be here when you get back, I promise.

[Suicide Attempt]

Scream Like A Banshee, Make You Jump Out Of Your Skin. by LahraTeigh ( T | 2,235 | 2/2 )

Midoriya presents as an Omega in the middle of class, and unfortunately for everyone they witness the moment Bakugou finds out who his soulmate is.

It's Okay, Quirkless by VMarus ( M | 34,187+ | 15/? )

Izuku just wants to make his mother proud and to be happy with himself.

AU. Quirkless Vigilante Izuku!

Series Part 1 of Quirkless, Not Helpless.

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Major Character Death

[Series] This is why I don't have kids by Saysi ( T | 15,132+ | 2 Works | WIP )

When Midoriya Izuku gets hit by an age-reversion Quirk, the last thing anyone expected to find out is that Toddler-Izuku is a little shit. Except for one Bakugou Katsuki, who has seen this phase one too many times already. And apparently his "Kacchan" is the only one who can deal with Izuku's screaming fits.

When Bakugou Katsuki gets hit by an age-reversion Quirk, no one is surprised to found out he's still an asshole. Unfortunately one Midoriya Izuku is stuck taking care of him to repay the favour. It's a good thing his "Deku" makes a good wife.

Remember Me by Blue_Writer ( M | 61,066+ | 23/? )

It had been years since Bakugou was exiled from his home and became the savage dragon king, but one good thing finally came to his life when he met Izuku again. The only issue, is that he doesn't remember him.

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Racism]

Oubaitori by DriftingGlass ( M | 32,666+ | 4/16 )

From the moment he was born, Izuku understood that he was different. He was a rarity, an omega; not necessarily seen as useful or even desirable. It didn't take long, however, for his entire future to be placed in the hands of an alpha, one by the name of Katsuki Bakugo.

Through many pitfalls, confusion, and pains of growing up in a city where both are outcasts of their own kind, it takes more than just the threads of instinct and arranged contracts to bring two hearts together.

Love isn't fate. It's pure luck.

[Underage]

[On Hiatus] Lex Talionis by DriftingGlass ( M | 40,232+ | 6/35 )

“Are you sure you’re willing to do this?”

Aizawa barely recognized his own voice, ashen in the grasp of a stormy summer night.

Under the glare of his living room lights, Toshinori’s leathery face held a smile. A ghost from times long gone.

He stirred a cube of sugar into his coffee, fingers bony and shaking around his mug.

“If there is one good thing I can do for this child, as dangerous as he is… then it will be this.”

Aizawa knew, once the words fell from his comrade’s mouth—a more solid declaration than the deaths he’d witnessed—that there would be no changing his mind.

[ In which Toshinori Yagi, a shadow of his former self, raises an orphaned Izuku as his disciple... with a little bit of a twist. ]

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Abuse]

Law-Abiding Citizen by s_trychnine ( T | 2,131 | 1/1 )

Bakugou Katsuki has very little chill, this is a known fact. He does however, do his best not to get into legal trouble. Bakugou Katsuki couldn't get along with Midoriya Izuku if you put a gun to his head, this is an even more well known fact. Apparently someone decided to chew up those facts and spit them back out because that was definitely not the case in this very moment and christ almighty someone's going to have to pinch the entirety of Class 1-A, because this had to be a fever dream.

Or alternatively: Deku's dad is back in town and nobody is happy about, especially not Bakugou.

[Implied/Referenced Child Abuse (Past Abuse)]

2,645 Miles by mynameis152 ( E | 124,500+ | 36/? )

Izuku wants so badly to get to the other side of the country without his parents realizing he's missing. He just wants to find out who he is.

Katsuki is desperate to make it to Los Angeles without being caught by the police, desperate to fix his mistakes.

Neither know what to expect, but on a roadtrip across the U.S. involving four fugitives, two oblivious runaways, a high risk crime ring, and a police taskforce, the two will discover that there's more in store for them than what they originally thought.

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Attempted Sexual Assault | Panic Attacks]

Marshmallow by choimarie ( Not Rated | 3,359 | 1/1 )

day 3: tears

“Yo! Look at what we have here!” A voice said loudly and Izuku's heart stopped.

He turned around, his eyes widening.

A group of six alphas was walking his way towards him.

Series Part 3 of Bakudeku week 2k18

Hero & Zero by GreyDayMoon ( Not Rated | 10,751+ | 5/? )

Bakugou was the number one hero, surrounded by fans, and loaded with fame and fortune. So why would he care if a boy from his childhood still watched him from the edge of crowds? He wouldn't give a shit about Deku who would? Who would even be looking for that stupid messy green hair?

Except maybe he would.

Instincts by HG_Wells ( E | 4,184 | 2/2 )

Izuku presents as a very special and VERY rare type of Omega and enters the worst heat imaginable, he needs to find an equally as rare Alpha to help him with this problem. Not so thankfully, he knows only one person that is able to help him with this situation. His very own personal bully.

Bakugou Katsuki.

[Underage]

Wild Child by SaltyTofu ( E | 10,309+ | 5/? )

Imagine Tarzan, but KatsuDeku,

with wolves instead of gorillas,

and with a lot more smut.

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence]

Don't Look by GrimReader ( M | 56,089+ | 12/? )

No one spots the cracks. No one notices how carefully pieced together he is. Under his bright smile and determined gaze no one sees, no one hears, NO ONE feels how broken he is.

At least, that’s what he thought.

Izuku is not human. He is a fraud. Not deserving of any love. Nothing but a vile monster.

At least, that’s what he believed.

He’s made of scales not glass. He’s always in control. He is invincible.

That is, until he became Midoriya Izuku.

[Former title: H(iS)tory]

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Major Character Death | Self Harm | Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con]

Yūrei no Eiyū by FandomManiac22 ( T | 11,769+ | 5/? )

"If you wanna be a hero that badly, there’s a quick way to do it. Believe that you’ll be born with a quirk in your next life and take a swan dive off the roof!”

When Katsuki’s comment comes at just the wrong time, Izuku takes his advice. But it is not the end.

Alternatively: In another world where Izuku is attacked by the sludge villain on the way to school instead of after it, his dreams get crushed too soon. With nothing to save him and Katsuki’s words ringing in his ears, Izuku decides to end it all by jumping off his school’s roof. As his body cracks on the ground, Izuku does not pass on to the next world. Instead, he is left as a ghost among many others. When the slime villain escapes from jail and attacks the person Izuku can’t help but care for, he learns that there may be more to his afterlife than he thought.

And maybe he can be a hero after all.

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Major Character Death | Suicide]

The Offering by Bakuholic ( T | 7,032+ | 4/? )

Every year, an offering is given to the dragon race as a trade off for the dragons' protection. This year, Izuku Midoriya is the human offering.

He trembles at the very thought of his death being by the claws of a dragon. However, his expectations of his future seem to turn when an ash blonde alpha dragon begins to grow fond of him and adds him to his hoard of treasure.

(I"m not good at summaries it seems)

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence]

Not All Heroes Wear Capes by vulcanhighblood ( T | 11,002 | 3/3 )

When Kacchan offered to scare off pushy groupies and nosy reporters for Izuku, he hadn't realized that Kacchan was planning to lie about the two of them being in a relationship in order to do so.

Petals In Your Hair by Yuechum ( T | 16,121+ | 15/26 )

Katsuki sees him with sunlight in his hair, the lines of his face softer and more gentle in these brief moments. He looks breathtaking like this he'll think, watching all the while, wondering just when Izuku became someone to long for so deeply.

The slightest hint of a smile lingers on Izuku's face when he notices, and the urge to touch grows, grows, grows.

katsuki bakugou is incapable of love. or so they thought. by alpwaca ( T | 6,276 | 1/1 )

in which their class tries to figure out if Bakugou and Midoriya are dating.

Lights. Camera. Hero! by brichibi ( E | 23,248+ | 6/? )

If there’s one thing Izuku Midoriya’s good at, it’s dreaming big, and dreaming hard. That’s why he’s in Hollywood, of all places, his hometown an entire ocean away along with his graduating high school class and single mother. But he’s gonna be an actor, an international sensation, a superstar like no other.

He just.

Has to convince the rest of the world.

Which is, admittedly, a difficult task.

[AU where "My Hero Academia" is an upcoming television series, everyone's an actor/actress, and romance happens behind the scenes]

Day and Night by Soundsoftherain ( Not Rated | 18,527+ | 4/? )

Midoriya Izuku was born quirkless in a society where your quirk equates to your worth. What did this mean then, for the child whose smile was made of sunshine? The boy who had selfless dreams bursting from the seams?

His father knew, that’s why he’d left. And his mother?

Well…That’s where the story begins.

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Abuse]

Lovebites by mynameis152 ( M | 58,375+ | 18/? )

Katsuki Bakugou was going to hate this summer.

He thought he'd hate it because he was being forced to leave home and work for his mother's friend in a small, seaside town. He thought he'd hate it cause he was being punished for burning his room to a crisp. He thought he'd hate it because he hated change.

But it turns out, he hated the Supernatural Turfwar between four species that shouldn't exist but do a whole lot more....

The one where Katsuki is forced to move in with Inko for the summer and finds himself falling for a particular bloodsucker....

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Abuse]

[On Hiatus] The Duo by furipuri ( M | 21,385+ | 8/? )

As children, Katsuki and Izuku make the promise to become a duo hero team. Things don't go quite as planned.

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Attempted Rape/Non-Con]

I'll Be Your Hero by bakudeku ( T | 2,536+ | 4/? )

Katsuki wants to protect Izuku. He wants to make sure Izuku never has to cry again. Maybe this was his chance to fix everything, to make sure he didn't make the same mistakes as before. If this really isnt a dream, if Katsuki really is in the past, then he'd do anything his little body could to keep Izuku safe.

This time, he'll stay by Izuku's side.

[On Hiatus] synthesis by DriftingGlass ( M | 31,325+ | 6/? )

They didn’t know how it happened, or when a concept so fickle and ridiculous blossomed in the garden of doubts, anger, and pain in which they so frequently visited.

Between scarred hands and bloodied knuckles, unspoken thoughts stirred like petals in springtime rain.

Bakugo was not prepared for the undeniable change spurring between them.

Unfortunately, neither was Midoriya.

[Underage]

Baby Boom by Minglisabeth ( T | 20,546 | 10/10 )

Bakugou and Midoriya accidentally have a baby.

NOT MPREG, Baby comes from quirk shenanigans.

Series Part 1 of MHA Adventures in Parenthood

Back to Reality by menengaur ( M | 46,975+ | 10/? )

Katsuki's childhood friend disappeared when they were both seven. While everyone else gave hope, Katsuki made a promise to become the No.1 hero. If he couldn't find Izuku, then he would at least destroy those who took him.

How will he react when Izuku returns with powers beyond what should be possible.

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence]

Room 207 by bakudeku ( Not Rated | 8,796+ | 4/? )

No one, not even Bakugou Katsuki, could deny that Izuku was adorable as fuck.

ᶜᵃⁿ ᶦ ᵍᵉᵗ ᵘʰʰʰʰʰʰ

ˢᵒᶠᵗ ᵏᵃᶜᶜʰᵃⁿ

[Suicide Attempt]

Late Bloomer by HG_Wells ( E | 4,752 | 1/1 )

It's the beginning of their last year of Junior High, Izuku Midoriya is a normal Beta. He isn't anything special, at least he doesn't think so. His first heat comes at school and in the end, he ends up at Bakugou Katsuki's house.

Alone with him.

What's the worst that could happen?

(It's better than it sounds I promise)

Bakudeku Week 2018

[Underage | Bullying | Attempted Rape/Non-Con]

[On Hiatus] The Mummy by Spectra ( E | 98,732+ | 17/? )

[TEMPORARY HIATUS]

Midoriya Izuku's adopted brother, Kirishima, brings him a strange puzzle box that contains the whereabouts to the famed Hamunaptra, otherwise known as the City of the Dead. The city, lost somehwere within the depths of Egypt, is said to have held great power during the golden All Might Era. It is also rumored to be the final resting place of the king's all powerful books; The Book of Life, and the Book of the Dead. Izuku doesn't believe in magic, he believes in history, and that's exactly what he expects to find in these books.

To actually get there, Izuku has no choice but to accept the help of the infuriating, and ridiculously short fused soldier, Bakugou, who claims to have been there before. The ensuing ride tests both Izuku's and Bakugou's patience, and the two form the most unlikely of alliances.

Little do they know, the power that they are messing with should have remained undisturbed, and there is something more lurking with the tombs of Hamunaptra than treasure...

All the Cracks They Left Behind by linkami1379 ( M | 11,175 | 1/1 )

Katsuki and Izuku become soul bound to each other when Katsuki is captured by the League of Villains.The shift in perception rocks them both to their cores and they seek to fill in the cracks life has carved into each other's hearts.

Series Part 1 of My One and Only

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Underage]

A Place Called Home ( E | 3,812 | 5/? )

"It's okay now, we're your new family. We won't ever hurt you."

[Past Rape/Non-Con | Past Abuse | Homophobia | Addiction]

and the rest is rust and stardust by youreanovelidea ( G | 8,587 | 1/1 )

Kirishima likes to think that he knows his classmates pretty well. But sometimes, he looks at Bakugou and Midoriya and wonders if he even knows them at all. He wonders if anyone does.

(or, Kirishima notices the moments hidden between childhood friends, offers encouraging words, and maybe kisses Kaminari in the process)

A Little Issue by arealhoe ( G | 6,985+ | 3/? )

Everyone awoke to an ear piercing screech.

“MAMA? WHERE ARE YOU? W-WHERE AM I?”

A child? What’s a kid doing in the dorms…? Aizawa thought, as he lugged his tired body through the hall, trying to find the source of the screams. One by one, students started bursting out of their rooms, “What’s that screaming? “Did a kid get in here?” everyone was panicking at the sudden chaos. “Calm down, everyone. Jirou, use your quirk to find where that shrieking is coming from, everyone else, quiet down!” Kyoka plugged her earphone into the wall, closing her eyes. “It’s coming from… Midoriya’s room?” Aizawa threw open Izuku’s room door, only to find a small Izuku, huddled in the corner, crying his heart out. Jesus fucking Christ… Aizawa whispered under his breath, walking towards the child. “W-who are you? W-where’s my mom? Did she send me away?” Little Izuku could barely get the words before everyone saw him, and the chaos started all over again.

Tinted Windows by sula (black_oak) ( E | 18,250+ | 8/? )

Bakugou and Deku have been rivals since the third grade. Now seniors in high school, Katsuki looks forward to destroying the nerd once and for all. But, on the first day of school, Deku arrives a mere shell of the boy he used to be…

Nothing will ever be the same.

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Underage | Self Harm | Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-Con]

[On Hiatus] Please Don't Take My Sunshine Away by estupidaval ( T | 5,994+ | 4/? )

“Oh- oh my god.” He whimpered.

“What?!”

“I,” Izuku swallowed. “I think they heard the phone ring.”

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence]

20% by MayTentacleBeWithYee, MissEmotionallyMasochistic ( Not Rated | 1,386+ | 1/? )

Izuku should have been paying attention.

The man behind him looks hungry.

[Rape/Non-Con | PTSD]

and the screams all sound the same by youreanovelidea ( Not Rated | 1,265 | 1/1 )

"Quiet, Deku," a low voice says quietly. "I've got you." And an arm slips around his waist and there are fingers carding through his hair, gentle and soft, and he can feel the screams that he had shoved into his stomach threatening to escape.

(or, Izuku's nightmares are cold and Katsuki's hands are warm)

Reignite by MorningMoon ( G | 1,400 | 1/1 )

Their classmates knew there was something going on with Izuku and Katsuki, but they didn't know how much they had been missing out. Also, Kacchan saves the day and proves that he has redeemed himself.

[Panic Attacks]

Yell It From The Top Of Your Lungs by estupidaval ( T | 2,897 | 1/1 )

Being seen as weak by many is frustrating. Even so when it's almost everyone who looks at you.

At this, Izuku sheepishly lowered his gaze, and said “Strong people cry…”

At this, Aizawa smiled again, “And what are you doing right now, Izuku?”

“Crying,” He replied as he picked at his finger nails.

Aizawa decided to keep pushing, as Izuku knew what he was implying, but wouldn't budge.

He raised an eyebrow and spoke up once more, “So, you are…”

And ‘Ah, there it is.’ Aizawa thought to himself as a smile crept it's way onto the boy’s mouth. Izuku lifted his gaze once more and looked back into Aizawa's eyes,

“Strong.”

Entanglement by srysmnwrites ( T | 14,847+ | 7/? )

Izuku thought that returning home would be good for him.

Oh, how wrong he was.

Returned Favor by CrystalDragonette ( Not Rated | 1,332 | 2/2 )

Set when Bakugou was taken by the League of Villains, he finds out that Dabi has less than innocent intentions towards Deku.

Series Part 1 of Dekubowl

[On Hiatus] Daemon Sense by LostBear ( G | 14,266+ | 8/? )

Midoriya Izuku has the quirk daemon sense, to be able to see manifested souls in the form of animals. She is determined to be a hero, with her daemon Naoko by her side. Her best friend Kacchan is taken along -willingly- for the ride.

Watch Izuku nose her way into other -familiar- peoples lives without thinking of the consequences...

It All Started With Beer & Pizza by x_tincan_x ( E | 29,237+ | 11/? )

Half an hour after Kirishima had left, there was a knock on the door. Katsuki had a beer in his hand and walked over to the door. Mumbling under his breath, “fucking shitty hair forgot his fucking keys again..” to himself.

Katsuki opened the door, he looked from the dripping wet Kirishima to the equally soaked male he had gone to pick up. When he saw the familiar tangle of green hair and freckles, he choked on his drink. “The fuck…?” he half whispered.

~~~~

Or, the one where Izuku has a past that he finds hard to talk about. Can he build himself back up with the help of his new friends, and re-kindle a relationship with his childhood friend?

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | PSTD | Panic Attacks | Past Abuse | Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-Con]

A Reaper's Assistant by TatoBugTheDestroyer ( T | 23,121 | 14/14 )

What kind of fucktard is in charge here? What dumbass thought it was a good idea to pair Katsuki with an angel! Of all creatures to help him play the role of a reaper, they chose an angel! He didn’t even need any help, dammit! So, yeah, he missed a few deadlines, accidentally delivered a few people to the wrong place, so fucking what! He damn sure didn’t need help!

-Or- Reaper Katsuki fucks up and as a result, is paired up with Izuku, a High Councilman angel of Heaven to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Void of Pain by Running_wild829 ( T | 19,308+ 12/? )

Kidnapped by his own villainous father at the young age of six, raised by villains since then and sent on countless missions filled with murder, Midoriya Izuku is anything but normal. He may be fifteen years old, and have a quirk, but that doesn't make him normal. He's been careful on all his jobs, except this one. When Shigaraki turns him loose to kill the infamous Hero Killer Stain, he gets sloppy and goes down at the hands of a couple of Yuuei kids. Dragged into the police station and waking up to a detective giving him a second chance was the last thing he thought would ever happen in his fucked-up life...

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | PSTD]

[On Hiatus] Two Sides of the Same Coin by LocalTrashBin ( T | 82,009+ | 10/? )

Dangerous missions across the continent are one thing but dangerous missions across the continent with zero experience, a cursed bracelet and accompanied only by a difficult, hot-headed protector is a whole other story.

He's a Little Spoiled by DeathByShyKid ( T | 3,477 | 1/1 )

His class may have babied him while he was still recovering from an accidental femur break but one weekend with them out of the dorms and Katsuki is already there with open arms as well as some non-negotiable terms. Katsuki makes Izuku cuddle with him since he refuses to succumb to his pain medication. (bad summary)

Heroes in Underland by BebbekKuning, HG_Wells ( Not Rated | 45,950+ | 19/? )

Years suffering from wars, Monsters and Humans wars led to the point where the third side of the wars step in. The side of supposed to be neutral. The side that wants peace for both; Monsters and Humans sides, the ones who bear with half-blood. But it’s still not working.

That was until the fourth side of the wars waltzes their way in, they didn’t call themselves humans, nor Monsters or the half-blood. But they called themselves the Artificial. They not made by gods, so the gods can’t bound them to their rules or their dice of fate.

This makes the Artificial do what the three sides can't do; Bring peace.

They stay nameless, and still nameless. Their existence always vague in every history books, and always will be. But their tales always stay at every storybook for the young ones.

Now though, when Monsters, Half-blood, and Human reunited, thanks to Quirks existence, new differences poke their ugly heads yet again; Heroes, Vigilante, and Villain.

With that, the Gods roll their dices and play with their children, again.

That was before the forth side trashed the Gods playground, again.

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