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annasinsane · 3 years

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Wounds- Lee Jung Moon (Park Hae Jin)

“Does it hurt?” you mumbled softly, tracing the protruding skin that stood out on an otherwise smooth expense.

“Not anymore.” Jungmoons own voice held a rare gentleness that made you feel like you were the most precious person in his life.

You held back the bitterness that threatened to tighten your throat and grapple your heart. How could you even consider that when the negation was right infront of your eyes. In the scarring he took all to willingly for his ex, or what you thought-hoped was his ex.

Still, he let you get this close, see him in his vulnerability and touch him in a way that few had, that you were sure about atleast, so it meant he saw you more than just some girl he had to work with right? Maybe a friend?

“You should be more careful” you chided lightly. “I’ve seen how prone you are to injuries.”

You turned around to find a bandaid to rewrap the bullet wound, it was mostly healed but you didn’t want to take a chance. He didn’t let you go far before his hand shot out to grab yours. Startled at the suddenness of the gesture, you glanced back at him, the inquisitiveness in your eyes plain. He pulled you closer with a tug, securing you to him when you stumbled.

“I’ve heard that kisses serve as the best remedy to all sorts of pain” he whispered in your ear.

You gulped, thoughts running back to the night at the club when the two of you had first kissed. It had been a necessity of sorts, to get you away from prying eyes and give the two of you an excuse to venture further up the club to investigate. You tried keeping the kiss buried in the deepest corners of your mind but it always seemed to catch you off gaurd in your dullest moments. Now, with Jungmoon being so uncharacteristically bold you couldn’t help but think back to that day. He stroked a fire inside you like no one else ever had.

“You of all people should be well aware that it’s a hoax.” You replied, your hand automatically tracing the wound with feather-like delicacy.

“On the contrary, the “gate control theory” proves that that diversion tactics can often help deal with pain simply of the basis of the pain fibres not passing if you’re distracted well enough and by default you feel less pain.” He easily countered. You could’ve rolled your eyes at him, had not he been trying to convince you to kiss him.

When the thought finally registered, you were baffled as your heart picked up. The gravity of the situation settled in; Jungmoon, one of the most, if not the most stoic and closed off person you knew was not only asking for you to kiss his pain away but was also going as far as to try and convince you to do so. You knew he had no alterier motive simply because there was nothing special he could gain from it. Or so it seemed to you.

“Do you ask all the nursing staff for kisses on your booboos.” You joked, grinning widely despite how much his words effected you.

“They aren’t you.” He answered simply.

You stared at him, mouth hanging agape. What had he been taking to grow this bold, this open. A stab wound, no matter how lethal, shouldn’t be making him this delirious should it. Even as the thought came, you got rid of it. This was Jungmoon of all people, you could see the coherence in his eyes. He knew exactly what he was talking about. Plus luckily it was more of a cut than a stab, curtsy to the asshole he had saved. You could tell something about the exchange had bothered him and there had been a sort of tension between him and Un Cheol.

“If I give you your kisses will you tell me what’s bothering you?” You were aware that this might’ve been overstepping your boundaries but if the man could ask for a kiss he could answer a question too.

Jungmoon stared at you for a moment, the familiar assessment on his face before he shrugged and agreed, once again taking you by surprise. You hadn’t expected him to agree so quickly. A very large part of you couldn’t help but feel flattered and rather excited by the easy acceptance. It felt like he trusted you-or perceived you as no threat- and that you were more than just a colleague. Granted that yes, that should’ve been a given since he was practically asking you to kiss him.

You stared at him, unblinking before bending down slowly as you maintained eye contact. A flicker of surprise, on his otherwise impassive face made itself known to you, meaning he wasn’t expecting you to give in so easily, if at all. You didn’t let it get to you, not when you’d already made your move.

You pressed your lips tenderly on the newly wrapped bullet wound. It seared against your lips, a burning sensation that hit you spreading to your core, churning there. You had put bandaid on an old wound. Or were you the bandaid in this scenario, an attempt to ease the pain Jung Moon felt. The only problem was that, you were afraid that you, your self would be left in a locker room full of hurt when he was done. Still, you couldn’t help your heart skipping a beat, not when felt Jung moons breath hitch. Your lips lingered there for just afew seconds before you shifted to his current injury, also on his arm. You kissed him there as well, even more gentle than before if possible.

Eventually you took a step back but once again Jungmoon didnt let you get too far, he reached out for you. By now you were genuinely concerned, that was going on with him? You had never seen him, so- so touchy and forward before. For heavens sake, he never even initiated any for my of physical contact unless absolutely necessary. Yet here he holding on to you again. You hadn’t the slightest idea what to make of it.

“You’ve missed a few spots.” He had you trapped between his legs, looking up at you with expectant eyes.

A quick analysis of his form revealed the bruise forming on his cheekbone and a small cut on the edge of his lower lips. You were sure that within afew days it would heal and with the right ointment, disappear completely. That wasn’t really your primary concern however, it was the prospect of kissing Jungmoon again that sat right before you- in all implications of the term. He was asking you to actually kiss him again!

Stifling the onslaught to hesitancies and consequences before they became too much, you decided that if you’d come this far might aswell go with it. Plus it wasn’t as though kissing him was an unpleasant experience nor was it as though you hadn’t dreamed of the last kiss you’d shared, hoping in some buried part of you that you could feel it again. The wonderful high of getting lost in him, you had danced around the fire that he so rarely displayed and you couldn’t deny how badly you wanted to throw yourself in it. To revel in his heat and passion and intensity, to see him at his rawest, most bared form. He had shown you but a glimpse of what was the real Jungmoon that faithful night and you had only seen minuscule cracks in his armour since than. Still perhaps more than most but definitely less than what you wanted. He had allowed in during your most intense encounters with criminal world or when the two of you came across tragedies that corresponded with it. A touch here, a word there, a small gesture. Things that would go unnoticed by everybody else but you, you who was acutely aware of the man infront of you at all times. In fact this was one of the first times you were witnessing him act so open without any sense of urgency and empending peril. That alone would’ve been enough for you to kiss him, even if your own desires did not come into play.

You pecked him on the cheek. The gesture itself was so innocent and so completely unrelated to the heavy tension that was surrounding the air, cacooning that pair of you. It definitely wasn’t on the innocent side. Jungmoon felt it himself, he had been feeling it from the moment he had gotten you alone, ready to tend to his wounds. There was something so intimate and precious about the was you fussed over him that it bought out his own need for you. He reacted to every single word you spoke or movement you made, even if you couldn’t see it. He now knew what he felt for you, he had realised it from the day he had kissed you. He wanted you, and not just physically. He wanted all of you, every inch, every corner but above all else, he wanted your heart. Since that day, you were the primary focus of his thoughts. It was like you had spread over his mind like a haze, jumbling and repainting all of him with a shade of you. All of a sudden, he didn’t only want to know that truth about his past for himself, he wanted to know it for you. So he could protect you, even if it was from himself.

His messed up, uncertain past was the sole reason he had tried curbing this own sentiments for you. He had told himself not to make any moves until he knew who- or what he was for certain and eliminate any other threat that you faced either from him, because of him or because of the people still chasing you. All of that was thrown out of the window now. The moment you had touched him, bandaging his cut with such delicacy and care. He had known that restraint was a lost cause. He needed you now, and with the way things were going he wasn’t sure if he lost his chance with you now, he would ever get it again. Yes, he would have to reevaluate everything now that he was opening himself to you like this but it was a move he was ready to make.

From the second your lips had touched his skin, he was gone. For the first time in his life, he lost control of all rational thinking, wanting you above anything and everything else. This was why he couldn’t let you go, without tasting that forbidden fruit that tantalised him ever since he’d first tasted it. In the cell, during his restless nights on the stone benches of that desecrated church, during missions, when he was alone with you, when there were people with you, when you weren’t there, your lips and the feel of you in his arms taunted him, like a constant ache. Despite being labelled a psychopath, he had never truly felt mad until that kiss.

This time you kissed him first.

It wasn’t like the one you’d shared, that night or atleast not at first. You kissed him on the corner of his mouth before slanting forward and kissing him fully on the lips. It wasn’t just mindless passion, this time it was so much more. It was like crossing a bridge, between one realm to the other. There was uncertainty, fear and hesitation but there was also hope, thrill and a prevalent sense of giddiness. If things hadn’t changed before the certainly did now.

Jungmoon held you close, one arm encasing your waist tightly in between his legs while the other one on your back pressed you against him. Everything from his hold, to the way he kissed you made you weak in the knees. All you wanted to was collapse onto him and stay that way but you couldn’t, atleast not right now. You wanted to keep kissing him and then maybe get afew answers out of him.

Finally, after some failed attempts where Jungmoon chased after your lips again every time you tried to part, you managed to pull away. You don’t move away from him though, feeling too good for your own sake, contented in his hold.

“Now that I’ve um- kissed your pain away.” Your neck suddenly felt hot, saying it out loud. “I believe you have something to tell me.”

Jungmoon sighed, some of the tension you’d seen coming back on his face. His head came up to rest against your stomach. You’re heart lurched forward at the gesture, somehow it meant more than the kisses themselves. You ran your hand through his hair, just like you’d imagined so many times in your head. His hair was as soft as it looked. You hoped it gave him the comfort you wished to pass on. It was something your mother did often when she was alive and it never failed to make you feel loved.

“Un Cheol was ordered to kill me.” He spoke with his usual monotony but you could feel the strain in his voice, dancing along the edges. “His ex boss ordered him to kill me on someone’s request.”

“Whose request?” voice was barely above a whisper, you were in shock. Un Cheol was ordered to kill Jungmoon. You knew that Un Cheol was a convicted mobster and you’d seen his violent ways first hand but you also knew him to be a big old softie. More than that, you were sure he had a soft spot for Jungmoon.

“I don’t know.” He replied.

“But Un Cheol never tried to kill you did he?”

“No.” Jungmoon admitted, “he had plenty of chances...but he didn’t.”

“What about his boss?” You wouldn’t put it past him to try something. “Lee Do-Kwang, was it. What do we do about him.”

He looked up at you after hearing that, slightly shocked at how easily you had paired yourself up with him. Like it wasn’t just his problem anymore, it was yours. That pleased him more than he’s ever expected it to.

“Un Cheol managed to get him off my back, atleast for the time being. I’m not really sure if we’re really in the position to do something about it right now. I have to head back to the cell soon, so whatever we’ll do, we’ll do it after.”

You nodded, killing him wasn’t the best option anyways. Not only was he well protected and nearly impossible to access, he meant the world to Un Cheol. You didn’t even want imagine what he’d do if they took him out. You weren’t sure if just a soft spot would save them from his wrath. Not to mention that was Jung-moon back in prison there was nothing much you could do. The thought of him going back in jail alone left an unpleasant aftertaste in your mouth.

“I don’t see why they keep sending the three of you back in there.” You frowned deeply, it wasn’t fair to you. They risked their lives everyday and fought the worst of the worst only to be sent back in like it was nothing! It was hypocritical and pathetic. “You’ve just been injured, you need proper medical care not some dark hole in that containment centre.”

Jung-moon smiled alittle at that, your worry always had made him feel grateful but now it felt even better. For someone to care for him and worry about him, was something he wasn’t sure he’d ever feel again. He knew he had to address what had transpired soon but for now he could enjoy this moment and take it all in. He’d imprint your warmth in his head and his heart. Maybe that would help keep him warm in the coming days.

“You know why they do that.” The hand on your back slowly moving in circles. “ don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. Where will you be staying this time?”

“I’ll be with Gu-tak so I’ll be fine.” You smiled reassuringly. It wasn’t safe for you to be out on your own until the loan sharks that your dad had left you in his death were caught. You had survive a good while without anyone there to protect you but that was a risk they were now avoiding. There was no point in putting yourself in harms way.

“Be careful regardless, carry the dagger you’ve been given at all times.” Jung-moon warned you, wanting desperately to be with you. He didn’t doubt Gu-taks ability to protect you but he suspected he’d be on edge regardless until he was with you again. Such was the side affect of his newly labelled feelings for you.

“I will.” You promised, caressing his cheek with the thumb that had previously been playing with his hair.

“Good!” His eyes held lazy satisfaction when they fell on your lips once again before meeting your eyes.

He kissed you again, the final one until you met again.

#bad guys #leejungmoon #park hae jin x reader #park hae jin #park hae jin scenarios #kdrama #kactor

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lady-divine-writes · 3 years

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Kurtbastian one-shot - “Confrontation” (Rated PG13)

Summary: Things get heated at Blaine's first post-quarantine competition when his father and his old coach make a surprise visit. (2397 words)

Notes: Warning for homophobia. Blaine friendly.

Part 68 of Outside Edge.

Read on AO3.

"This is not happening... this is not happening... " Blaine mumbles, pacing back and forth, arms wrapped tight around his torso but carefully so as not to dislodge any of the hundreds of crystals Kurt had applied by hand to this new costume he'd made especially for him.

A costume so intricate and lovingly crafted that Sebastian turns green every time he's in its presence (even though Kurt has made him close to a dozen of his own).

"It's going to be all right," Kurt says, trying his best to calm Blaine down. He reaches out a hand to stop him but decides against it. He understands the pain of suffering from this level of anxiety. Standing still when you're about to rip out of your skin can be the worst feeling in the world.

"I'm not doing this... " Blaine decides, tapping his right fist against his left elbow. "I'm not---I'm not doing this... "

"Too late, champ," Sebastian teases, tucking his button-up into his slacks and joining the freak-out already in process. "You've already skated. No backing out now."

"No jokes!" Kurt hisses. "That's not what this is about!"

"Then what is it?" Sebastian asks, growing concerned when Blaine starts to curl in on himself. Sebastian steps in front of him, feeling a need to shield him from prying eyes wandering by. "I was in the can for all of three minutes. What in the hell happened?"

Kurt leans into Sebastian's side and whispers, "His father's here. And his old coach."

"What the fuck?" Sebastian turns in a circle, half looking for the men in question (even though he's never seen either, so he has no idea who he's looking for), but also searching for a place they can hide, get Blaine out of the public eye. "What the hell are they doing here?"

"I... I don't know. I don't know how they even knew I'd be here," Blaine replies.

"They'd had to have Googled you," Sebastian says, eyes darting back and forth over the crowd.

"Why would they do that? My dad said he never wanted to see me again! So what's the point?"

"I don't know," Sebastian admits. Would it be too much to ask that it's because the man actually cares about Blaine? Sebastian doesn't know a thing about him other than he punched his son and threw him out onto the street, so he can't answer that question, but from the outset, most signs point to no.

Sebastian hopes the man proves him wrong.

He isn't one for seeing the good in people. He'd rather believe that most are self-serving assholes, that way he's not disappointed when he's right. But this is Blaine's dad. And regardless of Sebastian feeling a bit jealous of his relationship with Kurt, Sebastian secretly prays that one day Blaine and his dad can make amends.

Sebastian spots a line of locker rooms, the doors painted to blend with the walls. They're about the size of the average closet, but hunkering down in a cramped room is better than waiting around for the inevitable. "Come on, guys. We can duck in there."

Kurt takes Blaine by the elbow as Sebastian leads the way, barking out a frustrated, "Excuse us. Excuse us," to the skaters yet to perform, who have opted to do their off-ice warm-ups smack dab in everyone else's way. Sebastian frowns when he remembers that used to be him once upon a time - constantly showing off, always in other people's space. His coach had told him it was an effective intimidation technique.

It's not.

It's just annoying.

Blaine sighs as they reach the blue metal door, relief in sight.

It turns out to be premature.

"Still under rotating those triples, I see."

Blaine sighs again, but this time it's a sound of utter defeat, and something inside Kurt snaps. He whirls around, putting himself between Blaine and whoever might be behind them, saying, "Don't you have anything nice to say?" before he comes face to face with two older men trying way too hard to appear important in their expensively tailored wool suits, out-of-place with everyone else around them bundled up in jeans, sweaters, and puff jackets. They can't even wear simple cloth masks, opting for those overpriced dome things constructed of 'space-age materials', clear so people can see the entirety of the wearer's face.

From the corner of his eye, Kurt sees Blaine turn slowly, as if he would rather be anywhere but here, which sucks because Blaine had an amazing skate! A skate Nathan Chen would have been proud of! But that's about to be ruined by the presence of these two a-holes!

"Nice about what?" the same man retorts, and even though that sounds like the sort of remark one would expect a coach to make, Kurt just knows that this man - with the same dark hair as Blaine's, glued to his scalp with a tremendous amount of product, sucking in his lower lip as he grins - has to be his dad. "His lackluster choreography? His offensive song choice? This fruity costume? Or those skates?" He pops his lower lip in disgust as he gestures down to the black Edea skates Kurt customized with rainbow crystals. "Jesus, Blaine! Why don't you carry one of those rainbow flags out on the ice with you! Or tattoo one to your face! That way everyone knows!"

"Most people already do!" Blaine argues, surprising his friends. But it delights Sebastian more. Despite his 'dapper charm' that he lays on thick as oatmeal, Sebastian suspected Blaine couldn't be as meek as he seemed around him and Kurt. Looks like he was right. "And guess what? No one seems to have a problem with it! And if they do, they have the courtesy to keep it to themselves!"

"That's because you're a figure skater. You're surrounded by gays, aren't you?" he snarks, shooting a pointed glance at Kurt. Blaine's old coach (Simon, if Kurt remembers correctly - supposedly a huge deal though Kurt has never heard of him), who has yet to say anything, has the dignity to look embarrassed by Mr. Anderson over that remark.

"Has he always been this much of an ass?" Sebastian seethes. "Or is he doing this for our benefit?

Blaine's first instinct is to defend him, even after everything the man has done. He is his father after all. But he stops himself, gives Sebastian's question a solid think.

And his answer is yes.

Yes, he has.

He's always been an ass. To him and, to a lesser extent, his mother. Nothing has ever been good enough for him. Gold medals, sponsorships, scholarships, endorsements - not a single thing that has come from Blaine's skating has his father ever been proud of.

"What you see is what you get," Blaine says diplomatically. Mr. Anderson's thin-lipped grin drops like a lead weight, and Kurt snickers.

"Your edges have improved," Simon puts in haughtily. "Don't know how that happened."

"It's called practice," Kurt says, "dedication... and the perks of finding a better, more supportive coaching team."

Simon's eyes travel from Kurt's face to a smug Sebastian, and the man rolls his eyes. "I'll bet."

"So, is this what you gave your family up for?" Mr. Anderson asks, waving a hand towards Kurt so vehemently he nearly smacks him. "Or are you still waiting in the wings?"

Blaine's cheeks burn, speechless that his father held on to those words he overheard and is now throwing them in his face, especially since he never told Kurt about the phone call that got him kicked out. Not entirely. And as far as he knew, Sebastian hasn't either, confirmed by the confusion on Kurt's face.

"You're talking to your son," Sebastian growls. "You haven't seen him in over a year, haven't talked to him during a global pandemic even once to find out whether or not he's okay. He just won his second gold medal of the night. But you're stomping over here like you have every right, and all you care about is his sex life?"

Mr. Anderson raises a stern finger. "This doesn't concern you."

"Yes, it does! Because after you pulled your little homophobic stunt and blackened his eye, he started living with me. In my house." Sebastian stops himself from clarifying further when he notices they're attracting attention. He didn't mean to out Blaine's abuse. Sebastian had no right to let that slip. But with the tunnel of red obscuring his vision, he'd started to forget there's anyone else around. He's got to apologize but now isn't the time. "He owes me nothing. Happy to have him. But you? You owe me plenty."

"What?" Mr. Anderson scoffs. "Do you want me to write you a check?"

"No. But a little gratitude, knowing that your son was in good hands this entire time, might be nice."

Mr. Anderson laughs through his nose. It's as unattractive as it sounds. "Never happening. I offered to take him back. He felt he knew better. If Blaine chooses to live in a den of sin, that's his business."

Sebastian shakes his head in disbelief. Blaine's father isn't talking about pre-marital sex. Hell, if Blaine was kicking it with some busty blonde cheerleader this whole time, his dad would probably be ecstatic.

He's referring to the fact that the three of them are gay.

Some people.

Well, if he wants to be an epic jackhole, fine. Two can play at that game.

"You know, since you're so concerned with who your son is being intimate with, since that matters so much to you, it might interest you to know that he's not just screwing Kurt here. He's fucking me as well." Sebastian pauses, lets those words sink in, and soaks in the delicious fallout. He doesn't know whose reaction he likes better - the men in front of him scowling like he farted in their masks, or the boys standing beside him, staring at him wide-eyed and growing pale. "Oh yeah," Sebastian continues, fueled by the conflicted awe in Kurt's eyes specifically. "The three-ways are plentiful, in every position."

"You... you little liar!"

Sebastian shrugs. "I mean, that's what it's all about, right? What do you think's been going on at my house while he's been living there? He's gotta pay the rent somehow."

"You're disgusting!" Mr. Anderson sneers.

"You're one to talk - a middle-aged man whose only concern about his son's welfare is where he sticks his dick! Give this a lot of thought, do ya? Talk about it over dinner and shit?"

Mr. Anderson takes a step forward. Blaine and Kurt take a reflexive step back - social distancing and all. But Sebastian doesn't budge. "You listen here, you... !"

"Is there a problem?" a man dressed in a red, white, and blue windbreaker emblazoned with the name of the rink they're in, asks. They'd been so engrossed in this pissing contest, no one noticed the man cut through the crowd to reach them. Mr. Anderson steps back, aggressively straightening his jacket. Kurt thinks he hears a seam pop, and he flinches on behalf of a thousand-dollar sports coat.

"No," Mr. Anderson answers quickly, annoyed by the interruption. "No problem."

Seeing a way to put an easy end to this, Sebastian speaks up. "Actually, there is. These men aren't coaches or skaters. And they're harassing us. So could you please... ?"

Mr. Anderson chuckles. "Right. Good luck with that. I have no intention of going anywhere."

The attendant shakes his head. "I'm sorry but... " He turns to Mr. Anderson "... I'm going to have to ask you gentlemen to leave. We need to keep this area clear."

Mr. Anderson's eyelids narrow to slits. "What?"

"We have a capacity limit." The man points to a sign posted nearby. Neither Mr. Anderson nor Simon looks. "Skaters and coaches only. Everyone else has to go back to the bleachers."

"Are you kidding me!?"

"Unless you have a pass... "

Mr. Anderson looks at the three boys. They lift laminated tags attached to lanyards hanging around their necks. Blaine's says 'Skater' in neon green letters, Kurt's says 'Assistant Coach' in bright orange, and Sebastian's says 'Coach' in yellow. Mr. Anderson and Simon have no such lanyards.

Technically, they don't even have tickets to the event.

Simon used the clout he has left to get them this far.

"I'll have to call security if you don't leave," the man interjects, reaching for his walkie.

Mr. Anderson sniffs, tries to retain his composure, but he's not a man used to taking no for an answer.

Or being bested by teenagers.

"I'll be seeing you boys again," he says low, like a threat.

"Absolutely!" Sebastian says. "Stop by Westerville Ice-plex anytime so my uncle can serve you that restraining order Blaine should have filed the first time around!"

Mr. Anderson doesn't look the least bit amused when rink staff leads him away, glaring venomously at them over his shoulder as he's escorted to the double doors. The three watch, waiting till he's completely out of sight before they breathe easy again.

"That was fun," Blaine says brightly, trying to make light of this newly tense situation.

"Loads," Kurt agrees.

"I'm so sorry about that. He had no right to talk to you guys like that. Especially you, Kurt."

Kurt smiles. It gets lost behind his faux Chanel mask, but luckily it reaches his eyes. "You don't need to apologize."

"Look, Blaine," Sebastian starts, "I'm really sorry for bringing up... "

"Don't worry about it," Blaine cuts in. He'd happily forgotten about that. He wants to drop it. "It shouldn't be a secret. That's how people like him get away with doing what he did."

"Still, it was kind of shitty."

"Yeah, but that wasn't your fault."

Sebastian puts a hand on Blaine's shoulder and gives it a squeeze. It's the closest thing to a hug he can offer.

"Come on." Kurt puts his hand over Sebastian's. "Let's go get Blaine's medals and head home, hmm?"

"Sounds like a plan." Blaine turns to Sebastian, disarming mischief in his hazel eyes. "So... about that three-way... "

"You mean you, leftie, and rightie?" Sebastian winds a possessive arm around his boyfriend and ushers him quickly through the crowd towards the medal stand. "Be sure to tell us all about it in the morning."

#Kurtbastian #sebkurt #sekurt #sebastian smythe #kurt hummel #figure skating #blaine anderson

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fairfowl · 4 years

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Dress For the Weather (ch 1)

Diego has a long history of taking care of Klaus, at this point it might as well be an instinct. Klaus and Diego take a walk, and take care of each other in their own way

Klaus had never been one to dress for the weather.

Diego distinctly remembered picking his brother up from a bus station in January, only to find him standing in the snow, smoking and wearing a tank top and hotpants.

They had been twenty two years old, and Diego remembered wondering aloud how Klaus hadn’t died of hypothermia yet—Klaus had simply shivered in the passenger’s seat of Diego’s car, and asked if Diego wanted a puff of his cigarette.

So when Klaus and Allison burst into the Academy soaking wet and carrying groceries on April 4th 2019 Diego wasn’t at all surprised to see that Klaus had elected to wear a sleeveless shirt, or that he was shivering.

At least this time he was wearing shoes.

When they’d all left the academy (run away) Diego had been the one who’d kept tabs on Klaus, who’d had some vague idea of where he was during those first two years of spiraling drug addiction and homelessness. He’d encouraged his brother to sleep at his apartment—which at that time had been a moldy hole-in-the-wall with a half-bathroom and no stove—and given Klaus food every time that they ran into one another.

Diego had been struggling too, but for all that Luther went on about family and responsibility, Diego had been the one who really felt that being a family meant responsibility.

He was the one who felt that family meant loving each other, and that the duty love entailed was trying to help one another.

Out of the seven (six) (five) of them he’d been the only one to think so.

Eventually he’d become worn out. Klaus was more stubborn than of them had ever given him credit for, and even more self-destructive than they could have imagined. After being called time after time to pick his brother up from emergency rooms, or worse, police stations, with no improvement and ever worsening-shadows beneath Klaus’s eyes Diego finally had enough.

He’d tried to be calm yet firm as he’d told Klaus to take him off of his emergency contact list, but when Klaus had started crying Diego had started yelling.

And Klaus had still called him, still listed Diego as his only family, his only living connection to the world.

Eventually Diego had gotten rid of his cell phone entirely. He’d claimed that he didn’t need it and that the monthly bill was a waste of resources.

He saw Klaus less and less after that.

Still in those early years he’d been the one to learn his brother’s bad habits, the one to wrap him in blankets and wipe blood from his face. He’d been the one to offer a shower and a bag of frozen (and refrozen) (and refrozen again) peas to put on his bruises. In the cold light of morning Diego had been the one to glance down alleys as he walked to work, the one to keep gatorade and dinosaur egg instant oatmeal in his cupboards to ply Klaus with after he’d picked him up from the hospital.

Those days were long gone, and the habits mostly broken (his and Klaus’s) but some things had been repeated to the point of instinct. As Allison walked away to put away the groceries Diego had listened to Klaus’s teeth chatter and unthinkingly pulled his brother by the hand up the stairs.

“Why are you soaking wet dude? What the hell?”

“Allie was holding the groceries, so I held the umbrella.” Usually when Klaus was high Diego was able to tell, not through some fantastic brotherly instinct, but via a series of cues. He might not have been able to tell when a random person was sober or not, but Klaus had his own specific tells and Diego had eventually learned to look for them. Blown pupils, oddly calm demeanor, steady hands, and a light slurring voice—he’d always favored downers, saving his use of stimulants for parties and other special occasions. Even when he’d been on a relatively low dose of whatever poison he’d put into his body, Klaus’ voice had always gained a sort of floaty ungrounded quality.

So at that moment, even though his words were flippant and overly cheerful Diego comforted himself with the reassurance that Klaus was still sober. He was just weird like that.

“And you didn’t hold the umbrella over your head too?”

“There wasn’t room, I didn’t want the groceries to get wet.” As though that was a reasonable explanation for his actions. Really Diego shouldn’t have expected anything else.

It was just like Klaus.

If he'd been left to his own devices Diego wondered if his brother would have even thought of drying off or getting into clean clothes. Klaus was good at surviving, but sometimes neglected his own comfort as if the thought didn't even occur to him. Usually he would eventually seek our food or warmth, but only after sitting around and muttering to himself for a while.

Now that Ben was well and truly gone Diego wondered how often Klaus would simply forget to care for himself, he imagined that Ben had been instrumental in Klaus's survival over the twelve years that they'd been on their own. The thought was sobering.

He gripped Klaus's hand tighter as they reached the top of the stairs and led him through the hall, Klaus dripping all the way. As they passed the linen closet Diego grabbed a bath towel and threw it at his shivering brother before shoving him into his bedroom.

"Get yourself dried off before you freeze to death." He slammed the door.

"Diego you're so mean!"

-*-*-*-

At 2:00 am April 5th 2019 Diego heard a knock on his bedroom door.

Diego had always been a night owl, too busy training, practicing his speech, worrying, or prowling the streets looking for crime to fight to bother going to sleep at a reasonable hour. He had never needed much sleep and it was a quirk that had served him well over the years.

When Reginald had been alive he had either sat up in the dark, utilizing whatever light spilled in through the drawn curtains of his window, or crouched under his blankets with a flashlight. Once Diego had moved out he had graduated to leaving the light on and turning it off whenever he felt ready to sleep, and he had relished that freedom.

Now Reginald was dead, and at 2:00 am in his bedroom at the Umbrella Academy Diego had his lights on.

And there was a knock on his bedroom door.

“Hey Diego, are you awake?” Diego rolled over, shoving his messy cross-stitch under the pillow.

“Yeah?” After a few moments of waiting in silence for the door to open and his brother to barge in Diego sait up, legs swinging over the side of the bed. He walked to the door and peeked through. “What do you want Klaus?”

“I can’t sleep.” And wasn’t that a blast from the past? Diego could remember Klaus whispering that exact phrase through his cracked door before they even had names. When they’d been tiny and afraid, before Klaus had hardened himself, when Diego stuttered out every painful word that crossed his young angry mind.

W-what do you ex-ex-expect me to do about it?

“Yeah? You okay?” Diego watched his brother deflate, the bravado and pizazz of the day giving way to defeated exhaustion in the privacy of night. Diego remembered his brother towering over him and still seeming so so small as he stumbled into Diego's room after a training session with Reginald.

No matter how late he got back Diego was always awake.

And eventually Diego had gotten his growth spurt.

Klaus was still taller than him, and at times like this he still seemed so small.

“I’m okay,” Klaus lied, his hand going up to fiddle with the dog tags that still laid around his neck goodbye. “Do you want to go for a walk?”

And that is different.

Where they were children, here, at the Academy, they would have had to carefully sneak out if they were to leave the building unsupervised. It was the sort of thing that would have taken a week of planning at minimum, and such an opportunity certainly could never be squandered for something as purposeless as a walk. Diego nodded his head and turned to tug his leather jacket on over his sweats. He noticed that Klaus was still wearing day-clothes, although he had at least shed the soaked orange and red ensemble from before.

This outfit didn’t look very warm, but it had sleeves, and at least the rain had stopped.

-+-+-+-+

Outside the streetlights and neon signs of the city reflected off of the damp pavement. Klaus was surefooted as he led them down the street, dodging puddles and garbage with absentminded grace. Diego followed silently like a shadow.

He wondered if he was filling in for Ben, trailing after Klaus as he wandered the city streets at night. It seemed more likely that he was there as a chaperone, providing unspoken help as his brother continued his efforts to stay sober.

Maybe it was a bit of both.

Diego sped up until he was walking beside Klaus.

"Where are we going?" He asked, attempting to meet his brother's eyes. For a moment Klaus said nothing, his expression thoughtful.

"Do you think Griddy's still burned down in this timeline?" Klaus’s face was lined with exhaustion, and his long hair obviously needed a wash, but his smile was the same as ever; wry, wide, warm. Griddy’s was a fond memory in a sea of regret and trauma, and Diego was struck by a sudden longing for strong coffee and homemade donuts.

“I don’t know.” He said, trying to match Klaus’s easy smile. To him it felt forced but Klaus didn’t comment. Around them the wind picked up again and Diego shivered. “Let’s go see.”

They picked up the pace, walking side by side and hopping over puddles like they were still thirteen. Diego rationalized to himself that he at least looked more dignified now.

Klaus did not.

Cars rushed past them and dark alleyways drew both of their eyes for different reasons, after a few blocks Diego began to think that maybe his brother was watching out for him as much as he was chaperoning and guarding Klaus.

The cool damp air felt good in his lungs, sharp and alive in a way that the heavy dusty air of the Academy didn’t.

How long would he have stayed up alone and stuck in his own head if Klaus hadn’t knocked on his door? Diego felt alive and present, maybe not happy, but not lost in the way he’d felt for the last few days. He knew that everyone was having a hard time—it was obvious in the tone of Vanya’s newly emotive voice, the worrying of Allison’t hands, Five’s haunted eyes and the hunch of Luther’s solemn shoulders— but he felt the weight of the last six months profoundly. Every time he closed his eyes the familiar walls of his childhood room turned white and padded.

He saw Lila in every shadow.

She was out there somewhere and Diego knew that one day he would see her again, she wasn’t the sort of person to just leave things alone.

And in the moment Diego was 30 years old, he had the power to deflect bullets, he’d taken part in a rebellion against his ex-girlfriend’s crazy adoptive mother, he had a family who was still with him despite the hell they’d all been through, he was walking outside the Academy at night without Reginald Hargreeves’s metaphorical ghost hovering over him, he had Klaus by his side, and Diego felt strong.

As it turned down Griddy’s was still standing, but it was closed.

Diego and Klaus stood in front of the darkened building, just in front of the locked doors. Through the shadowed glass Diego could see every piece of tacky restaurant furniture still intact, but no one was there. -

Fair enough.

At that point it was just past 3:00 and any sane business person would have closed long ago. Even in the city that never slept the hours between 3:00 and 6:00 were usually fairly quiet, the roar of traffic dulled to a trickle as the last of the bars closed and all that were left were a few greasy all-night restaurants.

“Do you want to get pizza?” Diego suggested, shivering as another damp breeze cut through the fabric of his sweatpants. Klaus didn’t seem cold at all, standing there in the dark in thin fabric without even a jacket.

“I’m lactose intolerant.” Klaus said.

“Oh right.” They continued to stand in silence, eyes meeting in their reflections against the dark glass of Griddy’s door.

“I know a bagel place that opens in an hour.” Klaus suggested, rocking back on his heels.

The shadows around his eyes looked more dramatic in the darkness of the street. For a moment Diego felt a fleeting fear that if he took his eyes away from his brother Klaus would melt back into some alleyway or around a shadowed corner and Diego would lose him again.

“Let’s just go home.” Back into the light and the warmth of the academy walls. Mom was most likely resting but their kitchen had been fully stocked that afternoon and between Diego and Klaus they would probably be able to put together a couple of bowls of cereal and maybe some tea.

Diego wondered if Klaus had bought dinosaur egg oatmeal.

He didn’t even know if his brother still liked it.

Klaus nodded, following after him as he led them back down the street. Under their feet the wet concrete made a gritty sound and Diego could imagine how the puddles were beginning to turn gray and brown as the dirt that coated the sidewalks was pulled up into the water. The dark hid the transition well but it was still happening unseen beneath the soles of their shoes.

“Can we stop at the convenience store and buy snacks?” Klaus interrupted the murmur of the dozing city with a murmur of his own, and Diego slowed his pace.

“Sure.”

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

By the time that they made it back to academy the streets were blanketed in a thick cold fog, and their hands were clutched around bags full of candies and snacks. Diego once again felt like he was twelve again. Immediately Klaus draped himself over a chair at the kitchen table and poured his bag of junk food out onto the table like a kid who’d just returned from trick-or-treating.

Diego sat too, but left his bag upright. He pulled out and opened a bag of jerky.

Across from him Klaus continued to arrange his spoils but opened nothing, apparently content just to see to see and touch his hoard. He slowly turned each item over in his hands as he laid it on the table, scanning the designs on the packaging.

With the lights on in the kitchen Diego was able to get a good look at this brother for the first time since that afternoon.

Klaus didn’t really look great.

The shadows beneath his eyes were still present, deep and purple-ish, and the eyes themselves were glassy. Diego wondered if he’d been crying. It had been hard to tell after Reginald had soundproofed Klaus’s room.

As Klaus continued to examine his snacks, muttering inaudibly—presumably to himself—Diego watched his brother, noting the bright spots on his otherwise pale cheeks as well as the sheen of sweat that glistened on his forehead.

It could just be a result of the cold dark weather.

Klaus could potentially be experiencing a withdrawal.

Or he could be running a fever after spending his day running out in the rain.

“Dude, you know you look awful?” Diego said gracelessly, interrupting his brother’s murmured monologue.

“Oh gee thanks Diego.” Klaus replied, rolling his eyes. “You always flatter me so-”

Diego frowned, leaning forward across the table and resting a hand against Klaus’s face. To his credit Klaus barely flinched and recovered well, pausing to look at Diego with a curious expression.

“I think you’re running a fever.” Diego said, pulling away. It was still possible that Klaus was withdrawing but Diego had seen that happen enough times to know that Klaus would usually be shaking and vomiting by now if that was the case. If he were withdrawing Diego knew that he would also be experiencing the wonders of tachycardia and perhaps dangerously high blood pressure.

“Oh…” Klaus murmured, running his hands over his upper arms slowly. Diego wondered if it was a self-soothing method. “That makes sense.”

Diego looked at his brother thoughtfully.

“What do you mean?”

“I wasn’t cold.” He replied. Klaus shrugged his shoulders, unwilling to explain beyond that.

Diego nodded, understanding. They’d spent a solid hour walking the streets in damp frigid weather, and while Diego had been visibly bothered by the temperature Klaus hadn’t complained once. He hadn’t even been shivering. The few times that Diego had seen Klaus run a fever he hadn’t started shaking until things got bad. Now whatever illness he’d managed to contract was still digging its claws into him and Klaus actually felt the heat.

He looked so tired.

After a beat of silence Diego stood, straightening before pushing Klaus’s collection of junk food back into the plastic bag from which it came. It was easy enough to ignore Klaus whining as he circled the kitchen table to stand in front of his brother.

“Klaus you should go lay down.”

The two brothers stared at each other, allowing a beat of silence between them. After a moment Klaus flicked his eyes into the corner of the room, and Diego wondered who he was seeing there. As children he’d sometimes mentioned women in the kitchen, women with aprons and crushed skulls.

Broken necks.

“I don’t want to.” Klaus said finally, picking at his cuticles as he spoke, eyes resting anywhere but on Diego. He had the same look as he’d had at Diego’s door two hours ago, the one that still made him seem so so small.

It was a sharp contrast to his usual larger-than-life personality.

Without Ben it was probably just Klaus and his ghosts both literal and figurative. Or maybe it was just Klaus.

Diego wondered which alternative Klaus considered to be worse.

“Come hang out in my room then.” Diego suggested “You can chill on the bed, I was working on something up there anyway.”

Klaus looked unconvinced.

“C-come on. I’m not sleeping either way.”

#klaus hargreeves #diego hargreeves #The Umbrella Academy #Umbrella Academy #klaus whump #tua #tua fanfic #my fic #original #i contributed #tua sickfic #whump

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arsonistslut · 3 years

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Chapter 13: The Demon's Hand

Jeff didn't know what to make of any of this. Was this his form of walking to the light? Was this all a dying illusion as the stench of his burnt flesh filled the air? Or had a demon truly clawed it's way into his head?

"I'm sure you have..many questions regarding what's happening to you, but right now, that isn't the focus. The future is your focus, Jeffrey. Do you remember that boy you got into a fight with when you were 7? A boy named Cassidy, said something mean about your brother?"

The creature that stood before Woods had an inhumanly deep voice, befitting the fact that it looked like it had the power to smite the earth with a flick of it's wrist.

"Yeah..I broke his nose and knocked 2 of his teeth out with a toilet top lid, right?"

"Surprised you remembered so vividly. I'm sure, then, that you remember how good it felt to fight back? To not be a victim anymore? Well..that catharsis hasn't evaded you since then, has it? Keith Winchester should know by now. Well, there is a way you can rid yourself of all the troubles in your life, and achieve an even greater catharsis, Jeffrey."

"And that would be?"

"There is endless joy in the suffering of others, Jeff. T-"

"You want me to kill people? Are you fucking insane?! The pigs'll know who's started killing people in no time flat!"

The demon let out a chuckle and put a hand on the young adult's shoulder.

"Does it matter? You wouldn't have much else to live for otherwise. I mean..your brother hates you, your parents aren't there for you, school life is hellish..you're a victim, once again. You aren't a victim, are you? There's so much more for you in this life!"

A few seconds felt like an eternity, Jeff going through the options in his head..was he ready to truly abandon the way he lived? His family, the trip to school, the students around him he'd grown to despise..despite the misery of it all, he'd found comfort in the inevitable monotony of everything around him..but he now questioned that bleak future. Why spend his life bathed in existential misery..when he could spend it bathed in the viscera of liars that hid away who they truly were to the world? Why limit himself to a corrupt world's ever-changing definition of right or wrong? He was always the wrong one, the outcast, the freak..the monster. What was stopping him from living up to those monikers?

"Come, take my hand, Jeffrey. We"ll show those cattle the true meaning of happiness."

The demon held out a hand to Jeff, and a smile creeped it's way onto his face as he firmly grasped it's hand.

The next time he woke up, he was lying in a hospital bed. The bandages wrapped around his face burned to the touch, but he was far too weak to move, or do anything about his predicament. The IV drip in his arm did serve to numb the pain somewhat, and in some places of his body, he couldn't feel anything. In a slightly drugged haze, he was barely able to make anything out from beyond the gauze wrapped around his face, but he'd recognize the voices of his parents anywhere.

"I..I just don't understand, I thought Jeffrey would be more responsible than this!"

Carla said to her husband, who looked at his son, and then back at his wife.

"Well, be grateful..he won't be here controlling us anymore."

"But..but what about Liu? He's gonna want to see him, not just wait in the car.."

Jeff could hear his mother slide her face into her own palms..out of sorrow, out of disgust, he couldn't tell.

"Why couldn't he have just died..?" She muttered as she looked at her son, lying in a hospital bed.

"Why can't we just live our own lives...?"

"Sweetheart, don't get like that..I'll go and grab you some coffee, alright?"

"Okay.."

Jeff Sr. rose from his seat to go grab some coffee for his wife from the waiting room, leaving her alone with Jeffrey. Something new was brewing inside of him, unbeknownst to his mother..a rage unlike any other. Holding back the urge to leap out of his hospital bed and strangle the life out of Clara's lungs, staff and burns be damned, was a herculean feat. He knew he had to wait for that moment..that moment of bliss, that moment of freedom.

A week had passed since Jeff's hospitalization, and Liu's mental state was only getting worse and worse. How the hell Randy managed to get away with glassing a classmate of his because of "self defense" was beyond him, and the fact that all the other students went along with this narrative was baffling. Did they really hate Jeffrey that much...? He tightened the scarf around his neck, lost in his own thoughts until he heard the roll of a skateboard behind him. He turned around to find..Randy, of all people. The meeting was strange, because Liu never saw him skateboard..must have some hobbies.

"Randy, I know why you're here. Fuck right the hell off."

"Hey, listen..."

For once..Ellsworth seemed sincere. He glanced around, as if checking for someone else who might hear him, before looking back to Liu.

"I'm sorry. For everything. I didn't care that what I was doing was wrong, and..I should've stopped a lot earlier than I am. I'm truly, truly sorry, Liu. You don't have to forgive me, I just needed to apologize for all the shit that's happened."

The darker side of Liu would probably attacked Randy right then, but the last time that darker side came out, he nearly lost his brother, so he decided to try and see the good in Randy. Before he could skate away, Liu put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's..It's fine, Randy. It really is."

"It...It's all just..fine?"

"There's nothing we can do about it now, may as well just forgive you instead of holding onto it."

And with that, Liu continued back home. He was headed on another date with Natalie soon, so he had to go get ready for that occasion.

Chapter 14: Stargazing

Liu was secretly thanking his lucky stars that Nat had a driver's licence, because lord knows what that officer's expression would be when he found a 15 year old who looked like he belonged on Instagram selling designer clothes or something.

"This the spot, babe?"

"Yeah, you wanna lie in the grass and..stargaze or something?"

"Sure, but no tickle fights, ok?"

"I'm making no promises."

Liu got out of his girlfriend's car and lay down in the nearby grass, quickly pulling her into his arms when she sat next to him. The two sat there in silence for a good while, just..gazing into the stars together. It was one of the best things Liu could've asked for, right now. Everything just seemed so chaotic and out of control, like a whirlwind..so to just sit there in the shade with the girl he loved so dearly was a more than welcome break.

"Hey, Liu.."

"Yeah?"

"Is..everything alright? I mean this has to have been a shitass month for you.."

"Heh, I'm fine..thanks for asking, though. It means a lot."

"What sort of girlfriend would I be if I didn't worry about my baby?"

Liu could feel his worries melt away as he curled up in his lover's embrace, his face quickly turning red.

"What about you, Nat? How've you been?"

"...You're not allowed to tell anyone at school about this, ok?"

Natalie looked Liu in the eyes as she spoke, and he nodded in response. She took a breath to prepare herself, then began to speak again.

"..The rumors about my dad being a piece of shit are true. He's one of those ex-military types who's just psychotic and can't adjust to normal life. Any little problem happens and he's already screaming at me over it like a fucking drill Sargent! He did teach me how to kick people's asses, though, so there is a bit of a silver lining, but being punched over getting a lyric of the US anthem wrong..I doubt that's worth it."

"Jesus..i-is there any way I can help..?"

"Heh..kill him, I dunno."

Natalie couldn't help but crack a smile when Liu looked at her with confusion.

"Babe, I'm joking."

"Oh, right! Eheh..really though, things'll get better, ok? This'll all-"

"Liu, I'm fine. Hey, if anyone needs to hear a spiel right now, it's you. Your brother got set on fire, for Christ's sake."

"That probably isn't anything compared to what you go through..daily, I presume."

"Liu..honey..it's fine, it really is."

Nat gently combed her fingers through Liu's hair to comfort him, and watching his concern expression melt away into one of distracted joy. She didn't know how to feel seeing this..Liu being happy was always something she liked to see, but she desperately wanted to tell him that she truly wasn't ok..she felt on the cusp of losing it, but it burdened others to make them deal with her prolems, her worries...wasn't it?

#creepypasta #jeffery woods #liu woods #jeff the killer #sully #clockwork #zalgo #tw very heavy topics that may hit too close to home #you've been warned

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mwolf0epsilon · 4 years

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Two birds, one stone part 2! Warning for gross stuff and you know, zombie typical behaviour.

Summary: It was every man for himself down in hell, and yet Norman still found the time to care for others.

---

[[MORE]]

If there was something Norman had learned from his pops, it was that it really paid off to be a bit of a Swiss army knife when it came to skills.

Between the pseudo-military training, Norman's own uncanny ability to hide in plain sight and stalk around silently, and the multiple things he knew that made him basically self-sufficient, he was a good (if not the best) person to be allied with in this sort of situation.

Which really begged the question of why he was doing this anymore.

The world had ended. The dead rose out of their graves with a taste for man beef, spread a strange infectious disease that made you switch to the brain-munching side, and then society had collapsed.

It had happened so quick that he and everyone in the studio had been trapped.

New York was no place to survive a zombie apocalypse, and Joey Drew Studies wasn't stable enough to even serve as some sort of safe haven.

Everything fell into place of this new world order in a matter of weeks, and the few that could hole away did their best to survive on their own.

It was every man for himself down in hell, and yet Norman still found the time to care for others.

He'd established trading systems with groups within the studio, and even shared accomodations with whomever was desperate enough to engage socially.

They never stayed. He didn't mind.

Those who ended up as those gruesome things were put down and mourned, but otherwise everything was strictly business.

And then Sammy happened.

Sammy Lawrence, once head of the music department now the very last to have managed to escape down into the lower floors after the hoard overwhelmed his group, was not the easiest person to get along with.

He complicated things with his ornery disposition and volatile temper, but he was a decent conversationalist when he didn't shove his own foot in his mouth and he had connections with the survivor group down in the Harbour.

He could hold his own well enough in a fight that Norman was sure he had his back, and with help that didn't seem too keen on leaving the projectionist often got a bigger hawl of supplies when they both went scavenging.

It was a mutual agreement. You scratch my back, I scratch yours. And soon enough it was Polk and Lawrence instead of just Norman going on his usual duties.

And that evolved further.

In the lonelier nights, there was more to be done than just share a cot for warmth

Call it desperation, call it basic human needs, they were more than just companions or allies.

They were partners.

No matter how much they bickered, it was almost always in a loving fashion.

Like an old married couple…

Of course, nothing good ever lasted.

Not in the literal end of times.

Norman hummed as he heated up some bacon soup in the stove he'd managed to fashion out of a few parts and scrap. The Bendy clock on the wall read that it was half past eleven, so he knew Sammy must be aching for some grub.

He'd not been doing well. Not since he came back from his last solo run to the Harbour.

Norman knew why, but let the other keep quiet about it. He knew the ex-music director would admit to it soon. Especially with the speed of his degradation.

He'd caught him coughing blood just an hour prior.

Three more and he'd turn. Like the rest of them had, before Norman put them down.

"Soup's almost done." He looked over at their shared cot, where Sammy was curled up under several ratty blankets.

He was shivering weakly, trying to breathe with lungs that were steadily filling with fluid. The raspy wet sounds painful to the ears.

"M'not hungry…"

"Oh, we both know that ain't true." Norman continued to stir the pot. "Might as well gimme a chance don't yous thinks?"

"Norman…"

"Sammy I know the symptoms…" he poured some into a bowl. "I'm not mad, just sad yous would rather waste away like this…"

"D-didnt want to bother… Was s-stupid and…" he coughed up some gunk. Choking slightly on his own blood and whatever else was coming up. "And got b-bit. D-deserve it…"

"N'aw… Don't go bein' so harsh to yourself. Shit happens." He walked closer and set down the bowl. Sammy's eyes were red and starting to bleed. His stage of infection was progressing quite rapidly. "Eat… Yous going to be famished soon enough, might as well fill you up a bit before it happens."

"You shou-should put me down." The blond reached for the soup, slurping it up eagerly. Nerve damage, he couldn't feel it burning his mouth or lips.

"Woulda asked me before if yous really wanted that." Norman stretched lazily.

"You're right… I uh, call me p-petty but… I wonna t-take Joey down with me." He coughed and spat out a thick glob of indescribably foul-smelling tar colored blood. Gross. "If I'm g-gonna end up like t-the rest of those things… I wonna e-eat the greedy fuck w-who left us to die…"

"I can respect that. I'll help yous with that." He reached out and entwined their fingers. The blond seemed to appreciate the gesture.

"You t-think I'll be a-able to get him?"

"Knowin' you? I'd say yous got a pretty good chance…" he chuckled.

"Flatterer…" Sammy laid back down and closed his eyes, suppressing another cough and instead letting Norman thread his fingers through his messy hair. "Just don't end up le-letting me bite you… T-this shit's painful..."

"Noted… Sleep well Sammy." He planted a kiss on his partner's sweaty forehead. "Love you."

"Lo-love you too…"

"Norman that's disgusting." Susie was slightly appalled, but no less opposed to watching what used to be Sammy Lawrence dig its teeth into a very much dead Joey Drew's neck.

"Yep." Norman shrugged. Both of them had been bit in an altercation with a hoard up in the Heavenly Toys department, but that hadn't deterred them from reaching their end goal. Joey's office.

Susie was the newest ally he'd acquired, and had been dead set on killing Drew since he'd damned them all.

It was a shame their quest for revenge ultimately doomed them both as well, but hey… Sammy seemed pretty happy to devour his ex-boss as a mindless corpse. It couldn't be that bad.

"You think we'll turn fast enough to get in on it?" The petite brunette pointed at the feasting zombie. "As the ultimate fuck you to Joey?"

"Who knows… Took Sammy five hours to turn." He did feel a bit sluggish, so it was definitely taking effect. "Least he hasn't snapped at us in a while. Think we might be startin' to smell like the rest of 'em…"

"Damn… Oh well, Joey's probably not a five star meal anyway…"

"Probably not."

The world had ended. The dead rose out of their graves, Sammy was one of them and soon Norman and Susie would be too.

He wondered if his zombified self would remember his fondness for either, or if it would recall any of the skills he'd had.

Probably not.

It was every man for himself down in hell, and yet Norman still found the time to care for such things.

Funny how some things just didn't change.

#Eps Writes:#Bendy and the Ink Machine #BATIM #Norman Polk #Sammy Lawrence #Susie Campbell #Zombie AU

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pandemonshq · 4 years

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Welcome, Nicky, please grab your stake on your way to your tumblr to play Draco Malfoy here at Pandemons. I think it’s no surprise to you that we adore your Draco: the marriage of convenience that still highlights the importance of family that every “good” Malfoy has, the Vampire Hunting, the fact that he’s still himself after all these years. ..

And, of course, your request for Alexander Skarsgård --present Fc and Austin Butler--past FC have been accepted.

Nicky’s application is being posted early due to her work on the game to get it up and running, and the relevance of Draco to the larger game plot. While Nicky is not a mod, her assistance made this game possible.

Out of Character Information

Name: Nicky Preferred Pronouns: she/her Age: over thirty O_o Timezone: EST Activity Level: Medium. I co-admin and participate in another roleplay, so depending on what is going on there in conjunction with the regular inconveniences of real life I may not have time to post responses every day, but I have absolutely no concerns that I will struggle to meet and indeed should regularly exceed the minimum requirement. I usually find Draco quite easy to write!

In Character Information

Character's Name: Draco Lucius Malfoy Bloodstatus: pure-blood Birthday: June 5, 1980

Gender and Sexuality: Transgender male, panromantic sex-positive asexual

Gender:

Draco was six when he informed his parents that he was going to grow-up to be a wizard like daddy, not a witch like mummy. It took them a little time to be certain that their child really understood and meant what he was saying, but once they were convinced, his parents sprang into action to support their son: Lucius didn’t just contact the Daily Prophet to have an adjustment to Draco’s birth announcement printed, he took out a full-page ad. Narcissa sat her little boy down and poured-over lists of constellations with him to find what his new name would be (not that it took Draco long to select his -- “I can be a dragon? I want that one!”). They threw-away and purchased an entire new wardrobe for him (although it had never been the ribbons to which Draco had objected) and anyone who wasn’t quick enough to adjust to Draco’s new name got a painful hex for their lethargy (including Abraxas, once). It wasn’t so much acceptance that Draco got from his parents as adoration -- in all aspects. He was perfect; he could do no wrong.

It wasn’t until he arrived at Hogwarts that Draco discovered that not everyone saw him through such idealized spectacles -- nor thought gender was as simple and straightforward a thing as the contents of a cauldron. For Draco, gender might as well have been synonymous with genitals, and swallowing a weekly dose of potion was all it took for him to go from girl to boy. The matter was closed...only it wasn’t. There were some people who thought the subject had far more nuance than that (one of the few subject on which he didn’t need losing a war to improve, at least) and then there were those who thought it had far less; who thought that there was no such thing as change. For the most part, they seemed to have come by those ideas from Muggle sources, which made both them and their words easy to dismiss -- mostly. Even a boy with as much blistering self-confidence (arrogance) as Draco is apt to find adolescence an uncertain, confusing time, and he was no exception; some barbs hurt even when you’re certain you don’t care. Having his dueling prowess questioned, his fashion-choices derided, his Quidditch skills discounted…all the things that, to Draco, meant masculinity. Not that witches couldn’t be great duelists or Quidditch players or fashion-plates, too; but Draco’s ideas of how to be a man were all modeled on his father. So to excel at “being a wizard” meant, for him, excelling at all the things at which Lucius excelled. (He was also always rather touchy about his name. He’d picked it himself, after all. It was the best name. His mother had said so!)

These days, Draco is far too used to simply being taken for a wizard to fret; it’s not as though he regularly goes around socializing with backwards-Muggle-thinkers, is it? (Not that all Mudb--Muggle-borns are backwards-thinkers! Some of them have done quite well at getting over their upbringing, and are quite indistinguishable from other wix now! He’s not bigoted anymore, you know!) He no longer focuses on mimicking his father in order to be a “proper” wizard -- in part because he’s grown more comfortable with himself as he grew-up, in part because exposure to the world beyond the immediate circle of his parents taught him that there’s more than one way to be a wizard, in part because an ex-Death Eater has more difficult things with which to grapple...and in part because the pedestal on which Lucius once stood in his son’s eyes has sagged a bit. Now instead of trying to trace anyone else’s footsteps, Draco is simply himself -- and learning to live with that was hard because of his choices and his mistakes, not his gender. Having anyone question his masculinity now on the basis that he takes a periodic dose of the Attisgalli Corrective Draught to maintain a physical form that suits his inner self would be less outrageous than baffling.

*NOTE: Draco is likely to express things about gender in outdated terminology because of his unfamiliarity with the Muggle world. However if this would make anyone uncomfortable please let me know (on-anon is fine!) because I will happily compromise a fiddly little bit of world building for the sake of my fellow players’ comfort!

Sexuality:

Perhaps the one area in which Draco actually disappointed his father: he’s just not interested in sex. He doesn’t have anything against it; it’s just not something that motivates him, not something he thinks about unless someone else brings it up first. (Sort of like beets. He has no objection to eating them, and sometimes they can be genuinely delicious, but he’s never gone out of his way for a serving of beets.) That disinterest is what killed his relationship with Pansy (well, that and the fact that Draco had no idea they were dating in Pansy’s mind!) because all her offers and innuendos passed right over his head; he tends to take physical affection on face value and flirtation registers to him as simple banter. Lucius “blames” himself, lamenting that it was his distraction and absence at a crucial stage of his son’s development that left Draco’s “interests stunted.” Draco doesn’t understand the fuss; he’s perfectly happy the way he is and, frankly, given the vast drop in social popularity that the Malfoys faced after the war, it’s probably just as well that his interests are “stunted” because his prospects certainly were.

Former Hogwarts House: Slytherin -- sorted nearly the second the hat touched his head because of course he was, he was Draco Lucius Malfoy, last heir to both the Malfoy and Black families, and the scion of two of the purest lines in all of magical Britain and absolutely guaranteed to do great things!

Infection:

( No. Although I think it would be a fun potential plot to have him be infected either temporarily or permanently later! Actually I feel like “temporary infections” should be a regular effect of his vampire slaying efforts, since he’s likely to be exposed through that! )

Faceclaim: Alexander Skarsgård--present. Austin Butler--past.

Short HeadCanon Topics (please provide at least one paragraph per topic)

Occupation (title and one paragraph explanation):

None...technically. Malfoys don’t need jobs, after all, so it should surprise no one that Draco hasn’t got one -- and it’s not as though he’s in a position where he can dabble in politics the way his father (and his father, and his father) did, is he? No, Draco has no job, only hobbies...

Or some might say, obsessions. One, actually: vampires. Draco Malfoy is a vampire hunter, possibly the first proper vampire hunter in over a hundred years. There hadn’t been a need for any in ages; vampires and wix had learned to co-exist long ago. Vampires had never really been accepted as ordinary people -- but they’d been fashionably exotic creatures, not scorned like half-giants or distrusted like goblins. The Malfoys in particular had been happy to socialize with (and take the money of) vampires, particularly back in the day; after Voldemort’s firstrise it became less acceptable for pure-blood wix to associate with any groups of non-wix unless they were serving the Dark Lord as well -- and vampires never did. Even as werewolves let themselves be courted and giants agreed to be bought, vampires kept their distance. So the Malfoys drifted away from them...

Until now. Until Astoria’s infection.

At first, Draco’s sole focus was in curing her -- and he hasn’t abandoned that hope. But as time passed and all his best efforts came to naught, those hopes have dwindled to a sort of cold, shriveled desperation. He still brews-up the occasional draught; still pieces-together scraps of old spells in hopes that something, some day, will save her...but that’s not his sole focus any longer. For a long time after the war, none of the Malfoys looked beyond the gates of the manor to the world outside -- but Scorpius is out there, now. He’s attending Hogwarts, moving through the world. Someday he’s going to grow-up and want to find a place for himself beyond the manor’s walls -- and like Lucius before him, Draco is determined to make that world as safe as possible for his child. Unlike Lucius, it’s not the tenuous (and perhaps somewhat exaggerated) threat of Muggles that Draco hopes to stem: it’s vampires, and the ever-increasing rate of infection among the magical world.

For a long time, he’s been fighting this quiet war alone in the dark. Who was he going to turn to for help, after all? Certainly not the Ministry of Magic! If Draco Malfoy walked in their doors talking about the dangers of a group of non-wix, he’d be lucky to just be ushered-away with a lecture on prejudice! No, he’s had to do this by himself -- but maybe not for much longer? Maybe things have finally gotten bad enough for someone else to notice...but will they want Draco’s help, expert though he has become on the subject? Maybe it’s still better for him to go this alone.

Marital Status/Ships:

(tl;dr - Draco loves Astoria but they aren’t together like that and fidelity isn’t a requirement of their marriage anyway; someone else would have to make the first several dozen moves before he would notice being flirted at, though! READ MORE)

Married to Astoria Greengrass. One might think it would be difficult for a lesbian witch to be married to a panro-ace wizard, but their marriage was never about romance. Yes, Draco very much considers Astoria someone he loves -- but what kind of love? Even he wouldn’t be able to answer that question, especially not these days. Astoria’s current state of vampiric infection makes her...strange. The guilt of not being able to cure her eats away at him too, and affects his every interaction with her. He’s an expert potioneer; why can’t he fix this? She’s his wife, why can’t he save her? His parents managed to keep each other (more or less) safe throughout two wars and a volatile Dark Lord; how could he be so inferior as to be unable to save his spouse from some stupid infection? An infection over which his mother initially wanted Astoria banished from the home, incidentally -- marking one of the few times when Draco has actually vehemently disagreed with Narcissa Malfoy. (One of the others was when he took the Dark Mark; he hopes that this doesn’t turn out like that but sometimes on the worst days, he wonders if his mother was right and keeping Astoria at home is dangerous -- possibly for their son!?) But infected or not, unclean or not, Draco knows he will always love Astoria.

That doesn’t mean he’s sleeping with her, though -- or that he wouldn’t sleep with someone else. Fidelity was never considered an integral part of a successful marriage in his social circles; indeed, a couple that spends so much time in one another’s beds as his parents do is the oddity rather than the norm. (Not that the two of them, especially Lucius, haven’t visited a number of other beds in their time, sometimes apart and sometimes together -- but Draco never found it nearly as entertaining as some of his friends back at Hogwarts did to talk about that.) A dalliance or even a love affair -- or a dozen -- on either his part or Astoria’s wouldn’t impact how Draco thinks about his wife or their marriage at all. Why would it? If he wasn’t something of a social pariah, he probably would have had a dozen little affairs by now -- but it’s not like he cares enough to miss the lack either (only even thinks about it when his father starts lamenting Draco’s lack of interesting experiences). It’s just the sort of thing one expects, that’s all. Of course, these days Draco’s a bit preoccupied, and hunting down vampires doesn’t leave a lot of time for dalliances...but if that leaves his bed a bit cold, it’s not something he’s ever noticed.

MultiParagraph or Multi Point Topics

Family:

Nothing matters more to Draco. Growing up, he idolized his parents and thought them perfect; his father was Draco’s model for idealized wizarding masculinity and Draco was determined to follow in his footsteps in every way. Even now, having been brought (quite painfully) face-to-face with their flaws and failings, he still adores and admires them. Not only did they always dote on him (maybe more than they should have) but during the war they proved over and over that they were each of them willing to die for his sake without hesitation -- something that was more than enough to erase any potential resentment he might have felt at having been forced into such misery by their choices. Yes, these days he knows that there are things they were wrong about -- but he still trusts their judgement in most areas, still values their opinion. Still loves them. They made it through a war together on the strength of that love; in these dark days, he still draws comfort from it.

The most important person in Draco’s life today isn’t his parents, though, or even his wife; it’s Scorpius, his precious son and only child. Growing-up in a house with four doting adults and little in the way of child companions meant that Scorpius’s childhood was never lonely but also did little to prepare him for peer socialization. He was always precociously clever; these days he qualifies as an unabashed swot and a distinct introvert. While he has the customary Malfoy sharp silver tongue, he substitutes defensive insecurity for swagger and brittle pride for arrogance. His recent appointment to Chaser on his house team has helped him build a few tentative bridges to his housemates, but his closest friends remain fellow Slytherin Albus Potter and Albus’s cousin, Rose Granger-Weasley. They aren’t the friends that Draco would have chosen for his son, but he has come to appreciate them deeply for the support and affection they offer Scorpius. (Even if Draco still tries to have as little to do with their families as possible.)

Draco’s affection for his son was always torn in two directions: wanting to give him anything and everything that would make him happy, and wanting to raise Scorpius to be a better person than he ever was himself. The latter did result in more than a few lectures (much more than a few) but that didn’t mean Draco wasn’t still an indulgent parent and Scorpius did indeed receive just about anything he ever asked for, materially. Draco would give his son everything he wanted, if he could -- but even his best efforts can’t cure Scorpius’s mother.

Scorpius was only four when Astoria was infected; when Astoria changed. Sometimes she still seems like herself (less and less each year, though -- or is that just in Draco’s head?) and they can all pretend that everything is fine; others...well. Draco has explained to Scorpius many times that the things his mother thinks she sees aren’t real. (Probably.) That he shouldn’t listen to them, worry about them. And Scorpius says he understands...but Scorpius was four and she’s his mum. While he doesn’t tell his father, he secretly believes every word that comes from his mother’s mouth. He thinks of her less as a Seer and more of a prophet, different from everyone else’s mother yes -- but special-different, not worse. He doesn’t talk about those thoughts to anyone, even Albus and Rose (maybe it would be better if he did; maybe someone could explain things to him better now that he’s older) but instead he nods seriously at all his father’s admonishments and his grandparents’ words of caution...and then goes and listens to his mother anyway.

It probably won’t lead to disaster. His mother would never hurt him, after all -- never tell him anything she’s seen that might lead him to do something dangerous. Not on purpose, anyway.

Childhood/Hogwarts:

(I’m going to go short on this part because A: I’ve rambled far more than I should have elsewhere and B: we know a lot of this from the books already, so if there’s any part of this I can get away with truncating to compensate for the rest, it’s this!)

Draco was a bully and a bigot and a brat; there’s no denying this. He was spoiled absolutely rotten, and it showed. He also genuinely loved his parents, and they loved him back, although perhaps not always in the most healthy of ways (see: aforementioned spoiling). He had a very good childhood, although school wasn’t as great as he’d expected -- for one thing, stupid Harry Potter didn’t want to be his friend even though he was clearly the coolest person in the whole castle, and for another this horrible Mudblood kept outscoring him in everything. (Potter even managed to out-cheat him at Quidditch every time!) But otherwise, everything was more or less okay -- until the Dark Lord came back, and it all fell apart. Draco went from being a pampered little prince to sobbing in the loo with only a dead girl for company; his two best friends stopped believing in him; Harry Potter nearly killed him; he nearly killed a lot of other people; and then when his favorite teacher finally got appointed headmaster it still didn’t make things better. In the end, despite all of Draco’s efforts he really accomplished nothing. He didn’t decide the outcome of the war; all he did was lose a friend and somehow make it out alive with his parents by the skin of their collective teeth, forgotten and ignored by everyone around them. In the end, he came to nothing and had to count himself lucky for it.

Post Hogwarts: (TW: brief mention of self harm, addiction! Also mentions of other characters that may-or-may-not be considered “game canon” based on discussion with whomever eventually comes to play said characters!)

Draco knows he’s luckier than he deserves, him and his parents. By rights, all three of them should probably be in Azkaban...but they aren’t. The trials they faced at the end of the war were long, grueling, and humiliating (crying in front of the entire Wizengamot is not an experience that Draco recommends to anyone) and the worst part was that Draco spent the entire process certain that he was going to Azkaban; he only made the effort of testifying with as much honesty and detail as he did because he hoped that his mother, the only one of them not to take the Dark Mark, might be spared incarceration if both he and his father told all they knew. His parents were doing the same thing, largely in hopes of sparing their son from Azkaban -- but fortunately for the Malfoys, what they knew far outweighed what they’d actually done...mostly because they hadn’t actually accomplished much. (If Lucius’s crimes from the first war had been included, things might have gone differently…) Draco failed at just about everything he tried, Lucius had spent most of the war either locked-away or wandless at the Dark Lord’s side, and Narcissa had been “protected” from having to take much action by the combination of her husband’s shame and her sister’s enthusiasm. And then, of course, there was Harry Potter -- surprising witness for the defense. There was no love lost between Draco and his very first enemy, but Harry nonetheless spoke-up for the Malfoys: Narcissa had lied to the Dark Lord, Draco had kept quiet when he recognized them, and Harry had seen through Voldemort’s own eyes that they had not been willing servants -- not by the end, anyway. Somehow, all of that had been enough to spare them…

At least from prison. Public opinion was another matter, so the Malfoys murmured their gratitude, paid their fines, and slunk away behind the walls of their mournful manor, all three of them -- and the house -- much reduced in pride and splendor. Draco spent the next few years wallowing in guilt and nightmares, repeatedly failing to carve the Dark Mark out of his arm, and worrying his parents. Highlights include: a short but bitter confrontation with Gregory Goyle at Vincent Crabbe’s tombstone (not that there was a body to bury, but tradition had to be maintained), a bewildering letter from Pansy regretfully breaking-up with him for the sake of her own future chances (had they been dating?), and a lengthy addiction to Dreamless Sleep Potion (he hadn’t even known you could get addicted to Dreamless Sleep, let alone that repeated doses made it toxic! At least he learned something interesting about potions in the process…). The last thing anyone expected was a wedding to brighten things up, but then again people -- Draco included -- had always underestimated Astoria Greengrass.

Draco, in fact, barely knew who she was -- just the little sister of one of Pansy’s friends whom he knew dimly from school. She certainly made an impression, though, going from introduction to proposal in less than five minutes. It wasn’t romance she was pitching, of course, but a more traditional sort of marriage -- an arrangement of convenience. Draco needed an heir to the family line, she wanted the comforts of wealth and the resources to pursue her interests somewhere no one would bother her (and with access to the right kind of supplies and resources, so she could avoid repeating her Aunt Pandora’s unfortunate fate). The Malfoys needed a dose of respectability, and the Greengrasses were solid middle class pure-bloods who had never been accused of more than peripheral brushes with the Dark Arts. They both stood to gain -- and outliers like Draco’s parents notwithstanding, wasn’t that what all successful marriages were really based on? Certainly in the world in which Draco had been socialized, they were; his parents had always been viewed with bemused confusion for how deeply besotted they were with one another. Marrying Astoria wasn’t an act of passion or romance -- but it made sense. What didn’t make sense to Draco was how easy it was to fall into friendship with the stubborn witch -- but he wasn’t going to complain.

He was happy, which wasn’t something he’d ever expected to feel again after the age of sixteen. And they had a son. Scorpius was the best thing that ever happened to Draco, far better than he deserved -- but he wasn’t going to complain about that, either. One of the many painful lessons he’d learned over the course of his lifetime of mistakes was how to be happy with what he had, and he couldn’t imagine anything better than Scorpius anyway. It wasn’t the sort of “perfect life” he’d anticipated when he was young and foolish -- but it was good.

Until it wasn’t. When Astoria’s magical tinkering left her infected with vampirism ten years ago, the happy illusion of a happily-ever-after fell apart. Draco dove into research, trying to brew a cure -- but nothing worked. He dug deeper, delving into all the family’s information on their pre-Voldemort vampiric connections and then branching-out, calling in the few family favors people were still willing to (or too scared not to) repay and exploring every shabby shop that dealt with the Dark Arts that he could find. He didn’t discover a cure; he did discover that Astoria wasn’t the only recent case of vampiric infection.

Current:

Draco Malfoy never set out to save anyone but his own family. Unfortunately for Draco’s selfish nature, one of the things he’s learned over the last ten years is that the only way to save Astoria may involve sticking his neck out for other people, too. (Or maybe that’s just the excuse he gives himself. Maybe his pursuit of the vampires who are infecting his world, his home, is more about vengeance than salvation at this point.) That dosen’t mean it’s something that comes naturally to him, or something he likes.

Case in point: he hasn’t bothered to try and convince the wider Wizarding World that they ought to be worried, proactive -- because frankly if he did, who would listen? No, better to keep it to himself because that way at least no one is trying to stop him. Not that such a quest can be a solitary pursuit: one needs resources, information, occasionally even “allies” of a sort (mostly the sort that can be bought with money and favors, not loyalty). Fortunately Draco still has money and the one thing the Malfoy name can still buy aside from gold is favors and connections with those who walk the edges of the Dark Arts (and lower). Not that most of those favors or connections are as open-armed as they once were (turning your back on a Dark Lord and helping to testify against all your old friends so they go to prison while you go free doesn’t do much to endear oneself to anyone) but Draco doesn’t really care if people are grudging or reluctant or downright insulting so long as they do or give him what he needs. This mission isn’t about saving his reputation or restoring the family name; those wistful daydreams evaporated ten years ago. Now he doesn’t even waste time on the hope that Scorpius may be able to redeem their name enough to make a future for himself that isn’t overshadowed by the family’s past; these days, just keeping things from falling apart further is all he can ask.

Of course, he’s doing more than just sitting at home trying to hold his family together. Yes, he spends as much as he can with them -- his son, especially, although that happens less these days now that Scorpius is off at school for months at a time -- but he’s got his mission, too, which can keep him out of the house for days at a time (especially now that Scorpius is at Hogwarts, although with his parents living in the other wing of the manor even when Scorpius was young and Astoria was having a particularly bad day he didn’t have to worry about leaving them alone). There’s nowhere Draco won’t go in his pursuit both of the horrible creatures that are spreading this infection and the knowledge he seeks to cure it -- although it’s certainly easier to get around Knockturn Alley than the halls of the Ministry of Magic, for a Malfoy! He hesitates to involve his son, but on rare occasion he may even ask Scorpius to check something for him in the Hogwarts library, but doing so leaves him sickened at the thought that someone might see and wonder why so he ignores that resource perhaps more often than he should. There’s nothing else he won’t do in his quest, however...even knowing that he ought to be more prudent. It would be awful if the Department of Magical Law Enforcement were to turn suspicious eyes on him, after all -- but he can’t just do nothing, can he?

And maybe, deep down, there’s part of him who still thinks he can get away with it. After all, no matter how repentant he is -- how much he’s changed, how much the way the world views him has changed -- he is still, at heart, Draco Malfoy.

Plots:

#1. The Potters and the Weasleys -- and everyone else whom Draco called “enemy” (or “blood-traitor” or “filthy mudblood” etc) for his entire childhood. Where do they stand now? What happens when they have to work together? When they have to take his word for the things he knows, the expertise he’s accumulated? When he’s the one who knows how to save somebody, not them? When he’s the one fighting the “forces of darkness” while they sat back in ignorant safety as the world quietly shattered around them? Will they be practical about it, will they trust him? Will they be gracious or stubborn, convinced that there are some Marks that can’t be washed away? Will he be an ass? (Almost definitely -- but to what level?) There’s likely been very little interaction between Draco and most of these people over the last twenty years -- but does that mean the mental scars have softened? How much infected blood does it take to clear away all the blood under the bridge that’s flowed between all of them? I’m looking forward to Draco having to face all the people he’s been avoiding -- and for them to have to (or refuse to) face the fact that this time, he might be on the right side...or is he? In a world where vampirism is becoming more and more common, at what point does a vampire hunter stop being a protector and start becoming the monster? Is Draco once again going to find himself -- this time with the best of intentions -- labeled the bad guy?

#2. Luna Lovegood. She’s more than just “another member of the D.A.” to Draco; she’s the girl who was locked-up in the cellar of his home for months, the girl he was forced more than once to torture. He never thought much about Loony Lovegood before then (she was easy to make fun of, sure, and he’d do so if the opportunity walked in front of him, but she wasn’t someone he was interested enough in to go out of his way to bully her -- he had better targets for that!) but she’s featured regularly in his guilty nightmares ever since. The fact that he later married her cousin just made things more convoluted -- although thankfully the Greengrasses and the Lovegoods had never really had anything to do with one another… Basically: I would love to explore some kind of dynamic with Draco and Luna! Has he been successfully avoiding her since 1998? Did Astoria invite her estranged family to the wedding? Do they run into each other in the shops sometimes -- Draco trying to turn invisible, Luna waving politely? Maybe he tried to apologize once and Luna made him squirm by shrugging it off -- oh well it’s not like you wanted to do it, is it? I could tell that quite well, you’re not a very good liar are you? Anyway, why would I blame you for what Voldemort made you do to me? That doesn’t seem sensible at all...why are you making that face? Have you swallowed a wrackspurt? -- and now every time he sees her, he tries to run the other way out of fears that she’ll be nice. Or maybe she’s not nice. Luna doesn’t seem the grudge-holding sort...but if anything were going to teach her how, surely the Cruciatus Curse would do it! Maybe she doesn’t wave; maybe she scowls until he slithers away, cringing in impotent repentance. Maybe he even tried investing in The Quibbler -- paying to restore the damage the Death Eaters and Hermione had done to the printing press and her father’s home -- as recompense, and Luna threw the money back in his face...or maybe he now, quite unintentionally, owns a “share” of The Quibbler. Something that Pansy and Blaise would probably never stop laughing about if they knew… I don’t know, there are so many options for what direction to take things with the two of them! I’d love to explore ANY.

#3: Infection. This one’s more just for “me” but I love the idea of still-rather-bigoted Draco Malfoy having to cope not just with the fact that his wife has been infected with vampirism (something he mostly did with a lot of denial and cognitive dissonance tbh) but himself, too. In his “career” as a vampire hunter, he must have encountered a few instances of contamination -- nothing permanent, nothing where the blood went both ways -- but temporary infections? Oh, certainly! I expect the first time absolutely tore him to shreds, emotionally. He’s Draco Malfoy. He’s the purest of the pure. How could he be infected? Inconceivable, insupportable! He’d never recover, never be the same -- only he did recover. And then what choice did he have but to keep going? Each time, I think he’s more sickened by the facts than he is by the symptoms themselves; by the fact that he’s been tainted by something impure. And each time he picks himself back up after and keeps going -- but eventually the toll is going to tell. (Either that, or he’ll have to come to terms with the fact that all blood-purity is nonsense, not just the idea that Muggle-borns have “lesser” magic.) Whether this breaks him down or builds him up better, I’m interested to explore this painful process of involuntary self-discovery!

Other:

Attisgalli Corrective Draught -- a gender reassignment potion designed for use by the entire Potterverse fandom. Offered here both as extra detail on what potion Draco takes, and for anyone else who might want to make use of it either as-is or as inspiration for their own creations!

+Fashion Headcanon: The featureless black school robes and ubiquitous pointed hats were a blessing to Draco, although he didn’t realize it at first; he’d grown-up used to his father’s flamboyant style of dress, and the dullness of the Hogwarts student body was wearying...until he started to realize that there were some wix who didn’t think it suitable for a wizard to dress like that. His father didn’t, wouldn’t have, cared; Draco found it a more troubling perspective. (Of course broad-shouldered, boisterous, assigned-male-at-birth Lucius’s masculinity had never been doubted by anyone; even those who despised him or dismissed him as a vain and foppish fool never thought he wasn’t a wizard.) The plain black robes were easier...safer. They didn’t require any thought; didn’t have room for any self-expression that might make a statement. On the one hand, Draco wanted to swagger into a room like his father would have, peacock feathers trailing from his shoulders and glittering gemstones in his hair, grinning in arrogant superiority...but on the other, he didn’t want to be teased for being too girly. (Not after discovering that that was a thing some people said about things.) His fourth year at school was the hardest: starting your very first day of classes by being turned into a ferret and humiliated in front of half the student body would have shaken anyone’s confidence. The fact that things were unsettled at home didn’t help; his father was more distracted than Draco had ever seen him before, and mother was little better, both of them fretting over the impending return of the Dark Lord and trying (and succeeding, then) to keep their son from thinking that would be anything but a good thing. Maybe if Draco had been more open with his parents about his emotional struggles...but he was at a stage of trying to seem grown-up. To prove they didn’t need to baby him anymore. (To prove that he was ready to help the Dark Lord, too.) So he kept quiet...and had them send him a different, plainer set of dress robes for the Yule Ball instead of the flamboyant, Lucius-approved concoction of dripping blue silk and pearl beading that he’d meant to wear initially. Draco felt safer in the plain (but impeccable!) black -- a feeling that never went away. Even today he prefers understated elegance, dark colors that don’t draw the eye; prefers clothing that is protective in its coverage -- high collars and tall boots (the sole concession he makes to modern fashions is to allow the skirts of his robes to sometimes lift enough to show calves and even knees, albeit always suitably clad in hose or tights or trousers; he’s not a barbarian) and of course: long sleeves. No one outside the family has seen past Draco’s wrists in over twenty years and, if Draco has his way, no one ever will.

#harry potter roleplay #new lsrpg #lsrpg #lsrp #draco malfoy #urinfected

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statusquoergo · 5 years

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Part I

I actually like the next bit, but then, I’m a mean person.

Donna tries to go toe-to-toe with Faye, asserting that she and Harvey actually serve the firm’s best interests by being a couple, because they balance each other. Faye says that’s irrelevant, and Donna retorts that this is personal for Faye because she and Harvey remind her of herself and her ex-husband. This may or may not be the case, but either way, Faye shuts that shit right down: “This is a conflict of interest, and I will not be cajoled, threatened, or coerced into thinking it’s not.” My hero.

Up next is Harvey’s one-on-one with Donna’s father. They’re laughing along to some story about Donna being a competitive skier before she got into theater until Harvey gets back to business with the acknowledgment that James has some concerns about him that Harvey’s “taken some steps to alleviate.” James appreciates Harvey meeting him “man to man,” but things take a turn for the worse when Harvey explains that he pulled some strings to get the money James needs for the deal he’s in town to settle, and James accuses him of digging into his business and trying to buy his approval.

Hold the fucking phone.

James’s last and only other appearance in this series thus far was in “Live to Fight” (s05e12), in which it’s revealed that when Donna was a child, he lost all their family’s money on a real estate gamble, and after Donna started working for Harvey, he asked her to get Harvey to give him a loan for $250,000, which Harvey refused. Donna proposed to give her father access to her 401(k) until Harvey threatened to tie up his legal proceedings for the next 20 years, after which point James declared his intentions to commit bank fraud by illegally inflating his assets and disappeared into the night. And now he’s getting on Harvey’s case for trying to help him with a business deal that’s apparently going very badly? Sounds to me like Harvey is very much looking out for Donna’s best interests by trying to keep this asshole in the black so he won’t be tempted to commit another federal crime! “Treat my daughter better than you treat me,” get out of here with that shit, you shyster.

Also Katrina refuses to modify the code of conduct for Louis because it’s precisely that sort of thing that got them “saddled with Faye in the first place,” so, good call there.

More fill-in-the-blanks for Alex and the Masterson case; eight years ago, Bratton heavily implied that he would have Alex’s family hurt or killed if he exposed the conspiracy, which I guess is a decent enough reason to not do that, but now in the present day, Rosalie wants her revenge. She goes to Samantha for help and Samantha agrees to help her “find something on this guy”; I’m not sure if they’re talking about Bratton or Craig, but it doesn’t really matter.

Donna found out about Harvey’s meeting with her father and is none too pleased about it, accusing him of “making it clear to him that [Harvey thinks] he’s a bad businessman,” which, yes, hi, bank fraud. She then projects the fuck out of her anger at Faye by expressing her fear that Harvey thinks he’s better than her, which of course Harvey vehemently denies, and Donna finally tells him about Faye’s sine qua non for them to both keep their jobs. (Funny that she says “one of [them] has to give up their vote, and that one of [them] is [her],” when Faye was pretty clear that it could be either of them making the sacrifice.) She then lets slip an interesting detail: She didn’t tell him about it right away because she didn’t want to hear him say that his vote is more important than hers. I’ve already established that I think that’s true, but I wonder if this is a case of Donna agreeing with me—she knows it but doesn’t want to hear it out loud—or she thinks it’s not true but she doesn’t trust Harvey. But yeah, no, the firm is stronger because they’re a couple, for sure.

Then Louis comes in to argue, again, that they need to get rid of Faye, this time because “she’s turned Katrina against [him],” and Harvey argues right back that they have to use their limited amount of leverage wisely (what leverage) and the “bigger fish” at the moment is getting Donna her vote back. Louis yells that it’s unfair the battle they’re choosing is Harvey’s, especially since it’s Harvey’s fault Faye is there in the first place since this goes all the way back to Harvey hiring Mike; there’s a lot of shouting, and Donna tries to play the voice of reason by insisting that it’s not worth it to be at each other’s throats over Faye because she won’t be there forever. Louis goes to the bullpen to pout (or, uh, reminisce) and Harvey goes to forgive him for blaming him, acknowledging that he was disrespecting Louis, which he knows because Donna accused him of doing the same to her father, and I’m only this saying this one more time, James Paulsen lost his family’s finances on a bad business deal and committed bank fraud to save himself after Harvey stopped him from pilfering his daughter’s 401(k).

ANYWAY.

Final flashback (finally)! Eight years ago, Alex repeatedly tried to give Craig a consolation gift after Bratton gave Alex the Masterson account (for blackmail reasons) but since Alex wouldn’t tell him why he wouldn’t share Masterson, Craig started holding a grudge, so that’s what that’s about. In the present, Alex asks Samantha what Rosalie’s plan is and further asks her to let him fix everything instead, so that’s sweet, I guess, that they’re trying to protect each other, but you know what might work better is if they talked to each other and worked together. Then Harvey shows up with some incredibly clumsy dialogue to fill them in on recent events (“Harvey, what’s going on?” “A lot of things, some of which you know, some of which you don’t. But I’m gonna tell you what they are, and then tomorrow morning we’re gonna put a stop to them.”) and…that’s that? Oh, Louis apologizes to Katrina but asks her to put something else in the code of conduct and “ram it down [Faye’s] throat” rather than try to slip it past her, so that's…colorful.

Alright, I know this next scene is supposed to be very badass, what with the rock music and the power walking and the slow motion effect, but my god it looks so stupid. I mean come on, they’re in slow motion. There’s rock music. Seriously, all that’s missing is a massive explosion in the background. Harvey, Louis, Alex, and Samantha storm Faye’s office and declare that they’re a united front, they trust each other, they’re not hanging Donna out to dry, blah blah whatever. It seems that the addition Louis asked Katrina to make to the code of conduct is a blanket waiver of conflict? Boy, that is…optimistic, but they are boxing themselves into a tiny, tiny corner there. Then they all threaten to resign if she doesn’t start treating them with respect, and points for aiming high, but she’s threatened to fire them and close the firm before; the first thing she said to Louis, right after she arrived, was that if he didn’t hand over control of the firm, she’d have them all suspended from the bar for six months, and in “Special Master” (s09e02), they asked what would happen if they didn’t follow her rules and she said, quote, “You mean if you continue to cross lines? Then you’ll be fired.” Why do they think this is going to be an effective tactic? If I was in her position, I think I’d just be like, “Yeah, okay, good luck in the jobs market with this dumpster fire on your résumé.”

The first example of really open communication so far this episode does unfortunately come with a little bit of a damper on it, and not just the fact that there are only about eight minutes left: Faye asks Gretchen if she told Donna about her divorce, because it was “very painful to have that thrown in [her] face” (she does have a heart!), but as a result of that bullshit the Power Rangers just pulled with their conflict waiver, she’s decided to return Donna’s vote because “maybe [they] all have things [they] can learn from each other.” Oh, Faye. You were doing so well.

Deus ex machina alert: Samantha has…something on Craig that persuades him to finish the Panasonic deal sans blackmail to avoid “mutually assured destruction” (based on what), so that’s convenient. Then Harvey meets with James again, at Harvey’s place this time, to apologize for disrespecting him, James says Harvey and Donna sound like him and Donna’s mother, Harvey says James has an amazing marriage, and this is so much cheap talk without any supporting demonstration that I can’t take any of it seriously at all.

Back in “Stalking Horse” (s08e15), Donna asks her mother if she regrets giving James the money for that business deal that didn’t work out; her mother says no, because how could she have known it would fail, and Donna says, with no clarification, that he’d let her down before (quite a shift from her early assertion in “Live to Fight” that “[her] father has never done anything wrong in his life”). Her mother says he never let her down in ways that matter, but between her claim that James is the “kindest, gentlest, most loving man [she’s] ever met” and his literal attempt to save himself from financial ruin by taking custody of his daughter’s retirement account, I’m starting to wonder if self-delusion isn’t something of a habit in the Paulsen household. And what about that much older daughter who emotionally manipulates all of her romantic partners?

In any event, James admits that he might’ve overreacted (you think?) and also that he’s still having trouble with his business deal and if Harvey could help him out that would be great, and seriously, I have less than no respect for this man.

Rosalie approaches Samantha to thank her for taking care of things with Craig, Samantha thanks her for welcoming her into their home, Alex invites her over to play “a late-night game of Settlers of Catan,” they call her family, it’s all very cute, and then.

And then.

Donna is leaving Rachel a message (more Mike Ross priming, I guess) when Harvey comes in and delightedly brags that her dad loves him, but holy shit character development, he goes on to say that while he knows he needs to share when he disagrees with her, “if [they’re] gonna make this work, [she needs] to come to [him] when something is wrong in [her] life.” Brace yourself, every fic writer who’s ever spent hours agonizing over how to do a proposal scene just right, because I am here to tell you that your efforts are not only good enough, they’re probably too good for mainstream television, because here’s your competition:

“Wait a second. What do you mean ‘if’ this is gonna work?” “Donna, you know we’re gonna be together forever, right?” “Well, not if that’s how you’re gonna ask me.” “Doesn’t matter how I ask you.” “Why not?” “Because we both know however I ask it won’t be exactly the way you would have instructed me to ask, so might as well ask you any way I want.” “Well— That— I—” “Go ahead.” “Okay—” “Keep stumbling. That’s only the second time I’ve ever seen you at a loss for words.” “So, we’re engaged, then?” “Well, I— No, it’s—” “Look who’s stumbling now.”

What. The fuck.

What…the fuck.

Harvey actually says “Sweet baby Jesus” when he sees his mom is calling (that’s a real thing he says, with words from his mouth), she asks how things went with Donna’s dad, he says it went great, he “introduces” her to Donna (over the phone, no video chat), and Donna grabs the phone to tell her “what [her] son just tried to pull off.” Lily is “all ears,” and…fade to black.

So like.

Uh.

The, um. The next episode is the Mike episode.

#suits usa #s09e04 #season 9 #analysis

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dcubang · 5 years

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DCU Bang 2nd Story Claims

Hello! Second claims are now open and artists are free to claim as many stories as they are reasonably sure they can finish! Second claims are optional. Don’t want to claim a second story, or don’t feel like you’ll be able to create something for two stories? You don’t need to claim! I would much rather an artist focuses and creates something awesome for one story, than for an artist to be stressed out trying to create something for two stories. Know your limits and don’t overburden yourself! Each story can be claimed an additional two times. That means there is a potential total of 3 artists per story, and a minimum of 1 artist per story. While unlikely, it would be pretty hectic and stressful for an author to have to coordinate with 16 artists on their story! That’s why there is a limit, and to encourage people to spread the art around to other stories. =D Stories are guaranteed only one artist each. I cannot guarantee that every single story will get a second artist. Please be understanding of this! Second claims will close Saturday, July 13th 23:59 MDT, when all fanworker sign-ups will be closed. How to Make Multiple Claims:

Stories are claimed on a first come, first served basis.

Fill out this Google Form right here

A matching email will go out to both the artist and the author containing each other’s contact information after a claim is successful. I plan to start sending these emails out Sunday morning. You should receive this email no later than 72 hours after I have confirmed the claim. If you don't get this match up email, please get in contact with me ASAP so that artists and authors can get to work quickly! Every story is listed here is not guaranteed a second or third artist! I can only guarantee one artist per story.

If you have any questions or concerns, you can email me at [email protected], or contact me on the DCU Bang Discord!

1 Title: Fly With Me Word Count: About 14k Genre: Fantasy-Adventure Fandom/Universe: Green Lantern, Flash (comics) Characters/Pairings: Barry Allen/Hal Jordan/Guy Gardner/John Stewart/Alan Scott Warnings: Mild/implied body dysphoria Rating: PG-ish Summary: When Watchman Barry Allen arrives to a grisly murder scene, the last thing he expects is the enigmatic dragonlords of the realm to arrive and ask for him specifically. They are handsome and charming, but the existence of enormous fire-breathing flying lizards that seem to exert some kind of... Strange emotional aura is more than a little terrifying. He is introduced to the prince of these dragonlords, Hal, and steps up to be taken back to the towering natural fortress of Oa, a massive hollowed out mountain that sits on the edge of the continent. Called the 'weyr', Oa is home to the dragons and their riders, and Barry soon finds himself welcomed inside with all the honours that a prince might receive. In the morning after a restless night's sleep he is bathed and anointed, and taken down deep beneath the mountain to a holy underground sea, where he must confront the mysterious Lord of Oa and receive the prize for which he had been chosen: A dragon egg, rare and precious. The last third of the story will be hatching the dragon, and a montage of sorts with Barry further bonding with the dragon riders and forming a... Tentative proto-romantic relationship with them. He trains in arms with Guy, learns the histories and concepts of the weyr with John, is taught about the running and logistics of Oa from Alan, and finally Hal tutors him on bonding with his dragon, and eventually flying with it. The broad aesthetic of the fic is very much generic medieval fantasy, set mostly in the mountainous fortress/castle of Oa. Characters vary a little bit from canon appearances, mostly in regards to hairstyles and the like, but a few characters are trans, which is mostly going to be a background detail. There are no warnings except for a crime scene early on (which will be edited down) and brief discussions of trans characters being trans, so there's a bit of mild dysphoria but no explicit details or transphobia/homophobia. There is implied polyamory and age difference, but everyone is consenting adults and nothing is properly established in this fic.

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2 Title: The Case of the Missing Son Word Count: 6,031 of 10k-ish Genre: Mystery, Romance Fandom/Universe: Batman (comics) Characters/Pairings: Bruce Wayne/Dick Grayson, Talia al Ghul, Damian Wayne Warnings: Minor violence Rating: NC-17 Summary: Bruce Wayne has come to PI Dick Grayson with a problem. His ex-wife, Talia al Ghul, has been sending him letters claiming they have a son. Bruce wants Dick to find the boy and bring him home. Dick gathers information from various sources before running into Talia herself, which only results in him getting beat up. He goes back to Bruce to convince him to confront Talia. Eventually, the son goes to Bruce, and Bruce and Dick get some private time together. The story takes place solely in Gotham, from Dick's office, to Wayne Manor, with one trip down into the caves of Gotham for the showdown.

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3 Title: Forth My Mimic Comes Word Count: 19k Genre: Mystery, Supernatural Fandom/Universe: Batman (mostly comics) Characters/Pairings: Gen; Jason Todd, Barbara Gordon, Tim Drake Warnings: past canon character death, non-consensual bodyswap, thoughts that could be construed as non-specific suicidal tendencies (i.e., "I was already dead, if I die again it's no big deal," etc.) Rating: PG/T Summary: Robin saves a boy from being hit by a car, only to discover that the victim is none other than a very alive (if comatose) Jason Todd. An already unusual situation turns even more bizarre when an unfortunate turn of phrase and an errant bit of magic cause Jason and the current Robin to end up in each other's bodies. Knowing it's only a matter of time before Bruce learns of the switch and locks him up in a fit of paranoia, Jason must seek the help of the enigmatic (and familiar) Oracle to fix the problem, all the while learning far more than he ever wanted to know about the boy who replaced him. Takes place immediately following Jason's resurrection in a slightly canon-divergent timeline, primary locations being the clock tower, manor, and cave (and all of Gotham, because patrol).

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4 Title: Pussycat, Pussycat, Where Have You Been? Word Count: 4,579 of 5k Genre: Mystery Fandom/Universe: Batman (comics) Characters/Pairings: Bruce Wayne/Selina Kyle, Tommy Elliot Warnings: Nonconsensual body modification, some torture Rating: PG-13 Summary: Selina Kyle is missing. Bruce finds mannequins and dummies of her around Gotham, each with a modified nursery rhyme about cats. Bruce follows these clues all across Gotham, growing more desperate to find her. Finally, he confronts the villains of Gotham and finds Selina, only to find Hush there as well. They battle and Bruce rescues Selina and takes her back to the Batcave. This takes place solely in Gotham, from the streets and graveyards of Gotham, to beneath Arkham Asylum, to the Batcave.

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5 Title: Daily Gab Word Count: 5776 Genre: Coming Out Fic Fandom/Universe: Batfam Characters/Pairings: Jon/Damian, Damian & Dick Warnings: Bullying Rating: PG-ish Summary: Damian finds a tabloid taped to his locker at school. The headline? "Wayne Kid... Gay?" He endures a day at school listening to the gossip from all the other kids. Dick does the brotherly thing and helps Damian sort through all he's feeling. Damian admits to Jon what the tabloid said and why he's been running scared all day, they talk about the reality of what they want together and Bruce manages to be a real father for once. Summary I'm posting when I post the fic: Damian swallowed against the bile in his throat and carefully took in his next breath, walking himself through the steps of emotional calm. Pretend this was only torture. Pretend it was only a gunshot wound. Pretend it was only his body in pain and not his heart and his mind. Remove himself from the situation and take a few steps backwards from the reality of it.

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6 Title: Stay My Tragedy Word Count: 16k Genre: Drama, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Romance Fandom/Universe: Batman, Deathstroke, Red Hood Characters/Pairings: Slade/Jason Warnings: explicit sex, angst, descriptions of violence, references to self harm, slight dubcon, problematic relationship Rating: NC-17 Summary:

Soul marks can appear at anytime in one’s life -- a mark of karmic destiny that most people take to mean they’ve met the person they’re meant to fall in love with. Jason knows that’s not true. He knows because his soul mark appeared in the very last moments before he died -- marking his destiny to be murdered by the hands of a madman.

It is a world in which fate is unbelievably cruel, when Jason’s soul mark is of none other than the man who murdered him. Slade has other ideas however, and he might just be the one man who can change Jason's tragic fate into something else.

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7 Title: New Horizons Word Count: 6091 Genre: Action/Adventure Fandom/Universe: Canon Divergence/AU Characters/Pairings: Jason Todd, Stephanie Brown, Tim Drake Warnings: Major Character Death, Abusive Parents, Child Trafficking Ring, Drugs Rating: PG Summary: Jason, Tim, and Stephanie meet while Jason still holds the Robin mantle. They band together to take down a child trafficking ring, all while each one is fighting their own personal battles. Stephanie's dad is a small-time crook who is major-times ruining her chances at a better life. Tim's parents are never home--he doubts they could pick him out of a lineup. Jason is suddenly thrust into life with a billionaire (and vigilante), but not everyone might want him there. Story is mostly set in Gotham and Wayne Manor, with a few scenes in Titans Tower. The Major Character Death is Jason, but it happens off screen and in the epilogue. The Abusive Parents is Tim's parents neglecting him. Drugs are a passing mention. The Child Trafficking Ring is a major plot point.

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8 Title: You’re saving Blüdhaven but who saves you? Word Count: 3457 Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Humor Fandom/Universe: Batman/Nightwing comics, Under the Red Hood Characters/Pairings: Dick Grayson, Jason Todd/JayDick – Jason Todd/Dick Grayson Warnings: child’s death, mentions of rape, canon typical violence, non consensual drug use, incest (pseudo-incest? Jason and Dick were adopted), self esteem issues Rating: T/Teen And Up Audiences /PG14+ Summary: After a kid got killed Dick, already in a bad place, decides that his only option to make a difference is to fight crime in a different way. He decides to partner up with a carefully chosen criminal and Red Hood caught his attention even if some of their morals are on the opposite sides of the scale. This somehow leads to Dick having an elusive roommate he developed an attraction to. It’s a shame no one told him Red Hood is in fact Jason. This story is canon divergence or alternate universe and takes place after the events with Blockbuster and Tarantula in Nightwing comics and intertwines with some happenings from Under the Red Hood. The action is placed mainly in Blüdhaven, but there are trips to Gotham and Wayne Manor. The story has a romantic relationship between adopted brothers. The rape is mentioned several times and one of the character is forcibly drugged. It also contains description of child’s death and violence.

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9 Title: A Bit(e) Wild Word Count: 5-6k total, 4k written Genre: mostly Angst/Fluff but some Action/Adventure Fandom/Universe: Losers/Batfamily, no particular series Characters/Pairings: established Jensen/Cougar, will be Jensen/Cougar/Jason Todd later in series. Background canonical Pooch/Jolene, mention of Clay/Aisha. Warnings: Graphic violence, swearing, maybe sex in the flashback Rating: Explicit. Even if no sex happens yet, it will later, and there's also the violence to consider. Summary: The Losers have just barely taken down Max and cleared their names; Jensen's still cleaning up post-mission but they're all back home. Jason Todd's preparing to move back to Gotham and butt heads with Batman when a bit of pest control ends with him bitten by a wolf shifter. He didn't think the Pit's aftereffects would allow him to be changed, or that he'd call the Losers for backup again, but of all the people Talia had him learning from, Cougar's the only shifter he knows he can trust if this IS the dreaded change coming on. Cue frantic phone call. The Losers load up and head out immediately, but Pooch brings his family just in case, Clay rides up with Roque, and Jensen and Cougar lead the charge because they've already got the shifter genes and being bitten again isn't going to do anything to them (Jake is a recent change; Cougar was born a shifter). By the time the others arrive, they've got Jason settled and all three are in their animal forms. Jensen is a wolf, Cougs is a cougar, Jason is a snow leopard. After the first few lessons, Jason gets impatient--maybe the Pit, maybe new instincts, partly the knowledge that the Losers aren't going to just let him leave until he's got enough control over his shifter side to satisfy Cougar. He tries to slip out in the night, half hoping they won't follow him, subconsciously aware this will be much easier with trusted backup. Every Loser was expecting this, though, and when Jason slinks off to Gotham, they're still mostly packed and ready to head out. It doesn't take them long to follow.

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10 Title: where monsters lie (in dead men's dreams) Word Count: ~75k total, 47.7k written (including unfinished draft) Genre: Drama, Horror, Angst Fandom/Universe: Batman Arkham Games, and a lot of creative liberty taken with comic canon and the traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega AU Characters/Pairings: Jason Todd/Dick Grayson, Jason Todd/Bruce Wayne, Bruce Wayne/Dick Grayson Warnings: Non-con, Dub-con, Drugging, Non-traditional ABO Dynamics, Bondage, Descriptions of Torture, Pseudo Incest, Kinky/Rough Sex, Intersexed Characters, Background Polyamory, Angst, Murder Rating: R Summary: Oracle enlists Red Hood's reluctant help to find Batman and Nightwing, who have disappeared during an arms bust deal orchestrated by the Penguin. They've been captured and dosed with a perverted form of the Scarecrow's latest toxin, and the effects of the toxin force the three of them to face their feelings for each other. All Jason wants to do is run away, except Dick won't let him leave. Things grow more complicated when the Penguin re-emerges with a threat none of them had expected, and Jason takes it upon himself to teach the Penguin a permanent lesson. Meanwhile, Dick has been experiencing random bouts of mania and murderous intent, ever since getting dosed with the toxin. By the time he confronts Jason about the Penguin's vicious murder, Jason sees more of the Joker in Dick than he does in his nightmares. Fortunately for them both, there's no mystery in Gotham that Batman can't solve in time. The story is set in Gotham City, 1.5-2 years post the game Batman: Arkham Knight, but also features several flashbacks of bastardized canon scenes from the comics. If you're a stickler for canon, this will probably kill you dead so please bear that in mind. Besides that, there is a single instance of non-con and another instance of molestation. There are also two implied sex scenes which can be considered dub-con. There is pseudo-incest between Jason, Dick and Bruce. The Penguin gets tortured to death but the torture occurs off-screen and only the results are described in graphic detail. The polyamory is mentioned throughout but does not occur on-screen.

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11 Title: The Sacredness of Tears Word Count: 13k Genre: Romance, character study, elements of fantasy and drama/angst Fandom/Universe: Batman comics, set in the future and using events from New Earth and the current continuity Characters/Pairings: Tim Drake/Jason Todd, Tim Drake-centric Warnings: temporary character death, pseudo-incest, canon-typical violence, discussions of mental illness, parental abuse through neglect, swearing Rating: PG-13 (maybe R for swearing?) Summary: Tim Drake Wayne isn’t weak. He can’t be. And now that he can travel through time, he has the perfect tool to make sure he’ll never be vulnerable again. Gradually, Tim’s family, friends, and his slowly blossoming relationship to Jason teach him otherwise. The story is set in Gotham with scenes in Tim’s apartment, the Batcave, a diner and various rooftops. There are scenes with multiple members of the batfamily and Tim’s team. The romantic scenes are focused on cuddling and size difference. The plot spans several years. Tim is eighteen at its beginning and twenty-five at its end. There is one detailed description of a meltdown or anxiety/panic attack. There are discussions of mental illness; some symptoms of depression are shown, especially withdrawing from the world and diminished self-worth, but nothing too bad and absolutely no hint of self-harm or suicide. Jason dies in one scene (not the canonical temporary death), but that is quickly reversed. There are descriptions of injuries. The parental abuse refers to Tim’s and Jason’s canonical backstories, not Bruce (who tries to be a good parent in this).

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12 Title: The Nightingale Word Count: ~14k total, 8.5k written Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Alternate Universe, Drama, Healing Fic (kinda) Fandom/Universe: Batman - All Media Types, Red Hood and the Outlaws Characters/Pairings: Dick Grayson/Jason Todd Warnings: No Warnings Apply Rating: NC-17 Summary: Crushed by the guilt of Jason's death, Dick quits the vigilante life, gives up Nightwing, begs Bruce for a clean slate, and runs away to New York City. He takes shelter at the Nightingale, a nightclub where Dick works as an exotic dancer, a stripper named Richie. Dick uses the blinding stage lights, Bloody Marys, and a mysterious man named Jay to hide his past. However, Dick's rather painful former life is slowly uncovered by Jay through a series of one night stands. Meanwhile, Dick also has some unconventional run-ins with the Red Hood, a supposed antihero working in the tri-state area and associated with the family Dick has not had any relations with for over five years. Old wounds reappear, and Dick's new life slowly falls apart around him as the truth comes to light. Set primarily in NYC, in the Nightingale nightclub and at the different hotel rooms Jay books. Towards the end, Dick and Jason will eventually move back into Gotham City and Wayne Manor. Story takes place five years after Jason's death. Dick's "new" life is an emotional roller coaster of hurt/comfort, a path of healing, a life built on lies, and identity porn woven all throughout it, until it is all untangled in the end.

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13 Title: Between Flight Word Count: ~15k, 10.8k written Genre: Romance, Drama, Humor, Alternate Universe Fandom/Universe: Batman - All Media Types Characters/Pairings: Dick Grayson/Jason Todd Warnings: No Warnings Apply Rating: PG-13 Summary: Jason is a 15-year-old orphan, living at a crappy orphanage, going to school because it is the only fun in life, and dreaming of the day he becomes eighteen. After a little altercation with a pickpocket, Jason meets Robin, and from that night on, Jason could not get rid of the Boy Wonder. Coincidentally, Dick Grayson starts at Jason's school as well, and decides to befriend him of all people. Jason finds himself being tugged in two directions - towards a charming and talkative circus boy with a past similar to his, and towards Gotham's own hero in scaly panties. Over the course of a couple weeks, Jason is dumped at a school dance, kissed on rooftops, taken on dates a couple times a week, and even glared at by the Batman himself. Needless to say, Jason finds that his life is a lot more interesting after he met both Dick and Robin. But of course things smell fishy to Jason. Especially when Robin knows tricks that only Mr. Circus Boy can do. Or when Dick uses the same girly shampoo as the teen hero. Or when their identical disarming smiles send bursts of happiness straight through Jason's heart. Batman might be the World's Greatest Detective, but Jason Todd is not so shabby either. Set primarily at Jason and Dick's high school, the orphanage, the rooftops of Gotham City, the luxurious halls of Wayne Manor, with special appearances of "date" locations around the city. Jason is 15, while Dick is 17.

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14 Title: Moon Dust On Your Lips Word Count: ~6100 Genre: Romance, First Time, Mutual Pining Fandom/Universe: Batman and Green Lantern, no specific canon Characters/Pairings: Bruce Wayne/Hal Jordan Warnings: Mild sub/Dom, explicit sex, biting and bruising, praise kink Rating: NC-17 Summary: The Justice League is trying to expand their potential pool of allies in the known universe, and with the help of their Green Lanterns, they set off to personally negotiate with as many people as they can. Everyone is involved, but it mostly falls to Bruce/Batman and Hal Jordan. The longer Bruce and Hal work together, the more Bruce let's Hal see under the cowl, and the more Hal starts to like what he sees. Bruce even accepts advice from Hal on an issue dealing with his children. Then Hal, returning exhausted from a mission to Oa, loses his temper at the tail end of a League meeting. He says something stupid within Batman's hearing, and then goes off to get decidedly drunk with Barry. Hal confesses that he has a crush on Bruce, but there isn't anyway that he can see it ever happening, so he decides to just ignore it and move on with his life. Bruce doesn't exactly get the memo right away, but as soon as Hal starts physically distancing himself from Bruce as much as possible, their tentative friendship falls to the wayside. Soon, Bruce and Hal are back to being uneasy coworkers. It culminates with Bruce and Hal on the return trip of another successful negotiation, when their escorts decide to up and leave them in the Middle of Nowhere, Spaceville in a small, cramped, one man space pod. There's an argument, confessions, and then sex, before being rescued. The story takes place in a variety of locations, including Wayne Manor, the Watchtower, Barry's apartment, and the space pod. The sex will include Bruce manhandling a very willing Hal, with some rougher edges (biting and bruising, praise kink).

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15 Title: Happy Middles Word Count: ~4600 Genre: PWP Fandom/Universe: Batman and Green Lantern, no specific canon Characters/Pairings: Bruce Wayne/Hal Jordan Warnings: Somnophilia, Dirty Talk, Praise Kink, Noise Kink Rating: NC-17 Summary: Basically a slice of life PWP about the time Hal and Bruce make for each other, specifically how Bruce's ends his nights and how Hal starts his days. Bruce comes home early from a shortened patrol and joins Hal in bed a few hours before Hal has to go to work. Hal falls back asleep, and then wakes Bruce up when he starts exhibiting signs of a wet dream. Bruce pleasures Hal until he wakes up, and then gets Hal off. Hal turns the tide on Bruce, teasing him until Hal decides he's ready to ride Bruce to their mutual completion. This takes place solely in Bruce's and Hal's bedroom in the Manor, described as having a darker color scheme with blues, blacks, and grays. All kinks are negotiated prior to the story, as this is a well established, husbands!fic. No noncon here.

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16 Title: Hold Me Tight (or Don't) Word Count: 6055 Genre: Mystery, Angst, possible supernatural elements Fandom/Universe: Batman, no specific universe Characters/Pairings: Bruce Wayne, Talia al Ghul, Conner Kent, Jason Todd Warnings: Medical experiments, but non-graphic Rating: Teen Summary: Sometimes, a Family is you, your Beloved's dead kid in a coma, and your Beloved's best friend's "clone" who's other gene donor is sort-of kind-of your boss off to play at politics Or There’s been a rash of robberies in Gotham, leaving Batman puzzled as to what the villains are up to, all the while seeing Jason appear to him, even though he’s been dead for a few weeks. Meanwhile. Talia takes care of a comatose Jason, while discovering Lex’s secret project taking a form no one expected. On the other side of bay/river, Clark is investigating a mysterious Cadmus fire, under a building Lex Luthor (who is now the president) owns. Not to mention the mysterious new villain who may be more connected to the robberies in Gotham that it seems.

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17 Title: untitled as of yet! Word Count: 3039 Genre: 5+1 things, fluff, probably eventual smut Fandom/Universe: dc extended universe, films 2013-present Characters/Pairings: Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne Warnings: none Rating: T at the moment, will likely slide into M/E Summary: After a few months of working together side-by-side as a team while not actively trying to kill each other (even in their spare time), Clark realizes he’s developed Feelings for Bruce. He knows Bruce is stubborn and self-isolating, so he decides the best plan is to figure out a way to make things a little (incidentally) romantic without scaring off Bruce: little notes on rooftops, a dubiously agreed upon makeover by Lois, advice from Barry and Victor and Diana—even Alfred ends up in on the game. Unfortunately for Clark, Bruce is even more slippery (or oblivious) than he ever imagined. Maybe what Clark really needs is a little help from a Higher Authority… or, the five times Clark Kent tried (and failed) to seduce Bruce Wayne, and the one time Bruce Wayne allowed himself to be epically seduced.

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18 Title: the weight of eventuality Word Count: 24,000 Genre: Romance, /Action, Drama Fandom/Universe: CWTV Flash (2014) Characters/Pairings: Barry Allen/Leonard Snart, Team Flash Warnings: canon typical violence, graphic sex Rating: NC-17 Summary: Life was pretty great for Barry Allen, honestly. Team Flash successfully pulled him out of the Speed Force, he still had his job, and all of his friends and family where there to support him. Eddie and Iris were expecting their first child, and even with everything that happened between Caitlin and Julian, the team worked as well as ever together. Barry didn't want to tell them that he was still slipping backward and forward in time, or that every night the Speed Force made him witness the death of Leonard Snart. Rescuing Leonard was easy. Falling in love with him? not really part of the plan. With Captain Cold back in Central City, it was hard to remember that there were other people out there who wanted to do more than flirt and steal pretty jewelry. It was just a matter of time until they made their move. This story takes place mostly in Central City, with a detour into the Speed Force. There isn't really anything to warn for, I think. There's an explicit consensual sex scene near the end of the story, and canon typical violence and injury. There's some mention of minor medical procedures. There's technically some torture, but that happens off screen and Barry is in the speed force of the entirety of it, so there's no graphic detail.

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19 Title: your continental divides Word Count: 9k Genre: Hurt/Comfort Fandom/Universe: DCU. not set in a specific universe, borrows from several continuities. Characters/Pairings: Dick Grayson centric, Batfam and company, Gen Warnings: non-con Rating: PG-13 Summary: After Catalina Flores, Dick is dealing the way Bruce taught him: push it down and carry on. It's not working out very well, and people are starting to catch on. The story is set mostly in Gotham, and guests a few characters besides the batfam (mostly Wally and Roy). It's essentially just an exercise in letting Dick be comforted by the people who love him. This focuses on dealing with the sexual assault from Nightwing #93. The assault is not graphically depicted but is referenced and discussed, in addition to self-destructive behaviors and a variety of coping mechanisms.

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20 Title: Broken Wings and Notched Arrows. Word Count: Around 6-6.5k total. 4,280 written Genre: Action, Romance, Drama. Fandom/Universe: Young Justice, Batman. Characters/Pairings: Will Harper (Roy Harper's clone)/ Jason Todd Warnings: Temporary Character death, mild language, mild violence, small age gape, Rating: NC-17 Summary: The only thing Will Harper wanted to be doing that fine winter morning was to play dress up with his beautiful daughter Lian. What he got however was a surprise visit from the legendary Bruce "Batman" Wayne. And if that wasn't a big enough shock being hired by said legend was icing on the cake. So now instead of spending Christmas with Lian Will is kind of, maybe being held against his will on Infinity Island. Bright side he did find Jason Todd like he was hired to. This story takes place in multiple locations. The main set is in the Caribbeans, mostly Infinity Island and the League of Assassins HQ. It also show cases Will's home in Star City and a major fight screen in Gotham. There is no major warnings. Temporary Character death as Jason Todd doesn't stay dead for long. Some violence but nothing more then a few short details of fight scenes. No gore just a little blood.

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21 Title: Masks Word Count: 7,783 Genre: Action/Adventure and Romance Fandom/Universe: Batman Comics, post-Infinite Crisis Characters/Pairings: Dick Grayson/Jason Todd, Alfred Pennyworth Warnings: Incest, canon typical violence, explicit sex Rating: NC-17 Summary: Continuation of pre-new 52 canon. Jason's back in Gotham. All he wants to do is figure out how he can successfully help fix his city, without falling foul of the rest of the Bats and the GCPD again. He's even hung up his red hood in an attempt to stay under the radar. When he discovers that Alfred is in danger from the gang he's investigating, he infiltrates a costume ball at Wayne Manor in disguise as a supervillain. He ends up flirting with Dick to stop him interfering with the rescue plan. Dick doesn't realise who he is and flirts back until they end up making out furiously in a closet. Afterwards neither of them can get the encounter out of their heads, and they start to get to know each other again. Featuring conversations with Alfred, Dick attending a party in a Superman costume, Jason spray painting his red hood grey, everyone rescuing each other and lots and lots of pining. Warning for pseudo-incest between the adopted brothers, Dick and Jason when they reach adulthood.

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22 Title: Sleeping Beauty Syndrome Word Count: 9k written. Genre: Romance, Angst, Fairytale Rewrite Fandom/Universe: Nightwing, Red Hood and the Outlaws Characters/Pairings: Dick Grayson/Jason Todd Warnings: Horror, gore Rating: PG-13 Summary: Dick Grayson and Jason Todd have been living the perfect life. Happily married for more than five years with two perfect sons, they have everything they could possibly need. Unfortunately, good things don't last forever. Struck by a spell during a mission, Jason's mind has been scattered, putting him into a deep sleep and the only way to wake him up is for Dick to put his pieces back together. The task won't be as easy because each part of Jason has been hidden within a fairy tale, a world tempting Dick to make one wrong move and doom his husband and himself forever. The story will take place over multiple locations, including rewrites of fairy tales like Snow White, Alice in Wonderland, Little Red Riding Hood, The Princess and the Pauper, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty.

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23 Title: we just now got the feeling that we're meeting (for the first time) Word Count: Around 36K (34K written) Genre: Drama, Romance, Fluff, Angst Fandom/Universe: Superman and Batman, DCEU canon/movie canon Characters/Pairings: Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne; Lex Luthor, Diana Prince, Barry Allen, Arthur Curry, Victor Stone Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Rating: Teen Summary: While fighting Lex Luthor for his latest weapon, a time weapon, Bruce Wayne gets hit and sent back twenty years into the past. Meeting Clark Kent on some snowy mountain side in Alaska was not exactly what Bruce thought would happen, but he’s here now and there’s nothing for him to do except wait for his team to pull him back to the future. Unfortunately, he doesn’t quite know when that will be, so sticking with Clark is his best option. Of course, it would be much easier if Bruce wasn’t already pining for Clark in the future. How long until Bruce is pulled back into the future, and will he be able to stop himself from falling in love with Clark Kent in the past and potentially creating a time paradox? This story is set in a couple of locations. Most of it is set in the past in Alaska during the beginning of Clark’s pilgrimage, specifically in the Denali National Park. Other locations include the Wayne-Turned-League Manor, Bruce’s Lake-House in Gotham city, and the lake itself! Primarily it involves young versions of Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne, although the very beginning section and at the last few parts of the end is focused on the present/older versions of them. There are no Archive Warnings that apply to this story. It is mainly an excuse to just write cute scenes of Bruce and Clark falling in love in the snow with the added bit of dealing with time travel, with a lot of focus on Bruce Wayne's character! The most rated this story goes is the occasional swear word.

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24 Title: Scarlet Tears Word Count: 12,914 Genre: Action Fandom/Universe: AU Characters/Pairings: Barry Allen/Leonard Snart Warnings: mention mpreg Rating: M+ Summary: Leonard and Mick take a mini vacation from the Legends and head back to Central City. It is there they find out things aren't as them left it. A certain speedster has the attention of Captain Cold when an accident happen will he be able to resist staying away from this particular speedster?

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25 Title: Absent Shadows Word Count: 3487 Genre: Action/Adventure, Hurt/Comfort Fandom/Universe: Justice League Animated/Teen Titans Characters/Pairings: Robstar & Superbat Warnings: None Rating: NC-17 Summary: Starfire can’t believe her eyes when Robin sends her his resignation from the team, in fact she doesn’t believe it all. As she investigates Robin’s disappearance, she considers his similarities with his father and in the chaos, she meets a fellow traveller to this strange planet she calls home. Whilst they learn about each other, she seeks his experience when falling in love with both Earth and more specifically men from a certain family.

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26 Title: Make an Ass of U and Me Word Count: probably 10k-12k (6k written) Genre: Romance, Comedy Fandom/Universe: DCEU Characters/Pairings: Clark/Bruce, Dick&Bruce Warnings: sort of assumed incest, but no actual incest Rating: Teen Summary: Bruce neglects to tell the newly formed Justice League that he has a son, because he and Dick aren't talking to each other . Until they suddenly are. Unfortunately, he doesn't clarify who exactly Dick is to him, so Clark gets the wrong impression. Or: Five times Clark thought Dick was Bruce's boyfriend, and the one time he found out the truth. Contains lots of unfounded jealousy, misunderstandings, Dick being delightful, and Clark being a mess. Lots of domestic settings, mostly around the lake house and the batcave, with the exception of one battle scene.

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27 Title: Honey Trap Word Count: 7.7k Genre: Porn-with-plot, crime/modern AU Fandom/Universe: DCU (Comics) Characters/Pairings: Slade Wilson/Jason Todd, Dick Grayson Warnings: Consent issues (consent is there on both sides, but dubious on one side due to situation), manipulation, some BDSM-style kink Rating: NC17 Summary: Slade's used to dealing with informants. Most get caught in the screening process before they ever get a hold of anything useful, but this one, 'Jason Todd,' gets as far as working in the lower ranks of his organization before Billy drops the file on his desk. Another attempt at an undercover CI from Detective Grayson, this time just some random arrested civilian, instead of a fellow officer. Billy would prefer that he throw him out now, but Todd's not bad looking, and Slade likes the idea of ruining this plant just like he ruined the last one. Modern AU, no-capes. Aside from sex scenes, one character is primarily in part/all of a suit throughout scenes. As Slade is aware from the start that Jason's a plant, the sex has some consent issues. Jason is doing it partly to ingratiate himself, and Slade absolutely manipulates him into it. However, Jason enjoys/consents to everything that happens, it's only the situation that's sketchy.

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28 Title: Don't Let Your Yearnings Get Ahead of Your Earnings Word Count: 7.2k Genre: Western, technically Romance Fandom/Universe: DCU (Comics) Characters/Pairings: Slade Wilson/Jason Todd Warnings: Some non-consensual touching, non-sexual Rating: PG-13 Summary: Slade Wilson is a bounty hunter, one of the best in the business. The contracts that specify 'alive and unharmed' are rarer, but usually worth the extra bonus that comes with. This one is definitely not. Jason Todd was supposed to be just another young outlaw with more balls than brains, not a slippery sharpshooter who Slade would have to chase halfway to the next town. And just to add to everything, he still has to get the damned boy all the way back. That's going to be fun. Western AU with bounty-hunter Slade and an outlaw-ish Jason. Most of the story is traveling, but there will be an inside-mansion scene near the end with Roman Sionis. No real warnings for this. There's some brief non-consensual touching of intimate bits, but it's entirely non-sexual.

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29 Title: [insert song lyric here] Word Count: 8084 Genre: It's a slowburn at its core, with action and drama mixed in Fandom/Universe: DCAU's Justice League/Unlimited Characters/Pairings: Bruce Wayne/Wally West, Shayera Hol, J'onn J'onzz, John Stewart, Diana, Clark Kent Warnings: human trafficking, threat of dub/non-con, language, sexual themes Rating: R Summary: Ever since their run in with the Justice Lords, Flash and Batman reached a new stage in their teammates-but-not-quite-friendship. The only problem is Flash is the only one who seems to think that, so he decides to see how far he can push at Batman's annoyance level before the Bat snaps at him. Unfortunately for Flash, their job keeps getting in the way, including but not limited to stumbling upon a human trafficking ring and a worldwide invasion. When the dust settles, Flash finds himself wanting more from the man under the cowl, and the harder Batman pulls away, the harder Flash is drawn to the man and his elusiveness. The Fastest Man Alive needs to rely on his patience if he wants to get anywhere in his quest. This story takes place throughout the entirety of DCAU's Justice League as well as the first two seasons of Justice League Unlimited, with the main locations being the Watchtower and Wayne Manor. The human trafficking and threat of dub/non-con are contained to two scenes in which a main character falls into trouble, but nothing too graphic occurs. Still, the subject matter isn't everyone's cup of tea. The R rating is just to be extra safe.

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30 Title: Anachronistic Crises Crossover Word Count: 8k Genre: Gen, Crossover, Fluff Fandom/Universe: Red Robin, Batman- All Media Types, DC Comics Characters/Pairings: Jason Todd (Post Crisis),Tim Drake, Jason "Jay" Todd (Pre-Crisis)/Rena(Pre- crisis), Jason "Jay" Todd (Pre-Crisis), Rena(Pre- crisis) Warnings: Period Typical homophobia, possible inclusions of bad mental health care later Rating: T (just to be safe) Summary: Coming off of the Search for Ray Palmer, Jason Todd reconciled with his family. Just in time for Batman's apparent death. After an international adventure that led them to finding the batman, said batman in his Hyper-Adapter crazed state seemingly vaporized them with Omega Energy. Jason and Tim wake up to find themselves stranded in Gotham, New Jersey where its somehow the April of 1986. Tim takes the lead and stalks a young person also named Jason Todd- who is very unlike the one he knows. The Alfred Pennyworth with him seems similar enough though. In there efforts to observe this world's Bat-family Tim ends up having to go to high school again- where the shear amount of brightly colored clothes that are either skin tight or falling off makes him want to claw his eyes out. Jason is comparatively having a much better time as a librarian in the Gotham Public Library to fund their tiny studio apartment with money that doesn't look fake for the time period. Night work continues as well, with Red Hood and the vigilante named by the media as "Shrike". Their quick and calculated moves on the Gotham drug trade lead them to colliding first with this world's Robin. Jason alone is confronted by the Batman, and nearly has a panic attack though Tim will never be privy to that information. Gotham is a not as insane back drop of retro-not-so-chic. Jason enjoys the small pleasures of being legally alive and having a job. Tim doesn't cope well without all his compact gadgetry and hates school- but likes the closeted lesbian couple he meets. A budding bat-detective trying to figure out who these new and weird people are, and who these new sci-fi like vigilantes are. Will the people back home in Tim and Jason's Gotham ever succeed in getting them home? The entire fic takes place in either version of Gotham, with the exception of the Watchtower being there for like 5 minutes. Post-Crisis Gotham features locations like Oracle's clock-tower Jason is wearing his Under the Red Hood costume, Tim cosplays as knock off Midnighter (red robin), Bruce has blue accents and trunks, and Robin-Jay makes Jason re-live cold nights in hot-pants and pixie boots.

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31 Title: Batsons Be Crazy Word Count: 11,169 words Genre: Fluff With Plot Fandom/Universe: Batfam + Shazam basically DCU leaning towards the comics Characters/Pairings: Damian Wayne/Billy Batson Warnings: None Apply Rating: Teen Summary: The story takes place over a year, a year of Billy and Damian teaming up, falling in love, and meeting family. Damian has never liked anyone before, while Billy sees the best in everyone and will fall in love at the drop of a hat. Their romance isn't a crazy one, it's one built off of trust, comfort, and most importantly, a love of animals. Their romance brings them to many places, including Canada, Dick Grayson's apartment, and the dinner table in the manor. No warning apply except maybe underage because Damian is 17 when he begins to peruse Billy as a romantic interest, but doesn't start seeing him until he's 18.

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32 Title: The Past Still Ties You Down Word Count: 7k Genre: Angst, Romance Fandom/Universe: The Flash (TV) Characters/Pairings: Barry Allen/Leonard Snart Warnings: implied/referenced violence and abuse, alcohol abuse Rating: NC-17 Summary: On another earth, Barry falls in love with the most hated man in Central City - mob boss Leonard Snart. Only, Central doesn’t know Len like he does. They didn’t grow up with him like Barry did, sleeping in the bed above him, patching up his wounds and crawling under the covers with him when his bullies had been especially cruel. Even as the years go by - where Len is no longer a teenage boy forced into a life he didn't choose and Barry is no longer the child still grieving his mother while hating the father who killed her - they can't seem to let go of each other. Set in multiple locations in Central City, including a foster home, hospital, and the West house. The violence and abuse are not actually shown, but the aftermath is (ie. patching up wounds, some blood, some discussion of specific actions after the fact).

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33 Title: Unfortunate Souls Word Count: around 8-9k total, 4958 written Genre: Dark Fairy Tale Fandom/Universe: Batman, Batfamily Characters/Pairings: Dick Grayson/Jason Todd, Jason Todd/Slade Wilson, Dick Grayson/Slade Wilson, Dick Grayson/Jason Todd/Slade Wilson Warnings: dub con (may have a bad ending that pushes it into non con) Rating: Explicit, NC-17 Summary: Based off of The Little Mermaid (Disney film mixed with aspects of the original fairy tale) as well as fandom-type Mer AU’s. With red-headed Jason taking the part of Ariel, Dick as Prince Eric, and Slade as Ursula. Jason, adopted prince of King Bruce’s underwater kingdom, is fascinated by all things human. One night, while stargazing on the surface, he decides to follow a ship out of curiosity. On the ship is a handsome human prince who steals his heart. After an accident, Jason risks his life to save the human, which puts him at odds with Bruce. After inadvertently challenging Bruce during an argument about his ‘hobby’, Jason flees the realm and accepts the offer of octo-mer Deathstroke, a one-time rival of Bruce’s, to turn him human. But Slade’s intentions are murky and hidden. He wants Bruce’s throne, his son, and if he gets a human pet out of the deal, that’s just one more trophy to show that he is the stronger Mer. The story is set in the underwater mer kingdom ruled by Bruce; Slade’s underwater lair; and the idyllic land kingdom of Bludhaven, ruled by Price Richard. I haven’t decided whether I want a happy ending, like the film, where Jason and Dick ride off into the sunset or a bad ending where Slade gets everything he wants. If happy, there will be some dub con between Jason and Slade when they make the agreement and later when Slade is using magic to enthrall Dick. If I go with the bad ending, there will likely be some non con.

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34 Title: You Will See Me Word Count: 6,146 Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Character Analysis, Canon-divergent Fandom/Universe: Young Justice Characters/Pairings: Arsenal (Roy Harper), Artemis Crock, Roy Harper (Will Harper), Oliver Queen, Dinah Lance, Lian Harper || Oliver/Dinah, Arsenal & Artemis Warnings: Trauma, PTSD, Realistic depictions of injury, Physical Disability, Recovery Rating: PG-13 Note: Arsenal, and thus Roy, are trans men in this fic. Summary: After being rescued from the clutches of Lexcorp, a cryochamber, and no future, Arsenal struggles to find his grip on life. Between the vast amounts of anger, fear, and loss, he fights to cling to autonomy. A mentor he feels betrayed him, a clone he isn't sure how to relate to, and a couple of badass women who may not have known him, but are here for him, Arsenal is just learning to live again. A heavy introspection fic on the nature of the trauma Arsenal has been through, and his road to healing. Exploring the relationships he has with Oliver, Dinah, Roy, and Artemis especially, but others as well. The two weeks between his rescue, and his first mission with the team are rife with trouble and struggle, but he has a fire and a determination in him that will get him through. The hell of the War World and the true recovery afterwards. Learning to forgive Oliver, learning to accept Roy for himself, a separate entity than himself, getting to know Artemis and the real and true bond they form. Forgiveness, healing, and his fair share of slips and bumps, Arsenal finds closure, acceptance, and comfort in his life.

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35 Title: Build Me A Place (we'll call it home) Word Count: 6,800 story (+outline of ending) Genre: Fluff, Minor Angst Fandom/Universe: Batman, Superman, Justice League Characters/Pairings: Bruce Wayne/Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent, Louis Lane, Kara Danvers Warnings: None Rating: PG-13 Summary: Kryptonians are not human. It’s easy to forget, even for Clark. That being an alien means more than his powers. There are traits rooted into the DNA, coming out in the subconscious, until not even Clark notices. Kryptonians, among other things, build Bowers for their mates, beautiful homes to settle into. It’s more than a tradition, it’s a way of life. When Clark begins to redecorate, he doesn't know why it matters so much to him. And why it hurts so badly when Bruce doesn’t even care.

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36 Title: Little Scab Word Count: 6,246 words Genre: gen, family, found family, community Fandom/Universe: DCU, Batfam, Red Hood Characters/Pairings: Jason Todd, Damian Wayne, Cassandra Cain, OFC, Bruce Wayne, Batfam Warnings: violence, descriptions of abuse, non-graphic allusions to sex acts Rating: M for violence, adult themes Summary: Red Hood is not a hero to most. Outlaw, yes. Killer... yes. He and his estranged family all serve some role as self-described protectors, but only Jason Todd delivers his justice in blood. However, following one good deed and the start of a fledgling friendship, Jason finds the Red Hood tasked with leading a self defense class for some of Gotham's most vulnerable—homeless, prostitutes, and runaways. When the Batfamily members start catching on, will they approve? First appears Robin. Then Black Bat. Who next? What will Batman ultimately do about his wayward ward stirring up Crime Alley? Can Jason be trusted to keep Gotham safe? The story is set in Gotham, featuring set pieces like Crime Alley, warehouses, tall buildings, the Bat cave, and more. It features many Batfam characters as well as several OCs all taking part in self defense instruction, with a few action scenes thrown in. The story does contain graphic violence, including allusions to or descriptions of past physical, sexual, and/or psychological abuse. It deals with mature themes but is ultimately about forging friendships, building community, and becoming better stewards of Gotham.

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Second claims will close Saturday, July 13th 23:59 MDT, when all fanworker sign-ups will be closed.

#DC comics #DC animated universe #DC art #dceu #dc universe

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theonceoverthinker · 5 years

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OUAT 4X08 - Smash the Mirror

Am I reviewing two episodes at once, or is this just a MIRROR-age?!:?! XD

...Told you I was funny.

Okay, I’ve said it before, but the best thing about this rewatch are the little surprises you find along the way while watching. This is one of them and I had a LOT to say about just how good it really was. So, if you want to join me under the cut, maybe we’ll have some fun!

Main Takeaways

Past

I love how this episode holds to the spirit of “Frozen” in that Anna and Elsa’s love is more powerful than Ingrid’s manipulation. I think it was a great writing decision that allowed for the actual story of the episode to go in a much cooler (pardon the pun) story with a much more tragic twist to take place as a result. Additionally, the reveal scene of this story twist is such a fantastic moment! It’s beautifully orchestrated for the intense mood the scene starts out with. And the acting as Elsa plays the guards is just so real and hysterical in hindsight! Even still, once the ruse was revealed, I was grinning like a fool.

Really, Anna and Elsa are the heart of this segment (Favorite Dynamic was next to IMPOSSIBLE for this two-parter). Literally EVERY scene that they share bathes us is their love for one another. In every scene of this flashback, these two were either holding each other close, goofing off, throwing bits of wit at each other, or some combination of the three. We see their post-”Frozen” sisterhood and because “Frozen” ended just as they reconciled, that’s something we didn’t get to see a lot of at the time of this episode’s airing. But here, their dynamic is celebrated and given a giant fireworks display!

And I LOVE how this extends to the tragic ending of the story. Elsa, faced with so much anger and resentment from Anna and Ingrid egging her on, fucking REFUSES to betray her sister. Even as this is an ultimate loss, it is still a triumph! And that’s because Ingrid basically had to cheat to win. It took what basically amounted to Deus Ex Machina’s next door neighbor to split these two up and that’s just too beautiful!

Present

There’s a real solid heart to this episode that for me, was somewhat lacking in the past few episode, either due to a lack of focus or just a lack of understanding of what was needed to do with their characters for the stories they wanted to tell.

Now, I’m going to talk about what I found to be the two biggest aspects of this segment, but first, I want to take some time to address some of the smaller bits.

First off, a relatively minor moment, but something that was important to me was Snow’s call in Part 1. I really appreciate that not only was Snow the one to answer the phone, but she wasted NO time apologizing to Emma for her behavior in the last episode. That was so necessary and upon seeing this episode again, it really restored a lot of my love for Snow. And the way Snow insists that this apology matters when Emma says it doesn’t was incredibly heartwarming! AND the way that this attitude prevails throughout the episode is even better!

Second, also from Part 1 is the conversation Snow and David have in their bedroom about whether or not Emma should give up her magic. It’s a scene like this that makes me happy that this episode was done in two parts. It’s allowed to be a slow, semi-detailed, character filled conversation. David and Snow can be fleshed out in regards to their thought processes. Snow is so full of regret and really wants to learn from the mistake she made in the last episode. For her, taking the opposite approach to Emma’s magic is that (And rightly). And David cares about Emma’s autonomy, showing support for her choice. Both approaches are done out of love, well meaning, and supportive, and while Emma doesn’t give up her magic, the validity and love from her parents on display in this scene. And I also love how Elsa becomes a third party in this scene. Elsa knows as someone who has powers that they can be something that makes someone special and more importantly can be controlled. She doesn’t want Emma to give up her magic because she knows that this is just as much an act of self-loathing as much as it is a means of protection for those she loves. And that determines her to, upon hearing the conclusion Snow and David reach, take fate into her own hands.

Third, ALSO from Part 1 (And sort of Part 2), while I hated “The Apprentice,” I LOVE the resolution to it. Killian’s voicemail apologizing to Emma is something that’s so amazing to me. Killian holds nothing back as he exposes how he knows what Rumple’s capable of thanks to that hat. His remorse and regret is so strong and sincere and it shows how despite Rumple’s claims, he really does want to be and is becoming a better man. And as further evidence, Killian tries to actually morally persuade Rumple not to hurt Emma. He’s not just spewing threats at him, but is actually starting to use his heart to convince even his greatest enemy not to hurt someone. As for the rest of this scene, I’ll see you shortly to talk about that. ;)

Fourth, now onto Part 2, I want to do something different and combine two scenes: Regina and Henry’s talk upstairs and Regina’s subsequent takedown of Snow and David. I find that these two scenes are deeply connected and while talking about them apart would be great, talking about them together might be better! Regina’s words about denying Henry his specialness is made so much better because of the Regal Believer scene it soon follows. You see how Regina has come to not only respect that specialness of Henry’s, but to adore it and regret shunning it before. This is some fantastic evidence of all of Regina’s growth and fills in an important piece of the Regal Believer puzzle. You see her criticize that past action and Lana sells that calm regret that Regina has so well! And then Regina passes the advice along to Snow and David. This might be one of my favorite instances of Regina reflecting her teachings onto another because the specific circumstances of the situation she’s relating are a lot more domestic in their origins and yet equal in a sense between the points of comparison. I’ll illuminate my point a bit better in the next spot, but it’s important when making comparisons for common ground between two characters to be common in both substance and impact and the impact of Emma giving up her magic is painted with an urgency that brings that and Regina’s behavior towards Henry in Season 1 to a point where that commonness is felt.

Fifth, we gotta talk about Snow and Regina’s talk on the road. First, I wish Regina’s line about whether or not doing good things in order to be redeemed truly has the value of doing good been expanded on more. It was the most interesting thing to come out of Snow and Regina’s conversation and just like the conversations and scenes I gushed about above, I think it had the potential to be just as good a diving more into Regina’s redemption arc. Second, ”You know how selfish and shallow I could be as a child.” ...I hate this line. Being a pain in the ass child is not in the same legion as Regina’s crimes and in a conversation that has so much more potential for depth, I hate that this was the narrative point they decided to go for. Hell, why didn’t Snow instead vaguely allude to what went down with Maleficent? We’d have gotten better foreshadowing and an example of evil from Snow that would serve to put them more on the same level, making the conversation so much stronger. BUT that all having been said, I really like how the conversation ends. It’s not that deep, but it does touch upon the point that while change isn’t happening as fast as Regina wants it to, her choice to make good decisions rather than poor ones is how she’ll change her life for the better.

Finally, sixth, the heart stealing. You KNEW I was gonna talk about this and YES! Let’s do it!!! In many ways, the start of this scene feels very much like an ending. Killian’s celebrating Emma’s safety and looking to free himself while Rumple mourning his loss. BUT I love the sharp turn this scene takes as Rumple slowly reveals what’s next to come, namely for Killian. @lillpon did an AMAZING analysis of this scene that I can’t find, but does SUCH justice to the slow and methodical way Killian’s realization and subsequent horror plays out. Seeing Killian wiggle around terrified, panicked, and desperate is a horrifying experience to watch, but not a narratively poor one at all. It’s the real star of the Golden Hook arc of Season 4 for me and the best chunk of narrative that they get throughout the series (I’ll have some explaining to do in season 7, won’t I? Not saying it’s bad, but not as good as what we see now). There’s such menace in Rumple’s voice with every line spoken and unlike in “The Apprentice,” the promise of this scene is completely delivered on and that’s why I love it. We see the torture Rumple inflicts on Killian’s body and morals over the course of the next few episodes and it hurts because we see how Killian tried to change his ways. But it doesn’t matter. Because he’s Rumple’s puppet now.

Okay, now onto the big points about this segment, namely, our two real mains: Rumple and Emma.

Rumple is amazing in this episode. His villainy blossoms in such a spectacular way that it’s really something to behold! First off, let’s start with his introduction. I LOVE the reveal of Emma’s presence in Rumple’s shop. While it’s a slow moment and honestly probably could’ve been cut from the episode, it’s nonetheless a COOL moment. I love how all of Rumple’s baubles slowly go off one by one as we build to the reveal that not only is Emma in the shop, but that Rumple’s not at all surprised nor freaked out by it. He knows what Emma’s up to and he uses his knowledge of Ingrid’s scheme as well as the story that Emma tells him about Henry to his full advantage. Rumple presses just the right buttons as to maximize Emma’s fear and get her to agree to whatever it is that she needs to in order to protect those that she loves. His most every move is sinister, whether he’s gloating at Ingrid, manipulating Emma, or torturing Killian. Scary Rumple is honestly my favorite Rumple we get this in droves. When Rumple CAN reveal his plans or intentions, he becomes terrifying and Robert Carlyle sells every terrifying chuckle, word, and sneer and when he needs to play it cool for Emma, the shift to acting like someone not entirely unselfish but not entirely selfish either gives this story a perfect pinch of dramatic irony.

It’s sickening, but in the absolute best way. Rumple’s the Iago of this story and while not entirely bereft of nuance, the narrative makes no qualms about that fact.

There’s this great moment in the mansion where for all that Rumple’s manipulating Emma, he’s also being so honest with her about who he is. Perhaps it’s because he believes she’s gonna die soon or just because of the dynamic they’ve had so far, but Rumple is refreshingly honest and praising of Emma and how she’s different from him. And it’s a risk on his part. It’s possible his words might convince Emma to be selfish or that Ingrid’s words might still play a part in her decision over what to do or that Emma might just ask too many questions, but he’s confident she won’t and he has this self loathing that for better or worse, does need to come out to someone inconsequential. And he chooses Emma. That “thank you” that she gives him guts me, as does his response. It’s a scary scene that is also full of soul.

And Emma...just Emma. For all the talk of Emma running away, I feel like this is just as much about Emma not wanting to run and doing what she can to not have to. She keeps her family posted about what’s going on with her, regularly expresses her love to them, and makes a decision about her magic so she can go back to them. Her love for her friends and family is made so evident by Emma’s every move and Jen’s acting here is fantastic in showing that balance of love and fear, giving an extra layer of nuance to the character.

Finally, let’s talk about Emma and Elsa’s talk. The speech is so well nurtured by who these two characters are. Their understandings of fear, rejection, powerlessness, and sense of being overpowered by themselves are big parts of common ground between them, making Elsa the absolute best person to relate to Emma’s troubles. Additionally, the conversation discusses self love in this fantastic and tangible way. When it comes to themes, this is the most an episode can give me. Elsa points out the personal responsibility in loving and accepting yourself. Loving both the good and bad parts of one’s powers and destiny is a hard thing in the universe of OUAT, especially when those things can risk causing real harm. But it’s something that can be done and for yourself and all those that love you, must be done. This scene emphasizes this and Elsa and Emma’s bond raises everything to new heights.

That woosh of acceptance and control that results of this conversations is BEYOND earned. It feels like another hurdle that Emma’s overcome and her pain throughout the episode makes it such a strong accomplishment. Emma and Elsa are True Friendship and True Love!

All Encompassing

This is such a dynamic episode in terms of aesthetics, too! We see cool effects like the mirror lakes reappear, and great bits of editing and cinematography that enhance the writing by showing things like distance and loneliness through camera and even prop angles. And the cuts and usages of lighting, particularly as they pertain to Emma’s rampant magic are really exciting! They leave a constant tension and sense of danger across the span of the episode and really bring the entire experience of watching this two-parter to life.

Stream of Consciousness

-It’s always a sign of a fun time when you have a motherfucking mirror lake of editing goodness!!!! Hell yeah!

-Ingrid, when you need someone’s help and you can’t threaten them, it doesn’t do you well to insult them by calling them “past your prime.”

-”Especially those that have succumbed to the darkness…” Ingrid hasn’t really done anything like that. Killing Helga was an accident, defeating Hans’ guards was self-defense, and while imprisoning Anna was dark...I mean, have you MET the people in this universe?! XD

-”Do you think I was foolish enough to bring it with me?” RUMPLE, TAKE NOTES!!!

-”My sisters could never accept who I was because they were...ordinary.” Helga accepted you and Gerda did too until she falsely thought you murdered her sister!

-Damn, Sean rocks that tank top! <3 Like, I want him in that tank top in a remake of “Die Hard.”

-”Hey, this isn’t your fault.” Well, it’s more her fault than it is yours.

-Now I just want to know just what that spell Rumple threw out actually WAS!

-”I will never take this off again.” I teared up at this fucking line. Anna loves Elsa so much and I’m LIVING for it!

-”You may want to finish buttoning your shirt first.” This moment had me laughing HARD!

-THE MIRROR LAKE SHOWS UPPPPPP!

-Speaking of mirrors, I ADORE the shot of Elsa and Anna looking into the shattered sight mirror for the first time. They’re in the same shot, but because of the way the mirror is shattered, there’s this sense of distance created and it’s reflected in the main shot of the two sisters too. The editing team did a GREAT job here!

-”Unless...you simply like watching me.” Did Ingrid just make a pass at Rumple?! XD

-I love how Anna and Elsa, while being sneaky, are just having the BEST time on this mission and Elsa can’t even fully hide her amusement at Anna’s quip.

-Opening hours until 10? “Very generous” indeed!

-I really love the Regal Believer scene we see! Regina’s speech to Henry about his usefulness and contributions is really heartwarming and connects with Henry in a loving and intelligent way!

-Going back to my point about Ingrid and Rumple, the Netflix still for Part 2 is Ingrid and Rumple getting all up in each other’s business!!! XD I feel like other people need to start shipping this!! Golden Frost?

-Ingrid’s “surprise” was so adorable!!!

-When we see Rumple walk to meet Emma in the mansion, it looks like he’s in a freakin’ church! XD

-I’m HC’ing that Rumple turned on all of those lights as to spook Emma even further.

-I know it’s more of a matter of convenience, but why didn’t Rumple just go for the fairies’ first? Like, he says basically that Emma’s not his first choice to die for the hat, and he HATES the fairies, so why not?

-Elsa offering Anna all the chocolate she can eat is the most beautiful thing in the world!

-”Eventually, everyone sees me as a monster.” YOU LITERALLY JUST FORCED ANNA TO TRAP HER SISTER AND KRISTOFF SAID HE WOULDN’T HURT YOU IF YOU LET HER GO! FUCK THAT NOISE!

-I like that Ingrid apparently spent hours playing what basically amounts to Patty Cake with the magical barrier, all the while probably never sitting while standing in heels! XD

Favorite Dynamic

Swan Believer. While there were SO MANY good dynamics in this episode and Emma and Elsa’s dynamic especially is a really great moment of understanding for Emma’s character and a great heart to the episode, I feel like that moment is only as great as it is because of how well it was set up by Emma and Henry’s opening scene. I love that they chose Henry as the person to find Emma and be injured under her powers. It’s not only an organic and really heartbreaking scene as Emma freaks out about how she hurt Henry, but it really does make Emma’s mood throughout the rest of the two-parter make so much sense. It’s a hard scene to watch, but I mean that in the best way possible. Emma is doing everything she can to explain how she can’t be with Henry at the moment and Henry, the believer, of course, will not bend down so easily. The scene, like Emma’s rampant magic, is pulsing with love and danger. And the moment where Henry finds blood on himself is so crushing because it erases any hope that even Emma’s biggest source of support can turn her around right now. And this moment between them creates a tragic and urgent tone that follows the present segment of the episode throughout its run. Emma’s desperation and panic all comes from that moment between the two of them. I only wish that their reunion was a liiiiiiiiittle stronger, but I do find it forgivable. Given how happy Emma and Henry are and their hug, it works well enough.

Writer

David Goodman and Jerome Schwartz are a fucking dream team here! The name of the game in this episode is strength. These two took advantage of every second they had in this double episode to give each of their dynamics the strength they needed to support the story. The stories in both the past and present are actually so simple in their broad strokes -- Emma tries to give up her magic and Anna and Elsa work together to stop Ingrid -- but the simplicity of the narrative allows for much deeper conversations to take place. And they’re all given the time to reach that organic conclusion and as a result, I love each and every one of them.

Rating

DOUBLE GOLDEN APPLE!!! WHAT AN AMAZING EPISODE! I’m not gonna lie. I GROANED at the thought of covering this double episode because of its length, but this episode kept my attention and love practically the ENTIRE time! We get two fantastic stories that really involved their present casts, superb conversations across the span of the episode. I was floored by just how much I ended up liking this one, but it really touched me in just the right way!

Flip My Ship - The Home of All Things “Shippy Goodness”

Captain Swan - I love the two second shot of Killian when David says that they need to pour the locator spell over something of Emma’s! XD Yup that’s accurate! Golden Hook - Rumple chains Killian up and literally takes his heart. Jenna’s very happy now and that’s really all I need to say about that! XD

Golden Frost (Ingrid/Rumple) - When I woke up today, I didn’t expect to end my day shipping Rumple and Ingrid, but it fucking happened and I love it! Seriously, Ingrid and Rumple all but dry hump in this episode. They constantly get all up in each other’s businesses and the threats don’t take me out of that as much as you’d think!!! XD

Outlaw Queen - I love the bit of banter Robin and Regina have at the library where Regina points out that Robin stole Henry’s book from her and Robin says “you knew I was a thief when you met me.” I know it’s such a small thing to point out, but I LOVE that bit of wit exchanged! It’s cute, flirty, and fast!

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The best part of doing these reviews is finding episodes like these. They’re episodes that I don’t remember that well apart from a few scene and expect to not find all that much apart from said scenes, but end up doing so much for me emotionally. This, while an exhausting review to write for its meatiness, was so worth every exhausting second of it.

Thank you SO much for reading this if you did! This review was a pleasure to write! And thank you to the fine folks at @watchingfairytales and @daensarah for being the coolest human in existence! (And hey, if you want to be on the tag list for these reviews, hit me up!) Anyway, I can’t wait to see you all during “Fall.” TTFN!

Season 4 Total (69/230) Tee-hee! XD

Writer Scores: Adam and Eddy: (16/60) Jane Espenson: (10/40) David Goodman and Jerome Schwartz: (30/50) Andrew Chambliss: (14/50) Dana Horgan: (6/30) Kalinda Vazquez: (14/40) Scott Nimerfro: (6/30)

*Links to the rest of my rewatch will no longer be provided. They take posts with links outside of searches and I spend way too much time on these reviews to not give them that kind of exposure. Sorry for the inconvenience, but they still can be found on my page under Operation Rewatch.

#ouat #once upon a time #watching fairytales #ouat 4x08 #ouat rewatch #jenna watches ouat

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manicpixietrashfire · 6 years

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Steve's social life

This is a product of me being bored...

I was thinking about what Steve's social life is like after the events of S2 because it's kind of an important part of my next fic that I'm planning out. There are tropes (like dinner @ Joyce's) that I want to use...but there are a few things I know I don't want, I guess. So I went down the line with headcanons

Tommy: I love Tommy and Steve being really close friends their whole lives. They've been friends since like...pre-school and became best friends in middle elementary. I LOVE that idea...but Tommy the way he is now and Steve the way he is now...their paths are diverging. Billy is the place holder of King so that's where Tommy is.

That doesn't mean I don't think they won't be best friends again almost as soon as HS ends and that hierarchy collapses. (Because they will lol). But for now immediately after S2, they aren't. Also if something seriously traumatic were to happen Steve would probably be with Tommy in a heartbeat. In the case of vice versa Tommy would probably be worried...like really worried, but it'd be hard for

Carol: Carol is pretty simple. Steve doesn't mind her, Tommy talked her up when she started becoming cool in fifth grade and she just kind of stuck...then Tommy and Carol become Tommy and Carol™️ so it's just a thing that is. Besides, having a girl around never hurts (I think Steve would think).

Nancy: It's impossible for them to be entirely separate although space (no matter how painful it is for Steve) is important. But as long as the Upside Down has left scars on them (which is has) they're tethered. Steve can handle it his way, Nancy can handle it her way. Are they friends? Not really. Does Steve eat lunch with her and Jonathan? No. Not unless Nancy asks. Obviously they don't hate each other, it's definitely awkward. There's a boundary there that's hard to work around, like regressing in a relationship seems more difficult then progressing. But they know if anything serious is going on (not even upside down related) they can talk to each other. Nancy can complain about Ted and Karen, Steve can occasionally whine about homework. But they're not going out to lunch or anything. A hug borders on too much. (Nancy is, however, annoyingly invested in checking in on Steve every once in a while. And Steve still catches himself kissing the ground she walks on). They're on okay terms, tenuous but okay. They're just not sure where their place lies in each other's lives.

Jonathan: Jonathan and Steve don't hang out. They don't really talk unless they're picking up or dropping off the party and there's time to be killed. Jonathan's not good at conversation and Steve doesn't really know how talk around an awkward situation (eg. "I love KFC"). So their conversations are pretty limited but mostly cordial, they both occasionally let something passive aggressive slip. The only things they know about each other's lives are what Nancy tells them. Jonathan is still weary of Steve a little (though he definitely thinks he's proven his worth). Steve is still a little baffled, and he still thinks Jonathan is a fucking weirdo. But he makes Nancy happy so that makes him feel a little better towards him. There's no real hate. It's probably something they could work around if they had a common interest and some time.

So that's who he doesn't talk to (sort of)...Who does he talk to?

Dustin: He takes Dusty Poo (yes I adore one (1) child) to the Snow Ball and in that scene it seems like they've spent some more time together. Enough that ex-King Steve wants to boost his self-esteem (eg. "You look a million bucks"). Even if Steve is reformed I don't think he's the type of person to give out his time to everyone especially so willingly. Old lady crossing the street with bags? Probably. That kid getting picked on? With a long suffering sigh, yeah. A hobo? Probably not. So Dustin has clearly earned that position in Steve's life probably through helpless child eyes, a lot of 'Please Steve!', and a few good jokes and conversation. Oh yeah and constant pestering, because Dustin is great at pestering. It's a brotherly role but it makes Steve feel good. Most only children have wanted a sibling at some point and Dustin is one you can send back when he gets annoying. Dustin also serves as Steve's way of being good without Nancy. It's more than likely going to be a long lasting relationship.

Hawkins High: I know sometimes OCs are frowned upon in fics but let's be honest...Steve is still filthy rich, he didn't do anything in public that humiliated him (except maybe basketball, but we haven't seen him fuck up a game really bad or anything so...), he's funny, likes parties (or used to), and most importantly he wants a normal life. Unless that changed in S3, Steve isn't really an outcast. He picked up mostly where he left off after S1 ass normal teenage boy in the 1980s. He's going to have friends. They might be part of the basketball team or maybe they were people in his outer circle that moved in. If he wants friends he can probably get them pretty easily, especially because he's not a douchebag anymore. We still don't know the psychological effects of S2 on Steve so he might have become an outcast tbh, but if that didn't happen...he should be fine socially.

However, do I think he'll have a best friend? No, definitely not. His friends will be for having fun, for swapping homework, and booze/weed, for agreeing the math teacher is a bitch, etc. They're not really shoulders to cry on. Friendships like that don't generally form at the end of high school.

However it does in my fic (with his tutor) but whatever.

In conclusion: Steve will be okay for the most part. It's not gonna be great but he won't be totally alone. Or some weirdo that only hangs out with 13 year olds. I think he'll be okay.

Take this with a grain of salt I'm just really bored (feel free to add ur opinion though)

PS. I might do Billy's social life if I feel like it lol...

#harringrove #stranger things #my fic #steve harrington #billy hargrove #long post

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moodring89 · 6 years

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[Taegi] Espresso Marmalade Ch.3

Pairing: Taehyung / Yoongi (ft. side Jikook) Rated: M / NC-17 Genre: BDSM!AU Tags: Dom!Yoongi, Sub!Tae, Shibari, Master/Slave, Canes, Impact Play Summary: Jeongguk was more eager to get inside the club, taking long strides to the set of black steel doors. It was the younger’s idea to bring Taehyung to Void. Seoul’s first fetish house, an upscale BDSM parlor that was legally permitted and licensed. Or the one where Tae’s a meek virgin who catches the eye of Void’s most popular dom. Previous chapters: 01 , 02,

*Problem with the layout? Read on ao3 here.

Chapter Three: the Boy Who Lies It was a thirty minute drive to Void, giving Taehyung ample time to self-reflect on his anger, except he wasn’t going to do that. There was no pressing down on the brakes once he’d abandoned Jeongguk, dead set on breaking something precious of Jimin’s, a wrist, his pretty face, anything to placate the rage he felt then. He kept thinking back on that boy, Woozi – continuously, continuously, and continuously. How the audience took him in with some sort of cruel, refined amusement; how Taehyung himself had watched as he was punished, haunted by the fact that he’d liked it. Then he imagined Jeongguk in Woozi’s stead, being tortured in an open room because of his indiscretion. Honestly, he felt more like an overbearing parent than a friend at the moment. Taehyung was always an old soul, too judgmental at times and prone to being annoyingly willful. He wasn’t thinking of how this might hurt Jeongguk, how it might jeopardize whatever bullshit relationship he had with Jimin. It wasn’t real, anyway, right? Taehyung had seen it firsthand, existing in the red, angry lines across Jeongguk’s back. Love wasn’t supposed to be so fucking violent. It was one o’clock in the morning when Taehyung pulled up outside the club. Denizens were pouring in and out the doors. It was a busy night, apparently. He killed the ignition and stepped out into the cold air. He’d been in such a rush to leave the dormitory that he forgot to grab his coat. It hardly mattered with the adrenaline coursing through his veins, the anger mixing with raw, nervous energy – warming him through. Taehyung was a storm; one that was ready to be unleashed. Just fucking watch him go. He threw open the doors to Void as if he owned the place. Taehyung was so focused on his current objective that he didn’t question a single, goddamn thing. No – the gentleman wearing a leather dog hood with mittens leashed by a fucking space demon, that – that was all well and dandy. The reception area was swarming with new patrons to one side and the regular check-ins on the other. Luckily, all Taehyung had to do was flash his ID due to his past visit being logged, and he was allowed entry. “Oh, gorgeous,” the woman behind the desk said – it was the same receptionist he’d met on his first night at Void. Tonight she wore a nametag that read, ‘Claire’. She leaned over the desk, her large, full set of breasts spilling over her forearms. “I knew you’d come back for more trouble.” Truer words… “It was hard to stay away,” Taehyung said, lying as easy as breathing when there was partial truth to it. “Can you tell me whether or not a specific scene professional is here right now?” She raised an inquisitive brow, adjusting her glasses on the bridge of her pointed nose, “For an appointment or a show?” ‘For an ugly confrontation and an ass beating,’ Taehyung mused quietly to himself. “It’s about a question I have in regards to using a scarf as binding material for an over-arm tie. Do you know if Jimin is still around this evening?” “You drove here just for an inquiry?” Claire teased, tucking a hand beneath her chin, as though that was the most adorable thing to have happened, ever. In any case, she could tell that he was serious. “Jimin finished with his last appointment not too long ago.” The receptionist found it a little bit odd that Taehyung showed up within the same hour that his friend had left. “However, his shift doesn’t end for another twenty minutes. You can usually find him in the lounge area.” Taehyung said nothing else, wordlessly headed for the corridor that would bring him to the main room. Reflecting what he’d seen from outside alone, the club was packed, maybe even more so than it had been last week, except this time he didn’t have anyone with him. He was alone, a small fish swimming in an ocean of sharks. It didn’t matter to him that he was gaining looks, heads turning as he walked by. Then he remembered the unspoken dress code and realized that he was once again, sticking out like a sore thumb. Oh, goddamn it. He was wearing a baggy pair of black pants and one of his night shirts. The collar of it was beyond stretched out, exposing the pretty contours of his collarbones, the white fabric falling off one shoulder. He reached for his scarf and was coming up empty, cursing low when he realized that he’d left it in the car. Fuck it. He could deal with being openly stared at for a short while, his venture too important to abandon for a wardrobe malfunction. This wasn’t going to take long, anyway. All he had to do now was find his target. The lounge was more chaotic at this late hour, scenes unfolding like the first time Taehyung had attended, except they weren’t being performed on stages, but on ground level, and by the guests themselves while being supervised. It might be hopeless to find Jimin at this point, the room considerably less orderly, which meant it was more intimidating for Taehyung. He did a slow turn, taking in all that was around him – fighting not to get distracted while on the lookout for silver hair. The bar was completely full, all stools occupied, save for the black button tufted booths. The area was dimmed, the only light coming from small string lamps that illuminated the center of each table, leaving all else shrouded in darkness. Just when Taehyung was about ready to give in to despair, seated at the furthest booth, was Jimin. He was dressed in a hooded sweatshirt with his hair mostly concealed beneath it, wrapping his spit slickened lips around a glass of water. Alone. How opportunistic…Taehyung was a force that couldn’t be stopped at that point as he pushed his way through the crowd that separated them. All he could think about were the bruises, all deep and prominent across Jeongguk’s body. How glossy eyed and sad the younger had looked while he defended the asshole. Jimin sensed the boy’s presence before he saw him. Violence was a good way to end the night, he supposed, as he calmly placed his water down and out of the way. He knew that in about five seconds that he was going to be placed on top of the table. It was Jeongguk’s ‘bestie’ – the kid who’d already caused him enough grief. Taehyung was headed straight for him with the elder allowing it to happen. Jimin kept his arms at his sides when he was abruptly dragged up to his feet by Taehyung’s large hands twisting in the front of his shirt. The table rattled as he was roughly shoved into it. Taehyung was gorgeous, even while furious. Jimin could understand Yoongi a bit more from this angle, could see the appeal in every line of his devastating features, and he could feel the strength in the intensity of his trembling form. It incited Jimin’s own bout of anger – however, unlike Taehyung, he was able to manage it, “Taehyung-ssi, right? Do you not know how to hold a normal conversation?” “Normal conversations are meant for normal people, not for assholes like you. I’m so sick of hearing how much you care for Jeongguk, when you hurt him on whim. You hurt him because of me,” Taehyung said, voice oddly calm despite how clearly pissed off he was, pressing all of his weight into Jimin. “Wow, you really understand nothing, do you? You’re very wrong and I didn’t hurt him, because of you…although, you certainly didn’t help the case.” Jimin was tired of situations such as these. They happened so often in the form of ex-lovers, concerned family members, friends storming in like they were saviors. Ignorance at its finest, people so quick to judge, growing up with a set of beliefs, protected by their rose-colored glasses. They were sad, deluded people. “I gave Jeongguk exactly what he asked for and you’d know that if you cared enough to listen to him. Truth is, you’ve been a bad influence on my submissive, Taehyung-ssi.” Taehyung wondered what that meant, giving Jeongguk ‘exactly what he asked for’. It was unfathomable that Jeongguk thought this was love. Taehyung leaned in towards the elder, as if closeness served as some sort of dial for anger that he kept steadily cranking up, growing harsh, “Don’t talk about him like he’s some fucking pet of yours, because he isn’t. He’s my best friend, he’s a whole person, and you’re just a piece of shit looking for reasons to inflict pain on others.” “Oh, but Jeongguk is my pet,” Jimin murmured softly, bringing his face a mere inch away from Taehyung’s, invading what little that was left of his personal space as a subtle way of pushing back. “What are you going to do once he moves in with me? Picket outside my loft? He has a ways to go with his training, but it’s inevitable. So long as he wants me, I’m not letting him go. And I also think you owe it to yourself to admit that all of this makes you jealous.” Taehyung’s cheeks flushed at the accusation, actually livid. “It’s not like that with Guk.” “Not all jealousy has to be of the romantic sort,” Jimin said, as he slowly moved his hand to the fist still curled in his shirt, trying to gently coax Taehyung’s fingers open to release him. The boy didn’t budge. “Jeongguk has found himself. He knows what he wants, what he likes, but who are you? What is it that you want, Taehyung-ssi?” “What I want is to hurt you for what you did by breaking each of your fingers, so that you can never touch him again,” Taehyung managed to get out in one shaky, overwhelming breath. He felt himself slipping into that part of himself that he couldn’t control. His weakness was impulse, forever and always. One hand released Jimin in favor of reeling his arm back, imitating the elder’s sweet politeness, “I want to leave my own mark, ‘Jimin-ssi’.” Jimin could tell that the Taehyung’s fit of rage would not be easily settled or assuaged with neither words, nor logic. Right now Taehyung felt justified in raising his fist – Jimin knew that he couldn’t be stopped, at least not without using force. He didn’t need an upset submissive, especially now. Jimin looked him dead in the eye, “That’s an awful lot of greed for one boy. Luckily for you, I like to indulge. Go ahead.” What the hell was his problem? ‘Whatever,’ he thought, ‘open invitation or not, it’s still gonna feel good and right.’ Just as Taehyung came down to strike Jimin, an arm abruptly hooked around his own, preventing him from going any further. The monitor from the other night, Namjoon, had to use most of his strength to pull the boy off of him. Jimin released his white knuckled grip from the table, having been prepared for Taehyung to hit him, “I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to show up.” Namjoon gave a healthy roll of his eyes, “Excuse me for having not yet mastered the art of teleportation. And you –” The monitor hadn’t been expecting to catch Taehyung’s fist square in the jaw, staggering back a couple steps. Fuck. Namjoon grunted at the discomfort, but was ready to defend himself, blocking Taehyung’s next swing, before delivering his own. He could hear the howls of laughter coming from his earpiece, Wonshik was rolling, “Ah, man! That was great…Good thing we got it all on film. I thought you were faster than that, hyung-nim, but nope. You suck and there’s comfort to be had there. Anyways, face recognition pulled up a one Kim Taehyung. He’s brand-spankin’ new.” “Not anymore he’s not,” Namjoon said, as he stared down at Taehyung, ignoring the ache in his lower jaw. The boy was sitting up on his elbows, watching the monitor from his spot on the floor where the blow had sent him. Taehyung’s lip was busted open, broad chest rising and falling, still worked up and seething mad. Namjoon didn’t like it – not one fucking bit, as he decided to put an end to it, “Kim Taehyung, I sentence you–” “Wait,” Jimin said, gently placing a hand on Namjoon’s forearm, stopping him before he could make Taehyung’s removal official. Once it was done, there would be no way of reversing it. “Before you do your song and dance, you should know that…” There was only one sure way of overriding a monitor’s power, “…this boy has a master.” It wasn’t the truth, but it was close enough. It might even help the little brat, Yoongi and Taehyung both. ‘Breathe, Jimin,’ Yoongi said, tearing his eyes away from the corridor that Taehyung and his little bunny friend had practically ran to make an escape down. The younger remained silent in the aftermath of Jeongguk’s outright display of disobedience. It’d felt like a slap in the face. He stared holes into the Persian carpet, searching for an explanation as to what had just transpired, since it made no sense at all. ‘Jeongguk has never…’ Jimin murmured softly, voice barely above a whisper. It wasn’t like him to get angry over such things. A dom had to always remain in control, especially of their own emotions. Right now, he was being woefully transparent. ‘He would never behave this way. Who the hell was that kid he was with, this ‘Taehyung’?’ Yoongi was amazed over the fact that Jimin had gone so long without a submissive being a huge fucking brat. He threw out the obvious as a friendly reminder, ‘When a sub acts out, it’s rarely unintentional. They want to see what they can get away with, how far they can push you, since that’s when a dom is most expressive. You should give your bunny what he so desperately wants from you…’ ‘Jeongguk is in love with me. So, he’d want a great deal more than what I’m capable of giving to him,’ Jimin said, unsure of why it hadn’t felt wrong to expose something so intimate to Yoongi. The elder was a seasoned professional, one who’d probably been in the same situation multiple times before. Maybe that was it. ‘I’ve known for a few weeks now, but it’s starting to get intense.’ ‘He’s young and also new to the community.’ Yoongi shoved his hands inside the pockets of his jeans, tired, and freezing in a perfectly warm room. He shrugged with a show of nonchalance, ‘Of course he’s in love with you. Wait–he wasn’t a virgin, was he?’ Jimin was almost offended by the question. He shook his head, much to the elder’s relief, ‘Come now, I’m not that stupid. The only thing with that is, he never enjoyed his past sexual experiences, and he always topped. I guess I’m his first in a different way.’ ‘Christ. Be careful, especially if you don’t plan on reciprocating his feelings. Although, if you ever decide to go there with him I wouldn’t judge you for it, and I’d personally knock the teeth out of anyone who did,’ Yoongi said honestly, having personally been faced with that battle. If Jimin denied how he felt right now, he’d call him a fucking liar. It was obvious that he was taken with his rope bunny. ‘I now fully understand why you stopped taking submissives into your care.’ Jimin hadn’t meant to say that, the regret already settling into a frown on his face. He enjoyed taking care of someone. Jimin also loved being needed by others. He looked over at Yoongi, taking in the hint of amusement there, a faded look of fondness that was usually lost on him. ‘Unless you were rethinking your retirement?’ ‘Taehyung is a boy who’s lost…’ It wasn’t that simple, it hardly ever was. Taehyung was absolutely stunning, a burning flame, the sun personified. After only two seconds of meeting, Yoongi could tell that he was fucking complicated. ‘…he’s a boy who lies to himself.’ Jimin raised a brow, wondering if he should be concerned, or intrigued. ‘It doesn’t sound like you’re all that put off by it.’ ‘That’s probably because I’m not.’ Yoongi peered over at Jimin seriously, taking in his look of surprise. ‘Should Taehyung return, I’ll make him mine.’ “Oh, the fuck I do,” Taehyung spat out venomously, as he started pulling himself up to his feet. He paused to glare at the two hands being extended to help him, Jimin and Namjoon’s both, “Are you kidding me? Look, I don’t know why this duck-looking motherfucker is lying to you, but I belong to no one.” “Such brave talk, but I think we’ve had enough of the heroics for one evening, don’t you?” Jimin was practically glowing with amusement, almost pitying the boy for his next move. He turned towards Namjoon, “Let Sugar know that his little pet is out here causing a scene.” Taehyung felt his blood run cold at the mention of Yoongi’s scene name. There was no way that could be allowed to happen. The implication alone was laughable, that he belonged to – to his professor? He pressed his tongue to the gash at the center of his bottom lip, tasting the thick rivulets of blood there, thinking of a way out of it. Hell, he would’ve contemplated more violence, if not for the odds being stacked so high against him. “I’ll just leave.” “This is odd behavior for a pet,” Namjoon said, ignoring Taehyung’s declaration to raise a skeptical brow at Jimin. “It's also common knowledge that Sugar doesn’t take submissives anymore, and he hasn’t for quite some time.” “This one here is his saving grace,” Jimin insisted, the lie absent in his words, fully believing in his own statement. Call it good intuition. Taehyung had potential, especially if Yoongi was able to see it already. The elder had always been so perceptive, so very good at reading others, knowing exactly what they wanted, what they craved. “Sugar’s exceptional boy…” “Well that’s – that’s fucking cute, but…” Taehyung laughed, without the amusement, taking dangerous strides closer towards the shibari expert. Namjoon was there, pressing a firm hand to the boy’s chest as Jimin lowered his gaze to Taehyung’s mouth, watching his lips form around words – words he’d heard so many times before, it was almost comical, “I’m nobody’s bitch.” It was that particular line that was often disproved, almost like a sentence in of itself. Yoongi was right, Taehyung was fucking lost. From between them, Namjoon gave a heavy sigh. It was obvious to him that Jimin was protecting the kid, but why? He brought the slim, plastic microphone to his mouth, sensing that the situation wasn’t going to deescalate anytime soon. “What’s Sugar’s twenty?” No one seemed to be listening to Taehyung, especially when, “I said I’d leave on my own, so long as duck tales doesn’t say anymore bullshit on my way out.” He really didn’t want to deal with Yoongi right now. The thought of it was enough to set off his anxiety, already too embarrassed about his obvious loss, having accomplished nothing by showing up at Void tonight. He was quick to add, “There’s no need to get that fucking guy here.” “Yeah, especially since ‘that fucking guy’ saw everything,” said the voice from the crowd that had steadily formed around them. Taehyung felt as the dread washed over him, all too familiar with the low, humorless tone of its owner. The younger turned to find Yoongi standing there among dozens, vividly severe in a black fitted blazer and matching slacks. A red silk was tied under his arms and under the lapels of his jacket, coming to settle around his slender waist. The colors were vibrant in contrast to his fair skin, rendering Taehyung into silence. Fuck. “Scratch that, Wonshik,” Namjoon said, dismissing the monitor’s search. He instantly removed his hand from Taehyung out of respect for Yoongi. It was an unexpected outcome to say the least, but it was no longer any of Namjoon’s business, “I take it that you’ll see to his punishment then?” “Most certainly,” Yoongi promised, playing the role to its fullest, as he stepped beside Taehyung. He eyed the split in his bottom lip, tsking with disappointment, “We should get that cleaned up, but first I want you to apologize to Jimin.” Taehyung scoffed at the prospect of doing such a thing, he was so disgusted. “What? No…” Yoongi nodded more to himself, than to anyone else – tacking on Taehyung’s rude behavior onto the growing list of things that would need to be worked on. It was useless when the boy didn’t even understand the point of the apology, didn’t fully realize the offense. Yoongi knew this and yet, he was still hopeful that manners were residing somewhere within that beautiful foundation, but oh well. “My sincerest apologies for Taehyung,” Yoongi said, apologizing on his behalf. He was being careful with his wording, since Taehyung really wasn’t under contract as his submissive, going along with the lie that Jimin started. If Namjoon learned of this, he would end this little exchange, and have Taehyung thrown out. “There was a misunderstanding and he acted impulsively. It won’t happen again.” “Misunderstanding, my ass,” Taehyung bit out through clenched teeth, when Yoongi sharply turned to regard him, dark eyes daring the boy to open up his mouth again. For whatever reason, certainly not because of the chill he felt running up his spine, Taehyung didn’t make another remark after that, remaining quiet. Jimin was endlessly amused by the whole display, as he smiled crookedly, “Thank you and yes, please see to it that it doesn’t.” The final glance he shot Taehyung was practically oozing with conceit – feeling victorious and not above being petty about it. Jimin turned his back on them, before grabbing for his drink, and leaving for the evening. Namjoon was doing his best to clear up the crowd, encouraging the lingering onlookers to go back to playing, before he too disappeared. Taehyung missed him already. The elder’s presence wasn’t something that could easily be ignored, especially when Yoongi began to shamelessly roam his eyes across his body, like that’s what he was there for – not much different from a work of art in need of being picked apart for deep interpretation. Taehyung once again reached for the scarf that wasn’t there, forgetting that he didn’t have it with him, making it impossible to hide himself from the open scrutiny. “Follow me,” Yoongi said, voice clipped and glacial, leaving no room for argument. It took a moment for Taehyung’s legs to start moving in an attempt to keep up with Yoongi’s brisk pace, watching how he effortlessly weaved through the swarm of people. He was being led down the corridor, pushing away the anxiety he felt from making so many turns, focusing more on the fact that it was new territory for him. Void was much like the large factory that Taehyung had initially perceived it to be, giving off a clinical atmosphere with rows upon rows of doors, and immaculate marbled tiles. Where the fuck did they stick the Enchanted Forest? Yoongi came to a stop in front of a set of red double doors, pushing them open. It was everything you would expect to see when visiting the school nurse, minus the nurse. Taehyung shuddered to imagine what they would’ve been like, to be greeted by a man or woman dressed from head to toe in latex, snapping on a pair of rubber gloves. “No nurse?” Taehyung asked, unclear on whether or not that was the case. “A majority of scene professionals opt to undergo some form of medical training,” Yoongi said, patting the leather examine table. “Take a seat.” Taehyung quietly declined by keeping still, “Because what you’re doing is dangerous.” Here and now could work as an educational moment, Yoongi decided, as he walked over towards the cabinets to get what he needed in order to clean Taehyung’s cut. “Everything Jimin did out there was with Jeongguk in mind. For instance, when he told the monitor that you were mine, he was ensuring that Void can still be a place that Jeongguk brings you. It’s a big part of his life, is it not?” Oh, hell, no. Taehyung was not about to allow Yoongi to undo this ugly, confusing web. Not so easily. He shook his head in disbelief, “That’s bullshit…” Yoongi set the tray of supplies down on the table where Taehyung’s ass should have been seated, tamping down his annoyance. “He didn’t lift a finger to you. That was out of respect for Jeongguk.” “Jeongguk’s back looked like a fucking Jackson Pollock painting, except the artist only used shades of red,” Taehyung argued, wondering why Yoongi couldn’t understand him, not even a little bit. “And it was my fault–” “Your friend has been breaking the rules of their contract,” Yoongi said, tersely, as he walked towards the refrigerator behind Taehyung. The boy was on edge the second he neared, eyes following Yoongi’s every move. The energy in the room was high and charged with tension, watching as he removed an ice cube from the freezer, before handing it to him. “One after another. Jeongguk was punished because he wanted to be.” Taehyung pressed the cube to his cut, wincing at the discomfort. The wound was pulsating beneath the pressure. “Why would he want that…?” “People either come here to give pain or to receive it, sometimes even both.” The younger was reminded of Hoseok, when he’d referred to himself as a switch. Yoongi once again patted the table top and was relieved when Taehyung slowly, but surely made his way over to it. Opening a new bottle of ointment, he squeezed a decent-sized dollop onto a cotton swab. Yoongi tried to simplify it as best he could, “Pain can be physical and mental – pleasure or medicine. When it’s controlled, you can understand the benefits, can’t you.” The question was rhetorical and even if it wasn’t, Taehyung wouldn’t have known how to properly answer it anyway – not wanting to agree with Yoongi. He slid himself onto the table, gripping at the leather with one hand, as the other continued running the ice along his swollen lip. The new information was swirling around Taehyung’s stubborn mind, trying to sink in and make sense. He didn’t want to feel another moment of guilt over Jeongguk, and the elder was providing him with enough reason not to feel it, sensing that the comfort was necessary, but also unwanted, which was just too fucking bad. Yoongi’s eyes fell to where Taehyung’s shirt was hanging open, expression visibly darkening as he took in the smooth definition of the younger’s exposed collarbones, “Where is our favorite purple scarf?” “I forgot it in the car,” he answered innocuously, the ice melting between his now cold, numb fingers. What was this soft moment? Taehyung stared back at Yoongi, trying not to dwell on how pale his skin looked against his dark black hair – how much prettier, yet deadlier he looked then, “After tonight, I’m not coming back to Void. It really isn’t for me anyway.” “Oh, really?” Yoongi asked, feigning curiosity when he could’ve easily written the predictable lines flowing from Taehyung’s pretty little mouth. “Which part of it ‘isn’t’ for you?” Right, the reasons that Taehyung seemed to suddenly have in bulk were, “The orders I would have to follow, the pain that could be inflicted, and the punishments. I guess all of it?” The silence that followed was intensely unsettling, Yoongi staring his feline eyes into his own, as though seeking every corner of Taehyung’s mind for the truth. That first night at Void had revealed the boy to him completely – what with his dick hard and straining against his jeans, thick lashes wet with tears of awe as he watched Woozi being degraded, and punished. Yoongi had seen that look before, had recognized it in countless others. Envy was common in an establishment like Void. He approached Taehyung with the swab between his fingers, unable to maintain their polite conversation, when he began haltingly, “I don’t like being lied to, Taehyung. It’s one of those absolutes with me and I won’t tolerate it.” Taehyung was quick to deny it, “But I’m not lying.” It was a pitch too high, perhaps a little too fast. All in all, it was the same outcome, a fucking lie. It was always too easy for Yoongi to decipher when he was being lied to, which was the main reason why he couldn’t stand it. The small, white lies were the worst in his opinion, because they were needless. From a young age, no one could tell him a lie, at least not successfully – not even his own mother. Not even on days where he would prefer being told a lie over the truth. Yoongi admonished the boy for the continuous dishonesty, something cold and feral marring his usually calm features, “You just did it again.” “Believe whatever the fuck you want, it’s not like you can do anything about it,” Taehyung said, the words slipping past his lips before he even had the chance to consider them. “Oh, sure, I can,” Yoongi said, taking on a sweet lilt to his usually rough voice. “I’ll remember it.” Taehyung snorted, more out of nervousness, than anything else, “For what? My term paper?” “We aren’t to discuss school while we’re here, Taehyung,” Yoongi chided softly, before he started leaning in, intent on lowering Taehyung’s hand away from his mouth, so that the ice wasn’t in the way of the swab. The moment their skin made contact, Taehyung reacted on impulse, slapping the other’s hand away. He’d used enough force to send the ice cube, as well as the swab to the floor. The ice broke immediately upon contact, the glimmering shards sliding across the floor. Yoongi slowly wet his pouty lips, growing more enticed to further test the boy, as he brought his hand up again. Long, delicate fingers were an inch away from skimming the top of Taehyung’s cheekbone – the skin there soft and flushed with a rosy color, when he was met with another slap. It felt like all the oxygen had been sucked out of the room then, leaving Taehyung gasping for air, his chest rising and falling heavily. Yoongi stepped in closer to him, tilting his head when Taehyung’s wide, innocent eyes left his own, and it was like being shut out from the sun. Again, he went to caress the side of Taehyung’s face and was automatically swatted away, more angrily and heated than the previous time. The last of Yoongi’s patience snapped, instinct burning up throughout his toes to his fingertips, when he brought his other hand to the front of Taehyung’s throat. It was light pressure, holding him rather than grabbing – just tight enough to get his point across. That this is exactly what Taehyung wanted, but was too stubborn, and ridden by fear to admit. “Our meeting again was either fate or cruelty, but this is, well,” Yoongi mused, lips curling slightly, as he used his grip as leverage to pull the younger off the table, and onto his feet. Even while Taehyung stood at full height and was practically towering over the elder, it was clear who was in control. “This is like a dream,” he murmured, irrevocably drawn to the boy, despite all the cold, garish places inside him that said not to bother. Yoongi was no match for the sun, but he wanted to contest it, “And to think that I was gonna leave you be, angel – but then you showed up dressed like you’re homeless, incurring violence.” Yoongi really shouldn’t have been proud of that. There was nothing impressive or admirable about it, and yet. “You’re full of surprises, Kim Taehyung.” Taehyung felt as his heart began to race, urging his brain to function long enough to tell Yoongi to stop – to push him away, but his body chose to ignore him, reacting to the fear as though it was something pleasant. Taehyung hated himself for it – hated the fact that his cock was eagerly stirring in response to the thrill of Yoongi’s dominance. He sent a silent prayer to whatever Gods were listening that the elder was too distracted with baiting him to notice it. He closed his fingers into the sleeve of Yoongi’s blazer, deciding to hang on for what was to come. And it was happening so slowly, the precious space between them dwindling by the second – Yoongi’s firm hold around his neck bringing him down, until their faces were so close they were nearly touching. It was just when Taehyung thought he was about to be kissed that the elder purposefully stopped himself short, a wicked smirk tugging at his pink, kittenish lips, “Will you let me taste you?”

The question alone was enough to paralyze him. Taehyung had been privy to a couple ‘first’ kisses in his lifetime. When he was seven, he knew that the kiss he received from the girl at school was different from the ones his parents would give him. When Taehyung was fifteen, he knew that the kiss he received from the neighbor’s daughter was different from the girl at school. He was now being presented with his first adult kiss, a proper kiss from the same gender, a kiss that scared him shitless. He swallowed thickly, the slightest action obvious to the elder, despite his schooled look of indifference. Yoongi’s grip tightened a fraction, causing his breath to hitch. Taehyung found himself nodding, even though he knew that it wasn’t enough. Yoongi was still waiting. Taehyung closed his eyes just to escape the humiliation, releasing a sharp gasp, “Yes…” “You remembered to use your words for me without having to be asked,” Yoongi husked, voice going lower the closer he was to claiming Taehyung’s lips, “…you’re such a good boy.” The first brush of contact elicited a deep, embarrassing whine from the younger – the sound of it like a punch to the gut, leaving Yoongi hungry and desperate. He slid his other hand around Taehyung’s waist, pulling their bodies flush against each other, greedily needing more without even having his fill yet. Taehyung whimpered when he felt the elder’s teeth scrape over the broken swell of his bottom lip, where everything felt far too sharp and tender, trapped in a prison of long fingers, and a skilled mouth. The insistent press of Yoongi’s tongue was hot and sinful against Taehyung’s numbed flesh, the ice having left him tingling with sensations steadily returning. He parted his lips, moaning softly when Yoongi delved his tongue in, deepening the kiss. Fifteen was a lifetime ago for Taehyung, unable to remember how to kiss. He was too overly self-aware and clumsy, even as he melted into the warmth of Yoongi’s mouth – he was stilted at first, before his tongue shyly teased back. The response served as a small act of willingness on Taehyung’s part, a green light that had Yoongi chasing after more, more, more. He steered them towards the nearest wall without breaking contact, pinning the boy to its surface. There were questionable things – filthy, unforgivable things that Yoongi wanted to do, say, and promise to him, but he hadn’t done this in a long, long time. There were rules that Yoongi had to abide by as a dom, especially if he wanted Taehyung to become his submissive. It was rare that the elder acted on whim. He never took what he wanted without thinking twice. He never kissed as though he was starved for it, yet there he was with Taehyung as his only form of sustenance. Taehyung, who was helplessly drowning in him, fingers trembling in his jacket, holding onto him like he was a lifeline. It was maddening – Yoongi’s teeth dragging from his top to bottom lip, tasting the blood, knowing that it would be smudged on their skin. Taehyung stopped himself from leaning forward when the elder pulled back far enough to look him in the eye. Not like he would get very far with the hand that was still wrapped around his neck, Yoongi’s thumb running circles over his pulse. “You know what you remind me of?” Yoongi asked, voice all breathy and affected from their kiss. There was a mingled mess of saliva and blood against his pink, pouty lips. It was difficult for Taehyung to look away from it, as he raised hesitant fingers to wipe it from Yoongi’s porcelain skin. His wrist was abruptly caught midway, Yoongi’s charcoal eyes taking in the mirrored smear of crimson across Taehyung’s lips, “A baby tiger, unaware of how strong and fearless it’ll be once it’s fully grown.” Taehyung was sufficiently dead by everything that came out of Yoongi’s mouth. Prepare his death certificate, he was ready to sign. “That’s very poetic of you…are you sure it wasn’t the eyes and orange hair?” Yoongi moved past the sarcasm, leaning so that his words skimmed across the younger’s lips, “I want to put an end to those lies of yours, Taehyung.” A hand slid down the front of Taehyung’s chest, his stomach sinking beneath Yoongi’s touch as he held in his breath. “The ones you keeping telling yourself that you didn’t want this, or me. Not the orders, the pain, or the punishments…” “Please…” Taehyung whispered, less than a second away from Yoongi palming over the thick outline of his hard cock, where he’d be able to confirm just how desperate he was for it. A switch inside him flipped. “I can’t, I can’t! I’m sorry.” Just like the cube had shattered, so did he – Taehyung was fragmented, pieces of himself wanting to give in and allow Yoongi to continue, but then the rest of him was terrified. He’d spent so long protecting himself from the shame of indulging in literally anything. It was his grandmother’s life insurance that was paying for his tuition and instead of studying; he was here, doing this… Yoongi recognized the panic, slowly detaching himself with a step backwards, as to not crowd him. It was obvious that Taehyung was still reeling, as he wiped his mouth with a trembling hand. “This,” he said with a start, a finger gesturing between himself and Yoongi. “…can’t ever happen again.” The elder doesn’t say anything to his statement, the tension climbing. He allowed Taehyung to get as far as two steps, before his hand shot out to grab at his wrist. The boy turned so easily for him, willingly parting his mouth against Yoongi’s with a sigh, as a set of cruel lips sucked on his tongue, seeming to follow a rhythm that had Taehyung’s hips rocking forward to seek more friction. If Taehyung was a tiger, then the blood housed within his veins was roaring. He felt dizzied by the rush of arousal, overly sensitive to every little thing. “Mmm…” Yoongi hummed against his mouth, before once again leaning back to stare into the depths of Taehyung’s eyes. Slowly, the elder raked his teeth along his bottom lip as though he were savoring the taste, “Of course, Taehyung. This can’t ever happen again.” Oh, oh… Using Taehyung’s words against him. Taehyung laughed at the underlying spite, roughly pulling himself free from Yoongi’s grasp. “It’s funny how you told me not to mention school here, when class is still in session, professor.” This fucking guy. With Yoongi, everything was a point to be made or a lesson to be learned. Well, fuck that and fuck him. “You’re a fucking asshole,” Taehyung muttered bitterly, before he shoved the doors open, momentarily contented with leaving Yoongi far behind. He followed the corridor, unable to hear people talking as they passed him. It was like the world was on mute with no words or music to fill in his surroundings with life. The receptionist was already leaned forward, ready to flirt with him as per usual, but he couldn’t hear a single thing. He hadn’t even slowed down, until the winter air hit his skin, reminding him that he was underdressed for the inclement weather. He unlocked the car and sat there with the key in the ignition. The scarf lied there on the passenger seat, looking plenty guilty. He brought the knitted fabric around his neck. Taehyung spared a glance into the rearview mirror, revealing the deep flush of his skin, and his cut shimmering wetly. The lesson to be learned is that Taehyung was a liar. A liar and a coward, because he wanted… He wanted Min Yoongi. --------------------------------------------------------------

Jeongguk was in bed with the lights off, save for the laptop pressed to his stomach. He was hiding in his game – PUBG, grabbing a frying pan during his loot in an abandoned house. It would protect his ass from gunfire, barely, but why not? He found gasoline for the car he stole along the way. He usually hated playing by himself, but he didn’t want the company right now, to which Hoseok wasn’t taking the hint, continuing to message him throughout his match. He was too angry and worried about Taehyung. He’d even left his phone behind, which was extremely unlike his hyung. An hour ago Jimin had been kind enough to confirm what Jeongguk already suspected, sending him a Snap of Taehyung and Yoongi with a caption that read, ‘You two have much to discuss’. Well, no shit. It was ten minutes later that the door was busted open with Taehyung’s hip colliding with the wood, cursing the damn thing on his way in. He quietly placed their keys down on top of his desk, trying to be covert. It was a long, horrible night. He couldn’t wait to get inside the shower to rinse it all off. Still considerably dark in the room, Jeongguk managed to close out of the Steam app undetected, before he reached over and turned their bedside lamp on. The sudden flicker of light startled Taehyung, “Shit!” “Where were you?” “Oh, my god, Guk,” he gasped, placing a hand against his chest, willing his racing heart to calm the fuck down, and listen to him for once. “I thought you were sleeping.” “Hyung, you left me. You went on and on about socks in some weird, psychopathic fit and then you left me,” Jeongguk said, throwing the sheets off and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. “I wondered if you were headed out to a department store to buy them for me in bulk. That you would come back here and bury me under a vat of fuzzy assortments.” Taehyung shook his head, because really, “You know I have no money, even if the purchase would totally be worth it. You know, we should have a sock day. That’s not a bad idea.” Jeongguk was officially done with the socks. “I know that you went to Void.” Ah, fuck, Taehyung thought. How did he find out? Duck tales, whoo-ooh! “Yes, alright, I went to Void and did something stupid,” Taehyung started, unsure of how to proceed without pissing Jeongguk off. Did such avenues exist? “You’re not going to be happy with me, but before you go bat-shit, I need you to hear me out first. I attacked…” Jesus, this was going to sound ridiculous. He tried again, “I attacked…Jimin.” Jeongguk was on his feet then, approaching him at a pace that Taehyung wasn’t at all comfortable with. He was a Jason not a Michael Myers aka he wasn’t above running – dear god. Very carefully, Jeongguk asked him, “You did what now? Taehyung, what the fuck?” “I know that he cares for you in some fucked up way that I clearly don’t understand…yet? Look – I’ve been really close-minded lately. You opened this door, showed me what you were into, and I didn’t even really try to understand it. All I did was judge you, Guk…” “Yeah, you did, but no surprise there. You always fucking do,” Jeongguk said, brows furrowing angrily. Truthfully, he was more disturbed that after an ‘attack’ all Jimin did was send him a photo. He just noticed the gash on Taehyung’s bottom lip, wondering if Jimin had been the one to give it to him. Taehyung felt like a broken record, unable to believe anyone else except Jeongguk. “I still don’t understand, okay? Fuck. I’m trying here. Just tell me that those marks weren’t because of something I did?” “The marks…?” It dawned on him then, connecting two and two together, which would explain his friend’s absurd bout of recklessness, and sock mania. “Tae – Christ, no, they’re not…they’re because of me. I did things to get myself into trouble. Is that what tonight was all about? Wow…” Taehyung blinked, “Why would you want to get into trouble on purpose?” “I like being good for him, but I wanted to see what it would be like if I was bad for once? You and Hoseok hyung already know how well I can do as a brat,” Jeongguk laughed, slightly embarrassed to be confessing this much, even if they were as close as brothers. “And I liked it, by the way. It was freeing, almost? Jimin is always so gentle with me, always praising me, and making me feel all beautiful, and delicate, like I’m made of glass or something. I just wanted him to be rough with me, well – rougher than usual.” Taehyung sighed, disappointed with himself for acting so irrationally, “Well, I didn’t realize and I’m sorry. I should have let you talk earlier. I felt like such shit for leaving you.” “Yeah, that entire sock rant had me questioning the state of your sanity. Anyways, apology accepted, can we please get back to the part where you attacked Jimin?” “Right, okay, uhm do you want the theatrical version of me riding on horseback to storm the castle or, do you want me to get straight to the…” Jeongguk’s glare was enough of a hint. “I shoved him into a table and just as I was seconds away from hitting him, a monitor showed up. I was so pissed off about being stopped, that I clocked the guy. He turned and caught me right in the mouth. It was a trade.” Taehyung felt bitter, watching as Jeongguk breathed out a sigh of relief. “Oh, yeah, don’t worry. No harm befell your master, it was just me. He was more than fine, actually, quacking out his jokes, and waddling off on his webbies.” Jeongguk paused, “Did you just – wait, are you referring to Jimin as a duck?” Taehyung shrugged, “If the shoe fits. I mean, everyone gets to be an animal of some sort, right? You’re a bunny, he’s a duck, and I’m a tiger, apparently.” “Yoongi called you a tiger?” Jeongguk asked, curiously. It both surprised and concerned him that out of all doms Taehyung could have attracted, that it was Yoongi who’d been interested in him. There were rumors, stories that had been carried through the grapevine. Aside from that, it was a Yoongi didn’t train submissives anymore. He smiled when Taehyung shyly nodded in response, his skin flushing suddenly. “If Yoongi were an animal, what would he be? You’ve already thought of it, haven’t you?” Being an art history major, Taehyung often found himself comparing people and situations to famous works of art. Lately, he had no problem with gaining access to his mental gallery. The moment he’d watched Yoongi step onto the stage at Void, he knew that he was a Cuthbert Edmund Swan piece, crossing a river at night, and every other panther piece before or after it. Yoongi was as good as midnight, a cat in the wild, as graceful as he was cunning, and predatory. “No,” Taehyung said, lying some more – lying to himself, and to his friends now. “If the typical asshole counted as an animal, then, maybe?” “That kinda works, actually, and Tae,” Jeongguk said, tone growing serious. “Be careful around Yoongi, alright?” “There is no ‘around’ Yoongi, other than at my classes, and believe me, I don’t want to spend more time with him than I have to.” Wow, Taehyung was getting good at this, this whole – denial thing. “Hypothetically though, if I wanted to be near him, what would I have to be careful of?” “For starters, Yoongi doesn’t take subs anymore and even if he did, most doms don’t like to train, uhm…” Jeongguk trailed off, trying to think of a delicate way to put it. Taehyung lowered his head the longer the last syllable dragged on for. “…virgins. Doms don’t like to train virgins.” “Oh,” Taehyung said, having been disconnected from his friends once or twice due to that topic. Hoseok had a damn field day with it. If what Jeongguk said was true, then Taehyung really had nothing to worry about with Yoongi. Not now or ever, probably, since he was borderline celibate. Then why was he slightly disappointed by that news? “Good to know.” Jeongguk picked up the pillow that had fallen off his bed in his haste earlier. “Also, I got around to seeing Hobi’s photos, and you were right. They’re shit. I hyped him up though, so there’s a high possibility that we might be receiving more tomorrow.” “Oh, goody,” Taehyung said, giving a roll of his eyes. Jeongguk walked up beside him then, large hands gently grabbing at his face, inspecting his wound. “It’ll be better by tomorrow, hyung.” Yeah, maybe. --------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday was always an off day for Taehyung. Actually, any day when he didn’t have class was an odd, confusing day. It was worse when no one was trying to strong arm him into last minute plans. Taehyung had his notes open, eyes skimming over the details of Yoongi’s last lecture. Reading over the words, he swore that he could hear the professor’s voice – hearing his voice, Taehyung could vividly see him. Soon it wasn’t the dorm anymore, but it the medical room at Void. It was difficult when Taehyung could still taste him on his tongue – could still feel him on skin, like a ghost wound. He pressed his fingers to his cut, contemplative. Yoongi wouldn’t want him once he knew that he was a virgin. Taehyung eyed his phone. There was a lot he didn’t understand, within himself, and in general. His text tone went off – this was his reason to grab for his old, shitty Android. The KKT chat was being spammed with photos from Hoseok. He would happily ignore them for now, as he instead clicked into his mail inbox. Firing up his laptop would take too long and wouldn’t be worth it overall. He found the email with Professor Min’s number in it. He really shouldn’t be doing this, even if the email made it sound mandatory. Taehyung knew he had a choice. He could deny the professor, until his dying breath – avoid giving away his number, and never have to speak with him outside of a school setting, ever the fuck again. ‘This can’t ever happen again…’ echoed off the walls of his mind. It was as cruel as Yoongi’s last kiss. If there was one thing he'd learned from Jeongguk's situation, it was to be a fucking brat. He went to add a new number, typing in ‘Prof. M’ as the contact name. To: Prof. M ------------------- It’s Kim Taehyung. You know, the student you want to fuck :D Jeongguk told me some terrific news last night that pertains to our situation. Apparently doms don’t train virgins. So sorry to shatter your dreams of one day owning me. Guess it’ll be someone else’s job :/ Sat. 05, 02:10pm It was less than a minute later that Sent went to Read.

#Taegi #Taegi fic #Taegi smut #BTS Fanfic #Bts smut #Espresso Marmalade #Taehyung #Yoongi #Taehyung x Yoongi

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dingoat · 6 years

Text

The Ve’lora Family Vault

A little bit of history that I needed to get written out! My everlasting thanks to @humanrevolt for trusting me to write Lyrisal, and for all the stories we’ve built together so far. I’ve been having such a bloody good time, I can’t even put it into words. Kind of wish I had the stamina to stay up late enough to make an illustration to put to this, or the fortitude to wait until I have the time free to draw something before posting it, but... I don’t. Feels kinda weird to be posting text only though!

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Ulfran stared hollowly at Lyrisal for a good ten minutes before speaking. “It was you, you know.” She’d been her eternally patient self, not saying a word, not prompting nor pressing, merely working away at her meal with better table manners than one might expect from your average ex-Commando- unless of course one knew her at all. The sound of her cutlery clinking against the plate stilled, and she lifted her eyes to meet his. They were still a little difficult to look at, despite how long it’d been since they’d… changed. She waited again, letting a single raised eyebrow do the talking for her. “My final trial. My trial of the flesh…” he curled his lip a little at that, like the words were a bad taste in his mouth. “It was you.” Lyrisal tilted her head at that; the slightest of movements, but for her, it conveyed the height of interest in what he had to say. “Doesn’t that one normally involve a certain amount of… bloodshed?”

Ulfran sighed, though there was still a sneer in his otherwise defeated tone as he nodded. “Normally. Usually it’s physical pain that they put to the test. Much easier to… control, and dish out in appropriate measures. But no, no, not for me. She knew about us. Master Antinea.”

Lyrisal remembered young Kane Ulfran’s master well, of course. The Togruta with wits as sharp as her teeth, as kind as she was severe. They certainly hadn’t been the first teenagers at the Temple to liken her to a mother vorn tiger, stripes and all. “That’s not entirely a surprise. I can’t imagine we were nearly as discrete as we thought we were.” Her voice wasn’t cold, exactly, but she was still guarded.

“She knew, and she let us be. Left me be, to… to make my mistakes. See if I’d come around on my own. And when I didn’t, she decided to use it to… test me.”

This wasn’t exactly the conversation Lyrisal had been expecting to have. Here they were in hyperspace, putting as much distance between themselves and Bothawui as possible, with a pair of hostages in tow. Ulfran had come with them, a fact that both excited and concerned her, and she had yet to make any measure of where his loyalties currently lay. The fact that he’d never left Republic service had come as a genuine surprise, but why… why the Republic had seen fit to authorize a mission that involved kidnapping an unremarkable Bothan girl and forcing her into a marriage arrangement amongst Bothan nobility was the mystery she truly wanted some light shed on.

But Ulfran clearly needed to let this out, so she leant back in her seat and let him.

“Just before I was knighted, she confronted me. Told me she knew exactly what was going on, and I… I was ashamed.” He gritted his teeth, letting his eyes flutter shut for a moment. “I was so desperately ashamed, because I’d known… I’d known all along they wouldn’t approve. But I kept going back to you. Because we were different, weren’t we? We understood our obligations. We would never let one another get in the way of our work. Of serving the greater good. We could have… made it work. Been an example. I wasn’t ashamed of us, I was ashamed only because I knew we were going against the rules. Because I’d been found out.”

Perhaps it was because he was, for the first time in his life, speaking aloud thoughts and frustrations he’d kept bottled up since he’d been a Padawan... but he sounded more like the young man he used to be than the silver-eyed sorcerer he’d posed as for so long. If any feelings were stirred inside Lyrisal however, she let nothing show. She merely listened, and gave him the space to work through it at his own speed.

“She asked me if I would walk away. She asked if I could turn my back on you, for the good of the Order. And I didn’t even blink before saying yes. ‘Yes, Master, of course, Master. Whatever you ask. I live to serve.’”

He fell into bitter silence for a few harsh breaths.

“She didn’t ask anything of me there and then. It was… the day after I was knighted that she came. I don’t think I truly expected it to happen, I… I think that’s why I said yes so easily. But then Master pulled me aside, and told me the plan. And that if I agreed to it, I would be playing a very, very long game.

“Antinea and a fellow Master, they’d spent the last few years tracking down rumours of artifacts. Deadly, powerful, game-changing artifacts. You know the sort. But they could only track so far without someone on the inside. They needed… someone smart. Someone resourceful. Someone who could convincingly pretend to abandon the Republic and be welcomed into the Empire’s Sphere of Ancient Knowledge.”

He actually laughed a little there, shaking his head as a wry grin twisted his features.

“An undercover treasure-hunter. That’s what they wanted me to be. I was the perfect candidate, and the very idea of it was thrilling.”

Lyrisal felt a similar, but subdued smile tweak at the corners of her lips, and she gave a single nod of acknowledgement. “The sort of thing we’d always talked about.”

“Except that it couldn’t be a we. I had to convince everyone that I’d truly abandoned the Order. You, most of all. I had to make you believe it with all your heart, because if you were convinced, then, heh, surely everyone else would be. I’ve put on a lot of acts over the years, Lyrisal, but I think that was still the greatest show of my life. So good, I nearly convinced myself.” His tone took a harsh turn.

“Ulfran-“

“Don’t. The time for sympathy is long gone. I knew what I was getting into, I… stepped into it willingly. I knew I was going to hurt you, and still I went forward. I’ve been bearing that weight since the beginning. Of course, the fact that I’d chosen that path didn’t stop it from tearing me up inside. The hours in the library, researching, cataloguing, seeking out references to great and terrible things I’d be sent out into the world to destroy… oh, they were a joy. They were my solace. The anger you saw in me was real, so real, but it wasn’t at my post, it wasn’t at my Master. It was at what I had to do to you.”

Lyrisal watched him carefully, and measured her response with equal care. “I survived.”

“You left.”

“After I thought you’d abandoned it all! After I’d tried for years to bring you back--“

Ulfran raised his hands; a call for peace? Or a surrender. “It made it near impossible to continue, for a time. I never questioned anything so hard as I questioned myself, when I wondered if it really mattered so much if we were working for the same cause. If one person could make such a difference to how I felt about the Republic. I’ve never stopped wondering if you might have stayed, if only I had been around…”

His voice trailed away, and Lyrisal gave him nothing. She’d always been reserved, but now she was like stone. If she had the answer to his lifelong question, this was not the time she was willing to give it.

“Were you successful?”

So far his thoughts had wandered, that her question took him a little by surprise. “Sorry…?”

“Destroying artifacts. Did you?”

“Ah.” He smiled then, though his mirror-like gaze was distant. There was no pride in his tone, but some level of contentment. “Yes. Five unique and potentially devastating alchemical objects. Located. Tracked down. And their procurement and destruction so artfully arranged that my name was never associated with a single one. One operation was so well executed that the next virtually fell into my lap, as its caretaker strove to see it better protected.”

Lyrisal almost smiled with him. Almost. She closed her eyes, thought for a moment, and when she opened them the look she fixed him with was darker than the void of space. There was a ferocity there, the likes of which Ulfran had never known she could show, but her voice was calm and smooth as ever. “So tell me, then, what this all has to with faking the death of one of my crewmates. Kidnapping her and attempting to force her into a marriage. Where was the Republic’s interest in all this?”

Ulfran didn’t labour the point. “The Ve’lora family vault. Access to what would have been my sixth terrible artifact. Have you ever heard of the Tempus Shard?”

“…I can’t say that I have.”

“It’s been called a few things over the centuries, but that has always been the most common. Rumour says it gives the bearer some ability to manipulate time.”

Lyrisal’s skeptical stare was so old and familiar, Ulfran very nearly laughed out loud.

“Oh, I’m not quite sure I believe it either,” the silver haired man agreed with her silent judgement. “But one way or another, it’s left quite the trail of destruction in its wake. It’s powerful, that much I can confirm. And somewhere down the line, it fell into possession of the family of the young Bothan lad you have in captivity here. I suppose… technically… it would be his now, wouldn’t it?”

“If it was so terrible a thing, why couldn’t the Republic simply negotiate for it?”

“Ahhh, you don’t really know Bothans, do you? If they caught so much of a whiff of the fact that the Republic had an interest in it, you could bet they’d clamp down so hard one could only hope to glimpse it six or seven generations down the track. If they were lucky. No, no. Attributing more value to the Shard would only make the Ve’loras more intent upon keeping it… that is to say, if they admitted to owning it at all. It’s not uncommon for the wealthier families to possess all manner of illegally obtained items, stolen pieces from cultures all across the galaxy, to be showed off on occasion at horribly pretentions get-togethers with one another…” a sneer twisted Ulfran’s features into something rather ugly. “The Republic would virtually have to declare war to seize the Shard openly.”

“Why not just let it be, then? If the Ve’loras had it kept so tightly under wraps…”

“Hadrex Kor’var.”

Lyrisal frowned, eyes narrowing in thought. “You asked me to…”

“Kill him, yes. And I appreciate the efficiency with which you did so. I don’t know how much you knew about him, but he was… quite the eccentric. Obsessed with Sith Philosophy. Considered himself something of an alchemist. And alarmingly well versed in the myths surrounding the Shard. I was tasked with beating him to it.”

Several things clicked into place at once. “You had to work for him. He would have leapt at the chance to have a ‘Sith’ on staff, where the Ve’loras would never have trusted you.”

Ulfran nodded. “Get in good with the Kor’vars. Facilitate the union between the families. Earn a measure of trust from the Ve’loras. And even if I was never invited to view the contents of the vault… well, I’d be in a far better position to act. Arrange a heist, perhaps. Or at the very least, keep putting obstacles in Hadrex’s way.”

“And Ahuska was your way in.”

“She was my way in.”

“You know it wasn’t right. There was nothing good about the way you took her. Or treated her.”

Ulfran fell quiet. The regret was plain on his face, even in his strange eyes, and he took some time finding his next words. But whatever he was trying to put his voice to never had the opportunity, as his head snapped up with a sudden jolt.

“Lyrisal.” His tone was oddly urgent. “I think we need to go to the cargo bay.”

#swtor writing #swtor fic #writing #ulfran #lyrisal #sith sorceror #jedi sentinel #republic trooper #ex-trooper #ex-commando #deserters

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