#[ arc. 「 five. 」 to name the pain without inviting it back into me. ]

[sunshinesdaydream]

Happy Together Part 1

Pairing: Wrecker x Female Reader AU: Right to Love Clone Matchmaking AU Rating: SFW for this part but minors DNI as future parts could be NSFW. Summary: It's Wrecker's turn. Word Count: 1208 (not counting the extensive notes below) Note: So this is an EVERYONE lives AU for me. Echo never got blown up. So to fix this we have a couple things going on. 1-The Domino Squad "Adopts" The Bad Batch sort of when they are on Kamino 2-Fives and Echo tell Rex about them and Rex insists Cody introduce them 3-Rex semi-adopts the BB (shared custody with Cody) 4-This is Crosshair PRE-trauma. He is based on is behavior in the Clone Wars Arc, not The Bad Batch 5-Yes the rest of Domino is still alive. We will get to it later (I said I was digging myself in over my head didn't I?) 6-the future fics related together the X Reader will be "You" and not likely use y/n. However the other partners to the guys in each fic will have a place holder name (no, you can't be all of them at the same time. That would be confusing) Link to Playlist I use for this AU

Part 1 / Part 2 Masterpage

Wrecker was impatient, tapping his foot as he waited for Hunter and Tech. “If you two don’t hurry up, I’m going without you!” He bellowed towards the communal ‘freshets. “Geez Wreck, I think some of the guys ten levels up didn’t her you!” Fives complained, leaning into the corridor. “Ah, sorry Fives,” Wrecker apologized, “They are taking forever,” “Just messing with you,” Fives grinned, “and good luck,” “Thanks!” Wrecker said, brightly as Fives disappeared back into his bunkroom. Tech appeared just after Fives left, ”There is no need to disturb the entire building, Wrecker. We have sufficient time to travel to the office before they close,” “Yeah but if we aren’t back before Omega is done with training,” Wrecker began. “She’ll just go harass Rex or Cody or some of their boys,” Hunter said, joining them. “Ready to go?” “Am I not invited?” Crosshair drawled from where he was leaning in the door to their bunkroom. “We did not think that it would be something you would be interested in,” Tech responded. “Why not?” Crosshair asked. “Because you are a crotchety old pain in the shebs,”Fives poked his head out again. “Shut up, or I’ll give you a pain in the shebs, “ Crosshair answered. “Not now, you two,” Hunter stepped in between what was sure to become yet another snark battle between the two. “Cross, if you are going let’s go”

You weren’t sure what to expect, going to Right to Love. Other than you didn’t want to go to the clubs and compete with the perfectly pretty dolls that lurked there for all of the male attention. You had gone, of course. And had your fair share of fun. But you realized it was at best a haphazard way to meet someone when you were looking for a partner in life. You had gone in the week before, filled the profile out and been interviewed. You had gotten the information packet and had read through it twice. You expected to get a call, which you did. But they were calling for you to come in. Special circumstances he had said. “Don’t worry, just Isa would like to have time to talk with you. She is very excited.” So here you were walking back into the building the next day after you had managed to get away from your family's bakery.

You are greeted by the same man as last time, a clone with long curls he wore down and a warm smile.

“Good to see you,” he said, “Come this way, please,”

He led you to an office, with many holos on the walls and desk. The lady, Isa you remembered, stood as you entered.

“Hello!” she says, excited tone to her voice and her eyes lighting up. “Have a seat while we talk,” she motions to a pair of chairs by the window.

Isa picks up a datapad and follows you over, taking the other seat.

“I don't understand,” you say, “I thought I would be getting a phone call,”

“Typically, yes,” Isa nods. “But there is the rare special circumstance. Just want to verify a couple of things first. We already talked about the possibility of someone still active in the GAR? Someone that might have to go off planet for periods of time?”

“Of course, as I said before. I expected it would be a possibility,” You answer, “I have two sisters that co-own and work the bakery with me, along with some good friends and neighbors. I have an excellent support system,”

“Yes, I have a further question,” Isa says, “Do you think you could cope with someone that is special operations, someone that is going to be in more dangerous situations than the average trooper?”

Now that wasn't something you had considered. Even though the war was over, plenty of men went into dangerous situations as the republic tried to rid the galaxy of slavery. Even the ones on planet had to venture to parts of the lower levels in their line of work.

“I believe I would be able to,” you respond.

“As a note I'd like to highly recommend therapy with someone who specializes in this specific area should your match be successful and you end up in a long term relationship with someone in this level of danger,” Isa said, “Even in the short term you may want to discuss this with a typical therapist. I am sending some recommendations and other resources to you now,”

You remind yourself that they liked to be overly cautious, and make sure you have all the resources that you could possibility need. And then you nod for her to continue.

She smiles brightly, “So let me tell you about him. His name is Wrecker, and he's definitely special. He was part of a particular,” she paused, a look of distaste on her face as she searched for a word, “Program where the Kaminoans discovered differences in some and enhanced those differences to be beneficial as a solider. More specialized than just slightly more muscle mass,”

“Such as?” you ask.

“Well, with this particular man...significantly more muscle mass. Also quite a bit taller than average,” Isa explained. “Also, due to injury he has significant scaring and a cybernetic eye,”

“Okay,” you answer, having expected the possibility of scars and prosthetics and the like due to the nature of war.

“As you know, due to some updates in policy we utilize holos now,” She scrolled through her data pad to bring up the holo she was looking for.

You expected the image of someone very gruff, worn. When she handed you the data pad to show you his image you let out an involuntary “Oh!”

The man in the image radiated a kindness that surprised you. Somehow he even managed to make his cybernetic eye convey warmth.

You look up at Isa and ask, “When?”

“So... how did it go?” Hardcase asked Wrecker in the mess the next evening when he came in from his patrol.

Wrecker shrugged, “About the same as everyone said, form work, a lot of talking. The people there are nice,”

“Unlike some people,”Crosshair said, joining them on the other side of Wrecker and looking pointedly at Fives.

“Only you don't me, everyone else...”Fives began.

“Thinks you are obnoxious and a pain,” Kix cut in.

“You're siding with him?!?” Fives exclaimed.

“Well,he's not wrong,”Echo added.

“I think you're nice, Fives!” Hardcase said.

“You're more obnoxious than him,” Crosshair pointed out.

Hardcase smiled, “Yes, yes I am,”

“I think you're nice!” both Tup and Wrecker joined in.

“That's because you two are too sweet for your own good,” Jesse “Don't look at me,” Dogma said, “I think all of you are obnoxious,”

“I concur,”Tech agreed as he and Hunter joined the table.

Wrecker's com beeped, he looked at it and saw who it was and paused.

A chorus of “ooooo” went around the table.

“You better get that,” Crosshair said in a sing-song way.

Wrecker nodded and answered,”Hello?”

“Hello Wrecker, this is Greatheart from Right to Love. I was calling to tell you about a match,”

Thanks for reading! Check out more of this AU @tcwmatchmakingau

❤️Love and Wrecker Hugs!❤️

Tag list (Send a message, ask or use this form to join or be removed)

@lightwise @captainbutterflynonsense @sleepycreativewriter @523rdrebel @inneedoffanfics @cloneloverrrrr @Trappedinlimbo15 @chubbyhedgehog @blueink-bluesoul

#tcw matchmaking au #wrecker x you #clone matchmaking au #wrecker x reader #star wars #the clone wars #the bad batch #sunshine writes

[shinydelirium]

MLQC Season 2 Chapter 15 (Kiro’s Chapter) Part 6 [Eager Move] Translation [CN]

***SPOILERS*** DO NOT READ IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE SPOILED!!!

For the previous translations of chapter 15: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4. Part 5

[Eager Move]

When we hurried back to the fire control room, the two people were already gone.

Sure enough, a metal object is glued to the side of the console and the countdown shows that there are more than six minutes left.

Helios sat down without saying a word, opened a program on the computer, and started typing on the keyboard proficiently.

MC: Do you also write code as a hacker?

Even if time is urgent, I can’t help but want to tease him as I watched him sitting so calmly in front of the computer.

Helios: Go out the door and then ask again when you come back.

MC:…Let me change the question. Can hackers still use programs to dismantle bombs?

Helios: Give me five minutes.

I was relieved.

Helios: But I am not dismantling the bomb.

I stood still in the same place, but after a while I realized what he meant and couldn’t help but raise my voice.

MC: What are you doing now?!

Helios: The hunter game has been disrupted. Joker will definitely think of a way of getting the game’s program back.

Helios: The computer I left on purpose was just a decoy.

Helios: Once they connect to this computer, the other party’s program can be hacked and locked by me.

MC: Haven’t you hacked the entire hunter game before? Why invade the other party’s program?

His fingers paused, and then he began to type quickly.

Helios: Not the whole game. The other party still has control over the collar.

Helios: The data of the collar is more complicated than the program of the game system and many layers of “firewalls” are added.

I was stunned for a moment and I couldn’t help but rub my neck nervously with my fingers. He was right, the “ghost” collar was indeed in working condition.

Helios: The principle of ghost “catch people” is probably similar to NFC technology.

Hearing this obscure terminology, I didn’t understand it but I didn’t interrupt him to ask.

Helios: When “ghost” and “human” come into contact, the “ghost” collar will automatically send its coordinates to the system.

Helios: After the terminal confirms the coordinates, the teenager responsible for the transmission can transfer the “human” directly.

MC: In other words, if the collar problem is not solved, the “ghost” will still disappear when it meets the “person”.

Helios: But now the game is in my hands, even if their collars are still there, they can’t keep the game going.

MC: And so…

Helios: What they want to do now is to take back the initiative of the game but the problem is that they can’t determine my IP address.

Helios: So they can only use a fool’s way.

MC: Come to you directly?

Helios: To be precise, I want to directly connect to their own program through my computer, so as to crack the program from the inside.

Helios: And this is exactly what I want.

Helios: They overestimated themselves and opened the last door that was locked.

Helios’ fingers on the keyboard moved quickly and a string of codes laid out before his eyes.

MC: So when they find that the program is locked, they will know that this is a trap…

MC: And decided to destroy this place!

He nodded, speeding up his hand.

I glanced at the only four minutes left on the bomb and then returned my gaze to Helios.

He pressed his lips tightly and locked his eyes on the screen. Lines of incomprehensible codes landed on the screen with his fingertips.

I held my shaky breath, tried to calm down, and stopped talking in order to not disturb him.

Since he did not choose to leave, it means that he is sure to crack the program while ensuring our safety.

Helios: How much time left on the bomb?

MC: Three minutes and 56 seconds.

Helios: All right.

As he said that, he pressed the Enter key firmly, and at the same time, my collar made a beeping sound.

There was a tingling pain in my neck and the collar automatically injected me with a potion.

Everything happened so fast that I didn’t have time to react. I saw him get up and come to me. He did not speak but only reached out to me.

This seems to be Helios, reaching out to me solemnly for the first time.

He doesn’t seem to just want to prove to me that the collar has been cracked.

I looked at those azure blue eyes, those bright eyes that were always full of smiles were so peaceful at this moment.

Perhaps since he decided to take me back here with him, he has been tentatively confirming  and testing when he cracked the program in front of me.

This is actually an invitation, a middle question, a step he took slightly.

And only I have the answer.

I put my hand in his palm without hesitation.

The moment the skin’s warmth came through the fingertips, something started to disintegrate.

--The silver-white arc did not appear and Helios was still standing in front of me.

He then raised his other hand and quickly pressed it behind my collar. The collar was removed smoothly.

The weight in my heart fell instantly and I smiled at him excitedly.

MC: I knew you would succeed!

Helios: We’re leaving.

He pulled me and ran to the safe passage.

I can’t see his expression but I can clearly feel his hand gradually tighten and the reassuring warmth wraps around my fingers.

As long as he is here, there is nothing terrible about all of this.

Following the safe passage, Helios and I ran out of the underground parking lot again.

We walked non-stop through the messy hall and the door of the mall was right in front of us.

Before I could breathe a sigh of relief, a loud sound suddenly came from the soles of my feet and dust particles mixed in the air rushed towards my face, and I instinctively squinted my eyes.

The ground beneath us seemed to be uneven and shook violently with an ear-splitting boom.

Helios: Hold on to me.

The world is spinning around and the strength on my hand tightens a bit.

In an instant, the surrounding window glass shattered from the strong vibrations and the huge display in the middle of the mall, mixed with cracked reinforced concrete, came crashing down.

The billowing smoke was like a dust storm, which made me unable to keep my eyes open.

They only wanted to blow up the fire control room. The mini-bomb was not enough to destroy the entire department store building.

We were sitting next to a huge concrete pillar and the sharp ringing screamed in our heads, and bursts of dizziness swept through one after another.

I reflexively wanted to turn around to see Helios’ condition, but at this moment I felt my ears being firmly covered by a pair of warm hands.

MC: Helios, what are you….

Although the sharp noise could not be completely isolated, it was more or less blocked with those hands.

The whole world is muffled under his palms and I can even hear my rapid breathing and heartbeat more clearly.

He held my body so tightly that I couldn’t turn around.

MC: …What happened to you? Is something wrong?

Helios: Wait a while…

Helios: Just wait…

His voice seems to come from far away, disconnected, hidden in the sound of falling objects, making it impossible to hear.

On the surface of the broken glass, I could vaguely see his expression. The moment I saw it clearly, I was stunned.

I have never seen Helios show that expression.

His pupils were slightly dilated, his eyes lost their focus in panic and horror, and his lips seemed to be trembling a little bit.

He covered my ears rigorously, like an involuntary action.

I want to make a joke to comfort him. Tell him that I am not injured and he doesn’t need to overreact.

But seeing him like this, a ridiculous thought came to me for no apparent reason---

This seemingly abrupt movement seemed to be of great significance to him at this moment.

As if…this action can really protect me.

The sound of falling objects continued and all of this was concealed by him, leaving only noisy ringing.

My previous guess back in the utility room is more clearly engraved in my mind at this time.

First, it was that one-way message with the phone, the lip-reading book in the ward, the avoidance whenever I asked him questions directly….***This one was quite a challenge to translate cuz Google Translate is weird so I did my own interpretation based on what has happened and MC’s mindset. Basically, MC never found out about Kiro’s hearing loss so now she’s starting to get an idea based on Helios’ actions during this scene.***

And the strange earphones in his ears after Helios appeared…

All the details that I can’t figure out and felt strange are like puzzle pieces. Finally, I was able to put together a complete answer.

An answer that I dare not say easily.

There seemed to be a heavy, sinking feeling in my heart and my chest felt a tingling pain as I breathed.

Kiro’s ears…

I didn’t dare to think about it anymore, but there was a burst of discomfort in my nose.

His silence was the most sufficient reason at this moment.

It’s not that he doesn’t trust me enough, or that he doesn’t want to shoulder heavy responsibilities alone.

He was just scared.

His whole world has changed, becoming silent and unbalanced.

The dizziness gradually subsided and I raised my hand to cover his which were a bit stiff because of too much force.

MC: Helios, there is something wrong with your ears.

This sentence is not an interrogative sentence.

The moment he heard me speak, his fingers shook.

I closed my eyes, but his blue eyes still appeared in front of me.

There is a deep pain in those deliberately cold eyes. Why didn’t I find out earlier?

How can Kiro, who always pursues perfection, accept such a self?

That’s why he ran and stayed away.

It is not so much that he is unwilling to accept that he is not perfect but more like, it is better to say that he wants “Kiro” to always be the most perfect image.

That is his pride.

MC: Kiro…

I couldn’t help but call his name in a low voice and my hands seemed to react and suddenly they withdrew.

When I turned around, the anxiety in those eyes had been extinguished, and there was silence once again.

“Click—”

The door of the mall made a slight noise, and then the door was slowly opened, interrupting what I wanted to say.

Helios immediately guarded me vigilantly.

Unhurried footsteps sounded outside the door and three figures appeared from the darkness.

??: Oh, it’s you.

Helios nimbly stood up, watching them with a cold expression without saying a word.

I saw the person coming and gasped. I lightly touched the corner of his clothes and whispered to him.

MC: Helios, he is Joker.

-End of Part 6-

Continue to Part 7 aka “Showdown: Helios vs. Joker”

#spoilers #mlqc #mlqc spoilers #kiro #helios #kiro spoilers #helios spoilers #the secret is out #HELIOS AND JOKER FINALLY MEET FACE-TO-FACE #DUN DUN DUN!!!!

[red-hood-vigilante]

more hbo spn rambles, thoughts, drabbles etc. long long post.

part 1 here

there’s some things i’ve omitted here bc others have already posted about those things, certain headcanons and characterizations and stuff. those posts are in my likes somewhere (and i’ll reblog them someday), and there’s some posts i’ve read but not liked, which i now can only vaguely remember, which is why some ideas/thoughts are similar

ALSO most of these follow the model i talked about in part one: how s1-5 will stay more or less how they are but s6-10 is changed (some things are cut out entirely, some things are tweaked and some characters + arcs are more fleshed out. more focus on sam’s trauma and post-cage adaptation to the real world as well as dean letting his rage and control issues consume him and how he’d recover and redeem himself)

as i typed these paragraphs, i realized i really have 10 seasons mapped out and ready to go. hbo hire me!!

alright go:

sam and dean get wearier as the show progresses (second half), and eventually they stop putting so much care and thought in the people they save. like...hm how do i say this, like as long as a victim/victims are saved, they don’t care about how that happens or how those people suffer potential consequences, like if the victims lose a limb or have their homes burned down because of the monster, then sam and dean don’t really care. they saved your life, now they’ll leave you with your life in potential shambles and not care because all that matters is that they saved your life, not how it is afterwards. they still care about saving that one person, but eventually it pales a little in comparison to a war between heaven and hell, being the vessels etc. ---> saving people becomes less about making sure they’re actually alright and healing from horrific events and more about just making sure they have a pulse before they move on

when angels lose their wings they are either burned off in the actual fall or ripped off of them in their vessels, which leaves pretty nasty scars on the vessel

ed and harry are so young and bright eyed about the whole hunting thing; sam and dean as kids, idolizing it, finding it exciting and intriguing when they shouldn’t. sam and dean try to get them out of the business before they too are too traumatized and desensitized to do anything but hunt. neither sam or dean will say it but they are jealous of ed and harry and their freedom to leave, and hate them for choosing this voluntarily instead of being dragged into it by tragedy

hbo spn is a slow burn. there’s a lot more shots of sam and dean in silence just sitting together after a hunt, exhausted and too tired to move yet. they’re covered in blood and guts on the side of the road after killing or covered with dirt in a graveyard after burning bones, sitting next to the fire, just watching it. the times they park the car and watch the stars? we get to see it. 

dean wears rings and the amulet all the time in the beginning, for the first five seasons. the rings vary; first they’re some of john’s old ones and stuff he finds in thrift stores. then later on he begins wearing rings from people they’ve saved/haven’t saved as a keepsakes etc. when he begins his descent to the holy murderer in s6-10 he wears less and less rings. they don’t matter anymore -> symbolically shedding who he was and what mattered to him

the only accessories sam has is a rosary/cross around his neck. he has jess’ engagement ring in his pocket/wallet. after the cage he vaguely remembers why the ring was there and who jessica was (more on this further down)

the four horsemen are manifestations of different aspects of human nature at its most grotesque and strongest, can’t be killed as long as humans live. war is conflict, famine is desire, pestilence is physical and mental illnesses.

(the seven sins are like the horsemen, tulpas of human nature instead of demons)

death isn’t a concentration of an existing aspect of humans as much as it is the end of life, the antithesis of life. death the oldest of the horsemen and has existed since the beginning of any life, organism, cell and atom. the opposite of life and light, the other half of god (as i’m typing this i’m confused as to why  amara was the opposite of god instead of death). death isn’t evil or good, remains 100% objective. doesn’t care for sam or dean at all, but has a begrudging respect for their stubbornness and entertainment they provide due to their flat out refusal to do as they’re told by celestial bodies when anyone else would crumble

by including death i feel like it very naturally begs questions of who decides when someone dies, when someone lives, why would death follow these guides instead of reaping whomever whenever, what happens if a life isn’t reaped at the right time etc. the reader in me adore the idea of death having a library with books and records of everyone who has ever lived and died and how they died - but then, who writes these books and why? do they decide, and if in that case, how? these questions are above my paygrade but you know what i mean? like there has to be some sort of system right, god created everything, death executes to maintain order, some third party deity writes the laws and the books. the three branches of government. ok but it’s hbo so again, i think we shouldn’t dive this deep into things, like as much as these topics intrigue me i don’t want to stray too much from the dirt road trip aesthetic

shapeshifters are extremely rare because they don’t require any kind of human blood or organs/sacrifice to live

i want more exploration of how magic is like science, like it just needs the right ingredients and right conditions. sam thinks of magic as an obscure branch of science; it just requires research and knowledge and clear intentions because science can be controlled and do a lot of good when used responsibly. dean doesn’t like it. he doesn’t trust the unpredictable elements and he’s seen enough to know it never goes well. magic is a force that can’t be controlled by anyone.

sam and dean have full on fist fights regularly. to practice and keeping each other sharp, but also because they’re siblings. they’re feral, insane and unhinged with each other and they get on each other’s nerves A LOT. it’s petty and childish and sometimes it can get a lil ugly but it becomes their way of family therapy. after a fight the next scene cuts to sam and dean with ruffled clothes, nosebleeds and swollen lips at a diner eating silently after beating each other up. either they sit in silence because they’re tired or both are harping on the other’s openings and weaknesses

sometimes they’ll fight a little dirty but they do so in different ways; dean will pull the old ‘look!’ and point to something and then tackle sam when he turns to look while sam will just cry out in fake pain which makes dean stop dead in his tracks before sam headbutts him or kicks him in the groin

we, the audience get used to these fights, they’re sometimes funny and for comic relief, sometimes for narrative purposes (like tricking a monster they’re fighting each other when they’re really not) BUT. then comes the times when sam and dean are actually fighting without holding back and we see how much they are capable of hurting each other or how heartbreaking and difficult it can be to watch when of them are incapable of fighting back/doesn’t defend himself -> swan song when dean doesn’t fight back against possessed sam, or when dean beats soulless sam unconscious

sam and dean also just verbally bully each other constantly but they do have their odd ways of expressing affection and care. they get the other person their fave snack whenever they go grocery shopping without being asked to and are the only other one they truly trust to have their back in hunts. have a cup of coffee ready before the other asks for one. brothers and each other’s best friend. nightmare duo but in a sweet way. the cooperation of ‘the usual suspects’ when they’re in different interrogation rooms but still has the cover story down to a t. code words and code names and cover stories, they know it all

when sam and dean fight together against a common enemy they’re a damn nightmare - because they know each others weaknesses and habits, they cover each other perfectly and in complete silence. they’ve been at it together since they were kids and read each other’s nonverbal cues like a picture book

to build off of what i said in part 1; the winchesters are pretty hated in the hunter’s community. even the people sam and dean frequently work with (bobby, ellen, jo, ash, rufus, bela, kevin, charlie, castiel etc) roasts them all the time and don’t hesitate with calling them out on their self-pitying crap when it get’s too much (spn was just objectively better when characters weren’t afraid of dragging sam and dean through the mud for being selfish and stupid) and this WILL persist in hbo spn. the only reason people continue working with sam and dean is because they know deep down a lot of the things that happens aren’t sam and dean’s fault - but they still blame them for it. doesn’t make it easier how sam or dean sometimes start crap on purpose to save the other

the winchesters are terrifying and people for sure tell stories about them, but not like ‘they’re heroes’, more like ‘they’re insane and dangerous. stay the fuck away from them’. some stories are true, like how they’ve worked with demons, but some are just game of telephone. (dean has apparently a ghost he is frequently possessed by while sam is actually a mutant vampire). hunters hate and are scared of the winchesters. sam and dean are never invited to hunter stuff (burials, memorials etc) but crash them nonetheless even though the hunters do NOT want them there.

you know what drives me insane when i think about it? how some characters in spn already are their hbo spn counterparts; john. mary. adam. maybe kevin?

other things that already are their hbo spn counterparts: dean throwing away the amulet right in front of sam. eyes burning when angels are seen. how ghosts are just tragedies, stuck in a loop they can’t leave. how a lot of the monsters they meet are just victims or their circumstances or the first victim of a curse. the impala being sam and dean’s home. dean not knowing how to comfort sam when he’s upset other than trying to do things for sam that usually brings dean comfort (driving the impala, listening to rock music etc). the roadhouse. heaven being an eternal version of the memories that made you the happiest even though it’s not real. sam wanting independence and freedom but never fully having it. dean fearing being alone more than anything else and that’s where he always ends up. sam has an eating disorder after the demon blood and dean has an alcohol problem he refuses to see as a problem. dean saying “i’d do it again” without an ounce of regret and pouring himself a drink when sam tells him it was fucked up to lie to him about gadreel

the demon/angel hybrid: THIS could be sooo interesting to explore. an angel and demon hybrid are you kidding me?? not to toot my own horn too much but i’m so clever. i should write this story myself. SO. does this creature have parents who fucked in their vessels or was this an experiment by god (yes i love the ‘mad scientist’ idea, that really should’ve been played up way more) or did a pre-existing creature (human or otherwise) drink demon blood and angel grace at the same time so that it created itself? so much potential for some really intriguing storytelling and character exploration - not only the creature itself and what they would be like, but also for the people around; sam, dean, castiel, jack etc. how would they react to this thing that is the very definition of defying heaven and hell and all the natural laws? does it exist before the show starts or will we see its birth?

the powers of the demon/angel hybrid would be tricky; a mix of holy and defiant, grotesque and beautiful. unconsciously forces people to tell the truth when talking to them. poisons whatever they touch. eyes of a demon, wings of an angel. can smite but skin will burn when touching iron. can do deals but will require a sacrifice in return, not a soul, usually a body part taken then and there (the hybrid eats it. it favours eyeballs and the liver - angels like raw meat). lights always flicker. makes things explode when angry (esp people and cars). can manipulate feelings, thoughts and memories. can travel to both heaven and hell, not welcome in either places. + standard stuff like telekinesis, teleportation, mind reading, super strength etc. 

sam and dean’s wardrobe are pretty much the same; whatever’s cheap and not covered in blood. however, they do have stylistic differences. sam thinks graphic tees are funny, dean uses whatever’s black combined with john’s leather jacket. their wardrobe melds as they stop thinking of themselves as individuals and more of “me and my brother,”. their clothes are tattered and torn to shreds all the time. hand me downs, hand me ups. when they stray off their “path” and do things that are the crux of a storyline/character arc, this would reflect in their clothes. when sam is with ruby and becomes more and more “evil” he wears more and more red, a colour he has stated in the past he doesn’t really like. when dean is dead, sam starts to wear his rings and john’s and dean’s leather jacket. when dean decides he’s going to say yes to michael he dresses in white, when sam is dead dean takes off every piece of jewelry except the amulet. he holds it clenched in his fists when he’s whispering what comes close to a prayer

logically the amulet should have a backstory but you know what? i love that it’s hinted to be just a piece of cheap jewelry sam found in a thrift store he decided to give to dean. but narratively it should be explained so... idk. what could be logical solution as to why it would react to GOD himself? maybe god wore it once cuz he thought it was neat but he sold it for three dollars because he wanted coffee and then sam found it a week later

i would prefer it if god didn’t show up at all (absent father number one) but if he DID he’s not all powerful just a true neutral (like death, 100% objective) who created a thing that just took a life of its own, much like a parent and a child - the parent helps the child but can’t control it. the times he did intervene or tried to do something it didn’t really have any real long lasting effect so he gave up on trying a while ago. 

@spneveryseason talked about this, how the storyline of sam being possessed by gadreel would be horrifying if we saw everything from sam’s perspective instead of dean’s (her fic is wonderful). in the ‘dean slowly descends into a righteous murderer to become holy’ idea i have this tracks so damn well because again, if dean believes something is right, it is right, no questions about it. everyone around him is like “that’s really fucked up and you should make amends” but dean doesn’t see any reasons for why - sam is alive isn’t he? and seeing it from sam’s pov would really underline how horrifying, dehumanizing and belittling that experience was

john and mary are adam and eve. sam and dean are cain and abel are michael and lucifer. time is a flat circle. history never stops repeating itself. 

sam is the villain of s4. he is manipulated and key information is withheld from him but in the end... would it made a difference? it crossed his mind, that he could be tricked because ruby is a demon after all, but maybe he likes the power, the feeling of freedom, that he wasn’t just the baby, the one who always needs permission to do things. if he has to drain possessed people to get that power... so be it. and it’s for a good purpose, until it isn’t. he’s hungry for more, to be feared and respected. he’s enticed by lucifer’s sweet words, the potential of all that power and the idea of ruling two out of three realms. dean manages to pull him back from the brink because sam decides he doesn’t want to be what john thought he was and fail dean and himself like that.

dean is the villain in s9. he is controlling, the mark of cain without the mark. what he says goes - it’s not a democracy, it’s a dictatorship. he doesn’t see how much pain, doubt and fear he causes the people around him. if some victims or civilians die on his watch that doesn’t matter - just some collateral damage. sam can’t make dean listen to him because dean is the older one, the one who’s always called the shots. dean is the angelic one, heaven’s chosen warrior, he is untouchable and unkillable. he’s is an excellent killer, filling the void with blood and rage which is better than the crippling fear of loneliness carved into his bones. 'i butcher for love, to protect,’ he tells himself. ‘why shouldn’t i exterminate, regardless of the cost? i’ve followed the rules, i’ve always sacrificed. now i call the shots. it’s my right.’

sam’s hell trauma is never magically removed. he’s stuck with the memories and the nightmares and the occasional hallucinations. castiel can’t do anything but offers to wipe his memory completely, but sam says no, he is still doing penance. 

after dean comes back from hell he starts calling himself old man and jokes a lot about he’s 40 years older now (after he’s more comfortable about speaking about hell) 

when sam comes back he feels ancient (he’s over 900 years old at least but he lost count), weary, tired and so so so out of place in this world. he’s forgotten how to put gas in a car, how to drive, how to use a credit card, all the song lyrics he and dean used to yell together, the faces of people he knew before he fell, the softness of a bed, the schools he went to, most of the hunts he and dean, how john died, who mary is, the initials carved into the impala, the taste of food that isn’t raw meat. it’s so much he’s forgotten that he has to relearn. he prefers figuring things out with castiel instead of dean because castiel doesn’t silently resent him for everything he’s forgotten

sam doesn’t laugh anymore. despite dean’s many and castiel’s few awkward attempts, it’s more like quick smile and a quiet “hmm”. on some days he recoils when he sees blood and guts, on other days he’s so apathetic it’s unnerving

sam sympathizes with the brought back mary and castiel more than ever. dean tries to get sam to remember things he’s forgotten from his childhood but sam can’t connect with it anymore. he stopped being that sam a long time ago. dean doesn’t know what else to do than try to force this connection to be revitalized and he fails. sam isn’t that person anymore and this wedge in their relationship becomes a central factor in dean’s s6-10 desperation and isolation. sam is here and safe but it’s not really sam, not the sam dean grew up with

while sam has forgotten how to make coffee, he now knows everything about angels, effective torture tricks, a bunch of lore + biblical history, how to navigate hell, the most powerful and influential demons, rare and powerful spells as well as perfect enochian (he will speak enochian without realizing and it feels more natural than english). lucifer and michael were surprisingly talkative (raging about the unfairness) when taking their anger and hatred out on sam and adam and each other. sam had access to all of lucifer’s memories and knowledge for the time he was the one in control. walking library and encyclopedia of biblical lore.

he still has some muscle memory from hunting and sparring, but sam is ghostly thin and very rusty. even though he’s an expert on lore, he’s not fit to go on hunts anymore and he knows it. 

sam remembers adam and swears he’ll try to get him out, but he can’t. just thinking about the cage makes him vomit. he can’t talk about it, much less go near it. after a while sam thinks it might be better to let adam stay down there than let him come back up and feel this crushing emptiness and loss of direction

sam’s trials take place in s9 instead of 8; coinciding with dean’s villain arc. for sam the trials are a chance to redeem himself again, this time for good by closing hellgates forever. they’re scrubbing him clean of the demon blood and his sins and they give him a sense of purpose again now that he can’t join hunts anymore. it doesn’t matter if he dies because of it. it would be nice with a permanent and peaceful death that did something good. dean is taken aback by sam’s devotion to repent for something that happened years ago and for something sam has already paid for a thousand times over. dean realizes how messed up he himself has become and how he’s helped put sam here, on the cusp of self sacrifice again because of sickening guilt and self hatred. dean begs sam to not complete the trials at the cost of his own life and swears he’ll better himself, be a friend and a brother, not a jailer, dictator or a murderer. ‘if you won’t give yourself or life another chance, please give me one.’ ---> s10 pacifist dean learning to let go of the control, the violent tendencies and the rage

oh wait what if gadreel still possessed sam after the trials to heal him but sam is the one who invites the angel in? he’ll keep his promise to dean about staying alive, as well as heal from the inside and have breaks from the world when he doesn’t want to be present, like he and gadreel will alternate being the one in control. he keeps it a secret from dean and helps gadreel imitate him so dean won’t notice. it’s not so bad, being possessed by this angel - sam can say no anytime and gadreel is a nice guy. since they alternate on who’s present they can access each other’s memories, which is terrifying and embarrassing at first, but since gadreel and sam have been tricked and used by lucifer and been punished for it for far too long, they understand each other. now another creature knows their trauma and terrors without the need for verbal explanation. also having an angel residing in his body makes sam feel like he can hunt properly again because gadreel can heal him and take over in situations sam’s overpowered. this could show how messed up sam has come to view himself and his body. 

dean is conflicted when he finds out; sam lied but gadreel does help sam heal, sam’s traumatized and his self-worth is fucked up and dean has contributed to that. dean convinces sam to push gadreel out, that sam is still valuable, loved and a good person who shouldn’t be in a place where he views his body and mind like a property to be occupied. sam’s faith begins to come back bit by bit, not in god, but in himself, his brother, in the good things in life. they build their little family; sam, dean, castiel, the hybrids, whomever of their allies that are alive at this point.

castiel can heal sam and dean’s wounds but they are never completely gone; they leave scars and phantom pains. the brothers have SO many scars over the years. dean flaunts them to impress people because he likes the questions and the fearful admiration, the attention and the nods of approval. sam hides them.

when dean is in a bad mood or needs to get his mind off of things, sam just drops something like ‘i don’t get the deal with led zeppelin. one of the most overrated bands of all time’ and dean will go OFF every single time about the entire led zeppelin history, their discography and how they’ve shaped rock music. this will go on for hours and sam will zone out after 1 minute. but dean rants nonsensically the entire drive and it does get him to think about something else for a little bit. they stop at a motel and dean is STILL ranting while brushing his teeth. stops when going to sleep but without fail picks up where he left off the morning after and is so into it he doesn’t notice sam not paying attention at all. we could see this once in s1 when they’re searching for john, another in s3 when dean is anxious about his deal coming to an end and then again in a later season, when sam doesn’t remember to ask/doesn’t have the patience or mental capability, so they’ll sit there in tense silence, showing how much they’ve changed.

---> i can see this SO clearly in my head, how they’ll get in the car and we, the audience, will recognize the camera angle, the same lines and dean’s grumpy mood, and we’ll anticipate what comes next. but sam isn’t that kid anymore and he’s not peeking at dean to gauge what his mood is and how much of a shit eating grin he should wear when being an annoying little brother to cheer dean up. now he’s looking out the window, leaned back, they’re not looking at each other. this shot is a minute or two long, uninterrupted. dean turns on music but neither are singing along or doing anything to lighten the mood. 

s1-5: sam gets hooked on demon blood, dean has an alcohol problem. when sam goes through withdrawals, dean decides to quit drinking and joins him because he wants to be supportive, and he realizes that when he drinks two beers for breakfast there’s a problem

s6-10: sam takes painkillers, anti depressants and anti psyhosis meds to numb himself from the phantom pains and reduce post-cage effects. dean started drinking again after sam jumped and still does, but started smoking in addition because he still drives a lot and doesn’t want to die in something as pathetic as a car crash. 

there a scene in an episode in the first half of s8, when sam has decided to stay with dean instead of amelia, and dean has rejected benny in favor of sam, and then the brothers sit in a couch watching tv while drinking beer and neither of them look particularly happy about it - that’s how their relationship is a lot of the time. they know they’re fucked up and neither of them will ever be truly happy when the other’s around, but they owe each other so much and they don’t have to explain themselves to each other the way they do to others. they know each other so well, each other’s traumas and the things they’ve done, it feels fake and exhausting to try to be something other than the veteran hunters they are. misery loves company; they are miserable together but would be far more miserable apart and living a normal life. they do love each other, but neither of them are particularly happy as the show progresses. family is hell and so is the lack of it. 

OK OK i mentioned it in part one, how i had my own very specific idea about how jack should come to be and here it is. long winded but (might just write a damn fic): 

after lucifer was cast back into the cage, he is stronger than he has been in a long time (being in his true vessel helped him stretched muscles he forgot he had. and fresh air.) sam is pulled out of the cage and it leaves a rift in the magic and chains - the binding is weaker and lucifer must act fast to get out before it heals. the cage is still strong enough to hold two archangels, so lucifer has to become weaker somehow to slip out through the cracks. he can’t get out of the cage, but souls can come in. demons bring themselves and human souls as tools for lucifer to use. there’s not much he can do here - consuming them, eating them, touching them, dissecting them doesn’t give him what he wants

eventually lucifer realizes he must do like azazel and create something new of two halves, like when he created demons. he begins melding his archangel grace with a human soul. he tries with demons, but his archangel grace automatically purifies them and leaves them too weak. he must try with a human soul who is good. he finds the soul of kelly kline, who sold her soul to save a loved one. with her, the merging, works. 

he has another self, a twin, a son, who’s half human and half archangel. half lucifer. the old lucifer will die but that’s ok, his desires, presence and self will live on in his new creation. the new lucifer barely makes it out of the cage, only able to due to its human side. on earth it creates a body for itself and takes shape, no longer a form of pure power and energy akin to the sun itself but now a person, reminiscent of kelly kline on earth and lucifer in heaven. they name themselves jack. jack searches for familiarity and finds it in sam, their old self’s perfect tool and another hybrid. jack finds a mentor in castiel, a younger brother and fellow angel with human elements. they do not find anything in dean, the key to his former self’s doom.

jack’s powers: their powers are like and unlike the angels because he is half archangel. jack has wings but sometimes they don’t work, or they’ll end up somewhere else entirely. their body is their own, not a vessel, so jack can’t possess people. doesn’t talk but people “know” what they’re saying or want because jack emits their emotions and thoughts to people they’re talking to like a radio tower. jack can also have this empathic connection and communication with animals. his mood affects the weather. immortal. reads minds. can remove a soul from a body and send it to heaven/hell by touching it, with practice they don’t need to touch a body. 

other stuff about jack: the human/archangel nature means jack only need sleep and food once a week or so. eats only nougat and raw meat. because jack is a kid they nap a lot. levitates when sleeping. never blinks, stares intensely at everything. their eye colour changes based on their mood. eyes glow in the dark. normal humans who look at jack for too long experience memory loss, fainting spells or migraines and eye contact for more than 10 seconds give vivid hallucinations of their worst nightmares. always barefoot, often floats like 10 cm off the ground because they find it more enjoyable than walking. wears the wildest clothes they can find, nothing matches and nothing is weather appropriate

i have a very specific image of jack in my mind; they look like delirium from the sandman comics with the hair that looks like it’s underwater and the fishes floating around their head, here and here are examples. in live action this would look not good or maybe even ridiculous for sure but in animation... endless potential for angels and monsters to have super interesting designs sigh

castiel’s arc should end with him going from blind soldier, to the unwilling ruler of heaven, finding a place on earth with sam and dean, becoming closer with humanity and eventually a father of three (the hybrids). 

#hbo spn #sam winchester #dean winchester #supernatural #iben spoke #ok i'm tired of looking at this now #i just needed to get these thoughts out of my head to get some peace and quiet #more character centric than part 1 #and it turned into such a long post.... jesus #i should make a separate post for post cage sam headcanons #ana if you see this i'm so sorry to drag you into this mess but i wanted to give credit where credit is due

[elriell]

i love your meta posts and would really like to see your thoughts on nessian and maybe the next book in detail?? thanks

Thank you, I enjoy doing them. As usual this will be rather long especially with quotes but there is so much Nessian goodness to discuss so bare with me.

[MY FULL THOUGHTS ON NESTA]

We will get in to the good, the bad, and everything in between but let’s start with their future and them being mates. This is not an unpopular belief to my knowledge but let’s talk about it because I feel this will be a part of their arc next book, especially since ACOFAS was kind of setting up the bridge for the spin off.

So take a look at these quotes from ACOFAS,

“Cassian’s face turned uncharacteristically solemn, and he remained quiet for a moment before he said, “I get jealous sometimes. I’d never begrudge you for your happiness, but what you two have, Rhys …” He dragged a hand through his hair, his crimson Siphon glinting in the light streaming through the window. “It’s the legends, the lies, they spin us when we’re children. About the glory and wonder of the mating bond. I thought it was all bullshit. Then you two came along.”

“What about you?” I asked, pulling away after a moment. “Are you … happy?” Shadows darkened his hazel eyes. “I’m getting there.” A halfhearted answer.”

I believe this is just a little teaser for his future with her, there is so much foreshadowing about both of them being mates but also becoming something powerful, especially Nesta.

“What if I tell you what the rock and darkness and sea beyond whispered to me, Lord of Bloodshed? How they shuddered in fear, on that island across the sea. How they trembled when she emerged. She took something—something precious. She ripped it out with her teeth.”

Cassian’s golden-brown face had drained of color, his wings tucking in tight. “What did you wake that day in Hybern, Prince of Bastards?”

He is described as a leader, a prince and a god a few times but the foreshadowing for Nesta becoming a Queen/Leader is unparalleled. I know quite a few people are not fond of the idea but to be honest with all the written breadcrumbs I cannot imagine it going any other way... It is mentioned so often.

“Nesta was waiting at the head of the table, a queen ready to hold court. ”

“But she turned to Cassian, looked him over as if she were a queen on a throne, and then declared to all of us,”

“How lovely she is—new as a fawn and yet ancient as the sea. How she calls to you. A queen, as my sister once was. Terrible and proud; beautiful as a winter sunrise.”

“And proud as any queen, Nesta took Elain’s arm and led her from the guardhouse. Mor trailed behind,”

“A queen without a throne. That was what I’d call the painting that swept into my mind.”

“She kept her chin high, the portrait of queenly arrogance. “I’m not.”

“Talk to me. Nesta. Tell me—” She ripped her hand out of his grip. Stared him down. A mighty, vengeful queen.”

And I feel it will obviously be something to do with the Illyrians, as that is what is being set up. I believe they will become leaders of the Illyrians in a new way not currently present.

Mates

“And what about Cassian? He’s entangled—and enabling this nonsense.” A wry smile. “Cassian is going to have to decide some things, too. In the near future, I think.” “Are he and Nesta …?” “I don’t know. Until the bond snaps into place, it can be hard to detect.”

At this rate I do not even think it is questionable but let’s pretend we have to prove it, here are some key pieces of evidence,

Exhibit A)

Feyre painting the stars for her Mate, and her painting flames for Nesta.

“Nesta,” I said, starting on the other wing, “I painted flames for her. She was always angry, always burning. I think she and Amren would be fast friends. ”

“There was something rough-hewn about his features—like he’d been made of wind and earth and flame and all these civilized trappings were little more than an inconvenience.”

“A matching one lay atop his left hand; and twin red stones adorned Cassian’s gauntlets, their color like the slumbering heart of a flame.”

“So at odds from the male who had gone head to head with my sister, unable to resist matching himself against Nesta’s spirit of steel and flame.”

Exhibit B)

First potential scenting of it/Paralleling Rhys.

“He bowed at the waist, those wings vanishing entirely, and had begun to fade into the nearest shadow when he went rigid. His eyes locked on mine, wide and wild, and his nostrils flared. Shock—pure shock flashed across his features at whatever he saw on my face, and he stumbled back a step. Actually stumbled. “What is—” I began.” [Rhys] “But he did take a step closer, bracing a hand on the mantel, and leaned in close enough to breathe in that scent of hers. It hit him in the gut so hard her could barely focus, and it took five centuries of training to make himself meet her eyes rather than let his own roll back in his head, to keep himself poised there instead of burying his face in the crook between her neck and shoulder, to keep from moving closer, from… touching.”

“Yes, devastating was a good word for how lovely she’d become as High Fae. And in a long-sleeved, dark blue gown that clung to her curves before falling gracefully to the ground in a spill of fabric …

Cassian looked like someone had punched him in the gut.”

Exhibit C)

Feeling each others pain/worry without being there.

“He’d followed. She’d known it in her bones, her blood. He’d kept high in the skies, but he’d followed until she’d entered the building.”

“CASSIAN.” Amren reached for her, but Nesta roared, “CASSIAN!”

“Nesta had known. She gaped up at me, terror and agony on her face, then scanned the sky for Cassian, who flapped in place, as if torn between coming for us and charging back to the scattering Illyrian and Peregryn ranks. She’d known where that blast was about to hit. Cassian had been right in the center of it. Or would have been, if she hadn’t called him away.”

The door opened, and Cassian stalked in, face grave. The sight of the wings, the Illyrian armor in this opulent, pink-filled room planted itself in my mind, the painting already taking form, as he said, “What’s wrong.” [...] But I said, “She senses something is off—says we need to leave right away.” I waited for the dismissal, but Cassian angled his head. “What, precisely, feels wrong?”

“Nesta’s screaming was the only sound. Cassian blindly lurched toward it—toward her, moaning in pain.”

“I whipped my head to Nesta as she went silent. The Cauldron righted itself. Cassian again stirred, slumping on the floor—but his hand twitched. Toward Nesta.”

“You’re hurt.” Rhys snapped to attention at that. [...] Cassian seemed to hesitate, but offered it to her, tapping the Siphon atop his palm. The armor slid back a fraction over his forearm, revealing— “You know better than to walk around with an injury,” Rhys said a bit tensely. “I was busy,” Cassian said, not taking his focus off Nesta as she studied the swollen wrist. How she’d detected it through the armor … She must have read it in his eyes, his stance. I hadn’t realized she’d been observing the Illyrian general enough to notice his tells.”

Underrated Moments?

“Eat or bed?” Cassian had asked Nesta, and I honestly couldn’t tell if he’d meant it as some invitation. I debated telling him he was in no shape.

Nesta only said, “Bed.” And there was certainly no invitation in the exhausted reply.”

I feel like this is such an underrated moment between them, there is so much care and comfort in these moments I love it.

“Is she a witch.”

“She may act like one sometimes,” Cassian clarified, “but no—she is High Fae.” LOL

“Nesta listened to the low-level Illyrian soldiers whispering about how Cassian had thrown that spear, how he’d cut down soldiers like stalks of wheat, how he’d fought like Enalius—their most ancient warrior-god and the first of the Illyrians. [...]

Nesta watched, and listened to it all, while the camp was built around us.”

This part of ACOWAR when she is settling in, helping out and listening to the tales of Cassian I think will come to parallel in ACOTAR 4. I love the idea that she just sat around listening to the legend of warrior gods...

Parallels

“Why do you bother, Cassian?”

His hazel eyes shuttered as we smoothly landed. And I thought he wouldn’t answer, especially not as we heard the others already in the dining room beyond the veranda,[...] But Cassian said quietly as we headed for the dining room, “Because I can’t stay away.”

Nesta gritted her teeth, trying to haul Cassian up once more. A broken sound of pain ripped from him. “Go! ” he barked at her. “I can’t,” she breathed, voice breaking. “I can’t.”

*cries*

“But Nesta was glancing between us all, her back still stiff, mouth a thin line. “Where is he?” “Who?” Rhys crooned. “Cassian.”

I didn’t think I’d ever heard his name from her lips. Cassian had always been him or that one. And Nesta had been … pacing in the foyer. As if she was worried.

“I was almost at the door when Cassian said, “Is …” He swallowed. I spared him the discomfort of trying to mask his interest. “Both sisters will be at the house. Whether they want to or not.” Cassian’s eyes flickered. “How is she?”

Rhysand just stuck in the middle probably thinking these fucking idiots ahaha

“Are you … happy?” Shadows darkened his hazel eyes. “I’m getting there.”A halfhearted answer. I’d have to work on that, too. Perhaps there were threads to be pulled, woven together.”

“Perhaps you should get a place of your own, then.” “I have one in Illyria.” “I meant here.” Cassian lifted a brow. “I don’t need a house here. I need a room.” [...] I chuckled again, but held in my retort. My suggestion that he might want a place of his own. Soon. Not that anything was happening on that front. Not anytime soon. Nesta had made it clear enough she had no interest in Cassian—not even in being in the same room as him. I knew why. I’d seen it happen, had felt that way plenty.”

had felt that way plenty

HAD FELT THAT WAY PLENTY.

HaD FElt tHAt wAY PLenTY

Perhaps this is really why they sent her to Illyria? Is this them weaving? Not sure how I feel about that really, but we shall see.

She only said, “Go home, Cassian.” He could count on one hand the number of times she’d used his name. Called him anything other than you or that one.”

“Cassian.” I didn’t think I’d ever heard his name from her lips. Cassian had always been him or that one.”

Their reactions to each other currently.

“No matter that she could scarcely stand to be around him. No matter that she had once, long ago, in a mortal body and in a house that no longer existed, let him kiss her throat. Being near him made her want to shatter things. As her power sometimes did, unbidden. Secretly.”

“But from the moment he’d met Nesta, the cold fire in her blue-gray eyes had been a temptation of a different sort. And now that she was High Fae, that inherent dominance, the aggression—and that piss-poor attitude … There was a reason he avoided her as much as possible. Even after the war, things were still too volatile, both within the Night Court’s borders and in the world beyond. And the female before him had always made him feel like he was standing in quicksand.”

Training

Quite a few people do not want her to become a epic warrior, and while I understand that especially after her quote in the books about there being other ways to be strong... but after SJM interviews and so forth I definitely think they will go in that direction...

“You’ll what?” Cassian crooned, trailing her at a casual pace as she stopped perhaps five feet from me. He lifted a brow as she whirled on him. “You won’t join me for practice, so you sure as hell aren’t going to hold your own in a fight. You won’t talk about your powers, so you certainly aren’t going to be able to wield them. And you—”

“Something drew Cassian’s attention behind me. And even as his body remained casual, a predatory gleam flickered in his eyes. I didn’t need to turn to know who was standing there. “Care to join?” Cassian purred. Nesta said, “It doesn’t look like you’re exercising anything other than your mouths.”

“Cassian pressed one of his knives into Nesta’s hand. “Ash can kill you now,” he said with lethal quiet as she stared down at the blade. “A scratch can make you queasy enough to be vulnerable. Remember where the exits are in every room, every fence and courtyard—mark them when you go in, and mark how many men are around you. Mark where Rhys and the others are. Don’t forget that you’re stronger and faster. Aim for the soft parts,” he added, folding her fingers around the hilt. “And if someone gets you into a hold …”

Morrigan

Alright let’s move on to Mor, I am sure there are a lot of opinions on her/and her relationship with Cassian. I am going to try not to get in to detail about her personally and keep it too Nessian because I feel like that is a whole other can of worms...

“And then there would be the matter of explaining it to everyone.

To Mor. His blood chilled.”

This is a big reason for why I need both of their own POV’s because there is so much we are limited to being inside of Feyre’s head. But one thing is clear and that is that there is something wrong here, ^^^ that response is not normal for a “friend” to find out you like/whatever someone.

It is not a healthy dynamic at all, I am sorry.

I believe it also alters and changes the way Nesta perceives things, we as readers may know nothing is currently going on between them but as an outside party she would not know that and some of their scenes have got to raise alarms.

“You’re hurt?”

At the sound of Mor’s voice, Cassian snatched his hand back and pivoted toward Mor with a lazy smile. “Nothing for you to cry over, don’t worry.”

Nesta dragged her stare from his face—down to her now-empty hand, her fingers still curled as if his palm lay there. Cassian didn’t look at Nesta as she rose, snatching up the pitcher, and muttered something about getting more water from inside the tent.

Case and point, this was a rather cold and heartless thing to do especially given that she is finally trying to help him and open up. Imagine being Nesta in this situation, it is sure to raise some alarm bells...

“Rhys chuckled. Cassian, however, didn’t smile, every pore of him seemingly fixed on Nesta and Mor.”

I really hope they expand on why he is so afraid of her reaction.

“Just what I always wanted.” He held up a pair of what seemed to be red silk undershorts. The perfect match to her negligee. With Nesta pointedly preoccupied with flipping through her new books,”

“Cassian and Mor fell into their banter, laughing and taunting each other about the battle and the ones ahead. Nesta didn’t come back out again for some time.”

“The general of the High Lord’s armies stuck out his tongue. Mor returned the gesture. Amren scowled at Rhys. “You’d be wise to leave both of them at home for the meeting with the others, Rhysand. They’ll cause nothing but trouble.” His face was indeed controlled, but—a hint of surprise twinkled there. Wariness, too, but … surprise. I risked another glance at Nesta, but she was watching her plate, dutifully ignoring the others.”

I think it is very interesting that SJM put these scenes in here because as readers again we might laugh and enjoy the banter between the circle but she is making it a point to show that Nesta is bothered/has a reaction to these moments. I wouldn’t even call it jealousy per-say but rather wariness over someone she considers a player flirting around, raising red flags.

Especially getting matching underwear with someone, as an outsider how would you perceive that?

“Mor’s lips pressed into a thin line, as if she was trying her best not to say anything. Azriel was trying his best to shoot a warning stare at Mor to remind her to indeed keep her mouth shut. As if they’d already discussed this. Many times.”

I opened my mouth, but Mor beat me to it.

“He’s busy.” I’d never heard her voice so … sharp. Icy.

Mor said flatly, “When he gets back, keep your forked tongue behind your teeth.”

“I tried not to look too obvious as I glanced at Cassian.They had not seen each other since Adriata.But the warrior only gave her a cursory once-over and turned toward Azriel to say something. Mor was watching both carefully—the warning she’d given my sister ringing silently between them. And Nesta, Mother damn it all, seemed to remember. Seemed to rein in whatever words she’d been about to spit and just approached me.”

“So you’re alive.”Cassian bared his teeth in a feral grin, wings flaring slightly. “Were you hoping otherwise?”

Mor was watching—watching so closely, every muscle tense. She again reached for his arm, but Cassian angled out of reach, not tearing his eyes from Nesta’s blazing gaze.

I don’t agree with her at all, especially since she is a hypocrite because if anyone brings up her relationship with Azriel it is unacceptable and not their business. You can be a friend, you can be protective, as I am sure Az also is but you can keep it to yourself, or Cassian.

Her not wanting to loose her buffer is not only selfish but cruel to him.

“Your Solstice present.” “I don’t want one.” Cassian continued past her, tossing the present in his hands. “You’ll want this one.” He prayed she would. It had taken him months to find it. He hadn’t wanted to give it to her in front of the others. Hadn’t even known she’d be there tonight.”

This isn’t directly linked to Mor but it kind of falls under the same theme of him being shy/embarrassed(?) in regards to her, for whatever reason it doesn’t put things in the best light. We can only speculate about what was inside it, and boy do we, so we can’t say if it was personal or private but the idea that he didn’t want to display any... sentiment towards her publicly must rub her the wrong way especially since only Elain got her a present.

Touch

Not much to analyse here I just want to quote and appreciate these moments.

His voice was rough as he said, “Five hundred years ago, I fought on battlefields not far from this house. I fought beside human and faerie alike, bled beside them. I will stand on that battlefield again, Nesta Archeron, to protect this house—your people. I can think of no better way to end my existence than to defend those who need it most.”

I watched a tear slide down Nesta’s cheek. And I watched as Cassian reached up a hand to wipe it away. She did not flinch from his touch.”

“Nesta was standing there, arms around herself, eyes wide. Cassian only stretched out an arm for her. As if in a trance, she walked right to his side. His arms tightened around both of us, Siphons flaring, gilding the darkness with bloodred light.”

“She let out a small, animal sound—like some wounded stag—as she saw him. As he landed so hard his knees popped. He said nothing as Nesta launched herself toward him, her dress filthy and disheveled, her arms stretching for him. He opened his own for her, unable to stop his approach, his reaching—”

“Cassian said to her, “Nothing can harm you here.” He sucked in a breath, groaning softly, and rose to his feet. Azriel tried to stop him, but Cassian brushed him off and strode for my sister’s side. He braced a hand on the desk when he at last stopped. “Nothing can harm you,” he repeated. Nesta was still looking at him when she finally shut her eyes. I shifted, and the angle allowed me to see what I hadn’t detected before. Nesta stood before the map, a fist of bones and stones clenched over it. Cassian remained at her side—his other hand on her lower back. And I marveled at the touch she allowed—marveled at it as much as I did the mud-splattered hand she held out. The concentration that settled over her face.”

“Cassian seemed too weary to speak as well while she wrapped bandages around his wrist, only grunting to confirm if it was too tight or too loose, if it helped at all. But he watched her—didn’t take his eyes off her face, the brows bunched and lips pursed in concentration.

And when she’d tied it neatly, his wrist wrapped in white, when Nesta made to pull back, Cassian gripped her fingers in his good hand. She lifted her gaze to his. “Thank you,” he said hoarsely. Nesta did not yank her hand away. Did not open her mouth for some barbed retort.”

“Cassian brushed a thumb down the back of her hand. “You’re welcome,” Cassian called after her, more than a bite to his voice. His hands clenched and slackened at his sides—as if he were trying to loosen the feel of her from his palms.”

“Her gloved fingers scraped against his calluses, but he held firm. “Talk to me. Nesta. Tell me—” She ripped her hand out of his grip. Stared him down. A mighty, vengeful queen.”

Watching

“He studied every inch of her. As if there were nothing and no one else here, anywhere.”

“When I looked ahead, I found Cassian staring back at Nesta as well. I wondered why no one had yet mentioned what now shone in Cassian’s eyes as he gazed at my sister. The sorrow. And the longing.”

“Cassian watched every bite she took, every bob of her throat as she swallowed.”

“Cassian had named about two dozen poses for Nesta at this point. Ranging from I Will Eat Your Eyes for Breakfast to I Don’t Want Cassian to Know I’m Reading Smut. The latter was his particular favorite. Suppressing his smile, Cassian gestured to the pretty piles”

“But Mor waved him off and moved to pass Cassian his gift; but the warrior didn’t take it. Or take his eyes off Nesta as she undid the brown paper wrapping on the box and revealed a set of five novels in a leather box. She read the titles, then lifted her head to Elain.”

“What are you?” Cassian didn’t seem to dare take his focus off Nesta. But my sister slowly looked at Lucien.”

“Good,” Cassian said, glancing at Nesta. “If I end my life defending those who need it most, then I will consider it a death well spent.” Lord Devlon, for once, nodded his approval. I wondered if Cassian noticed it—if he cared. His face revealed nothing, not as his focus remained wholly on my sister.”

“She looked to Beron and his family as she finished. Only the Lady and Eris seemed to be considering—impressed, even, by the strange, simmering woman before them. I didn’t have the words in me—to convey what was in my heart. Cassian seemed the same.”

“I do not want to be remembered as a coward.” “No one would say that,” I offered quietly. “I would.” Nesta surveyed us all, her gaze jumping past Cassian. Not to slight him, but … avoid answering the look he was giving her. Approval—more. ”

“Nesta’s eyes shot right to his face. She spoke quietly to me, to all of us, even as she held Cassian’s gaze as if he were the only one in the room.”

“Nesta had been beautiful as a human woman. As High Fae, she was devastating. From the utter stillness with which Cassian stood beside me, I wondered if he thought the same thing.”

Nesta blurted, “You didn’t come to—” She stopped herself. The world seemed to go utterly still at that interrupted sentence, nothing and no one more so than Cassian. He scanned her face as if furiously reading some battle report. Mor just watched as Cassian took Nesta’s slim hand in his own, interlacing their fingers. As he folded in his wings and blindly reached his other hand back toward Mor in a silent order to transport them. Cassian’s eyes did not leave Nesta’s; nor did hers leave his. There was no warmth, no tenderness on either of their faces. Only that raging intensity, that blend of contempt and understanding and fire.”

Can someone tell them both there are other people in the room? I don’t think they know...

Protect

“Tamlin snarled at her. Cassian snarled right back, “Watch it.” Tamlin looked between my sister and Cassian—his gaze lingering on Cassian’s wings, tucked in behind him. Snorted. “Seems like other preferences run in the Archeron family, too.”

“Cassian had stationed himself by the doorway, I realized, to be closer to Nesta. To grab her if Amren decided she didn’t particularly care for where this conversation was headed[...] Cassian was staring at Nesta—hard enough that my sister at last twisted toward him. Met his gaze. His head tilted—slightly. A silent order. Nesta, to my shock, obeyed. Drifted over to Cassian’s side as Amren replied to Rhys, “No.”

“Cassian casually slid Nesta behind him, his fingers snagging in the skirts of her black gown. As if to reassure himself that she wasn’t in Amren’s direct path. Nesta only rose onto her toes to peer over his shoulder.”

This is a personal favourite of mine because when it is truly dangerous she trusts and relies on Cassian completely. Also just the imagery of her peering over his shoulder is golden.

“Something …” The word was cut off by a low groan. She sagged, and Mor caught her fully, scanning Nesta’s face. Cassian was instantly there, his hand at her back, teeth bared at the invisible threat.”

“I don’t think even the Carver knows what Nesta is. But I wanted to see—just in case.”

“Why?”

“I want to help.”

“How do I fix it?” she asked. Her hair had been tied in a loose knot atop her head earlier in the day, and in the hours that we’d worked to ready and distribute supplies to the healers, through the heat and humidity, stray tendrils had come free to curl about her temple, her nape. Faint color had stained her cheeks from the sun, and her forearms, bare beneath the sleeves she’d rolled up, were flecked with mud.”

Despite any vicious words or silly mistakes they both care for each other, the second anyone becomes a threat or a problem to their counterpart a deeper more hidden feeling emerges. A protective instinct.

Brooding

“He very rarely allowed himself to think of her, anyway. It usually didn’t end well for whoever was in the sparring ring with him.”

“He was grateful the streets were empty when he hurled that box into the Sidra. Hurled it hard enough that the splash echoed off the buildings flanking the river, ice cracking from the impact. Ice instantly re-formed over the hole he’d blown open. As if it, and the present. had never been.”

“Cassian shut out the words. Shut out the image that chased him from his dreams, night after night: not Nesta holding up the King of Hybern’s head like a trophy; not the way her father’s neck had twisted in Hybern’s hands. But the image of her leaning over him, covering Cassian’s body with her own, ready to take the full brunt of the king’s power for him. To die for him—with him. That slender, beautiful body, arching over him, shaking in terror, willing to face that end. He hadn’t seen a glimpse of that person in months. Had not seen her smile or laugh.”

Understanding/Compassion

He may have his slip ups but thus far he has proven to be rather compassionate when it comes to Nesta and understanding where she comes from.

“Mother’s tits, Rhys,” Cassian cut in, wings flaring wide enough to nearly knock over the ceramic vase on the side table next to him. “You think we can just take over her family’s house, demand that of them?”

From before they even met he showed understanding to their beliefs about the fae.

“I don’t blame her,” Cassian said, shrugging despite his words. “She was—violated. Her body stopped belonging wholly to her.” His jaw clenched. Even Amren didn’t dare say anything. “And I am going to peel the King of Hybern’s skin off his bones the next time I see him.”

I think they both have their positive and negative attributes to face but overall they genuinely try their best for each other.

“Dresses aren’t good for flying, ladies.” Nesta didn’t reply.

He lifted a brow. “No barking and biting today?” But Nesta didn’t rise to meet him, her face still drained and sallow. “I’ve never worn pants,” was all she said. I could have sworn concern flashed across Cassian’s features. But he brushed it aside and drawled, “I have no doubt you’d start a riot if you did.”

No reaction. Had the Cauldron— Cassian stepped in Nesta’s path when she tried to walk past him. Put a tan, callused hand on her forehead. She shook off the touch, but he gripped her wrist, forcing her to meet his stare. “Any one of those human pricks makes a move to hurt you,” he breathed, “and you kill them.”

The beautiful thing I love about Cassian is that he loves her wholly and without concern of her abilities, her walls.

“Would you be frightened of her, if Nesta was—Death? Or if her power came from it?” Cassian was quiet for a long moment.

He said at last, “I’m a warrior. I’ve walked beside Death my entire life. I would be more afraid for her, to have that power. But not afraid of her.” He considered, and added after a heartbeat, “Nothing about Nesta could frighten me.”

I swallowed, and squeezed his hand. “Thank you.”

These idiots are both as stubborn and silly as each other, “oh you didn’t say anythign to me!” “well neither did you” honestly, these donuts will be the death of me but I love them anyways.

“And you didn’t say one gods-damned word to me the entire night.

Not that he’d said a word to her. She’d made it clear enough in those initial days after that last battle that she wanted nothing to do with him. With any of them.

He understood. He really did. It had taken him months—years—after his first battles to readjust. To cope. Hell, he was still reeling from what had happened in that final battle with Hybern, too.”

But again he acknowledges her pain, her inability to cope and return to normal after her trauma. Which I dive in to a lot more in my Nesta post, but in short my frustration lies with him saying he understands but then in moments she is suffering he seems to forget occasionally and snap.

Funny/Little moments

“I’d asked what, exactly, Nesta had said to him to get under his skin so easily. But Cassian had only snarled and told me to mind my own business, and that my family was full of bossy, know-it-all females.”

“What’s wrong?” “Nothing.” He stalked past me to the ring. “Is it Nesta?” “Not everything in my life is about your sister, you know.”

“Why should I be scared of an oversized bat who likes to throw temper tantrums?”

“Neither of us missed Cassian’s barked, filthy curse, though we didn’t deign to comment. Cassian was a general—the general of the Night Court. Surely Nesta wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle.”

“Ready for some flying, Nes?” “Don’t call me that.” The wrong thing to say, from the way Cassian’s eyes lit up.”

“Nesta in a pale gray gown that brought out the steel in her eyes, Elain in dusty pink. Both males went a bit still. But Azriel sketched a bow—while Cassian stalked for the dining table, reached right over Nesta’s shoulder, and grabbed a muffin from its little basket. “Morning, Nesta,” he said around a mouth of blueberry-lemon. “Elain.”

“Cassian took a step away, but looked back at Nesta. Her face was hard as granite. He opened his mouth, but seemed to decide against whatever he was about to say.”

“He knew about the drinking, about the males. He told himself he didn’t care. He told himself he didn’t want to know who the bastard was who had taken her maidenhead. Told himself he didn’t want to know if the males meant anything—if he meant anything.”

Ownership

“His eyes widened, but the scent of his fear remained—not at her, but at who he’d heard at the front door. As he remembered who she was, both in the court, and to Cassian. She chucked his white shirt to him. “You can use the front door now.”

I think this is a big rub for Nesta, this feeling of ownership. I truly belive she knows and has felt the bond for a little while, for sure after ACOWAR. As we saw with her reaction to Lucien “claiming” Elain as his mate she is not here for this sense of entitlement fae males have.

It doesn’t further help when those around her and in Velaris all treat her as if she is his now. And she is most certainly not.

“Starting with the first male she’d taken here, who had no idea that her maidenhead was intact until he’d spied the speckled blood on the sheets. His face had gone white with terror—pure, ghastly white. Not for fear of Feyre and Rhysand’s wrath. But the wrath of that insufferable Illyrian brute.”

Is this Cassian’s fault? NO. But it probably will not help the situation for her.

“Yet as far as anyone was now concerned, the events of that last battle had bound them. Her and Cassian.”

Promises & Mistakes

“Cassian shook his dark hair out of his eyes, slightly longer than the last time I’d seen it. “I don’t think Nesta will ever forgive me for what happened in Hybern. To her—but mostly to Elain.”

“Your wings were shredded. You were barely alive.”

For that was guilt—ravaging and poisonous—in each of Cassian’s words. What the others had been fighting against in the loft. “You were in no position to save anyone.”“I made her a promise.” The wind ruffled Cassian’s hair as he squinted at the sky. “And when it mattered, I didn’t keep it.”

It is so sad that he feels that way when it clearly was far beyond his control, but I am glad that Nesta doesn’t really hold it against him and when it comes to it later on she trusts him yet again to protect her.

“It goes both ways,” Nesta murmured, as if my mate’s words moments before had triggered the idea. “He doesn’t know how much I took. And if … if I make it seem like I’m about to use his power … He’ll come running. Just to kill me.”

“He will kill you,” Cassian snarled. Her hand clenched on his arm. “That’s—that’s where you come in.”

noooow for the scene we probably all equally cringe over...

“Stop following me. Stop trying to haul me into your happy little circle. Stop doing all of it.”

He knew a wounded animal when he saw one. Knew the teeth they could bare, the viciousness they displayed. But it couldn’t keep him from saying, “Your sisters love you. I can’t for the life of me understand why, but they do. If you can’t be bothered to try for my happy little circle’s sake, then at least try for them.”

A void seemed to enter those eyes. An endless, depthless void.

Other than simply being hurt and frustrated I cannot for the life of me understand why he would say that of all things, it is such a hurtful but also random thing to say especially since he seemed to find plenty to like about her prior.

But again they are both akin to make mistakes, saying things they shouldn’t, Nesta certainly cannot complain as she can be very bad for it.

ICONIC.

“Nesta surged to her feet, staggering across the clearing, blood at her mouth from where he’d hit her, and threw herself to her knees before Cassian. “Get up,” she sobbed, hauling at his shoulder. “Get up.” He tried—and failed. “You’re too heavy,” she pleaded, but still tried to raise him, fingers scrabbling in his black, bloodied armor. “I can’t—he’s coming—” “Go,” Cassian groaned. Cassian grunted in pain, but lifted his bloodied hands—to cup her face. “I have no regrets in my life, but this.” His voice shook with every word. “That we did not have time. That I did not have time with you, Nesta.” She didn’t stop him as he leaned up and kissed her—lightly. As much as he could[…]”

“And even the Cauldron seemed to pause in surprise—surprise or some … feeling as Nesta looked at the king with death twining around his hands, then down at Cassian. And covered Cassian’s body with her own. Cassian went still—then his hand slid over her back. Together. They’d go together.”

“Cassian was sizing up Nesta, a gleam in his eyes that I could only interpret as a warrior finding himself faced with a new, interesting opponent.

Then, Mother above, Nesta shifted her attention to Cassian, noticing that gleam—what it meant. She snarled softly, “What are you looking at?”

Cassian’s brows rose—little amusement to be found now. “Someone who let her youngest sister risk her life every day in the woods while she did nothing. Someone who let a fourteen-year-old child go out into that forest, so close to the wall.” My face began heating, and I opened my mouth. To say what, I didn’t know. “Your sister died—died to save my people. She is willing to do so again to protect you from war. So don’t expect me to sit here with my mouth shut while you sneer at her for a choice she did not get to make—and insult my people in the process.”

Nesta didn’t bat an eyelash as she studied the handsome features, the muscled torso. Then turned to me. Dismissing him entirely. Cassian’s face went almost feral. A wolf who had been circling a doe … only to find a mountain cat wearing its hide instead.”

Nesta

“Nesta is different from most people,” I explained. “She comes across as rigid and vicious, but I think it’s a wall. A shield—like the ones Rhys has in his mind.”

“Against what?”

“Feeling. I think Nesta feels everything—sees too much; sees and feels it all. And she burns with it. Keeping that wall up helps from being overwhelmed, from caring too greatly.”

And I think that is what makes one of the last things we hear from her in ACOFAS where she admits she isn’t feeling anything at all, a stark contrast from before the war. She is traumatised. Unfeeling,

“Until she drew her knees to her chest and stared into the dimness. Still the silence raged and echoed around her. Still she felt nothing.”

"Nesta struggles a lot with her mental health, with facing her past, with healing herself and learning to love herself and open herself up to other people." -Sarah J Maas

As for the next book I think it will be about both of them learning to heal, to grow, and face all the unspoken things between them. I personally cannot wait for both of them to do so, I love them both equally.

They are both flawed and complicated characters but that is precisely what I love about them.

As usual I say, I am always open to discussions and opinions, I love to chat but lets keep it calm and respectful. Everyones opinion is valid ♥️

#nessian #nesta archeron #ACOTAR #ACOTAR 4 #Cassian #Nesta x Cassian #A court of thorns and roses #mine #nessian meta #cassian x nesta #Anonymous

[danger-xylophones]

In the Quiet (Fives x reader)

{masterlist}

Words: 1456

Warnings: angst

Notes: Look, I know what the masterlist says-fuck that. 

……………………………………..

You cannot believe what you are seeing. You’re physically unable to process it. You’d just returned to Coruscant-having been sent back from Kamino days prior after Shaak Ti of all people pieced together that your relationship with ARC Trooper Fives was...less than professional. She agreed to keep her silence but she could not allow you to continue to work on what you had named the Tup crisis. She felt that your closeness with Fives would interfere with your impartiality and you’d been...less than pleased with her ruling. But, there was no arguing with a Jedi and you’d only agreed to go back to your apartment on Coruscant after being allowed to kiss Fives goodbye and explain to him that the togruta knew. He’d been shocked, hurt even that you hadn’t fought to stay on Kamino with him. You’d tried to tell him that you wanted to stay with him and help figure out what was going on with Tup but you weren’t sure if you got through to him. And you hadn’t had any contact with your Fives since. And now, you weren’t sure if you’d ever get the chance. 

Fives’s face was projected from your GAR holo-comm, the bright blue a stark contrast against the Coruscant skyline outside your window, that you’d left on your coffee table while you got ready for bed and the aurebesh writing underneath it made your stomach plummet. “Wanted-for attempted assassination of Chancellor Palpatine-By order of General Skywalker” Fives. Your Fives-a traitor? It didn’t line up. Sure, he’d had a few instances of insubordination- the main offender being Umbara-but he’d always had a cause. He’d always been in the right. But this...Corrupted Jedi were one thing but the chancellor? 

You were rooted to the spot, body angled towards the hallway that held your bedroom but your head was turned to the living room, eyes transfixed on the stern image of your fiance. A minute passed and you couldn’t move. You couldn’t breathe. You felt like you were drowning but instead of water forcing itself into your lungs, it was fear, doubt, betrayal. The frigid feelings wrapped around you like durasteel claws, tearing through your fragile flesh to puncture your most vital organs-to kill you as slowly and painfully as possible. 

Finally, you forced yourself to move. One step, two, three, four, until you stood before the mugshot of Fives, eye to eye with the lifeless, rhadamanthine projection. No. You reached out and swiped on the aurebesh-it changed to read: “Wanted alive. GAR protocol states that any personnel found harboring the fugitive will be arrested and tried for treason against the Republic” No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. You refused to believe this. Fugitive? Tried for treason? Your Fives wouldn’t do this. Your Fives wasn’t a traitor. Fives wasn’t...wasn’t…”I am not just another number. I wish they could all see that.” Your mind recalled the words he’d spoken to you on Kamino after he’d watched you type in Ct-5555 into his examination report. You’d wanted to put Fives there instead-but you knew it would raise eyebrows. Fives knew it too but it still upset him. Well, attempted assassination was certainly one way to get them to see that. You gasped at your own thought. No, don’t think like that. Something’s not right. You immediately scolded yourself, clenching your eyes shut tight enough to be painful. Something’s not right. You kept repeating it-hoping that it would be true. Fives wouldn’t do this. Something’s not right. 

You continued until a sudden through interrupted your mantra. “Rex.” You whispered out loud to the empty apartment. Rex would know what was going on. Carefully, you twitched your fingers to make sure you still had motor control before reaching out to pick up the holo-comm. Fives’s face still stared, unnervingly, back at you until you turned the projection off and tried to com the captain. You waited, three beeps signifying your call had gone through, but he never picked up. You tried again, the same result. And again-nothing. With a frustrated scream, you threw the com at the window where it bounced off of it pathetically and clattered to the ground. You were collapsing-when had you started crying? 

With head in hands, you sank to your knees. No sobs left you as you stared at a spot on the ground-eyes open but unseeing as you tried to make sense of what you were feeling. Static suddenly interrupted your implosion and your head snapped up, hoping that Rex had finally picked up. But no. Instead, it was that same image of Fives-now in red-projected above the holo-comm. The aurebesh now read: “Renegade spotted leaving 79’s at 22:48. Heading east, towards the residential areas. All personnel on high alert.” East of 79’s? Residential areas? Why...you’re complex was almost due east, twenty minutes of the clone bar the ARC Trooper frequented. Was he…? You glanced at the nearest chronometer: 23:09. You watched as the bright green digits changed, a minute passing. There was a click from the front door and it slid open before you could react. 

In the doorway was a clone wearing brand new armor. His head was shaved but he had a very familiar goatee. And an even more familiar tattoo. His eyes landed on your kneeling form and his face fell in what you could only describe as relief. “Cyar’ika…” He took a step towards you, swaying slightly. 

You sprung to your feet in a defensive position. “Explain. Now.” The ice in your voice took you and Fives by surprise. His face fell, he looked crushed, and you didn’t miss the way he glanced at the red, discarded holo-comm. 

“Y/n,” he began again, voice more fragile than anything you’d ever heard. It made you falter. “Y/n, I need you to listen to me.” You said nothing and kept your gaze trained on the man. He took your silence as an invitation to continue. “Y/n, I-I’m being framed. I know what it looks like and I know what you must be f-feel-” His voice broke. Fives was on the verge of tears and your hastily put up facade fell away. You took a few hesitant steps forward before breaking out in a run. You crashed into him, uncaring of how painful it was to run straight into plastoid, and wrapped yourself around the fragile soldier. “Y/n, I-I’m being framed. The chan-chancellor-he tried to kill me! He tried to kill me be-becau-because I know the truth!” Fives’s grip was tight, painfully so, as he clung to you like a life-line. 

“Fives, shush.” You tried to quiet his rambling as you pulled back. Fives’s grip tightened on your waist and you hated how flighty he looked. It was as though he was afraid of you attacking him. Without breaking eye contact, you raised your hands to clasp his face in a gentle hold. You didn’t miss how he flinched. “Fives, baby, you need to start at the beginning. What happened?” You kept your voice quiet but it still wasn’t enough to quell the anxious ball before you. Again, his eyes slid over to the discarded holo-comm and something flashed behind his eyes. 

“I don’t have time to start at the beginning.” He said cryptically. 

You blinked. “Fives...I don’t like this. I need to know what’s happened so I can help you. I-I can’t do that if I don’t…” You paused and swallowed thickly, you could feel your throat starting to close up. “Fives, what’s happening?” Begging. You were begging to help him-frightened even though your Fives was standing right before you. 

Fives took a deep breath and tightened his grip. “Y/n, I need you to trust me.” 

“Ok.” You didn’t even hesitate to answer. You released his face in favor of winding your arms around his torso before letting your head fall against his chest-right over his heart. In a tiny voice, you spoke again. “I trust you, Fives.” GAR be damned-this was Fives and you were going to help him. “I trust you.” 

You could feel the sigh of relief as it slipped from him and his grip tightened exponentially. “Good. Good.” He breathed out, one hand leaving your waist to cup the back of your neck. “Thank you.” It was still for a moment with the two of you standing in the darkened apartment, illuminated only by the light of the forgotten holo-projection. Until Fives pulled away and held you by the shoulders. In a tone more serious than anything you’d ever heard, he spoke once more. “Get your coat-we have a meeting with Rex and the general.” 

You could only hope that this would all be made clear. 

Next -> 

#fives x reader #arc trooper fives x reader #arc trooper fives #fives #clone wars #tcw #star wars: clone wars

[majorshiraharu]

Commander Doom x Jedi Reader Angst

Clone-Tober Day 18

Prompts: Character - Doom |  Word - Traitor  Link to OP Post HERE | OP Blog Link HERE @/threetinyshinies

——————– Commander Doom x Gender Neutral Jedi Reader ——————– Warnings: Angst ——————–

Kneeling down on the ground next to Commander Doom who along with his brothers and General Tiplee were morning the loss of General Tiplar who was killed some moments ago on the battlefield. The clone who had killed her was being kept in a room in the corner, some members of the 501st along with General Skywalker were talking to him, trying to find out what happened. 

"Do you think he was a traitor?" You asked looking at Tiplar's body. You didn't see it happen, you were cutting down droids at that moment and then heard Tiplee yell, turning to see Tiplar's body fall to the ground, the clone who killed her standing there. He had a teardrop tattooed under his one eye and his hair tied in a bun, for some reason he had taken his helmet off, - he was shouting something from the other room now, gaining the attention of General Tiplee who got up to go see him. "I don't know if it was that simple, he's not acting normal, his behavior isn't like that of the other troopers who betrayed the Republic. When I read their report files there was a motive, money, freedom, or thinking they were betrayed. This one keeps rambling about killing the Jedi and doesn't seem to be of sound mind, he's never mentioned any reason," Doom said looking over at you. Before you had the chance to reply you hear a commotion, Tiplee had force pushed the trooper against a wall after he tried attacking her, General Skywalker urged her to let him go so they could get help for him. Since the mission didn't go as planned you were instructed to stay with Tiplar to support her and her battalion after the loss of her sister. - In your free time, you decided to research the files of clones who had betrayed the Republic or their Jedi Generals, strangely enough, there was a clone who was also part of the 501st who killed General Krell. Though this case was different from the rest, Krell had sided with the Separatist and killed many of the 501st. While his killing was out of regulation it was understandable why the trooper went to this extent, there's no indication the clone named Tup had reported any mental distress after this mission. No matter how much you read you couldn't find any indication as to what would have caused this behavior, the Kaminoans were claiming it to be some sort of infection, but you didn't believe it. They weren't exactly known for being the truthful or compassionate type, after running most of their tests they talked about terminating the clone. They had also taken the Arc Trooper named Fives, but his tests had come back clear, for some reason the last you hear from Shaak-Ti was that he would be staying there before being sent back to the 501st. There's a knock at your door, at first you didn't pay it any mind, until the second knock, this one was much louder, "General are you there?", the familiar voice asked. "Doom is that you?" You said standing up from your desk to walk over to the door, opening it to see him standing there, the light from your room reflected off of the deep green coloring on his armor, his helmet covering his face. "Commander, is there something you need?"  "I haven't seen you in a few days, there's a mission coming up and I'd like to review the plans with you since you missed the briefing." "Oh...wait what?! I missed the briefing?!! Sorry, I guess I lost track of time, I've been studying all these files trying to figure out why that clone killed Tiplar." "With all due respect General, it might be best to let the Kaminoans handle this," he said with his hands resting being his back.  "Maybe you're right...something about this just doesn't seem right though and it's been bothering me." "I understand, really I do -- I looked into some files myself, but we're needed elsewhere at the moment and it's probably best to focus on this mission." Inviting him into your room he walks over to your desk placing down a device that projects the plans of the mission, placing his hand on his helmet he slides it off before placing it on the desk. You look over at him admiring his face which was being lit up by the light of the projection. "So what do you think General?" He asked looking over to you a brow-raising as he studied your face which was staring at him, "General?".

"Huh?" You said not registering a word he was saying.  "The mission, what do you think about the plan?" Looking over to study the things displayed you nod your head, "They look good."

"Okay, I'll go prepare the troops, let me know if there's anything you need," he replies sliding his helmet back on and then grabbing the device.  "Thank you," you say grabbing his arm.

"No problem Y/N -- uh sorry, General."  "It's okay Doom," you replied with a smile. "I'll be going now," he said walking away closing the door behind him. --------------- It had been a long time after those events and just recently Tiplee was killed by Count Dooku, leaving Doom and his group without a General. The Jedi Council decided to make you his new General, sadly both of you didn't get much chance to serve together before order 66 happened. You had been in contact with Kix before he was taken by the Separatist, making you revisit those files you had researched. Finding out that Kix had stumbled onto something, you were just finding out about the chips as someone knocked at your door. "Coming!" Walking over to the door you unlock it, as the door slides away you see a blaster pointed right in your face, "DOOM?!" You scream dodging to the side as he shoots at you, pulling out your lightsaber you cut off the tip of his blaster before force pulling him into your quarters, closing the door before turning to question him. "Doom? What's the meaning of this?" You asked holding out your hand ready to force push him.  "Traitor," he coldly replied walking towards you. "Doom please," you said tears running down your face, "Please don't do this, you're....you're not yourself, please let me help you," you said now reaching out your hand to him as a sign of peace. "Kill the traitor," he said running at you before you slammed him against the wall knocking him out. Picking him up you dragged him off to the medbay, making sure to lock the doors on your way there. The troopers must have noticed you hadn't been killed and started cutting through doors to find you, but you used one of the panels to override and lock all the doors on the ship, making it harder for them to know where you were. 

-At first the chip didn't show up in the scans, you stumble around, nervous, not knowing what to do. Touching his face you reach through the force, it has to be here, it has to be here you think, for some reason, it works, causing the machine to beep. "Doom, come back to me, please," you whisper as the machine finishes the procedure. - It takes some time but he wakes up blinking his eyes, trying to focus on you, "Uhh...Y/N?" he muttered sitting up clutching his head which was throbbing.  "Doom!" You hugged him, tears running down your face as you buried your face in his armored chest. "Y/N I'm sorry...I tried to kill you, I'm sorry," he says as tears roll down his own face, realizing what he almost did, he tried to fight it, to stop himself, but it was too much. You step back from the hug, cupping his face in your hands, rubbing away the tears with your thumbs. "It's not your fault, they did this to you, I'm just glad you're back," you said between shallow breaths as you tried not to just break down and cry, the Republic was falling apart, you lost, the Jedi were being killed, the clones were used and betrayed, it was all too much... He sees the pain in your eyes, placing his hand on the back of your head, placing your forehead against his, "We'll get out of this, I promise," he whispers before placing a gentle kiss on your cheek.

#commander doom #doom x reader #commander doom x reader #commander doom x you #commander doom angst #the clone wars angst #tcw doom #angst #tcw angst #majorshiraharu #clonetober #clone-tober #commander doom x jedi reader #commander doom x jedi #yes i ended it on a cliff hanger hehe

[hoodieimp]

Hi @tanteichan1412! I’m your Secret Satan!

This is a tad bit late but only because I ended up going ABSOLUTELY HAM on the prompt lmao

Hope you enjoy!

///

Buddy was in trouble. 

It was supposed to be just another supply run. Nothing too exciting. Leave the safehouse, venture down into the unknown, grab whatever he could carry, and head back without getting caught. 

Except this time, he couldn't get back. Which was impossible--no matter how mazelike and confusing these lower floors got, there was always the elevator room at the center of everything, like an anchor. 

But now, somehow, the elevator had vanished.

Buddy had simply tried retracing his steps at first, thinking he'd gotten turned around. That lasted all of five minutes before he realized he'd walked past the same Miracle Station three times in a row. 

Was the studio alive somehow?

He imagined the rooms shuffling around like a deck of cards, rearranging themselves to trap him, boxing him into a corner while that demon slowly closed in, inky dark shadows sweeping round to the sound of a booming heartbeat--

Buddy jolted back to himself. Dimly, he realized his own heart was thudding away in his ears. 

Focus, Buddy. Calm down.

Five senses. That would help. 

Touch: The weight of the headlamp bobbing atop his head. A stack of objects in his arms, his pitiful attempt at “supplies”: moldering books, a couple of bones (best not to think too hard about where those came from, or how tasty he found them), sloshing inkwells (handled with extreme care), and an old radio. 

Sound: Floorboards creaking. The groans of the building as it settled. Ink gurgling in the pipes overhead. No demon heartbeat or hissing breathing, thankfully. 

Smell: Ink, omnipresent and chemical. Nothing new there. 

Sight: The corridor twisting off into the darkness ahead. Peeling posters on the walls. Everything colored in the same dull shades of sepia as the rest of this bizarre underworld. Like something out of a comic strip, not a real building. 

Taste: Nothing. Even the awful salty aftertaste of bacon soup had long since faded from the back of his throat. 

At the thought of soup, his stomach growled, low and plaintive. Right, that was another problem. He hadn't come across a vending machine in a while. Lately, whenever he tried to go for too long without eating, the half-aware fragment of Boris that shared his head would start clamouring and making it hard for him to think straight. 

Even now, Buddy could feel the alien prickling in the back of his mind, demanding he start sniffing out his next snack. He mentally pushed it away, but he had the feeling Boris wouldn't stay quiet for long. 

He couldn't afford to lose himself right now. Not until he found the way back…

“Hello…?”

Buddy's ears shot up.

He had to be imagining things, right? That was probably just an echo, or some trick of the pipes. There was no way he’d just heard--

"Is someone there? Hello?”

He definitely wasn't imagining it. That was a voice, a girl's voice, coming from somewhere nearby.

Could it be…?

Without even thinking, Buddy found himself sprinting down the corridor in his usual galumphing run, his appetite all but forgotten, items jingling and clanking about in his arms as he swayed comically in an effort to keep his balance. The headlamp bounced off his head and clattered away unheeded.     

He skidded around the corner on one foot--and there she was, standing in a little alcove with her back to him. He barely even slowed down as he bounded towards her, wishing, hoping with the whole of his heart, crying out over and over: Dot, Dot, it's me, it's Buddy, I found you, I--!!

She spun around.

He skidded to a halt as realization hit him like a load of bricks. 

That wasn't Dot. 

Even with the ink steadily washing away his old life, Buddy could still murkily recall Dot, her blonde hair and flashing glasses. The girl before him had hair as dark as...well, ink, falling in elaborate curls around her face, and a notable lack of glasses. 

And her eyes…

They glowed, a flat pupil-less gold like a pair of lamps. He'd seen eyes like that before--on the poor lost souls that wandered the halls, ink-drenched and wailing. 

Not on a human being. 

Was she even human...? 

He took a step towards this stranger to peer closer, momentarily forgetting how odd and intimidating he must look, as a gangly cartoon wolf with an armful of bones. 

"Stay back!" She brandished something--a bizarre-looking tangle of pipes with a wire antenna sticking out of it, sizzling and throwing off sparks like a cattle prod. It was undoubtedly some sort of weapon. 

Buddy immediately backed off, ears wilting, trying to look as non-threatening as possible. The girl lowered the pipe-thing slowly, not taking her eyes off of him. 

"You scared me," she said quietly. Now that Buddy could hear her clearly, she didn’t sound a thing like Dot at all. Lower, more melodious. "Running all Hell-for-leather out of nowhere like that...I thought you might be, I dunno, the Demon coming after me or something.” 

So she'd run into Bendy, too. 

"You can understand me, right?” she said suddenly, peering right back at Buddy. “I’m not just talking to myself like a crazy person?”

Buddy nodded vigorously and tapped the side of his head for good measure.

“What about you? Can you talk at all?"

Buddy, foolishly, started to respond out loud, before he caught himself. He shook his head. 

Buddy held up an insistent finger. Wait, wait, let me show you. 

"Right...I should’ve figured, you didn’t exactly talk much in the cartoons, either.” 

Normally he kept a pen and paper on him, but all the pens were currently stashed back at the safehouse--not that he was heading back there anything soon. There were the books he’d collected--but no, he wanted to read those, not spoil them with scribbling...    

That left one other option. It was one the other denizens of the studio resorted to all the time, and not the neatest, but in a pinch... 

Buddy dashed over to the nearest stretch of blank wall, inkwell in hand. Dipping his finger into the stuff (he couldn’t suppress the shudder that went through him), he began daubing big, blocky letters, painstakingly spelling out a sentence:

My name is Buddy.

"Nice to meet you, Buddy." The girl smiled for the first time, so bright and human that it made Buddy's chest ache. "I'm Audrey. Er...forgive me if I don’t shake your hand." 

Buddy was confused for a second--until he looked down at her hands. Her entire left arm was coated in ink--no, was made of ink, from shoulder to fingertip. Veins of golden light spread from her fingers to connect in a brilliant spiral shape. 

Audrey saw him looking and flashed a wry grin. 

“Freaky, isn’t it?” She held up her strange swirled hand and wiggled the glowing digits. "I've found that cartoons like you tend to, er...vaporize when I touch them with this. It’s...not pretty, to say the least." 

Buddy grimaced. No idea what she meant by that, but it certainly didn’t sound pretty. 

He turned back to the wall and added a new line underneath the first.

Thought you were someone I knew. Been looking for her.

"Guess that makes two of us! I'm looking for somebody, too."

He cocked his head as if to say, Go on? 

"I don't know if you even know who he is, but...I was invited here by a man named Joey Drew."

Buddy recoiled at the name as though it were a physical blow. A whole slew of emotions--recognition, disgust, familiarity, fear--swirled through him, kicking up bits of memories from the depths of his brain.

Joey Drew, the visionary, the dreamer, the liar, the man who'd offered Buddy the world only to rip it all away from him in an instant, who’d meant to keep him as some sort of mindless living attraction--

He shook his head frantically, trying to clear it. 

"Whoa, whoa, easy there--!" Audrey automatically reached out to comfort him, but thought better of it and held back. 

"So you do know Joey. And you’re...scared of him?”

Now that was an understatement. Buddy could hardly even begin to describe how he felt about Mister Drew. It would take an entire hallway’s worth of wall-writing. 

Best to give it to her short and sweet.

And so he dunked his fingers back into the inkwell till they dripped, swiveled back to the wall (Audrey leapt back to avoid the trailing arc of inkblots) and started writing frantically, pressing so hard on the wallpaper that it tore slightly in places. 

He stepped back to reveal the hurried scrawl, much bolder and darker than the first, with the last 'E' trailing off where he'd whipped his hand away: 

He did this to me. 

Audrey’s ink-lined brow furrowed in a mix of concern and confusion. 

"He did...what?" 

Buddy made a whining noise in the back of his throat. Like some sort of vaudeville pantomime act, he gestured broadly and emphatically to himself--down to his oversized paws and raggedy overalls, up to his inhumanly proportioned skull with its big blunt snout. He gripped his floppy ears and tugged on them, hard, as though he could tear them off, peel away Boris’s dopey mug like the head of a costume to reveal his old human face--but of course it only brought dull, scalp-tugging pain. All the while he stared desperately, pleadingly, at Audrey, silently willing her to understand.

And just like that, she did, and her eyes widened in horror. 

"Are you telling me...Did you used to be someone else? Someone...human?" 

Buddy nodded grimly.  

Audrey was speechless. She brought her hand to her mouth, then lowered it, looked from her own warped fingers to the silently trembling figure of Buddy. 

"I...I'm so sorry," she whispered. It was an absurdly small, ineffectual thing to say to something so mind-turningly surreal, but who could blame her? She was talking more to herself than to Buddy now, sounding like she was about to cry. "God...Christ Almighty, Joey, what the fuck have you been doing...?" 

Buddy lowered his gaze to the floor, not sure what to do or say. The two of them stood there for a long while, caught in quiet, existential terror. 

Finally, just when Buddy could barely stand the silence a moment longer, Audrey spoke up again. Her voice was thick. 

“Buddy...listen to me.’

He turned, blinking through tears.

“I’ll be honest with you, I still don’t entirely know what I’m doing here, or what the Hell Joey’s been doing to create…” She waved a hand at the crumbling hallway around them. “All of this. But I do know one thing, and it’s that I’m not going to give up until I get to the bottom of all this. I’m not letting Joey fuck with any more innocent lives.” 

Audrey’s voice darkened with those last few words, and Buddy swore he saw her glowing eyes flare for a split second--but then it was gone.

“What I’m trying to say is...Maybe we can help each other. Work together. We could both find what we’re looking for.” 

She shuffled her weapon to her left hand, and held out the non-inked one towards Buddy. He stared at it, thinking rapidly, trying to parse this sudden turn of events.  

Maybe Audrey could help him. If she’d survived this long on her own, with that strange weapon and even stranger ink limb, surely she wasn’t a pushover. 

As for himself...he did know his way around the studio--current situation notwithstanding. He knew lots of hiding places, at least. How to sneak around where he shouldn’t, keep an eye out for the small things, get out of danger in a pinch…

The more Buddy thought about it, the more he found himself warming to the idea. It would be tougher to look out for someone on top of himself, of that he was sure. Surviving didn’t come easy down here. 

But still...he’d missed having someone by his side. It was comforting. 

Familiar.

And so he took Audrey's hand in his oversized glove and shook it firmly, just once. A handshake that meant business. 

To show he could be trusted. 

#bendy and the ink machine #secret satan 2020 #batdr #Audrey batdr #Buddy Lewek #boris the wolf #fanfic #BOY HOWDY THIS TURNED INTO. A LOT #ask to tag #not that there's much I think #just good ol' existential dread #and a couple of F bombs #courtesy of our gal #because hey I KNOW she's still a complete blank slate at this point #(and let's face it.......Buddy isn't much better lmao) #but I TRIED to give her at least SOME personality #long post #delta writes

[july-19th-club]

untamed modern AU in which nhs anonymously starts a true crime podcast investigating the death...of his own brother...not that the listeners know that...and gets guests in to help with the investigation:

lan wangji (history adjunct professor, first chair violinist for local orchestra, perpetual grad student, knows a lot of things about a lot of things but is absolutely the worst person to have call in to your podcast...where people have to talk about things...out loud...)

wei wuxian (just got out of jail, spent the past however-many years doing time for something he KNOWS he didn’t do; this becomes a minor sideplot investigation into who set him up (it was jgy) and ties into the main mystery. great guest but has a tendency to dominate the conversation when excited)

lan xichen (engaged to the deceased, this episode is an exercise in deep, deep, painful discomfort and secondhand awkwardness because it comes at a point AFTER the audience realizes that their intrepid host is in fact the oft-mentioned but never-interviewed surviving nie brother but BEFORE any of the other characters know it. least of all lan xichen, who is barely keeping it together as The Host asks him gentle but pointed questions about where his current fiance was the night his ex died and is too generally upset to see through nhs’s admittedly excellent voice work)

jiang cheng (there’s actually no real reason why he’s been invited because he is not an expert on any of the major points of the investigation, but during the side sleuthing into wwx’s frame job he and The Host sort of find they get along so now nhs keeps coming up with excuses to have him call in and record a guest spot. jiang cheng still doesn't recognize the voice of his high school crush, although we get the impression that wwx figured it out a while ago and is keeping mum for his own inscrutable reasons)

luo “mianmian” qingyang (private investigator, takes herself seriously and haaaates it when you call her a fuzzy baby sheep but cannot escape her own adorable nickname. has a good few years of solidly closed cold cases under her belt and agrees to become a recurring guest consultant because she likes a challenge and because she used to know the victim back in her college sport days and they really got on. feels a sense of personal need for closure as well as a thirst for justice)

qin su (previous fiance of lan xichen’s current fiance - it’s a tangled mess of jin family politics and she agrees to help the investigation despite really just wanting to live a quiet life with her kid, rusong. as the investigation deepens and the true history of her past relationship comes to light, she goes through some very rough times and contemplates some dark shit - but with the support of the other characters, survives to see her manipulator get his just desserts).

and of course, your favorite - my favorite - everybody’s favorite! - wen qing, medical consultant extraordinaire. she’s worked as a surgeon and is currently a coroner, and is usually happy to pop in whenever she has a free minute to record a guest spot diving into whatever weird body horror stuff is happening in the research of the week, or answer The Host’s questions. she’s very popular with the audience for her no-nonsense approach to the whole armchair-investigation thing, her friendly manner, and her reams of cool, creepy anatomy facts, which she loves to share with a deadpan grossout joy . multiple listeners, mostly the sapphic ones, have written in offering their hands in marriage but she graciously declines them all, because she’s a professional

actually maybe the wwx plot takes place BEFORE the nmj plot only in that. nhs investigates a lot of things while putting his brother’s case on the back burner. he’s not ready to share his work until he’s made some headway, so he bulks up his rep as an armchair investigator in the meantime by, as The Host, working his way through a lot of untamedverse mysteries. so we get arcs like:

Yi City: The Making of a Ghost Town (local serial killer)

The Incredibly Weird Story of Modern Artifact Smuggling (featuring a possibly apocryphal snake turtle)

arc about the destruction of Yunmeng and a family in crisis that i’m too lazy to name right now

Burial: the Dismantling and Framing of a Controversial Hero

and finally, when he’s run out of other cases to procrastinate with, the big one:

Who Killed Nie Mingjue?

ex. of an excerpt bc im too lazy and busy to write this whole fic but its eating up my brainspace with how goddamn good it is:

"...but it would be wrong to say that this town has given up all its secrets. Why did Xue Yang never notice that Xiao Qing wasn't blind? Or did he know, and keep the information to himself? What happened to the original inhabitants of the house? The place was abandoned by the time the Xiaos got there, and for all the times the survivors have been interviewed, it’s clear that even Qing, the only local of the bunch, has never known why. So we can only guess. And perhaps most puzzlingly, to me at least: who does that body in the basement belong to? Buried without ceremony in a hollow of concrete, headless, unknown, unclaimed? One last victim of the Yi City Killer? The Yi City Killer almost never went to such lengths to hide bodies, and he wasn’t interested in dismembering or disfiguring his conquests. He was a spree slaughterer, and the body in the basement, while still unidentified, has certain markers that seem to suggest its fate was more personal in nature. Not to mention, if the head’s not with the body - does someone still have it? It goes without saying that the odds of two killers operating out of the same extremely specific location, totally unknown to each other, is extremely small. So was the body in the basement, after all, just one more casualty of an insatiable ghost town? Maybe. Or maybe there’s something else happening there. Something deeper. Something it’ll take a lot longer than five forty-minute episodes with ad breaks to figure out. Something... 

...that's a mystery for another day, because right now we're all out of time. Until that day comes, I'm your Host. And this is The Unsolved."

#jyl and jzx's deaths are not a mystery arc because they're not dead in this one #and im TOYING with the idea that maybe nmj isnt dead either #not sure how he COULD be alive but i just like to imagine that he is in any au i come up with #the untamed #q #YEAH ive been listening to arden what OF it #listen. if any single one of these characters was mostly likely to succumb to the temptation to have a podcast. itd be nhs. you know it

[ramblings-of-a-mad-cat]

HPHM Patronus Headcanons

We all have one, and we all have ideas for what the characters would have. Let me know what you guys think too! Rakepick isn’t listed because we already know her Patronus, and I’m probably going to talk about OCs in a different post, or else I’ll add them later once I’ve finally made up my mind.

Rowan Khanna - Aardvark

I’m not the only one who sees it, right? Our wonderful Rowan is quirky and inventive and if they were a wild animal, they’d employ such brilliance and like the aardvark, devise a unique way to catch their food. On a more somber note, Aardvarks are nocturnal and they aren’t pack animals - making them a good symbol for a kid who preferred to stay inside and read rather than help with the farm, a kid who really didn’t have that many friends beyond the people they knew by association to MC. Still, aardvarks are weirdly adorable and if you tell me you wouldn’t pet one, you would be a liar.

Ben Copper - Field Mouse

A small creature that is able and hide very easily, definitely suits a character who was, for such a long time, very timid. A character who knew how to cover his tracks - whether or not he was using such abilities for shady reasons. Mice normally symbolize innocence and modesty, but they’ve also been seen as unlucky before. In more traditional times they were seen as symbols of dark magic, or even the underworld - since they could often carry disease, were hard to capture, and usually came from the ground. Mice do have that dark side, and so does Ben - we’ve seen it in Year Six, and he’s definitely still hiding something. That was never really resolved. 

Penny Haywood - Mourning Dove

This one is pretty easy. Doves have always been seen as a fundamental symbol of innocence. A messenger that comes to banish worried or troubled thoughts, and usher in goodness in their wake. Penny is nothing if not a force for good. Characters like Merula have even lamp-shaded how irritating it is. However, the Mourning Dove in particular is known for it’s melancholy call, invoking the symbolism of losing a loved one. Between Scarlett and Beatrice, Penny has demonstrated that however helpful she is to her friends, she doesn’t know how to deal with her own serious problems. She’s a hopeful, caring person...but there’s a distinct sadness blended in as well. When someone innocent is hurt, the pain is that much worse for them. 

Beatrice Haywood - Chameleon

Beatrice seems to be a person that absorbs a lot from the people she looks up to or associates with. Not just in personality, but in physical appearance too. In Year Five, by her own admission, she was a “Mini Penny” and in Year Six, she takes after Ismelda quite a bit. Chameleons are of course, known for their ability to blend in with their surroundings. It’s their claim to fame. What’s more, the Labord’s Chameleon hatches after the parents have already died, meaning they have to make it without any support from the grownups. Not that Beatrice doesn’t have support, but...the teachers/staff have failed to protect her in the past, and she’s well aware of that. 

Merula Snyde - Cat

Oh, she is such a cat. Few characters come close to being as cat-like as Merula. From her haughty and arrogant nature tying in to how people often see felines, to her actually being very lonely and desperate for love. If you’ve never had a cat, then believe me, they want your attention - it’s just that most of the time they refuse to admit it. Merula is the same way. Because of her upbringing, she seems to gravitate toward being a predator animal, or at least wanting to be one. But also the kind of predator that would play with it’s food and make a game out of it. Think of it this way - given Merula’s background, she wouldn’t know what a laser pointer is. And with her stand-offish personality, she would totally try to investigate it like a little cat. 

Bill Weasley - Koala

The Koala Totem is said to symbolize a gentle nature, and give a calming effect on people. Bill isn’t just the oldest brother to all the Weasleys - he looks out for everyone in the Cursed Vault gang. In general, Koalas are social and easy-going animals who have been known to represent kindness and family. They’re also known for being inactive - which I wouldn’t say that Bill is, but despite his Big-Bro energy, he never really tries to stop MC and their friends when they’re getting into mischief. He didn’t stop Harry from trying to make a deal with Griphook either. He just kinda lets people do their own thing most of the time, or comes along if he’s invited.

Charlie Weasley - Dragon

What can I say? I couldn’t resist. Sure, it may be unlikely that he would actually have a Dragon for a Patronus, but we do know that such a form is possible. Just very rare. Well you know what? This wonderful cinnamon roll has earned it. Doesn’t mean he would summon a full-grown dragon on his first attempt though.There’s a head-canon I’ve seen that I really like, which says that Animagus/Patronus forms can sometimes start as babies, and “grow” the better at them you get. Alternatively, his Patronus could literally just be a baby dragon. As for the breed, I’ll leave that open to interpretation, but I’m gonna say Norwegian Ridgeback. 

Skye Parkin - Hyena

Frequently scavengers, and often seen as cowardly - Hyenas are still vicious and are typically able to claim the kill. Sometimes even driving off larger predators and stealing their hard earned prey. Which is exactly the kind of dishonorable thing Skye would do. She seems to believe strongly in her “pack” or her team, and depend on them to have her back even when she’s getting into nonsense. Traditionally, the Hyena is also seen as secular, with it’s constant laugh being an act of defiance. Skye is a cheerful person most of the time...but she has shown that she has little regard for rules or authority figures that are not her Dad. 

Murphy Mcnully - Bottle-nose Dolphin

Dolphins are interesting. They have a reputation for being very sweet and excitable, but they can often be...shall we say, rude or invasive. I love Murphy to bits, but he doesn’t always know how to read a room, and he’s entirely open about his bias toward MC’s team - even more-so than Lee Jordan. That being said, Dolphins are social, playful, and intelligent creatures. With unusual abilities like echolocation, they certainly match Murphy in his quirky brilliance. They’re caring, helpful creatures that will actually aid other animals in need, including humans. Even though Murphy isn’t actually a player on MC’s Quidditch team, he might as well be. 

Orion Amari - Elephant

Orion is such a wonderful character. He might be an oddball, but he’s truly wise beyond his years. Elephants not only represent wisdom, but have been known to symbolize loyalty, sensitivity, peace, stability...all the great qualities that Orion embodies. They’re known for taking care of the herd, just as Orion looks after his team. They might be a little quirky, with their large ears and trunks that most other animals don’t have...but Orion is quirky as well. Some say that with their trunks down, Elephants are accumulating positive energy to push through their trials, which takes me back to the scene where Orion gives MC Quidditch robes. I cry every time.

Erika Rath - Lion

To be clear, a male lion. I know that a lioness can be interpreted differently, and we already have a character with that Patronus. No, Erika is a pack leader. Even if she’s not the Captain of her team, they seem to depend very heavily on her. She’s also ferocious. I mean, tell me with a straight face that you could take her in a fight, or that you’d ever want to. A full grown male lion lives by the code that ass-kicking equals authority, even if they don’t want to. Furthermore, the Lion and the Hyena tend to be natural enemies. Sure, a lion could take a hyena in a one-on-one fight...but what if the Hyena had it’s pack for backup? We’ve all seen Lion King...and we’ve seen how Skye has targeted Erika.

Barnaby Lee - Brown Bear

Barnaby is a man of brawn, not brain, and that’s totally fine because is also a man of heart. He’s already pretty much a bear in human form. Ranging from sweet and dopey in modern media, like Winnie the Pooh, to being seen as warriors and symbols of courage in mythology- the Brown Bear captures all of the very best parts of our favorite Slytherin cinnamon roll. He’s a gentle giant, but as we see in Year Three, he’ll jump into action to protect those he cares about the same way coming near a mama bear’s cubs will act as her berserk button. I would say the Bear really symbolizes his character arc in Year Three. 

Andre Egwu - Satin Bowerbird

This is still my favorite head-canon about Andre and you can pry it from my cold dead hands. The bowerbird, aside from being a bird and thus connecting to Quidditch - is a creature named for the “Bower” that the males build. A structure that can be made of anything from sticks to flowers to random human garbage, that they create specifically to show off to potential mates. It’s not a nest, and they don’t use it as one. It’s exclusively for mating. The Bowerbird has a sense of fashion, and it understands how to score a date. Tell me this isn’t Andre’s favorite animal. I mean it could also be the Peacock, but that’s just too obvious. 

Tulip Karasu - Jackal

I can’t believe I didn’t see it before, but this animal is perfect for the rebellious Ravenclaw. Let’s start with the fact that in the bible, Jackals represent isolation, loneliness, and abandonment. It’s okay Tulip, I’m sure she’ll forgive you one day. Then there’s the fact that they howl to establish territory, not unlike the way Tulip guards her findings with little padlocks. They’re usually seen as opportunistic, to the point where calling someone a jackal tends to them being collaborator with a sneaky or mischievous agenda. In folktales, they’re depicted as intelligent and cunning pranksters - which is just checkmate, if you ask me. Even the Jackal’s coloring kinda suits her.

Ismelda Murk - Anaconda

Like the Snake, and the Hogwarts House that carries it as an emblem, Ismelda is a misunderstood person - but that doesn’t mean she isn’t dangerous. Much like how there are stories of Anacondas eating people, that have never been verified...Ismelda talks a big game, but has never actually used the Dark Arts. A snake sheds it’s skin, just as Ismelda seems to have shed any connection to her sister, or even the rest of her family. In particular, the Anaconda is actually beloved by cultures in South America, and it was once common to sacrifice one in the name of a happy marriage...of course, that’s a pretty raw deal for the Anaconda, and I can’t help but see Ismelda as a sacrifice for the sake of her sister.

Liz Tuttle - Tortoise

As fun as it might have been to just choose a lizard and be done with it, I think a Tortoise represents Liz far better. In so many ways, it’s the ultimate symbol of patience, endurance, and persistence. If Ismelda meets all the criteria of the Slytherin stereotype - Liz is the opposite. She’s one of the most resilient characters, having to work against people thinking she’s odd, people not trusting her because she’s in Slytherin, and people generally being at odds with her belief that all creatures deserve protection. It’s not only the Hufflepuffs that care for magical critters, and Liz proves that. The Tortoise represents her decency, and her steadfast attitude. What’s more, Tortoises tend to have very long lifespans. And if Liz can face off against chimeras and come out of it unscathed...she’s gonna live a long, long life.

Talbott Winger - Golden Eagle

I doubt I need to explain this one. In the past, Animagi have been show to transform into the same animal as their Patronus. It hasn’t been confirmed that this is a rule or anything, but it applied to James and McGonagall. Besides, an eagle just suits Talbott. He’s a dreamer, a drifter, and he’s got his head in the clouds. But he also knows how to fight - having been forced to leave the nest far too early. Birds of prey generally represent victory, courage, and overcoming adversity. Which Talbott does - he’s learning to let his walls down. Taking the first steps toward accepting the losses that he’s suffered, and moving on.

Chiara Lobosca - Labrador

Supposedly cats, dogs, and birds are the most common animals to have as a Patronus. Which makes sense, but if anyone out there was truly a dog, it would be Chiara. Between her self-sacrificing loyalty to Remus, to her protective instincts in shielding MC from Greyback, she is the physical embodiment of the “we don’t deserve dogs” sentiment. As sweet as she is, she’s also quiet, so I figured a large dog was more appropriate, especially a Lab. What’s more, she’s interested in Healing, and that reminds me of service dogs. Or even just dogs that can sense when their human is sick, and gives them therapeutic cuddles.

Jae Kim - Raccoon

An inventive, practical animal - the Raccoon is known for having paws with defined fingers that allow them to do most things with their “hands” and that’s actually where the word “raccoon” comes from. I feel like the Racoon’s elusive ways and their nature as scavengers pretty closely reflects Jae and his business. Raccoons are frequently associated with adaptability and illusion. Their ringed tails and masked faces being seen as signs of thievery. But you know what? These animals are far more friendly then media would have you assume. I know from personal experience. So I think a character like Jae who is shady and skirts the law, but is ultimately a good guy, would fit the raccoon well.

Badeea Ali - Owl

Despite the magical community’s affinity for them, Owls are said to be highly rare as Patronuses, according to Pottermore. Most people don’t have them, but I think she would. I don’t think it would suit anyone better than the elusive, creative Badeea. They tend to represent wisdom, good judgment, and knowledge. It’s sharp vision representing insight and observational skills. Only a truly clever witch could be a spell inventor at this age. What’s more, Owls are an integral part of the Wizarding lifestyle. They’re constantly helpful. MC would not have survived the nightmare that was the Peeves Chapters in Year Five if not for their most mystical friend. 

Diego Caplan - Grebe

If you know anything about Grebes as birds, then you might not be too surprised. Then again, I hadn’t even heard of them until recently, but when I did I thought “Diego.” They’re waterfowls that are related to flamingos. But the Grebes have an entire ceremony dedicated to mating, which involves intricate dancing. They compete with each other for a female’s attention. I’m not saying Diego is jealous of Cedric cause he has a thing for Penny - all I’m saying is that Diego is jealous of Cedric because he has a thing for Penny. Beyond that, Grebes symbolize fearlessness and perseverance in Native American culture, supposedly bringing a calm, peaceful presence. 

And that’s it! I did it, I actually did it! I didn’t think I’d make it this far. And if you did as well, thanks for checking it out. I’d love to know what you think!

#HPHM #Harry Potter Hogwarts Mystery #HPHM Headcanons #Harry Potter #Hogwarts Mystery #HPHM Characters #HPHM Rowan #HPHM Ben #HPHM Penny #HPHM Merula #HPHM Ismelda #HPHM Beatrice #HPHM Bill #HPHM Charlie #HPHM Skye #HPHM Tulip #HPHM Murphy #HPHM Barnaby #HPHM Orion #HPHM Liz #HPHM Erika #HPHM Andre #HPHM Jae #HPHM Diego #HPHM Badeea #HPHM Chiara #HPHM Talbott #HPHM Discussion #harry potter: hogwarts mystery

[symwinter]

Making Descendants likeable to me and only me but maybe you if we have similar tastes?

Part One: Mal

The best way to ‘fix’ Mal, is to give a context to her actions, have her grow from them, and change for the better, a standard thing really.

In movie one the main thing Mal has to learn is to grow out of her mother’s shadow. A lot of what she does is to be like her mom, there’s a whole song about it, but to make it the driving force of her first step in her arc is a good way of going about it. Have her initially be against the date with Ben because her mother wasn’t the dating type. Have her interest in magic be because her mother is. Then her telling her mother off at the end of the third act all the more climatic.

The other thing is to remove the manipulation of Ben with the love potion. Instead, it would make more sense to infect Audrey with some kind of hatred spell. Audrey already doesn’t like the Core Four, so the spell just makes her more obsessed and spiteful of them, therefore Audrey has more reason to want revenge on Mal in movie three other than stealing her boyfriend when the spell breaks.

Movie two‘s main arc is trying to figure who she is by going back to her roots, magic and then the Isle. Her conflict with Uma is more a result of her pre and post Auradon side as she still cares about Ben, lovable puppy that he is, even when she’s trying to be the person she was before. However I am going to get rid of the whole love spell thing Uma does since magic doesn’t work on the Isle and it’s never explained how she got off the isle and did the spell

By the end of the movie, Mal embraces the better parts of her old self and the better parts of her new self and along with having one of my favourite movies endings with the dancing boat scene, she tells Ben her actual real faery name, a sign of utmost trust: Morgana.

Movie 3 is more like a tv show with an A plot and a B plot. A plot is “actions have consequences” primarily focusing on what she did to Audrey. B plot is “how to keep her deal with Uma without endangering the people she cares about” because in case anyone forgot the Isle holds people like: attempted murderers, actual murderers, abusive parental figures, people who have committed high treason, people who have attempted regicide and/or identity theft, attempted animal murderers, people who are willing to manipulate a teenage girl who’s stuff got destroyed to gain power, a jock, whatever the fuck Captain Hook was trying to do. It isn’t safe to release them onto Auradon and just assume their grudges will go away.

By the end of the movie when Hades, who isn’t her dad in my version, gets on his high horse, Mal rightfully admits it was her fault Audrey went this far but also that Audrey is like seventeen, nobody died, and that there was little to no collateral damage. As for the whole villain kid parent thing, Mal and Ben reinstate something I’m calling the “Villain Rehabilitation Act” which is basically a rehab/help centre type thing that allows villains who want to change the opportunity to change in things like a larger scale Remedial Goodness class, finding jobs where their skills come in handy, and finding Auradon citizens who are willingly to help them get better. 

Also due to fairy physiology, Mal should have wings. The basics for me is that a fairy’s shoulder blades are more pronounced to act as the breaking point for wings, but because Mal was on the island the anti-magic prevented them from growing out properly but also technically hid the pain so when she reaches Auradon she has back problems and what looks to be fractals from the damage her lack of wings has caused. It also acts as a catalyst in the first movie when she goes to Fairy Godmother for help and kind of experiences genuine motherly affection as Fairy Godmother breaks the unofficial rule not to use magic to break Mal’s wings out of her back with as little pain as possible. Like all wings they’re translucent with fairy magic in a physical form being the sparkles/glitter, but hers are dragon shaped.

Part Two: Evie

Since I can’t just make Evie the protagonist without doing a bunch of movie rewriting, we shall keep Evie as the deuteragonist/tritagonist that she is. Also like the others, her character arc is handled in the movie and then she’s fairly stable for the rest. Evie’s major character arc in movie one is to not trade her passions to get the guy. This is dealt with through her two most defining relationships in Auradon: Doug and Ben. While Jay is her best friend, more on that in a the next part, it’s those two that basically help Evie to ditch the persona she had put on. She’s still boy crazy and wants a nice castle, but she should be herself. Evie is fashion savvy, empathetic, and genuinely smart and she shouldn’t throw it out. By the time two and three roll around, she’s got an upcoming business, a sick boat party to look forward to, and is making bank by embracing and sharing her fashion. Her time on the Isle isn’t ever really discussed because for a good portion of it, she was locked in her house for not inviting Mal to her birthday party, so she actually knows the least about the Isle. However, that is unimportant as she acts as the bridge between Mal’s old and new self having figured out how to be her best self without getting rid of the person she was, and in movie three she’s legit done with all the fighting because she is the most emotionally mature which is why she suggests the ice breakers because Audrey is clearing a danger to herself and others and we don’t have time for your power trips.

Part Three: Jay and Carlos

You know when we reach the “and” I’m running out of stuff to do. This is probably where we reach the point where it’s primarily background or aesthetics that change more than a storyline.

Jay is the only member of the Core Four to be born in Auradon. His mother is alive and well. Just before our gang was born, the Villain Rehabilitation Act happened, and Jafar decided why not in a ploy to get power, but then befriended and fell in love with Jay’s mom, but the act was revoked for unknown reasons and Jafar, as well as baby Jay were sent back to the Isle, even though Jafar was one of the least dangerous villains at the time. So technically for Jay, Auradon is a chance to meet his mom. Which he does on Family Day before the whole Queen Leah drama. THe other notable thing about Jay’s past is his friendship with Evei, which began when he broke into the castle to hide after stealing some stuff for his dad and Evie hiding him from her mom. Friendship blossomed from there and the two will often hang out because of this.

Carlos is both easy and hard to work with. For example, appearance wise he would have movie two hair, the peak hairstyle honestly, but everything about him personality wise is a lot more… poised. He still likes tech, but fall out of the limo he does not. However he’s not great at talking to people without being kinda bitchy. His main issue with Jane is her lack of self confidence, so even after the hairstyle upgrade in movie one he still kinda sees her as spineless though he’d never say it outloud.

His arc is friendship through the doggo and like compliment sandwiches. Taking care of Dude and having to give positive critiques teaches him empathy, constructive criticism, and a better way of complimenting people by pointing out the effort a person put into something, even if the result isn’t great. There’d be a part of the dance in movie one where Carlos tells Jane that her problem isn’t her appearance, but her lack of confidence and offers to help her figure it out. Also his crush on Jane stays but the whole having trouble asking her out is either ignored or dealt with very quickly. Like they’re about to go to the Isle to get Mal back and Carlos spots Jane and asks if she’ll be his date to Cotillion if he gets back in time for it.

Part Four: Ben

The gist is that a single strand of his dad’s curse is in his  DNA and fairy magic can strengthen it, so for movie one, other than the whole Audrey thing, his major conflict is that he’s in love with a woman who can legit turn him into a beast. I mean there’s magic water and true love, but it’s still a terrifying thought to him, especially since Ben is a total sweetheart and doesn’t deserve it. Interestingly enough, he finds that nothing actually happens when he’s with Mal until movie two when we learn Fairy Godmother was requested to bury the curse so on the Isle, where magic doesn’t work, he’s basically a ticking time bomb since the beast curse was still gaining strength from Mal’s untamed magic and since it’s also genetic, it can affect him on the Isle. It mainly takes the form of claws and being a bit more on edge. By the time they return home, the spell is placed back on him, and is subsequently broken again in movie three. Ben can’t catch a break, but once the whole enchanted water puts him at a halfway point, he learns of Mal’s deal and brings up the old Villain Rehabilitation Act since it’s what he based his exchange program on and is able to find the moving fairy cottage by following the smell of Audrey’s perfume. Movie three’s whole thing is the acceptance that his curse is kinda cool and that fangs are fun.

Part Five: Antagonists

Movie two has Uma as the antagonist with Harry and Gil as like lackeys. Uma does not hate just Mal. Evie, Jay and Carlos all got to leave the Isle and get a better life, but Mal had power on the Isle and even though Uma rose when she left, she still feels it was just given to her. Her goal is to truly beat Mal so her power feels justified. Harry goes along cause he’s like lowkey in love with Uma, but like he just has a general thing for confident women and gravitated to Uma due to shared interests, and Gil had nothing better to do. That’s why he’s the odd one out. Somehow after the whole Ben kidnap fails, Uma escapes the Isle but rather than mind control Ben cause no thanks, she decides to ruin cotillion. Unlike before, Uma has been humiliated by Mal, so attacking the boat with her octopus tentacles is a pretty big fuck you. When that fails she hides out in her mother’s old lair until movie three. Meanwhile Harry and Gil are left with trying to hold the crew together but by movie three it’s broken up which is why Harry and Gil decide to break out and are less then excited to see Uma initially since she abandoned them. But again, they’re happy that she’s back. Harry does kinda break away from Uma such as complimenting Evie back after she compliments his accent, but it’s Gil who has the best character arc as he becomes part of a himbo duo with Jay. Gil honestly doesn’t need to change, he's great as he is.

So we’ve already covered movie one’s antagonist, Audrey who was a means to an end created by Mal and while Mal does break it, I don’t imagine she apologized for it. So she vanishes before the dance sequence and goes to deal with every that’s happened and also probably to be a witch on the Charmed reboot, I don’t know for sure. But movie three Audrey is a different story ignoring the end, which was talked about as well. Audrey’s primary goal in movie three is to get back at Mal which is deserved, and Queen of Mean is a bop so it’s staying. The downside is Audrey is so invested in revenge she doesn’t think to stop using Maleficent’s wand which was created to be used by a fairy. Fairy wings basically act as a magic battery, constantly replenishing the magic used by spells, so when a human, like Audrey, uses it, when it runs out of magic, it’ll use Audrey’s life as energy ie. it puts her in a coma. When Audrey does wake up thanks to Hades, she finally gets her apology from Mal and while they aren’t friends, they don’t hate each other. She also trades the pink for blue as pink reminds her of things like activating the curse on her ex-boyfriend or locking Chad in a closet. 

Next is Hades who isn’t Mal’s dad. That was kinda dumb. His plan is mostly the same, escape the Isle by making people feel bad for him, but again, Mal doesn’t fall for it at the end, not only by pointing out that she pushed Audrey into doing that while no one did to Hades, sure he was stuck in the underworld but he never tried to find a positive in it, and you know, people died during Hades’s titanomachy. By the end however, he is allowed to go back to the underworld rather than the Isle.

Part Six: any other characters that are primarily just minor fixes that don’t need their own section

Doug is fine. While he does have a crush on Evie, his primary goal in helping her is just that. There’s no ulterior motives. Also his season three hair is a yikes.

Chad is also fine. I like that he’s clearly got good self-preservation skills shown in movie three, and giving him claustrophobia helped me sympathize with him.

Jane is a top tier character, fight me. Major difference in movie one is that her following of Audrey in movie one is because she wants to be liked and thinks that’s the fastest way, but she doesn’t insult Mal, and actually asks to have her natural hair back after the whole dance thing.

Lonnie, proving mlm wlw solidarity is great. I like her friendship with Jay in movie two and her being a boss as bitch and also when she puts her foot on Chad’s back to make doing push ups harder because Chad still sucked in movie two.

The og parents are fine. Dizzy is great, wished we had more of her in D3.

Part Seven: should’ve been a show

And I don’t mean like Wicked World, which like the books is non-canon in this, but like an actual tv show. So much could’ve been done with the Isle that just wasn’t. Mal probably wouldn’t be such a contentious character if we didn’t have to cram the plot into a two hour movie. They wouldn’t even need to start the show with them meeting, since they could follow the format of Once Upon A Time and have each episode show things like how Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos became friends, or how the whole Shrimpy thing happened. Descendants, and Barbie Princess Charm School, would work better as a tv show over a movie. At least I think so.

There it’s done.

#symwinter’s trash writing #descendants #this is for you six people who wanted this

[your-worst-knightmare]

Red: Pt 8

Dog sleeps on my bed that night. She has a perfectly good bed of her own, but company’s company. Who am I, of all people, to complain? If only she’d get off my foot. I swear, there’s got to be absolutely no circulation in there. 

I make a mental list of the things I need to do for tomorrow. My guns are already cleaned and my knives are polished and sharpened. My helmet’s in my bag, in decent shape. Ammo may be a problem, but we’ll have to be resourceful with it later. There’s only one thing unaccounted for: Louis.

I don’t want him following me. Whether it’s a trap or not, I doubt his interference will help the matter. The Outlaws, especially Artemis, have tough shells to crack. 

Artemis. I could be seeing her tomorrow. And I honestly don’t care if she plans on hitting me or hugging me, Probably both. In what order, I have yet to find out. Come on Jason, I chide myself. Don’t get your hopes up, you idiot. You have to be ready for the worst.  If there’s one thing you’ve learned: High hopes fall hard.

Instead of even attempting sleep, I finish making my mental to-do list. I couldn’t sleep if I tried; I’m wired enough to stay awake for a week. The fact that I pulled a Tim yesterday and had at least five shots of caffeine does not help. But it does buy me time to think. So yay.

I leave well before the sun even rises. Louis won’t be getting up for at least another few hours. I take Dog with me to avoid suspicion. I’ll drop her off at one of my safehouses before going to the park. I should have some more supplies there if I need it. 

Dog’s not a particularly loud animal, but every little creak in the hardwood gives me a mini-heart attack. I scribble down a note for Louis before grabbing his keys. ‘Dog was getting restless. Took her outside. Be back soon. -Hoodie.’

Technically, I’m not even supposed to be leaving the house without Louis,  but the board can’t really enforce that anyway. This is Gotham, and I’m the Red Hood. The board’s got other people to worry about if they’re thinking straight. 

The weight of my weapons is both comforting and familiar, giving me some peace as I follow Dog out the door. I slip on my helmet when I get into the car, partly for appearance's sake and partly to save myself from a smashed-in skull. Despite how often it gets shattered itself, It does do its job better than the new mask. And since I’m a little rusty at the whole vigilante-thing, I don’t want to risk anything. 

My closest safe house is one I don’t use much and isn’t stocked up with as many supplies as I’d like. Going to another one would take too long and I’d rather not go to the park in broad daylight. People still know who I am and some like me less than others. 

I decide to leave the car at the safehouse too, opting to switch it out for my motorcycle. It makes me a little more recognizable, but I don’t want to wreck Louis’s car. He has enough to worry about as it is. I give Dog some food before I leave and pray that she doesn’t get herself into any trouble. 

The park’s quiet. Too quiet. Even with senses enhanced by the Lazarus, I don’t hear anyone. Trouble does find me easily, though, so I sit down on a bench. The sky’s dark, even for this time in the morning. There’s probably a storm on the way. I’m not surprised when big fat raindrops start to pelt down onto the concrete. 

I’m pretty sure that whoever invited me here was waiting for the right Mood™ because as soon as I’m thoroughly soaked, does a boom tube-looking-thing open in the sky, too far up for it to be calculated properly. Two figures, tied up and masked tumble gracelessly to the ground, pursued by what looks like some C-lister’s goons. I ready my gun and wait in the branches of a tree.

The figures hit the ground with a painful thud. I wince. If they were normal humans they would be dead by now. The goons surround them, and one yanks off the masks. My heart almost stops. It’s them. Bizarro looks almost unconscious, and Artemis, even bloody and bruised, looks ready to explode with rage. How did they get caught? Artemis and Bizarro don’t go down easily. This C-lister may be better than I’d thought.

Focus, Jason. It’s an in and out job. Simple. 

“Listen up, Red Hood! We know you’re here. You are outgunned and outmanned. So here’s what’s going to happen. You will come with us and we let your friends go. The longer you wait, the more they suffer.” To prove a point, they rip off Artemis’ gag and shove her to the ground with a baton, arcing with electricity. She screams in pain.

I set my jaw. I’m going to kill them.

“ Don’t- Agh!” Artemis is cut off my another jab. 

“Shut it, princess.”

I don’t have any backup. Being in custody for several months tends to get you out of the loop, especially to people like me. I don’t have many options. Sniping them off one by one would be ideal, but I’m not exactly in the best position. There’s also too many of them, and shooting at them would only get me or my friends killed. The only thing left is direct confrontation and a trick. Here’s hoping it works.

I jump out of my hiding spot in the tree. “Okay, I’m here. Now, any of you idiots mind telling me who you work for?”

Half a dozen red dots appear on my chest. I’ve got their attention all right. “Weapons on the ground, now!”

I lower my gun to the ground slowly, careful not to make any sudden moves. “Who’s your boss?” I walk towards them, mentally preparing myself for the strain of the All-Blades. 

“We are not obligated to tell you our employer’s name, Red Hood.”

“Fine. Let my friends go first and you can take me.”

“Boots and jacket off.”

I oblige, discarding at least three more concealed weapons. “Let them go.” They surround me and cut Artemis and Bizarro’s bonds before shoving them to the side. Artemis meets my eyes, and I can almost hear her unspoken question. What are you doing?

Not yet, Red. I hold my hands out to let the goons handcuff me. They seem to take forever to approach me. I bounce on the balls of my feet impatiently. At the last second, I call up the All-Blades and all hell breaks loose. 

My first strike slices clean through two lackeys, taking all of them by surprise. I honestly don’t know what they were expecting. Why would I, of all people, come obediently to the enemy? It was merely a lack of judgement on their part. Gunfire breaks out, and I quickly disperse the All-Blades to snatch up a pistol. I fire a few shots, not checking whether I’d hit anyone or not before ducking behind a pedestal holding a statue of the big bad bat. 

It only takes a few moments for Artemis to follow me, dragging Bizarro with her. I give her a nod. “Hey Red. Nice hair.”

She looks ready to stab me with the knife in her hand, but she shakes her head and gives me a quick hug instead. “And to think I missed your idiocy,” she mutters to herself. “Got a plan?”

“You take left. I ‘ll take right. We plow through ‘em.” She flips her knife, thinking. “Where’s Mistress?”

“They have her.”

“Here?”

She nods. 

Beside her, Bizarro groans, almost falling over. I help Artemis prop him up before he veers out of the cover of the pedestal. “Biz okay?”

“Some sort of tranquillizer. He’ll be out for a while.”

The gunfire nears, reminding us both of the ticking clock. “Together?”

“Together.”

We charge, Artemis effectively breaking the law of ‘don’t bring a  knife to a gun-fight.’ I cover her as she makes her way towards Mistress. But the All-Blades have taken their toll, and even the Lazarus can only hold off exhaustion for so long. 

Oddly, I hear the bullet before I feel it. Its near-silent race through the air before it finds a home in my shoulder. I stumble, nearly dropping my own weapon. I fire back, managing to fell two more lackeys. Each shot invites yellow spots to dance in my vision, but I can’t just leave Artemis. 

I push forward, trying to ignore my shoulder. Unfortunately, one of the goons seem to notice and slam into my bad side. I manage to recover just in time for them to smash my helmet in, exposing half my face. I raise my gun to fire, but the clip is empty. Great. 

I’m about to bring the gun down on their head when I feel something cold in my gut. I stagger backwards, holding my side. My hands come away slick with blood. 

The goon looks smug beneath their mask. That is, until their body jerks forward and they land on their face. Artemis stands behind them, a gun in her hand. 

“Nice shot Red.” The ground sways beneath my feet and I steady myself against her.

“Never pegged you as the swooning damsel in distress, Todd.”

“Yeah,” I breathe before collapsing onto her. “Me neither.” 

#red hood #jason todd #rhato 2016 #artemis grace #bizarro #gotham #dc #mywriting #dc comics #dog #red:pt 8 #fanfic #jaytemis

[theeternalspace]

Title: Infinity // Eternity

Chapter Two:  Eternity in an Hour

Pairings: Virgil/Roman. Hints at past possible Virgil/Remy, or thoughts of it at least.

Word Count: 3.5k

Warnings:Character Death Pre Story. The death is not shown, or talked about in detail as to how it happened, only that Remy is dead. Blood, violence, thoughts of past experimentation on living beings. General all round angst. Near death.

Hello! Hello! Welcome back! To the second and final part of my gift for @gilby-the-grad-student for @sanderssides-secretsanta. I really hope you enjoy!

This story only features Virgil and Roman, with the briefest mention of Remy. Who, I repeat. Is dead. This is Angst with a happy ending. It also has werebears because… I wanted supernatural bears instead of wolves.

Thank you for sticking with me.

—

Previous

—

Summary:

“To see a world in a grain of sand, And a heaven in a wild flower, Hold infinity in the palm of your hand, And eternity in an hour” - Auguries of Innocence, William Blake.

A fairy tale in two parts.

(This isn’t a fairy tale, Virgil warns him once.

It isn’t going to have a happy ending.

Being right doesn’t make him feel better.)

—

If anything, the fact that it takes Roman as long as he does to invite him to the village is the only surprising part of finding himself walking down one of the quiet streets. Virgil has long ago resigned himself to the fact that he can't refuse him anything and Virgil though Roman knew that. He would kill or die for Roman. He would rip out his own heart and hand it to him if his human smiled and asked nicely enough so getting him to visit somewhere is small potatoes. All he has to do is ask, the knowledge unspoken between them, like so many of the conversations they don’t have. 

It still takes Roman a very long time to ask. 

They dance around the subject. Virgil often walks with Roman to the edge of the forest. He lurks in the shadows of the trees, watching as the other part of him leaves to return to the human settlement.  

Time after time, Virgil opens his mouth only to close it again without a word, unable to offer. The forest is dangerous, and that is one of the reasons why he insists on walking with him to the edge of his territory. He has to keep Roman safe in the only way he knows how and no matter how much some part of him yearns to follow him all the way home, Virgil just can’t. He isn’t part of Roman’s world which is human and mundane and so very perfect. He is an exile from any sort of real life, a ghost who cannot be seen, who cannot touch Roman past the trees. 

Time after time, Roman lingers on that invisible boundary, waiting for him to offer perhaps. Or unwilling to end their time together perhaps, Or just admiring the view perhaps. Virgil doesn’t understand how his mind works and gradually he is coming to accept that. 

All he knows is that Roman lingers, he remains silent and tries to shake the feeling that he is doing something wrong here. Not doing something is still doing it wrong, a sin of omission but he can’t bring himself to offer. The words feel heavier than any other Virgil might speak, the idea of being seen, of being noticed and connected to him. It's more than just his normal paranoia, more than fear for himself or distrust and dislike of the townsfolk. Its fear for Roman as well, a fear that someone will see them together and act accordingly.

When Roman finally does ask, all Virgil can do is nod wordlessly. He adopts a grumpy expression, emotions midway between relief that he can make sure he is safe all the way home and terror of having to walk the streets and be seen. At least it comes with the warmth of a few more seconds with Roman, of feeling the human close by. His bear is always more settled when he is close by. The dark bangs which fall artfully over his eyes give him a few precious  seconds of delaying the inevitable while he plays with  them, trying to rearrange them to his liking. It doesn’t save him from actually having to take that first step.

With a deep breath, Virgil finally steps over the invisible line that separates the forest he knows and the village he doesn’t. 

The world doesn’t end. There are no screams or howls, no alarms blaring and scientists popping up from behind rocks. There is no trap, no red cloak falling to the ground and a wolf under the mask. Instead it is simply a smile, a forest fire of warmth rushing through him at the sight of it. There is nothing to fear here beyond anything the woods might offer. For the first time out of danger, Virgil is the one to reach out first, to take Roman’s hand in his own, a surprisingly gentle squeeze his only hint of nerves. 

(Virgil is going to be the death of Roman.)

They turn left, a short cut through a small path and out into a quiet street, minutes away from the theatre where he works as a director slash costume designer slash whatever he needs to be at the time. Roman loves to talk about his work and Virgil loves to listen although he understands perhaps one word in five. All that matters is his human is passionate about his job. It seems very important to Roman that Virgil sees where he works. And where he lives, where he spends his time when he is here instead of in the forest, as if Roman can somehow cram Virgil into all of his life. Virgil might not understand why, but that doesn’t matter. The important thing is to keep that smile on Roman’s face. 

As always, Roman is chattering away. Telling him about this and that, a place he visits regularly, a favoured corner to have lunch. And then places that Roman hasn't really spent much time in but knows about. His very own personal tour guide, showing him around this new place. As though Virgil cares. As if there is anything here he would ever be interested in beyond the person beside him. He nods his head when there is a pause in the river of words. Makes the occasional grunt to let Roman know he is listening and simply lets him have his way.

Virgil finds himself doing that a lot lately.

They are almost at the next intersection when Virgil shifts to a sudden stop, every inch of him going stiff, alert.There is a scent in the air, a danger that makes him want to pull Roman behind him. Virgil doesn’t need to look to the side to know that he is opening his mouth, a question forming on lips, something that will only distract. Virgil lifts his free hand, finger on his lips to silence her. A little way down the street stands a male, slight but strongly built, a sneer twisting his features, head dipping up and down a little. No doubt picking up Virgil’s bear but he has never seen him before. Yet. That scent... he knows that scent.

Vampire. 

His power and energy is almost a physical presence on the street, pounding and swirling around them. Virgil can all but taste it and it makes him feel ill. It's been a long time since he's come into contact with another like him. The possibility of such is intoxicating and it would be so easy to simply give into that, to drink deep on the power and for a moment to be the beast of old. He would be lying if he said he wasn't tempted to become what he had once been, just a taste, a final taste. There is still Roman to think about, and it is more than the feeling of shame that comes with the idea of him seeing what he had once been. It is wanting to be better, to be worthy no matter how futile. It is wanting to keep Roman safe.

Even as he thinks that, Roman is moving. He slips out of his grasp in a graceful motion, water trickling between fingers and he has never been able to hold the other against his will. Just like every other aspect of Roman, the physical is impossible to define or pin down. He wants to move and so he does, stepping around him to face this threat head on. Only, Virgil realises with a mounting sense of horror, he doesn't know that this is any kind of danger. As far as his Roman seems to believe, he is simply talking to a neighbour, defusing a situation that is weird but only because Virgil has made it that way. It might even have been enough, the vampire and bear slipping back into tired robes and old roles, except they have each seen the others face. They cannot trust that the other will back down, not when Virgil has his human to think about and the vampire has a chance to drink. 

Not when the vampire has no way of knowing if they will be safe or if Virgil will hunt them down. Better to attack first. In order not to be struck, strike. 

Right in front of him, as though in a play, Virgil sees the vampire reach out, everything around them slowing in time. In his mind's eye, he can see what happens next, can see the pale man’s hand catch at Roman’s shoulder. The way fingers would bite with fierce hunger into skin leaving bruises - if there is any blood remaining tomorrow. Virgil can hear the startled gasp as he is spun around, drawn close and the way their bodies would dance before Roman is bent over or pushed against a wall. Teeth teasing at tender flesh and the final jerk as they break skin, how hands would grip tighter still. He's seen countless vampires feed before, he knows the moves, the fight and the submission of the victim, those moments of pain tinted pleasure. He stops fighting the pale man's grasp, arcs into him and for those few moments it is more than the desperate struggle of a fight, it is something akin to lovers. Then the cards tumble down, the final curtain and Roman is as cold and as dead as the vampire itself. A blink of thunderous applause and he is back at the start.

Fingers touch Roman’s shoulder.

And the world

turns

red

(Roman is going to be the death of Virgil.)

He comes back to screams of pain and a voice frantically calling his name. He comes back to the rank scent of vampire blood clogged in his nostrils and an ache in his body that means a fight. He comes back to Roman kneeling in front of him, palms open, between him and his target. He's put himself between him and his goal. Into the path of danger and he has never told Roman how deadly that is, how it could ruin him. Virgil never told his human how he could break him without ever meaning to. How humans are so easy to reshape in any image, how he can imagine what he would look like unmade. Virgil’s never told him that he's a monster and made Roman believe it so he can leave for his own safety. Because this was bound to happen sooner or later. It's just some weird twist of fate that he didn't go right through Roman in his quest to end the bastard. All because he was too scared to be honest with him, too selfish and focused on what Roman could give him. 

He's never told Roman how he felt about him - he's never told him how he felt - he’s never told him.

Roman is just standing there and looking at him and there is still so much trust on his features. Like he knows with the utmost certainty that Virgil won’t hurt him. It makes his heart bleed at how wrong he is about him. Why isn’t he running away from Virgil? 

Why isn’t he leaving when the broken and bloody ruin of what they could have been is lying on the ground behind him? 

There is a steady look in Roman’s eyes. A determination that he has come to associate with him. Roman reaches out, motions slow and steady, an action that he has repeated constantly throughout their time together. As though Virgil is some wild animal certainly but the skittish kind, a victim, prey instead of predator. 

Almost as though Roman could be the one to hurt him. It's the same calming motion he uses every time he reaches out to touch Virgil. There is a carefulness in every touch. All his own touches are good for is violence and pain. The vampire makes a noise behind Roman . Still a threat, still a danger and if Virgil can't contain the danger, he can at least get them away from it.

Fight or flight?

Virgil grabs that offered hand, blooded fingers curling in his own clean ones, and together, they run.

(this isn’t a fairy tale, Virgil warns him once.

It isn’t going to have a happy ending.

Being right doesn’t make him feel better.)

No matter how hard Virgil tries, he can’t get his heart under control. It is as wild as the animal inside of him, screaming bloody murder. Virgil wants to go back and finish off that vampire. Wants to keep running and never stop. Fight, fight, fight. Flight, flight, flight. His heart carries on its frantic beat and Virgil doesn’t know how long they run. Only that they do until his lungs are on fire. Until the shadows of the trees cover them both once more. Until he wants to collapse on the ground. If this is how he is feeling, then how badly must Roman feel? Virgil needs to pause, to breathe.

He needs a moment when there is none on offer but the fact that they have made it back to the woods is something.

Virgil is drowning. In everything. The scent of that vampire still curls around them both. Endlessly chasing them and that alone would have driven him mad. But the memories of what had just happened haunts him, pressing up against his mind and he knows it won’t fade any time soon. It is too raw, too vibrant and no matter how much time passes, at this moment it feels as if that vampire will always be there. A tiny part of him thinks maybe not, maybe like every other wound in his life this one would eventually heal. But the wound could have been so much worse, it could have been losing Roman and that could never have healed. Even the woods are tarnished by the smell and where there should be peace there is panic.

Roman touches, fingers smudging against drying blood and Virgil can't help but flinch. It is a soft touch but it is no less painful for that. He stinks of vampire, of that never future and his bear rebels, precious control snapping clean in half. In one graceful motion Virgil is spinning, the flinch and fear replaced by determination, pressing him back. They are almost dancing, forcing Roman against the tree, legs between Roman’s own. 

Even now, when the monster is out and in control for the first time, he isn't struggling or showing fear. Roman trusts the monster. He trusts something as wicked as that man who wanted to drain him dry, snarl rattling through his chest and up and out.

Breath is ragged, Virgil’s head dipping as he takes in that scent which is still tinted vampire. No. No. He cannot let this pass, cannot run the risk that another might show up and think they can just take and take and take. The world needs to know Roman is protected, taken, safe, whatever the term they want to use. He needs to know that he is Virgil’s because otherwise he is hopelessly Roman’s without any end. Virgil cannot be his if it is not equal and even. 

The bear monster has all manner of ideas on how to fix this. 

Virgil cannot agree with most of them. Not here, in the wild, with no choice involved and it is a strain to pull back a fraction of control. To stop his hands and legs moving independently of his wants, to tell the monster no. He might have kept it caged all these years, just as he was kept caged but he has never refused its wants before. Roman is more important. 

The bear monster roars angrily in his head, and Roman is important, they agree he is important. Therefore, he needs to be theirs. Roman needs to not smell of that vampire and its claim. The scent is enough to drive Virgil mad and he presses forward. All but rubbing himself on Roman, consumed by need, need, need. It isn’t as good as some of the ideas from his bear side, but it rubs away the scent of death and replaces it with Virgil’s own. It settles him. Heaven help him, but it settles Virgil as he marks Roman. Cheeks are flushed red, ashamed but now that he has started, Virgil finds he cannot stop. He simply holds Virgil. It makes him want to scream, yell and tell Roman to stop him but he is a prisoner in his own body. The bear monster is in charge. It is taking everything Virgil is to just do this, filling the air with his scent and ensuring that if anything else comes along, it will know Roman is already claimed. 

Virgil tries to ignore the fear that a claim like this might not be enough, that they might just ignore it because it will just make the monster more vicious, more out of control. All he can do is hold on for the ride and stop himself from doing anything worse.

(Roman’s hands touch his skin and it feels like coming home.)

He did it for him. Virgil has just gotten himself under some fragile control and then Roman cracks him back open with a few delicate words. The animalistic nature of Virgil or the fact vampires are real doesn’t seem to make Roman pause. It doesn’t make him doubt or ask any of the questions Virgil can see bubbling away in those beautiful brown eyes. All Roman seems to care about is explaining why he did what he did. Put himself in the path of an oncoming storm unheeding of the danger because Roman believed he was worth it, because he didn't want Virgil to have another's life blood on his hands. 

What is one more? 

He wants to say the words aloud, what is one more tiny tick on that side for him, one more life taken by his hand. What is one more sin for a soul that is already drenched in them? Not that Roman knows his sins, he looks at him and sees - Virgil has never understood what he saw when he looked at him, only that Roman is always looking and somehow, he is always passing his tests. 

He doesn't want Virgil to kill for him. 

The idea is so funny, Virgil has to drown that urge to laugh at the absurdity. He doesn’t know what is that makes him want to laugh so much - that Roman thinks he has never killed before or that Roman thinks he shouldn’t have that burden, when his main role in life is to do just that. To be the killer, to do the dirty jobs so other people don't have to. A strange wheezing sound fills the clearing, Virgil tensing for a moment in case it is a threat. It takes him a few seconds to realise the noise is coming from him and a few more to understand he is laughing.

It carries on bubbling out of him, a poisonous spurt of noise that refuses to be silenced.

Virgil waits for the punchline, for him to reveal the price and there is always a price. Always. Roman’s played the long game but he can't take this anymore, dancing around the topic, always on edge because nobody is kind. Not without reason. Without cause. Roman closes the distance between them and for once he is silent, letting him have this although there is concern on his face. Dimily, Virgil is aware he is still laughing and that it isn't healthy. There is a small part of him separate from that laugh, from waiting and that part looks at Roman. 

Maybe, for the first time ever, he really, really looks at him. Looks at what Roman has actually done and not done instead of what he expects the human to do. Looks at his words and his actions over everyone else. Looks at his Roman, his knight, his sun, his, his, his and it's a roaring refrain that is glorious.

Gradually, the truth dawns. Roman really doesn't want him to kill for him. Roman isn't just saying that... he isn't wearing a mask and hiding what he wants in fair words... he... he...

Roman is releasing him from chains he doesn't know he wears, invisible cuffs springing open at the words. Virgil feels light, so dizzyingly light for the first time in longer than he knows. The world is suddenly light, a pressure off his shoulders as he struggles to bring in enough air, as though he is up high and the oxygen has grown thin. Legs tremble, now made out of jelly and they fold up under him without the chains holding him in place. He cannot stand but Roman is right here with him, sinking to the ground as he lets himself collapse. His arms wrap around Virgil with fingers gently threading through his hair as they half sit, half lie in the forest and all Virgil can do is focus on breathing. And ignore the strange stinging sensation in the corner of his eye. He doesn't know how long they remain there, new thoughts and ideas pooling around them, Virgil finally allowing new wishes, new wants to take root. A brave new world indeed.

“I want to live for you.” 

(and this bed was just right.)

~fin~

#sanders sides #virgil sanders #roman sanders #aca writes #infinity/eternity #long post

[lazella]

Yugioh Infinity Stone AU: The Attack

This ended up being VERY long but I think you’ll enjoy part three of this crazy AU. Once again original plot bunny belongs to @nightfurylover31

“My liege…we located the stones…”

The large imposing figure on his throne looked at the information presented to him, “They were spread between six different points in time and space?”

“This is the explanation as to why they were so difficult to locate…We will have to split our forces to retrieve them at once. Or else we risk losing one of the stones.”

“Very well…we’ll start the attack at once.”

“My lord if I may…there are six stone and five generals. Who will go after the sixth?”

A chuckle, “Myself of course.”

Playmaker hurried through the alleyways of Link Vrains following the pulsing of the yellow stone. It was a long shot, but the stone could be his only link to finding Jin’s attacker and his consciousness. But at the same time, he was looking over his should for bounty hunters. He was not looking forward to deal with Blood Sheppard again.

“Are we going in circles?” Ai asked sounding really bored.

“No….I’m just taking very round about ways…” He said rounding another corner. “I don’t want SOL to know about the stone.”

“They were annoying enough last time….” Ai grumbled.

“Agreed.” Playmaker rounded another corner and come across an odd sight.

Debris and rubble were floating crumbled bits of data frizzing at their edges. Whole sections of the ground were missing opening into empty voids. Standing in the middle was a woman with very strange avatar. Blue skin and blank whites eye stared back at him while a white hood covered her head with a cape trailing behind her. Skin tight black and white body suit left little to the imagination. She smirked and licked her lips as if she just spotted her next meal.

“I’ll be taking the Mind Stone boy.”

Playermaker raised an eyebrow. Mind Stone? Clearly this woman knew what she was talking about, he had to play cautiously.

“You know about this stone?”

“I know that it’s power is better suited in someone else’s hands. You have no right to keep it so hand it over.”

“I’m not going to do that…”

“Pity……that wasn’t request.” Then she moved…fast.

Playmaker felt the wind knocked out of him. It took a moment to realize that the woman and the floating rubble slammed into him hard and was now pinning him to the ground. She chuckled as he struggled to get free. “You’re a smart boy…a lot of intellect in that brain of yours…I’ll happily make a meal out of it from your corpse.”

Playmaker let out his own laugh, “Good luck with that…if you can find my body…” He then slammed on his Duel Disk activating his log out program.

He felt the familiar rush of logging out of Link Vrains and stumbled out of the terminal.

“That was close wasn’t it…” Ai commented.

“She knew about the stone….she even called it by a name…” Yusaku whipped the sweat from his brow, “We defiantly have a third party on our hands…”

Screams erupted from outside drawing their attention. Cracking open a widow of the food stand, Yusaku felt his heart drop.

The woman, the very same woman he saw in Link Vrains, was standing in the courtyard looking the exact same as she did before.

“Don’t think you can run from me boy…..” She said just loud enough for him to hear.

Yusaku ran. He had to get away. From her, from everyone. How on earth did she find him so quickly?

“Whatarewegoingtodo? Whatarewegoingtodo? Whatarewegoingtodo?”

Yusaku ignored Ai’s panicked rambles. He had to get away and hide.

“You can’t hide from me boy…”

Yusaku looked up in shock. The woman was floating above him.

“If you hand over the Mind Stone right now, I’ll make your death mostly painless.”

Yusaku gripped the stone tighter, he couldn’t give up the only lead he had to Jin.

“Jin? Who is this Jin you’re thinking off?”

Panic ran through Yusaku’s brain, how did she know?

“Wondering how?” She laughed, “Your mind is so tempting. I can hear it all…your fears…your memories…Oh! You’re a result of an experiment! Even better!”

Yusaku felt violated. She was in his head and she was not welcomed. The stone became brighter and hotter in his hand.

“Get…..OUT!!!!!”

Yellow energy flowed out of the stone and Yusaku knocking the woman back. He felt winded yet stronger at the same time.

“Why….you….” The woman shrieked in rage and caused chunks of buildings and trash to rise into the air and flung them at Yusaku. He instinctively held up the hand with the stone in it shooting a concentrated beam from it destroying the rubble.

“Yusaku….we need to get out of here…”

Yusaku didn’t want to admit that Ai was right. It was pure luck that he was making the stone work in an offensive manner and there was not doubt that this woman can track him down. But where could he go?

I need to get out of here…I need to get somewhere safe.

The stone glowed again…this time white. Yusaku felt his vision fade the world slip out from under him. A thought slipped into his mind. That everything would be okay and he as going to be safe.

And he believed it.

Yusei revved the engine of his D-Wheel. He was taking the stone to another lab today to run further analysis. Hopefully he would get more answers from more tests. Maybe if he finished quickly today, he could call Aki. It had been awhile since he spoke to her. How was she doing at medical school anyway? Green suddenly filled his vision and…

Aki was shadowing a doctor in hospital. They were speaking to a victim of a car accident trying to figure out the reason why their pain did not align with their injuries…

Yusei hit the brakes and pulled over to the side of the road. The stone gave him another vision…this time while driving. He had to figure out better containment measures. Shaking his head trying to clear his thoughts, Yusei thought about what that vision meant. Was that what Aki was doing at this very moment?

Sighing again, he started the engine again getting ready to merge back into traffic when he noticed a strange shadow in the middle of the road. As if something was falling towards the road fast.

Something did land and Yusei could not believe his eyes. A giant with thick dull bronze skin, a shoulder guard on its left shoulder and wielding a massive ax stared down as Yusei with murder in its eyes.

“Give me the Time Stone.”

Yusei made a U-turn and gunned it. The giant gave chase keeping pace with the D-Wheel.

“I’m going over 100 Km…” Yusei whispered in horror. He had to lose him somehow on the roads. Duel lanes where out of the question as he couldn’t activate them without another duelist and were probably too narrow to evade the giant easily. And there was no way he was leading this thing into the city.

The giant threw its axe nearly striking Yusei’s D-Wheel. It took all of his skill to prevent the bike from skidding out. He had to get out here fast. Was there no escape from this giant?

The green glow from the stone was returning. For a moment Yusei panicked that he was getting another vision, but he realized that wasn’t the case. Everything around seemed to be going slow. The other traffic trying to get out of the way of the chase, the waves the over the ocean, even the giant was slowing down.

No…not slowing down…Yusei thought…I’m the one going fast.

He was going faster, so fast that it seemed like everything else had stopped in their tracks. Now he had to find somewhere that he could hide and be safe from this giant.

The stone glowed again, this time while. Yusei felt the sensations that reminded him of Clear Mind. He went for it, diving into the unknown.

Then he was gone.

Yugi walked home after another school day. He could feel Yami’s exhaustion, probably because he had been trying to remove the stone from the Soul Room floor all day. For some reason Yugi got the impression that the stone was laughing at Yami’s attempts to remove it.

“Other me…just leave it be.”

I’m sorry aibou….but it’s driving me nuts to know it’s there.

“We’ll figure out eventually. As we always do…”

He felt Yami’s hum in agreement. He was almost home now, maybe he can invite Jounochi over for a friendly duel.

“Praise be our Lord Thanos…rejoice that you will be saved in the name of our great titan.”

Yugi spun around. Behind him was what he really couldn’t call a man with skin that looked like it was rotting and a lack of nose. The man…creature…..walked with grace speaking with authority.

“Your sacrifice will benefit the Children of Thanos…Surrender now and your death will be a noble one.”

Yami immediately threw Yugi into the safety of the Puzzle, “State your business…”

The man smirked, “I am here to retrieve the Soul Stone that has fallen into your possession.”

“Soul Stone?”

Do you think he means the stone we found?

Yami didn’t get to answer Yugi as the man snapped his fingers and what appeared to be the underground water pipes and cables ripped through the concrete. “I’ll give you one chance to hand over the Stone.”

“I wouldn’t give it to you if I could…..” Yami snarled back.

“What an interesting thing to say…Perhaps you can elaborate.” With another snap, the cables darted for Yami who leaped out of the way and tried to run but was cut off by the water pipes. Yami swore as he scanned the area. There was a very real risk of electrocution with the spilled water and the sparking cables, no doubt it was done intentionally. The man wanted him pinned and back into a corner.

“The stone if you please….” The man said making the cables arc dangerously close to the water.

Yami glanced behind him, the water pipe barricade was low enough for him to vault over if he was fast enough. He just had to keep the man from notice him moving towards it.

“Why do you need the stone so bad?” Yami asked.

“My master desires it. We’ve sought it and the others for some time.”

Did he just say others? Yugi exclaimed.

“What do these stones do? There must be some purpose you need all of them for.” Yami asked next.

“Whatever my master desires…”

“Well I have a feeling that it’s going to put innocents in danger….so no thank you!” Yami ran and tried to jump the barricade. He nearly cleared it only to feel a cable snag his ankle. Wind whistled past his ears as got thrown around in the air as more cables grabbed his other limbs restraining him mid air forcing to face the man again.

“No running away…now where did you hide the stone on your person?” The man said as he started to search through Yami’s pockets

Yami struggled to get free. He had a feeling that if this man got the stone, he was going to kill both him and Yugi.

Other me what are we going to do?

I’ll come up with something…Yami responded back renewing his struggles wincing as the bonds got tighter…I’ll get us out of this.

“Where is it?!” The man was getting frustrated, “I sense the stone’s energy from you, yet I don’t see it! Where are you hiding it!?” Without warning, the man pulled out a dagger and stabbed Yami in the shoulder.

OTHER ME!

Stay back aibou! Yami sent back.

Oh god oh god…Yami could hear Yugi start to hyperventilate….Please…Please get us out of here!

I’m trying too!

I’m asking the stone!

Why are you asking the stone?!

Because it can get us out of here!

How do you know?

Trust me on this…It will save us.

Almost on cue, Yami felt a surge of power rush through him. Orange energy coated him from fingertip to fingertip.

“Impossible!” The man stepped back in shock, “Did you absorb the Soul Stone?!”

Yami didn’t have an answer for him. The orange changed to white as he felt he sensation of being transported somewhere else.

Told you…

Yuya watched in amazement at the scrolling numbers and figures. He didn’t understand a lick of tough, only Yugo occasionally interject with the bits he got but even he didn’t understand it all.

“So….what does this all mean?” Yuya aked Reiji who was hunched over the consol.

“That you seem to be walking around with a miniature version of the ARC-V reactor in your pocket.” Reiji was somewhere between cross and annoyed. “Where did you even find this?”

“I actually don’t know….I swear I’m telling the truth!” Yuya said seeing Reiji’s angry face, “I just found it in my pocket one day.”

“And the other three have no idea what it is?” Reiji asked.

“No we don’t…” Yuto briefly took control to answer the question, “We were all shocked to see what happened down in the arena.”

“So have a mysterious stone with reality warping powers and no idea where it came from…” Reiji sighed and pinched his brow, “This day could not get any better…”

Something beeped and Reiji pushed a button on the phone, “What is it?”

“Sir! Something’s attacking the building!!!” The voice cried out on the other end.

“What do you mean attacking?! Is it leftovers from Academia?” Reiji demanded.

“It’s not that it’s-AAAAAARRRGGHH!!” The phone line was cut off.

“Hey! Hey! What’s going on?!” Reiji tried to get the line to come back.

Something exploded in the distance rocking the building. Yuya felt the other three panic though it seemed like Yuto and Yuri were breaking down into panic attacks.

“What now Reiji?!” Yuya asked trying to suppress his own panic.

“Take the stone and get to the safe room.” Reiji said grabbing his duel disk, “I’ll see who’s attacking and…”

He was cut off when something cut through the wall. Yuya saw a well armored boot before the rest came through the new hole. The figure was imposing, tall and covered in dirty golden armor. He spun a glaive around and smirked, “You people have a death wish if you think you can defeat me with cards…” Then he pointed at Yuya, “I’ll gladly coat my blade in your blood after I take the Reality Stone.”

“YUYA RUN!” Reiji screamed as he activated his duel disk. It didn’t so much as the warrior sliced the device in half with a swing of his glaive.

“Reiji no!” Not thinking this through, Yuya grabbed the stone and ran towards the attacker.

“Do you have a death wish boy?” The attacker asked.

“Just stay away from my friends!” Yuya thought of an idea, and the stone reacted. The floor below the attack opened dropping him down several floors.

“Are you okay?” Yuya asked Reiji.

“He didn’t slice my arm open thankfully…” Reiji stripped the remains of his duel disk off of his arm then rang an alarm, “We’re evacuating…Yuya keep that stone with you and if you see that guy again try to send him into the center of the earth.”

Yuya nodded as he followed Reiji to get out of the building. They took the stairs sometimes leap two or three at a time to hurry. Sounds of something getting sliced were audible and were getting closer.

“Any idea who that guy is?” Yuya panted.

“I have no idea,” Reiji said as they turned down another stairwell, “I seriously doubt he’s a remnant of Academia and he doesn’t play by our rules…”

Yuya above us! Yuto warned.

Yuya looked up and saw the glint of falling blade. He dove and tacked Reiji out of the way as the attacker stabbed the ground they were just standing on.

“That was a clever trick boy…but it’s not enough…”

“Hold on!” Yuya gripped the stone and thought of another idea. This time the stairs turned into a slide. Gripping Reiji, he pushed off and let gravity do the trick.

If we weren’t running for our lives, this would be fun. Yugo said.

So we have a stone that can change stuff and a psycho is after it. Do we have a plan other than running? Yuto asked.

Lead him to the Duel Arena. We can use the open space to dodge his attacks then use the stone to trap him. Yuri proposed.

“Sounds like a plan…Reiji is the Duel Arena still open?” Yuya asked.

“What are you planning?” Reiji asked.

“Something to stop this guy…” They reached the ground floor, “Get yourself out of here!” Yuya didn’t wait for a response from Reiji, instead he rammed through the door to the Duel Arena. It was empty which was perfect for Yuri’s plan. Running to the far end, he used the stone to make two barriers for protection.

The man’s entry was not without dramatics choosing to slice the door and surrounding walls open. Yuya swallowed a lump in his throat. He must be insane thinking he can do this.

We can always trade out…Yuto offered.

“No…leave that for emergencies….take over if I get knocked out…” Yuya said as he shifted his feet getting ready to run.

“I’m going to enjoy killing you boy….” The warrior laughed as he got closer.

Yuya had no response, usually he would come up with a quip there was no crowd to entertain, this was fighting for his life. The stone felt hot in his hand, its power making Yuya’s arm tingle.

Here goes nothing…He thought as he took off running letting his plan work. He had the stone turn the ground into a sticky floor to slow the warrior down. Next were trapezes so that Yuya could move about without touching the sticky floor. Finally, he made moving walls to slam into the guy.

“This has gone on long enough!” The warrior cried as he made a swipe for Yuya as he swung from trapeze to trapeze.

“I agree!!!” With a large flash of red, Yuya made a hole in the floor to sink the warrior to his waist then made the floor curl up around him effectively trapping him.

Yuya tentatively approached the mound of concrete, “Did we get him?”

Think we did…I guess Yuri’s plan worked. Yuto said.

Of course it worked.

But what do we do with the guy now? Yugo asked.

Before any of the boys could say anything, the sharp glaive pierced through the concrete right towards Yuya. He barely reacted in time but did get a good cut on his cheek. It stung so much that Yuya briefly wondered if there was poison on the blade. Slapping his hand on his cheek before he went tumbling to the ground as the concrete shattered as the warrior broke out and now stood over Yuya.

“DIE MONGREL!!!” He stared bringing the blade down.

All four boys had the same thought at the same time, GET US OUT OF HERE!

The stone glowed white, then he was gone.

“No Yuma you cannot use the stone to teleport to school and back.”

“But Astral I’ll never worry about being late again!” Yuma protested

“I am not going to let you frivolously use a power we know little about.” Astral argued back.

“Fine, I’ll use it to go get food then!”

“That still counts as a frivolous use…” Astral sighed.

“Oh come on Astral…we’ve got nothing to worry about now…” Yuma stretched and laid down as they continued to watch the sunset, “Let’s just enjoy the moment.”

“I suppose that’s true…I always enjoyed Earth’s sunsets…”

“That’s right…you don’t have them back in Astral World.”

“No we didn’t…Earth has many unique wonders…”

The two sat in silence for a bit taking in the scenery.

“Not even one trip?” Yuma asked

“No and that’s final. No misuse of power.”

“So forming Zexal and raiding the fridge at night is not a misuse of power?” Yuma teased.

“That is for observation purposes and nothing else.”

“You just wanted to eat.”

Astral had to admit defeat there, “It’s the only time I can…”

“Maybe one day we can fix that.” Yuma said.

Astral hummed in agreement. Things were perfect for now…but then it changed fast. Astral sensed something, and it felt like evil.

“YUMA GET DOWN!”

Astral shoved Yuma and the rolled down the hill in a tumble.

“What suddenly gotten into you Astral?!” Yuma untangled himself and looked up and saw where they were just sitting now stood a crater and a spear embedded into it.

“I have no idea how you dodged that, but I won’t miss next time….” A woman leapt down from nowhere. Blue skin, black and white bodysuit, and gold armor on one arm screamed ‘not human’. She grabbed the spear and pointed it at Yuma. “I will retrieve the Space Stone for my master even if I need to slice your arm off.”

Yuma’s hand flew to grasp the bracer that held the stone, “Why do you want this?”

“Doesn’t matter to you…. you’ll be dead soon enough.” She threw the spear at Yuma who rolled out of the way but felt extreme head against his back.

“YUMA!” Astral cried out.

“I’m okay!” Yuma panted looking back at the spear and saw the remains of a small fire or explosion. No wonder why he felt heat. But there was no time for wondering as the woman was already running at him with her fist drawn back. He couldn’t dodge that one and felt the full impact in his stomach sending him flying back. He groaned in pain thanking the small miracle that he hadn’t passed out yet.

But the woman was already going on the attack again with the spear. Yuma rolled to get out of the way of the stabs and tried to crawl away ignoring the protesting pain.

“Yuma use the stone! Use it to teleport you to safety!”

“O-Okay Astral…” Yuma tried to focus, tried to think of a place for them to go away from this woman.

“Don’t think you can get away from me!!!” The woman screamed and she leapt for Yuma.

Panic weld up in Yuma’s throat, he was going to die here. This woman was going to kill him. Everything went to slow motion as the woman raised her spear, then Astral moved. He grabbed Yuma’s wrist, the one that had the bracer with the stone in it. It glowed blue, bright blue, then turned white. Then the world fell out from under Yuma.

“Hold on….I’ll get you to safety…”

Yuma just let Astral hold him tightly as they fell.

Judai sighed as he put the map down. Who knew Pegasus was so hard to track down now that he was retired? The man was always eccentric but going to every remote private island to look for him was getting exhausting.

“He seriously couldn’t leave a clue or something hinting where we could find him?”

Perhaps he finally got tired being drawn into every world ending plot. Yubel suggested.

“This is the guy who regularly turned gods into trading cards...” Judai muttered, “I don’t think he’s afraid of much.” Judai folded up the map and put it in his backpack, “Let’s head back to Industrial Illusions…maybe someone this time is more willing to help us.”

Humans can be so fickle…Yubel as she lounged in the air. Then something got her attention.

Judai…up ahead.

Judai followed her gaze. Slowly approaching him was a titan. Easily over seven foot dressed in gold armor wielding a double ended sword. Thinking that it was a duel spirit, Judai switched his vision to that of Yubel’s but the image of the titan didn’t change. He was physically on this plane of existence. What did catch Judai’s attention was the gauntlet on the titan’s left hand to coursed with power but had six holes that had residue of something else, each one a different color. And the purplish residue matched the stone that he carried at that very moment.

Judai straightened his posture to look more confident that he really was. Truth be told, his legs were shaking at the titan got close.

The titan gave him a look over, “Most run from me in fear…why do you not?”

“Curiosity really…” Judai gave a shrug, “Couldn’t help but notice that gauntlet you’ve got. Looks like it’s missing a few pieces.”

The titan looked surprised, “You are more observant than you look. I seek the Infinity Stones to recomplete the gauntlet. And I’m afraid you have one of them…the Power Stone. One of my favorites to be honest.”

Judai gripped the stone in his pocket, “And what do you plan to do when you have them?”

“What ever I want….I once wiped out half the universe with a mere snap.”

Judai felt his blood ran cold. This guy must be joking right? Nothing was powerful enough to kill that many people at once with a mere snap! Rage bubbled deep in his soul, his Haou half wanting to come out and rip this pretender apart. Judai forced it back down, he couldn’t risk going into a rage.

“If that’s something you can do and are willing to do then I am not handing this over!” Judai declared.

“Pity…” The titan drew his blade, “Then know you will die by the hands of Thanos.”

For as large as Thanos was, he was deceptively fast. Good thing Judai now had inhuman reflexes. He jumped back out of the way of Thanos’ strike and activated his Duel Disk.

“Neos!” Judai summoned his ace, fully physical thanks to his powers, and ordered him to attack. Neos obeyed and when to punch Thanos in the face. The titan didn’t even flinch and instead looked amused.

“Interesting trick there…” He chuckled, “I wonder how long your warrior will last.” Thanos went to return the punch which Neos blocked but was sent a good ten feet back. Blows were soon traded back and forth but it soon became obvious that Neos was on the losing side.

“Neos hold on!” Judai checked his deck see if there was something to boost his warrior’s power.

Do you want me to get out there? Yubel asked.

“No way! I can’t risk you getting hurt!”

Yubel frowned, Judai…I cannot be hurt. I reflect all attacks done to me. I can take what this guy can dish out.

“But…”

Yubel cut him off again, Judai I am your shield. I made you that promise all those years ago that I would protect you. There is no need to protect me. Use me…Use my power!

Judai held Yubel’s gaze, she was serious. Judai really didn’t want Yubel to fight on his behalf but deep down…he knew that she refused to be left on the sidelines. He knew how important he was to her.

“Okay…” He pulled out Yubel’s card and placed it on the Duel Disk, “But first sign of trouble I am pulling you out of there.”

There will be no need for that…Yubel said as she took on physical form. With a mighty flap of her wings, she soared into the fight stepping right in front of Neos as Thanos when to slash him with his sword, only to find a similar strike on his own armor. Confused, he tried punching her instead only to be knocked back as if he was the one who got punched.

“How?” Was the only thing he could say.

You cannot wound me…Yubel was now fully in smug mode…Every strike against me it a blow against you.

Thanos seemed surprised, but then confident, “Then I simply don’t have to attack you.” With great force, he jumped. Sailing over Yubel and Neos and lading right in front of Judai.

“I just have to slay your summoner instead…” Thanos said raising his blade.

Judai reacted fast. He slammed the Power Stone on his Duel Disk and held it up like a shield. The purple wave of energy that resulted from the clash broke Thanos’ sword. Before he could celebrate this, Judai found his head being crushed in Thanos’ hand.

JUDAI!!!! Yubel cried out trying to attack Thanos back but because of her own power, her own strikes were useless. Even when Neos joined in on the assault, Thanos just tanked the shots laughing.

“I find that the easiest way to deal with magic users is to cut them off at the source.” He increased the pressure on Judai’s head, “While I find your powers interesting, I sadly have to end your life…”

Judai struggled in vain trying to free himself. He had to get away, this madman wants to play god and it will not end well for anyone. He had to get free and get the stone as far away as possible. He was not going to let Thanos win. But he needed a trump card…

That trump card came in the form of the stone which started glowing not purple, but white. Judai felt the sensation that was familiar to him, the one when he was being sent to another dimension. Before he faded completely, he took Neo’s and Yubel’s card off the Duel Disk to make sure they came with him.

When the white light was gone, Thanos found his hand empty.

Judai groaned and light and feeling came back to him. Where did he end up this time? He heard a lot of voices all sounding confused or panicked. Blinking open his eyes; he could make out five other figures and what looked to be something large and red laying on its side. A few more moments later, he recognized one of them.

“Yugi-san!?”

Yugi spun and faced him, “Judai-kun?”

Judai couldn’t believe it, Yugi was siting right in front of him looking no older than when he met him when dealing with Paradox. What was he doing here and…was his should bleeding?!

“You’re here too Judai-san?”

Judai saw another familiar face, Yusei. The red thing he saw must have been his motorcycle. Yusei looked a little older than the last time Judai saw him and he was holding onto someone he did not know. The kid looked around fourteen or so, red hair with green bangs and was nursing a cut a cheek.

“Who’s that Yusei?”

“I haven’t gotten a name yet…and he’s not the only one…” He gestured with his head.

Judai looked around and saw two more boys, actually two boys and one blue spirit. The blue spirit was holding onto the boy who looked very young, black and red hair and a golden pendent around his neck. At first he thought the boy and spirit were looking at him but following their gazes, turns out they were looking at Yubel. That was going to spark some questions.

The last boy with blue and pink hair dressed in what appeared to be a school uniform just look plain confused and shocked. He did have one thing to say, “Who are you people?”

A response came not from the group, but from someone else clearing their throat. All six boys turned to see a middle-aged man standing nearby with a drink in his hand. He stared at them, at the drink, then back at them. Then he spoke to midair.

“JARVIS….call the others. Six kids and a motorcycle just teleported into the Avengers Tower.

#yugioh #gx #5ds #zexal #arc v #vrains #thanos #avengers #infinity stones au

[happytroopers]

Just a Dream // Echo x Reader

songfic // just a dream by Carrie underwood // slight changes in age and obviously American Military shit vs Republic Military shit so like????

You almost felt out of place, the hangar was only filled with Clones- most of them 501st. You were the only civilian in the room, holding back tears, and sandwiched between Fives and Rex. They had vouched for you, demanding you be here. They knew that you and Echo had been married- they had been there. You managed a small smile as you remembered your wedding day.

It was two weeks after the day she turned eighteen All dressed in white, going to the church that night She had his box of letters in the passenger seat Sixpence in her shoe Something borrowed, something blue And when the church doors opened up wide She put her veil down trying to hide the tears Oh she just couldn't believe it She heard the trumpets from the military band And the flowers fell out of her hands. 

You had been young, it was even before Echo had been named Arc-trooper. It was in the back room of 79′s, and all few other clones that came had polished their armor. You had borrowed your friend’s dress and veil, and Echo’s blue handpiece on top of your own hand. With a credit in your shoe (for good luck), you waited with Rex at the doors. He stood with you in place of your father, as you couldn't invite your family-- this was a very hush-hush occasion after all. Happy tears pricked at your eyes as Rex helped you with your veil before opening the doors for you. You remembered Echo's look of astonishment as he watched you walk towards him, the jaw drop and then the goofy grin, Five's elbowing his ribs to get him to act right. The bouquet in your hands-- suddenly you were startled out of your memories by Fives placing a hand on your shoulder.

You looked up at him before, facing back forward. Your heart clenched at the sight of the charred helmet- the only thing they managed to bring back of your husband.  

Baby, why'd you leave me, why'd you have to go I was counting on forever, now I'll never know I can't even breathe It's like I'm looking from a distance, Standing in the background Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now, This can't be happening to me This is just a dream

All you wanted to ask him was “Why’d you leave me? Why did you have to go?” After all, Echo had promised you forever that night- but now forever had been cut short. Looking at the helmet made it hard to breathe, but you forced yourself to look at it. He wasn’t coming home this time- this had to be so hellish dream. 

The preacher man said let us bow our heads and pray Lord please lift his soul and heal this hurt Then the congregation all stood up And sang the saddest song that she ever heard Then they handed her a folded up flag* 

And she held on to all she had left of him Oh, and what could've been And then guns rang one last shot And it felt like a bullet in her heart

The funeral was somber, they had already honored all the other fallen from the citadel- saving Echo for last, the way they did for all higher ranking officers. Now, a trooper you didn’t recognize was speaking- he sounded like a chaplain of sorts- led them in a prayer before beginning the most melancholic hymn you’d ever head. A hundred deep voices going in and out of Mandalorian and Common speak.  

Rex quietly turned to you, pressing a medal* into your hand, and closing your fingers around the cool, sharp metal and the smooth silk ribbon. Clones didn’t have many belongings, so to be given a belonging so precious- it was a big deal. The medal was still shiny- Echo always had kept his belongings pristine- and you squeezed it so hard that the points of the star began to draw blood. You gasped through a sob, trying to quiet yourself, and you felt Fives squeeze your arm in solace- it didn’t bring much comfort but you appreciated the gesture. 

The Room was silent as a small squad marched forth- the only troopers with their helmets and blasters. They marched like toy soldiers, the years of practice and discipline evident in their rigid and sharp movements. They halted their march and pointed their weapons towards the sky of the open hangar, and began their 3-shot salute. 

1... Honor

You closed your eyes, not being able to bear the sight for one more moment. Ducking your head down as the shot echoed through the hangar. No one else flinched, they were used to the sound.

2... Duty

The next one timed perfectly with your sob you could no longer hold in. You bit the knuckle on your thumb to quiet yourself. Rex and Fives wouldn’t tell you how Echo died, but you had hoped it was blaster fire. He deserved a better death than that if he was going to be taken so quickly. 

3... Loyalty

The last one felt as if it went straight through your heart. Your knees buckled and all you could see was Echo’s face. Your mind raced with facts and questions- was he scared? did he feel much pain? you’d never see him again. He’d never hold you again. 

Two sets of strong arms hauled you back to your feet. You believed it was Fives who hugged you against his chest, hushing your sobs and petting your hair. 

Baby, why'd you leave me, why'd you have to go I was counting on forever, now I'll never know Oh I'll never know It's like I'm looking from a distance, Standing in the background Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now, This can't be happening to me This is just a dream

Peeking up from Fives’ chest, you made eye contact with the visor of Echo’s visor. Suddenly, you felt like you were miles and miles even galaxies away. Thw world around you was quiet, and everything was dimmed, as if the world was going on without you. You watched as a bystander as the funeral came to a close, only vaguely away of Fives holding you up and leading you out- but your eyes didn’t break from the helmet's visor until the hangar doors slid shut. And with that, it truly solidified that he was gone. That Echo, your husband, was truly gone.

But you only followed Fives in a dreamlike state, numbly letting him guide you to a speeder and into your home. You quietly thanked him as he moved around you, ushering you to your bedroom. “I told Echo I’d take care of you. Promised him.” He had said. 

You would never dare breath it, but somehow it hurt worse having him around. Having someone that looked, talked, and walked like Echo around, his face and his eyes- but not him. Because your forever had been cut short. 

so this sucks and im drunk but heres this my mac and cheese was good 

#echo x reader #echo