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zillennial97 · 3 years

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Friends to Lovers | Larry Fanfic Recs

Hiding Place by alivingfire | 365k | Explicit

Louis never wanted a soulmate, didn’t really care for the whole Bonding thing at all, really. Enter Harry Styles, who’s wanted to be Bonded for as long as he could remember. With one fateful meeting in an X Factor bathroom, Louis gets a dagger on his arm and the realization that just because Harry is his soulmate doesn’t mean it’s mutual.

From the X Factor house to Madison Square Garden, from the Fountain Studios stage to stadiums across the world, Louis has to learn to love without losing himself completely, because someday his best friend will Bond to someone and replace Louis as the center of his universe. Meanwhile, Harry begins to think that maybe fate doesn’t actually know what it’s doing after all, because his other half has clearly been right in front of him the whole time. All he has to do now is convince Louis to give them a chance.

Or, the canon compliant Harry and Louis love story from the very beginning, where the only difference is that the love between them is literally written on their skin, and there’s only so much they can hide.

And Then a Bit by infinitelymint | 158k | Explicit

“We’d like to give the fans what they want.” Magee states, placing his hand on the table in front of him and leaning forward. “We want to give them Larry Stylinson.”

Or, take a parallel universe where Louis and Harry were never together, mix in a two year hiatus and an impending comeback, pour in a dash of lost fans, two tablespoons of strong friendship and a Modest! employee with a good idea. Add a squeeze of pretending to be a couple, lots of kisses and a tattoo or two. Stir. Serve: the mother of all publicity stunts.

(aka Harry and Louis fake a relationship for publicity. Eventually it becomes a lot less fake and a lot more real.)

Wild Love by purpledaisy | 130k | Explicit

“Good,” Julia says, clearly pleased to have them both uncomfortable and unable to look at each other. “Now, I only have one more question before you can go. What are you planning to do when this experiment ruins your friendship?”

“We said we’d stay friends no matter what,” Harry says smoothly, his chin lifting in defense.

“That was our one thing going into it,” Louis agrees. “Stay friends no matter what.”

Julia raises a perfectly manicured brow, “That’s all fine and good. But I hope you realize your emotions aren’t going to realize this is an experiment in the end. If one of you falls for the other and finds out those feelings are not reciprocated, you’re not going to be able to laugh it off as a social experiment. I’m not saying you shouldn’t do this, I’m just hoping you’ve considered all of the possible outcomes.”

- AU: Two best friends try to date each other for forty days. It's supposed to be fun until emotions make it complicated.

California Sold by isthatyoularry | 123k | Mature

Notoriously closeted boyband member Harry Styles is famous on a global scale, meanwhile Louis, as his best friend, is back home in Manchester, living the typical life of a 24 year old. When Harry needs Louis with him in LA, a publicity stunt gone wrong changes their friendship forever.

A fake-relationship AU between two lifelong best friends.

Tired Tired Sea by MediaWhore | 113k | Mature

As a B&B owner on the most remote of all the British Isles, Louis Tomlinson is used to spending the coldest half of the year in complete isolation, with his dog and the sea as sole companions. Until, one day, a mysterious stranger on a quest to rebuild himself rents a room for the winter.

Like a Bullet in the Dark by Vurdoc | 99k | Explicit

Prince Harold Edward Styles Lancaster is second in line to the throne of Great Britain. He is also your average Uni student- or he tries to be, anyway.

With a promise from the press (and his father) that they'll leave him alone for four years, he sets out to be a student at Cambridge, when he meets his very normal, very working class, very handsome suite-mate, Louis Tomlinson.

Louis makes Harry feel more like a person than he ever has before, which might cause some issues later on- 'cause Harry has a secret that he's only told his sister Gemma about.

Little does he know though, that Louis has some secrets of his own.

A Will & Kate Au- with a twist.

Christmas-ing With You by dolce_piccante | 65k | Mature

Two writers from Loving Heart Television, the premiere network for holiday romance films, find that, sometimes, love is not only in their works of fiction.

Faking It by TheCellarDoor | 46k | Mature

A uni AU in which Louis has been Harry’s best friend since he offered him cubed fruit on the playground, and they spend more time cuddling in their dorm beds than they do apart, but it’s not like that. Or is it?

Aka Harry pretends to date his best friend to escape unwanted attention from a too insistent classmate and hopes it won’t blow up in his face. Featuring embarrassing dildo accidents, awkward boners, longing, first times, late night conversations, emotional discoveries and Niall as the exasperated friend with bad advice.

if the sun don't shine by falsegoodnight | 36k | Explicit

Louis finds himself struck frozen, fingers stuck in place where he’s flattened them against the cold railing. It takes every bit of his remaining strength to pull them away, sliding them under his shirt and pressing them to his stomach to leech some of the warmth. He hardly pays attention to the bite of the wind and air on his shivering body. He can only pay attention to the music.

The music that is undoubtedly new to Louis’ ears, yet listening to it is the most familiar thing Louis has ever experienced. An inexplicable rush of emotions flood his mind and body, rendering him speechless and hollow. It’s a call of loneliness. It rings of everything Louis’ been feeling.

And the pure yearning - the intense longing for something and someone - tears through straight to Louis’ heart. The desperation feels all too intimate, all too real. It makes Louis think of what he yearns for more than anything. It makes him think of his soulmate.

In a world where you meet your soulmates in dreams, Louis has spent the last three years going to bed hoping to finally meet his, only to end up disappointed time and time again. It all changes with a violin.

From the Start by allwaswell16 | 32k | Explicit

Louis has no idea that one act of kindness will cause his life to spiral out of control. But that's what happens when his new friend fake proposes to him and a video of it goes viral.

Barefoot in Blue Jeans by indiaalphawhiskey | 24k | Explicit

AU. Louis Tomlinson is trying desperately hard not to fall for his son’s au pair, but he can’t, for the life of him, remember why.

475. The hope that this fear is unfounded.

In Dreams by dolce_piccante | 23k | Mature

AU. When Harry moves to a new city, his new flat come with a number of sweet, anonymous gifts and surprises that brighten his days. Could it be a friendly ghost? Another friendly presence in his new building is his tattooed neighbor, Louis, who seems determined to put a smile back on his face.

You're Writing Verses About Me by Rearviewdreamer | 23k | Teen And Up Audiences

Everybody knows that Louis has never been one for serious boyfriends. His reputation around campus precedes him, which is why he doesn't think twice before proudly telling his mother about his new and completely fabricated relationship with his oddly quiet and completely

And I Will Hold On To You by darkmarkburning, staybeautiful | 23k | Mature

“I can’t believe my best friend is about to be Prime Minister of Canada,” Harry whispered in his ear, his arms tight around Louis’ shoulders. “Who decided it was a good idea to let some brash kid from Doncaster run a country?”

“I don’t know,” Louis laughed into his shoulder, “but if you promise not to tell them they’ve made a mistake I’ll give you a posh office.”

“You’ve got yourself a deal, Tomlinson.” Harry pulled away and smacked a kiss onto Louis’ cheek. “I’m proud of you, Lou, I can’t fucking believe it, but I’m proud of you.”

or Louis has just been elected Prime Minister of Canada and Harry is his best friend since childhood.

the way the storms blow by rbbsbb | 21k | Explicit

Louis doesn’t have a habit of thinking about Harry’s dick.

That would be weird, seeing as they’re best mates, and they share a flat, and they’ve spent holidays at each other’s family homes. Their friendship hasn’t ever risen to a point where Louis should want to see his mate’s dick, and he’s happy to keep it that way.

Except, all that Louis can think about is exactly that. The size of it. The shape. The amount of people it’s been in.

Maybe it’s the tequila talking, or the fact that Louis’ just recently walked in to an eyeful of Harry taking turns on some slags that he’s never seen before, but. Louis’ mind can’t stop obsessing over the idea.

Autumn At My Window by TheCellarDoor | 20k | Mature

A canon-compliant AU, in which Harry and Louis are both in the band and have been sharing flats and hotel rooms for nearly five years, but never made the leap past 'friends who are too close for comfort'.

Featuring a lot of pining, Louis' addiction to Harry's scent, and a whole lot of sexual tension that might just snap loose when they decide to spend some time together all on their own.

The Sex Methods by Alice_Novelland | 19k | Explicit

Harry and Louis explore alternative methods aka sex methods to help each other out.

once bitten and twice shy by pinkcords | 19k | Mature

This time as his stomach rolls, there’s no doubt about it. He’s going to vomit. And if he does, it’ll be on Louis’ shoes, a nice little parting gift to go with the embarrassment he’s caused the both of them. “I’m gonna throw up,” he says just as Louis turns to look at him, blue eyes swimming with shock and confusion, and asks, “Is that true?”

Or, in a rush of bravery only senior year can bring, Harry confesses his feelings in a letter to his neighbor and best friend, Louis, only for the entire school to hear it and laugh him out of their small town in Wisconsin. Ten years later, Harry's a successful lawyer at Columbia Records, coming home for Christmas for the first time since he departed for college. He plans to work his way through the trip, eat his mom's cooking, and avoid everyone from his past for as long as possible. The only problem is best laid plans hardly ever go as intended.

Oblivious by Speechless | 19k | Explicit

"You say it's nothing serious after you've been obsessing over it for months," Liam observes, pausing their videogame. "But now you barely talk about it-" "You guys fucking ignore me whenever I try!" Louis shouts, bumping his shoulder against Liam's and hurting himself in the process. "You're postponing sex, when it's obvious that Luke's up for it at this point." Liam ignores him. "For some reason you've left Harry in the dark about it-" "What?!" Louis snaps, banging his controller against the coffee table. "I have not!" "And no matter how blatant it is, no matter how fucking ridiculous you both get when it comes to it-" "Shut your hole." Louis urges, pinching his thigh, as soon as Harry enters the room. "Shush."

* Where Louis gets a little crush on Luke and for some reason Harry starts acting weird *

searching for a sweet surrender (but this is not the end) by feelslikehxme | 18k | Teen And Up Audiences

Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles, the two most loved coaches on The Voice UK known for their banter on the show and best friendship off. Louis’s determined to win and finally end Harry’s winning streak with Zayn Malik on his team, but Harry’s flirting and Liam Payne have different plans.

— Or an AU based off the Voice where Louis’s Adam, Harry’s Blake, Niall’s Shakira, Zayn and Liam have a cliche Romeo/Juliet love story and Louis’s too old for pathetic pining.

Can I bother you for a sex? by perfectdagger (sincerelyste) | 16k | Explicit

Reason #40 – Called/texted the wrong person, but he was into it anyway

“So, this isn’t really an invite for a sex, I see,” Louis spoke, not missing the chance. There was a teasing smile on his lips as he turned around to face Harry again after he had just closed the door.

Harry let out a laugh as he closed his eyes and shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Oh for fuck's sake, Louis,” he looked back at Louis, “this will haunt me forever now, won’t it?”

Louis shrugged. “Not my fault some people manage to mistext and sext others at the same time.”

When Harry mistexts Louis, Louis realises that he wouldn't mind Harry bothering him with anything, especially not with sex.

You'll Be Home For Christmas by 2tiedships2 | 15k | Not Rated

“Honesty, Lou, just ask Harry for help.”

Louis remained silent as he continued to scowl at the Christmas calendar Niall had hung on their refrigerator.

“And be nice to my calendar filled with holiday cheer,” Niall instructed. “You’re going to burn a fucking hole in it from the way you’re glaring at the innocent thing. It’s not the calendar’s fault that your heat is starting so close to Christmas.”

You're The One That I Want by spacecakesandmilkshakes | 15k | Explicit

Harry had always been Louis' best friend and...well...his baby, until one day he realized that his baby was all grown up.

show you the stars in the daylight by bruisedhoney | 13k | Explicit

Louis laughed, the sound loud and borderline obnoxious. Harry winced. “Are you kidding, Haz? I wouldn’t even look twice at someone that couldn’t pick me up.”

And, well. That was new information to Harry. It’s not like Louis had ever mentioned to him that he was his type in any way, shape, or form. Harry shifted closer into the space between Louis’s legs, even more intrigued than before. “Why not?” he asked curiously, all pink lips and big curls. Louis smiled.

“Tiny, innocent, little Harold. Need someone that can pick me up, don’t I? I like being tossed around a little. You know, pinned down and made to take it. Lifted up like I’m nothing,” Louis said it all with a confident smile, his sharp little teeth tugging at his bottom lip as he locked eyes with the jock across the kitchen. “Think he might come over here. Move over. I don’t want him to think we’re together.”

Or, the one where Louis has a type and at sixteen and scrawy, it's definitely not his best friend's little brother Harry...ten years later, he changes his mind.

when everybody wants you by nightwideopen | 11k | Mature

Harry nearly faints on the spot. He got the job. He’s going to be on Saturday Night Live.

Three of Harry's dreams come true, then one of them falls apart.

the SNL au that no one asked for

Shape of You by Only_angel_28 | 11k | Explicit

“Seriously?” Surely, Harry must be joking. Louis arches a skeptical brow and snaps the waistband of Harry’s joggers playfully. “What exactly do you have down there, Styles? I know you’ve got four nipples, d’ya have a couple extra bollocks as well or summat?”

“No!” Harry shrieks, his voice bordering on shrill. “No,” He repeats a little quieter, calmer, “I just—I’m, er, kinda…big, I guess.”

Louis rolls his eyes in fond exasperation. “That’s hardly a problem, curly.”

*Or Harry is insecure about a certain rather large part of his anatomy that is apparently intimidating to the point where it has actually scared off potential shags. When he ends up confessing this to his best friend and roommate, Louis takes it upon himself to prove that Harry’s size doesn't have to be a curse, and decides to help show him just how perfect he is.

Waiting by allwaswell16 for LadyLondonderry | 10k | Explicit

Louis Tomlinson was Harry’s omega, of this Harry had always been sure. Unfortunately for Harry, Louis seemed to think they were just best friends. The six weeks that Harry has to live with Louis were going to be rough.

You Give Me Fever (What A Lovely Way To Burn) by my_fandom_OTPs | 10k | Explicit

Louis walks in on Harry jerking off in the shower. What happens after is just… Impulsive and spontaneous.

the value of this moment lives in metaphor by clicheanna for hattalove | 10k | Teen And Up Audiences

Louis and Harry are best friends and absolutely nothing more. It’s a bit strange that, suddenly, everyone thinks they’re dating.

Or the one where they’re all teachers at a high school and students are more invested in their lives than normally expected.

trusting things beyond mistake by sarcasticfluentry | 9k | Explicit

"Is that even possible?" asks Harry.

All of them stare at him for several seconds, and then Louis says, "What, coming untouched?"

"Christ," Zayn mutters, throwing his hands up. “This fucking band, I swear.”

...or, Harry wants to see if he can come without touching his cock and ends up getting more than he bargained for.

And I Will Steady Your Hand by kiwikero | 9k | Explicit

All first year university students who had not yet presented were strongly advised to join the Fire Away meetings, a support group for so-called 'late bloomers.'

They were not, however, advised to fall in love with someone else at the meetings without knowing what they might eventually present as.

A Christmas Wish by Snowy38 | 8k | Mature

"So when are you going to tell him?"

Louis pursed his lips at his sister, his Skype video call relaying his thoughts on that subject perfectly.

"Next question," he mused.

Lottie rolled her eyes.

"It's your birthday in four days, Louis."

"What difference does that make?" He scoffed.

She shrugged.

"You can get drunk and confess how you feel and take it back afterwards if he doesn't feel the same."

That might work if Louis wasn't in love with Harry. But Lottie didn't know that and she didn't need to find out.

"Thanks Lots," he said anyway.

"Seriously Lou what's stopping you?"

Louis sighed.

"Fear mostly."

Under that Damn Mistletoe by hickeystyles | 7k | Mature

Louis' heart froze when he looked over and saw Liam whispering in Harry’s ear and nodding towards the mistletoe. Louis’ eyes widened comically before he dove out of sight so Harry couldn’t see him standing under the mistletoe like an idiot, or worse, like he was part of Liam’s plan to have Harry kiss him.

Or a Christmas Party AU where Louis is in love with his best friend Harry and everyone else is trying to force the two of them under the mistletoe together

We Could Be A Dream by Bearandleonardwrite | 7k | Explicit

“So, I’ve never seen you at one of these parties before,” Harry says as he hands Louis his drink. “Who’re you here for?”

Well, shit. Louis was definitely not expecting that. He sips on his drink to give him a few moments to think of an answer and then, “Oh, y’know. I’m dating the host’s brother. What about you?” He’s quite pleased with himself. Great answer. He takes another drink as a reward.

Harry grins at him, eyes bright, and shrugs. “Gemma’s my sister.” Louis hums around the rim of his cup waiting for him to elaborate. “She’s the host,” he tacks on, smug smile on his face. Louis chokes on his drink and tries his best to glare at Harry while he coughs. Harry rubs at his back until he can breathe properly again, which is actually really not that helpful. “Didn’t realize we were dating, Lou. I’m flattered.”

(Basically; Louis meets Harry at a party that he wasn't invited to. He ends up asking Harry to tutor him so he can keep seeing him. Featuring a bit of pining and a tea party.)

Mission Fucking Impossible by orphan_account | 7k | Mature

“Are you and Louis fucking?”

Harry nearly spits out his drink as he tries to communicate a "what the ever living fuck" to Niall with his eyes.

Niall takes another casual sip of his beer “Not like I’m the only one thinking it mate, I’m just the only one saying it out loud.”

- Harry is in love with Louis, and he is almost positive Louis is in love with him too. Naturally, Harry deals with this by trying to get Louis horny and hope for the best.

Things don't exactly work out how he plans.

One day to believe in you by mediaville | 7k | Explicit

A mysterious force compels Louis to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Even when it's really inconvenient.

Harry blinks and has the nerve to look surprised. "You think about me when you get off?"

"Yes," Louis says. He wonders how hard he'd need to punch himself in the face to knock himself out.

"Often?"

"Yes, Christ, Harry," Louis groans. "Probably eight times a week for going on six years now. On average, you know. More when we were touring, less when I've been visiting family. Anything else you'd like to know?"

Fake It Till We Make It by whileatwiltshire | 7k | General Audiences

#33- Keeping up with the Neighbors

“We can fake it.”

What?

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“No I did not. Say it again.”

“I said” Harry started slowly, “We can fake having sex to teach them a lesson.”

It was clear to say that Louis's mouth went a little dry at the suggestion.

Or ,

Their neighbours were a bit too loud during their bedroom activities and Harry comes up with the worst plan to shut them up. Louis agrees anyways.

Web Me Harder by iwillpaintasongforlou | 6k | Explicit

Louis Tomlinson, otherwise known as London's masked hero Spiderman, finds himself crashing through the window of Harry Styles one night after a particularly nasty fight with a villain. Luckily Harry is a nursing student with a soft spot for caped crusaders who's more than happy to tend to all of Louis' wounds, no matter how many times he swings by.

candy in your mouth (i know you love me) by embodied | 6k | Explicit

“You’re wrong,” Harry says, jaw clenched tight. “Because if all I wanted was a fuck, I’ve got at least three willing parties a phone call and a five minute drive away. What I want is you. I want us, I want it to be normal again -”

“What the fuck is normal?” Louis yells, much too loudly, and has to pause to consciously lower his voice before he speaks again. “Because a year ago, normal was eating too much takeaway and watching B-movies on Netflix in your room, and then normal was me choking on your cock at half past two in the morning, and I don’t know about you, but as of the past few weeks, normal is not seeing or talking to you at all, because I’ve all but admitted that I’m fucking crazy for you and you don’t know what to say to that.” Louis’ chest heaves, his breath coming out short. He hears his own throat stick when he swallows, and his voice is decidedly weaker when he asks, “So which one is it, Harry?”

AU. Things have shifted since last Christmas.

Running Through a Cloud of Steam by allwaswell16 | 5k | Mature

As Harry’s long anticipated twenty-first birthday approaches, he anxiously awaits the moment when he finally meets his soulmate. He’s not even sure he believes in soulmates, but at the very least, he hopes to prove to his best friend that nothing can come between their friendship--not even a soulmate.

You Can't Blame Me For Tryin' by lululawrence | 5k | Mature

Reason # 38 - Because He Is From One of the Countries You Haven't Had Sex With a Person From Yet.

Louis had been accepted into the study abroad program through his uni back home and therefore got to spend a year in rural Minnesota, of all places, but he wasn’t going to complain. It was still a pretty cool experience, even if it was far different from what he had been expecting. And besides, if he’d been sent to literally any other university, he’d never have met Harry.

If It's Meant To Be (It'll Be, It'll Be) by lululawrence | 4k | Not Rated

“So, anyway. I’m done here and on my way to the airport. I think I’m expected to be there in the morning, around ten. I’ll let you know when I’m getting close.”

“Sounds good.” Harry pulled back from the window and threw himself onto one of the beds. Once he got comfortable, he steeled himself and then went for it. “It’s been too long this time, Lou,” he finally whispered. He watched as Louis bit his lip and nodded slowly.

“I know,” Louis agreed, just as quiet in return. “We have to swear to never go this long without seeing each other again. Two months is just...unacceptable. I’m gonna go now, but I’ll see you soon. ‘Kay?”

“Yeah. See you. Be safe,” Harry said, far too fondly for his best friend. He couldn’t help it though. It was how he always had been and probably always would be.

They hung up and Harry threw his arm over his face.

“I am so in love with him,” he whined to himself. “Fuck.”

Satisfaction by iwillpaintasongforlou | 2k | Teen And Up Audiences

Louis and Harry have known each other since before they could remember and been in love with one another for about as long, even though both steadfastly refuse to admit it. When Louis starts dating other people, it is only to help himself move on and not at all to make Harry jealous. And the sulking sort of anger Harry feels when he watches Louis kiss other people is completely irrelevant anyways.

#larry fanfiction recommendations #larry fanfic rec #larry fic #larry fanfiction #larry stylinson #louis tomlinson #harry styles #one direction fanfiction #one direction fanfic recs #larry fanfiction masterpost #friends to lovers

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doomonfilm · 3 years

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Ranking : Gus Van Sant (1952-present)

I was somewhat familiar with Gus Van Sant prior into taking the deep dive through his catalog, but he was certainly a man that I thought I had a handle on. I knew he had more than a few amazing films under his belt, but the recent years had not been kind to him (see the shot taken at him in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back). I knew that he was from the Pacific Northwest (Oregon specifically), and his coming of age in an area that embraces weirdos and outsiders had an impact on him as a human and as a creator. I knew that films like Milk and Good Will Hunting had taken Van Sant to the highest heights, while the collective panning of films like Psycho and Last Days served as valleys in a career full of glorious peaks.

What I came to discover, however, was a man with genuine creative integrity, and lots of it. I found a director who understood his characters and actors on a human level, and shared them with viewers in ways that helped rich connections develop. I saw a director who was not afraid to make those that society often considers outcasts the emotionally rich and important centers of his narratives. I watched Gus Van Sant present, explore, develop and refine his style over deeply independent and infamously studio-driven projects, giving all experiences as much care and attention as he was able. I saw films I was familiar with find placement behind films I was new to, I discovered that his recent creative years have not been as kind to him as the first two-thirds of his career, and I can see that there still may be a bit of a smolder left in his creative fire.

Ranking directors is a labor of love, but by no means do I consider myself the definitive professional on film canon. I enjoyed all of the Gus Van Sant films I watched on some level, and as always, for those brave enough to interact, I’d be curious to see where you would make adjustments to the list. But enough introduction talk, let’s get into what you folks came for!

17. Restless (2011) There are things about Restless that I want to love without judgement. First and foremost, Mia Wasikowska is an absolute treasure who shines in this performance from the earlier portion of her career. The portrayal of Hiroshi is one of the more subtle, substanced and interesting ways of using a ghost within the film framework. As minor a thing as it may be to the casual moviegoer, some of this film’s technical aspects are astounding, specifically the costuming and the lighting choices. Where the film distracts me, and therefore drops in these rankings, is where it takes the YA approach to the romantic drama, with a healthy dose of manic pixie dream girl energy thrown in for good measure. When it comes to displaying romance on-screen, be it teenage or otherwise, there are no expectations, even for a director with a distinct style. Where my issues arise are in the way that death is handled in this film… while I do understand that not every film has to be a distinct statement for a director (especially a film written by another individual), Gus Van Sant had already established a very mature approach to the subject of death, and the way that death and the manic pixie dream girl aspects are intertwined feels more on the amateur side than I am comfortable with for a Gus Van Sant film. Maybe giving the impossibly troubled young man a muse with an expiration date as his way to find the best version of himself is a stroke of genius that provides a gateway for deep commentary on the concept of the manic pixie dream girl, but the film is so approachable and not the type to bare teeth (be it satirically or otherwise) that I doubt there is any subtext to its intention. For that reason, this film finds itself on the bottom half of the Van Sant canon.

16. Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot (2018) After the critical and box office disappointment that was The Sea of Trees, director Gus Van Sant had quite the hill to climb with his next film, and with his adaptation of Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot, it seemed he was able to right those respective ships. Strangely, the film failed to connect with me, and as far as I can tell, it seems to be the victim of an “all sizzle, no steak” scenario. The film is certainly a showcase of a very diverse cast, and based on both the flashback-based and group therapy approach to the story, there are a wealth of opportunities to create memorable moments. Unfortunately, and perhaps due to an oversight on my end, I failed to find enough substance during my viewing of the film to prop up the parade of moments. What it felt like I was left with, sadly, was a Simple Jack-level approach to conveying a paraplegic-centered story, which undercut the fact that the film is actually telling the true story of cartoonist, artist and musician John Callahan. That’s not to say that the film doesn’t have it’s positive aspects, such as the John Callahan illustrations and the animated versions of his work, but those positive aspects feel sparse in comparison to how much the film relishes in what feels like Oscar bait. If nothing else, see this film for Jonah Hill, because it took me much longer than it should have to recognize him, partly due to his impressive weight loss and partly due to how dedicated he is to achieving the film’s period look.

15. The Sea of Trees (2015) Death is no stranger in the films of Gus Van Sant, but I don’t feel that it would be bold to state The Sea of Trees deals with death in the most direct manner. For those that subscribe to grief having stages, this film accounts for all of them in some way, shape or form during the course of the narrative as we watch Arthur Brennan fall apart and rediscover himself in the wake of losing Joan Brennan, his wife. Placing the film in Aokigahara (aka the "Japanese suicide forest") not only gives the film a sense of natural beauty, but a foreboding sense of dread and despair as well. The core cast is as strong as any found in a Van Sant film, with Matthew McConaughey, Ken Watanabe and Naomi Watts all turning in solid performances. Sadly, the film falters in one very core aspect : sympathy for the protagonist. I found myself feeling very bad for Joan Brennan as I watched her arc, and despite knowing nothing about Watanabe’s character portrayal of Takumi Nakamura, I found myself sympathetic to him based solely on what he was emoting. Arthur Brennan, however, is interesting in all the wrong ways… he is extremely cold and purposefully flat when introduced, the moments we share with the Brennans only seem to show Arthur finding joy at the expense of Joan’s pride, his view of the loss of his wife (and his world view in general) seem to be extremely self-centered, and when he does show heroic attributes they are rooted solely in self-preservation. Perhaps if Van Sant had not already made such eloquent reflections on death via The Death Trilogy and Paranoid Park, The Sea of Trees could have been seen in a different light, but when you set such a high bar for your work, returning to stereotypical storytelling can feel flat and uninspired.

14. Last Days (2005) Last Days is a film with a weird energy and aura surrounding it… in some ways, it feels like the most performative film not only of the Death Trilogy, but out of the entire Gus Van Sant catalog. At the risk of using too negative an adjective, it also feels the most exploitive, though neither of these observations are necessarily meant to be a knock against the film. The Death Trilogy could not help but be exploitive at its root, as each film was inspired by an infamous death event, and with Michael Pitt’s Blake meant to be an avatar for Kurt Cobain, it would be simple to take the film at face value for some sort of glamourized and idealized fictional retelling of his tragic final moments, not to mention a few stylistic nods to iconic Cobain-related imagery. What that viewer would be missing, in my opinion, is a film looking to make some familiar points on outsider culture (specifically alternative rock and roll counterculture and addict culture) minus all the glamour and shine. While Blake’s house is grand, it’s decrepit and in a state of disrepair… despite it being isolated, expected and unexpected guests arrive constantly, not to mention an intrusive ringing phone that connects Blake to outworld obligations… Blake has a number of people living with him, but he almost never interacts with them. Michael Pitt is done up to look so similar to Kurt Cobain that much of the narrative background is implied, and what we are left with is the Death Trilogy style implemented and fused onto a loose leaf narrative with just enough structure to let the supporting actors have isolated memorable moments while we watch Pitt’s Blake decay in the ways that many of us Cobain fans ruminated on in the wake of his sudden and tragic death at the height of his tortured popularity.

13. Gerry (2002) At the risk of sounding cliché, Gerry may be the most fascinating film in Gus Van Sant’s canon. It marks a clear and definitive break in convention from a director that seemingly never cared too much for convention anyway. Multiple aspects of this film make it extremely unique : both characters referring to one another by the same name (though Gerry eventually evolves into an all-purpose non-specific descriptor), a seemingly absent narrative, a shared goal between the characters literally referred to as “the thing” in order to purposely keep viewers in the dark and, perhaps most importantly, a deliberately methodical pacing that pushes even seasoned film lovers to the limits of their patience. The film is beautiful, and that is a fact that cannot be denied… the painterly shot compositions of our characters in the isolated desert, the unfathomably long tracking shots that pull us deeper off the beaten path and the sonic stillness (due to a largely absent score that is replaced with the sounds of nature) either commit you fully to the experiment or come off as massively pretentious. To view the film through that secondary lens, however, is to miss the point of it all. Once it is understood that Gerry marked the entry point for Gus Van Sant’s Death Trilogy, you began to realize that Van Sant, in tandem with Matt Damon and Casey Affleck, are giving us an understanding of how we should view the trilogy, and how open-minded we should be in processing what is given to us, like some early high-concept version of what Quentin Dupieux would later go on to master in a more abstract manner.

12. Mala Noche (1985) It’s fitting that this was a feature-length debut from a driven and working director, as it has a very distinct look and feel to it that immediately lets you know you’re dealing with an innate storyteller and someone who has spent time observing the human condition. In terms of visual and narrative balance, Gus Van Sant utilizes what feels like a mix of John Cassavetes and Jack Kerouac, respectively. Van Sant’s use of titles in the film is striking, specifically in terms of the handwritten opening credits and the Dr. Pepper ad copy used to subtitle the Spanish language dialogue. Focusing so heavily on immigration and homosexuality in 1985 is a bold choice, especially as neither group had yet to benefit (even if only minimally) from the onset of politically correct culture policing. While the film was more than likely shot in black and white due to budgetary constraints, the infusion of somewhat modern elements (for the time) gives it a youthful and forward-thinking energy. Having a film of this nature lean so heavily on multilingual and multicultural elements is refreshing, and even more impactful when examined under the boorish and (at times) tone deaf application that humanizes these elements. For all of these aspects of the film, however, when examined at the pure narrative foundation, what we find is a story about how love can blind us from the reality we inhabit, and how we often choose to ignore the obvious when romance and romanticism enters the picture.

11. Psycho (1998) Of all the films in the Van Sant catalog, perhaps the bravest, boldest and most baffling entry is his nearly shot for shot remake of the iconic Alfred Hitchcock thriller and cinematic game changer Psycho. Remakes were certainly not a new or unheard of practice at the time of the Van Sant Psycho release, but most directors opt to put significant twists or updates into their retelling of most remakes, and most films chosen do not hold the lofty stature and position that Psycho does when it comes to remakes. Van Sant’s approach not only made viewers keenly aware of just how direct the homage was, but in some places, modern touches were added in very subtle ways to make the movie more palatable for modern audiences, including more salacious references to sexuality, sound design choices in both the diegetic and symbolic realm, and even an update or two to iconic scenes meant to make us much more uneasy with the Vince Vaughn portrayal of Norman Bates. The actors cast were all famous and respected enough to keep the film’s timeless feeling in-tact, even if the remake could be taken as its own weird and warped project. Personally, I’ve always loved this remake, and taken it as an experiment on the highest commercial level, and a signal to all that Van Sant (at the time) was done with the traditional approach to filmmaking and concepting.

10. Paranoid Park (2007) While many movies centered around skateboarding spend their time and design budget trying to make the outsider nature of the practice look “cool”, Paranoid Park spends its time making sure that the isolation, deep focus and rebellious attitude that come with skateboarding were more authentic than they were appealing. High school is already a very taxing and polarizing section of juvenile development, and based on your perception at the time, the weight that the world unloads on you can feel wholly unbearable. Perhaps this is what makes Paranoid Park such a tense film… that natural teenage angst is already imprinted into the film (and amplified due to the casting of relative unknowns), but Gus Van Sant’s signature use of alternative film stocks, obscure soundtrack and expressive, layered sound design but you square in Alex’s head from the opening moments. As the narrative unfolds, we realize that Alex is not only dealing with standard-issue teen stress, but has unwillingly found himself involved in the type of events that change an individual’s world. This film plays well as the first film post-Death Trilogy, as it deals with the gravity of mortality head-on much like the aforementioned three films, but does so from an adaptive stance rather than one based on true events. If you’re a fan of skater flicks, movies with strong teen acting, or little-known Gus Van Sant gems, then Paranoid Park is a gem waiting for discovery.

9. Finding Forrester (2000) Gus Van Sant has always had a way with stories that dive below the surface of the human experience and condition, so it makes sense that his attempt at a New York-based movie about people living in “the hood” would cover an array of topics with masterful subtlety, specifically the topics of race relations, generational gaps and the blurry line between education and exploitation. The casting on this film is extremely strong… then newcomer Rob Brown gives a riveting and dynamic lead performance, it’d be harder to cast a more perfect curmudgeon than Sean Connery, and appearances by F. Murray Abraham, Anna Paquin, Busta Rhymes and a Matt Damon cameo all stand out. Speaking of Damon, Finding Forrester shares a similar energy to Good Will Hunting, but the proximity of release ultimately held Finding Forrester from finding its proper audience (no pun intended). I wish I had more to say about this film outside of my personal feelings and connections to the story (which I will save for a dedicated deep dive in the future), but Finding Forrester is one of those films that has no trouble speaking for itself.

8. Promised Land (2012) As of the point that this blog post was created, this film stands as the last of the great Van Sant creations. There is something about the Gus Van Sant approach to filmmaking that works best with “salt of the Earth” types, and with Promised Land being centered around the practice of fracking, much of that down-home nature is immediately baked into the story. Speaking of the story, the film was co-written by the characters who ended up being the protagonist and antagonist of the picture, respectfully, which created an electric main dynamic that served as the spine for many other strong dynamics present in the film. In terms of the cinematography, much of Van Sant’s bold approaches and stylistic shifts are absent, save for a few beautiful bird’s eye view perspective shots that give you a real idea of what rural America looks like. Van Sant is no stranger to stacked casts, but he gets some truly top notch names to take part in this affair, and true to the clout behind these names, the performances are as stellar as they are believable and natural. The film also touched a nerve with the actual oil industry due to some of its comments on fracking, despite it not having the reach or success of other Van Sant films. While possibly an indicator that Van Sant would be making a stylistic shift, Promised Land still manages to capture what makes Van Sant his best self in terms of not only presenting real people, but topical and important situations.

7. Milk (2008) Gus Van Sant is clearly no stranger to having representation for the gay community in his films, so it makes sense that one of the hallmark films in his canon would center around gay rights activist and politician Harvey Milk. Much like JFK crystalized Oliver Stone, or Spike Lee was raised to another echelon by Malcolm X, Van Sant found a second round of Academy Award-level validation via this biopic while solidifying himself as a creative who could go back and forth effortlessly between big budget studio films and independent projects. With Sean Penn giving one of his signature chameleon-like performances and leading the pack, this Van Sant production is filled with tons of burgeoning talent who have since gone on to make names for themselves in the industry, including the likes of Emile Hirsch, Diego Luna, James Franco, Alison Pill and others, plus a standout performance from Josh Brolin (who also depicted George W. Bush in the same year for the aforementioned Stone). While it may not be the most technically marveling film of Van Sant’s career, it is clearly one of his most important, and the way that it handles the messages it intends to share is as confident as it is even-keeled, which is important for a film that could have easily become a soapbox for espousing personal beliefs and political agendas.

6. Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993) This Gus Van Sant adaptation of the famed author Tom Robbins novel shares the same creative energy of films like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Natural Born Killers, Harold and Maude and so on in the sense that it is a very expressive film with a very specific idea it is looking to present. Where the aforementioned films explored ideas of free love taken to the extreme, the toxicity of media, love without judgement and so on (respectively), Even Cowgirls Get the Blues puts femininity and identity outside of the male gaze squarely in its crosshairs. Uma Thurman takes on the role of Sissy with wide-eyed zeal, floating through a series of hitchhiker-based adventures until her reluctant visit to the Rubber Road Ranch helps her find the missing piece of her puzzle. Seeing a bizarre, star-studded tale of a woman finding her agency sounds like it would work on the surface, but from what I could find, the film failed to make a connection with audiences and is considered a commercial and critical failure (which is probably why it was the toughest film to track down on this list). That being said, I’m a sucker for films that catch a bad rap, especially when the combination of such a unique director and visionary author are the foundation of it, because it makes me curious about why I find connection where others did not… who knows, maybe it was those extremely distracting rubber thumbs (the only real knock I can make on the film), or maybe the Tom Robbins style is tough to transfer from page to screen, but for my money’s worth, I can see the vision.

5. My Own Private Idaho (1991) Somewhere within the intersection of films like Midnight Cowboy and Fight Club lies My Own Private Idaho, an extremely personal and nuanced film that covers many topics with depth and an ease that comes with wisdom and experience. For example, when it comes to views on identity, we get two rich narratives that could easily both be their own film : Mike (portrayed by River Phoenix) is going through a crisis of identity based on a sordid history with his mother and absentee father that makes his search for love transform into a life of hustling as a way to find momentary intimacy; meanwhile, Keanu Reeves (who plays Scott) is an entitled young man awaiting an inheritance that decides to spend the time until it happens “slumming” with those many would consider the outcasts of society, much like the “tourists” spoken of by Edward Norton’s narrator in Fight Club. The struggle with masculinity in the face of homosexuality is all over this film, from its multiple male on male connections to the very toxic manner that the core group interacts with one another, when they are not grieving or putting their livelihood in danger via petty crimes. In terms of Van Sant style, the film is one of his most innovative (outside of the film holding the top spot) in terms of looks, with its unique range of colorful title cards, the pinhole vision that Mike uses on his road, or even the standout magazine rack sequence. The film is also a perfect follow-up to Drugstore Cowboy, and could easily double feature with it to this day. As someone not wholly familiar with Shakespeare’s Henry plays, I did not catch that My Own Private Idaho was an adaptation, so I will not only have to revisit it with that familiarity in tow, but I will have to take a look into James Franco’s re-cut, My Own Private River, as well.

4. Elephant (2003) Based solely on the nature and definition of a trilogy, a second film can make or break things. Gerry and Last Days share similarities in how quiet and isolated they are, so it makes sense that Elephant, part two of Van Sant’s Death Trilogy, would in many ways be the meat of the trilogy sandwich in terms of style and thematic substance. Elephant operates on several distinct levels based on Van Sant’s observations of the world going into the new millennium, as the film allowed him a foundation for both experimentation and examination by proxy. While the long takes and vast amount of distance traveled during said takes was present in all three films of the trilogy, Van Sant made a concentrated effort to make the shots look and feel similar to that of video games like the later Grand Theft Auto entries, hence a number of the shots being positionally locked during travel (often times a few feet behind the character at the center of that moment’s focus). There are ramp-downs of the frame rate to punctuate certain moments, and quite often the camera is thrown on a tripod and allowed to take in the array of high schoolers living their standard life. It is this mundane world-building aspect that not only gives the viewer a rapid but deep look into a handful of character’s lives, but it gives you a sense of the school’s social hierarchy while forcing you to reflect on where you once stood within it. Per the film’s clever title, the elephant in the room eventually appears in the form of Eric and Alex, the pair of school shooters meant to reflect the Columbine Massacre perpetrators. While school shootings weren’t an unknown phenomenon going into the 2000’s, Elephant became prophetic in its vision by releasing right before the numbers started rising at an alarming rate on these incidents. In that sense, Elephant holds the dual distinction of not only being one of Van Sant’s best films, but one of his most important. I will soon be looking into the 1989 Elephant film as well.

3. Drugstore Cowboy (1989) The power of Drugstore Cowboy as a modern-day narrative tragedy about the epidemic of prescription drugs, the dark allure of crime and the oddball way that broken people find solace in one another is immediately evident to anyone who has had the pleasure to see Gus Van Sant’s studio directorial debut. Where the film really stands out however, in my opinion, is the way that Van Sant is able to achieve his major studio look while deeply applying a very artistic and personal aesthetic to the cinematography and editing. The traditional looks are interspersed with the use of different film stocks, subtle blends of animation and flashes of stylistic edits that were almost certainly an inspiration for Darren Aronofsky’s “hip-hop editing” style. Add to this an incredibly intuitive and expressive core cast driven by the chemistry between Matt Dillon and Kelly Lynch (and a very early Heather Graham supporting appearance), plus a strong appearance by the always memorable Max Perlich, a fiery James Remar performance and an iconic cameo from William S. Burroughs. The jazz-influenced score not only makes key scenes livelier, but it is a symbolic statement on the drug use depicted in the film, while simultaneously playing counter to the soundtrack choices. Period, point-blank, Drugstore Cowboy is the kind of film that surely put the world on notice, and was a clear signal of the magnificent work that would follow.

2. Good Will Hunting (1997) If held up to the standards of what people consider to be good (or even classic) film, Good Will Hunting more than holds up to scrutiny. Visually there are a small handful of flourishes, and having Elliot Smith’s music accompany Will’s painful but enlightening journey has only become more of a bittersweet sting as the years go by. In terms of performances, everyone brought their A+ game to the table, be it the leading performances of Matt Damon, Robin Williams or Stellan Skarsgård, the supporting performances of Ben Affleck or Minnie Driver, or even the engaging nature of Cole Hauser and repeat scene stealer Casey Affleck. After a flurry of dedicated fandom viewings in the years following this film’s release, a very long period away from the film where I had leagues of personal growth, and a revisitation for this set of rankings, what I have discovered is that Good Will Hunting presents a wish fulfillment fantasy that was nearly incapable of being a reality in the pre-internet age for anyone other than a character like Will : an undiscovered genius with a degree from the school of hard knocks. In a world where people often wish they had the correct answer to every question, the looks and personality to be a social magnet, and the ability to back up any tough talk with stone hands, Will Hunting stood as an idealized example you wished you could peel off the screen and have some beers with. As the internet has invaded our lives, however, most everyone has turned into a keyboard version of Will Hunting, looking for fights online when not having briefly intimate Google sessions to flex our supposed knowledge. Much like Will, many people find that the knowledge minus the wisdom of worldly experience and vulnerability leaves you a shell of a person filled to the eyeballs with regret, and perhaps that is why this film only gets better as the years go by, and remains among the best of the Van Sant creations.

1. To Die For (1995) For the longest time, I avoided To Die For simply because I was not a fan of Nicole Kidman… the vast majority of her roles held no interest to me prior to To Die For (it took Eyes Wide Shut for me to really start paying attention to her), and because she was so key to the film, there was never a sense of urgency about seeing it. As time went by, however, I started to hear rumblings that To Die For may have been a bit ahead of its time, to the point that technology and social practices have caught up to some of the ideas presented in the film. I finally watched it for this ranking set, and man, I really missed the boat on this one. Plain and simple, this film is pure genius on every level. The presentation starts off documentary-esque, which not only allows for expedited distribution of backstory information, but immediately gives you an idea for the personalities of our key characters. Kidman’s portrayal of Suzanne stood as the textbook example for what has become commonly known as sociopathy, with her blind desire for fame and respect leading to a wake of human destruction. In terms of narrative pacing, the film proceeds like a match dropped at the endpoint of a long gasoline trail, slowly drifting towards the eventually point that everything blows up and damage must be assessed while blame and accountability must be handled, resulting in a truly powerful ending more than deserving of the heavy lifting that precedes it. The 24-hour news cycle was on the horizon in 1995, daytime talk shows and MTv’s The Real World had not shifted into the reality TV landscape that we know today, and while a few high profile cases such as the Menendez Brothers and Pamela Smart trial (the loose inspiration for this film) had happened, the bombshell and watershed trail that was the O.J. Simpson murder case was hot on the heels of To Die For’s release (the same month, actually). Stylistically, the film also bears striking resemblance to an updated version of Sunset Boulevard, be it knowingly or not. Long story short, the best films not only comment on the times in which they are created, but gain relevance as time passes, and To Die For handled both of these things phenomenally.

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billhaderlovebot · 5 years

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of heartbreak and raviolis - aaron conners

summary: you're sick and tired of everyone taking advantage of your best friend, aka aaron conners, aka the most wonderful man in the world, aka the man you love. not so subtle amy bashing fic.

tags: @whoseblogsthis @mpmarypoppins @a-second-hand-sorrow

aaron conners had always had shitty taste in women. you'd mainly thought so because none of the women he'd ever picked happened to be you.

aaron was too soft. too soft for this world and the men and women in it. they would break him. they would ball up the effervescent, unconditional kindness and love he had for people and shove it right back down.

amy was going to break him, too.

you knew she would.

and, oh, how you hated her. you hated her and how unreliable she was and the infuriating vapidness within her and her terrifying lack of respect for the man you had loved since you were seventeen. your best friend.

watching him kiss her was hell. watching him fall for her, knowing he was gone and there was nothing you could do about it, was worse.

but he was so happy, and he looked at her like she'd hung the moon.

it fucking hurt.

because you were tired of sitting by while everyone took advantage of how fucking nice he always was.

because you knew what was coming. and you didn't have the heart to say "i told you so".

"hey, hey, slow down, honey, i can't understand you."

aaron was crying. his voice came broken and shuddering down the line, trying desperately to get something out that wasn't cut with a sob burning from his chest. but you already knew what he was going to say. you knew, and you were pulling on a sweater and grabbing your keys before he could explain.

"she... she said-" and he couldn't get it out. the sound of his heartbreak made your own heart shatter.

"im coming over." you breathed, slamming the door and heading out into the night to comfort the man you had always wanted but could never have.

---

amy had cheated. actually, amy had been cheating for quite some time. she had never stopped, in fact.

you'd been tangled together on aaron's couch, a mass of crying and limbs and throw blankets, for hours now.

"i thought she loved me." aaron scoffed, staring blankly out of the window to where the sun was just beginning to rise over new york.

his head was in your lap and the only thing keeping him tethered to sanity was your hand threading through his hair. "she said she loved me."

he let out a mirthless laugh, and you were suddenly furious.

"i'm so fucking angry." you whispered, eyes intent on aaron's face, angled towards the sunrise, the remnants of heartbreak in shining tracks down his cheeks.

"why?" he inquired, turning over to look up at you.

"because... because this shouldn't happen, aaron. not to you."

---

light snores filled the quiet apartment as aaron drifted off in your arms. he had moved so that his face rested in the crook of your shoulder, his hand draped over your waist. you couldn't help but feel that this was a little bit not fair. it wasn't the first time something like this had happened to him, and it wasn't the first time you'd had to hold him and comfort him and pretend you hadn't been painfully in love with him since high school. so here you were, again, the doting, supportive best friend. again. fuck.

in sleep, he looked younger. in sleep, he looked content, save for the small wrinkle between his eyebrows, the remainder of the day's emotional strain. it disappeared with the gentle press of your lips against the soft skin, and aaron unconsciously held onto you a little tighter. your heart ached as it did when you were a teenager.

when, at seventeen, you lay eyes on him at a house party, shrouded in smoke and coloured lights and the thumping bass of some nondescript vaporwave track, your heart skipped, like, twelve beats or something.

and, when, blue eyed and floppy haired, he looked back at you, raising his red plastic cup, your heart fell out of your ass. upon trying to talk to the guy who had so quickly stolen your heart, you spilled your vodka soda all over him. he tipped his own drink over your head. you stared at each other for several solid seconds of short lived fury, and then cracked up, immediately going to find more alcohol. you were best friends from that day on.

you were the one who supported him through medical school, helping him study and walking to campus every morning to give him coffee and whatever baked good you deemed acceptable. bidding him goodbye with a kiss on the cheek and the promise of a movie marathon.

you endured aaron's many vapid, fake-nice, passive-aggressive girlfriends who would loathe you and shoot you looks that, should they kill, would have you six feet fucking under.

you pushed how deeply in love with him you were right down below the surface, because his happiness was more important to you.

you thought, now, almost a decade later, as he had cried in your arms for hours about a woman that didn't feel the same, that it might be time for you to get your feelings in order and fucking tell him that all you wanted was for him to take you in his arms and kiss you fucking senseless.

and then they got back together.

"aaron, you fuck- you what?" you were absolutely livid, like, struggling-to-hold-the-phone-without-smashing-it-into-someone's-face livid.

"um, i, i just really want to make it work with her, and she was really sorry, and-"

"aaron, she broke your fucking heart."

"yeah, i know, i-

"and i was the one to let you cry your fucking eyes out on me for hours, even though it hurt. i've stood by for years, watching people hurt you and knowing there was nothing i could do about it."

"i'm not your responsibility, honey." he said. "this is my own life and i... you don't have to be involved."

"how can you fucking say that, aaron? of course i do. i won't let her do this to you again. i'm your best fucking friend, is that not enough for you?"

"...i guess not."

you'd never wanted to beat aaron to death before, but if he continued being so fucking stupid, you'd advise him not to put it past you. there was a deafening silence on the phone after that, because there was nothing you could say to change his mind, and nothing he could say that would make you not want to murder amy townsend. or him.

"i won't do this anymore." you finally said, a lump in your throat.

"what?"

"pretend that... that i'm not in love with you so that i can be okay with the manipulative assholes you pick as girlfriends."

"wh-?"

"goodbye, aaron."

---

the month that followed was probably the worst month of your entire life. you didn't speak to aaron once. no calls, no emails, no 2am visits to listen to billy joel and eat junk and talk about how you both carried the weight of the world on your shoulders. you'd always shared that weight, and, now, it was like someone had torn you in half and left you bleeding.

you were halfway through the last episode of season ten of friends, and your second box of cold pop tarts, crying your eyes out, when the doorbell rang. you wiped your eyes with the sleeve of one of aaron's old college sweaters and dragged yourself up from the couch. your breath caught in your throat at the sight of the disheveled, very attractive man hyperventilating in front of you when the front door swung open.

"aaron?" you stumbled over your thrift store welcome mat you bought because of the blue cat on it, holding yourself up on the door frame and staring up at him in sleepy disbelief.

"hi, yes, hi." aaron was breathing hard, the aftermath of running the whole two miles to your apartment in the middle of the night. "i've been thinking a lot about... about what you said, and i just, i've missed you, yknow? and, i, um, not that that makes everything okay, because i didn't listen to you, and it sucked, and-"

"what do you want?" you asked, trying not to punch him. "i'm tired, aaron. and not just physically. i'm tired of waiting around for you to love me."

"oh, well that's, um, that's good." he nodded, peeling off his jacket. "sorry, um, im sweaty-"

"that's good?" you blinked. aaron was clueless at the best of times, but this was insane.

"yes, yeah, because i realised something, um, just now, at home, with amy."

"i really don't want to hear about amy right now-"

"no, i know, i just, um, i realised that she's not who i want." he shrugged.

"it's about fucking time, aaron, i swear to god-"

"you're my best friend, and... i meant what i said, yknow, about that not being enough for me."

aaron ducked under the doorframe, bending down to capture your lips with his own. your eyes widened, and you froze up, your arms at your sides. the fact that aaron conners was kissing you just wouldn't compute.

and then it did, and you were kissing him back, your arms flying around his neck and your fingers twisting into his hair.

the kiss was searing, and your skin burned where his hands trailed across your cheeks, cupping your jaw, and up the back of your shirt, ghosting across your hip bones.

even when you stumbled back into your apartment, falling backwards over the couch, aaron was relentless, attaching his lips to your neck as if nothing was amiss.

what stood out to you was how easy this was. how you were able to fall into place so quickly as if you'd been doing this for years. as if you hadn't been pining for him for half your life.

"hey," you broke the kiss, gazing up at him in all his blue eyed, flustered, swollen-lipped glory. "hey, we have some, ah, things to talk about, i think."

aaron nodded, swallowing. "yeah, um, yeah."

you pecked his lips, closing your eyes. you just wanted to be someone who had kissed aaron conners, no complications, for a few seconds longer.

"raviolis?" he asked quietly, still hovering above you with that signature, heart-melting grin.

"it's 1am, aaron."

"i know a guy."

#aaron conners #trainwreck #aaron conners x reader #bill hader

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luthienebonyx · 5 years

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I’ve been meaning to do some more Jaime x Brienne recs for a while, and since I’m trying to decide what to write next, it seemed like a good time to talk about other people’s fic.

Alright, outta sight - by Samirant

Author's summary: Ain’t no party like a Lannister party (whether you meant to invite a Lannister or not).

This is a medical AU where Brienne the doctor and Jaime the cardiologist have been working together at the same hospital for a number of years. When the story starts, Brienne thinks their relationship is one of professionalism but personal dislike. However, when Jaime learns, firstly, that Brienne is planning a small house-warming party, and secondly, that she and Hyle broke up some time ago, he takes over the planning for the party and… well. See the author's summary.

The story is mostly the story of the party, but that description does not in any way do this story justice. It has some wonderful characterisation, some laugh-out-loud humour, and great little shout-outs to canon - like Ironborn vodka - but at its core it's a lovely, warm true-feeling story about two people finding each other. But yes, it's also the story of a legendary party.

(This is the only WIP on this list. The main part of the story is complete, with only the epilogue still to be posted.)

Evenfall - by @aviss

Author's summary: Jaime had never intended to get back to active duty, he was happily retired. Now he has no choice, someone has to pay for taking her from him.

This is part of Aviss's Spies Like Us series. Brienne is a female James Bond, Jaime is a former spy who is now the Quartermaster (ie. Q), and the plot of this one is influenced fairly heavily by Skyfall. Jaime and Brienne are in a relationship - they even have cats, so it's pretty serious ;) - but haven't formalised anything. Fairly early on, Brienne is injured and presumed dead, and Jaime resigns and decides to go and seek vengeance.

If you are in the mood to wallow in angst, this is the fic for you! This story hit all my angst buttons and wouldn't let up. There is some nicely done comfort at the end to balance out the hurt, too.

I will always hold you close, but I will learn to let you go - by angel_deux aka @angel-deux-writes

Author's summary: Jaime is gravely wounded in the battle against the dead. When he thinks he's dying, he kisses Brienne.

After, he heals, kept asleep with milk of the poppy. Brienne worries about what will happen when he wakes up.

This is a very internal sort of story, with a terrific Brienne POV. Brienne’s thoughts and emotions go round and round, always so painfully, brutally honest with herself that sometimes she ends up getting things completely wrong. As usual for angel_deux’s fic, there are some great turns of phrase in this, with complex emotions being conveyed concisely but with deadly accuracy.

Little talks - by robotsdance

Author's summary: Brienne isn’t at Winterfell when Jaime arrives. She isn’t there to vouch for him and he’s sentenced to die by dragonfire. Brienne returns just in time to make sure that doesn’t happen, but she doesn’t want to talk about it.

She doesn’t want to talk to Jaime at all.

Finding a story that is deeply romantic without being sappy is one of those things that makes my day, and this story perfectly fits that description. It's an AU take on the beginning of Season 8, after Jaime arrives at Winterfell. What happens after Brienne returns just in the nick of time to save Jaime is… well, deeply romantic, perfectly in-character for both of them, and not at all sappy. The visual image of the scene right after Brienne returns is one that's going to stay in my head for a long time.

Living Proof - by @hardlyfatal

Author's summary: In the middle of a war, with brutality and bloodshed overwhelming what little kindness and safety can be found, she meets a man who is everything she admires and respects. And it’s not the man she thinks it will be.

This is a MASH style AU, set during the Korean War. Brienne is a nurse and Jaime is a helicopter pilot. This is just beautifully characterised, with painfully honest emotions, a slow burn romance, and a storyline that does not flinch from the brutal reality for medical personnel in the midst of a war. There were parts of this that I went back to re-read immediately after finishing a chapter because they really did just sort of take me captive as a reader.

The Lord and the Selkie - by Roccolinde aka @firesign23

Author's summary: On the west coast of Westeros, there stood a castle, known far and wide as Casterly Rock, overlooking the Sunset Sea. The lord of this castle, Lord Tywin, had three children: The Golden Lion, Ser Jaime, was brave; his twin The Beautiful Maid, Lady Cersei, was cunning; and The Unwanted One, Lord Tyrion, was learned. Together, they might have come to rule Westeros as their Lord Father intended, a final wish made from his deathbed. But then Ser Jaime met the selkie, and their paths were forever altered.

This is told in the style of a fairytale. Brienne is a selkie searching for her lost brother. Eventually, her search brings her to Casterly Rock, where she meets Jaime, and their romance plays out in the style of a fairytale, too.

I love everything about this; the characters meld perfectly into the fairytale setting and it all just works. There are some great little shout-outs to canon in this, including this one when Jaime and Brienne first meet:

but though Ser Jaime was wise in chivalry, he was foolish in the ways of sense, and so exclaimed with some surprise, “The ghost of Casterly is a woman?”

Measure in Love - by @dancinginthecenteroftheworld

Author's summary: Brienne Tarth isn't wild about the new building that's been built across her office, blocking her view of Blackwater Bay. But what she really doesn't expect the gorgeous nudist who moves in or the chaos he brings into her life.

Yeah, one guess who the nudist is. ;)

This is a slow burn modern AU. Brienne and Jaime first see each other through their respective windows, and then meet properly at the gym run by Sandor Clegane. I really enjoyed the pacing of this story, and the way initial hostility slowly changes over time. The ways in which the various canon characters pop up in different roles in Brienne's life is also really well done.

Once it ends, so it begins - by nubbins_for_all

Author's summary: Brienne doesn’t care why it’s cold. She just knows it’s really fucking cold.

A quiet evening between the Lady of Winterfell and her sworn shield, with ruminations on sex, love, and dealing with everything being awful.

This is part of a series (Winter isn't goin' nowhere) where winter doesn't end after the Long Night, and so Dany and the northern army are stuck at Winterfell, while Cersei is stuck in the south.

The main part of this story takes the form of a long conversation between Brienne and Sansa one night, interspersed with mostly-dialogue flashbacks of scenes between Brienne and Jaime.

I love how this story explores these two relationships side by side, with Brienne as the linchpin. All the characterisations are very on point. I can believe very much in this version of Sansa, after everything she's been through, and I love Brienne's awkwardness at what is basically a slumber party for two. Brienne is thoughtful and considering as Sansa’s sworn sword, and self-doubting when Sansa needs her half-forgotten girly side, but also gets better and better at giving Jaime as good as she gets. Also, Jaime's dialogue is so very Jaime, and he makes the dialogue-only flashbacks really shine.

Ser Goldenpaws and the Wench - by Libkat

Author's summary: It's the Lady and the Tramp AU that nobody wanted.

This is Jaime and Brienne in a Lady and the Tramp fusion, where they're golden retrievers. In this case, Jaime is the prize-winning, much-loved golden retriever, Ser Goldenpaws, and Brienne is the lost golden retriever living on the streets who won't divulge her name, so Jaime calls her the Wench.

Brienne and Jaime are somehow still recognisably in-character AND very canine in the way they think. I'm not quite sure how the author has achieved that balance (major kudos!), but it works really well. This is not as light and fluffy as you might expect, and goes to some relatively dark places at times, before everything works out the way a story like this should.

The Tides - by @slipsthrufingers

Author's summary: Jaime Lannister, recently missing a hand, a white cloak and his purpose in life, is sent to Tarth to decide whether the Lannisters will loan them the gold they so desperately need to thwart a disaster. He expects to negotiate with the Evenstar, but is stuck with the dour daughter instead.

This is the type of story where a lot happens, in terms of characters and relationship development, while not a lot is actually happening, in terms of plot points. It's intensely character-focused, and the author's style is beautifully descriptive, which fits the quiet atmosphere of a lot of the story.

You will never think of a medieval marble mine in the same way again after reading this story. ;)

Banner by @ao3commentoftheday

#jb fic recs #fic recs #spotlight saturday #luthien's fic recs

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ladyandtheghost · 5 years

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The code word is “family”: A recap of 8x02

The Red Queen and the White Queen:

If I’m delusional at this point, then so be it, but if I still needed convincing of Political!Jon, this scene convinced me. Because Sansa figured it out. Oh my God, she figure it out! You can see the exact moment of it on Sophie’s face. After all the talk and demonstration of Sansa’s intelligence last episode, it made all the sense in the world that Sansa would work it out herself what Jon is actually doing. And it almost makes you feel a bit sorry for Dani when she opens her heart and says kind of jokingly “Tell me who manipulated whom?” and the penny drops for Sansa. You can see it in her eyes, her weird giddiness. Sansa does not like this woman, why on earth would she smile and laugh if not a new realization that is playing out in her head?

It was also interesting how Dani tried to become all sisterly, thinking she could bond with Sansa over “boy talk” - and Sansa laughs but then drops the act and talks “real politics” - which not only shows that Sansa is a strategist and future-oriented, but she also just called out Dani on her argument that they are both women in politics who want to be taken seriously.

This is your family, Theon:

I don’t know how Sophie does it, but every reunion that Sansa has with literally any character that Sansa cares about is a 100% tear-jerker. And this was no exception: it was emotional and beautiful and pure.

I can totally see people shipping them and it’s not an outlandish idea or notp for me or anything, but I felt the background of the scene was not so nuch meant to launch a romantic ship, it was actually far more powerful than that...

Because it was about family and about politics at the same time (the two things Sansa excels in).

The entire set up of the scene was perfection: The red queen and the white queen, both emerging from the library after their tense conversation and at this moment - and omg this is so fantastic - we see the exact difference in how the two women/queens are being shown as opposites:

Theon dutifully kneels in front of “his queen”, the gesture that she always demands from all her subjects, the gesture that she has burned people for refusing to perform - but Theon’s heart is not in it.

Then he ignores Dani and addresses Sansa, asks to fight “for Winterfell”, for House Stark and they embrace and he is so happy to be “home” and “safe” and “loved” and “missed” and this is his family.

It’s like a mother welcoming her lost child back home in her arms: essentially what a “beloved queen” is seen as - a mother to her people. “Mhysa” failed at that. Sansa is the queen and ruler beloved by her people.

And Dani notices. She sees “her” bannerman’s loyalty to another powerful woman and she is not pleased...

Theon wanting to fight ”for Winterfell“ - after the convo about the North two minutes earlier - this is another blow for Dani, who made a pact with the Greyjoys to fight for her, and “for the throne“

Theon and Sansa represent the ideal ruler/bannerman situation: the bannermann comes before you, pledges themself to you, asking “if you'll have me“ because they love and respect and want to serve you - which is the complete opposite of how it works for Dani.

This is a bond that lasts. Sansa will never fear betrayal from someone who asked to serve her.

Their shared trauma and Sansa being Theon’s redeption has forged this beautiful and strong bond. It has no sexual undertones imo (though people who ship it might disagree which is of course understandable)

Rather it’s a mirror opposite of the strong bond Sansa has with Jon which is charged with UST and “subtext”

Theon also represents the brother Sansa needs, with Robb gone, Bran “gone” and replaced by the 3ER and things being all “complicated” and tense with Jon...

Jon is also somewhat “gone” in this episode, though neither Sansa nor Dani understand why.

And they are not stopping at that: where do we find Sansa during the last hours before the battle? Not drinking and warming her butt in front of the roaring fire like the others - nope, Sansa is outside in the cold with her people, eating the stuff that everyone else eats, spending time with the one “brother” she has left who came back for her and it’s yet another indicator that Sansa would be a ruler “for the people”

RMS Gendrya sailing strong:

Arya “perving” on Gendry first half of the episode, effectively reversing the “male gaze” and her taking charge in their relationship was great. The only thing is - now I’m scared, like really scared one of them will die. Or both? Urgh I’m getting Tonks/Lupin flashbacks - it’s never good for people to be happily in love before a battle. But I also loved how Gendry worried about her, literally pissed off that she would put herself in danger. And in going with the theme of family for this episode, one of the iconic moments of this couple was when Arya told Gendry: “I could be your family.” and Gendry was right, he is not her family, she is his “lady” and he is her lover...

The Hound and his pup:

...however Arya did seek out someone who sees her as his family. The only thing that really comes to mind re: Sandor is that this sealed the deal on San*san happening or not. I had a feeling they would not let Sansa and him interact and rather choose the less squicky, more popular relationship of Sandor and Arya shine through. Arya *is* the Hound’s redeption arc. Just like Sansa is Theon’s.

That super *awkward* family reunion:

Dani’s reaction was SO predictable, it’s amazing. People actually fantasized that Dani would not mind so much, that she would actually be happy to have her “family” and another Targ by her side. Yeah, fat chance. The only thing on her mind now is that that Jon has the higher claim.

Also: Jon spending his last night down in the crypts with his mother is so poignant it hurts. He always wanted to know her, he always wanted to see her face, so he stands there just looking at it the night before he might be taken from this world again. Somehow this was also an interesting parallel to Sansa and Theon and about being accepted as family. He told Dani about his mother, then it was revealed that she is his aunt, his closest(!) living (female) relative.

Jaime, Braime (plus Tormund):

I knew Jaime would be accepted by Sansa - because of Brienne - and just like Theon, Jaime is another addition to Sansa’s Queen’s Watch. Dani looking pissed about it was literally channeling Cersei (if only she knew).

Poor Tormund, he is so gone on her and he just wanted to be around her. Again, I’m scared shitless for every single character in that room around that fire and if the “knighting” scene is the best we will get from Braime, I will riot.

A Bear Island family reunion:

We finally got some Mormonts reunited. Jorah worrying about his little cousin but also respecting her for fighting and Lyanna wishing him good fortune and owning him as “cousin” was also a nice touch. Jorah still has a home in the North and a family. Sam reminded him of that when he spoke of Jeor and gave him his own father’s sword. They both lost their fathers before they could make them proud or forgive them/or be forgiven.

Alys Karstark - everywhere!:

Yes, I’m back on my bullshit. But seriously, they were parading her around all episode. They placed her here, places her there, always somewhere in camera frames or shots, Why? She doesn’t speak, her presence doesn’t serve any purpose. Unless we should just get a good look of that “other” red-headed girl, aka Fake!Sansa.

Davos and Shireen's little girl (ghost):

That little girl with the scarred face killed me - just like she killed Davos. I'm tearing up just thinking of her. And Gilly was so sweet, so instinctively maternal, and Davos looked like he's slowly dying inside. Perhaps we were meant to read this as somehow Shireen's spirit could be felt through this girl and she was there to tell Davos that she will be ok. Idk but I'm crying...Shireen was Davos’ beloved child, his family after he lost his son, and nothing will ever change that!

Jon’s other family (no, not the dragon one):

There was even less “action” in this episode, but a lot of emotion. Except from one quarter: Jon, who completely isolated himself from his family - but found solace with his other family, i.e. his “brothers” - Sam, Edd, Tormund. And they recalled Grenn, their lost brother.

On the whole, the episode is a prime example of the calm before the storm...next time, shit’s going down.

#jonsa #political!jon #political!jon theory #episode recap

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letarasstuff · 4 years

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Breakups and red Dresses

I hope u like it :)

"I just want someone to hold me. Someone, who whispers into my ear, that everything is going to be alright. Just one person, who gets me out of my panic ridden mind. But I ask for too much, obviously", I tell her while grabbing my suitcase. Tamara just stands there. Her mouth is wide open and her eyes show the shock she's in.

"Rob-Robin. You are my Sweetheart. We-we are destined for each bother. That's what I know now. I know, that we are perfect for one another", she tries to speak to me. But I'm not having anything of this. I grab my yellow coat and say to her: "Tamara. I loved you. Deeply. And of course I still do. Now this, this isn't right. You hurt me more than once and I forgave you every time. It-it's, I can't anymore. Every night, when you are late or aren't home I think you are with some other girl. And it destroys me. I can't continue a toxic relationship like this. I-I tried to make it work, but both of us have to put effort in it. And yours were always absent." With a sigh I go out of the door into the hallway of our apartment complex. My now ex-girlfriend cries and screams for me to stay. That we can make it work and that it was some stupid mistake.

Without turning around I make my way to the car, holding back any tears. I don't know how, but I drive to my brother's apartment without causing any accident.

A little while later I stand breathlessly in front of his door, ringing the bell. "Hey little sis, i just wanted to cal- what the", he says after opening the door and me throwing my body into his arms. I cry so hard, that all my breath is taken away. "No no no", realizes Ryan the situation and leads me into living room. After placing me on the couch he kneels in front of me and takes both of my hands in his own big ones.

"Robin, I need you to focus on my voice", my brother speaks in a calm manner, "Everything is going to be okay as long as you try to breath normal. Let us do some breathing exercises. Take all the air in like this" and so on. Together we steady me breathing again.

After sitting next to each other in silence, Ryan breaks it: "What happened? Why do you show up in the middle of the afternoon on a Friday, having nearly a panic attack and tears streaming down your cheeks?"

I shift uncomfortable in my seat. "Tamara and I broke up. No, I broke up with her. She cheated on me. Again", I respond without any emotion evident in my way of talking. But inside of me finds a battle its place. My heart wants to drive back to her and hug her forever and forget anything, that happened. My head is against it and wants us to be safe knowing a place, where we can't get hurt aka my brother's arm.

After a short span of another silence he asks: "What do you mean? Again?! Why didn't you tell me earlier?! I would have paid her a visit she would never forget." "I thought we could get back on track. It was the fourth time her being with another woman. I guess I kinda thought she can change. But I was wrong. She hurt me so much, Ryan. And I still love her so much." The last part is only a whisper.

While pulling me back into a hug, the boy responds: "You know what? This is a heartbreak emergency. I'll to call the Big Guy. He'll pick up ice cream on his way here, while I put in the loudest and most stupid action film we have. And you will take a nice and hot bath to relax. Then we stuff our faces with all the stuff, that mom would never allow, because of all the greasiness. Are you in or are you in?"

Smiling I nod my head. Another hour later I lie between the bois in one of Shane's gigantic hoodie, muffling on a family sized bag of chips and putting one spoon full of ice cream after another in my mouth. The TV plays Sharknado on full volume. I feel like a sandwich, being squeezed like this on both sides by two grown men. But I'm a happy sandwich, that feels loved. This is clearly everything that matters now.

*Time skip*

After another night, which consisted out of crying, turning and tossing around and giving up on sleep I sit in the kitchen. A cup of coffee in the one hand and a pen in the other.

And here I am, sitting in my brother's apartment at the age of 23, a broken heart in my chest and a voice in my head shouting at me for being dump enough to let this all happen.

"Morning", startles me Ryan's sleepy voice. I just nod and point at the coffee, which is already brewed. "You are an angel, sis", he answers my silent gesture and kisses my cheek. I continue looking at the wall and doesn't acknowledge the situation. Sighing he pours himself a cup of the brownish gold. Then he takes a seat opposite of me.

"I know", he begins, "Breakups suck. Also it's totally normal to be this heartbroken. But you can't stay like this forever. Robin, out there are other mothers with beautiful children. You have to stop burying yourself in self pity. Go out and meet new people. Maybe you meet your significant other today. But you'll miss it out, if you don't leave the house."

I stay silent. You're not ready for this, tells me my head.

Suddenly Ryan gets up and leaves the kitchen. I can hear him talking to someone faintly, he is probably on the phone. I'm still focused on the wall and the loud thoughts inside of me.

After some time, which felt like an eternity but was in reality not more than five minutes, my big brother reenters the room and announces: "Sara and Marielle will be here in half an hour. You have enough time to make yourself somewhat presentable. Then you'll go out with them and have a long and nice girl's day, even though you have enough of women. When you are back home, you'll pack some stuff and come with me and Shane to hunt some ghouls. You don't have a choice, so get ready or else our girlfriends take you with them in the clothes you are right now." It's more a command than a suggestion. Reluctantly I get up and drag myself into the bathroom. In the mirror I see a shadow of that, what should be Robin Bergara actually.

Her bright and shining eyes are dull and swollen from crying. The dark hair is matted and looks like it hadn't been washed in years. Seems like I need more a restoration than just a shower to look like my old self again.

Exactly 20 minutes later I smell and look nice again.

Dressed in a baggy sweater and black jeans I go back into the kitchen. There already are Sara, Marielle and Shane, greeting me with pity in their eyes. The girls get up immediately and hug me, while telling me that Tamara is stupid for letting me go and doing something like this. I just give them a nod. I don't have the nerves for talking about my ex right now.

After what felt like days strolling through store after store and mall after mall we sit down in a cute little coffe shop. Our bags need much more room then we do actually. But I feel better. Being back in the real world is what I really needed.

"Soo", makes Sara after we got our orders, "Now that you are single, you can enjoy all the advantages of it." "Or do you have someone else on your mind already?" adds Marielle. I just shake me head and answer: "Nah. You know, when people go through a breakup and they say, that they are now gay to protect themselves? I think that I just give up swinging for anybody and be straight. When I look at you, it seems to be more painless." Then we start laughing. We can't stop. When look at each other, we break out laughing again. Even though it's not that funny.

*Time skip*

Jet lagged I drag myself through the airport somewhere in the east coast. Shane leads the group, due to him doing long steps, for which i have to do three of mine. Last but not least are Ryan and I in the middle walks the crew.

"Now we've landed in D.C. and are on our way to the hotel. Do you wanna say something, Robin?" asks Ryan while he practically shoves his phone in my face. I just mumbled something like: "Let me be or the ghosts are your smallest problem tonight." "There you have it. She is a monster and not a sweet innocent angel", he laughs into the camera. Then my brother uploads the video on his Instagram story.

After slinging his arm around my shoulders he says: "I'm happy, that you are finally able to come to one of our investigations. It's gonna be fun!" "Well, I'm not here on my own free will. But we better find some ghouls tonight or I spray the Big Guy with holy water to show everyone that he is a demon."

"Hey! Can you be any slower? I feel like walking around with my grandmother", complains Shane. I respond: "If you carry me we would be way faster." Before I am able to comprehend it, I'm thrown over Shane's shoulder, my legs next to his face. "Stay still. I don't wanna explain to the fans that I have bruises in my beautiful face because of you."

After a nice and relaxing nap we are on our way to the haunted location. "So this", begins my brother, "is an old uh yeah, an old bordello." Shocked I look at him. "You aren't serious, are you?" He shifts uncomfortable and scratches his neck: "Well, this is real." "Oh man, I waited for so long to be finally able to hunt some nice and slutty ghoul prostitutes", says Shane enthusiastically.

*Time skip*

"Now we are going to try luring some ghost out of their hiding. We wanna make them comfortable. That's why someone has to dress, right for this establishment. So the ghosts think that they are still alive and are more willing to show themselves", tells Ryan his wonderful and smart idea. It's needless to say, that I am the chosen one.

Very uncomfortable I come back dressed in a veeeery short and revealing red dress.

My two ghoul bois see how awkward I feel. "OK, we don't do this. Go back and put your sweater on. Shane, you go and be the fake prostitute."

I hear a faint "YESSSS! I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE THE FAKE PROSTITUTE! It's my time to shine!" while heading back to change.

And oh boy, he does shine in the dress.

#ryan bergara #shane madej #boogara #shaniac #shitfish #bfu #buzzfeed unsolved #buzzfed unsolved supernatural #buzzfed unsolved true crime #brother!ryan #love you ghouls

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kianraidelcam · 6 years

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Written for @earthboundjedi from the prompt: “We’ll see each other again. I promise,” featuring Space Mom and Space Dad, AKA Hera and Kanan!

Oh the sweet agony that is Kanera. Thank you for the wonderful prompt! The rest of the fic is below the cut for those who don’t want to go on AO3 for any reason.

“We’ll see each other again. I promise.”

It was ironic, Hera thought, his diction at the time. The pastel sunset of Atollon glimmered behind them, pulsing with Kanan’s words, as he drew her into his embrace. She fought against a rising desire to respond with some form of snark, her anxiety over his impending departure outweighing the need for levity, and simply leaned into his arms. Ignoring the sense of doom at his promise, Hera smiled and allowed the small wave of comfort to wash over her. The young Twi’lek woman responded with a thought, “I know.”

A promise was a promise, and she knew Kanan never broke his.

So, when her Jedi returned, leaning on their boy with the painfully white bandage around his eyes, it was more than the injury that shocked Hera. He promised, she thought to herself over and over again, night after night, as he drifted out of her orbit and away from their mismatched family. And then came the (rather expensive) medical droid loaned to them by Senator Organa when he heard what had occured on Malachor. No expense was spared, and only the best was sent from Alderaan. After all, Kanan was quite possibly the last rebel-sympathetic Force user after Ahsoka’s death, and Bail Organa was almost as determined to restore the Knight’s sight as the Ghost crew was. It was the most hopeful they had been all week.

Their hope, it seemed, was misplaced.

Kanan was not a candidate for prosthetics nor would his vision return, was the droid’s final word. “That can’t be right, run the tests again,” she had nearly shouted in that small, bleached room aboard the Alderaanian frigate. She got up from her seat in a rare flash of anger and frustration, normally reserved for certain “servants” of the Empire (and a certain smuggler by the name of Lando), but a gentle hand on her arm stopped her in her mid-rise. “I promised, didn’t I?” His cocksure voice had returned, as did that Force forsaken grin of his, if only momentarily. For a moment, he seemed completely himself, with a hint of that fabled Jedi calm, and all felt right in the universe again. Kanan was her rock; he was always steadfast and always knew what to do, even when things seemed bleak. The least Hera could do was be strong for him. Hera took a breath to compose herself, and then smiled for more her own benefit than Kanan’s. “I know.”

Kanan grinned and then donned a more serious expression, turning his body to face the droid while listening intently to its directions for wound care. Hera drowned out the droid’s ramblings, and instead studied the injury itself. The burn itself was still in the early stages of healing and the angry red stood out in stark contrast to his tanned skin. His once vibrant turquoise eyes were pale with hardly a hint of color while the whites of his eyes seemed bloodshot from both the burn and exhaustion. Hera knew that the exhaustion was more mental than it was physical, and as the droid went on, she saw the frustration return. Oh, he hid it well enough, to the point where Hera doubted the rest of the crew would see it, but she saw right through Kanan.

Kanan Jarrus was afraid.

Time passed on the harsh world that housed Chopper Base, but he slowly came back to her. Small treasured moments at first, until he returned from outside the base, his sensor protecting him from the spiders gone. She had been worried, of course, but it instantly left when she saw how he walked. His gait lacked the hesitant steps it had been after his blinding, and when he smiled, it was with a confidence he previously lacked. His hand held slightly in front of him, as if feeling the environment around him, she was suddenly reminded of what he truly was. A Jedi Knight whose trust and power was in the Force. It was Specter One that held the crew together, and with his return to them, their family fell back in place. It was funny, he later told her before she fell asleep in his arms while he traced the patterns on her lekku from memory, how his blindness made it possible for him to truly see.

Of course, that meant he could return to missions again.

“I need you to come back,” she had said.

The moment he smiled, Hera had to stop from groaning. While it was good (more than good, it was fantastic) that he was back out in the galaxy (had been for some time, actually), she still worried deeply for him. It didn’t help that he was so kriffing arrogant. “Oh, having trouble overthrowing the Empire without me?”

Hera might not have groaned, but she did roll her eyes. Luckily, he couldn’t see it, though she was sure he could sense it in some way. “Our team is an important asset to the Rebellion?” Hera’s tone implied a question, which he of course refused to answer.

“An asset? Is that what we are?” Kanan’s own tone implied he wasn’t talking about the Ghost crew.

“You know what I mean.”

“You know how I feel.”

Hera doesn’t skip a beat, unsure this should be discussed at this exact moment. “Are we still talking about the mission?”

Kanan leans forward, his hands on his hips, “That depends…”

Unconsciously leaning forward to the hologram as well, Hera replies. “On what?”

“You know.”

Chopper’s response sounds suspiciously like an obscene suggestion rather than actual advice. Hera glances down at her droid’s hologram with a sigh, and then back at Kanan, her arms crossed nervously across her chest, “Be careful…. See you soon.”

As she shuts off the comlink, she feels a sweet, tender brush against her mind. There are no words exchanged, although there was no need for them here. This reassurance needed no words, no playful, snide comments. The meaning rang clear, in both their minds, from both the Jedi and his Force.

“I promised.”

It is only when they return to Lothal that Kanan seemed unsure of his promise. He had been up late the night before their return to the planet, meditating on some dream or nightmare he refused to tell her about. He dreamed in color, she knew as much, but what he saw eluded her. When she asked him about it, after waking him from his fitful sleep, he simply waved her off, saying something about a vision and the Force working in mysterious ways. Force be damned, after all of this, she was going to “force” some answers from him. She is tempted to do it in that dark alleyway, hiding from stormtroopers, until he lightens the mood with a soft quip. “Heh, I just realized. It’s been awhile since we've spent some time alone.”

Hera’s tone is almost resigned, “And when we do, it’s in situations like this.” Such is the plight of a rebel, she thinks. It was tragic almost, that their “moments” where few and far in between.

Kanan doesn’t instantly respond, which rings alarms in Hera’s mind. His face crestfallen, he admits with a sigh, “I wish..I could see you.”

Gently, emanating soft reassurances of her own, Hera reaches up to grab his dark visors, revealing watery, sorrowful eyes, maimed by a vengeful menace. Hera’s eyes are different. If Kanan could see them, he would be lost in their viridescent depths, as they conveyed the pride and admiration she felt for the Jedi less than half a foot away.

“You could always see me.”

It was true, Hera knew. From their meeting on Gorse to their current predicament, Kanan could always see her in a way no one else could. It was him who knew how to calm her in her angriest moments. It was him who knew how to quiet the nightmares. It was him who had always been able to read her every emotion. It was him, who knew her better than her own father did. It had always been him. Even now, it was still him who could see her. Both mentally, and physically. It was not the horrible, if beautiful, oranges, purples, and reds the exploding fuel produced that drew her horrified eyes, nor was it the golden cracks appearing in the metal beneath his feet that called her attention. She hardly even recognized she was a foot of the pod, reaching and straining against some invisible force at his command, and she barely noticed when she was thrown back into the ship, into Ezra’s shaking arms.

It was his turquoise eyes, shining against the dark scar across his face, full of determination and peace, that she saw.

They enveloped her, though they did not give her the peace that floated in their depths. The fire came closer to him, and yet, it seemed time had frozen over. She knew what the return of his eyesight meant, beyond the shadow of a doubt, even as they closed one final time while his hands pushed their ship out of the blast range.

“We’ll see each other again.”

‘I promise”

And Kanan never broke his promises

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killthebxy-archive · 6 years

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PLEASE NOTE, before anything else, that this verse is based on my knowledge of the movies + my independent research only. i never read the books and possibly won’t any time soon, therefore, if you would like to discuss anything with me before (or during, or after) we start writing, so that we’re more on a same level, please feel free to --- i am always more than glad to learn more and improve my own ideas. this verse is also heavily influenced by headcanons and by my talks with @wildmoored & @ofherage (bless you both precious souls), and contains some lines of inspiration derived from the Life Is Strange video game. i purposefully leave the default timeline of this verse as vague, so it can easily fit any setting: golden trio era, Marauders era, Tom Riddle era, etc.

with that said, in this verse, the Starks are an ancient pure-blood family in the wizarding world, well known for the same characteristics they have in the ASOIAF canon: brave and noble hearts, quick temper, honorable and ever ready both to help & for a good fight. despite their nature, though, they aren’t anywhere close to wealthy, and are known to struggle with money every now and then, especially now that their family includes six children. Jon himself was adopted, around the same time Robb was born to Ned and Cat, when they found a newborn baby abandoned nearby their home. they decided to adopt and raise him as their own, and, while Jon is aware of this, he has a very close and positive relationship with his parents and his siblings, no matter the lack of real blood ties. to some surprise, this adopted child eventually proved to be a wizard as well, but Ned and Cat treated it naturally and prepared Jon to attend education at Hogwarts, much as they did with Robb. the two of them joined during the same year, for being practically of the same age save for a few months.

Jon was sorted into Gryffindor, as tends to happen for most Starks, based on traits such as courage, chivalry, and bravery of heart. he retains most character traits from the ASOIAF canon, still an introvert and relatively shy and very observant, though to a much lesser tragic scale --- aka not having to deal with half his family being murdered, being murdered himself, the end of the world, etc etc. for the most part, he’s as common as any other boy his age, and, while not the top student, still a fairly good one and one always motivated to learn more and improve. and, while he’s far from being a social butterfly and much rather prefers to do his own thing, he still has a few good close friends. on the other hand, and despite having a loving family and having had a very positive upbringing, Jon has quite low self-confidence and self-esteem, and falls easily to both bullying and manipulation --- for motives to be better explored in the next paragraphs.

having grown up with magic, and with Robb as his rival and best friend, Jon has a natural liking for spell casting. he may not be the most powerful caster, but his spells are usually very precise and he can perform them with relative ease --- as well, just like canon!Jon with Longclaw in hand, he is rather graceful in the casting of his spells. because he’s also naturally curious, with an interest in learning and improving his own performance, it’s not rare to find him (even on his own) trying to master more difficult spells. he’s also decent at brewing potions, though it’s not too big of a deal for him --- more like something he doesn’t mind doing for class, sometimes for fun, but definitely nothing like a goal he’d truly invest in.

where Jon’s talent truly shines, however, is in the art of Divination, for motives that dwell much farther into his story --- because, in this verse, Jon has a very close connection with the deathly hallows --- namely, with the Second Brother in The Tale Of The Three Brothers. please note that what i am going to state next is my personal headcanon, and slight deviation from the real tale as we know it.

Meanwhile, the second brother journeyed to his own home, where he lived alone. Here he took out the stone that had the power to recall the dead, and turned it thrice in his hand. To his amazement and his delight, the figure of the girl he had once hoped to marry before her untimely death appeared at once before him. Yet she was silent and cold, separated from him as though by a veil. Though she had returned to the mortal world, she did not truly belong there and suffered. Finally, the second brother, driven mad with hopeless longing, killed himself so as truly to join her. And so Death took the second brother for his own.

before this happened, however, before the Second Brother killed himself, some events took place. being driven mad with grief for his lost lover, as mentioned, he made a final attempt to reunite with her, even if in a different life, and, for this purpose, mastered the art of separating his soul into parts to be guarded within objects and entities --- creating a few horcruxes as one last, desperate hope to be able to continue existing and, this way, be able to reunite with the woman he loved yet again. throughout the sands of time, these horcruxes were either lost or destroyed; all except one --- a newborn baby abandoned in an alleyway. the same baby Ned and Catelyn Stark adopted as their own, making Jon the final recipient containing the soul of the Second Brother.

Jon is unaware of this, as are all who live/contact with him (note: this is adaptable to thread), though some quirks in him easily raise suspicion that something is not completely regular about him. from a very young age, he would be plagued with dreams about times past that he could not entirely recognize, but that felt familiar in an unexplained way, and, occasionally, would have actual visions of events yet to happen. despite being an overall healthy child (and then teen and young adult), due to this connection to the Second Brother, he suffers from almost constant headaches and, whenever one of these episodes is more intense (particularly, the visions of the future), he will break down in a fever that lasts for a few good hours and has no bodily explanation, otherwise. these visions are cryptic and symbolic almost always, similar to Melisandre’s visions in the flames, and it takes Jon quite some effort to be able to precisely predict an event.

another clear manifestation of the Second Brother’s essence in Jon is his deep longing for a girl he doesn’t know about and never met or saw before in his life --- the constant feeling that he is incomplete and aching to reunite with his other half, without the awareness of why this happens or where it comes from. the only clue he has about this mystery girl is the image of a long mane of fire-kissed hair. note: as default for this verse, this girl, who’s also the Second Brother’s lover, is represented by Ygritte --- however, i am open to discuss this and adapt it to different thread ideas. Jon tends to be rather secretive about this story, mainly because he can hardly understand it himself, but it is an overarching theme in his daily life. for example, he’s got a liking for drawing and painting, and the bulk of his spontaneous creations are related to this girl.

yet another manifestation has to do with the manipulation of time-space. again, this is something that i am headcanoning out of my own musings, because (as far as i know) we do not have information about any sort of spells or anything else able to alter the time-space dimension, save for the time turner device. because the Second Brother was able to project his obsessive will throughout the centuries, however, creating a horcrux in the form of a baby in modern days, Jon retains a little bit of this gift. he cannot do it at will at all and it is a very consuming process, but, whenever his emotions are in strong disarray (e.g., very angry, very sad, very anxious), at times it provokes minor mishaps in the time-space --- such as rewinding a few minutes in time without meaning to, or accidentally warping objects or even to make them disappear.

on the other hand, Jon’s biggest flaw as a wizard comes from a rather mundane fact: that he has severe phobia of heights. logically, this greatly hinders his skill to ride a broom, which is something he avoids as much as possible. during his first year at Hogwarts, he actually scored a very brilliant last place in Madam Hooch’s flying class and was only able to push through it by means of exceptional willpower and determination --- but make no mistake, he’s the worst broom rider ever and will cling to you for dear life & squish your ribs flat if you make him fly anything else at all with you --- this, if he actually doesn’t slip off it altogether and smacks himself down on the ground below.

as far as his faithful companion goes, and no surprises here, in Jon’s case it is Ghost. wolves (a regular wolf, not a direwolf, in this verse) are usually not a welcome presence on the school grounds, but, thanks to the good relationships between the Starks and Rubeus Hagrid, and once the animals proved to be well trained and no threat to the students, they were allowed to live in the Forbidden Forest and to visit the castle’s outside areas, though not the castle itself.

a sum-up of general details:

default verse age: varies between 11 and 18, depending on the school year;

in post-school year threads, Jon is a professor at Hogwarts and responsible for the Divination class;

bisexual and biromantic (note: because of his longing for the mysterious girl, building up a romantic relationship with him will take time and effort, though i am not opposed to it if chemistry is present. for this same motive, unless otherwise plotted beforehand, the default, no matter Jon’s age, is that he never had a relationship before, at both sexual and romantic levels);

social drinker, more for the fun of it than anything else, and doesn’t smoke;

no tattoos and no piercings, because he personally doesn’t see the appeal in it;

is quite short-sighted and wears glasses;

sucks at winking because he cannot blink only one eye at a time.

wizarding world details:

Jon’s wand is fir wood with a unicorn hair core, twelve inches, and rigid flexibility.

Gerbold Octavius Ollivander always called wands made of fir ‘the survivor’s wand’, for having sold it to three wizards who subsequently passed through mortal peril unscathed. this wood, coming as it does from the most resilient of trees, produces wands that demand staying power and strength of purpose in their true owners, and they are poor tools in the hands of the changeable and indecisive. fir wands favor owners of focused, strong-minded and, occasionally, intimidating demeanor. unicorn hair generally produces the most consistent magic, and is least subject to fluctuations and blockages. wands with unicorn cores are generally the most difficult to turn to the Dark Arts. they are the most faithful of all wands, and usually remain strongly attached to their first owner. minor disadvantages of unicorn hair are that they do not make the most powerful wands (although the wand wood may compensate) and that they are prone to melancholy if seriously mishandled, meaning that the hair may 'die' and need replacing.

if, in any situation, Jon was to face a Boggart, it would shift into the shape of a broom --- more concretely, one actually poking at him and trying to get him to ride it. this is the symbol of his deep fear of flying and, ultimately, his deep fear of heights. to counter it, his Riddikulus spell would change the broom into a cute dancing one, worthy of any Disney movie.

Jon’s class record goes as follows, with little fluctuation during the different years (Arithmancy was a third option allowed exceptionally to him when picking the classes to add to the core ones, based on his great talent and liking for the subject):

Arithmancy: (O)utstanding

Astronomy: (E)xceeds Expectations

Care of Magical Creatures: (E)xceeds Expectations

Charms: (E)xceeds Expectations

Defense Against the Dark Arts: (E)xceeds Expectations

Divination: (O)utstanding

Flying: (D)readful

Herbology: (A)cceptable

History of Magic: (A)cceptable

Potions: (A)cceptable

Transfiguration: (E)xceeds Expectations

finally, Jon’s Patronus charm takes the form of a Thestral --- more information HERE. Jon is also able to see real Thestrals, for having witnessed death before --- not in his current life, but in his past one. this fact brings confusion both to him and to those he tells about it, exactly because, in his current life, he’s never witnessed a death. it is yet another remnant of his existence as the Second Brother, and the tragic loss of his lover.

#long post #「ᵛᵉʳˢᵉ」ᵈʳᵃᶰᵏ ᵗʰᵉ ᵖᵒᶤˢᵒᶰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᶠᵒᵘˡ ʷᶤᵗʰ ʸᵒᵘ #i did the thing guys #...and it turned out huge as predicted

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ramheavenandhell · 4 years

Text

The Lines Between Ricks And Mortys – Chapter 3: Rip him limb from limb! / He's trying to kill himself!

AN: Sorry for the longer break, but if you follow my Twitter account, I said that I would have an eye surgery (eye lasering). No worries, it went okay, but let me give you advise that if you have light sensitive eyes, you should think twice about it. In my case, the light sensitivity was so extreme that I couldn't look at a screen (or anything that emits light) without wearing sunglasses and having to take rapid breaks from it, which made my job a nightmare since it consists of doing nothing else than staring at a computer screen for 8 hours straight. But it's better now so here we are with the next chapter. Warnings: more violence (aka more brutal Morty battles), homophobic behavior, attempted suicide

The Lines Between Ricks And Mortys – Chapter 3: Rip him limb from limb! / He's trying to kill himself! The C-137 team was in another dimension again. This one looked almost boringly normal – green trees that you could probably find on earth, too and green grass – if not for the fact that everything was covered by a fine blanket of powdery snow. The Mortys shivered a little from the cold, both wearing nothing more than their typical short-sleeved t-shirts while Rick pressed onward, seeming not the least bit fazed by the temperature. After trudging through the thankfully not very high snow for a while, they came eventually to a clearing. "Hey, Rick! There is a Wild Morty! Right over there!" Morty pointed down one of the paths at a scruffy looking Morty who was scavenging a trash can for food. "Nah. That one looks too normal and *urp* too weak." Rick only said after eyeing the dirty and thin Morty, taking a sip from his trusty flask and proceeding to walk the other path. "What? So, you don't want to catch him now?" Morty was a little confused. However, he did throw a glance at Morticia to gauge her reaction. After all, Rick just confessed that he caught her because he thought that she was special and strong. Only after seeing her impassive face though did Morty realize that she did indeed not catch the praise behind that sentence because she obviously did not know that she was just a Morty that Rick had caught and thought that she belonged to Rick C-137. "Morty, listen! We're only going to catch so many till our team is full and they better be some good ones, okay? I mean, sure, I would like to do this like the completionist that I am and catch every last one of them and be the very best like in Pokemon, but we hardly have the time for that. We have a plot to move along here, all right? Maybe the author finds the time to make another spinoff where we just catch all of these Mortys, but it's not gonna happen in the main story. Even the backstories of the Mortys that we do capture are told in a different fanfiction just so that the readers won't get bored with tons of unnecessary backstory. So, let's just get going." Rick rants. "O-okay. Well, I just thought-" "Yeah, that's the problem, Morty…" Rick sighed loudly as he went on ahead. Morticia patted Morty encouragingly on the back as if to say that he shouldn't take it personally. For as antagonizing as she was to him half the time, she was still a Morty and could empathize. So, ignoring the Hobo Morty, the Mortys continued to follow Rick who was keeping his eyes on his Mortytector. The device seemed to be leading them directly to a Morty that Rick C-137 deemed worthy enough to catch. It was really in this situation that his invention could truly shine. Not only did it show the position of Mortys, but it also revealed some details about them, showing their stats. That way Rick knew exactly where to go and not waste his time with weak Mortys. It didn't take them too long to finally find what they – or more specifically, Rick – had been looking for. On their way, they had only encountered two alien trainers that insisted on fighting them, which Rick didn't decline and the Mortys were also kind of glad because the battles let them warm up at least a little. As they approached their target, the Mortys looked with big eyes at 'it'. "Is-Is that really a Morty?" Morty C-137 asked, as he looked at the shadowy dark mass that was hovering back and forth on the pathway. "My Mortytectore says that it is." Rick replied and he had a grin on his face and a glint in his eyes. This was going to be a good one. He could tell that much even without his Mortytector. Time to catch this baby!

"So, tell me again, why we're doing this?" Rick P-78 asked his little companion as they made their way to Salesman Rick's store. "T-t-to help the o-other M-Mortys." Morty A-22β6 replied. "You do realize that we're only here to help C-133 find that one Morty, right?" Rick pointed out. "I don't really see the point why we have to get involved with something that has to do with an illegal Morty brothel ring…" "B-but, Rick! We have to—have to help t-those Mortys. I do-don't want them t-to suffer like I d-did." A-22β6 protested. He looked Rick dead-seriously in the eyes. The older felt actually a bit taken aback by this. His mind flashed back to Morty's nightmares that he had witnessed as well as the still solid proof of the abuse from his former Rick that littered the boy's skin in the form of nasty scars. His little Morty was right. No other Mortys should have to suffer like that. "Yeah, okay. You convinced me." The scientist gave in rather easily. He actually had to smile a little. This was the first time that he had seen his shy charge showing balls like that and even though he won't ever say it aloud, he was proud of him for that. They entered the store and both felt a little overwhelmed by all the Morty merchandise that lined the tightly packed shelves and the many rack columns that held all sorts of mostly useless items. The entire place felt overly stuffed – maybe even overcrowded although there weren't many customers in here. Aside from the duo, there was only a greenly translucent alien that looked like a blob in the store, buying some supplies like serums and manipulator chips. It was clearly one of those Morty trainers, but the three Mortys that were standing beside it would have also given it away. As soon as the alien customer left, Salesman Rick's attention was immediately focused on them – well, at least on Rick P-78. "Hello and welcome in our store. How can I help you?" he asked in such a friendly manner that it seemed odd. Rick P-78 looked briefly down at his Morty before meeting the sales clerk's eyes again, "Uh, we're just looking around for now…"

"Well, c'mon, Morty. Go and attack him." Rick C-137 ordered. "What? Me?" Morty pointed at himself. "Aw geez…" He really wasn't looking forward to the confrontation. This shadowy Morty looked creepy. What was it supposed to be anyways? Maybe a ghost or something like that? "H-hey there." He greeted his opponent nervously. Rick only rolled his eyes as he watched from a safe distance. The Shadow Morty turned around and look at his living counterpart with white glowing eyes that looked empty and void of emotion. The look made the hairs on Morty's neck stand up. He actually expected the shade to start running off as other Mortys did when they came closer to them, but this one didn't do anything. It neither moved to escape nor did a make a move to attack. It just kept staring at Morty and it clearly nerved the boy out. "Dammit, Morty. Just get to it already! Or do I have to swap you out with Morticia again?" Rick egged his grandson on. "Jeez, Rick. I'm not even sure, if I can attack him!" Morty yelled back, getting frustrated and slightly angry again. Well, how could he? If the Morty in front of him was a ghost then he couldn't even touch him, right? Though, he didn't look exactly like a ghost, judging by the way the shadows were swirling and slightly morphing its form minutely, he was pretty sure that this one lacked a physical body none the less. Morty sighed as Rick only continued to throw insults at him and braced himself. Even though he knew already that he would just embarrass himself, trying to do this, he would at least give it a shot so that his grandfather would finally shut up. Nervously he slowly approached the specter, not exactly sure, how he should go about this. Clenching his eyes shut, he swung his fist at his opponent – and not surprisingly, he just passed through and landed on the ground. Rick slapped a hand over his face at the pathetic display and groaned loudly before cursing and throwing some more insults and his grandson. Even though he just witnessed firsthand that this Morty had no physical body, he was still convinced that even this one could be caught via a manipulator chip. It would probably be tricky though… "Couldn't expect anything less from you, Morty." He spat. "Fine, Morticia. Your time to shine." Said girl looked slightly confused at Rick. Didn't he just see how Morty had passed through that shadowy form? How was she supposed to do something then? Her face shifted to one of determination quickly though as she looked at her opponent. 'Don't think about. You just have to do it somehow! Don't disappoint your Rick!!' she told herself mentally. Morty still laid on the ground, but he opened his eyes and rolled over to look up at the shade that was staring back down at him. As if the specter suddenly realized that Morty had tried to attack him, his eyes narrowed and he stared menacingly down at the boy. Morty knew that he was screwed as soon as he saw the eyes of his opponent shift and was close to peeing his pants as he weakly tried to scramble away. However, it seemed that he was saved as Shadow Morty's attention shifted to Morticia who tried to deliver a kick at it. With a quick movement, the shadows that made up its body lashed out and grabbed the girl's leg. The appendage almost resembled something like a black tentacle and effortlessly lifted its opponent up, holding her in the air. Morticia squeaked as she suddenly felt herself dangling upside down in the other's grasp. Morty's eyes widened and he tried to get up from the ground to help her somehow even if he had no idea what he could do. Apparently, Shadow Morty could manifest parts of his body so that he could touch and move objects, but he the rest of him still couldn't be touched and therefore Morty saw no real room to attack him. He clung to the shadow tendril that hoisted Morticia up in hopes that he could get the other to let go, but obviously, his efforts were very fruitless. Seeming to grow annoyed with his opponents, Shadow Morty threw both of them on the ground with one whipping motion of the tendril. Deer-caught-in-headlights-look on their faces, the duo watched as the specter slowly approached them, ready to deliver the final blow. Rick used this chance in which his target was completely distracted to press the indicator to Shadow Morty's temple, but unfortunately, he passed through the shadowy mess that made up its body and found his hand including indicator sticking inside the boy's head instead. "Shit!" Rick cursed, seeing as his plan had failed and realizing that the manipulator chip won't just stick to the boy like that. On top of that, the Morty had become aware of him, turning his head and the glowing spots that were supposed to be his eyes were staring right at him now. The scientist quickly pulled his hand back, feeling a bit grossed out from the experience and couldn't stop his facial muscles from forming a grimace. The eyes of Shadow Morty suddenly flashed in a red color and it let out an inhuman screech. Within seconds, it started to attack Rick who dodged and made a run for it, but the Morty chased after him, clearly enraged. Man, this Morty was aggressive as fuck, but it made Rick want to catch him even more now.

P-78 and A-22β6 were still loitering around in the shop, acting as if they were actually interested in the merchandise while not really looking at any of the items. "Well, you're the one you wanted to do this so just go and ask him whatever you wanted to ask." The Rick said lowly while grabbing a Morty doll from the shelf and examining it with faked interest. "Jeez, R-rick. G-give me a m-moment, o-o-okay." Morty whispered back. "I-I don't even no-know wa-what t-to ask h-him…" Well, he just couldn't go and ask directly if he had something to do with an illegal Morty brothel ring. Even if he did have something to do with it, there was no way that he would admit that to him. A-22β6 glanced towards Salesman Rick who looked with a smile that looked a little forced at Rick P-78, not letting him out of his eyesight. It seemed less like he was watching because he worried about them shoplifting, but rather like he was waiting to be addressed by them. He really looked like he wanted to be asked and it made the Morty wonder if it really was a stupid idea to just talk about the topic upfront. Steeling himself mentally, A-22β6 left his Rick's side and approached the vendor. He swallowed heavily and opened his mouth to start talking to the Rick whose eyes finally fell on him – it was probably the first time that he even recognized that Morty was here. The fact that the salesman's friendly face had faded to one that looked like a mix of confusion, annoyance and even disgust didn't make it any easier for Morty A-22β6, but before he uttered his first stuttered word, he got interrupted by new customers entering the shop. Salesman Rick immediately switched his attention to the newcomers, his demeanor instantly changing again and friendly smile back in place. "Hello and welcome in our store." His face twitched a little though and he stopped his speech, which confused A-22β6. The boy turned around to look at the customers that had just entered and found that it was another Rick and his Morty. However, they weren't just your usual grandfather and grandson duo – the two seemed to be a couple. Their hands were entwined in a way that only couples were holding hands and they were standing very close together, almost leaving no space between their bodies. Morty A-22β6 stared a little in fascination at the two. Of course it wasn't the first time that he had seen a Rick and Morty couple – he'd certainly came across a few of them on the Citadel by now – but while the concept wasn't entirely new to him, he was still very intrigued by it. Salesman Rick's face had darkened a little since the couple had walked in and his features became more strained, but it went unnoticed by anyone inside the shop…

The C-137 trio was still chased by an enraged Shadow Morty with dangerously, red-glowing eyes. Every kind of obstacle that they tried to bring between them – the occasional shrub or tree – was either just phased through or ripped out of the way by shadowy tendrils. If they would keep this up, they would never get around to catching the Shadow Morty because the specter seemed to be tireless while the C-137 team was tiring themselves out fast. "Shit! We need some kind of plan." Rick mumbled as he barely dodged another attack from the enraged shade. "M-maybe we need to find its—I mean his body." Morty suggested the only idea that came to his mind. The Shadow Morty suddenly halted in its chase, its eyes turning white again and it looked sad and lost all of a sudden. "B-body… m-my body…" Rick used this as another chance and approached it with the indicator once more. Carefully, he placed it against the temple, making sure to not push too much and end up sinking in its shadowy swirls of a body again. His tongue peeked out between his lips as he did this in complete concentration. Thinking that he got proper contact, Rick tried to attach the manipulator chip to it and surprisingly enough the chip did stick to the black cloud that resembled its head. They all watched the little light blinking and listened to the beeping sounds, minus the shade, which didn't move an inch. The LED blinked green and Rick jumped in the air with joy. It was certainly a rare sight from the old man, but considering this hard fought victory, not all that surprising. "Hell yes! Gotta try this one out right away. C'mon!" he yelled at his Morty team as he suddenly started to run ahead. The Mortys tried to catch up with their grandfather that had stormed off like a maniac. Only the Shadow Morty seemed to linger behind, watching Rick's retreating back. "W-why? Why?" it mumbled before it seemed to get determined and also followed the retreating group. Morty and Morticia both looked surprised as the Shadow Morty did not only catch up, but passed them. Maybe it was faster than them because it didn't have to run on short legs and could just float above the snow covered ground. It made both of them a little envious, but then again, they preferred to be living creatures with actual, physical bodies. Rick, still sprinting ahead like a madman, was using his Mortytector to deliberately seek out a Morty trainer that he could challenge to a battle. He really wanted to test out the strength of his newly caught Morty against someone else. Relatively quickly, he stumbled across an alien who was in company of only one Morty. "Hey, you! I challenge you to a battle!" Rick declared. Usually it had been the other trainers who were always quick to challenge him so it might have seemed a bit weird to see Rick being the challenger this time. He didn't bother thinking about that though as he immediately sent Shadow Morty into the fight. "Okay, Shadow Morty. Rip him limb from limb." He commanded. The specter looked at Rick for a moment almost as if it didn't understand the command, but then it advanced on the hapless Dog Morty that covered in fear. With the expression that the spirit had on its face, that fear was totally warranted, too. Without further warning Shadow Morty did exactly what Rick had ordered him to do. His shadowy limbs extended and grasped the furry, lifting it in the air and ripped its limbs off. As he let the poor creature drop to the ground again, he also crushed its ribcage for good measure, efficiently breaking some ribs, which punctured the Morty's lungs. Morty C-137 screamed in horror at the sight and yelled, "Oh my god! That's just overkill!" Rick meanwhile shouted, "That's what I'm talking about!" "Are you serious, Rick?!" his original Morty yelled back at his grandfather. "Oh c'mon, Morty. A visit to the Healing Center and he will be fine again." Rick replied nonchalant and took a sip from his flask. The Dog Morty didn't look like he would be fine again though, making garbled screaming sounds as his blood spewed in all directions from the wounds were his limbs got severed while his alien trainer stood shocked over him and wailed… Rick just took the trainer's money and valuables and was on his way again, not bothered by the sight at all. His trio of Mortys trudged behind him, Morty and Morticia still looking quite horrified at the wounded Morty as they passed him…

The couple was still looking around Salesman Rick's store, unaware that the focus of all other occupants was solely on them. Giggling at a comment from the other, the little Morty led his Rick over to the racks where the t-shirts hung. "What? You wanna buy another yellow t-shirt? Don't you already have enough of those?" the Rick only commented, but still smiled at his charge. "You're right." The Morty agreed. "Maybe I should go for another color." He let go of his Rick's hand to search through the various shirts that were not yellow. Rick P-78 tried to ignore the pair and continued to feign interest in some collectable Morty action figures – who bought this stuff anyways? A-22β6 still had a hard time tearing his eyes away from the duo. He still needed to find the proper words to ask Salesman Rick what he wanted to ask him so he tried to get his bearings back together. Since he hadn't been looking at the salesclerk though, he didn't notice how much his looks had darkened in the meantime. Salesman Rick had trouble keeping the fake-smile up on his face. The muscles were strained so much, that his features resembled more that of a grimace. He completely loathed the lovey-dovey display that the couple made, being completely oblivious to anyone else around them. The Morty would pick some shirts from the rack and held them up to ask his Rick's opinion. And at every joked jab that his Rick made, he would giggle. The older was either ruffling through the smaller one's hair affectionately or even hugging him as if to show that his remarks of his choice of clothes were not to be meant seriously. Then the Morty picked up black t-shirt, which had a white, frowning Morty head and the words "Aww" and "Jeez" written on it and asked as he held it in front of himself, "What about this one? You okay with me wearing this t-shirt?" "Oh, you know, I prefer you wearing nothing at all." His Rick replied seductively. The Morty blushed, but also giggled a little again. Apparently, this was the last straw because Salesman Rick suddenly saw red. He stormed up towards the couple and ripped the t-shirt out of the Morty's hands. To the surprised and questioning gazes that met his actions, he only answered in a less than friendly manner. "Get out!" "What?" The Rick asked back, his good mood clearly having vanished like the sun behind heavy rain clouds. He frowned and moved his Morty protectively behind himself as Salesman Rick jammed the t-shirt back on its hanger. "I said get out of my shop! I don't want the likes of you hanging around here!" A-22β6 flinched at the loud voice and looked with wide eyes at the seller. This behavior was completely unexpected. Even P-78 stared shocked and caught himself from gaping in surprise. Salesman Rick glowered at the couple while he pointed his finger to the outside. His gesture, body posture and the look on his face made it clear that there would be bloodshed if the duo didn't get out fast. The Rick only murmured and pushed his little lover out of the shop. "C'mon, Morty. We're leaving." His mood may had turned sour, but he wouldn't let this pull him down. Still, he couldn't help, but look back at Salesman Rick as they were halfway out and said loudly "There's always another merch-store." Salesman Rick was still seething as he watched the couple walk off, holding hands again and looking barely affected by the outburst and unfriendly throw out. 'Jeez, what had happened just now?' Morty A-22β6 wondered while still looking wide-eyed at the salesclerk. Salesman Rick took a deep breath before he turned around to face P-78, the smile from before on his face again, though it did look a bit shy as he seemed to be a little embarrassed about his outburst. "I'm sorry that you had to see that. Please continue to look around and don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions." He apologized. "Uh… sure." The other Rick replied, not sure what to make of what he had just witnessed. As Salesman Rick made his way back to the cash register that he had stationed himself at, he passed A-22β6 again and frowned down at him. The boy lost the last bit of courage that he still had somewhere left inside him to approach and ask this man anything at all. That behavior rose certainly some suspicion. It seemed that Salesman Rick wasn't such a cheerful and happy person as he constantly pretended to be to the outside world. And the Morty would even dare to think that this man might even be dangerous. At least it got pretty clear that he didn't seem to be too fond of Mortys. Nope, a direct approach would not get him any results. He was sure of that now. As sure as the fact, that something was really off with this Rick. They would need to change strategies…

The C-137 quartet was meanwhile in a different dimension. This one had orange shrubs and pink, blob-like trees. It certainly looked alien in every sense of the word to the Mortys. Rick still continued to press happily on, eyes fixed like so often on his Mortytector, but he looked slightly displeased. Probably no Morty that was considered good enough and would be worth capturing in this dimension, Morty C-137 figured. In a way, it was a relief. As much as he hated fighting against his alternate selves in in those trainer battles, he disliked chasing after and trying to catch new ones even more. He wasn't even really sure why. They continued on, obediently following their grandfather in a neat row until Morty stumbled a little and started to complain. "Oh geez, Rick. I think I'm getting delusional from hunger or something because I think I just saw a big slice of pizza running behind those trees over there. Maybe we should take a break and get something to eat?" he suggested. "Oh yeah, great idea. I swear I saw something like that, too. We should really make a pause, Rick." Morticia actually backed him up. Shadow Morty didn't say anything. Rick sighed and looked back at his more-or-less-reliable trio. "Okay, fine. Let's wrap this up and then go and grab a bite at the Citadel." Rick gave in. Looking back at his Mortytector he tried to figure out where this dimensions Rick was so that they could make a beeline for him and then get out. However, this didn't mean that he was going to avoid any of those annoying trainer battles that would await them on their way. He wanted all that sweet loot after all.

After that unexpected display of rage, Rick P-78 and his Morty were outside of the shop, hiding and spying on Salesman Rick from a safe distance now. "You do realize how ridiculous this is?" Rick said, clearly not very fond of hiding in the bushes next to a Rick statue, right in front of the Council building like this.

If the Guard Ricks found them here, they would get in trouble and he really didn't need that.

Aside from the problems that would arise and the embarrassment, he also thought that he was too old to be crouching like this behind some shrubbery.

"W-well, he seems ki-kind of du-dangerous." Morty replied, not letting his gaze stray away for even a single second from the suspect.

"'Cause of his homophobic behavior? Morty, I told you before that there are a lot of Ricks who aren't too fond of romantic Rick-Morty-relationships. I may not be one of them, but you had seen that before with that other couple. Maybe the guy went a little overboard there, but you can't expect every Rick to just keep their cool when they have to look at that sort of affectionate display…"

Morty only grumbled a little in response. He didn't understand how his Rick could side with Salesman Rick.

There was obviously something off with him and he would find out what exactly it was.

If he had anything to do with the abduction of Mortys then he refused to let up until he found some evidence.

Rick only sighed as he looked at A-22β6's determined face from the side.

It seemed that despite his usually shy behavior his little Morty could be really persistent in his pursuits.

If Rick wouldn't actually like that and wanted to help encouraging it a little, he would have probably already called this off and dragged them both somewhere more important.

After all he still needed to help C-133 and find that Morty.

He wasn't too sure how great the chances where to stumble upon him while hiding in some bushes and keeping sight on a Morty merchandise store.

But well… one could never know, right?

Unfortunately, nothing of big interest happened.

There were a few occasional Ricks or Alien Morty trainers that visited the shop, but nothing that was noteworthy.

Salesman Rick greeted his customers happily, acting like the friendliest and most cheerful Rick ever in existence.

That display actually started to disgust P-78 a little.

Ricks weren't really cheerful or happy people. Sure, they knew how to party and how to impress other people with jokes, funny catchphrases and crazy actions, but they were nothing like this Rick.

Salesman Rick seemed pathetic in a certain way even though Rick P-78 couldn't quite place his finger on it.

The spying action wasn't as fun as it always looked in movies and the duo soon became bored.

Just when even Morty was getting close to dozing off despite his determination and all that, he jerked to full awareness as someone who clearly wasn't just a normal customer entered the shop.

It was Investment Rick. Morty knew him from the occasional times that his own Rick would seek him out to talk about some financial business.

Morty perked up as the two Ricks started to talk with each other, but unfortunately, they were too far away for him to hear anything about the conversation.

The only thing that he did notice was that Salesman Rick's face fell quickly.

Whatever they were talking about it clearly wasn't good news.

As it dragged on, the discussion became more heated and both Ricks were starting to shout at each other.

Unfortunately, Morty was still not able to make out what they were yelling about.

Well, it had to be about some financial issues and he really started to wonder about the details.

Was Salesman Rick broke? Or would he have to close his shop because sales weren't going so well?

He really had no idea, but all of these examples sounded plausible.

The discussion seemed to end and the banker left the store with a scowl on his face that seemed to vanish pretty quickly again as he started to chat up another Rick that just passed him.

Morty A-22β6 noticed that Investment Rick's smile looked very different from the one that Salesman Rick always put on. It seemed… he wasn't really sure, but… more genuine, perhaps?

Looking back to the salesclerk, he noticed that his rage seemed to have ebbed off and he just looked very depressed all of a sudden.

The sullen look on his face made the Morty's heart reach out to him…

The C-137 team trickled into the fast food joint that was named McSanchez. The small restaurant was decently filled with several Ricks and Mortys and the occasional alien that would stare in wonder at its food. Since they were stuck at the Citadel, they might as well try out all the restaurants that the place had to offer even if they were cheap rip-offs from well-known earth restaurant chains. They had ate lunch at Rick's yesterday. "So, what do you want?" Rick asked his original Morty as they got in line. The Mortys looked up at the wall were all the foods and menus were shown along with pictures to provoke some appetite. "Um… I want the Morty Menu with a coke." He answered after making his choice. "'Kay. And you?" Rick turned his attention to Morticia. "Oh, I'll take the McMorty Burger with eggs and ham, big portion fries and a Morty-Choc-Milkshake." Rick then turned to the last of his Morty trio "And what do you want?" … "Fuck! Can you even eat?" the scientist added after remembering that this Morty didn't really have a physical body. The Shadow Morty only stared back at him as if the concept of food was completely foreign to him. "Guess not…" As it was finally their turn, Rick ordered what his grandkids wanted and for himself a RickMac with Bacon, McChicken Nuggets with Sanchez Sauce, small fries and a Cubra Libra (at least, unlike McDonalds, they served alcoholic beverages here). After their order was done and handed to them, they picked out an empty table and sat down to eat their food. "This "Sanchez Sauce" tastes like a weak attempt at remaking Szechuan Sauce…" Rick complained as his dipped the chicken nuggets in the mentioned condiment and ate them. "Hey, Morty? Have I ever told you about this sauce?"

The Mortys didn't pay his ramblings any mind and ignored him as they continued to eat their own food.

Morty C-137 felt a little nerved out though as Shadow Morty kept floating next to him and stared at him as he snacked on the fries that were part of the Morty Menu.

A reluctant shadowy hand reached out to lift up one of the golden stripes so that the specter could look more closely at it.

Morty actually stopped eating for a brief moment to watch what the shade would be doing.

He wasn't quite sure if he just imagined it, but he thought that he saw something like recognition flash in the white orbs of the lifeless creature.

Shadow Morty then lifted the fry to his mouth and proceeded to eat it… only for the food to pass through his body and land on the ground.

Both Mortys looked at the potato-y snack on the floor and then lifted their heads again, looking at each other wordlessly.

Before anymore could happen, they were suddenly interrupted by a loud voice.

"I've turned my Morty into a pickle!" One Rick who sat a few tables over, yelled so loudly that he drew the attention of a few pairs of eyes on himself.

"Actually, I've turned all five of them into pickles. Pickle Mortys!!" The Rick continued to tell another Rick that he currently had a conversation with.

"Here, have a— take a look." He added as he pulled a glass jar out of his lab coat.

Inside the jar were indeed five Mortys turned pickles who looked like they were quite uncomfortable being wedged in that tight space and they seemed to be complaining, which could however only be heard after their Rick unscrewed the jar.

"C'mon, Rick!" "Cut that out!" "Change us back again!" "This isn't funny!" "It's so cramped, I'm getting claustrophobic in here!" the Pickled Mortys yelled one over the other as the other Rick, who sat at the same table, examined the glass jar with mild interest.

"Makes it a lot easier to lug these little bastards around." Said the Pickle Jar Morty owning Rick with a smirk on his face.

"I've turned my original Morty into a cucumber." Other Rick commented while looking not too impressed and pulled said Morty out of his own lab coat.

"This isn't actually so bad." Commented Cucumber Morty despite the unfortunate state that he was in. "I like cucumbers."

His three fellow Mortys gave their Rick a rather disapproving look though and they hoped that he wouldn't be getting any weird ideas of turning them into veggies.

Ironically, the Mortys were a Strawberry Morty, an Orange Morty and a Banana Morty respectively.

A Cob Morty who was following his Rick with a tray in hand steered clear of those two weirdos after noticing their discussion.

Rick C-137 decidedly started to ignore those less-than-sane Ricks and drowned their conversation out while focusing back on his burger again.

"Hey Rick, would you ever turn me into a pickle?" Morty asked, feeling a bit unnerved by witnessing the other Rick's craziness.

"Nah. No way would I ever turn anyone into a pickle." He replied absentmindedly. "Unless I really need to get out of a situation that I want to avoid at all costs…"

The voices of the two Ricks still rang loudly through the small restaurant and the Mortys also soon followed their grandpa's example and focused on their food again. Which was probably a wise decision seeing as things were starting to get even more ridiculous with that pair of apparently food-obsessed Ricks at the other table.

Talk about second-hand embarrassment…

Morty A-22β6 and his Rick were still huddled behind the bushes and kept watch on the shop. Since Investment Rick had left the building, nothing peculiar had happened again. There hadn't even been any customers anymore and the artificial sun on the Citadel's sky-screen was starting its slow descent to eventually give way to the artificial night sky. Still keeping watch and not at the immediate risk of dozing off again since Morty somehow felt more awake than ever now, the boy suddenly noticed something. It wasn't really something with the shop since no customer had entered and nothing else had happened. Salesman Rick had started to leave his post at the cash register and had begun to stock up the shelves some while ago and Morty's view had been blocked by shelves then so he didn't see him anymore. The thing that the boy noticed was more of a feeling though. A feeling that something in the shop was not quite right. He stood up from his hiding position, rousing his Rick's attention who had been bored out of his mind. "Hey. Where're you going?" he asked and also stood up his joints cracking uncomfortably for being stuck so long in the crouch. "Sum-something is not ar-alright…" Morty only replied, as he got closer to the shop. As he looked around, he couldn't find the salesclerk anywhere in the vicinity. Where could he be? He hadn't seen him leave the store. Then Morty noticed a door at the back that was slightly ajar. It led probably to a storage room. Morty wondered if he should just ignore his gut feeling and go back into hiding or if he should dare to check. For all he knew the Rick was just back there to get some more supplies to stock up the shelves… but what if he didn't. Becoming brave, Morty ventured over to the door, only paying brief attention to the sign that hang on it and stated "staff only". Carefully he opened the small crack wider and peered inside the room behind it. Flickering florescent lights lit up the backroom that was stuffed with more shelves and boxes. He couldn't see Salesman Rick anywhere and therefore stepped into the room fully now. Knowing that his Rick was right behind him made him brave enough to explore. However, he didn't have to search the storage area for long. Just as he rounded one of the shelves, he found the Rick that he was looking for. "O-o-oh my god! R-Rick! H-he's trying t-to kill h-himself!" he shouted loudly. Indeed Salesman Rick hung from the ceiling, a rope tied out of Morty cravats around his neck, which hung in a complicated looking construction that was supported by the shelves and the neon tubular lamps. The twitching of his body and slightly raspy sounds that he made were an indicator that he was still alive. Rick P-78 only stood there and looked at the hanging Rick a bit dumbfounded until his Morty urged him on. "D-do sum-something, Rick!" He followed through then, usually not one to question another Rick's decision and stepping in when one deliberately tried to off himself – even at times when it's not deliberate – and got the other down. Since untying the knots didn't work very well, he got out his handy laser cutter and burned through the cloth, which resulted in Salesman Rick dropping on the ground. The salesperson hacked and wheezed while clutching one hand around his neck where the makeshift-rope had dug in and was quickly leaving a reddish bruise. Morty was instantly at his side, kneeling beside him and hands grasping at Rick's shoulders. "A-are you o-okay?" Salesman Rick pushed him off. "Get off me! Why do you even care? You don't know me!" he yelled hoarsely after he got air back into his lungs. Morty looked taken aback at the rude gesture and words. "Why did you safe me?!" the Rick addressed P-78 now. "'Cause my Morty was worried about you." Was the factual reply. Salesman Rick stared with wide eyes at the impassable gaze of the other. It was true though. If his Morty wouldn't have told him to intervene, he probably wouldn't have moved a single muscle to get him down. Ricks were pretty impassive in the face of other Ricks' death and while they might fight for their lives in dangerous situations, they could really care less about the misfortune of their alternate selves. Ricks' self-hatred was real and of genuine nature. And P-78 was no different from that. Also, there was an unspoken non-interference codex between Ricks and quite frankly he didn't see the point to stop another Rick from ending his own misery. He sure as hell wouldn't want someone else to step in when he was trying to off himself – a thought that he had entertained certainly more than once in the past before he had gotten his new Morty. With a questioning gaze, Salesman Rick turned back to the Morty now. The Morty returned that look with an empathic one of his own. "Why d-did you d-do it?" K-57 huffed. "Not like you would understand." "Tri-try me." For a moment, there was only silence before Salesman Rick lowered his head and started to speak up again. "It just got all too much, you know. Life on the Citadel just isn't what it was promised us to be." "Well, duh." P-78 threw in. Salesman Rick just collapsed more in on himself, looking utterly lost and broken. It was a pathetic view. The Rick was surprised as he suddenly felt small arms encircle him. Morty was hugging him. The gesture seemed so strange, almost alien to him. When had been the last time that someone had hugged him or touched him in a way like this? He honestly couldn't remember. Rick K-57 relaxed into the embrace, returned it and closed his eyes from which tears silently started to stream. In that brief moment, he started to think that maybe he understood the importance of Mortys to Ricks now. Rick P-78 just watched the affectionate display silently from the side, his mouth a thin line, but he didn't dare to interrupt the moment. Maybe Salesman Rick finally deserved a break. At least the smile that he wore on his tearstained face looked truly genuine for the first time…

Morty C-137 dreaded the steps up the small flight of stairs as they approached the next "Gym Leader" Rick. No matter how often they did this, he still disliked it. Heck, he hated all of these pointless battles in general! He still didn't understand why he had to fight against alternate versions of himself in the first place. A shudder ran through his body as he saw their current opponent. This Rick looked genuinely dangerous. He wore a red headband and a red jacket, which was unbuttoned and showed his bare and much muscled chest – as well as a very prominent six pack – that was covered by some bandages but still visible enough to him. His face wore a scowl and the yellowed teeth that he showed looked sharp as if they had been filed to specifically look like that of a shark. This scary monster of a Rick was none other than Karate Rick and Morty was honestly scared that the Rick alone could kick all of their asses without even having to use his Mortys. At his side were a Karate Morty – probably his original and a pupil in this Rick's dojo – a Renegade Morty that looked almost as scary as his Rick and a Punk Morty. Yeah, Morty C-137 wasn't really looking forward to this fight. "Well, would you look at that. It's a p*uurhg*ny Rick with his puny Mortys." Karate Rick mocked. Of course, Rick C-137 wouldn't just let that sit on him. "Well, you—you're as dumb—you're the dumbest Rick I ever heard. Clearly, you have no idea who you're up against. I'm Rick C-137." "La-dee-da." Karate Rick replied with an eye roll, clearly unimpressed and uninterested in that information. "C'mon, Morty. Get up there." C-137 addressed his grandson now. "Aw geez, really? Me again, Rick?" Morty questioned. Didn't he see how dangerous and strong those other Mortys looked? You would think after all the insults he threw at him about how weak and lame he was in almost all of their previous battles on the way here that he would think twice about picking him to fight. "Of course you, Morty. And now quit your whining and get to it. I wanna see you wipe the floor with that second rate Rick's brat." If he truly wanted to see that, then he had picked out the wrong Morty for it, Morty C-137 thought. "Let's show them how it's done, Morty." The other Rick said and Karate Morty stepped forward. C-137 wasn't sure what to expect, but was certainly surprised when the other took a stiff bow. Slightly confused he tried to mirror the gesture, remembering to have seen it in some karate movies and not wanting to appear rude. After the opening courtesy was done, Karate Morty took on a fighting stance. C-137 certainly had no idea about actual fighting sports – other than the little from some action movies that he'd seen – and therefore didn't even try to get into a fancy looking stance and embarrass himself. His opponent seemed to wait for him to make the first move so he did just that and approached him, trying to land a punch. The other Morty's movements were incredibly quick though and he didn't only dodge the fist, but also spun around and put him in a stranglehold. Helplessly he squirmed in the other's professional grip, but to no avail. He had no way to get out of that again. Rick C-137 only groaned and slapped a hand on his face again. It was embarrassing to see his very own grandson fail again and again. The cackling of the other Rick didn't really help his mood at the moment. "Ah shit! Well, fine. I wanna switch him out." "No can do." Karate Rick replied. "Morty, finish him off." Following the command, Karate Morty pushed the other down on the ground and pinned him with his arms and legs that allowed C-137's body little to no movement while he strangled him. "The heck?! Is that even allowed? I'm pretty sure that's against the rules or something." Rick C-137 complained. "Since when does the Rogue Rick care about rules? But for your information, there's no saying in the rulebook that we can't do this." "Hell yeah, you're right! I don't give a fuck about rules. So Morticia, get in there!" The girl didn't waste her time with any pleasantries but dove right into the battle. With a well-placed kick, she attacked the still kneeling Karate Morty and freed her teammate. C-137 scrambled out of the way to let his much more battle seasoned alternate do the fighting. "You're always such an embarrassment." His grandfather said to him as he crawled back on the sidelines, only sparing him a brief glance before putting his attention back on Morticia again to command her through the battle. Apparently, the girl had been taught some martial arts, too, because she was on equal standing with her opponent. Each punch and kick was met with a like-for-like move and the two seemed to be at a stalemate, neither ready to give the other side the upper hand. The balance was only tipped after Rick yelled out one peculiar command. "Morticia, distract him by showing your boobs!" She whirled immediately around, her face flushed red. "WHAT?!" Karate Morty's face dropped, his eyes becoming blank as his lips hung down and resembled a 'w'.

Instead of lifting her t-shirt as she had been ordered, Morticia whirled around again and delivered a kick that hit her opponent in the head. Still in shock and having lost his defenses, Karate Morty landed on the ground and the female Morty had no trouble finishing him off afterwards. Karate Rick didn't look very pleased after the loss of his disciple. He gave his grandson a glare that had the potential to kill as said boy crawled heavily wounded back to his side. "That was a dirty move, Rogue Rick." He glowered. Rick C-137 smirked. "That coming from the right one. Well, for your information, there's no saying in the rulebook that we can't do this." The other Rick growled and sent his next Morty into the battle. Renegade Morty towered dangerously over Morticia. For a moment, she looked frightened by her enemy who looked like Rambo-rip-off. He was buff with bulky muscles, adorned by battle scars, wore a necklace of ripped off bloody ears on a string around his neck, a very mean scowl on his face and worst of all he stank like old sweat. He was truly intimidating. However, since her grandfather didn't lose a word about switching her out, it meant that he was counting on her to defeat this guy. 'Don't disappoint him.' She told herself and scowled right back at her opponent. Instantly she went to deliver a barrage of kicks to her opponent. Unfortunately, this seemed to do no damage at all, as her enemy stood as unmoving as a mountain. He didn't even try to defend himself, just letting her attacks rain on him as if they were merely a light breeze of air. Karate Rick cackled at the display. Renegade Morty was his strongest one and never lost a battle before. Morticia stopped her barrage of useless attacks, panting from the exertion. Her enemy took that as a cue that she was done and went to attack himself now. He punched the girl without holding back and with a yelp, she flew back and crashed into the ground by the force of the hit. Morty C-137 winced and even his grandfather's facial features twitched at sight. "Ha ha! That's right. Now destroy her, Renegade Morty!" Karate Rick urged his boy on. Morticia struggled to get up from the ground again, but before she was even back on her feet, another fist hit her in the face, bringing her back down again. Like a merciless monster, the bulky Morty continued to lay into the girl, landing punch after punch. Morticia wasn't even able to defend herself against all those hits and after a few painful minutes, she laid unmoving on the ground. Rick C-137 snarled angrily at the loss while his enemy had to rub it in of course. "Hell yeah! You should go and look for some better Mortys if you want to beat me, you dummy." "This isn't over yet, Rick." C-137 replied. He looked with a hint of worry on his face at Morticia as she limped back to his side, eyes cast down and looking clearly ashamed of herself for losing. 'She's going to be fine.' He assured to himself mentally. 'After this is over, we're off to the Healing Center.' "Shadow Morty, you're turn." The specter hovered forward to face his enemy, the stare on his face blank. Karate Rick huffed in amusement before he ordered his Morty to also finish off this one. Renegade Morty attacked then, but his attacks didn't hit their target because his fists always passed through his opponent. Karate Rick frowned at the sight. "So, this one doesn't has a physical form, huh? You're trying to cheat again, Rogue Rick? Even if you do send in a Morty that can't be defeated as long as you can't defeat mine you're not gonna win either. And don't think I'll give in and admit defeat. We can stand around here and do this for weeks for all I care." Rick C-137 smirked. Looks like this dumb Rick was underestimating his Shadow Morty. "I don't plan to play some stupid waiting game with you." – 'As if I had the time for that.' – "I'm gonna win by crushing your Mortys. Just watch this. Shadow Morty, attack!" The specter let out a deafening shriek that stunned his opponent before he lifted the other Morty up in the air to fling him down on the ground again. He kept up this attack pattern until it was obvious that Renegade Morty wouldn't be able to recover from it again. It actually only took a few minutes. Well, that was over fast. Seeing his best Morty lose also punched the smug attitude out of his Rick. He bit his lip in frustration, knowing that his Punk Morty wouldn't stand a chance against the shade, but he would send him in anyways. No Rick in their right mind would ever go down without fighting! Rick C-137 grinned broadly, already counting this whole battle as a victory. His opponent had nothing against him and his Shadow Morty. He knew that this one would be worth the trouble for catching it! However, just as Punk Morty reluctantly shuffled into the ring, Morty C-137 started to speak up. "Rick, please let me take him on." He may still have been a bit wounded from the fight against Karate Morty and the opponent looked mean, but he didn't seem to be as strong as his two predecessors. And Morty didn't want to look as if he was a complete loser, seeing as his comrades were both very capable of taking at least one enemy out each. Even if he didn't like these battles, he still felt like he needed to prove that he wasn't just a weak nuisance that was dragged around with this group. They were a team and he was a part of it just like the others! His Rick looked at him, seeming to think for a bit about it before giving him a nod. "Shadow Morty, get back here." Karate Rick looked shocked for a moment before he cackled again. "Why did you send in this complete loser? You could have won this round easily, but you rather wanna embarrass yourself like this?" However, Rick C-137 only grinned, looking confident. He believed in his grandson and it made Karate Rick's grin drop again to be replaced by a scowl as he ordered his Punk Morty to "Destroy the brat!" Punk Morty and Morty C-137 stood opposite of each other and each stared the other down without making a move at first. The punk looked unimpressed, but let a little grin slip as he went to attack his opponent. Morty could see the change in expression and was able to react accordingly. It was true that the boy wasn't really a strong fighter, but through all the adventures that he had been on with his grandfather he learned a thing or two. All of their troubles had also been honing his reflexes and made him good at dodging even incoming bullets or plasma shots so he didn't have much trouble evading the other's punch. Since he found that he had the upper hand – at least in velocity – Morty quickly counter attacked while his opponent was still mid-swing. Rick C-137 repressed a loud whoop at the skillful move that his grandson made, but grinned proudly while his Rick opponent only scowled more. "C'mon, Punk Morty! You can't lose against such a pushover! Hand his ass to him!!" Karate Rick yelled. The yelling did seem to serve as some motivation for the punk because on his next try he managed to hit the other Morty. Both Mortys continue to fight, not willing to give the other the upper hand. Punches and kicks were exchanged, but not for long as the tough battle finally found its victor. The final move that decided the outcome of the fight was made by C-137 who feigned a punch and then went for a kick that rendered Punk Morty unable to continue on. Even though he was sweating and panting and had several bruises and scratches Morty smiled. "You did good, Morty." His Rick praised him for the first time, broadening the boy's smile. To his opponent, Rick C-137 then said, "In your face! My Mortys are great! Now hand over the badge and shoot us a portal." Karate Rick practically seethed, but obliged and handed over the goods as well as opening a way for Team C-137 to return to the Citadel. Turning to his own team of defeated Mortys, he reprimanded them in a low and menacing voice. "Don't think that your loss here won't carry any consequences. I've warned you before what will happen if you lose. There's punishment and lots of more training waiting for you." The boys visibly shook as they picked themselves up from the ground, battered and beaten. Morty C-137, compassionate as he was, actually became scared for his alternate selves after he heard the threat and saw how frightened they looked. Karate Rick seemed to be quite a sadist. "Aw geez. I feel really bad for them." He said to his Rick after they stepped through the portal, worry clear in his tone. "Do you think they will be okay?" Rick only shrugged. "No idea. It's not really my business what that Rick does to his Mortys." With that he lifted his flask to his lips. He could really care less about the boys' fate. Besides, it was true. What a Rick did with his Morty was no one, but that Rick's business.

AN: In case you're wondering about the missing bonus content at the end, the second hand embarrassment scene is supposed to be the bonus content. It just fit better in the middle than at the end ^^' And I know I'm completely disregarding types in this story, but see how few fucks I give (I know that in an actual battle Renegade Morty would have probably won against Shadow Morty because of type advantage)… let's just say that Shadow Morty just had a much higher level than Karate Rick's Renegade Morty and pretend that this is legit. And I also know that Karate Rick is not a Boss Rick, but I like the guy and have been using him as my avatar ever since I unlocked him in the game ^_^

Part 11 of Entricked Fates

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Part 1 of Entricked Fates: Gotta Catch Me Some Morty

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Part 2 of Entricked Fates: Mortyfied and Rickfused

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Part 3 of Entricked Fates: Ricking the Routine

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Part 4 of Entricked Fates: Ricks will always be Ricks

oneshot

Part 5 of Entricked Fates: The Morty-Lover

oneshot

Part 6 of Entricked Fates: Second Chances AKA The Rick One For Me

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Part 7 of Entricked Fates: Rickvestigating the Morty Disappearances

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Part 8 of Entricked Fates: When the Morty’s away, the Rick will play

oneshot

Part 9 of Entricked Fates: It’s Not His Ricking Fault!

oneshot

Part 10 of Entricked Fates: I Ricking Hate My Life!

oneshot

Part 12 of Entricked Fates: The Mortys and their Stories

Chapter 1

#rick and morty #ram #rnm #rick #oc ricks #salesman rick #rick c137 #morty #oc mortys #morticia #shadow morty #pocket mortys #fanfic #fanfiction #hopesfanfictions #entricked fates

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96percentdone · 7 years

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imaginepartybabyz

“someone ask me for viktuuri fic recs so I can just get this post out...”

hey skylar give us... the good reccomendations for the good content I LONG for it...

@imaginepartybabyz Y’know half the reason I wanted to make this post is because of your fics. I can’t rec your own fics to you Noa. It doesn’t work out.

I’m gonna try to keep the super popular fics everyone and their mother has already read off the list. Y’know the ones that show up every fic rec. Anyway let’s begin. Under the cut!

Finished Fics:

Masks off by emulikule “And so the story goes that a playboy comes to a town, makes it fall in love with him and then proceeds to get himself enticed by the most mysterious person there. Wait... did it really go like that?” Alright so I am weak for stories where a character loves two people, and it looks like a love triangle, but those two people are actually just the same fuckin person and they have a secret identity or some shit. It’s why I like Miraculous Ladybug. This fic??? It has that. Also it has fucking masquerades. It’s great.

Lifetime Record by futuresoon “Victor Nikiforov is a lot of things: a celebrity, a genius, the world's greatest men's figure skater, the object of Yuuri Katsuki's idolization. He's also been dead for twenty years. When Yuuri returns home in search of something to inspire him to get back into skating, what he finds is someone eager to help, unconventional, and incredibly, desperately lonely.” So I don’t typically like ghost fics because the concept of them makes me depressed. (”They can’t be together really if one of them is dead!!”) But I read this one anyway. Because. it was on the tvtropes fic rec page and didn’t contain garbage, and I have no regrets. Listen if you’re afraid of an unhappy ending. Don’t be. I hate tragedies. I would not rec this if it was one. Believe me. It’s an emotional ride.

lie to make me like you by cityboys “It’s become a game, of sorts, to anyone privy to the fact that the pattern exists in the first place: ask Victor out at the beginning of the month, date for however many days, and wait for the end to come and for Victor to say, always: I couldn’t fall in love with you. Let’s break up.” Now the truth is I really could rec all of cityboys fics because they’re all works of art but I told myself to just pick one so this list doesn’t end up 90% them. And this fic. Let me tell you. It’s fucking beautiful. I think the most wonderful aspect of this fic is there’s tension, but there isn’t like extreme angst. The climax of the fic isn’t incredibly stressful, even when there is build up to it. I think it’s truly wonderful. Also this fic singlehandedly got ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” stuck in my head forever.

Impostor Syndrome by renaissance “At some point, most people with a childhood crush will imagine meeting their idol, and might even pretend that they're dating. This is the story of how Yuuri Katsuki meets his childhood crush, and how they pretend that they're dating.” Alright we need one fake dating AU on here and this is it. This is peak fake dating AU. It doesn’t get any better than this. Everyone else go home. No but seriously this fuckin fake dating AU. has just so much going for it. At the start it seems pretty standard, but the way it develops. HOly shit. Just. Just read it.

not gold like in your dreams by ebenroot ““Victor, you could have let some psychopath into your apartment.” “Oh come on, he’s not a psychopath,” Victor chides.Christophe makes a gesture with his hand that says ‘are you seriously this naïve or are you drunk at work again?’. “Victor, you don’t know that. You don’t know anything about him. Whose name am I going to give to the police or face I’m going to describe to the sketch artist when they find your body chopped up like Hannibal Lecter’s side dish? ”-- in which Victor and Yuuri are roommates and Yuuri has a secret“ So this. Is a Penelope AU. AKA a movie I never watched, which should be a testament to how good this fucking fic is because damn. Like. You don’t have to see this movie just read this fic. It works fucking perfectly. Yuuri is constantly hiding his face in Viktor’s apartment and doesn’t give his full name, and Viktor is like “this is kinda sketchy but it’s fine” and then romance. I just made this sound so much worse than it is but listen. I was emotional. I felt things. I don’t always feel things but I felt them here. Just read it.

And Miles to Go Before I Sleep by Orchids_and_Fictional_Cities “Katsuki Yuuri has been cursed to spread misery and grief to those who dare to come close to him. Viktor Nikiforov has been sentenced to wander the earth, unable to die, granting wishes to mortals in the hopes that one of them might give his life meaning in exchange. They meet in a tempest of April snow.“ So I just binge read this all in one go. Okay first. it has gorgeous art. Holy shit. Yes. There’s art. And second. This story. The world it built. The atmosphere. The emotions. That fucking beautiful ending. Oh my god. four chapters of just. perfection. Please. Just. Please. Read this.

Waiting for the Rain by trashy_cas “In which Katsuki Yuuri meets a stranger who also enjoys frequenting empty parks on rainy mornings. Garden of Words AU“ Here’s another fic based on a movie I haven’t seen, and also won’t see because. eww. Creepy age gap. The creepy age gap is obviously not in this fic. I would not put it here if it was. No this fic is just a wonderful atmospheric experience. It really captures that rainy garden mood throughout and when it ends...it feels a little bit like the skies cleared up and the sun shines again. It’s just beautiful.

Ongoing:

don't want to be lonely (just want to be yours) by Linisy “This time the flesh and blood Yuuri wasn't around to distract him, and he watched the video intently, hypnotized by the swing of Yuuri’s hips, the look in his eyes that burned with intensity and the strong, confident line of his shoulders. Yuuri was, as always, breathtaking. Victor remembered their first meeting well. Yuuri was the last member to join the group. He was soft spoken, and he stood as if he were trying to make himself smaller, shoulders drawn inward, head tilted toward the ground, glasses slipping off his nose. Victor was surprised to hear that he was the second oldest behind Victor himself. Everything changed the first time he saw him dance. - Vitya, Katsu, Yura, Beka and Chu make up the top idol group SVD. They've been through hell together, living in their tiny dorm and working toward the day they'd finally hit it big. That day has finally come, but sometime over the course of the past three years, Victor has fallen in love with Yuuri Katsuki.” Okay so this fic has just started, and it’s an idol AU, but don’t let that turn you away because it’s masterful. It covers like five different POVs and all of them are so distinct. You can really feel the character they switch to. It has so much potential.

Lullaby of Birdland by Orchids_and_Fictional_Cities “In another world, their story might have started with ‘Hi there’, or ‘Lovely sky tonight’, or ‘Hello, stranger’. Or perhaps something less cliché, something like: ‘A commemorative photo? Sure thing! ’But in this one, it starts with an electric blue cocktail, the taste of smoke in the air. And: “You have really talented, um. Fingers.” --- Yuuri makes music with his body. Victor makes music because that's all he knows. (Or: After his poor performance at the Grand Prix Final, Yuuri is weary but not broken, and decides to give it one last shot. Victor plays piano three nights a week at a small jazz bar near the Detroit Skating Club, and does his best to get by.)” This fic has this one really clever plot point I can’t tell you because spoilers. But I think about it all the time. And you will too probably!! If you read it. I don’t even like jazz but this fic made me like jazz. Also. The feelings are real. The feelings are real and it’s got the atmosphere of a Jazz Club. Fitting considering.

On Ice, Yuri!!! by octothorpe “Russia’s rising star, Victor Nikiforov, age twenty-three, has just finished his first Grand Prix Final and is gearing up for Serious Training for the next season. Russia’s rising star, Victor Nikiforov, age twenty-three, is currently standing naked in the Yu-Topia onsen, back arched, silver hair flowing, with one arm outstretched toward a very bewildered Yuuri Katsuki.“Yuuri! Hi!” OR The weirdly-canon-but-not-really Reverse AU.“ This is the only reverse AU that matters. Okay. Every other AU was weird in some way, but this one feels...accurate. To everyone. Also it doesn’t feel gross. So there’s that. Everyone feels true to themselves, and it’s “weirdly canon” like they said, so this fic really does feel like the most accurate version of this AU there could be. Everyone is so IC. It’s beautiful.

Rhapsody by FigureSgayts “He's been a star from the beginning. Both of his parents, Yakov, and all those around him, everybody who has seen him skate, knows it. Viktor, however, continues to see himself as nothing but a potential rising star. After all, he's only sixteen and is just making his senior debut. He can't be as good as everybody seems to be making him out to be, ignoring the small (large) collection of gold medals that he has. As such, all he wants to do is focus on improving and living up to the expectations thrown at him on and off the ice. However, only a few months before the start of his first senior Grand Prix series, a sharp blue smears itself right above his clavicle. Only in his dreams can it be bruise. The late appearance of a soulmark is enough to knock Viktor a little off balance mentally. This isn't to say that Viktor will reject his soulmate. In fact, he's willing to go above and beyond to do all he can for whoever they may be, but first, he's going to claw his way to the top. If everybody expects him to be a star, then so be it. He'll be the star that they want, and once he's at the top, nobody will be able to stop him from giving his all to whoever shares his mark. After all, he is Viktor Nikiforov.” It’s a soulmate AU. But it’s also a Viktor backstory fic. AKA it’s a fucking win win y’all. It has everything you could ever want probably. Warning though Viktor is kinda an oblivious dingus at times and you’ll want to just. argh. Viktor please. But listen it’s really good at super worth it okay.

The Coin, The Stone & The Rose by Silver_Scribbles “Crown Prince Viktor Nikiforov once had the world at his fingertips; he was rich and powerful and handsome, and he had everything his heart desired. Now, he is a Beast, imprisoned by an Enchantress' spell; hiding away from the world in the never-ending winter of his shame. Katsuki Yuuri is . . . odd, to say the least. Beautiful, but odd. While the rest of the villagers put one foot firmly in front of the other, Yuuri would rather loose himself to his dancing and his daydreams; always wishing for something more than his provincial life. Each is captive to circumstances beyond their control; trapped by unbreakable spells and impossible dreams. However, an unlikely meeting is about to change everything. Hope makes a final play for their salvation as the sands of time run out; but as Yuuri and Viktor learn to find themselves in one another, they also make discoveries that they're completely unprepared for . . . some wondrous, some wretched . . . and some treacherous enough to permanently tear them apart. For who could ever learn to love a Beast?“ Fuckin I don’t like beauty and the beast as like. a movie. And everyone who’s tried this AU up until this fic was doing it wrong with all the bad things about the movie. But this fic!!!! It takes the basic premise (a prince turned into a beast that can only be saved by true love) and keeps everyone in character. No fucking uncontrollable rage outbursts from Viktor. Everyone is just how they should be, and there’s none of the fucking Bad tropes that were in the original movie. It’s basically what the movie should have been. Basically.

This Conversation by RedTwice “Somewhere along his journey to share himself with the world, Yuuri finds himself travelling to Detroit to train with the world-renowned ice skating coach Celestino Cialdini. There’s just one small problem: Christophe Giacometti’s coach has retired earlier than anyone expected, leading the young skater to Celestino’s door as another full-time student. Yuuri slowly befriends Christophe as they train for the senior circuits together, and finds that this friendship is bringing out parts of himself he never expected to find, for better or worse. Or: Christophe joins Yuuri in Detroit from the beginning, and leads Yuuri down a six-year-long path of self-discovery.“ Do you want a fic where Chris and Yuuri are friends. Do you. Because. This is that fic. The viktuuri hasn’t happened yet but it will, but listen, if you also want that good friendship content. Read this. Read it. Just do it. Just. Read.

Trade Your Heroes For Ghosts by Naamah_Beherit “Having endured what was probably the worst day of his life followed by a night he does not remember, Yuuri wakes up with a hangover of the century and a desperate plea for the world to forget about his existence. Alas, the world has other plans. So does a certain Russian skater.“ Okay so like. Here’s a great canon divergence AU where Yuuri finds out immediately about the banquet. ANd it’s just. wonderful. it’s just great. Listen. Listen okay secretly all of you have wanted this. I know. I understand. But listen. It’s here okay. You can read it. It’s super good. It makes you feel good inside. All kinds of feelings. Don’t you like feelings? no probably not BUT THEY’RE GOOD FEELINGS.

And finally, everything by komagayda. (Yes Noa. It’s your turn). Everything he write is IC, and while they’re all “weird AUs” don’t we all need weird AUs? Yes. Yes we do. The workings of the worlds he’s built are so fascinating and fun, and the super accurate characterization just brings everything to life. It’s beautiful. ALso. mlm fics written by an actual mlm???? it’s more likely than you think. I couldn’t pick one fic like I did for cityboys because I’d feel like a fucking liar. And I didn’t want this to also be even longer with every single fic. So we’re just gonna do this all at once kids. It’s great. Noa is a great author. 100000000000/10. Get on reading his shit.

And there you go. Enjoy the good content. Your welcome.

#imaginepartybabyz #all these fics and authors are safe #there were other fics #but the others fics were by authors who don't always write like #tumblr pure content #and the like #and I don't feel like dealing with that backlash right now #if you want more I can give you those too #just #probably in private

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justasmallbloginabigklainefandom · 7 years

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The Great ATOG Reread; Grey part 3

Well shit, the liveblogging is back. Why? Because the next arc is brutal and I will probably have a lot to say.

Oh by the way, I revised my plan for their problems (for instance, I decided to stop using those hashtags), so:

Blaine

Sidekick and everything involved, aka why not me? Why does my fandom fuck up for me?

Longing for something ‘normal’ and kinda regretting some of his choices.

Being afraid of himself and of what he’s capable.

Kurt:

Losing grip of his powers.

Afraid Blaine won’t love him anymore because he doesn’t long for ‘normal’

Chapter 7

Time for probably one of the biggest arcs ever. Even later, they still talk about ‘the bank’ (the Ghost vs. Karofsky) and ‘the bridge’ (the Illiad).

A baby gets kidnapped and they want the Ghost to meet them.

He can imagine if it was the other way around, and he knows - he knows even as it sucks under his stomach like a tide going out, what the hell do they want with him . . . ? He knows that Phalanx has the harder task here. He knows that he has to be the braver one, because he has to let him go. He doesn't know how he could watch him walk off into this alone. He kisses his hand, and watches his eyes, and his entire face twists with it all before he hangs his head, eyes closing, and nods his defeat. The Ghost lets go of his hands to run his gloved fingers through his hair, to hug him around the shoulders and whisper to his forehead, "Very brave soldier."

How can people still pit them against each other? They mean so much to each other.

As can Kurt-in-private, ignoring closed doors in the apartment and plucking safety pins from his sewing jar without even opening it. Blaine casually makes a shield-shelf for resting hot baking trays on when moving things around in the oven and Kurt doesn't even open the cupboard door when he knows where the exact jar he needs is; their powers are just there, to them, like breath, and yet how the world wants to make them work for every gasp they're allowed. It can't be fair to be so little allowed to simply be what's natural to you, can it?

Aside from all the heavy shit that’s about to go down, this is actually really interesting. When it comes to superpower, it’s all about saving people, fighting criminals, and coping, but it’s also about domestic shit. This is part of them. They cannot imagine living without it. That’s probably why they both fucking panicked the moment they lost their powers or when they thought they had lost them.

Back to action, it’s so fucking sick that this is all done by a fucking kid who got bored and just decided to almost kill thee people FOR FUN.

- and after a half-second's confusion the Ghost's heart goes, so suddenly, so small and tight with fear. It's not about him. That man in Greek armour, they don't want him. They want Phalanx.

This is kind of new, because before people have always hurt Phalanx in order to get to the Ghost (HE GOT SHOT), but oh how the tables have turned.

Which leads to Blaine regretting problem 1.

They don't even care about him. They asked for the Ghost. They didn't want the sidekick. And through the terror and the agony of waiting and the bitterness so black like something burned inside him he can't even find it funny that he's basically thinking, Why didn't someone kidnap an innocent baby to get a chance to murder me instead?

Be careful what you wish for, sweetie, because they’re coming to get you. And yeah, you’re about to almost die. You get the more in depth thing of his problem. It is caused by, to no one’s surprise, the team, aka Psyche. Then, it got refuted by his own fandom, and the Ghost’s. Is he starting to resent ‘Ghostlanx’ for this? Well, fuck.

Blaine basically lives in the fandom, he knows what they can do.

"There's no need for that kind of language." The voice of the kid comes from a little distance - another garage out there, presumably underground and hidden again. "There's no place for homophobia in our institution. We're very modern criminals." The Ghost swallows, and says through his throat too dry, "Equal-opportunity sociopaths."

This is so weird? He’s so against homophobia, so he has some sense and a kind of conscience, but he still decides it’s fun to almost kill FOUR people for fun. (I’ve come to the conclusion that Achilles is a victim too).

Something in Phalanx's guts has just stopped burning with all his unspent, unspendable rage and has gone so, so, so cold. Like deep ocean ice, like heavy, leaden mercury. Something so cold and so awful, as he doesn't understand, and then, slowly, as (oh god no, no, no) he wishes that he didn't understand.

Your knowledge of Greek Mythology started as a joke. You never chose your name and costume, so you never had a reason to be invested. But here you are. You understand. And oh how you wish you didn’t.

"I don't know! I just know that - god damn it." He drags his hands through his hair. "They say video games are a bad influence on people, Jesus. That baby could get killed because of a two thousand year old poem." Finn says, "What?" Phalanx looks up at him, and feels very, very alone. "I don't - suppose - you've read the Iliad . . . ?"

I have, actually, because of this story.

Chapter 8

"Then quickly he reached his well-founded house But he didn't find white-armed Andromache in the halls . . ."

And so it begins.

The guy currently guarding him, remote in one hand and gun in the other, says like he's genuinely curious, "Is it part of the gay thing, being good with babies?" "I think it's part of the being a mature and intelligent human being thing," the Ghost says, keeping Hector tucked close to himself, trying to ignore that lethal cuff around his pudgy arm with its one small flashing green light, letting him know that the electricity's still stored up and ready for them. "I suppose you wouldn't know anything about any of those things."

Look at that, the Ghost has some of Kurt’s snark.

He understands what's been done to him. He's less than a hero, less than a human, he's been reduced to less than a name, even; he is chattel. There's nothing he can do while they've got the baby's life to hold over him. They want to kill Phalanx. The Ghost they'll just sell, he means nothing to them but a price tag, and someone else -

You can actually parallel this to Schuester’s shit. They look past their humanity. Callum looks past the humanity of his four victims. To him, they’re characters in his play and New York is his stage.

Well, you picked the wrong stage.

Callum is probably the evidence of bullying gone wrong. Whereas I still think he should die, he’s a boy who’s too intelligent for the people in his class, and he probably got bullied because of his intelligence.

Bullying in high school can fuck people up. Callum is an example, but so is the Ghost. Both of them are bitter. Both of them use large measures to cope. But whereas Callum lets his bitterness overtake him and wants to kill four people for FUN, the Ghost uses it to make sure no one has ever got to go through that.

He wants to beat him to death. If he survives that they'll shoot him.

This kid is planning on doing that or fun. Cause he’s an artist. Cause he’s ‘special’. He might’ve been once, but he no longer is anything important. I’m not like the Ghost or Phalanx. Sure, this kid is still human and shit, but he’s also nothing. I don’t have to care like the Ghost does.

Is this some kind of joke? Is this some kind of elaborate sick joke that's going to get them killed? Or is it - do they mean it? What if they think he means it? What if they're insane and they actually think he's an actual - an actual hoplite and all of this is just a way of getting to hi

Both. Callum thinks it’s all for FUN, but Parker actually thinks he’s Achilles.

But he's not the Ghost. That's been the problem all along. The Ghost knows himself, Kurt knows himself, and Blaine hasn't got a clue who he really is and if the only thing he can save the Ghost with is himself - how the hell does he know what he's worth, if he's capable of saving him, if he doesn't even know who he is?

Jesus Christ, Phalanx is on a rollercoaster of emotions, uh? First, it’s problem 1, now we’re at problem 3.

He’s not the Ghost. He’s capable of killing someone. He reminds himself that he’s almost killed someone once and wow, he admits to himself that he’s willing to kill. Now, he’s kind of high on emotions so he doesn’t care. He’s all like ‘fuck it I’m gonna kill a bitch’, but later, this will only make problem 3 bigger.

I guess the Ghost is also on a roll. The battle is about to start and Callum is still a psycho. He’s smart and he knows he ‘doesn’t have to do this’, which makes it more FUN for him. And because he knows that, he can undermine the Ghost’s attempts to help him.

He's cleared space around himself by flinging cars out of the way, Phalanx lands on clear road and the enormous man in bronze Greek armour, burning in the light of the rising sun, calls, "Hector of the shining -" Phalanx slams a shield into his head.

Seriously.

Phalanx is not fucking around.

Unfortunately, he is once again pushing himself to the limit. He’s very aware this is his first solo fight against a super, who’s also a monster. This Achilles is so strong, his shields can barely take it.

This terrifies him, because they’re his shields - his everything.

He stares at the fight, and his cloak flaps and flies in the wind. "You wanted me to watch," he says, and he's so tired, so spent, so helpless, he feels like he's already fallen. "This is what you wanted, isn't it? You wanted me to stand and watch him get beaten to death." "Just trying to make things interesting!" "You are a sick self-absorbed little boy who has no clue what he's doing." he whispers in a rush, and hikes Hector higher in his arm, tries to catch some of his rattling, unwieldy cloak around him to shield him from the blast. His voice chokes him. "You wanted me to watch -"

You know, they meet a lot of villians in this story, but there are a couple or so that I want dead. No kidding. I am against violence and death penalties and that shit, but sometimes, this becomes the ultimate solution. Not many people in this fic ‘deserve’ that solution.

Fuck, not even Schuester deserved that solution.

But Callum does.

Again, I’m not like them.

And shit son, Phalanx is going to die. AGAIN. The how maniest time is this. Why does Phalanx always find himself in these situations. The press is here. The cops are here. But Phalanx is going to die. His shields aren’t working, he has nothing less.

As a reader, you know he won’t die.

But then again, Phalanx doesn’t know that and the fear is real.

The Ghost lowers his head, blinks and blinks to try to clear his eyes of the tears, looks down at the walkway they're standing on, the curve of the metal under his boots, the ridge where the huge tubes of metal are fixed together, held by - His breathing is still hurting him, but it's beginning to slow. . . . held by bolts so enormous that their heads are as thick as a baby's arm. There's no time to think, no time to question, no time to second-guess anything; he's invisible and dropping backwards, ghosting through the walkway, holding Hector's arm out as the baby yelps in shock, only one chance to get this right -

The Ghost isn’t a physical fighter like Phalanx. The Ghost thinks things through.

And for the first time ever, the Ghost killed someone. And I am very satisfied with the fact that he did.

Twenty seconds, Phalanx had thought; the Ghost drops him in ten.

It’s over.

Oh God.

You just want to cry from relief, cause it is finally over. Hector is back to his parents (in a, uh, non-conventional way), Phalanx’s face is open and bruised, but he lives, Mike’s already waiting for him, Finn survived the bullet... it’s over.

But it’s not.

While Mike cleans up Blaine's bruises and cuts Kurt stands in the shower and cries, not because he just watched Blaine almost die because of him, not because he never meant for that boy to get electrocuted and fall, not because a baby could have died in his arms, not because that woman screamed at him that it was all his fault; he cries because when he reached for the shower gel his hand went right through it. He holds his hand in the other, fingers gripping it hard while it pretends innocence, pretends that solidity is nothing unusual to it, and he cries, and tells himself that he's just too tired, he's just too tired. There's Blaine to worry about. There's Blaine. He has to think about Blaine. Put your head up and let the water wash it all away. This time his fingers do close on the bottle, even if they are still shaking.

#lb 2017 #atog grey #the great atog reread #lb reading

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