#Tiff’s was kind of hard because of her dress but I figured it out | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

demwhore · 4 years

Text

Rocketeer (N.YT)

Pairing: Jaeger Pilot! Yuta & Female Reader

featuring some nct and wayv members

Jaeger! au | Pacific Rim! au

Description: It takes high courage to ride a Jaeger and to kill a Kaiju.

Or: Yuta deadpanned, “I’m a fucking Jaeger pilot. That is something I should boast about.”

words ➙ 15k

genre ➙ sci-fi, angst, romance, action, fantasy, smut

warnings ➙ major character death, graphic description of monsters, physical violence, language, scenes of making out, smut

A/N ➙ I am deeply inspired by the movie, Pacific Rim. However, i made some changes in the plot. This was rushed, im sorry. This wasn’t proofread, I apologize for some grammatical errors. This took me a while to write but it was worth it. Happy Reading! Kindly reblog and like! <3

P.S ➙ I edited the fic poster using photoshop cs4 and polarr. All credits (pictures used) belong to the perspective owners (sm entertainment & the creators of Pacific Rim) that edit took me ages (please credit me if you wanted to repost the edit, don’t let my efforts go to waste D:) I also created the moodboard (in the teaser), all pictures used are from pinterest. I had to cry blood while editing oml lol, however it was enjoyable and im drooling for yuta pls claim me

Playlist ➙ rocketeer by far east movement, surrender by cash cash, i’m feeling good by michael bublé, pacific rim by ramin djawadi & tom morello

Tags ➙ @shinseobs [hi tiff, ily so much!], @insomni-writing [hi somni, thank you for proofreading the draft, ur the best!], @jaehyunspaghetti [hi bby, i hope u are doing well!], @neocultvretechs [hi my lovely kai, i hope u enjoy my little yuta fic offering to u], @milkinqjungs [love u], @jaextapose [ruth ur the best ;)], and all the yuta stans out there!

Kaiju ( 怪獣, かいじゅう, kaijū) Strange, Giant Beast.

Jaeger (yāɡər, German) Hunter.

“Is this a gift for winning against the Kaijus?”

Yuta murmured, “Ask me to fuck you, and I’ll glady do it.”

You whispered back, “Then do it.”

He responded well; responded to a need he could no longer control. He was driven by lust, passion and determination. Yuta crashed his lips onto yours. Your lips parted on a quiet moan; your hands busy hovering over your boyfriend's body. Instantly, you cling onto him, having his body as your support. Both of your mouths; busy, wild, willing, driven with so much anticipation. Breaths ragged. Darkened eyes. Yuta pressed his body onto you more, you felt giddy; his erection throbbing against your core. Your body vibrated against his; similar with a string plucked with so much force; like a plucked harp. His heart pounded hard against his chest, his hands exploring your body; every curve of you that drives him insane in his room at the Underbase. Your hollows that tormented him. You alone, made him drive to insanity, and he’s living for it. Every cell in your body screamed for only Nakamoto Yuta, your core ached for him, and him alone. Every need Yuta felt was only for you. Only you.

“I missed you.” You whispered the moment he left your mouth to dive into your exposed shoulders. Kissing your clavicles, leaving purple marks every suck he took. Yuta didn’t stop as he marked every exposed column of your throat. You tugged at his dirty blonde locks. Your breast rose and fell against his needy touches. “I missed you so much.”

Being a Jaeger pilot means sacrifice. Being deployed to far bases, away from each other. Fighting off Kaijus as if it’s the end of the fucking world. And the constant feel of fear never leaving both of your systems. Questions running through both of your minds, will you still see Yuta after a mission? Will he still see you? Will both of you survive? The world you both live in is so complicated to the extent; complex. Both of you always believed that the world is as alive as the inhabitants were. There is life everytime you look up at the skies. The celestial body is as alive as humans are. It was really fascinating. That is what both you and Yuta thought when you were both highschoolers; turns out the world has made a whole one-hundred and eighty turn; both of you were looking in the wrong direction. There was no life above but beneath. When alien life dominated the Earth it originated deep down the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Their entryway came from the fissure of the two tectonic plates; Pacific and Southern Plate. A made portal from hell to Earth. The Breach.

Yuta breathed and looked at your eyes. Those tantalizing eyes that never failed to make Yuta in awe. He had seen how those eyes morphed into different emotions. Lust, fear, love, sadness and Yuta loved it, so much. Yuta could still remember the first landing of the Kaiju at his hometown, Osaka. He held your hands, and ran as far as he could bringing you out of the chaos you were in.

He was vulnerable that time, young, not older than fifteen. He heard how loud the roars resonated from the giant beast. He saw how every infrastructure, made meticulously by humans, crumpled under one swing of the Kaiju. Yuta heard every alarm wail around his neighborhood, every shattered glass, every startled cry, including yours. That is the time Yuta swore, to fight off to the last of his breath, to protect you because he loved you so much. You don’t deserve any of this fucking mess.

Your skin was flushed, your eyes slumberous, as you slid down your hands to cup his face. “When I was there, fighting, all I could think was you. And all I know is, I love you so much.” Your words touched him, he had his hands framing your cheeks. He smiled, “I will kill every Kaiju so they won’t block my way into you. I’ll fight for you, my love, for us.” You raised a trembling finger, “I want to be alone with you. I will be deployed again tomorrow in Hong Kong. Make me yours tonight, Yuta.”

“That’s far, I’ll be staying here. But your plan is what I can’t argue with.” Your head was spinning, vision blurred into daze. Yuta looked at you as if you were a shimmering glass of cool water and he cannot control himself but to indulge you, as he was a man with a desperate thirst. You approached his face again but you dodged his lip, he grew impatient at your actions. You nibbled his right lobe and his familiar musky scent filled your senses. That scent that you always miss to smell every time you are on a mission. It made your heart thud. Nakamoto Yuta could drive you mad. “We are in the corridor of our base. I don’t want the marshal seeing us fuck here. Which room is closest?”

Yuta breathed out, “Mine.”

“Do you perhaps know an elevator that is barely used? I can’t let people see me in this kind of state.”

Yuta kissed you again, nibbling your lips. You elicited a quiet moan. “Trust me, people are almost asleep at this hour.” He linked his fingers onto yours and dragged you towards the elevator. The lift gave a sudden jolt. You turned around to capture Yuta’s swollen lips. Murmuring, “I want to feel you.” You scrambled and yanked away his tie, undo-ing his shirt, the buttons shoved aside the stanched material. A hum of pleasure surged on Yuta’s throat while you explored his chest; savoring the power of sinew and muscle underneath. You used a fingertip to trace his nipple, then your mouth replaced your fingertips in an instant. Yuta gasped and whispered incoherent cusses. His body lurched, beneath your plump lips you could feel his heart jolt at your sudden actions. Yuta groaned, he looked at you with half-hooded eyes, “You’ll be the death of me, (Y/N).”

You didn’t answer him, instead you tugged into his nipple using your teeth. “Fuck, (Y/N).”

The elevator halted. Yuta immediately scooped you around his torso. He squeezed your ass, making you yelp in surprise. His mouth took yours, initiated a dazzling, dizzying kiss. Your blood heated against his touch, it was hot like a burning flash against your skin, roaring through your core. One moment you felt a wall behind you, and Yuta trapped you and captured your lips once again. He sighed, then growled, “I want you naked.”

“Open your room, mister.” He assisted you down and approached his doors. He held the keys with a shaky hand. With a lot of effort he shoved the door wide and yanked your arm. The door shut with a loud thud. Yuta pushed your figure towards the door. He shoved your shirt out from your shoulders, down your arms. For thrilling moments, Yuta’s dark look made your core throb with so much anticipation. The need raged, clawed inside her systems like a resident virus as his teeth seared off your exposed chest. Yuta wrapped your ponytail into his hands, then arched it towards the left to devour onto your exposed, now marked throat. You were a moaning mess, eyes shut at the delicious feeling Yuta is making you feel. He then neglected your throat, then claimed your lips once again. The vague sense of warmth enclosing both of your bodies. Your top is completely removed leaving you in your tank top and bra. Yuta was still completely dressed. Both of you staggered as you tried to push him away to undress him. He shoved you again to the nearest wall, his pounding erection making you cry out, you want him, badly. You thrusted against his bulge. Yuta’s breath hitched, following a harsh rasp through his lips. He caught your face, eyes dark as midnight, he stared down at you, “You want this?”

“Yes. Fuck me all you want, Yuta.”

On a vicious oath, he yanked your tank top. With an expert flick of his fingers, he unhooked you bra and yanked it off. Yuta’s hand is now at your waist, tight, he lifted you off your feet to take your breast into his mouth. The air around you thickened. Your breath snagged, in both of your lungs, as you arched back giving him more access, your fingers gliding down his shoulder blades. Yuta’s mouth fed sucked, his teeth scraping erotically on your tensed, aching, budded nipple, You whimpered against the wall, the mixture of pain and pleasure taking a toll on you, you were desperately calling out for his name, your pussy pounding, panties soaked.

“Oh, god, Yuta. I can’t.”

“You can.” He lowered downwards. Your stomach, then your navel. He let go of your waist then he kneeled. Unbuckling your jeans and sliding it down in a tormenting manner. He then, twirled the lace of your panties, a playful smile tugging at his lips. “That’s it, be wet for me.” He pulled down the fabric down to your ankles, your eyes shutting at his touches. He parted your legs, then slid a slim finger onto your folds. You gasped. “Oh fuck.”

“Can you lie down?”

“On the floor?”

“I’m impatient.”

Yuta is shining, with sweat with the lamp light above both of you. You immediately lay down, the floor was cold. The sudden cold contact making you hiss, but you couldn’t care less. Yuta teasingly rubbed your labia, in a tortuous slow pace. Yuta gave a triumphant smile. He felt a sense of pride making you mewl onto the floor because of his touches. You shutted your eyes, moaning at the contact. His slim fingers going in slow directions; up and down. It was smooth with your juices oozing out. You couldn't bear with his teaching, you grabbed his wrist to push it into your core further. “Woah, woah, excited?”

“I hate you.”

He rubbed your clitoris; in a slow, sensual, circular manner and it made you gasp for air. You were now a moaning mess. Your eyes screw shut, your mind went haywire; black; full of desire and all you could think was Yuta’s fingers; torturing you erotically. It felt heavenly. After your clit, he dragged his fingers downwards, his other hand spreading your legs more apart. He slides in two fingers with ease, dragging your walls. Your hands clenched. Yuta dragged your arousal into his fingers. Then left you there, hanging, waiting for more. You peeked up, brows furrowed, but the sight in front of you was a masterpiece. Yuta looked like someone who was crafted by Michael Angelo; he knelt there, he looked ethereal; golden, in the yellow hue of his lamp, his slim fingers glistening with your juices, eyes locked into yours; dark as the midnight, full of lust. He licked his fingers and slid it all into his mouth. The flash of passion, the fury of need that darkened his eyes, filled with a sense of decadent power, as you laid there, all ready for him. Time and place was a virtue, but all you wanted was to spend your nights with him, only him.

“You really want to fuck me here? You’ve got a damn bed, Yuta.”

“Later.” The sight before him was something so lovely and intricate. The need you felt for him was primitive, overwhelming. You scrambled out from your position and one moment Yuta felt your greedy hands unbuckling his belt and unhooking his pants. He watched you in amusement, he didn’t complain, more; let you do your own will. You never moved so fast in your life, you undressed him so fast, it even surprised you. Yuta dragged you down onto the floor again, the coolness of the tiles against her back made her register to her dazed mind. Yuta leaned over. His mouth feasting over your flesh, greedy hands roaming and racing around your quivering body in a ruthless manner. Heat pumped into both of your systems. You felt yourself going warm, soft, melting into his touch. Becoming one. Your mouths connected once again. Hot and greedy. Salivas connecting. You nipped onto his lips, chest. Fingers grazing and digging into the hard ridge of his shoulders. Both of you couldn’t get enough of each other; savouring pore by pore. He palmed you, again. You gasped at the sudden touch, it sent shivers to your spine. His fingers went down to your core, moving against your heat, relentlessly building you up, the drive, the need for release clawing viciously.

“Look at me, (Y/N).” His hair is mopped overhead. Damped, but still beautiful as it is. “I love you.” The shadows around you seemed to shift while your fingers stroked. His fingers are still busy devouring your core. Sensation slid after sensation, building inside you, in trembling, shuddering layers, then exploded. Your vision blurred; a half sob tore from your lips. Strength gone, you lay there motionless, air around is thick with ragged breaths and sex. Your heartbeat stumbled. Yuta caressed his shaft, then the head; red, oozing with pre-cum.

“You’ll hate me more.” Yuta grinned as he slammed his throbbing cock onto you. A sob of pure, overwhelming pleasure eased up your throat. You heard both of your flesh clicking with every move Yuta made. The air smelt of sex. Dark. Your body opened and joined with his. Arching, you meet his heavy thrusts lifting your hips after his attacks, moving in a desperate manner, urging him on “Shit, you feel so good.” In that fleeting moment, in the deep night. You understood, there will be no other man in your mind, only the man in front of you, deep, thrusting, Yuta was only the one. The one.

Underbase. South Korea

Yuta sat alone. He stared at your sleeping figure on his bed. The marks lingered on your neck like wild berries. He felt his arms shake uncontrollably. He stood up in his black boxers; and approached the medication box just inside his drawers. He searched for the familiar capsule. Chloroquine. His breathing steadied, and found the strength to look at your figure again. His subconscious is having an internal battle with his heart. He drank his medication and went to the bed with you. Your skin glowed like warm honey. Yuta whispered in, “I will stop loving you until the last rose dies.”

Yuta and you have been in ups and downs. Of which included; surviving the Kaiju attacks.

Yuta could still remember that devastating day. Indistinct radio chatters. Government jets. Explosions. Roars. Chaos. By the time the Kaiju was taken down by tanks and jets, exactly seven days and 40 miles later, three cities were already destroyed. Tokyo, Kyoto, and his hometown, Osaka. Thousands of lives were lost, including those of his beloved parents. The city mourned for the lost souls, memorialized the ones who died because of the giant beast, and the people slowly moved on. Three months later, there was another attack. Taiwan. The beast shattered Taipei. People clamoring, people killed, the toxic blood of the beast painting the streets a vibrant blue. Then, another attack hit Los Angeles, the same destruction happening, the same trauma. Again, it was stopped. Then and there, the people learned and realized. The attacks wouldn’t be stopping anytime soon. Everything that happened was just the beginning. The calm before the storm. There was something waiting out there, something more grotesque, more destructive.

There both of you entered the dangerous world of being a Jaeger pilot.

The nation had been reborn, and set an alliance in order to be better prepared in case of another upcoming Kaiju attack. Resources were clamped together to build an indestructible weapon against the Kaijus. For the sake of the innocent lives, for the sake of their own sanity and peace. The people created their own version of the Kaiju. The Jaeger program was created. At first, there were a series of malfunctions and setbacks. A single pilot couldn’t withstand the neural load to catch up and interface with a Jaeger, the strain so powerful that it could cause intracranial nerve damage. And so, the two-pilot system was proposed. The left pilot for the left hemisphere and the right pilot for the right hemisphere.

With the Jaeger, the people started winning, soon being able to stop attacks of the Kaijus everywhere. Then came the propaganda. Kaiju and Jaeger toys. The Jaeger pilots became celebrities. Everything was going smoothly, all success falling into the people’s palm.

Then, it all changed.

“Alert Gipsy Danger. Kaiju movement spotted at Bay 10. Code name. Kaiju Sharp Snout. Category 3. 9,000 metric tons.”

Yuta scrambled immediately out of his bunk bed. He whispered and shook your figure lightly, “I need to go, I love you.” You groaned in response. He made a sudden jump and knocked at the door of his younger co-pilot, Mark, aggressively.

Mark’s door is slightly ajar. Yuta made himself in, further waking up the younger boy. “Wake up, Canada Boy. There’s Kaiju movement at the breach,” He slapped the bed of Mark’s lightly, “We are deployed to baby Mark-03.” He said in reference to the nuclear powered Jaeger. The machine they were piloting, Gipsy Danger, was Yuta and Mark's pride and joy. Mark opened the door to his room and Yuta moved in his room, and approached his cabinet and put on a grey t-shirt.

Mark groaned, “Not a good morning to you.”

Yuta smirked, “It’s a good morning to kick some Kaiju ass. Road to seven wins.”

Mark wiped his eyes, “What time is it?”

“Two.”

Mark made a face, “In the morning?”

Yuta grinned while fixing his cross necklace, “Yep.”

“Why are you so pumped up all of a sudden?”

Mark glanced behind Yuta’s shoulder and saw your sleeping figure on his bed. Their rooms were just interconnected with a single door as a barrier. He gave the older pilot a smirk. Mark’s unanswered questions are answered; Yuta was the sole reason of the sudden moaning at twelve fucking midnight.

“What category is it?”

“Three, the biggest one, yet.”

Mark narrowed his eyes, “Code name?”

“Sharp Snout.”

Yuta approached the younger boy and made a playful fist bump with him. “It’s superhero time.”

Mark gave him a toothy grin. A knock disrupted the two from the main door of their rooms. A male voice grunted from the other side of the steel door.

“Hey, Handsomes, time for the drop.”

Mark made his way to the bathroom, “Who gave them that code name?”

“Me.”

Mark gave Yuta a questionable look, “Handsome? Really?” then grinned afterwards. “Don’t get a big head, hyung. Also, tell (Y/N) I said hi after our mission.”

By the time Yuta and Mark were preparing for their mission, you were still asleep. The boots of the two young bachelors clinked towards the steel platform. Yuta and Mark met when there was a Jaeger Pilot sign up in Japan. Yuta and Mark had a similar childhood experience, having lost their families because of the Kaiju Attack. They weren’t the stars among their classes, never have been selected for an urgent attack. However, there was one thing that made the two exceptional among all the Jaeger pilots; they were drift compatible. They had a strong bond which made their fights more successful. The drift compatibility was, in essence, two completely different systems conjoined together to create an enormous battle defense against an intruder. Finding a drifting partner was like searching for your other half, your other soul. Yuta didn’t want to have you as his co-pilot; he gets distracted by your beauty easily.

Yuta and Mark arrived at the drop facility. The workers assisted the two in wearing their titanium metal suit, tools whirring, a metal spinal cord attached to their back. The two pilots gave each other playful glances. They wore matching white helmets, a yellow liquid dispersing downwards.

“Data on Helmet. Data relay gel dispersing on circuit plots.”

The machine gave a low hum. The lights flicked on, the others following. The heavy secured door opened with a loud hiss. Yuta and Mark entered, each stride followed by a clank. The attachment metal descended, a loud swish coming from its origin. It looked like a harness, but there was no attachment on the pilot’s torso; the metal straps are only connected to the arms and foot. Yuta and Mark placed both of their feet on the pedal platform, then the equipment wrapped around their soles and ankles, securing both of them tightly. It gave an impression as if they are flying mid-air, the security straps hidden behind their lavish suits. The staff whirred the screw onto their backs, the driller machine turning the screw aggressively. Another metal, similar to a handcuff automatically attached on the boy’s wrists, clicking after each wrist. Then a circular device was connected to their palms, a light emitting from its center. A circular plot on Mark’s right palm and another on Yuta’s left palm.

A voice came out from the p.a system.

“Good morning, handsome boys.”

Yuta grinned and pressed the overhead controller, “Taeil, what’s up, my man?”

Taeil chuckled, “Mightier than ever. Won an algebra quiz.”

Yuta pressed the button again, “Having a sexy brain makes you so attractive, brother.”

Mark pressed in his buttons calling out to Taeil, “How was the date? Did you score?” Then the two laughed boisterously.

Taeil smirked from his station and levelled the mic onto his plump lips, “She loved me, that’s a giveaway, however, someone was barking. I will leave it to you guys to imagine what exactly that was.” Taeil went on a blind date, however, it didn’t go as well as he’d planned. The girl’s father didn’t fancy him at all.

Yuta groaned, “That must’ve hurt your ego, man.”

Taeil clicked his tongue, “Have established my ego and pride for several years. That one was chicken.”

Marshal Lau entered in his navy suit, “Engage the drop, Mr. Moon.”

Taeil’s body jerked up in surprise and he cleared his throat, “Engaging drop, Sir.” The hologram flashed in front of Taeil's face as he typed down the keyboard, vigorously. A bracelet lingered on his wrist. He spoke towards his mic again, “Marshal Lau on deck.” He pushed the button on his console, then jutted the controller similar to a joystick in an upward direction, “Securing conn pad, then, we are ready to drop.”

The staff from the conn pad attached the steel with the shape of a bowtie. The steel conjoined with a loud hiss.

“Conn pad attached, Sir Taeil. Back door secured.”

Yuta and Mark pressed the p.a button, “Ready for the drop.”

Yuta voiced out, “Gipsy Danger ready for the big drop.”

From a distance, the place Yuta and Mark are in, is actually a robot head. It was gigantic, it had a black exterior, the eyes that looked similar to a windshield, are colored a bright yellow. The air around it swooshed, steam coming out of the pipes. Then, the robot head dropped in an instant. The two pilot’s stomach churned as the head plunged from a high altitude.

Yuta hissed, “Here comes the roller coaster ride.”

Mark answered back, “Never was my favorite.”

Gipsy Danger’s head attached on its enormous torso. The two groaned at the impact of the drop, but recollected immediately. The head descended and locked onto its open neck. The head tilted towards the right, and a series of chains connected to each other.

“Connection complete, Sir.”

“Engage the pilot-to-pilot protocol now.”

Taeil typed in again, “Engaging pilot-to-pilot program in three, two, one,” he clicked a button, “Now.”

An AI voice sounded from the speakers, “Pilot-to-pilot sequence, protocol engaging.”

Gipsy Danger’s neck continued to move, securing all the heavy duty alloy into their places. The gaps from the neck closed in an instant. The enormous robot’s center core illuminated a high glow of red, the internal part turning in a fast, clockwise direction. The tower cranes moved away. The platform beneath the Jaeger’s feet moved slowly. The marshallers waved their luminous sticks guiding the moving vehicle with care. The doors of the base opened; violent waves flashed the bottom and strong winds blew into the base.

“Gipsy Launch. Bay nine.”

Mighty gales. Rain. Thunder Strikes. Gipsy stood out despite the storm eating in. Several lights luminated from the robot; the topmost head, chest, legs, the forearms. There were indistinct radio chatters heard, and the helicopters flew against the tempest. The moving platform dropped slowly into the water, creating a huge wave from the impact.

Taeil pressed several other buttons from the overhead console. “Gipsy Danger, ready and aligned, Sir.”

Marshal law leaned onto the microphone, “Rangers, this is Marshal Lau. Prepare for the neural handshake.”

Taeil moved again. His fingers grazing the buttons, the hologram screen illuminated robot parts and the brain; both left and right hemisphere shown. “Initiating neural handshake in fifteen seconds.” Taeil started counting downwards while typing vigorously, making sure the programs are set well. An image of the brain turned against the screen, “Ten.”

Marshal Lau observed the holographic screen, then took a peek at his watch. It was past three already.

“Eight.”

From the Gipsy, Mark pressed some buttons, then looked at Yuta. “I really can’t hide my secrets from you.”

Yuta tsk-ed, shaking his head, “Do the honor of stepping into my brain first.”

“Pilot-to-pilot sequence, protocol engaging. Neural handshake initiated.”

Mark and Yuta stood there, and closed both of their eyes. Both of the pilot’s visions looked like a big whirlpool; making them remember the significant memories of their past, then a blackout, then another memory. Each could read and see the latter’s memory. This was called the Drift. Jaeger Technology. Based on the fighter program neural systems. The two pilots mind-meld each other’s memories with the body of the giant machine. The deeper the bond shared between the two pilots, the stronger they fight.

A gigantic loading screen flashed on Taeil’s screen. “Neural handshake complete. Strong and deep.”

Marshal Lau stood behind him, staring deeply.

Yuta raised his left palm, the circular device illuminated. “Left hemisphere calibrating.”

Mark did the same, raising his right, the device glowed after his movements, “Right hemisphere calibrating.”

Both of the pilots moved simultaneously, raising one arm after another and throwing a punch. The gigantic machine followed the action of the two; lifting its gigantic arms then flexing them afterwards. The control and movement originated from its main base, the head from the two pilots engaged.

The female AI voiced out, “Calibration completed.”

Marshal Lau breathed then spoke, “Gentlemen, your orders are to hold and block Kaiju from entering Manila's waters. Copy?”

Yuta answered, “Copy, Marshal.”

Mark spoke, pressing the button from his overhead controller, “Sir, there is movement on the west coast. A fishing vessel--”

“Rangers, we are not risking millions of lives for a vessel that contains twenty. Orders are orders, understood?”

The two rangers answered at once, “Yes, Sir.”

Yuta pressed the button to cancel the message transmitting from the base. He gave Mark a stern gaze.

Mark gulped, “Is he serious?”

Yuta gave him a determined look, “Mark, you know what I have in mind?”

Mark’s lips pressed into a thin line, “Our minds are connected, I’m basically in there.”

Yuta grinned, “I know. Let’s go for some fish.”

Mark gave a lopsided smile, “Then, here we go!”

The two pilots made a step. The left then lifted their rights. It took great effort to take a stride with the machine. The two pilots were suspended mid-air; starting from their feet, there was an enormous chain turning into a clockwise direction from every movement made by the rangers. The Jaeger took big strides along the waters. The machine stood about two-hundred fifty feet; complex, weaponry used as defense for the alien life domination. Gipsy Danger walked in the waters as if not fazed by the violent thunders and winds blowing its enormous metal body. There are phenomena that are impossible to fight with; hurricanes, rain, thunderstorms— all acts of God. However, when you are in a Jaeger, everything impossible could be made possible. Being in a Jaeger meant, winning, defending everything coming at your way.

Shores of Manila

From the mile anchorage. The fishing vessel was wiped by the aggressive waters of the peninsula. The boat swayed carelessly along the violent waves, heavy currents hit the hull of the water vessel, splashing water everywhere its bow. The fishermen yelled instinctively while chaining their equipment to the post. Slipping on the deck, panicking and helpless. They were soaked while they ran around the open cabin to secure every paraphernalia in place; their yellow raincoat stood out in the dark storm, the wind tackling them out of their posture. A man in his mid-forties; with an Indian descent, trotted inside the cockpit. Another man, an African-American, controlled the helm, whirring it towards the right. The radar beeped loudly. The windshield wipers were busy; vigorously wiping the windows, left and right.

The man in his forties yelled out of his lungs, “How long is the port from Manila?!”

The man behind the wheel answered, speaking on top of his lungs, “Ten miles, Sir!”

An old man, from the right of the driver; wearing a beanie, roared while staring at the radar, “We’ll be dead by the time we reach Manila!”

The storm makes it hard for them to communicate; the only thing that is effective is through shouting on top of their lungs in attempts to hear each other, while the wind is aggressively slapping the vessel from left to right. The Indian shouted back, pointing at the radar. A green light blinked after his taps, “What about that island by the east? Two miles?!”

The American answered him, “It’s a mile, Sir!” He yanked the wheel again, stirring towards the East direction, “The island is getting closer!”

The old man in a beanie cried out, “How the hell is the island getting closer?! We ain’t even accelerating forward!”

The Indian caught his tongue, and stared intently ahead. The radar was beeping rapidly. The waves splashed and an enormous black rock came into a view. The island. The American shouted, his tone hinting victory “The island!”

The Indian shook his head, “It’s no island. Kaiju.”

The enormous monster swam across the waters. Its back was hunched, rising up and down from the waters.The Kaiju gave a low growl, its feet dragging heavily along the floors of the ocean. It was massive and its scales luminated a cerulean blue. This beast was neither lithe, nor blessed with grace. Its beady eyes glinted a deep black; upright soulless and evil. Underneath the drone of the rain there came another sound. At first it was quite indistinct, but as it drew closer to the vessel where the fishermen huddled, it became louder. A deafening growl that was bone-shrieking. The Kaiju swam fast, approaching the vessel in an instant.

The man in his forties cried, panic surging up his systems. “Fucking hell! Turn the vessel around!”

The Kaiju stood up. Standing about hundreds of feet. Yellow lines lingered around its back. A blue illuminating its sharp nose. Its giant claws raised, about to ponder the vessel to pieces. Luckily, the vessel had swerved to the right, missing the blow of the monster. The Kaiju roared loud as the thunder struck from the skies. Its gigantic mouth had illuminated a warm blue glow; its tongue raveling out. A string of curses unraveled from the fishermen’s tongue, like yarn unfurling, as the Kaiju advanced. It's golden and blue scales shimmered with hot anger along with it's dark, cold, greyish eyes. Every step it took rattled their bones, struck their hearts, and shook the waters. The Kaiju stared down at the vessel, its beady eyes hungry, angry, dangerous. The men from the deck cried in agony and panic, “Oh God!”

Another one yelled, “What the hell?” As several splashes of water sprayed them from the deck. Gipsy Danger rose up from the waters, its light blinding the people from the vessel with an electronic buzzing. The center core of the enormous machine glowed a fiery red, turning in a steady, fast, circular direction. The Jaeger’s large right hand grabbed the vessel from its bottom. The fishermen ducked their heads; figures crouched on the deck, trembling in terror. The vessel rose up in the air, in the palm of the gigantic robot. The fishermen yelled.

A female robotic voice boomed from the pilot’s control center. “Fishing vessel secured.”

From Mark’s circular plot; a holographic image of the vessel was shown. “Adjust the torque!”

Yuta nodded and pressed the buttons from the overhead consoles, “Alright!”

“Torque secured.”

The Jaeger kneeled on its one foot and pivoted its body towards left, the right arms extended forward, releasing the vessel on the other part of the ocean; away from the roaring Kaiju. The Jaeger turned around and the two pilots quickly threw a right punch aiming towards its jaw. The Kaiju had a loud howl as it staggered backward, falling into the waters. The Kaiju quickly stood up in an attempt to attack the Jaeger, however, the machine had already mustered another blow, coming from the left arm. Smashing the creature's chest, Yuta and Mark both groaned while they raised both of their arms up in the air; fist closed to pound on the flat part of its sharp snout. The Kaiju’s head dropped into the waters; its mouth lighted up a sharp color of blue as it exhaled underneath the surface of the sea. It rose up again, and let out an angry shriek, advancing towards the Jaeger and smashing itself towards its torso. Yuta raised his left arm in defense, but the Kaiju was too fast, ripping some of the parts of the Jaegers arm. The pilots staggered on their places; the system beeping rapidly, they both shouted.

“Hyung! I’ll aim the missile! Hold the demon to its place!”

Yuta held its body; holding the sharp snout in place; the Kaiju protested against the stronghold of the machine. Gipsy Danger’s right arm transformed into a missile launcher; a circular beam ready to be launched. “Get it!”

The missile was launched. Three shots. They smashed right against the chest of the Kaiju. The monster gave a loud screech and fell from its back. The waters gave a loud splash after the downfall of the Kaiju.

From the base, Taeil read the beeping lights from his holographic scene. “Discharge reading, Sir. Plasma cannon released in the peninsula ten miles of Manila.”

Marshal Lau pressed in the p.a system, “Rangers, what the fuck just happened?”

Yuta smirked and pressed onto the p.a button from the overhead console to answer back, “Kaiju down, Sir. That makes that our seven.”

Marshal law yelled through the microphone, “You disobeyed a direct order! The plan is to avoid the Kaiju from entering the waters of Manila!”

Mark answered back, “We did, Sir! We released a launch and saved the vessel from being crumpled!”

Marshal Lau’s nostrils flared up, “Go back to the base, Now!”

The rangers grinned at each other. They had made the Marshal annoyed, again. Yuta pressed the button, “Okie dokie, Sir.” He pressed the button again, to cancel the p.a message transmitting to the base.

Taeil cried out loud, “Kaiju signature sending. I repeat, the Kaiju is still alive!”

Marshal Lau pressed the microphone again, yelling, “Rangers! The thing survived! Grab the vessel and return to your post now!”

Gipsy stood there in the waters, the two pilots frantically searching for the Kaiju. The waters glowed with the Kaiju’s blood; the ocean colored a fascinating shade of cerulean blue; despite its aesthetic appearance, it was highly toxic. The Marshal’s voice boomed into their p.a systems, “Gipsy, get out of there now!”

Gipsy lingered right, then left. It was still and quiet. Only the violent blowing of the winds were heard. Then, suddenly the creature attacked, taking the pilots in surprise. The Kaiju roared angrily and clawed at the machine. Gipsy held in the Kaiju’s mouth, controlling its attempt to eat out the machinery. Mark and Yuta grunted, as they swayed back and forth from the Kaiju’s impact.

Yuta yelled, “I got this!” He swung his arm, the machine’s fist shifting into a missile launcher. He then made an attack, taking a movement from below. The Kaiju swatted the arm then lashed with its sharp snout onto its shoulders, clawing the arm away from the source. Yuta screamed loud in pain as he held his left arm. The radar from Gipsy’s head beeped rapidly, the screen blinking a bold text of ‘Alert’.

Mark yelled through the mic, “Taeil hyung, we’ve been attacked!”

Taeil from the base, typed in. Gipsy’s figure flashing on his screen. He turned towards the Marshal, “Left arm, gone, Sir.”

Gipsy’s arm was clawed out by the Kaiju. With another attempt, the monster chomped on the arm, ripped it away and threw it towards the ocean. The Kaiju went mad; berserk; screeching as it violently attacked the Jaeger. Its right claw lashed onto the Jaeger’s head; where both pilots were stationed. The glass shattered as the Kaiju roared. Mark and Yuta swayed, ragged breath leaving their lips. The Kaiju have gone through the hull. It clawed up and managed to destroy the right side of the Jaeger’s head. Opening from Mark’s side.

Mark threw a panicked look towards Yuta, “Hyung, listen! You have to--”

Mark shouted loudly. Desperate, full of panic. He was so helpless. Mark wasn’t even able to finish his sentences as the Kaiju snatched his figure apart from the metal supporting him, his body flying away. Yuta cried out loud, “NO!”

From the hull, Mark’s spot was now empty, replaced with electricity and fires. Yuta screamed in agony, “NO!” He grunted as he was electrified. The computers were beeping rapidly. Red Alert. Alarms wailing. Yuta bit down his lips as he tried to raise his injured arm, transferring the circular plot on his right palm. The Kaiju gave a loud roar, advancing towards Gipsy, again. Pushing the machinery with brutal force. Yuta grunted as he staggered from his post. The monster growled and placed its sharp snout on the Jaeger’s chest. Yuta screamed, as jolts of pain shooted out his body. Yuta aimed the missile launcher. The creature was dominating, clawing and smashing against the Jaeger’s body. It roared after a huge attack. Then, again and again.

“Missile Loading”

The Kaiju chewed on the Jaeger as if it was a feast. Yuta yelled again. Then, he aimed directly at the gigantic monster’s chest. Three shots. There was a massive, blinding light. Darkness. Its body parts littered everywhere.

From Taeil’s screen, the red dot has disappeared in a blink of the eye. “Second missile, launched, Sir. No Kaiju signature noted.” He typed in again, “I’m not getting any signals.”

“I cannot reach Yuta, Sir.”

The Marshal walked away from the base. A sullen look painted his face. It was not a time to celebrate; they did ward off the Kaiju. However, they had lost another brave soul. Mark Lee fought until his very last breath.

Bali, Indonesia

“Grandma! Look what I found on the shores!”

The little girl showed her grandmother an old, rusty, robot toy; a Jaeger to be precise. Her grandmother gave her a pleasant smile, standing up from picking up shells. “That is absolutely beautiful my dear.”

“It is mama! I wanted to see one Jaeger someday!” She beamed at her grandmother, clapping her hands excitingly. Then the elderly shushed her, “Okay, you will! Now let us pick some shells, shall we?”

The younger girl nodded and crouched down and helped her grandmother to pick up several shells. All were pearly white, some with a tint of orange and pink, some long, others short. Loud footsteps were heard from the distance. The young girl peeked up, her eyes widening at the sight. She cried out loud, “MAMA!” The younger had wished for a Jaeger, and a Jaeger appeared. Mark 03, Gipsy Danger. Clattered and destroyed.

The grandmother raised a hand on her mouth. Surprised. “Oh my heavens.”

Gipsy staggered with every step it took. The machine creaking. Then suddenly, it fell on its knees and made a drop towards the ground. The machine powered down after the fall. The two ran towards the machine quickly. The elderly woman flailed her left arm, “Stay here!”

The grandmother approached the hull cautiously. Then she saw a figure crawling from the machine’s gigantic head. Yuta panted as he struggled to get out of the Jaeger. He quickly stood up. He looked like he was run down several times. His left arm suit was already busted, burned to the extent; pools of blood dripping down his forearm. From his left bicep were several vertical wounds. It was red and bloody. His helmet was cracked and staggered, almost collapsing. Everything was circulating, he couldn’t think straight, couldn’t clearly hear the words from the elderly woman. He felt as if he was drowning. Muffled voices. All he could think of was his younger brother, Mark Lee.

Yuta whispered while he turned around, “Mark... Mark? (Y/N)?” His legs couldn’t carry his weight anymore and he collapsed on the ground.

“Darling, quick! Call for help!”

The elderly woman held his face, “It’s gonna be okay. Hold on for a little longer.”

Could he hold on a little longer?

“Where the hell is Yuta?” You shook Taeil’s shoulder, tears welling in your eyes. The news of their expedition has made it through the Underbase. It was already four in the morning, yet, no signs of Yuta. No signs of Gipsy. This is what you feared. You did spend a lovely and memorable night with the love of your life but, is this the price you have to pay? Your fingers trembled, as you observed Taeil type in his keyboard. “Taeil, please find him.”

“I’m trying my best (Y/N). For now, calm down.”

“How can I calm down Taeil?”

“(Y/N), you know exactly how dangerous our job entails. Death chases after us, I hope you are aware of that.” You are. You’re not just ready to let go of him yet. Not now, never. You stood up again, this time, you roamed around the base. Looking at every monitor in sight; just to divert your attention. You told the marshal that you won’t be deploying bases not until they give out any information about Yuta. Hong Kong could wait. You would be needed if there is a brought mutilated Jaeger. After all, you have already settled with the restoration team and upgrades of the Jaegers. You were once a pilot, too, but Yuta was concerned about your health. The Jaeger tech is too much for your health; it almost had your ECG line flat that one moment you had a mission in China. You were also responsible with the cadet selection and combat training.

You blinked hard. Throat tightening. You gave an abstracted look then, took a deep breath and slowly initiated expiration. You felt the relaxation of your diaphragm and your lungs pushed out air. You licked your lips; it was already dry. The holographic screen of Taeil showed the maps of Manila, he zoomed in to the nearby countries surrounding the country. Tracing any signs of the Jaeger or Yuta. A staff from the other side of the room suddenly alerted the people inside the vicinity.

“A report came from Indonesia, Sir Moon.”

Taeil gave you a quick glance. “That guy has nine lives. Don’t worry, we’ll find him, (Y/N).”

Taeil’s voice boomed inside the control base, “Coordinates?”

“8.3405° S, 115.0920° E”

“Where is the call coming from?”

“Seminyak, Sir.”

“Prepare the chopper now!”

You approached Taeil’s figure, “I’ll come with your team!”

“(Y/N), no.”

“Why not?”

“Orders are orders, (Y/N).” You whipped your head towards the direction of the voice. Marshal Lau. You reacted, “Yuta is my boyfriend, I need to see him!”

The marshal nodded, “I know. But It could crowd the chopper. It’s much better if you’ll wait here.”

You tried to argue back but the marshal held up a hand, silencing you. He gave you a curt nod, “Orders, (Y/N).”

You stormed out in frustration. Fuck orders.

Yuta narrowed his eyes. He felt really exhausted. The elderly assisted him and managed to remove the suit from him; to let his body to breathe. The nasty wounds clinging onto his skin. Yuta tried to move his body, but he cannot move his distal muscles. And his fingers are shaking uncontrollably. He tried to remember when was the last time he had taken in his medication; one a.m, and he drank it while looking at your peaceful sleeping figure on his bed. The medication he had taken has already subsided. Now, he is suffering with uncontrollable muscle shaking, and he couldn’t do anything about it. He felt helpless, adding the fact that Mark was already gone. He wanted to diminish out. After all, his time was already set in a time bomb; time for Yuta was expensive, and there is no such thing as bargaining. The medics around the island checked upon him, and he didn’t sustain a concussion; but the mission surely left him an ugly scar. Thoughts swirling around his mind; was it really worth it to be a Jaeger pilot? Is it time to diminish the Jaeger tech of his system? The fire, determination, urge to kill and to protect the world from the enormous beast has threatened to fall down the day he piloted Gipsy Danger alone, and collapsed at the beach somewhere in Indonesia. Mark’s death is still taking a toll on him.

A large helicopter. Boeing CH-47 Chinook. Hovering in the air above the clinic he is currently housing at. It was painted a deep green and yellow, a heavy, military aircraft with a figure in dark glasses and helmet hunched over the controls. It swung around over the site, it's blades beating the air. Then settled on the ground. Yuta narrowed his eyes at the aircraft before him. The familiar emblem caught his eyes; a large sword that struck a Kaiju’s chest. He walked out of the site and approached the man that had jumped out of the vehicle.

“Nakamoto Yuta.”

Yuta called upon the name of the higher up before him, “Marshal.”

The Marshal nodded, “Now's not the time to mourn. My number one priority is your health.”

Yuta nibbled on his lips, “It’s always been our oath marshal. Mourn later, Kill Kaijus.”

“I also lost a brave soul. I’m sorry for your loss.”

Yuta furrowed his brows, then looked towards the Marshal intently, “Marshal, I have something to tell you concerning my health.”

The helicopter they rode flew high in the air. Passing through the familiar cities of Taiwan, China, Singapore, then they finally arrived in South Korea. Military time, 1800 hrs. Jaeger Station, South Korea.

It was raining hard. Busy. The people at the bay were occupied. Some are pushing the Kaiju specimen drenched in formuline in a large glass dome towards the southwest direction in the laboratory. The marshallers were waving their glow sticks guiding the arriving helicopter towards the helipad. Military men in raincoats walked back and forth. Trucks and machineries are busy. Cargo ships at the nearest dock. You stalked out of the base, a large black umbrella covering you from the rain. You were still frustrated that Marshal Lau hasn’t let you go on their search rescue. The anxiety is slowly killing you. You have heard rumors about solo piloting, and it has a backlash. All you know, it could affect Yuta’s health. A whistle caught your attention.

“Looking good, Miss (Y/N). Can I have a taste?”

“Fuck off.”

You didn’t know the guy and so, you ignored and paid no attention to him. Your world wasn't just experiencing the attacks of Kaijus, there are creatures that are jerks, scattered around the world, Misogynists. They are of a different breed, but they don't differ as they share the same attitude. You clutched your work laptop tightly against your chest. Your long black coat swaying against the violent winds and followed your figure from behind. Your black combat boots made a loud splash every stride you took. You looked up and saw the Boeing CH-47 Chinook ready to take off. Your hair was swept away due to the winds coming from the blades of the aircraft. You stood there and waited expectantly. You felt queasy and uneasy. The staircase descended down the floor and Marshal Lau approached you. You handed him the extra umbrella you took with you, with shaky hands. He gave you a curt nod and opened the other umbrella for the person following him from behind.

“Oh my God.”

The mashal spoke, “(Y/N), Yuta needs to be sent to the infirmary--”

You saw how Yuta limped. His injuries are seen from afar. Your eyes welled up as you approached his figure cautiously. You cupped his face, his deep, sad eyes staring back into yours. That wasn’t the same eyes you were used to seeing; his eyes were your favorite; it felt so alive, charismatic, full of determination, but those staring back at you are just as black as midnight. Empty. You took a sharp intake of breath. You leaned in, temples touching, you closed your eyes and whispered. “I thought I lost you. Hell, I was so afraid I wasn’t gonna see you again.” The tears finally fell down. It was so melancholic. With the rain, your pounding heart, the man you loved the most stood there looking as lost and hurt. This wasn’t the life you wanted.

Yuta stared at you intently. Never have he seen someone as ethereal, standing confidently despite the storm paving its way on the base. He observed you, you had blue highlights on your hair, pinkish lips that are kissable, deep eyes—unreadable. It hurt him to see you hurting too. He tried to force a smile, showing a perfect set of pearly white teeth. You sobbed into his chest, “I don’t know what I will do without you.”

Yuta whispered, “You should start standing on your toes. It’ll hurt you more if you rely on me a lot.”

A fortnight. Underbase.

“It's a surprise that there isn’t a Kaiju attack these fortnight. Are they on hibernating mode or something?”

“Trust me marshal, they are preparing for a bigger attack. This isn’t the time we should be letting our guards down.”

Taeyong dissected the heart specimen that lay on the table. Scalpel and tweezers. It was still fresh, its arteries a glowing color of cerulean, the veins are colored a deep crimson. However, it stinks of toxicity and ammonia. Taeyong’s arms are drenched with Kaiju blood and it covered most of the tattoos that lingered on both of his forearms. Sicheng, on the other hand, is writing vigorously on the blackboard. Chalks and dust. Formulas. Numerous data.

Sicheng voiced out. He pushed the glasses falling from the bridge of his nose, “The Kaiju attacks from the last months as by my calculations were about two and that is the maximum. However, as I’ve outlooked the data given by the other labs, the attacks could multiply and the frequency of Kaiju ambushes could rise for about three or worse four. From Sydney it was two weeks, then a week, then days. No time from preparations, I say. Ergo, your rangers should always prepare for a Kaiju attack from the coast. A category four.”

“Doctor Sicheng, I am about to plan on to group a 2,400 pound of nuclear bomb in the Breach to stop the attacks. Please give me more precise data, not just a prediction.”

Sicheng cleared his throat, “Numbers never lie marshal. They are the most accurate thing and never close to a prediction. The frequency of attacks will increase to the point we couldn’t stand their domination anymore, and--”

Johnny finished the sentence for the doctor, “We’re dead. Alas.”

Sicheng lifted his chin, “Exactly, Lieutenant Johnny.”

Taeyong smirked. Kaiju mucus drenching his surgical gloves, “You speak like a mighty doctor.”

Sicheng gave him a quizzical look, “I speak the truth. Continue on examining Dr. TY.” He clasped his fingers and headed towards his digital monitor, “Here comes the good news.”

The marshal spoke, “We are listening, doctor.”

“You see, the Breach is the gateway. And it is quite confusing as to how the hell is the Kaiju going to different countries like Australia, Alaska, Manila, Japan this comes up to the conclusion that there might be a new portal or much more, several gateways for these monsters. However,” He paused and clicked the enter key, a deep portal showed at the screen, “They only came from one source. Here, deep and close to the Marianas Trench lying underneath the oceans of the Pacific. We disrupt the throat for it to widen, don’t worry, that is its natural structure. It is beyond flexible for the monsters to go through. So, If we disrupt the gateway, that is where we drop the bomb and boom.”

Taeyong butted in, “But we could rely on much, limited data. Hear me out marshal.”

Johnny and Marshal Lau turned towards the other pink-haired doctor, “Do you see how unique these creatures are?”

“They’re not--”

“Some would look like a lizard, next would look like a deadass fish. But despite their appearance, they do share one commonality, they have the same exact DNA.”

Johnny narrowed his eyes, “What are you implying now, doctor?”

“Cloning.”

Yuta entered the laboratory after listening to their complicated discussions. His voice startling the men inside. “I will be piloting Echo Panther, Marshal. That is where you will attach the bombs right?”

“Yuta, Why all of a sudden?”

Yuta gave a half shrug. “This is the best thing I could do, marshal.”

“You’ll die, idiot!”

Yuta deadpanned, “I’m a fucking Jaeger pilot and I’ll die as one. That is something I should boast about.”

The marshal tried to calm his nerves. “This isn’t the right time to boast!”

Yuta gave a solemn look. After the incident, he contemplated that participating in this mission is something that could cut his time-bomb. He made sure to spend his remaining days making himself busy, pushing you aside from his systems, even if it's painful for his part. It was a dick and dumb move, but he knew spending his limited days with you would cause damage to you and to him as well. He made sure to avoid you. “Marshal, I told you that I loved my mother right?”

Marshal Lau crossed his brows, “Yes.”

“And do you know what she did to prove her love to me? She sacrificed herself, for my own fucking sake.” He paused, fist clenching. The tremors are back, again. The marshal gave him a concerned look. Yuta continued on, “Even if I choose not to participate in the mission, I would still die, it's all useless, marshal. Living is something out of my vocabulary.”

“This suggestion of yours will lead you to your death. You can’t keep doing this to yourself.”

“I know, but if it means keeping everyone safe, keeping my (Y/N) safe, it’s worth everything even if it costs me.”

“What about (Y/N)?” Yuta didn’t answer him. Instead, he gave a rose drenched in resin and a flash drive.

Yuta breathed, “Give that to her after this mission.”

The three of you entered the facility. Then the marshal took a left turn, towards the base’s large elevator. Marshal Lau spoke up, “We will take a look at the facility first, then (Y/N) will take you to Echo Panther. Copy that Yuta?”

“Yes Sir.”

You snapped back, turning your head towards the marshal and your boyfriend. “What Echo Panther? Is there something I missed out marshal?”

The door was about to close when a frantic screaming interrupted you from pushing the buttons of the lift closed.

“Coming through!” Two pinked haired doctors scrambled inside the enormous lift. They pushed a Kaiju specimen through, crowding the space. The marshal pushed the button this time, giving you a meaningful look. Yuta felt the glass behind his back. The doe-eyed doctor wailed, “You are still injured, Yuta!” The elevator gave a sudden jolt, and descended downwards.

Yuta cajoled. Smiling wide. You were stunned at Yuta’s behavior. The time you saw him get down at the chopper since his last mission there was only one word that could describe him; lost. But the guy in front of you is really different, let alone he is acting as if nothing happened. “It's been a fortnight, doctor. I’m perfectly fine.”

You eyed Yuta. He’s been acting distant around you, and he seemed to be keeping things to himself. He was also acting differently around you; he never allowed you to nurse his injuries, or he never initiated intimate contacts with you unlike before. He acts completely different as if you weren’t molded as one. Dr. Taeyong spoke, “Just call me TY.” Yuta eyed the Kaiju tattoo lingering on Taeyong’s arm.

Yuta continued to eye the tattoo and spoke towards the doctor, “Is that Tailjaw?”

Dr. Taeyong smirked, “A good eyesight you have. Yes it is. Truly one of the fascinating things I have ever seen.”

“Mark and I have taken them down in 2018. A category 3 as I could recall.” You blinked hard. Yuta made sure to not waste some dead air to let you interrupt. You tried to initiate a conversation but you were cut mid-way. You gritted your teeth

Dr. Sicheng interjected, “The only thing that fascinated you TY is that it’s heart still pounds even after its three long hour death.”

Taeyong spatted back, “And that was really fascinating, tell me otherwise or I’ll fight you Dong Sicheng!”

The elevator’s door with a loud hiss. You and Marshal Lau have stepped out. Yuta gave Dr. Ty a pat on the shoulders, “Kaijus were never fascinating, doctor. They are killers, ruthless blue-blooded creatures.” And he stepped out.

He followed the two figures ahead of him, “Your research team is quite peculiar.”

Marshal spoke, “The two of them can outnumber a whole squad of researchers. They are pretty talented and brainy.”

The marshal gave Yuta a look, “Knowledge is always the outermost defense, Yuta.”

Pissed is an understatement, you couldn’t describe the anger boiling inside your gut. You pressed a series of codes on the biometric attached to the wall. The electronic beeps after your taps. The heavy secured door opened. Marshal Lau raised his right arm, “Welcome to the Underbase, again.”

People from the Underbase clamored around. Gulf carts beeping. Machineries wailing. Three tall Jaegers stood on each of the base’s corners. There are lights everywhere. Indistinctive radio sounds and chatters.Yuta turned around the base, his face awe-stricken. Above the large doors was a large digital clock.

The marshal’s voice boomed, “War clock. I hope we could reset it after your mission.”

Yuta narrowed his eyes, “I guarantee that.”

“We are lucky that they aren’t attacking, it surely gave us time to prepare.”

You interjected, “Excuse me marshal. But Yuta couldn’t participate in a mission. Can’t you see? He is still injured for heaven’s sake!”

The marshal looked at you, “He reported to me and said that he was perfectly fine.”

You stopped in your tracks and yanked Yuta’s arm, he voiced out, “Why?”

“What the fuck is running inside your mind Yuta?”

He looked straight into your eyes. No signs of love nor light. He glanced at you as if you were just an ordinary colleague, “Nothing. We should be going.” He left you there astounded.

“It is. That is Tanker Shoalin. Assembled in Hong Kong, one of the greatest. Large titanium core, powered digitally. That machine eats up a lot of diesel. That will run up for your defense.” The marshal trailed. Yuta glanced up to see Tangker Shoalin. It was standing a hundred foot tall. It colored a deep color of indigo. Shimmering due to metal. “She’s piloted by the Wong brothers. Lucas, Kun and Hendery. Don’t be deceived by their soft looks, they are precise fighters, deadly. Defended the borders of China, nine times. They used their signature move, the triple tiger claw.”

“I knew of that technique. That was powerful.” He glanced at the brothers on the bench. Pretty busy with their own businesses. They wore a leather jacket, and their hair was colored a vibrant color of violet, pink and green. From Yuta’s left, a heavy duty grey Jaeger stood.

The marshal pointed at it. “That one was the last of the first generation Mark 01 models, Hunger Mercenary. It may look as if it could be slammed down easily. But don’t be fooled, Yuta. That one is a bloodlust killing machine.” He paused, “Those two,” he pointed at the two men in a deep army green suit, “Doyoung and Jaehyun piloted the Hunger Mercenary.”

He stared at the figure of Kim Doyoung and Jung Jaehyun, “Yes, I have heard of them. New York based. Deadly killers.”

“Exactly. Gates under their watch remain unbreachable.”

You stared at Yuta. Eyes narrowing. He was observing the first generation Mark model. Then a booming voice caught all of your attention. Lieutenant Johnny approached the marshal, “Marshal. A pleasant morning.”

The marshal nodded, “To you too, Johnny.”

The lieutenant blinked. He stood tall, he had a new cut; an undercut. “Hey, Yuta. Oh, hey (Y/N)” Yuta nodded. You gave the lieutenant a faint smile. Johnny raised a brow; he is quite surprised at both of your behaviiors. You were both inseperable; clingy and full of love. The couple before him acted as if they despised each other. Johnny cleared his throat and gave Yuta a sullen look, “I’m sorry for the loss of your brother.”

Yuta only nodded. The marshal spoke again, “His cousin, Haechan will be your co-pilot in Echo Panther towards the Breach. That machine is as mighty as flash, quite fast and the last generation of the Mark 06.”

Yuta narrowed his eyes, “We’d be compatible. I’ve ran combat against Haechan before.”

“That’s a good thing. In that way we could stop the monsters from going in and out of our world as if they own the place. The Russians have given us enough resources such as nuclear missiles to be attached to Jaeger’s back.”

You clicked your tongue, “So you have a plan? What is my purpose then? To be an ornament?”

The marshal smiled, “An ornament is a fancy word, (Y/N). You are a warrior and so you will be backing the machine up to successfully enter the Breach.”

You snapped, “How could I back the Jaeger marshal? When you keep your plans to yourselves? My boyfriend doesn’t even talk to me as if I’ve got his fucking tongue.”

Marshall Lau blinked. This was the reason why he is opposed to Yuta’s request; you will be enraged once you find out. The Marshal called for Johnny’s attention, “Let us go to the control base.”

You raised your voice in annoyance, “Fucking hell, marshal. I feel like a fucking joke!”

Yuta cleared his throat, “Let’s go.”

“I won’t. Not until you tell me what the fuck is going on!”

Johnny fidgeted and bowed his head awkwardly towards Yuta, “The mission’s tomorrow. Let me know if you need something.”

Yuta answered back, “Thank you, sir.”

You cleared your throat, “Well? If you won’t talk, then I’m out.”

This is what they feared. What Yuta feared.

Your boots clanked every step you took. Yuta followed you from behind. There are electric sparks everywhere. The people were busy. Welding. Yuta heaved a sigh. Echo Panther stood there; tall, mighty and beautiful as ever. Beside it was Gipsy Danger, its familiar yellow windshield is noticeable from a distance. Memories came flooding his mind again, where he used to pilot the machine back in their glory days, with his best friend, his brother, Mark Lee. “She’s beautiful as ever.”

You tried to conceal your annoyance. “The last among the Mark 03. I made some major improvements on her model. Her nuclear core is powered tremendously, more stronger than before. There are weapons added, missile launches, laser ammos, et cetera.”

“She looked so new.”

“Better than new.” Yuta gave you a look. A look that you wish to see everyday. It is a glance that a man ever gave to a woman he truly admires, he truly loved.

“How do you like your new toy now, handsome boy?” Taeil walked on the metal platform. Yuta grinned widely and tackled the operator.

“Good to see you, my man, Taeil.”

Taeil chucked, “Good old times. Where the hell have you been?”

“The infirmary,” Yuta inquired, “Ready for tomorrow?”

“I’m always ready.”

You stalked away; annoyance taking a toll on you. You glanced behind your shoulder and made sure to raise your voice for him to hear, “We better talk Nakamoto Yuta. I’m tired of guessing what the hell in running inside that pretty head of yours.”

Yuta entered his room, it looked similar, untouched, unfolded. It was a fortnight since he’d last slept in his room. Last night he was here; he was making love to you. Holding you close to him. Kissing passionately as if there is no tomorrow. But things have changed. Yuta cozened himself with vain hopes and fake smiles, acting as if everything’s fine. The room looked lonely, empty, rusty. He turned to look at you. His eyes unfathomable, “What is it that you want to know?”

You let out an exasperated smile, “Stop acting so inconspicuous. I know something’s going on.”

“There is. Kaiju everywhere. I’m sure you know of these, (Y/N)”

You yelled, “I’m not fucking stupid, Yuta! Do you really enjoy doing this? Acting as if I’m not existing? This is bullshit, Yuta! Stop acting like a dick!”

There was a long silence. It was deafening.

Yuta raised his brows, “I don’t understand why you are acting like this, (Y/N)”

“I’m acting like this because of you! You’re acting like a jerk!” You called out. Your fists balled up to fists; shaking uncontrollably. Your eyes glistened with tears.

Yuta chuckled bitterly, “Oh. I had no choice.”

Tears started to fall from your eyes.“Were you trying to destroy us?” You wiped your tears aggressively, inhaling rapid breaths, “How do you sleep at night?”

Yuta let out a long, slow, exhale and ran a finger on his dirty blonde locks, “What I’m doing is for us, (Y/N). You’ll understand.”

“Did you expect this to turn out better? Yuta, what you are doing is bullshit!”

“I never meant to hurt you, you know?”

“That doesn’t change the fact that you did. For the weeks that passed, I was longing for you! I wanted to take care of you, but all you did was to push me away!” You sobbed, vision blurring with tears, “Tell me where did I go wrong, huh? Yuta, tell me!”

Yuta exhaled, giving you a cold stare, “Aren't you tired? Can we just stop this and give our hearts rest?”

You choked back your tears. The universe you are both in—is indeed in chaos. However, that chaos didn’t stop both of your feelings for each other. It was a feeling so rare, raw, full of love. This universe both you are in, gave a lesson to make introductions for lovers that are destined to do great things together, to seize the limited moment the universe has to give to the both of you. Yet the introductions can take time, can be staggered over weeks, months or years. In those times, you and Yuta have sorted out things; to not further complicate everything and stress each other out. This is what you’ve feared, when the time comes, the time of separation, the downfall of the love you both have established for so long. The pain ransacked your systems. It acts like a focusing lens; memories have flooded your mind, flashing towards the next. You saw that one time; the purity of his love, his words echoing in your ears; that you were the only one lover for his lifetime. Then all of a sudden, the jittery feeling collapsed.

Your vision is blurred; you tried to hold anything to prevent you from collapsing. This wasn’t the ending you wished. Never in your life wished to have this dreadful moment; you slapped your cheeks. In attempt to slap out of the paranoia your mind is molding in; but failed. What you are seeing, hearing, feeling—they are all fucking true. The piercing pain, it is present. He approached your figure, you took a step backwards. His breath fanned your face, “I’m already tired, (Y/N). Let go of me, remove me from your system as if I never occupied it in the first place. I don’t deserve you nor you deserved me.”

You shook your head. “No. You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“I am not, (Y/N). I need air, having you with me, suffocates me.”

You exhaled and looked intently at his eyes. You sounded wounded and incredulous. Your voice is cracking, your heart pounding hard. You tried to reach out for him but he took a step back, “Please, please just give me another chance.”

Yuta stood there with an unreadable expression plastered on his face. He whispered,“Leave me alone, (Y/N).”

You blinked. Your chest is heaving up and down. You couldn't help but compare the night with his own state of mind. Just like those clouds, your insides were in chaos. A mess. “Why? Yuta, why?” You tried to reason out this unbearable burning but your mind is in an endless swirl of darkness. Everything felt so confusing, a joke; just like a jumbled set of a puzzle.

“The one you love most isn't always the one you spend your life with. I’m not the guy for you.”

You blinked. His expression darkened. You tried to convince him, it might just be Mark’s death as to why he is acting this way.“You were always the one, Yuta. Where did I go wrong? I will try to change, please.. Just don’t.. I love you so much.” Your emotions turn jagged, insides tight.

His tone was cold. “I know you love me, but I'm sick of lying when I say it back.”

You gasped and clutched your chest. Yuta did everything. Almost everything. Disobeyed a direct order, fucked his subjects, fucked you, loved you, killed, lost someone, everything. But, making you cry wasn’t part of his agenda. He had his reasons, he loved you so much. But for him, this is the thing he should be doing. He had already made a mistake, and he surely doesn’t want to commit it again. He disobeyed the orders of the marshal just to save the people from the vessel. If he just listened, Mark could've been breathing up to this day, fighting with him. But, what he did was for the greater good, and choosing has always come with a price and a consequence.

What he did will surely give you a scar. But he would rather choose to be hated by his love rather than having you suffer forever. Waves of melancholy pooling over you. You bit down your lip, and dropped your gaze. “How could you do this to me? After everything we’ve been through?

You raised your head and saw Yuta. His figure is far from you; away from your reach. He graciously stalked around his room; topless. Several vertical scars lingered on his shoulder blades, his biceps, on his latissimus dorsi. That was the scars from his battle. The scar that reminded him of his loss. You stared at his figure intently. He had defined muscles; his abs are sticking out, his overall physique is a viewpoint and enough evidence of how well-trained and strong his body is. A body of a true ranger. A Jaeger Pilot. Both of your eyes locked.

"People change, and people grow. And I think we just grew apart."

“That is stupid, Yuta!”

“Once, a long time ago, I thought I loved you. I do, but everything has its ends."

You were a big fan of literature. Yuta knew that. And one poem struck to your mind,

"Of all nights, today's the one that had to break my heart fully and irreversibly."--A. M. Wolowicz

Yuta had molded your heart, took care of it, guarded it. But he was also the one who crushed it to pieces to the point, you were so lost, you can’t think of how to mend it back in one.

Military Time: 2100 hours.

“Marshal, the nuclear has been attached to Echo Panther’s back.”

“That’s good.”

“There’s one thing.”

The marshal stopped on his tracks, “What is it?”

“About Yuta.”

The marshal gave the staff a meaningful stare, “Is anything wrong?”

The staff shook his head, no. “The ranger wants to tell you that he’ll be stopping taking in his medication. And he also said to not engage his pod.”

The marshal narrowed his eyes. “Why so?”

“He didn’t disclose anymore, sir.”

The marshal exhaled, “Understood. Is the Jaeger ready?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Where are the movements?”

“Along Hong Kong, sir. Then, deep in the breach.”

“How many signatures are noted?”

“Three, sir. Category five.”

“Gather all the Jaegers.”

“Marshal.”

The marshal turned around and saw your figure. You look dishevelled, ruined, broken.

“How can I help you, (Y/N).”

“Place me in the control base.”

“Will do.”

“Movement in the Breach. Double event.”

The alarm wailed inside the control lab. There was a movement, after two weeks of calm, the demons are now starting to strike. Category four. Taeil looked at his flashing monitor, a doughnut in hand. He called in all the staff. The pilots of Hunger Mercenary; Jung Jaehyun and Kim Doyoung are in the base; in their deep green metal suits. Jaehyun and Doyoung stood tall and glorious. The Wong brothers; Lucas, Kun and Hendery, pilots of Taker Shaolin, has worn their glossy red suits. Hairs are noticeable from afar. Your figure is standing near the consoles. You searched for the familiar figure of Yuta. And there he stood, beside Haechan both in you midnight black metal suits.

Taeil walks in the base, back and forth. “Double signatures. Code name Tailcleaver and Thornbreaker and one, unidentified. They’ll reach Hong Kong in an hour.”

Marshal Lau’s voice boomed, alerting all the staff, “Evacuate the city, shut down the bridges. All people should be in refuge. Hunger Mercenary,” he looked at Jaehyun and Doyoung, “Tanker Shaolin,” then towards the Wong brothers, “I want you guard the harbor. Echo,” Then he gave a glance towards Yuta and Haechan, “Stay back at the miracle mile. You are the final option, we cannot afford to lose you.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Let’s go.”

The metals are thudding as the choppers are set to fly out the three Jaegers to the coast lines. There are indistinct radio chatters heard. The pilots are alert, adrenaline pumping in. The orders of the marshal booming in their p.a systems, “Guys be alert. These are category 4s, large in both size and weight.

Jaehyun spoke, “We are near the coast line. Disengaging transport.” The choppers rope disengaged from their Jaeger, and the machine descended downwards. The Wong brother’s have already disengaged their transport as well; their Jaeger dropping onto the oceans. The Jaegers walked along the oceans; creating massive waves after their strides. The night was calm; eerie. Lucas sensed a movement from his right; three o’ clock. The Kaiju was swimming silently, moving fast. The Kaiju looked similar to a large lizard. Its feet were a bed of gloopy pustules; grotesque. Its legs are as thick as tree trunks. The Kaiju’s skin is so thick; leathery; with occasional blue scales lingering on its back. They also do have ginormous torsos, body covered in scales. Each step it took, made the ground shake. A roar. Height tall as a skyscraper. Teeth like rows of ebony daggers. Small beady, ruthless eyes searching for its enemy. The doctor wasn’t wrong when he said the Kaijus were adapting; they were surprisingly fast, agile, strong. The stench of raw flesh on it's humid breath, a glowing blue light illuminated its throat. Flaring nostrils. It was thrashing its tail as it took a fast movement, taking the pilots by surprise. It stood up tall. An ear-splitting roar like thunder booming.

From the right; three o’ clock of the Wong brother’s Jaeger. The Kaiju appeared; its tail sweeping from left to right. Its roar resonated along the coastline. Then, it took a sudden turn, it’s tail aimed for the Jaeger’s torso. The pilots grunted; the hull they were shook at the attack. They recovered from its attack. Kun instructed to engage the nuclear missiles and aimed fully at its throat. There was a loud splash, followed by a spine-chilling shriek.

From the base, Taeil noted the missile launch. His fingers typing vigorously. “One down. The other one is attacking Jaehyun and Doyoung.”

The marshal squinted his eyes, “The unidentified?”

“It’s staying on the portal. Stationary.”

“And what are they up to?”

Taeil shrugged, “Echo Panther will find out about it soon,” he pressed a red button, “Dyoung, Jaehyun, what’s the situation?”

A string of curses unraveled from Jaehyun’s tongue, like a yarn unfurling. The Kaiju advanced. It's golden scales shimmered with hot anger along with it's dark, cold, beady eyes. Doyoung hissed as they staggered from its attack, their metal harness shaking at the aftermath. “This is one son of a bitch.” The Kaiju roared. Jaehyun and Doyoung took a swift punch. But the Kaiju struck up its sharp claw onto Hunger Mercenary’s torso; holding it to its place. The pilot grunted and shouted in pain. The Kaiju roared loudly; as its throat expanded; a glowing cerulean blue liquid spewed out from its mouth. Doyoung yelled, “Marshal, it purged out some type of acid. It is slowly penetrating through the hull.”

“Engage the nuclear bomb and attach to the pod. Now!”

From the base. You watched the electrocardiogram on the digital screens. The electrical signals of the pilots moving in a normal manner. The electrodes are placed on their chest to record the heart's electrical signals, of which causes the heart to beat. The signals are shown as waves. The Wong’s waves were moving fast a while ago; it signified stress. Jaehyun and Doyoung’s waves were also moving at a fast pace. Haechan and Yuta’s waves are moving calmly. Normal. You sighed as you fidgeted on your seat.

“Missile Launching. Alarm Code Red.”

Doyoung and Jaehyun were now heading for their security pod. The AI is counting to five and for five seconds, they have to get the hell out of the JAeger. Otherwise, they will be fried to death. There was a loud blast. The people from the city wailed. Panic. Chaos. Then, loud roar followed by a blinding light.

The marshal grumbled, “What is the health rate of the pilots of Hunger Mercenary?”

“Jaehyun passed out, he got delayed and thus, hit his head inside the pod.”

“Assessment?”

“Dyoung’s vital signs are normal. Jaehyun is unresponsive, I cannot read his pulse.”

“Engage the transport immediately. Lucas, Kun, Hendery, go back to the base. Now! Yuta, Haechan,”

The voice of the two pilots boomed onto the base’ speakers. Yuta’s voice sent a chill towards your spine. “Yes, sir.”

“Transport. Bring Echo Panther to the Breach.”

It's now or never. Yuta held only two choices; to die or to fucking die. And he wishes to die on a Jaeger rather than to die in a hospital

“All ports sealed, ready to submerge.”

“Roger that.”

“400 miles.”

Doctor TY held the microphone, “Remember, Yuta, Haechan. Attach a Kaiju onto your body for the Breach to open through. This is our only way to get through their den. Take the monsters as a bar code, kaching.”

The ocean was fascinating, deep, eerie, lonely. Such thrills as the ocean could only give. Only the deep sea could bring. Yuta and Haechan walked, their strides heavy, the fall was close. It was like a changing panorama if only the Kaiju’s were not present. A rocky wall, not twenty feet away from them, stood up like a sky-scraper, straight and tall. Here and there it was broken by fissures and caves. Everywhere it was festooned with sea vegetation--seaweed, kelp, anemones. All these, with coral that rose like Gothic architecture, were entrancing. Like a dream come true. Suddenly a Kaiju attacked them from behind.

Yuta groaned, as their metal harness shook from the attack. The alarms are wailing. Then, there was another swing penetrating through Yuta’s side. It shoots a piercing pain onto his legs. You gulped nervously, Yuta’s vital signs and rhythms are going berserk. Wild. Even though he had ended everything, the love you have for the man is still present, even if the pain is taking a toll, corrupting you to blindness.

Haechan furrowed his brows, “I cannot see anything. It's moving too fast!”

Yuta pushed the p.a button, “Taeil hyung, we can’t see anything!”

“To your left; one o’ clock!”

So far down in the ocean the sunlight is a soft diffuse glow. But for the most part, the ocean is dim, majority; dark. There were once golden rays from above; and it gave a warm blue hue of the waters; and the deeper the Jaeger went through; the darker the blue color they saw.

The rocks are now silhouettes in the dim. The headlight from the Jaager lit up like the glow of the heat from a winter campfire. There was a lone fish, invisible until it entered the feeble beam.

With the increasing pressure, Yuta and Haechan begin to feel like the water is becoming thicker, like soup. They glanced upward to the surface and their heart rate rose. It was so deep. The voice of caution whispered softly onto them; not to rise so fast, but it can't break through the scream for unfiltered rays and fresh air. Not, until, a Kaiju roared again and penetrated through their nuclear core.

“Let’s get this son of a bitch!” Yuta engaged the sword and struck it towards the head of the Kaiju. It screamed so loud. Its toxic cerulean blood is gushing onto its penetrated head. Echo Panter took a step while dragging the sword that struck the creatures head near the opening of the Breach. Where the lava spews. The Kaiju gave a loud screech. Its tail swooped from behind taking Yuta and Haechan by surprise.

“Echo, be alert of a sudden attack!”

The Kaiju swam far away from them. Then, attacked directly at the Jaeger, coming over at full speed. Yuta kneeled, then Haechan raised his arm; sword glistening. The Kaiju’s mouth was wide open; screams and shriek coming out of its throat. But one thing, a Kaiju does not have is a sense of control. If it strikes, they will, and no one’s gonna tell them to maneuver their ways. Haechan grinned as he ripped the Kaiju apart. Yuta grunted as he controlled his body; the aftershock of the attack was heavy for him. Yuta needs to be stable for the Jaeger not to fly out from the assault. Its cerulean blood clinging onto the body of the Jaeger. Haechan grunted, and folded his arms; finally striking and ripping the creature in half. The sword clamored. The people from the base felt glory.

“Echo, attach the Kaiju onto your body!”

Echo Panther moved and gripped the Kaiju’s head. The people from the base where expectant; glory is coming their way. Not until, Taeil sensed another. “Fuck.”

Yuta screamed into the p.a. The alarms were not wailing, “The hull is compromised! We can’t shoulder another attack!”

“Jump onto the Breach now!”

“Copy sir!”

All the systems are critical. There is a lot of fluid loss. Code Red. Yuta’s leg was crippled. They held the Kaiju carcass limping, towards the opening. The Breach is a meter away, then the category five Kaiju suddenly appeared in front of them. Haechan gulped. Yuta gritted his teeth in anger. Yuta looked at the younger pilot, “Let’s do this.” Haechan gave him a strong nod. Then, they jumped ahead, with the help of the rear jets. Tackling the Kaiju onto the portal. Then, Haechan lifted his arm and sliced thoroughly onto the Kaiju’s back. The Kaiju screeched. Haechan grunted. Yuta yelled, “Hold on!”

The Kaiju screeched out loud in pain. Its tail swinged upward, attacking the rear part of the Kaiju. Haechan and Yuta were already exhausted. Taeil saw how Haechan’s oxygen levels dropped down fast. His monitor beeping wildly. Half capacity. Haechan felt like drowning. Taeil moved to another monitor, typing as fast; to reroute everything. Yuta yelled, “Hold on! I will burn this motherfucker down!”

Yuta activated the heat purge. The nuclear core flashed; burning the chest of the Kaiju. The creature groaned, and wiggled against the Jaeger’s hold. But their tackles and grip was strong. The fire penetrated through the creature's chest reaching its back. It screeched again, then its eyes turned grey. It fell onto the Jaeger’s chest, limp, unalive. They have reached the opening, electricity around them were whirring.Taeyong was right; the only way to enter the portal is you fool the Breach into believing you are of its people. From Taeel’s screen, Echo Panther’s signature suddenly disappeared. They have now successfully entered the portal, The lair of the demons.

Oxygen from Haechan’s side was in a critical state. If he continues on, he will die there. And Yuta won’t allow that to happen; he pulled in his oxygen tube and attached it onto the younger’s suit. Haechan gasped for air. His helmet was fogging. He gave a faint smile, “You’ve done a good job, buddy. You know I was a jerk to (Y/N), but please guard her for me. I will finish this alone.” He pressed a series of buttons. Then, the metal harness whirred, sending Haechan’s figure inside the evacuation pod. Haechan’s eyes were heavy. He cannot decipher his surroundings. He gave Yuta a faint smile. He pushed a button then the pod was released ascending towards the surface.

Taeil voiced, “Yuta is giving Haechan his oxygen. He has already ejected the pod.”

You stood up quick. “What happened? What is happening?”

The marshal breathed, “It was his last will, (Y/N).”

You shook your head, “I don’t understand you marshal.” You pushed aside the marshal and spoke onto the microphone, “Yuta! Yuta!”

Yuta smiled, he heard your lovely voice, again. He blinked slowly; his oxygen levels were already low. He activated the nuclear core. There was a countdown. Five. Five seconds to live his life. He smiled, “I love you so much (Y.N). I’ll love you till the last rose dies.” Yuta initiated the reactor override. You blast the Jaeger to pieces; self destructing. The breach was like a large intestine. Pink and full of life. Electricity everywhere. The baby Kaiju chattered. Their beady eyes staring at the Jaeger. Then there was a loud blast. You were startled at the sound. The ECG line of Yuta was beeping, flat. You burst into tears, calling out his name on the microphone, “Yuta! No!”

It was Yuta’s last will. To save the world, to die in a Jaeger and to tell you how much he loved you. He did it. And he was content.

Five years.

It was five years of play-pretend. Finding ways to numb the pain. It was the start of the dark force. Tearing out the sewn paranoia you had. And replaying the pains of your past. You couldn’t forget about Yuta, he was your first love. Yet, after his death, all you could feel was the terrible pain; because of his disappearance. You would wake up in dawn just to cry till you could no longer lash out your tears. It was clarity that brought each of you, molded you to one, then had become one unit of two souls. But right now, your other half is gone, and you were left alone, numb, in pain. You decided to go to the bar. You felt high, in a daze, this was the thing you could do to forget that you are missing Yuta terribly. A guy pushed you in the bathroom, a tequila in your other hand. He began undressing you. You wanted this, to remove the pain. But was it worth doing? He kissed you. The scene was intimate; two people osculated. But in your mind; you wished it was only him, Nakamoto Yuta. He unbuckled his belt and sat on the toilet bowl. He pumped his member, it’s tip oozing. You immediately removed your pants, and panties and climbed onto his lap. You drank the last shots of your alcohol drink and began to thrust. The guy held your waist hard, guiding you up and down. He gave a moan of pleasure. You tilted your head back, tears flooding out of your eyes. You gripped on the metal pole overhead. You sobbed while thrusting deep. It wasn’t pleasure that you were feeling, it was fucking pain. Grief. It was five years of restlessness. If you could just pay to have him back, you would, but you couldn’t. He was now gone, permanently. You felt the pain glowing into your chest. You stopped thrusting and buried your head onto your fuck buddy’s shoulder.

He hugged you, “Are you good?”

You breathed. You felt bitter, “It’s been so long since I last hugged someone…I had forgotten how it feels like to be held.”

You grabbed the rose from Yuta. His words are still clear in your mind; he won’t stop loving you till the last rose dies. And so, he gave you an undying rose. You felt your vision blurred. You grabbed the flash drive and plugged it into your laptop. Yuta’s gorgeous face came to view and it made you wail. All you did was to cry.

[1] Formylove.mp4

“Hey love. This took me thirteen fucking tries, and I want to make sure this comes out perfect. Handsome I am right? Hehe.. First of all, I want to apologize for being a jerk to you; it was all an act... I don’t want to make you suffer anymore. You see? I was diagnosed with Helmer’s Myopathy and even if I won’t go on a mission, I will still die.. and so I did what my guts wanted me to do… spend my remaining days in a Jaeger fighting off till my last breath... This two weeks I’m away from you, it felt like hell, fucking hell… I wanted to touch you, hug you, but I did this, I distanced myself from you.. to hate me, because this is the only thing I could do to ease your pain. To replace it with anger. But please.. I love you with all my heart.. I won’t get tired of being with you.. To say that I love you.. I fucking love you so much.. I devote myself to telling you that.. I will always be in your heart, my love. I will never disappear.. If you ever miss me, just close your eyes, and I will appear.. That is how much I love you… What I did was for the greater good.. You deserve a peaceful world, (Y/N), my love. And I am willing to sacrifice myself to offer a serene world, for you. I know how much you love literature, hold on.. I have a quote for you, “I guess that's just part of loving people: You have to give things up.” I will give everything up, just for you, (Y/N). I love you so much.”

im nervous about this but since i didn’t proofread this sike. anyways <3

140 notes · View notes

kerwritesthings · 4 years

Text

Walking Hand in Hand

Summary: It’s been a long time coming, but when the moment is right you cannot help but say yes

Word Count: 2,120

Warnings: a whole lot of fluff and feels

Author Notes: This story, this part kind of was always a thing for me. I knew that I wanted to get them here. It niggled at me when I was writing the first part, I just needed to get them there the right way. I did entirely too much research on the fashion of this and yes, they’re legit items I found. #thedevilsinthedetails

This was another one of those sit down and words just came type pieces. Another 2k in about two hours. It’s crazy. I love this little ‘verse of mine so much. It’s brought my muse back from her mini hibernation that hit prior to the holidays. I want to work on my own original piece, but she wants to play with Shawn. So, I’m not going to tell her no. First part, second part, third part all linked up here.

There was an underlying purpose to this trip, aside from getting to spend time outside the bitter cold during the dead of winter in the sunshine of the west coast. It was the start of the season, and this was a big one, so finally you were going to be a part of the hoopla with him.

You weren’t a secret – it never, ever was that from moment one with the two of you. You just made a conscious decision, that he completely supported you on, to not be in the spotlight like that. You would be there, for everything and anything he ever asked you to be present for, but there was never the need to be the draped accessory or be out wildly in front of the cameras on a red carpet. You also wanted it to remain about him, the music, his hard work. Not who he was sleeping with. He respected you, respected that decision. It also gave you a sense of security when you were first together, with your own non-industry professional goals and blossoming career, that you weren’t ‘that girl’ with Shawn Mendes.

But now, with how important this last album was, the scope of all the nominations, and with what you two were settling into, where it was all heading with your relationship, you made the decision. And this time, it was an easy one: it was a yes. His eyes went wide when you told him, his lips half quirked in smile before tackle hugging you.

Fast forward to the day before the awards, and you’re sitting cross-legged in just one of his sweaters and a pair of boy shorts on the floor of a lofty studio in West Hollywood.

“Do you need help back there?” you call, fighting back a laugh. “It’s a suit and you’re a boy, it should not take you that long to get ready.”

He sticks his head out from behind the shoji, shoulders still bare and blows a raspberry at you. You stick your tongue out at him in retaliation.

“Unless you’re planning on using it, I wouldn’t do that,” he says with a shit-eating grin.

“Enough with you, get that suit on already,” a voice calls out from the opposite side of the room.

“Now you’re getting me in trouble,” he exaggeratedly pouts and flicks back behind the screen. “I’ll remember this.”

You can’t help but roll your eyes at him as the owner of that stern voice plops down on the floor next to you, patting your knee.

“I’m so glad we get to play together on this,” Tiff starts. “I know he’s trying to play it all cool but let me tell you he’s been buzzing a special way about this one. Had to be way more hands on to what he was wearing. Couldn’t clash with what you were thinking. He kept telling me he had to look good for you and had to be the good arm candy for you tomorrow night.”

You can’t help but flush. This man of yours.

“Don’t worry,” she continues. “He knows nothing. I just made sure you two would look good together for photos. He kept trying to press on a color, any type of details. I told him it’s a dress.”

You both giggle. The stylist kindly offered her help, the two of you back and forth over emails and late-night texts what you wanted, what you didn’t, colors, whose style did you like. There was one designer that was a total pipe dream, you thought there was no way, but luckily one email and a lovely conference call later, dream became reality. You had one fitting while he was still away on the last show swing, a whirlwind day in the brightly lit townhouse you had only seen on Instagram. The rest would be handled here in LA with the team and with Tiff.

“You know it was more because you’ve been making your own name outside of his, yeah?” she explains. “Being with this pain in the ass was just the added bonus. Plus, first carpet look? That’s a getter.”

“Ladies, I’m right here you know,” he calls out. “Hey Tiff, can you help…”

She scurries to her feet and heads behind to him, “Wait wait, please don’t fuck anything up!”

“Am I seeing this today or waiting until tomorrow?” you ask, stretching your legs and wiggling your toes. A mani/pedi was on tap for later, prepping your feet for the destruction of the strappy heels awaiting you.

“Am I seeing yours today?” he replies in turn.

“Not the same. Other than less bed head, and probably more bling, you’re gonna look the same tomorrow. Me, I need all the glam help I can get. Pineapple hair and a couture gown do not go together, my darling,” you say.

He sticks a hand out from the shoji, flipping you off.

“Remind me why I agreed to do this?” you sigh, flopping back on the floor.

“Cause you love me. Or at least I think you do,” he quips.

You hear him murmuring to Tiff. He’s probably trying to get any final details out of her while making sure he’s got his look on lock.

Next thing you know, Tiff is back and pulling you up off the floor towards the other side of the studio, “Your turn!”

The gasp you let go when you see the final dress, it’s perfect. You can’t wait.

You stay downtown that night, easier to get ready and even easier to get to the carpet. It’s quiet, just the two of you. Room service and a fluffy bed.

“Thank you,” he whispers into your temple you both settle into down into the duvet, his one arm coming around to hold you tighter to him, feeling his breath tickle your face. “I know I probably have said it before, but I want to say it again. Thank you, and I love you. More than I can even explain. I’m so fucking happy you’re here and that I get to have you tomorrow for this.”

“Need to be able to kiss my man when he wins his first Grammy,” you say softly before pressing your lips against his jaw. “It’s me and you versus the world, right? So, we may as well let the world really know that, yeah?”

He kisses you, slow and soft and deep, like it’s the only thing he’s ever wanted to do.

“Only and always me and you versus the world, baby,” he murmurs against your lips.

Your suite is a buzz the next day, you are whisked away to the bedroom while Shawn is exiled to the sitting room for you both to start getting ready.

“Love you,” you mouth before the door shuts.

After a few hours of primping, curling, shuffling, squeezing, a few happy tears and a whole lot of singing along to your boyfriend’s album, which causes him to call through the door a few times making fun of you, you’re finally ready.

Tiff sneaks back into your room to help with the finishing touches on your dress.

“He’s trying not to pace, but he’s antsy as anything. God help us on your wedding day,” she exhales, sliding the last eye hook closed on your dress.

You turn to look at her, jaw dropping slightly.

“Shit, shit I’m sorry. But like girl come on, you know that’s where this is headed. He’s talked about it too you know. You’re endgame,” she says, squeezing your elbow. “This dress is perfection. He’s not going to know what hit him. Lemme go make sure he’s not wearing out the carpet.”

You take a deep breath, count to ten and put your hand on the door handle.

“You ready out there?” you call out.

“For like the last hour, baby,” he replies. “Come out, come out wherever you are!”

Sliding out from behind the door, your eyes lock. You always knew he was beautiful, unfairly gorgeous, but tonight is something else. He’s in black, head to toe minus the hint of the deeper shimmering grey in his shirt and the silvery shine glimmering from around his neck. The jacket though is something else, a subtle black on black snakeskin pattern with a shawl collar. His hair, the perfect riotous mess of loops and swirls of his curls.

“So, this is how my rockstar cleans up for the big night? You’re so handsome, Shawn. This is such a look,” you say as you make your way to him, hands lightly sliding up then down the front of his jacket, before tangling your fingers with his. He’s just looking at you, blinking, not saying anything, his thumbs a soothing rhythm over the tops of your hands. Then he takes a step back, still leaving your hands tangled.

“I am the luckiest. You look, like you’re always pretty and gorgeous and lovely. You know I think that. But you’re just, you’re this. God, I don’t even think I can figure out the right words,” he babbles, holding you at arm’s length to take you in. “This dress, you. You’re a fucking vision. It’s so perfectly you.”

“Cause it’s a custom Siriano,” you hear Tiff chime in. It’s everything you ever wished for in a dress. You knew your first time out on a carpet, the last thing you wanted was splashes of color or massive attention, but you still wanted to look good next to Shawn. Black and gunmetal grey interwoven, with the scalloped beading on the skirt and a swath of black chiffon to soften the top. Not too form fitting, not too much cleavage but enough to make you look feminine, feel sexy. Enough to be worthy of the man standing in front of you.

His eyes widen and you nod bashfully.

“Tiff’s work, all her help. I was happy with whatever and off a rack at that, but she asked for a wish list. She went right for the top,” you explain. “I still can’t believe it.”

“We’re sending him a case of champagne tomorrow,” he says to Tiff. “Now, can just I have a moment with my girl before the world takes us?”

Everyone scurries around the room and Shawn pulls you into the bedroom, door shutting with a click.

“I’m glad you don’t have sticky lipstick on yet to fuck up,” he mutters before slinging his arm around your waist and pulls you in for a bruising kiss.

“I guess you hate it, then?” you laugh, kissing him briefly and softly again.

“Ok, one more then we need to stop or we’re going to have some problems. Well, no I’ll have some problems. Plus, the girls will want to powder the two of us to death before we go and gloss you out most likely. Which we should get moving anyway. Sooner we’re there, less hoopla to navigate around on the carpet,” he says, opening the door to pull you both back out into the main room.

He’s right. There’s more powder, some tugging and straightening, more scent sprayed about and a swipe of lipstick for you before you are shuffling downstairs to the waiting car. Staying close to the venue, the ride isn’t long despite the lineup of cars ahead of you. Your nerves start to kick in a little, worrying at the seam of your bag with your index finger.

“Breathe for me baby,” he says, snagging your hand to intertwine with his. “Promise you, it won’t be that bad. First one is always a bit of a shock to the system, but it’s nothing more than a fancy little walk is all. ‘Cept this time, I get to be hand in hand with my favorite person.”

You look over, his smile easing some of the tension sitting in your chest.

“Shawn, what if…” you begin.

“Nope, there’s none of that. Not ever and especially not tonight. Not when you and I look like a fucking power couple,” he drops a kiss to your knuckles. “This is just a fancier date night, just happens to be a couple hundred more people on it with us is all.”

You can’t help the laugh that bubbles up, “I love you.”

“Love you too, baby. As much as I love this dress, I really cannot wait to take you out of it later,” he says, dusting a light kiss to your neck just below your ear just as the car pulls to a stop and you hear a knock against the car window. “You ready? I’m going to be right there. You and me.”

You lean in to rub your nose against his gently just before the door opens, “Always you and me.”

TAG LIST: @loveat2am, @sinplisticshawn, @hollandraul, @whenidance

#shawn mendes #shawn mendes imagine #shawn mendes fanfic #shawn mendes fanfiction #shawn mendes oneshot #shawn mendes story #shawn mendes fluff

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fizzingwizard · 4 years

Text

Episode 6 was AWESOME. Finally it really and truly felt like Digimon Adventure!!

This episode plus the last one makes me eat my words of despair over the blandness of episode 4. I’m counting that one as just a miss. I’m hoping that it doesn’t bode for the tone they’ll take with all Sora episodes though. Sora’s easy to overlook because she’s already kind, brave, and responsible - the main things the other kids need to work on. Still she never bored me in old Adventure. I only ever wanted more of her and that was my hope for 2020 Sora. Her intro episode wasn’t a great start, but guess what, she got to be pretty darn cool in this episode, and overall the tone of this ep was such an improvement on ep 4 that I’m back to thinking we will absolutely get a modern, cool girl Sora who rocks her spotlight episodes in the future. Pray with me friends.

By the way we finally got some decent animation in this episode. So I took gratuitous Taichi pics and I’ll post a couple to start us off bahahaha

Okay, so this was the much-awaited MIMI episode. Heck yeah. It’s called “The Targeted Kingdom.” Who is the queen of the kingdom, I’ll give you three guesses, eh what’s that Mimi? like WOW you got it on the first try!

More below!!

^ So I’m not quite sure what’s going on here. I think Sora is standing on Taichi’s back and Piyomon is helping lift her (them?) up into the trees so Sora can look around? They are trying to find the way to the ocean. This seems like the most awkward way possible to go about it but you do you kiddo...

See, Adventure Taichi would be making jokes while this is happening. 2020 Taichi is thinking about The Big Picture, at least as much of it as he knows of. He’s turning into such a pensive type. Yamato’s gonna have to work hard to keep his lead brooder status.

Also I was thinking... there’s a few times in this ep, and more in others, where I feel like the animators don’t show us enough... Idk what to call it, movement? The fall out of actions? Like why don’t we see them climb into the tree? Why are we zoomed into so close when they fall out? Later during the big fight scene, there’s stuff going on that could definitely be shown in a clearer, and also cooler to watch, way. My theory of course is it’s all budget issues but what a bummer.

The kids’ first intro to the bottomless pit that is a Digimon’s stomach. They have no food (seriously? in that pack of emergency supplies Sora brought by pure happenstance there is NO food??) so they go... steal some. But they don’t know they’re stealing.

Not that SHE cares.

Mimi: Bahaha... you’ve fallen into my trap! *cutest maniacal laugh ever*

^The trap

There is another trap that comes later in the ep and I’ll just say here. It’s some Jessie & James level shit. Way to go Meems!

ugh soooo cuuuute I want twenty

Introducing... Queen Mimi! Yes, Queen. They’ve upgraded her!

Honestly, I love how she’s introduced as royalty, but she’s dressed as a cowgirl. No one would ever ask Mimi to pick just one theme. Like her kimchi fried rice with whipped cream and strawberries, Mimi is not afraid to mix genres!

Like I said, the animation in this ep is a cut above what’s it been recently, which is a relief. And everyone’s appearance is so much like Adventure that I wonder why they changed anything xD But I’m just so grateful everyone kept their unique eyes. It was the one thing I missed in the animation of Tri, even though I wouldn’t have wanted high school kids to have baby eyes. But the eyes really highlighted each character’s individuality. Glad that’s still a thing even if not every animator pays attention to it.

Taichi & Sora: Were those your fruit trees? Uhh sorry? My Digimon was close to death and we were starving...

Mimi: You will starve again unless you learn the meaning of the law!

that’s a little les mis interlude for ya youre welcome

So Mimi arrived in the digital world, separated from the others, and immediately became Queen of the Tanemon. I SENSE A TREND.

Mimi doesn’t come across as ditzy and selfish as she did in early Adventure. I am not sure if that side of her’s been erased in favor of simply making her reluctant to fight because she’s soft-hearted, or if we’ll see her self-centeredness appear later on. I hope so. Right now the 2020 story is very focused on the plot and not on the children’s growth, which is a huge departure from Adventure, but I don’t think it will remain that way. I hope not at least. But I do think it’s possible that they’ll rewrite Mimi to be a bit less self-centered and/or airheady, and I’m not exactly against that. After all, post-Adventure Mimi showed her cool side more when she was willful or opinionated, and I’m on board with more of that in the 2020 show too. A better balance would definitely be a good thing in Mimi’s case.

She kind of made me think of Sailor Moon in this episode, lol

GASP! We are all Chosen Children! Mimi immediately says NOOO WAY i’m queen of the Tanemon!! But not because the Tanemon are catering to her every whim (they’re not, as far as I can tell! Though they did make her a throne!). Because she honestly feels a responsibility to look after them. Again, pretty different from old Adventure.

Pocket Koushirou returns and Taichi tries to absorb him into his brain!!

Taichi: *grunting* HNNNNGGGG!! Give me me your curiosity!!!

Koushirou: Are you Vademon!?!?!

Koushirou shows video footage from the human world that shows the effect the power outage is having. Though it’s not a complete blackout yet, some places like hospitals have already lost power and are in trouble.

Mimi sees her grandfather, the president of Tachikawa Industries, on the TV helping people in trouble. VERY DIFFERENT. VERY COOL. I approve

Koushirou also points out that there is INDEED a time lapse between the human and digital worlds. I’m not exactly sure how different the time lapse is from old Adventure. At first, I thought it was much smaller, but thinking about it... given how slow the video from the human world was moving, it might be sizable. But I don’t think it’s as big as old Adventure. At any rate, Taichi and Sora figure out this means Mimi was on her own with Palmon and the Tanemon village for longer than they realized.

Also makes me wonder just how much time Yamato’s spent in the digital world...

Mimi feels torn between wanting to help her grandfather and needed to protect the Tanemon village! Naturally Taichi suggests they work together!

And a Tanemon rudely kicks him in the face!! Just kidding. But it was too cute not to cap

Mimi brings the waterworks like three or four times this episode.

Mimi: Alright! You work for me now!

Taichi: ...??? Okay I guess????

Yes, Princess or Queen, Mimi is still Mimi <3

So they join up and uhh... get ready for war I guess??

I MEAN HOW CUTE IS THAT

So this is the second Team Rocket trap, a giant hole in the ground. How did they dig it? How did the build that raft two eps ago?? Inquiring minds want to know

Greymon is surprisingly limber for a chubby dinosaur.

Taichi does what he does best in battle scenes: stand in immediate danger and look up a dinosaur’s bum.

OGREMON MAKES HIS BIG APPEARANCE IN A MIMI EP. I totally called it last week. Okay, technically he already appeared in episode 5... but we barely saw him okay! He uses Soundbirdmon (who may indeed not be sentient?) to mind-control other Digimon to find and apparently kill?? the children. Ogremon honestly sounds kind of mind-controlled himself but not sure. If he is, it’s a different kind of control. He may just talk like that because he’s an ogre and not very articulate...

I guess I capped this because CUTE CUTE CUTE

So speaking of rushing into immediate danger... Not only is Sora right in the middle of the right, she’s HANGING OFF BIRDRAMON’S LEG. This show is SO not promoting child safety hahahhahaha

Cute Taichi. Cuter still - Taichi and Sora tag teaming it. PLEEEEEASE give me more of this!! I want nothing more than for Sora to join Taichi and Yamato as a heavy-hitter. I always headcanoned her that way growing up. Let Sora kick ass 2020!!

^Palmon’s method of rescuing Mimi... effective, yet questionable

Capped because Cute.

Sora and Birdramon take down the blue bird digimon (sorry... forgot its name... will likely forget the name of every other Digimon not from old Adventure as well. i am a senior citizen). Taichi cheers for them and says “You nabbed the best bit from me!” SO CUTE. Come on, they are the best team!!

Meanwhile, Palmon: *screams bloody murder*

Mimi: Palmon! Noooo!

Episode 6: Palmon friggin DIES

I mean she is like glitching in and out. So it totally FIGURES it would be a Mimi ep that tells us “yeah kids we’re not Pokemon!” I mean. Keep watching...

Mimi recalls being all alone in a strange world when she meets Palmon. Btw they totally revamped the Pyokomon Village for this Tanemon village, I dig.

EVOLUUUUUTION!!

Boxing!!! Cactus!!! Eat this Precure!!!!

While Togemon takes out Drimogemon, Greymon rushes in to protect the kids from Ogremon...

... AND FREAKING SAWS HIS HORN OFF.

Like I said. THIS AIN’T POKEMON, KIDS.

Isn’t this actually darker than old Adventure? I mean I guess at least no one dies (I think? uhh...) and I suppose that’s less dark... but sawing off body parts... Idk man... I’m down with it, I just don’t know that it’s any nicer than old Adventure... hahahaha

POW! Err, Drimogemon’s drill ain’t looking too good either...

More waterworks as Mimi tells Palmon she loves her, and Palmon says it right back. Foreshadowing for Mimi/Koushirou tiffs in the future!? It was lit last ep that Koushirou tried to say he loves his partner and choked on it. Something tells me these two are gonna butt heads again ;)

Ugggggghhhh so cute I can’t staaaaaaand ittttt

Mimi decides to go with Taichi and Sora and leave the Tanemon village, Idk, I guess they’ll be safe now??? at least they won’t be targeted for having a human child among them.

Also I like her leaf bag. The Tanemon totally made it for her.

We end with Ogremon gripping his broken horn and fricking sobbing. This... does not bode well.

I want to hug him

so cast your votes, who gets the first hurt/comfort scene with Ogremon? Will it be gentle chastisement from Mimi while she patches him up with stuff from Sora’s pack? Or will it be Jou and the toilet paper you know he brought even if it makes no sense?!? hahahaha

I give this ep a 7/10 WELL DONE. That’s what a Digimon episode should be. Very close to VERY VERY GOOD.

I missed the trailer for next week so have more gratuitous Taichis instead.

#digimon adventure 2020 #digimon psi #psi spoilers #fizz watches digimon 2020

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classic80sand90smovieloves2 · 4 years

Text

A Little Stevie Nicks

(Not my gif)(Requested by anonymous)

(I didn’t really know what to call this one but it’s the request for Dwayne x a vampire girlfriend who is a lot like him and dresses sort of like Stevie Nicks.)(+Sorry for the long intro if you just wanted dating headcanons)

- Okay so I like the idea of the reader being older then Dwayne or rather was turned into a vampire before him. I’m not quite sure exactly when Dwayne was turned (it could have been in the 80s which would explain why they wear the things they do) but I do think that you’d most likely be turned in the 60s/70s explaining your fondness for the fashion.

- The first time he saw you he thought he died and went to heaven, with all the sheer fabric, the lace and the flowing dresses he thought you looked downright angelic. It took him a good few minutes to recover, you quite literally took his breath away.

- Paul had to snap him back into reality because he’d fully stopped in his tracks to watch you. All he could get out when the blonde clapped him on the shoulder was “her” as his eyes remained fixated on you.

- You were just wandering the boardwalk by yourself when you noticed two pairs of eyes on you, when you briefly turned to look you noticed Dwayne and Paul standing and watching you.

- Dwayne is handsome (which he’s aware of) and when you first saw him he reminded you of one of those “ideal men” who are painted on the front of a romance novel. Long haired, shirtless, and chiseled, it’s hard not to stare especially when you catch a guy like that watching you with the most intense gaze you’ve ever seen.

- You turn away and stalk off after you have your little staring contest, which immediately makes him follow after you even if he knows it’s a little odd himself. He doesn’t want to lose you in the crowd but you want to lose him, not wanting to get involved and inevitably fall for someone you can’t have (not knowing you could have him since he’s a vampire as well).

- You play a little game of cat and mouse with him while you walk along the boardwalk. You’re quite aware he’s following you even though he thinks you don’t know. Finally you decide to sit on the railing of the boardwalk, watching the ocean and the night sky while you waited.

“Your following me.” You said quietly once you heard him approach, lurking behind you.

“Maybe I am.” He replied softly.

“Why?”

“There’s something about you.” He seemed almost confused.

- Neither of you said anything else after that and it was then you realized you couldn’t hear his heartbeat. You were sure he realized the same when he came and sat beside you on the railing.

- Since that night you sort of just found each other everytime the both of you were out. Sometimes you’d talk, othertimes you wouldn’t but you always ended up spending some kind of time together. You started a sort of nighttime fling, nothing really romantic yet but sort of just affectionate. Like old friends navigating their way around each other again while they fall in love with the new version of their previous pal.

“Who are those boys you hang around?” You asked, braiding your hair as he laid between your legs on the sand of the beach.

“David, Paul and Marko, they’re like us.” He replied, toying your sleeve as it swayed above him.

“They seem fun.” You murmur.

“You want to meet them?”

- And you do. They immediately take a liking to you because you’re basically the female equivalent of Dwayne with a little more flowers and frills. You enjoy watching them mess around, it does help that they seem to be trying to flatter you and get you to stick around.

- After you meet the gang you and Dwayne have your first kiss and start your relationship. Soon enough you end up indoctrinated into the vampire crew and can consider yourself a part of the “family”.

- Whenever you’re on the boardwalk with him he always makes sure to have your hand in his.

- He used to think the frog brothers antics were sort of amusing but now that they’re a possible threat to you he’s much less keen on them lurking around.

- The both of you are well aware that it’s pretty difficult for someone or something to kill you but that doesn’t stop him from being very protective of you. He rarely lets you out of his sight and the both of you make sure to always have each other’s backs.

- Everytime the two of you kiss it feels like you’re floating on a cloud. He has this way of kissing you that’s so soft and dreamy that you grow weak in the knees and can hardly stop yourself from swooning.

- Even though the gang likes you and you like them he knows that he himself would sometimes just like to get away from them for a quiet night so he makes sure to bring you on dates at least every week.

- He likes watching you get ready because it’s such a different routine from everyone else in the cave. Like the boys go wild and put on whatever clothes they pick up but you actually coordinate your outfits and do your makeup really pretty.

- You and Laddie take turns riding with Dwayne on his bike. Although Laddie doesn’t mind riding with Paul so you don’t have to feel bad for taking his usual seat.

- He likes his style just fine but he wonders what he’d look like if he dressed “like you”. It’s definitely a much softer look than his and wouldn’t look nearly as threatening as his usual clothes.

- If you want to go with the idea that the reader is older than Dwayne then the boys would definitely tease Dwayne about having a thing for older women.

- He picks you little flowers to put in your hair or wear in your pockets. Your room probably always has at least one vase full of them even though they wilt pretty quickly in the darkness.

- I feel like you would really get along with Star and hang out with her while the boys mess around on the boardwalk. I also feel like Dwayne probably wasn’t really that fond of Star before he met you and saw her treat you with so much kindness.

- Even though he likes you haveing a friend in the gang he does get jealous when you “blow him off” for girls night (although he’ll never say anything to you). When you’re not around he gets into little tiffs with Star for “hogging his girlfriend”.

- He likes that you’re quiet, the two of you get along well because of it. The both of you agree that there’s no need to fill all your time together with useless conversation. But because you rarely talk or at least rarely talk around others many people don’t realize your a couple at first or don’t think your a good one when they find out.

- The more ballsier of guys have tried to flirt with you right in front of him thinking he’s just your friend and have almost gotten their faces on a missing poster because of it. It takes a while but after some time pretty much all of the boardwalk knows you’re off limits and it’s an unspoken rule of the town not to try anything with you.

- Of course Laddie has Star as a mother figure but you are definitely his back up mom. Dwayne thinks it’s adorable to watch you hang out with the little boy and loves when you help him take care of him.

- You definitely have a bright and long future ahead of you two.

#80s movies #80s imagine #80s movie #80s movie imagine #80s imagines #80s movie headcanon #80s movie headcanons #the lost boys headcanon #the lost boys headcanons #the lost boys imagine #dwayne the lost boys imagine #dwayne the lost boys headcanons #dwayne headcanons #dwayne the lost boys x reader #dwayne headcanon #dwayne imagine

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letterboxd · 5 years

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Bong Hit!

Today Parasite overtook The Godfather as the highest-rated narrative feature film on Letterboxd. We examine what this means, and bring you the story of the birth of the #BongHive.

It’s Bong Joon-ho’s world and we’re just basement-dwelling in it. While there is still (at time of publication) just one one-thousandth of a point separating them, Bong’s Palme d’Or-winning Parasite has overtaken Francis Ford Coppola’s Oscar-winning The Godfather to become our highest-rated narrative feature.

In May, we pegged Parasite at number one in our round-up of the top ten Cannes premieres. By September, when we met up with Director Bong on the TIFF red carpet, Parasite was not only the highest-rated film of 2019, but of the decade. (“I’m very happy with that!” he told us.)

Look, art isn’t a competition—and this may be short-lived—but it’s as good a time as any to take stock of why Bong’s wild tale of the Kim and Park families is hitting so hard with film lovers worldwide. To do so, we’ve waded through your Parasite reviews (warning: mild spoilers below; further spoilers if you click the review links). And further below, member Ella Kemp recalls the very beginnings of the #BongHive.

Bong Joon-ho on set with actors Choi Woo-shik and Cho Yeo-jeong.

The Letterboxd community on Parasite

On the filmmaking technique: “Parasite is structured like a hill: the first act is an incredible trek upward toward the light, toward riches, toward reclaiming a sense of humanity as defined by financial stability and self-reliance. There is joy, there is quirk, there is enough air to breathe to allow for laughter and mischief.

“But every hill must go down, and Parasite is an incredibly balanced, plotted, and paced descent downward into darkness. The horror doesn’t rely on shock value, but rather is built upon a slow-burning dread that is rooted in the tainted soil of class, society, and duty… Bong Joon-ho dresses this disease up in beautiful sets and empathetic framing (the camera doesn’t gawk, but perceives invisible connections and overt inequalities)—only to unravel it with deft hands.” —Tay

“Bong’s use of landscape, architecture, and space is simply arresting.” —Taylor Baker

“There is a clear and forceful guiding purpose behind the camera, and it shows. The dialogue is incredibly smart and the entire ensemble is brilliant, but the most beautiful work is perhaps done through visual language. Every single frame tells you exactly what you need to know while pulling you in to look for more—the stunning production design behind the sleek, clinical nature of one home and the cramped, gritty nature of the other sets up a playpen of contrasts for the actors and the script.” —Kevin Yang

On how to classify Parasite: “Masterfully constructed and thoroughly compelling genre piece (effortlessly transitioning between familial drama, heist movie, satirical farce, subterranean horror) about the perverse and mutating symbiotic relationship of increasingly unequal, transactional class relationships, and who can and can’t afford to be oblivious about the severe, violent material/psychic toll of capitalist accumulation.” —Josh Lewis

“This is an excellent argument for the inherent weakness of genre categories. Seriously, what genre is this movie? It’s all of them and none of them. It’s just Parasite.” —Nick Wibert

“The director refers to his furious and fiendishly well-crafted new film as a ‘family tragicomedy’, but the best thing about Parasite is that it gives us permission to stop trying to sort his movies into any sort of pre-existing taxonomy—with Parasite, Bong finally becomes a genre unto himself.” —David Ehrlich

On the duality of the plot: “There are houses on hills, and houses underground. There is plenty of sun, but it isn't for everybody. There are people grateful to be slaves, and people unhappy to be served. There are systems that we are born into, and they create these lines that cannot be crossed. And we all dream of something better, but we’ve been living with these lines for so long that we've convinced ourselves that there really isn’t anything to be done.” —Philbert Dy

“The Parks are bafflingly naive and blissfully ignorant of the fact that their success and wealth is built off the backs of the invisible working class. This obliviousness and bewilderment to social and class inequities somehow make the Parks even more despicable than if they were to be pompous and arrogant about their privilege.

“This is not to say the Kims are made to be saints by virtue of the Parks’ ignorance. The Kims are relentless and conniving as they assimilate into the Park family, leeching off their wealth and privilege. But even as the Kims become increasingly convincing in their respective roles, the film questions whether they can truly fit within this higher class.” —Ethan

On how the film leaps geographical barriers: “As a satire on social climbing and the aloofness of the upper class, it’s dead-on and has parallels to the American Dream that American viewers are unlikely to miss; as a dark comedy, it’s often laugh-aloud hilarious in its audacity; as a thriller, it has brilliantly executed moments of tension and surprises that genuinely caught me off guard; and as a drama about family dynamics, it has tender moments that stand out all the more because of how they’re juxtaposed with so much cynicism elsewhere in the film. Handling so many different tones is an immensely difficult balancing act, yet Bong handles all of it so skilfully that he makes it feel effortless.” —C. Roll

“One of the best things about it, I think, is the fact that I could honestly recommend it to anyone, even though I can't even try to describe it to someone. One may think, due to the picture’s academic praise and the general public’s misconceptions about foreign cinema, that this is some slow, artsy film for snobby cinephiles, but it’s quite the contrary: it’s entertaining, engaging and accessible from start to finish.” —Pedro Machado

On the performative nature of image: “A família pobre que se infiltra no espaço da família rica trata a encenação—a dissimulação, os novos papéis que cada um desempenha—como uma espécie de luta de classes travada no palco das aparências. Uma luta de classes que usa a potência da imagem e do drama (os personagens escrevem os seus textos e mudam a sua aparência para passar por outras pessoas) como uma forma de reapropriação da propriedade e dos valores alheios.

“A grande proposta de Parasite é reconhecer que a ideia do conhecimento, consequentemente a natureza financeira e moral desse conhecimento, não passa de uma questão de performance. No capitalismo imediatista de hoje fingir saber é mais importante do que de fato saber.” —Arthur Tuoto

(Translation: “The poor family that infiltrates the rich family space treats the performance—the concealment, the new roles each plays—as a kind of class struggle waged on the stage of appearances. A class struggle that uses the power of image and drama (characters write their stories and change their appearance to pass for other people) as a form of reappropriation of the property and values of others.

“Parasite’s great proposal is to recognize that the idea of knowledge, therefore the financial and moral nature of that knowledge, is a matter of performance. In today’s immediate capitalism, pretending to know is more important than actually knowing.”)

Things you’re noticing on re-watches: “Min and Mr. Park are both seen as powerful figures deserving of respect, and the way they dismissively respond to an earnest question about whether they truly care for the people they’re supposed to tells us a lot about how powerful people think about not just the people below them, but everyone in their lives.” —Demi Adejuyigbe

“When I first saw the trailer and saw Song Kang-ho in a Native American headdress I was a little taken aback. But the execution of the ideas, that these rich people will siphon off of everything, whether it’s poor people or disenfranchised cultures all the way across the world just to make their son happy, without properly taking the time to understand that culture, is pretty brilliant. I noticed a lot more subtlety with that specific example this time around.” —London

“I only noticed it on the second viewing, but the film opens and closes on the same shot. Socks are drying on a rack hanging in the semi-basement by the window. The camera pans down to a hopeful Ki-Woo sitting on his bed… if the film shows anything, it might be that the ways we usually approach ‘solving’ poverty and ‘fixing’ the class struggle often just reinforce how things have been since the beginning.” —Houston

The birth of the #BongHive

London-based writer and Letterboxd member Ella Kemp attended Cannes for Culture Whisper, and was waiting in the Parasite queue with fellow writers Karen Han and Iana Murray when the hashtag #BongHive was born. Letterboxd editor Gemma Gracewood asked her to recall that day.

Take us back to the day that #BongHive sprang into life. Ella Kemp: I’m so glad you asked. Picture the scene: we were in the queue to watch the world premiere of Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite at Cannes. It was toward the end of the festival; Once Upon a Time in Hollywood had already screened…

Can you describe for our members what those film festival queues are like? The queues in Cannes are very precise, and very strict and categorized. When you’re attending the festival as press, there are a number of different tiers that you can be assigned—white tier, pink tier, blue tier or yellow tier—and that’s the queue you have to stay in. And depending on which tier you’re in, a certain number of tiers will get into the film before you, no matter how late they arrive. Now, yellow is the lowest tier and it is the tier I was in this year. But, you know, I didn’t get shut out of any films I tried to go into, so I don’t want to speak ill of being yellow!

So, spirits are still high in the yellow queue before going to see Parasite. I was with friends and colleagues Iana Murray [writer for GQ, i-D, Much Ado About Cinema, Little White Lies], Karen Han [New York Times, Vanity Fair, Vulture, The Atlantic] and Jake Cunningham [of the Curzon and Ghibliotheque podcasts] who were also very excited for the film. We queued quite early, because obviously if you’re at the start of a queue and only two yellow tier people get in, you want that to be you.

So we had some time to spare, and we’re all very ‘online’ people and the 45 minutes in that queue was no different. So we just started tweeting, as you do. We thought, ‘Oh we’re just gonna tweet some stuff and see if it catches on.’ It might not, but at least we could kill some time.

So we just started tweeting #BongHive. And not explaining it too much.

#BongHive

— karen han (@karenyhan)

May 21, 2019

Within the realms of stan culture, I would argue that hashtags are more applicable to actors and musicians. Ariana Grande has her army of fans and they have their own hashtag. Justin Bieber has his, One Direction, all of them. But we thought, ‘You know who needs one and doesn’t have one right now? Bong Joon-ho.’

And so, you know, we tweeted it a couple of times, but I think what mattered the most was that there was no context, there was no logic, but there was consistency and insistence. So we tweeted it two or three times, and then the film started and we thought right, let’s see if this pays off. Because it could have been disappointing and we could have not wanted to be part of, you know, any kind of hype.

SMILE PRESIDENT @karenyhan #BongHive pic.twitter.com/Dk7T8bFYtv

— Ella Kemp (@ella_kemp)

May 21, 2019

But, Parasite was Parasite. So we walked out of it and thought, ‘Oh yes, the #BongHive is alive and kicking.’

I think what was interesting was that it came at that point in the festival when enthusiasm dipped. Everyone was very tired, and we were really tired, which is why we were tweeting illogical things. It was late at night by the time we came out of that film. It was close to midnight and we should have gone to bed, probably.

Because, first world problems, it is exhausting watching five, six, seven films a day at a film festival, trying to find sustenance that’s not popcorn, and form logical thoughts around these works of art. Yes! It was nice to have fun with something. But what happened next was [Parasite distributor] Neon clocked it and went, ‘Oh wait, there’s something we can do there’. And then they took it, and it flew into the world, and now the #BongHive is worldwide.

I love the formality of Korean language and the way that South Koreans speak of their elders with such respect. I enjoyed being on the red carpet at TIFF hearing the Korean media refer to Bong Joon-ho as ‘Director Bong’. It’s what he deserves!

I like to imagine a world where it’s ‘Director Gerwig’, ‘Director Campion’, ‘Director Sciamma’… Exactly.

Related content:

Ella Kemp’s review of Parasite for Culture Whisper.

Letterboxd list: The directors Bong Joon-ho would like you to watch next.

Our interview with Director Bong, in which he reveals just how many times he’s watched Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho.

“I’m very awkward.” Bong Joon-ho’s first words following the standing ovation at Cannes for Parasite’s world premiere.

Karen Han interviews Director Bong for Polygon, with a particular interest in how he translated the film for non-Korean audiences. (Here’s Han’s original Parasite review out of Cannes; and here’s what happened when a translator asked her “Are you bong hive?” in front of the director.)

Haven’t seen Parasite yet? Here are the films recommended by Bong Joon-ho for you to watch in preparation.

With thanks to Matt Singer for the headline.

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thefahc-motheringvampire · 4 years

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Okay so I accidentally deleted it, but @watchthe-queenconquer submitted an ask about Geoff and Jack adopting Gavin so he can’t get deported, in the same vein as my headcanon about them being married. And uh, my hand slipped.

FAHC headcanon: Gavin was adopted by Geoff and Jack.

He cheekily calls them ‘mum’ and ‘dad’, and everyone else thinks he’s joking. Even when he insists he’s being completely serious, can anyone actually take Gavin at his word? Geoff calls him ‘son’, when the mood strikes him, but that’s not really a clear indication of anything.

But that’s how the brit ended up joining the crew. It’s still the early days, “crew” was a nice word, it was more like a group of loose affiliates Geoff and Jack could more or less depend on to not fuck them over. They were moving up in the world, but still had a long climb to the top. At least they had a steady base of operations now (two bedrooms and the landlord accepted cash). But back to Gavin: they had stumbled on him by accident. A job required a hacker to get past a security system, and while they were fretting about what the fuck they were going to do about that, this idiot descended from the heavens and tried to boost Jack’s car.

He was unsuccessful, obviously, losing quite quickly in the ensuing fistfight. When Jack threatened to report him to the cops (a laugh in and of itself, like she was going to call the police), the kid completely broke down and promised he would do anything she wanted in penance. Among the blubbered offerings were his skills with computers, and Jack decided to be merciful and accept his proposition.

That started their acquaintance with Gavin. He did a good job and seemed eager to work for them, so they called him whenever they needed a hacker. Kid didn’t have a car though, always needed to be picked up and dropped off. Geoff joked with Jack that they were picking up their son from school.

Something that nagged at Geoff though was that they rarely dropped him off at the same place twice. He would have guessed homeless, but Gavin was always clean and dressed nicely. Better than Geoff was, usually. When he asked about it, Gavin brushed it off; he wasn’t exactly here legally, so he was couch surfing until he could figure out the best way to secure citizenship. He was only 17 after all, and he looked it. It was proving difficult to forge his documents.

One night they’re back at the apartment after finishing a job. It’s pissing rain outside and everyone is soaked (because SOMEONE forgot where they parked the car and Jack swears it’s the last time she’ll let Geoff drive). Geoff’s in a good mood though, they were successful and there’ll be a big payout waiting for them tomorrow. He cracks out the beers, but notices Gavin edging his way to the door.

“Should probably pop off, friends’re expectin’ me,” he offers lamely. Geoff starts feeling around for his keys (which are in Jack’s pocket but he’s already forgotten her oath), but Gavin stops him, “Oh don’t worry ‘bout it. It’s not far, I can walk.”

Geoff won’t hear it though, because despite his best intentions he’s developed a soft spot for Gavin and his well being, and insists on driving. Gavin seems uncomfortable with it, but goes along because what else is he going to do? So Geoff drives him and Gavin waits on the curb until he’s gone (“It’s just British etiquette mate”). While he’s driving home he gets a text from Jack demanding ribs from that place across town (”you owe me for making me walk around in the rain asshole”), so he sighs and continues his adventure. Good thing he was such a devoted husband.

40 minutes later he’s on his way back, passing through the same neighborhood he dropped Gavin off in. He’s surprised to see a familiar skinny silhouette walking in the rain. Geoff slows the car and rolls down the window, calling out Gavin’s name. The kid jumps and turns, and has a weird mix of relief and trepidation on his face. Closer up, Geoff is able to see a puffy eye and a split lip.

“Hey man, you okay?” Geoff is all fatherly concern and friendly confusion.

“Wot…oh yeah I’m toppers. Just uh…bit of a tiff with my friend, yeah? Boys’ll be boys, you know how it is.” Gavin is smiling but it isn’t reaching his eyes. The rain continues to pour, making his hair plaster around his face and add to the pathetic look.

“Do you need a place to stay tonight?” That’s not the question Geoff wants to ask. He wants to ask where this asshole who thinks he can beat up on Gavin is. But the kid seems out of sorts and Geoff doesn’t want to upset him further.

“Don’t worry ‘bout me, I’ll figure something out. Thanks though.” As if he really believes Geoff is just going to leave him there in the rain with a busted face and no place to go.

“Gavin, get in the fucking car.” Kingpin Geoff is out, and Gavin hurries to obey the strict tone. He’s quiet at first, like he’s struggling with something that needs to be said but isn’t wanted.

“I uh, don’t have any money on me, but you can take what you want from my cut of the job,” he decides on, watching Geoff carefully.

“I don’t want your money, Gavin,” the older man replies, a lot gruffer than he intended. Still in kingpin mode.

“Right,” Gavin says quietly, almost to himself, “ ‘course not.” He cheers right up after that, and begins chattering blithely about nonsense like whether or not Geoff thinks dogs know they’re dogs. The tenseness eases up. They get back to the apartment, the evening winds down, Geoff has packed away his vengeance in a box, to open later. After her ribfest Jack turns in for the night, and it’s just Geoff and Gavin sitting on the couch, watching TV.

And Geoff’s enjoying it; he likes Gavin, and there’s an anxiety in him he didn’t know he had that’s calmed tonight, because he knows the kid is safe. And he looks over and smiles at Gavin and it’s just a peaceful pure moment and it feels good.

The next thing he knows, Gavin is on top of him, hand on his crotch and kissing him. Geoff isn’t able to process exactly what’s happening, and a pulse of arousal shoots through him, responding to the kid’s touch. Gavin’s lip has re-split open and all Geoff can taste is blood. It doesn’t take his conscious brain long to kick in. He pushes Gavin off and stands up, creating some distance between them.

“What the fuck was that?” Geoff asks before he can stop himself, still not putting the pieces together. He’s looking down at Gavin and the kid looks scared out of his mind, and Geoff knows that feeling. I’ll do anything you want, just don’t hurt me. Please daddy, just don’t hurt me. And then it dawns on him, and he’s sitting down heavily, head in his hands. He realizes what Gavin thought the price for a place to sleep was.

Several emotions wash over him all at once. Anger. Grief. Disgust. It takes him a second to collect himself, to stifle the feelings in his throat threatening to bubble out. Next to him Gavin hasn’t moved, and the blood has started to dribble down his chin.

“Are you mad at me Geoff?” Gavin asks in a tiny voice that absolutely breaks Geoff’s heart. It helps ease the grip around his throat his anger currently has.

“No Gavin. I’m not mad at you.” He’s pinching the bridge of his nose and his eyes are squeezed shut, he doesn’t trust himself to look at the kid again, not yet, “is this…what always happens when you need a place to sleep?”

“Yeah. They don’t pay me but they buy me stuff sometimes.” Gavin’s unfrozen, but he’s keeping his distance from Geoff, making himself as small as physically possible at the other end of the couch. Eying up the door, calculating an escape route.

“Is this…something you want to be doing?” Geoff doesn’t want to hear the answer.

“You having a laugh? ‘Course I don’t want to be fucking men my dad’s age. Don’t really wanna be fucking men at all, honestly. But if that’s what I gotta do to survive, it’s what I’ll do.” There it is. The anger’s back, threatening to overwhelm Geoff. He wants to know who did this, who forced this kid to believe that no kindness comes without a price. Seventeen goddamn years old. All Geoff wants in this moment is to burn this entire city to the fucking ground.

Instead he takes a deep breath and finally trusts himself to look at Gavin. The terror’s gone but the kid’s guard is still up, “Okay listen up. I’m not going to force you to do anything you don’t want to,” Geoff starts, and he can practically see Gavin shut down, “but if you need a place to stay and don’t want to fuck anybody to get it, you can crash with us. As long as you want. No strings.”

“For real?” Gavin’s afraid to trust what Geoff says, and it cuts deep.

“For real.”

That’s how Gavin starts living with them. Geoff has a talk with Jack, and they take the money they were saving for a new car and put it to a new use. It’s a few weeks until things come to fruition, but when they do Geoff is excited like a kid at Christmas and it takes everything in him to not ruin the surprise.

“Wot’s all this then?” Gavin asks, coming into the kitchen. There’s a questionably made cake courtesy of Jack (but Geoff helped decorate) and a neat stack of papers at Gavin’s place.

“Well if you’re going to join our crew there’s some paperwork you have to submit first,” Jack quips, smirking.

It doesn’t take the golden boy long realize she’s joking, but he’s not getting the joke, “These are adoption papers?”

“Geoff and I have begun to long for the pitter-patter of tiny feet. Yours are a bit bigger than we’d like, but we’ll make do,” Jack is teasing this out as long as she can, much to the torment of Geoff next to her.

“I don’t get it.”

Geoff finally bursts, “you won’t be deportable if we adopt you, dummy.”

“You’re serious?” Gavin is incredulous, still waiting for the other boot to drop. People in his world weren’t ever so generous.

Geoff’s in the middle of telling Gavin about how he married Jack, how much worse off could he do, when Gavin hug-tackles him. He’s trying hard not to cry, but Geoff can feel two wet spots growing on his shirt. Which is just as well, because Geoff’s crying too. And his little family grows by one.

#I'm sorry it took so long #I got lost in the sauce #gonna call this the wholesome family au #fahc #fahc au #fahc headcanon #fahc fanfiction #fahc geoff #fahc jack #fahc gavin #ragehappy #ficlet #tw: blood #writing

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fink-le-freak · 4 years

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@mikey-putrid and I have this weird little desert town we created called Halflight and I want to share some of the character blurbs we wrote for the citizens

Notable Locations Within Halflight

-Halflight General Hospital

-Halflight Public Library

-Halflight Grammar School

-Halflight Town Hall

-The Flock and Feather

-Dragon's Keep Games and Comics

-Feline Good

-Pins N' Needles

-Ink Addicts

-Rose's Antiques

-Theodore's Oddities and Enchantments

-Kelly's Judo Club

-New to You

-Sunny Valley Nursing Home

Dr. Elsie O'Dalaigh, 54: The town's most beloved doctor. Her dry wit and eccentricities may put you off at first, but she's a very warm and wise woman and should you fall ill or find yourself hurt, you will be in good hands. She's originally from Dublin and has a fair number of stories to tell from her wild youth in Ireland. She has an affinity for all things macabre but especially spiders. You might find her dozing off on her porch swing or enjoying a cup of tea with a friend. You're always welcome to join her and her spouse for dinner.

Dr. Ivan Vasilevsky, 39: A sickly doctor who recently came to town from New York City because the air quality was better for his lungs. He's very brilliant but hardly friendly and very private. Because he's fairly well known, patients come from across the country seeking his care. The only person he seems friendly with is his nurse, Cameron.

Dr. Andre Jimenez, 34: An anthropomorphic parrot surgeon at Halflight General Hospital. He's a total social butterfly and loves to talk, talk, talk. He has trouble keeping secrets and falls into gossip frequently. He's well liked by all his colleagues, all but Dr. Vasilevsky that is.

Johnathan "Johnny" Ross, 20: A cowardly and sensitive young man with a passion for piercing. Though only an apprentice, he's very knowledgeable about body modification and keeps his own piercings immaculate. His motorcycle is also kept in pristine condition. He's also quite shy and is hardly ever seen without his girlfriend, Loretta.

Venus Estelle, 31: A laid back frilled lizard woman that claims to see the future through the smoke from her pipe. She's very transparent and sees no reason to keep secrets about herself. She has nothing to hide. She has a passion for music and plays drums in a local punk band, The Heart Electric.

Kaisei "Kai" Kelly, 56: A very stoic and serious judo instructor. His father was a boxer in Ireland and ever since childhood, Kai has been enthralled by martial arts. He fancies himself a train enthusiast and has a large collection of model trains in his home. His serious nature and brute strength can make him rather intimidating but his husband Rodney finds him cute. He visits his family in Kyoto every spring.

Rodney Kelly, 59: The gym teacher at Halflight Grammar School. Originally from Edinburgh and standing a diminutive 5'2", Rodney more than makes up for his height with personality. He's encouraging, kind, hyperactive and loud. Very, very loud. Fitness has always been an important part of his life, even at nearly 60. He does his best to make gym class a fun place for all instead of a source of bullying and stress for those who don't like team sports.

Jeremy Fox, 19: A brilliant college student neck deep in conspiracy theories. He's very paranoid and distrusting, often to his detriment. He wants to prove to his professors that aliens exist though none of them will give him the time of day. When he isn't studying or trying to prove his theories, he can be found practicing his bass guitar or stargazing. He and his older sister like to unwind by smoking pot and watching sci-fi movies. He's one of Johnny's closest friends.

Jodie Fox, 23: Jeremy's cheerful, supportive yet ditzy older sister and roomate. She let him move in with her after their parents kicked him out for being gay. She doesn't understand a lot of what he talks about but she's happy he's passionate about something. Her bedroom is filled with Care Bears merchandise and colorful collectibles. She's rarely seen without her sticker covered roller skates. The two siblings live in the apartment right above Johnny and Loretta.

Sunny McIntyre, 30: An anthro horse gym rat and fitness trainer. Her cheerfulness is contagious and her motherly nature makes her easy to talk to. Her thick southern drawl might make it hard to understand her though. She always looks on the bright side and doesn't have a pessimistic bone in her body. In addition to being a die hard Bon Jovi fan, she enjoys fishing, hiking and hunting. She also hosts a transgender support group at her house.

Junichiro Oguma, 46: An overworked and underpaid pharmacy technician. Though very good at what he does, he isn't really a people person. He's rather grumpy and has little patience for foolishness. He's infamously difficult to work with due to his perfectionism. He holds himself to ridiculously high standards and gets upset easily when he fails to meet his own expectations. His wit is drier than the desert itself.

Edward Dowler, 68: A retired illustrator living comfortably at the Sunny Valley Nursing Home. He takes his sketchbook everywhere and may sheepishly ask you if you would mind posing for a portrait. He's a gentle soul and a firm believer in the power of pacifism. He's very close to his adopted daughter and three grandsons.

Joanne Lawrence, 47: The owner of Joanne's Diner. She bought the place almost 20 years ago and turned it into a comfortable, 1950's style diner popular among bikers and travelers. She's very blunt and hates wasting time but if you treat her well, she'll treat you well. Threaten her livelihood however and you will pay dearly. Regulars might call her Mama because she takes such good care of them.

Dennis "Moose" Bowen, 52: The cook at Joanne's. He's a people pleaser and will do whatever a customer asks to make sure they enjoy their meal. Hearing someone say they didn't like his food is like a knife through the heart. He prefers to stay in the background and not call too much attention to himself. Joanne calls him Moose because of his large size.

Hilda "Mouse" Calhoun, 21: A demon waitress at Joanne's. Contrary to what you might believe, she's very down to earth and sweet. She's not here for souls or bringing you to damnation, she just wants to serve pancakes and save money for beauty school. Her petite build makes her the Mouse to Dennis's Moose.

Wally Mack, unknown but born before 1956, mentally and physically around 21-24: A living humanoid shadow that can usually be found on a wall at Joanne's. He's chatty and perky and loves to dance. He's able to interact with others through their shadows. If Wally was to touch your shadow's shoulder, you would feel it. He likes to play harmless pranks on Dennis.

Tiffany "Tiff" Cain, 25: An anthropomorphic eagle bartender at her father's restaurant, The Flock and Feather. She also volunteers to work with children with special needs on weekends. She's very patient and a daredevil at heart. Her straightforward, casual attitude makes guests comfortable and keeps them coming back. She may be seen skateboarding around town.

Hisao Nakajima-Stewart, 33: The recently appointed head librarian at Halflight Public Library. He's rather sarcastic and moody but becoming a father has softened him up. He's very passionate about high fantasy and hosts Dungeons and Dragons sessions at his house every week. He spoils his chihuahua, Kotori, rotten with all kinds of pretty dresses and toys. He loves his husband, daughter and newborn son dearly.

Delwyn Morgane, 29: An employee at Dragon's Keep Games and Comics. When his shift ends, he dons a full suit of armor and obsessively hunts down dragons, or at least tries to. He's yet to actually kill a dragon. He's quite handsome but has a few screws loose. He plays Dungeons and Dragons with Hisao and friends every Thursday night.

Klaus Brunsvold, 70: A quiet and hardworking man originally from Norway. English is not his first language but he's slowly improving thanks to his coworkers. Though he might look imposing, his warm smile puts people at ease right away. He works at the cat cafe, Feline Good, as a barista and gleefully serves customers fattigman and slices of ostekake. Goria says he has "big grandpa energy".

Jonas Ostergard, 61: A blunt, reclusive man that's easily recognized by his towering height and voracious appetite. Standing 8'2" in comparison to his wife's tiny 5', he's one of many oddities in this town. He's absolutely enthralled by zombies and robots and fills notebooks with detailed diagrams regarding them. He's often seen at the Flock and Feather, chatting up a storm with his friend Tiff. He has autism, ADHD and intellectual disabilities.

Jamie De Luna, 18: A scrawny young man enamored with anime and martial arts. He's a bit hotheaded and immature but nonetheless determined to become an MMA fighter. His younger sister Tala is his biggest fan and supports her nerdy big brother all the way. He loves cheesy kung fu movies and takes them very seriously. He thinks very highly of his judo teacher Kai and seems to think of him as a father figure.

Goria Stout, 15: A high school student and part of Hisao's Dungeons and Dragons group. She's partially an ogre, 25% to be exact, and admires her ogre grandfather greatly. However, at the same time, part of her has been made to feel ashamed of her pointed ears and blue skin. She's rather lazy and self centered, but occasionally shows a more warm side. She wants to study magic and become a feared sorceress but just doesn't have the natural ability to do so. She frequents the comic shop and is the only one that believes in Delwyn's quest to slay a dragon.

Wesley Eldridge, 19: The bratty and materialistic son of billionaires left to play in mommy and daddy's mansion. His parents are constantly traveling the world, so he spends his days lazing about and relishing his family's wealth. He's notoriously snobbish and will have no part in anything, or anyone, he deems beneath him. He's had a fondness for unicorns since he was a child and even owns a purebred Irish unicorn named Divinity Diamond. He's very protective of her and has no qualms about sending his guards after you if you dare harm her.

Renwick Ozul, 25: E-boy and aspiring model with a sour disposition. He's distrusting of others and keeps people at a distance, except for his close friend Missy. Despite his cold and calculating online persona, he's quite insecure and struggles with his body image. He can be rather rude and nasty but has his moments of vulnerability and kindness.

Chelsea Montgomery, 23: A quiet young woman who keeps to herself. Some people say she fades into the background. She's very creative and resourceful, cleverly finding solutions to most problems she faces. Her interests include anime, cosplay, drawing and video games. She's great with kids and would like to be an art teacher one day.

Dallas Silvers, 27: A monster hunter and unofficial sheriff of Halflight. She's bold and quick witted, outsmarting any beast that threatens the town and quickly subduing it or killing it. Her talent with a rifle is nigh unmatched in town. She's the second oldest of 11 children and adores her older brother, the bounty hunter Smokey Silvers. She finds it difficult to be open about her feelings but loves her family dearly.

(Characters below belong to my friend @mikey-putrid, follow him he's cool)

Brody Erickson-O'Dalaigh, 47: The town's resident maternal figure and unofficial monster hunter (or befriender, really). Their spunky, adventurous attitude often gets them into shenanigans, but they always manage to pull themself out. They are kind and loving towards everyone. No matter who or what you are, you are always invited to Brody's for a nice meal.

Landon Borowick, 26: Brody's, often unwilling, sidekick and a security guard at the local mall. He's a cowardly young man who would rather stay home and get stoned, but thinks of Brody as his hero and therefore ends up getting dragged along on their adventures. Despite his fearful nature, Landon is a physically intimidating person who will do anything to help a friend.

Darcy Cooper, 16: A rough and tumble student at Halflight Grammar School. Darcy moved to Halflight with her mother to open up a bakery, which doubles as their home, and she often makes deliveries on her bike. Her warm and friendly personality helps her to make friends easily. Usually covered in bandages, Darcy loves practicing stunts on her skateboard, as well as watching anime and playing video games.

Loretta Sims, 20: Johnny's girlfriend, aspiring cryptozoologist and collecter of cool antiques. Loretta is shy and timid, preferring to blend into the background and not draw attention to herself. She loves spending time in the forest and working on her ever growing scrapbook. She's never far from her beloved boyfriend.

Cameron Payette, 28: A nurse at Halflight General Hospital and Dr. Vasilevsky's live in assistant. Having grown up with 15 disabled and ill siblings, Cameron has developed a love of helping people, keeping them healthy and cheering them up with a silly song on their trusty ukelele. During their off time, they enjoy video games and sci-fi movies.

#oc #original character #long fucking post

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lena-in-a-red-dress · 6 years

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A Guardiancorp Pregnancy, Continued

Lena’s news hits like a sack of bricks, but James cannot stop grinning. In less than a week he’s knee deep in maternity books and researching classes for expecting parents. He’s not even a little bit ashamed to have Winn teasing him day in and day out because he can’t stop talking about it.

“Dude,” Winn says one night as they patrol quiet streets as Guardian. “What did your mom say?”

James stops dead in his tracks, stomach dropping to the bottom of his shoes.

Oh.

His mom knows he’s dating. She doesn’t know he’s dating Lena Luthor. Lena hasn’t even met his family.

“Dude? Still there?”

Oh shit.

Oh shit is the expression that freezes on Lena’s face when James proposes a visit to Metropolis. He should have suggested it after she was done chewing, because her mouthful catches in her throat, making her cough hard enough to make her eyes water.

“Oh,” is all she croaks when the obstruction clears. She takes another long swallow of her wine. Her eyes look anywhere but at him.

“We seem to be in the habit of doing things out of order,” James observes, as though it will ease the abruptness of it all. When no response comes, apprehension claws up his throat. “Lena?”

Across the table, Lena’s gaze has fallen to her lap, where he can see her arm fidgeting as her fingers work the edges of her napkin.

Desperate to put her at ease, James fills the silence. “Sorry to spring it on you--”

“No, it’s not that.” Lena’s voice still sounds hoarse, but this time not from near-choking.

“What’s wrong?”

Lena swallows, eyes lifting briefly to his before falling away. Guilt floods to her cheeks in a ruddy flush, staining her skin even as she lifts her shoulders in dismissal.

“I forgot you have family.”

Oh.

Shit.

James stares at the front door of his childhood home with Lena’s hand tight in his. He needs to be the one who believes this will go well-- Lena’s armor only goes as deep as the carefully crafted casual outfit she put on that morning. Her sundress is nice but far below her means, softening the imposing figure she usually cuts. From the way her hand smoothes the front of the dress, James knows Lena doesn’t feel comfortable in it. He wants to assure her that his mother and sister will love her, but…

He can’t.

The sound of silence rings in his ears, still echoing over the telephone line after he told his mother that the woman he’s bringing home for her to meet is Lena Luthor.

His own prejudice feels far away after knowing Lena so well, but it’s come roaring back to meet him in the days leading up to this visit. He remembers the days and nights spent in front of the television, watching Lex’s trial like a football game, rooting for his conviction, scoffing at his family’s heartache after the verdict was read.

Finally, they’d crowed, lifting their drinks in congratulatory toasts. Finally, they got their just desserts.

James doesn’t know if his mother will be able to see beyond that. Not for sure.

Lena’s hand squeezes even tighter, pulling James back to the first obstacle in his path: the door.

“Ready?”

The slightest hesitation is proof that she’s not.

“Absolutely,” she lies. He can hear the pleasant smile curling her lips, plastered on like she does for unpleasant meet and greets. Beneath it, he hears the truth that tickles in the back of his own mind as well.

Might as well get it over with.

James reaches out to knock. Before his knuckles can make contact, the door swings open.

Heart slithering up his throat, James plasters his grin in place at the sight of his sister.

“Hey, Tiff…”

“Jimmy.”

“Didn’t know you were going to be here this weekend,” he says, attempting to deflect from the fact he’d been banking on the fact she wouldn’t be.

“I bet,” comes the flat response.

Tiffany’s eyes glint like knives as she scrapes her gaze across the both of them. Her eyes narrow as Lena shifts forward, extending one hand with a smile. “Hi, I’m--”

“I know who you are.”

Tiffany gives Lena’s offered hand a dismissive glance before disappearing into the house, leaving the door gaping wide behind her. Lena’s hand closes, floating awkwardly in the air before coming down to clasp cover James’ hand. The comforting rub she gives is for him, driving the hurt deeper.

Don’t worry, the touch says. I didn’t expect anything less.

Together, they step over the threshold and onto the small landing inside. From there, they have the option of going up or going down via a pair of scissoring stairs. He’d never given them a second thought as a kid, but now he curses the narrow climb that forces Lena to trail just a few steps below as they head up to the sitting room.

There, Vivian Olsen comes bustling out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her flowered and floured apron. “About damn time! My baby boy finally come home to visit-- let me get a look at you!”

James grins, and Lena lets go of his hand so he can return the hug. “Hey, momma.”

His mom squeezes him briefly, and as she pulls away her hands squeeze his shoulders and arms in surprise. “You been working out?”

“Some,” he deflects, reaching behind him for Lena. Her hand returns to his, and she steps up with a dazzling smile. “Mom, this is Lena.”

“It’s such a pleasure to finally meet you, Mrs. Olsen,” Lena enthuses, extending her hand once more. “You have a lovely home.”

“Oh, why thank you,” Vivian returns with a carefully distracted smile. A timer in the kitchen beeps, and James watches his mother lift her hands. “My hands are filthy, I’d hate to get flour all over you.”

Lena retracts her hand yet again. The only sign of her hurt is the deep breath that inflates and collapses silently in her chest. James sidles closer, as if bodily contact will somehow ease the insult of his own family.

“Please, make yourselves comfortable,” Vivian urges. “Can I get you something to drink? Tiffany, get your brother something to drink while I check on dinner!”

“He can get his own damn drink,” Tiffany mutters from the couch, where she sits scrolling through her phone.

James’ glare is rivalled only by his mother’s. “Don’t make me tell you twice.”

Even Tiffany doesn’t dare argue with that voice. She rises, and only then does Vivian hurry back to the kitchen. Tiffany barely spares Lena a glance on her way towards the kitchen. “What can I get you?”

“Oh, I’m fine thanks,” Lena says quickly. Her smile is still in place, as though she hasn’t just heard the irritated exchange. “Really.”

“I’ll take a beer,” James declares with more force than necessary. “Chilled glass, if you got it.”

“We don’t.”

As soon as they’re alone, James turns to Lena. “Lena, I am so sorr--”

“No, don’t apologize.” Lena runs a hand up his side, nails scritching in reassurance. “I’m fine.”

“You shouldn’t have to be fine--”

“But I am. I’ve faced down entire boardrooms before-- this is nothing.”

But the shadow in her eyes is proof that it’s not nothing. This means more to her than any business transaction. This is family. His family. Soon to be the family their child will share.

“Don’t worry about me,” Lena murmurs, rocking onto her toes to press a kiss to his lips.

James chases her lips, returning her kiss with another. “I always worry about you.”

A grin against his lips answers him, and Lena melts just a little bit.

“Cute.”

Tiffany’s return snaps the rigidity back into Lena’s spine. She pulls away sharply, tucking her hair behind her ear like she’s been caught red-handed. Tiffany shoves a Coors into James’ hand, then stalks back to the couch. As she reclines, her legs strech diagonally across two cushions, relegating James to the two adjacent arm chairs. After draping his coat across the back of Lena’s seat, he perches on the arm of it, determined to remain at her side.

“Tiffany works for the State Department,” James offers, earning a death glare from his sister. “As a foreign liaison officer.”

Lena lights up at the information. “Oh, wow. That can certainly be a thankless job, but some of the embassies are so beautiful. Have you been assigned overseas?”

“Kind of in the job description.”

Lena refuses to be daunted. “Have you enjoyed your postings so far?”

Tiffany doesn’t respond.

When Vivian reemerges from the kitchen sometime later, she cuts a very different picture. Gone is the apron and bright enthusiasm for her son’s return. Armed with nothing but a wine glass and a sharp jawline, she is every inch the composed authority figure of James’ childhood. When she reclines into the spare arm chair, she does so as though it were her throne, crossing her long legs at the knee.

Lena’s smile doesn’t falter, but James can sense her gaze laser focused on Vivian. Recalling what he knows of Lillian Luthor, James can only wonder what similarities Lena is currently finding in the way his mom gestures between the two of them.

“So how does this work, exactly?” she asks. “She’s your boss, did I read that correctly?”

James leans forward. “Yes, she is. It’s a little unconventional, but at the executive level disclosure is enough to satisfy EEOC.”

“Not to mention any decision that would affect James personally would require approval from the board of investors,” Lena jumps in. “There’s adequate buffer to separate work and pleasure.”

“Oh good, so you can rape and pillage the working class hand-in-hand,” Tiffany mutters into her own wine glass. “Good to know.”

“Excuse me?” James fires back, even as his mother offers a gentle warning.

“Tiffany…”

“What? It’s true. And we all know that Daddy’d be rolling in his grave if he knew Jimmy sold his soul for a window office.”

The air in the room turns to ice. James can barely breathe, and suddenly Lena is squeezing his hand in reassurance.

“She doesn’t mean that,” Vivian says softly, her gaze warming slightly as she focuses on James and only James.

James grits his teeth. “Sure sounds like she does.”

“I think the only thing your father would be disappointed about is you giving up your passion, baby. You put such beauty in the world with your pictures, and you loved it. Why give that up?”

“Because there was nowhere else to grow, doing what I was doing. I was ready for something new, and the opportunity presented itself. And it’s good work! I like the challenge, I like the job.” Vivian tch’s, and resentment bubbles up at the sound. “What’s so hard to accept about that?”

Lena shifts forward in her seat, covering his knee with one palm. James feels the argument bubbling inside of her, but as soon as she takes a breath to speak, Vivian cuts her off smoothly.

“I think this is a conversation for family, dear.”

This time, there’s no flinch, no flash of hurt. Just that same breath, released in a soft sigh. “You’re right.”

Lena rises to her feet, smoothing her uncharacteristic dress and gathering her small purse in one hand, its long chain looped lazily around her wrist.

“But you should know, Mrs. Olsen, that CatCo has generated more than 3,000 jobs across the country, and is now the leading competitor in compensation and benefits packages in the industry. Since James took over, CatCo’s charitable dontations have more than doubled.

“James isn’t just good at his job-- he does good.”

James meets her gaze with a smile of his own, warming under the gentle adoration looking back at him. Neither Vivian nor Tiffany say a word. After a moment, Lena turns back to Vivian.

“Thank you for having me. It was a pleasure meeting you.”

He straightens to receive the kiss Lena presses to the corner of his mouth. James wants to wrap his arms around her and beg her to stay, or else take her hand and sprint out the door with her. But when she whispers take as long as need against his cheek, he knows he owes it to her, to himself and their unborn child, to stay and see this through.

She departs, and the door closes behind her with a hollow sense of finality.

“Are you out of your mind?” Tiffany all but explodes, rounding on him as soon as the door clicks shut. “A fucking Luthor?”

“How about you watch your damn mouth,” James snaps back. “She hasn’t done a thing to you but be civil--”

“And she’ll be civil with you right up until she puts a knife ‘tween your ribs! She’ll be civil all the way to the courthouse and all while she calmly explains how she had to do it for the betterment of humanity.”

James shakes his head. “Lena’s not like that. She is not her brother.”

“It’s not just her brother, Jimmy! Her whole damn family are murderers and thieves but you mean to sit there and tell me that she’s the miracle child who somehow ended up with the one soul among them? Fucking spare me. Like father, like mother, brother, and sister.”

“Naw,” James drawls, slumping back in his seat. “Not like sister. Just look at us-- I’m not as mean and hating as you.”

“But you was!”

James almost flinches at the accusation, unable to deflect the truth of it. Once upon a time he had been just as cruel, just as blind to the truth of who Lena was. He’d nearly driven Kara and Lena apart when Lillian escaped prison, and thank god he had failed.

“Tiff…”

“Save it,” his sister cuts him off with a slice of her hand. She shakes her head, climbing to her feet. “I can’t even with you right now.”

She disappears down the stairs, leaving James alone with his mother as the basement door slams shut behind her. James reluctantly meets his mother’s discerning gaze, chagrined for the antagonism, but not the fight. He waits for Vivian to speak, as he always does, knowing she already has plenty to say.

“What did you expect would happen, Jimmy?”

James shrugs. “I don’t know. I guess I hoped Lena might be welcomed by my family, if they knew she was someone I cared about.”

“But a Luthor…!”

“Momma, she’s not like them. You know I wouldn’t bring someone like that into this house.”

“Leaving Metropolis changed you, Jimmy. I don’t know what you’d do anymore.”

Vivian lacks Tiffany’s temper, but her disapproval is guts James deeper than anything Tiff could ever say. Tears burn at the back of James eyes as he nods.

“Okay,” he accepts, climbing to his feet. “All right.”

He plucks his coat from the back of the chair, and slings it over his shoulder by two fingers. As he fishes his keys out of his pocket, Vivian speaks up.

“Why would you even bring her here, Jimmy? Why now?”

James pauses. He and Lena had agreed that sharing the news would happen after dinner, once they were certain whether Lena would be tolerated. Lena likely had meant for the news to remain private if not, but James couldn’t leave with telling his mother the truth.

“So we could know whether the baby would have a grandmother.”

Vivian is the only contender, really, with Lillian in prison. His mother’s eyes grow wide, stunned silence marking the heartbeats that pass.

He tucks his hand into one pocket to hide the clench of his fingers. “But I won’t have my kid spend time with people who couldn’t find it in their hearts to make its mother feel welcome.”

James presses his lips together, holding his mother’s gaze for another beat. “It was good seeing you.”

He leaves without a hug or a kiss, without leftovers or the warmth of an evening well spent. Lena’s waiting in the car, with a tablet open in her lap. As soon as the door closes behind him James leans over and kisses her deeply.

He savors the tenderness of her lips, the way her fingertips press softly against his cheek.

When they part, they rest their foreheads together in quiet solitude. “I’m sorry that didn’t go the way you wanted,” Lena says softly.

James sighs. He’d been expecting resistance to Lena, but the attack on his profession had surprised him. Tiff’s words repeated in his brain on a loop. Daddy’d be rolling in his grave.

“She’s wrong, you know,” Lena murmurs, as though reading his mind. “Your dad would be so proud of what you do. As Guardian, and as James Olsen.”

He offers a tired smile. “Thanks for sticking up for me in there.”

“Always.”

They stay in Metropolis for a week. Lena uses the visit to tackle some face to face appointments in the Metropolis L-Corp branch, and James uses the time to get back to his roots. He takes his camera to the streets, and snaps the images that speak to him. Most of it is garbage, as it usually is, but the few he likes take his breath away. Nights are spent together in Lena’s loft, the one she never gave up when she moved to National City.

The space doesn’t feel any more like Lena than her room at the Baldwin once did, but it does feel more lived in than the hotel. By the end of the week, it feels almost like a home. Two days before they leave to go home, Lena takes one whiff of the best curry in the city and bolts for the bathroom, retching and heaving her guts into the bathroom toilet.

His attempts to hold her hair back are met with a groan and “just get it out of here!”

Lena’s building isn’t the kind where residents take out their own trash. They had people for that-- entire crews to come through and clean the place top to bottom and then disappear before the tenants even knew they were there. Tonight, James is that person.

He picks up the entire bag and hoofs it outside. The dark figure crossing the street towards the building catches his eye-- the scan he gives them is an old habit from even before he first left this city. The accompanying rush of fight or flight is not. His thoughts race to the woman heaving her guts out upstairs, and squares up.

“James.”

“Mom?” Vivian steps into the light, features solemn. “What are you doing here? How-- how did you even know where we were staying?”

His mother lifts an arch brow. “Whatever you’re paying your receptionist, it’s not enough.”

“My assistant is paid well above industry standard, thanks.” James moves towards the alley, but gives no protest when she follows him. “If you’re here to kiss and make up just so you can play gramma, we’re not interested.”

“I figured you had the kissing covered.”

James pegs her with a glare as he swings the take out into the dumpster. He hears his mother shift uncomfortably behind him.

“I was wrong,” she says.

That gives James pause. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say that.”

Vivian offers a wry smile. “And you won’t again,” she volleys back. “But this once, I am. When you told me who you were bringing home, I figured I knew everything about her that I needed to. But after you left, I did some research.”

A smug grin nudges James’ lips. Being head of CatCo means he knows exactly what kind of information he found-- headlines lauding Lena’s philanthropy, three TEDTalks in the past eight months, L-Corp’s newest medical tech breakthrough. Not a single black mark to be seen.

He’s not quick to forgive. “So, tonight has nothing to do with the fact a baby is on the way and you want in?”

“That’s not fair.”

“What’s not fair is the way you treated Lena. And me.” James shrugs, and starts heading back towards the lobby. “We both know that dad would be proud of me no matter what I do, so long as I was happy. And I am. So you can take your--”

“Jimmy...”

“It’s James. Has been for a while now.” He shifts his weight, hesitant. “You’re here. Where’s Tiffany?”

“I can’t speak for your sister. But are you honestly surprised she reacted the way she did? It wasn’t so long ago that you were right there with her.”

James almost flinches at the reminder. He’s not proud of it, and wishes he’d never assumed those things about Lena. Every time he remembers, he wonders if Lena thinks about it just as much.

“Yeah, I was,” James admits, unable to deny it. “But I was wrong. And I guess part of me hoped my family wouldn’t make the same mistake I did.”

A car drives past, and the world around them floods breifly with light before a red haze surrounds them. Vivian doesn’t take her eyes off him for a second.

“Would Lena really deny me the chance to be a grandmother?” she asks.

James freezes. Then he scoffs in disbelief. “Lena was ready to stay home alone and let you have alternating holidays, just so our kid could have a grandparent! I’m the one who’s insisting on it being a package deal. It’s all or nothing, because my kid won’t have anyone in his family who can’t make room for his mom. That’s my choice.”

For the first time his life, James sees guilt in his mother’s eyes. This is the moment they talk about, he realizes-- the moment when a parent becomes human in their child’s eyes. Fallible. One day it’ll be him and his kid, but right now, all he feels is disappointment that this what pulled the veil from his eyes. That in gaining Lena, he loses a piece of his mother.

“I’m sorry,” she says softly. Again, James is floored by the admission. “Truly, James. I am.”

No words come to Jame’s lips, censored by the sudden lump in his throat.

“There’s a lot I don’t understand about where your life has taken you, and I know that’s my fault. I should have been more supportive of your move to National City, and the opportunities you’ve made for yourself. And I should have known you wouldn’t bring home anyone short of an amazing woman. I look forward to knowing Lena better… if you’ll let me.”

James wants to believe her. His instinct is not to. His instinct is to protect, both Lena and the baby. But it’s the thought of Lena in the penthouse above that smoothes his hackles, and allows the first hints of forgiveness creep to the surface.

“If you really mean that…”

“I do.”

He releases the breath that’s been trapped in his chest for the past week. “Then I’m not the only one you need to apologize to.”

When he opens the door to the penthouse, the retching has thankfully stopped. They step into the living just as Lena re-emerges from the bedroom, one hand quivering around her throat.

“I hope that’s not a permanent developm-- oh.” Her cheeks flush at the sight of Vivian. She straightens imperceptibly, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Mrs. Olsen. We… welcome.”

James smiles softly. This is the real Lena. Her hair is long and loose around her face, and her loose top may complement simple leggings, but still hints at the money behind it. Maybe a little darker, maybe a little sharper, but honest.

He watches the breath that lifts Lena’s shoulders, and the smile that creases her features.

“We were just going to try finding something else for dinner,” she offers hesitantly. “Join us?”

The tension bleeds from Vivian in a single exhale.

“I would love to.”

#not quite a prompt #but still in the same verse #guardiancorp #pregnant #lena luthor #james olsen #guess who has a family??#this was supposed to be 2k shorter #but then i needed to flesh out vivian and tiffany #i fancast lorraine toussaint as vivian #and tegan price as tiffany #yes james is a baby #and yes i have a reason that tiffany is so hardcore anti-luthor #hello backstory that no one asked for #but hey-o #here we are #there's not enough time in the world for all this stuff

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incorrectdeceptionquotes · 6 years

Text

A Coffee Connection Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Day Five, three days before the wedding [Afternoon]

Tiffany dragged Kay to the bridal suite, “You are going to love this Kay.”

Kay chuckled, “How will I know if you don’t tell me?” When Kay was brought in, she saw her older cousin standing over several white dress boxes, “Hillary? Penelope?”

Penelope smiled at her, “Hey Kay. I’m glad you’re here.”

“What’s going on? Where are the others?”

Tiffany, Hillary and Penelope smiled at each other. “Well, we wanted it to be just the four of us.” Tiffany said, “It’s been a while since we’ve had a one-on-one... on-one-on-one talk.”

“And we wanted to show you something before we showed the other bridesmaids.” Penelope said, “Now I’ve seen the wedding dress and the bridesmaids’ dresses and while they are... beautiful. I happened to mentioned to Tiff that both she and her bridesmaids might have trouble moving around at the reception so I came up with an idea.”

Kay raised her eyebrow as Tiffany continued, “After the first dance and the group dance we’ve been practicing, Penelope came up with the brilliant idea for a costume change.”

Both of Kay’s eyebrows went up, “A costume change?”

Penelope nodded, opening up one of the boxes and taking out a metallic yellow dress. It had sweetheart neckline with mid-length sleeves, and the skirt would still puff out but it wasn’t a tulle skirt. Now, the colour wasn’t much better than the highlighter yellow bridesmaid’s dress but Kay had to admit she liked the style a lot better even if it was one she wouldn’t choose to wear. “Now I think this dress will be easier to move around in,” Penelope said.

“I tried mine on, it’s super comfortable.” Hillary said.

“It is very nice.” Kay said, “Penelope, this is your work, isn’t it?”

“I’m so glad you noticed.” Her older cousin smiled.

Tiffany clapped her hands, “And she even made matching ties for the groom and groomsmen”

“It’s the least I can do.” Penelope said. They then all sat down around the table, “So Kay, tell me about this Cameron.”

Kay felt her cheeks heat up, “Oh, th-there’s not really much to tell... besides should we be talking about Tiffany, it is her wedding we’re here for.”

Tiffany waved her hand, “Oh, come on, everyone knows my story, tell us about you.”

Kay chuckled, “There really isn’t much to tell.”

“Oh come on now.” Tiffany said taking her cousin’s hand, “Is he sweet with you?” Kay couldn’t help but blush as she remembered what had happened that morning, “He is, isn’t he?”

“Well... it’s not like he isn’t...” She said.

Hillary couldn’t help but giggle, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like this Kay.”

Kay raised an eyebrow, “Like what?”

“You’re... you’re head over heels for this man.”

“W-what?”

Tiffany nodded, “You are but... he has clearly got it worse for you.”

Kay gave a nervous chuckle, “Look guys. I-I don’t know what you’re talking about. I mean, I’m an FBI agent for crying out loud.”

Penelope shook her head, “Just because you’re an FBI agent doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to feel things Kay.”

“Do you love him?” Tiffany finally asked.

Kay pursed her lips for a moment, “Y-yes. I-I love him.” She finally admitted out loud. Tiffany and Hillary squealed and gave their cousin a great big hug, Kay felt the air get knocked out of her for moment. Then Penelope came around and hugged her three cousins tight, “Guys?” Kay spoke, “...Kinda need to breath.”

They laughed as they let go of their agent cousin. “Kay, wanna try on the dress. It’ll give me a chance to see if I need to make any changes.” Penelope asked.

“Uh... sure.”

They had Kay try on the dress. Unlike her cousins, dresses just weren’t really her thing so she couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable in it. She had to admit, it was a lot more comfortable than the dress she would be wearing for the ceremony. “Oh, Kay, that looks great on you!” Tiffany exclaim with glee. Just then Tiffany’s phone rang, “Hello? ...Oh hi honey... what’s that? ...Oh God. ...Yeah, I’ll let Kay know.”

“You’ll let Kay know what?” Kay asked raising an eyebrow.

“Um... Pierson punched Cameron.”

Kay’s eyes widened, “What!? Why?”

“Harris said something about Pierson being a drunken ass... which he’s not wrong about.” Tiffany shook her head, “He says Cam went back to your room so if you wanna go check on him.”

“Yeah, of course. I’ll see you guys later.” Kay said rushing out of the room, still in the dress.

“Uh, Kay-” She was already out the door, Hillary turned to her other cousins, “I don’t think she realized she was still in her dress.”

Penelope shrugged and chuckled, “She’ll figure in out then be back.”

Kay rushed down the hallway when she saw Pierson walking her way, “Afternoon Kay... love the dress, you wear these types of clothes more often.” Kay couldn’t control herself anymore and she clenched her fist and hit Pierson square in the jaw, “Ow! What the hell-”

“That is for punching my date.” She punched his arm very hard, “That is for sneaking in and having random sex in my hotel room the other day. And this-” She kneed him where the sun doesn’t shine, “-is because you’re an ass.” She headed back to her room. When she got there, she reached for her card key and then realized that it was still in her pants pocket, “Dammit.” She knocked on the door, “Cameron?” She knocked again, “Cameron? It’s me Kay. You in there?”

“Coming.” His muffled voice answered from behind the door. He opened the door, holding an icepack on his face, “Hey Kay.” He noticed her outfit, “Cute dress.”

Kay shook her head as she took his hand, pulled him over to the bed to get a good look at him, “What happened?”

Cameron sighed, taking the ice off his face, revealing a bruise forming on his cheek, “It’s not that bad.”

She took the ice pack from him and lightly touched his cheek making him flinch slightly, “What happened?”

“Well, I was with Harris and the other groomsmen and everything was going fine until-”

“Until Pierson showed up.” She guessed.

“How did you know?”

“I ran into him in the hallway, might have given him a piece of my mind... with my fists... and my knee.”

Cameron laughed, “Ouch, that had to hurt.”

“Why did he punch you?”

“He was making lewd comments and I asked him to cut it out he was clearly that it was making people uncomfortable. Then he said... something about you so I kind of went off on him which made him punch me. I think he might have been drunk.”

Kay sighed as she lightly pressed the cold pack against his bruised cheek, “That was really stupid Cameron.”

“Yeah, well... for you, it was worth it.” Cameron then smirked, “By the way, I need to ask about the dress. If I remember correctly, you were wearing a t-shirt and jeans.”

“I forgot I was still wearing this.” She shook her head, “Penelope came up with the idea for the bride and bridesmaids to wear more comfortable dresses for the reception.”

“Wait, am I supposed to see you wearing that before the wedding?” He joked earning him a light slap on the chest.

“Very funny.”

“You do look beautiful.”

Kay tried to hide her smile, “Yeah right.”

“I’m serious. Besides, this dress makes you look less like Princess Bubbleyum’s lemon-scented sister.”

Kay chuckled, “You’re an idiot.”

He shrugged, “I’m your idiot.”

She smiled taking the ice pack off his face, “I guess you are.”

He smirked, “Can this idiot get a kiss to feel better?”

She laughed, “A kiss?”

“Well, I am in pain after all.”

She smirked back, “You’ve had worse.” Cameron pouted making Kay stifle a laugh, “Oh, alright... you big baby.” She cupped his face and placed a feather-light kiss on his nose.

He smiled, “Not exactly what I had in mind but I’ll take it.”

She rolled her eyes and was about to lean in again when just then, someone knocked on the door. Kay went up to answer, “Nana?”

Her grandmother was holding a white box, “Hi Little Lady, the girls told me you left your clothes behind in Tiffany’s room when I went to check up on you all.” She noticed Cameron sitting on the bed, “Oh, hello Cam.”

He waved, “Grandma Daniels.”

“What happened to your face?”

“Uh...”

“Pierson was being an ass.” Kay said bluntly.

“Oh dear. You know, I never liked that boy, nothing like his sister.” The old woman said, handing her granddaughter the box, “Are you alright?” She asked Cameron.

“Yeah, I’m fine. No need to worry. Hopefully, it’s a good thing that I’m not the one getting married otherwise I’d be worried about the bruise not healing in time.” He joked

“Well, feel better dear. Take care of each other.”

“We will Nana. You sure you don’t want to stay for coffee or something?”

“Oh no, I’m off to take a nap and coffee will just keep me awake.” Kay’s grandmother smirked, “I’ll let you two get back to business.”

Kay felt her face flush, “Nana! We weren’t doing anything!”

“Kay, you are a grown woman. You don’t need my permission to be intimate with your man.”

“We weren’t being intimate.”

“Yet.” Cameron spoke up.

“Cameron.” She shook her head, “Not helping.”

Grandma Daniels laughed as she walked away, “I’ll see you two later”.

Kay shook her head at her grandmother’s antics, “Bye Nana.”

When Kay closed the door and turned around, Cam spoke up, “Did I ever say how cool I think your grandma is?”

Kay chuckled, placing the box on her suitcase, “She’s... something.” She took her clothes out of the box and headed to the bathroom. She soon came back out wearing her blue shirt and jeans, ”Want some coffee?”

“Would love some.” He replied, “Could you add some cinnamon?”

“Cinnamon?” She asked as she readied the pot, “You like cinnamon now?”

Cameron shrugged, “It’s grown on me.”

She smirked, rolling her eyes as she waited for the coffee pot. Cameron got up from the bed, walked over to Kay, wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder, “Cam?”

“Sorry, it’s just that... it’s nice to have these quiet moments.”

She gave a small smile, “It is...”She turned around in his arms and rested her forehead against his, “It really is.” She lifted her hands and cupped his neck, “Thank you for coming with me.”

Cameron smiled, “Thank you for inviting me. I feel like I’ve gotten to learn more about you and well...” He leaned in and lightly pressed his lips against hers before pulling back, “I get to do that now.”

Kay grinned, “And I...” She pulled him in, giving him a deep kiss as she ran her fingers through his hair causing him to give a slight moan before she pulled back, “I can do that.”

“You’re amazing Kay.”

“So I’ve been told”

The coffee pot dinged and Kay playfully pushed Cameron to the side, “Really?”

“Well, I wouldn’t want to accidently spill coffee on you.” She smiled innocently.

Cam rolled his eyes as he sat at the foot of the bed, “Kay?”

“Hmm?”

“Want to finally go try the burgers at the pub here for dinner? Unless you had a big lunch.”

Kay thought for a moment, “I actually didn’t have lunch, was busy with the girls.” She said bringing the coffees over and sitting next to him.

“Early dinner then?” He said taking a sip of the hot drink.

“It’s a date.” Kay smiled.

“Unofficial date.”

Kay rolled her eyes, “Why is this so important to you?” She asked taking a sip of her coffee.

“You deserve the best.” He stated. He noticed Kay giving him a smile and a loving look in her eyes, “What is it?”

She took his hand in hers, “What did I do to deserve you?”

Cameron gave a nervous chuckle, “W-what are you talking about?”

“Cameron, I-I...”

“Yes?” He felt her grip on his hand loosen for a moment.

“I-I’m just... glad to have you in my life.” She said, kissing his cheek.

“Kay... I have to be honest with you” He said.

She took his mug and placed both on the table before coming back to sit on the bed, “What is it?”

“Kay... I know you deserve the best and I sure as hell intend to try and give you that because-”

She took his hands, “Cameron. You don’t need to prove anything to me.” She leaned in and kissed him.

Cameron’s eyes closed as Kay let her lips linger on his for a few moments, “I love it when you do that.”

She smiled, “Come on, let’s go have that early dinner date.”

“Let’s go.” He said taking her hand as they headed out the room. As they walked to the pub, Cameron wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

When they got to the pub, they ordered their burgers and fries along with beers from the local brewery. As they waited for their food, Stephanie walked over to them, “Hey guys.”

“Oh Stephanie. How are you?” Kay smiled.

“I’m great, just needed to take a walk and I’m getting some dinner for me and James to eat in our room.” The pregnant woman smirked, “I saw what you did to Pierson.”

“O-oh, about that-”

“Thank you for doing that!”

Kay became confused, “What?”

“That moron needed to be taken down a peg or two.” Stephanie laughed.

“Stephanie, I like the way you think.” Cameron said taking a sip of his beer.

“Number Eight! Two burgers, fries and onions!” The man behind the counter called out.

“Oh, that’s me.” Stephanie said, “Have a nice evening guys!”

Kay chuckled, “Bye Steph.” A few minutes later, their orders were brought to their table and they started eating and talking. They never seemed to run out of things to talk about. All of a sudden, Cameron stole one of Kay’s fries, “Hey!”

Cameron smirked, “You want it back?” He placed the fry between his teeth, “Come and get it.” Kay rolled her eyes and ripped half of the fry, taking it back. Cameron pouted, eating his half of the fry, “In hindsight that was a flawed concept.”

Kay smirked, “It was cute that you tried” Popping the fry into her mouth.

They soon finished their meal; they headed back to their room and decided to watch a movie.Kay laughed as Cameron made his comments, “Oh come on, how does she not know who Sophie’s father is at this point?”

“Well, you do you think it is?”

“I’d say Bill, just because it’s less obvious than Sam or Harry. You?”

“Personally, I think it’s Harry... but then again, I do have a bias for Colin Firth.”

Cameron raised an eyebrow, “Firth? Really?”

“What can I say? I was a fan of the original Mr Darcy.”

The movie soon ended and Cameron was still making comments about not knowing who Sophie’s father is, “We should probably get ready for bed.” Kay got dressed for bed as Cameron went to brush his teeth, when he came out, he saw Kay pull her hair out of her ponytail and became mesmerized.

“What?” She asked.

Cameron shook his head and cleared his throat, “N-nothing.”

They both climbed into bed and lay down, facing each other, “Good night Cameron.” Kay said as she closed her eyes.

Cameron smiled as he wrapped his arms around her, resting his head on hers, “Good night Kay” She wrapped her arms around him as she tiredly snuggled into his chest. When he knew she was asleep, he whispered, “I love you.” She didn’t hear him but she smiled in her sleep as Cameron held her a little tighter, thankful for whatever higher power brought Kay into his life and that she chose him.

Okay! After this, the wedding stuff is gonna get into full swing and it’s gonna be... interesting to say the least. Hope you guys liked this chapter, I know it was kind of filler but that’s because a whole LOT is gonna be happening soon so stay tuned for that!

Please tell me your thoughts, I love hearing what you guys think!

#deception #deception fanfiction #kay daniels #cameron black #kaymeron #a coffee connection #renewdeception #savedeception #deception abc

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digressfromreality · 7 years

Text

The Day The Tables Turned

Synopsis: This was PERSONAL. That much was obvious. What does one clown do when a mobster doesn’t learn his place in Gotham’s new criminal hierarchy? Of course, kidnap their life blood, the one that literally means more than the filthy air they breathe. First he isolates her, second manipulates her, third the mutual companionship was completely unexpected. Revenge at its finest.

Original Inspiration: Heath Ledger’s Joker Part 4 of 6

Warning: SMUT, DEATH, my terrible grammar lol

THE CHALLENGE

"Is the men ready?" His lieutenant shook his head.

"We're ready to send a message to the clown."

"Listen closely, I want to destroy that clown. If you see him, you litter the area with bullets. Anybody with a clown mask gets shot." He was about to end his rant but Maroni had one last thought, "Rip the masks off the women and bring them to me."

----------------------------------------

"GCN news hotline, Tiffany speaking, we are currently broadcasting. Please state your questions and/or comment and I will direct you to the right department." Tiffany waited patiently for the caller to answer.

"Well, Ms. Tiff-fawn-knee, ha ha ha." Joker swooned, "I crack myself up sometimes."

"Sir if you could please," Joker roared at her in rage.

"DID I SAY YOU CAN SPEAK, MHM?" Tiffany gasped in response, the voice terrified her.

"No." She replied in a small voice.

"Good, good." He chided her like a naughty child, "so Tiffany how's about you patch little ol' me through to Matty boy and Claire bear?"

"Sir I can't just send you through to the news castors, we are currently broadcasting." The voice was silent for a few moments before replying.

"How's bout this Tiffany? How's about I come down after work and gut you like a fish and string your intestines around like Christmas lights? Would that be better? I could layer with some green and purple shiny stuff, uh, tinsel? Yes, yes, I can see it now, the people will tell tales of their children of Tiffany the lowly operator who couldn't do one simple task,"

"Don't scare the poor girl," a woman in the background interrupted the terrifying rant. Tiffany could hear the male caller mutter something, and then she heard a loud smack and a yelp of surprise. "Please don't cut my face, anywhere but the face." The female voice cried out. Tiffany heard the yelp again.

"You wait your turn." The voice demanded. Another yelp could be heard again.

"Please sir, I'll send you through please just stop hurting her. All I need is a name to pass along to the floor managers."

"A yes doll," Tiffany let out a breath of air, she had caught this psycho's attention once more. "It's uh, the Joker."

----------------------------------------

"GCN News tonight reports several executions cited and several arrests made but not of the murderers. A clear message has been made to the Joker, escaped Arkham patient that terrorized Gotham just four years ago, the message is from what we, and the GCPD suspect, as from the Maroni crime family. Every male clown was lined up and shot in the back of the head with their masks on, while any female clowns had been stripped of their masks and tied together. Every female was shot except a few that were turned over to the police. We can't help but wonder why all were killed but the blonde participants?"

The anchor turned to his partner, "why do you think that is Claire?"

"Well, Matt I believe this has to do with a missing accountant. Three weeks ago, Ms. Codwell of Gotham Finance LLC was plucked out of her business and the building was burnt to the ground. Ms. Codwell had been seen and well documented on the charity circuit and working at several homeless shelters. Many of the surrounding businesses had only pleasant things to say about her and her work. It came as a surprise to them that GCPD had uncovered her dealings with the mob."

"Not surprising since her trading portfolios were the highest grossing in the financial district."

"Yes, Matt. Not a surprised that she was recruited by the Maroni family." She paused to clear her throat, "I'm wondering Matt why the Joker is so interested in Ms. Codwell? Her body hasn't turned up anywhere and the last mob accountant, Mr. Lau was found in a warehouse burnt to a crisp."

"This seems more personal than just a missing business associate."

"Well losing more money is personal for the mob. They lost millions last time."

"We at GCN News are receiving a phone..."

"Hheeellllloooo Gotham, did you miss me?" The Joker giggled. People at home watching could see the breath leave the news anchors' chests. "Aww….Matty and Claire I thought you guys would appreciate me calling you personally." Joker giggled. "Mikey never got a warming shout out like I will for you." Both anchors let out another strangled breath. After being kidnapped by the Joker, Mike Engel had to leave broadcasting. He couldn't handle the pressure anymore, he changed.

"What is it you want?" Claire asked bravely, but panicked, "Mr. Joker, sir?"

"Oh, I like you! Manners. Well to put it simple, we're all going to play a game. I've been locked up too long. Cage birds, want to be, uh, well uncaged. To fly free and peck some eyes out." Joker paused to laugh he could almost hear the trepidation through the phone. "But instead of having all the fun, I will give the citizens of Gotham a chance to participate. Three days for someone to kill Salvatore Maroni. Each day he still breathes Gotham will meet a side of chaos-sah that they will wish they hadn't. Now, toodle-loo Gotham. Matty. Claire."

----------------------------------------------

"Damn it!" Gordon threw his file down angrily. Loose papers flew from the manila folder. He warned Maroni that it would turn into a blood bath.

"Commissioner, the Mayor's office is on line one." He waved off his secretary, of course, the Mayor would rush to Gordon ready to press him on strategic plans and counter measures.

"I want Foley in here now!" Gordon shouted before picking up his phone. Foley entered his office as quickly as he could. It wasn't hard to figure out what Gordon was stressing about, they had all watched what had just aired. Gordon rubbed his head in anguish, the Mayor must have been grilling him for information about the situation. Gordon slammed the phone down with a sigh.

"Gordon?" Without looking up he answered his next in command.

"Set up task forces, include the riot and gang unit. This needs to be contained and done quickly. Understand?" Foley nodded leaving Gordon to mope. He knew deep down that this was already above their heads, hopefully Batman could save them. He would be mocked if anyone had caught on that he was working with Harvey's 'killer'. God have mercy on their souls if Batman ignored this trouble.

-------------------------------------

Alfred watched as Bruce began filling his utility belt, his mask still not yet on.

"Master Bruce what are we to do, these are two very powerful men."

"I can't just sit by and let this happen. The people of Gotham will be caught in the middle." He was more determined than ever to get out onto the streets. He needed to help contain this.

"Yes, but the last time the Joker had tested the citizens of Gotham he lost his gamble." Alfred added fearfully.

"Yes, because Harvey died!" Bruce slammed his fist against the mahogany desk. His arms trembling with rage...and guilt.

"This doesn't seem to be the case this time. It seems Mr. Maroni had done something to personally upset the Joker. And judging him taking his daughter this is calculated revenge."

"But what about the casualties Alfred? We cannot stand idly by and let more people die on our watch. There is too much blood on our hands already."

"I'm sorry about Ms. Dawes, but we cannot change what happen. You cannot storm in without a plan." Bruce clicked his cowl in place. He couldn’t wait anymore.

"I don't have time to sit around. THREE DAYS, Alfred. I need to end this before it gets out of hand." Alfred bit back a response as Bruce put on his mask. There was no talking him out of this disastrous plan.

-----------------------------------------

"Now Rosey, why did you have to make me do that?" Joker watched her cradle the side of her face. He almost nicked her eye, he had been too impatient, and therefore he couldn't keep nice things. He played too rough with his toys. He waved his hand at her, "let's play doctor and I'll make you feel aalllll better."

"Fine." Joker rubbed his hands together and began to examine his 'patient'.

"Now, lay down and lift up your dress."

"How is that going to help my face?" Joker shoved her down on the lumpy couch. His hand putting pressure on her chest.

"Shh...shh... Doctor knows what's best. Uh, open your legs a bit."

"What are you going to do?" Joker pulled a rag from his pocket and stuffed it in her mouth. She was asking too many questions.

"As much as I like hearing your luscious screams, you're distracting the doctor." He grinned as her muscles clenched under his calculated finger movements. "How's bout we take a closer look-see, mhm?" Before she could do anything, Joker had hooked her knees over his shoulder and slid his tongue quickly up her slit.

He felt her buck from the sudden pleasure. "More tense that I thought, should we continue the procedure?" He grinned extra wide when she hesitantly shook her head up and down. Her happy tears mixing with the blood from her wound. He inserted his fingers into her, pumping at a quick pace, his tongue matching his quick strokes over her clit. After about a minute or two she couldn't take it she wanted the gag out of her mouth. She ripped it out.

"Joker!" He smirked, raising an eyebrow at her. His tongue and fingers had traded places, she nearly jumped at the change. He kept his other hand firmly pressed against her hip. "Joker…jokerrr," she gasped getting close, "Joker please, ugh."

"Kind of busy doll, take a message." He went to bob his head back down but she grabbed his collar.

"Please. Unbutton. Pants." She panted out.

"And?" He laughed while maniacally staring down at her. He nipped at the hand restraining him.

"I'll show you." He grinned while shoving her legs from him, he plopped down on the couch and undid his belt. He continued to watch her as she loosened the front of his pants, grabbing what had been uncomfortably pressed against the seams of his pants. Yes, yes, her hands were soft, but he couldn't get lost in the subtle touches. He needed to see what, what his little Rose counted as a surprise.

She straddled him, her thick thighs engulfed the sides of his legs, her opening rubbing his head. Teasing more like it. Staring into her devious eyes, he watched her carefully kiss the end of his scars. The gentle gesture almost made Joker throw her off, but she had wrapped her arms around his shoulders and slammed him into her! Surprised he was!

"Bounce!" He growled at her, and she quickly obliged. Rose could feel his body whither and wince beneath her. Thinking there was too much friction from her harsh drops down, she tried to adjust her pace, but Joker was having none of that. He wanted to see her spill out of the top of her dress. Her pink nipples kept rubbing near the edges of the fabric. Her long blonde hair a frenzy cascading in different directions with every movement.

Her face screamed of ecstasy which brought him closer towards the end, he bit down on her scarred chest as her pace began to slow once more. He could feel her fatigue from her constant rebounding restrictions, but he wasn't there just yet. He pulled her upper half forward tight against his chest. Wrapping his arms around her hips and began to thrust her back and forth on his lap. His grip on her wide backside dug deeper and deeper into her skin as he was close to coming. Rose tried to cry out on his final thrust, but Joker smother her mouth with his own.

Rose could hardly keep her eyes open, sleep was gnawing at her mind. She laid her head on his shoulder as she steadies herself, her body was still reeling from the rough contact. When he calmed his breathing and his heart stopped racing, he noticed that Rose had fallen asleep while he was still in her. Instead of shoving her off, he examined her chest. He could feel and see it rise and fall against his own.

Her warmth was welcomed in the coolness of the room. He grinned, he would have to match her surprise with one of his own! Tomorrow, tomorrow he would reveal his surprise to her, to all of Gotham.

#joker fanfiction #joker imagine #joker imagines #joker smut #heath ledger joker

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weepingstar · 7 years

Text

Irregular Lovers - Chapter One

[ hey everyone! so this is my new AU i’m excited/NERVOUS about - please check the tags! let me KNOW if you’d like me to tag anything more, or if you appreciate it, or if you’re confused lol - i’ve been thinking about this AU for a long time, so if i make any assumptions/leave things out let me know. missed you all <3 ]

Read on AO3

Kenopsia: The eerie, forlorn atmosphere of a place that is usually bustling with people but is now abandoned and quiet.

Graves saw the word, let his thumb rest against the thin paper of the book Unused and Useless Terms for Those with Nothing Else To Do and felt that he himself knew its effects. His heart, a place which was once filled by one very specific person who ambled around happily - leaving her things here and there, sleeping in warm corners - was empty. The occupier had flown away unhappily to the other side of the world, keeping busy with charity dinners and balls, whilst the two of them remained miserable and separated.

Graves flicks the pages for a while longer until he happens across another.

Apricity: the warmth of the sun in the Winter.

He thinks again of Credence

Percival Graves had been irritable for days. Celestia had noted that from the moment her fiance had received the telegram informing him that his sister wanted to meet, he’d been insufferable and moody, irritable to the extreme. He glimpsed at the clock much more than she thought necessary, tapped his quill in an incredibly annoying manner and snapped at the slightest thing. She didn’t quite understand the dynamic between the two siblings and Percival didn’t welcome questions about the two of them either.

The facts that Celestia knew were these:

Miss Credence Graves had been adopted by Graves’ father - her mother an attractive dancer named Caroline who performed at a gentleman’s club he frequented, her biological father unknown, and absent. The fact of Graves’ recently deceased wife did not however serve as a deterrent for the young Caroline, but spurred her on that much more. The marriage between the eldest Graves and his dancer had lasted, their quick love hadn’t.

As to how Credence had come to live with her brother - it was some kind of taboo to speak of it or ask any questions, so she didn’t. All she could understand was that something must have happened in the home of the eldest Graves for Percival to finally be able to move his sister in with him. Celestia vividly remembers the one occasion Percival had invited her in for a late night drink and Credence had been stood silently at the stairs in her white nightgown, staring with large, dark eyes. Percival had quickly ushered Celestia out again, while soothing Credence for some unknown reason.

From what Celestia could gather, the two had been inseparable until the short period of time before her and Percival’s engagement had been announced. Aurors in Graves’ department had shared their stories of Graves coming into work with a sulky younger Credence, holding her hand and using the other to practice his wandwork. From her own experience, she could tell that the pair were utterly devoted to one another, at first something she had found rather sweet. She could imagine Percival caring just as much for their own children, could see how patient and attentive he was and found it to be a surprising but very agreeable trait. Her meetings with Credence always left her knocked off centre - just old enough now to be married herself, but still acting like a little girl with her doting brother - she was quiet and cautious. Her large eyes tracked people about the room, she often kept closely to Percival and could be found under his arm at whatever society event they were attending. Celestia would quite like to have disliked her, hated her even, just to make the situation a little easier when she’d run away and Percival had all but ignored his wife to be. However, the truth was that she couldn’t quite find anything to hate the girl for, she didn’t talk very much, and she was rather shy and nervous. Hating her would be an unpleasant and unnecessary thing.

Celestia knew they must have had quite a disagreement about something or other during the brief time her and Percival courted because she remembers his desperation to see Credence before she suddenly ran away, and then his intense silence once he’d gotten back having not caught her, holding a letter in his hand that he crumpled in one moment and smoothed over the next.

The two rarely fought, in fact, Celestia couldn’t think of only one occasion she’d witnessed even a tiff - Percival certainly spoke to her sternly at times, and the girl might pout a little, but otherwise they lived in absolute harmony it seemed. So when on one balmy evening in June, Grave returned with a defeated slump to his shoulders and a hard set to his jaw. Celestia was quite worried. As for the letter, Celestia hadn’t asked to read it because she knew it was bad news, knew it wasn’t her place. She eventually asked him where Credence was, said that she was looking forward to seeing her at the wedding, surely, Percival had looked straight through her and simply said, “She’s gone.”

Graves and Celestia were meant to be joined in matrimony in July, but Credence having run away just short of their ceremony halted all the proceedings. Graves was loathe to even speak of marriage and shut himself away in his study or busied himself at work. No matter how gently Celestia tried to coax him he wouldn’t be moved on the subject, refused to marry until Credence returned and things were made right. Guests were disinvited, dresses left half completed, flower orders turned up on their front doorstep when no one had thought to cancel them. Celestia felt terribly about it, held her tongue when it came to Credence and decided she’d act coldly towards the girl on her return. She didn’t quite understand why it was that her going away so suddenly delayed her and Percival’s marriage, or why it affected him so, all she knew was that there was no point in pushing Graves, because nothing good had ever come of that. Time passed slowly, and what first looked to be only a few weeks of delay turned into months, and then half a year had passed with Credence still gone and no ring on Celestia’s finger.

The extended period of Credence’s travels hadn’t gone by unnoticed, Celestia sometimes felt she knew more about her (soon to be) sister in law’s plans than Credence herself did. Percival mapped them out, had his underlings keeping track of her and his own privately employed spies following her around. Celestia told him that he might be going overboard, that he should give her a little space, don’t suffocate her she said, she’s a young woman, a little independence will surely be appreciated by her. Graves had looked down at a memo from his office, stating that his sister was in Belgium and said, “She’s no good at looking after herself, you don’t understand-” Celestia had kissed his mouth to hush him in what she thought was an endearing way, Percival tensed up and didn’t return the affection. He wasn’t ever particularly amorous, but that was just what Celestia was used to from him.

Several months into his sister’s departure from the USA and the halting of their… whatever it was, Graves receives the telegram. Puzzled at first with such a no-maj form of communication, it suddenly dawns on him and he rips the envelope open. It’s from her. She wants to meet.

Graves strokes the ‘X’ at the end of the message, something that makes him happier than he’d been in months, and gives him hope, makes him smile at the fact his little sister told the telegram office in her soft, sweet accent to please put a kiss on the end.

Unfortunately for Graves, his sister specifies a day a week from now, being impatient already he begins pacing daily, growling at anyone stupid enough to enter his office at MACUSA, a giant angry dog barely caged.

When the day finally comes, Celestia barely has the chance to ask where he’s going before he’s out of the door, coat tails whipping around him, door slamming shut. Celestia was very aware when she agreed to marry Percival that he was ultimately devoted to his sister, however strange that might be, and that she mustn’t become jealous, as it wasn’t any use to her. This in mind, it doesn’t help the sting she feels when he up and leaves without a moment’s notice for her, without a kiss, without a goodbye. She’d overheard hushed telephone conversations between the two of them - infrequent as they were - and she burned with envy at his sweet voice to his sister, his careful enquiries.

Graves is early, of course. He stands in Berlin train station, watches people in their trench coats pass by, burdened with luggage. Doesn’t see a slight figure with a mink stole and no luggage in hand, a trolley following her with monogrammed cases. Not yet. The long windows of the building let in columns of light that illuminate passing figures, but none that he has any interest in.

He taps out a slim cigarette from a gold case, lights it and takes a deep drag to calm his nerves, his limbs feel looser now, more so than they had for months, his face feels relaxed and lacks his now signature frown. He sees a flash of white, fur, black glossy hair and is suddenly overcome with an armful of his little sister.

As usual, she was late.

To anyone else in the station, they would look like two lovers meeting again after a long time had passed, the small girl wrapped up tightly and the two embracing like the world was about to end, she was on tiptoes to reach up farther in her enthusiasm, when the older man picked her up and held her close, a kiss pressed carefully to her lips.

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skeletonannie · 7 years

Text

interlude: the law of falling bodies .

i stg this motherfucknugget took nine years all because i am dreading writing act iii. sry.

(act 1) / (act 2)

indie au interlude: ya gotta start somewhere.

‘you could drown in those eyes, i said, / so it’s summer, so it’s suicide, / so we’re helpless in sleep and struggling at the bottom of the pool.’ - richard siken, ‘little beast.’

TIFF is super stressful. Like, super stressful. Lola’s film is premiering on a Thursday, and you had to get all your homework from your teachers at the beginning of the week because so far, since Mattie told you about the film festival qualifying, you have been shuttling back and forth between interviews and cast meetings and dress fittings. And truly? You just wanna nap with your girlfriend, but Elle is even worse than Mattie.

‘baby, we haven’t even discussed your make-up. They say you’re magnetic we will make you magnetic.’ Elle’s got that manic look in her eye that precedes a Big Idea so you try to steer her off course very fast.

‘elle, please don’t stick magnets anywhere on me, okay?’

she looks offended. ‘why in the hell would I stick magnets on you.’

‘I—you just—I mean—Elle, you are such a creative mind, I’m just making—making sure you’re also, like, not…not getting…not getting weird.’

‘By putting magnets on your face.’ She flips her hair and spins away from you with a huff. ‘As if I would put magnets on your face! For one, I’m not about to dick up my contouring by applying aggressive adhesive to your dumb cheeks. Secondly, why are you like this.’

‘I’m so tired.’

She softens at that, turning away from the vanity to give you a small smile. ‘I bet; you’ve been so busy I almost forget what you look like.’ Her arms wrap you up in a big hug and she presses her nose under your ear, and you feel your whole body relax immediately.

‘I’ll send you a selfie a day.’

‘Yeah? On your Nokia?’

‘Shut up; if it isn’t broken I’m not about to spend a bunch of money on that weird blueberry thing you have.’

Elle laughs and you feel it against your cheek. ‘Whatever, bitch. Just—just think about what you want for make-up, okay? And I will work with that.’

You nod into her chest, then, ‘can we nap now? I’m sleeps.’

Elle hefts you up into her arms like a baby and dumps you on her bed.

mattie ends up dressing you in this soft black sleeveless dress that touches the floor and makes you look kind of like a ghost of someone that died like 300 years ago. Elle says its because you’re so pale, but she also said the ‘contrast is striking and will surely drop some jaws you slut,’ so. Elle does your make-up—and Lola’s, and Danny’s, and Kirsch’s—and she makes you look much older and much sharper. Your dad says you look like a regal monarch on a coin, all sharp lines and soft edges; Mattie smacks the back of his head and says ‘I thought we agreed you would stick to the list of appropriate compliments, dad,’ but you appreciate the sentiment.

You’d been prepped for the red carpet by Mattie and Lola, but you still weren’t prepared for how the flashing bright lights and loud shouts would shuttle you back to Kosovo. Suddenly you’re eight again, and your papa is rubbing your back as bangs echo through your open window. You’re frozen on the beginning of the carpet in front of a stupid background promoting the cbc with sweaty palms and your chest really hurts. You miss your papa.

You hear Mattie whisper-shouting at you, ‘come on kitten, you gotta work this carpet and you certainly are not right now,’ but then Elle’s hand is at the small of your back and she is humming ‘first day of my life’ into your ear very quietly. You start walking.

you hate red carpets. And you hate watching yourself on screen. And you hate forced social interaction. This whole TIFF thing has been an exercise in tolerance and you cannot wait to go home, but apparently you have to sit through awards now. When Lola explained this event, she did not explain how tedious it would be.

The film wins Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Film. You win Best New Actress in a Short Film.

You cannot wait to go home.

going back to school is such a relief, because—while people are pretty jazzed about going to school with an award-winning actress—everything is totally normal. You go back to Coraline’s classes, and you are still struggling with whatever the hell you’re learning in math, and Elle is still so lovely. Her hormone therapy is going swimmingly, and she has a date for her top surgery—July 2010, right after graduation. She still has another year and a half, but she says it’s good for her.

‘I know I want this, you know?’ she says quietly as you’re sitting on your floor studying for finals in late November. ‘But like, having to wait for another year is probably good, because it gives me a better point of view to be thinking about, like, you know…full surgery, you know?’

You don’t know, because your body fits you, but you kiss her quietly anyway. ‘I’m so happy for you,’ you whisper against her lips.

She kisses you back, before, ‘and like, I don’t think I want the full surgery.’ You must look confused, because she smiles a little. ‘I mean…I like my dick. Truly, I love her. She’s my bro. And I know you like her, so…’

You smack her arm and she laughs, wrapping her arms around your tummy. ‘I just want you to be happy,’ you say into the gentle quiet. She nods, and suddenly you feel wetness on your neck. ‘Baby?’

‘I’m just so happy to know you,’ and she kisses your ear. ‘You’re so little and cute and kind. You’re a tiny elf with a very warm heart.’

You turn in her lap, ‘stop calling me an elf.’

‘No. I can’t.’

‘Ani ohevet otach, but you’re a bitch.’

‘Hani ochvey orlach too, love.’

You laugh so hard you snort, and Elle joins you, until you’re laughing into her mouth as she guides your hips into hers.

‘You’re right,’ you whisper into her collarbone, lying on your carpet and nursing some serious rug burn.

‘About what?’ she is still out of breath and you laugh before answering.

‘I do like her. A lot.’

She looks at you with that stupid smirk, the one that makes you breathless, and says ‘well, you do agree with her a lot, so.’

‘Fuck off,’ but she’s already laughing too hard at her own joke to hear you.

you ring in 2009 with a small party at your house. Elle, Danny, Kirsch, Mattie, Lola, and LaFontaine are all there, in your living room drinking your dad’s nice wine and playing Cards Against Humanity while Karla, Santi, Kirsch’s mom, and your dad all go to an event at the ROM. It’s nice, and quiet, and you are once again struck by the gentle softness of a love you forged with a family you got to make. Elle kisses you at midnight, and you laugh into her mouth when you see Kirsch give Danny a shy kiss on the cheek and Danny huffs and drags his mouth to hers.

‘Finally!’ you hear Mattie trill, before twirling through the room to kiss everyone succinctly on the mouth. Lola looks distinctly flustered, and LaFontaine gives Mattie a sharp glare as they chug the rest of their wine. Mattie gets to you and blows a raspberry on your cheek, before dragging you into a wonderfully choreographed twist.

A throat clearing gets your attention, and you all look toward Lola, still flushed after Mattie’s kiss, holding her glass up in front of the fire place. ‘If you all wouldn’t mind, I would like to say a few words,’ she says in that soft commanding voice of hers. Mattie raises her glass and chants ‘hear hear!’ so Lola begins.

‘This time last year, I was a lost, lonely home-schooled freak trying to make it work in university. And I never thought I would manage to find a—a family, like this, that supports me and loves me for me, instead of this vision they have of me. So, to all of you: thank you, for loving me, for supporting me, and for allowing me to create, among such brilliant, gentle souls. Thank you.’ She turns to Mattie, her bright blue eyes quite teary, before, ‘and Matska: thank you. For everything; for your friendship, for your inspired trust in me, for your loud and obnoxious laugh, and for allowing me to grow while still keeping me grounded. Without you, I’m sure I would still be that quiet strange girl in your screenwriting class writing weird Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants fanfiction on Friday nights.’

Mattie has a soft smile on her face, and instead of responding, simply raises her glass and drinks, smiling at Lola the whole time.

february is fucking cold. Kirsch decides that skating in Nathan Phillips Square with you is a tradition now, so he drags you out there in mid-February. When you get there, tripping hard on the curb getting off the streetcar, Kirsch is waiting for you with a knit toque.

‘Here, bro,’ he hands the toque to you, in all its lumpy glory. You take it with a look, and he laughs his big belly laugh. ’It’s for you, bud! You’re always so cold, so I got my grandma to help me knit you a toque!’

You know it’s a hideous toque, but its such a kind gesture you get a little teary. Kirsch notices but doesn’t say anything, instead dragging you into one of his bear hugs and kissing the top of your head. You stay there for a while, pressing your cheek into the soft wool of his sweater. You listen to his heartbeat.

‘Hvala vam, beefcake,’ you sniffle, so he hugs you harder.

‘No worries, little hottie. It’s just—I know you lost that other toque, and I know you’re a stubborn bitch, so I thought I could make you one instead.’

‘I—yeah. Yeah. Thank you.’

He laughs, says, ‘I know you mean it when you say it in Serbian and English, so again: no worries, my dude.’ He pats your head, then, ‘let’s go skate, bro. I can see Danny tearing it up and I wanna school her with my sweet moves.’ You give him a look and he shrugs, says, ‘I’ve been watching a lot of figure skating—those dudes can skate, man!’

You laugh and follow him onto the ice after allowing Kirsch to lace up your skates for you—‘it’s tradition, man!’—and Elle skates up to you with a huge smile.

‘Nice toque, darling,’ she laughs, tugging on a loose thread.

‘Thanks,’ you say back quietly, blushing, so Elle stops teasing and kisses your cheek.

’Skate with me, bitch.’

February is fucking cold, but it’s not so bad.

you all still attend all of Kirsch’s rugby games, but now with the added bonus of Danny writing cheesy encouraging signs to hold up every time Kirsch touches the ball. And every time he scores a try or makes an exceptional tackle, he turns to the stands and flexes.

in early may, your dad throws a party for Elle. You don’t have to ask why; Elle has been on hormones for a whole year now, and you know better than anyone that is a cause for celebration. He orders a comical amount of pizza, and buys a nice bottle of prosecco—‘so we can pop them bottles, kid!’ dad had said, which you had ignored—and everyone in your little mismatched family comes over dressed to the nines. Mattie had insisted it was going to be a formal occasion, and Elle had been thrilled.

‘I love dressing up. I love it. And,’ she wrapped her arms around your waist, bit your ear, ‘I love seeing you dressed up.’

You were flustered and blushing, because Mattie was still in the room, so you looked at the ground and pushed her chest, muttered ‘shut up,’ and shook your head when Elle kissed your neck hotly and twirled away.

‘So, Matska: what are we thinking here? Long, elegant gown paired with a dashing suit…maybe charcoal grey? A little pop of colour in the tie?’

Mattie clapped her hands together. ‘Fantastic, Elle! And maybe some dark make-up, subtle but still noticeable? A nice winged eyeliner, some deep red lipstick to match that pop?’

You were completely lost and still very turned on, so you huffed and headed downstairs to complain to dad.

It turns out they were talking about you, so on the day of the party you are bombarded by the two of them and forced to sit through an hour of make-up before you are shoved into a suit—which you love but refuse to admit—and then handed a deep red tie and told to ‘go downstairs and get dad to help, kitten,’ being effectively banished from the room while Elle and Mattie get ready. Dad only smiles and guides your hands when you ask him for help, kissing your forehead when you get it right.

You’re sitting on the couch with Kirsch, sipping soda water and laughing at his recounting of the figure skating he had been watching earlier when suddenly your jaw goes slack and soda water dribbles out of your mouth.

‘Dude!’ Kirsch laughs, grabbing his pocket square and dabbing at your chest, before, ‘oh…shit! Shit, sorry, I didn’t mean to like, get all up on your tits, yikes!’

You ignore him, instead handing him your drink and standing to watch Elle descend the stairs. She meets your eyes and blushes, looking demure as she reaches the bottom.

‘Hi,’ she whispers, and it takes you a moment to respond.

‘Izgledaš kao san,’ and she laughs and rolls her eyes, says ��not again with the code,’ kisses your cheek.

You laugh and grab her hand, pulling her down to kiss you properly, entirely forgetting your dad is there, and Elle kisses you back for a moment before pulling away.

‘I cannot ruin your make-up already, babe. Mattie and I worked hard to create this.’ You nod, and she leans down to whisper, ‘I can fuck it up later, I promise. I think my lipstick would look so hot smeared on the inside of your thighs,’ so you smack her chest and go sit next to Kirsch.

‘Elle’s a bitch,’ you tell him, but he has spotted Danny, dressed in a lovely dark blue dress, and he’s talking himself up to go say hi. ‘Kirsch,’ you tap his shoulder. ‘She’s your girlfriend. You don’t have to practise what you’re gonna say anymore.’

He turns to you with wide eyes. ‘I do when she looks like that! She’s so pretty! Oh my god!!’

You laugh, tell him, ‘dude, if you think I can ever keep my cool in front of Elle, ever, you are sorely mistaken. I don’t think we ever get used to how hot our girlfriends are.’

‘I know! Oh my god! Oh my god look at her! She’s such a strong, beautiful young woman!’

You kiss his cheek and stand up. ‘Want me to go first, give you an in?’ He looks at you with wide, thankful eyes. ‘Yes please,’ he says meekly, so you pat his head and walk over to Danny.

Your dad lets Elle pop the prosecco, on the rooftop. It sprays everywhere and Elle laughs, says, ‘thank god I insisted on that setting spray,’ pours everyone a glass. Lola had come by about an hour into the party, dressed in a strange grey and red dress that had made Mattie very soft around the eyes, and had brought another bottle of prosecco. Mattie insisted on popping that one herself.

‘If only this was the first christening this roof had had,’ she says wistfully, and you choke on your prosecco when your dad looks confused and Elle squeezes your ass.

later, when you all are still on the roof, Karla starts crying while trying to make a speech, so Santi has to say it for her. Grabbing the crumpled paper from her hand, Santi clears his throat and promptly starts crying too, so Kirsch takes the speech, squints at the blurry writing, and tosses it off the roof.

‘Imma wing it,’ he tells you all, ‘but I’m pretty sure I know the gist.’ You laugh, and he sends you his goofy smile. ‘I’m not very good with words, but I can try? So. Here goes.’

‘YEEEAH KIRSCH! SLAM DUNK!’ Danny shouts with a fist pump.

Kirsch blushes and shuffles his feet, mutters a ‘thanks, Dan,’ before, ’Elle: you’re my bro. You’ve always been my bro. And I’m so happy for you, that you get to grow and become who you have always known you were, and that you’ve always known you could be.’ He pauses to take a shaky breath. ‘Dude. You are the dopest, most courageous person I know—no offence mom—and you are so strong and brave and lovely, and I know you’re gonna change the world for the better. Just—just like you’ve changed me. So, like—thanks, bro. And congrats on the lady chemicals; you look so hot.’

You can’t stop laughing, but you’re also crying, and Elle gives Kirsch the sloppiest, wettest high five ever because she is crying, too, and your dad is hugging you, and you feel so full.

summer ends way too fast. You and Elle had continued to work with Coraline on plays all summer, and you had made some really cool friends in the theatre scene because of it. You and Danny worked on a play that premiered in the Fringe Theatre Festival, and you got to meet people from all over Canada that loved theatre as much as you did. There was this one girl, Laura or something from Vancouver, that was incredible in this weird play about a girl on a train that made up little stories about all the people she rode with, and each story was acted out, and each time this girl inserted herself into their story in increasingly desperate ways until finally it ends and the girl just like quietly gets off the train. It was hard to follow at times, but you loved it, and so did Lola. She wouldn’t stop talking about it.

Lola and Mattie go back to university in late August, and you and dad take them to the airport again. Mattie hugs you at security before they both walk through, and you and dad stay long enough to see Mattie take Lola’s hand.

Your dad gives you a high five, says, ‘I knew it!’ and takes you for ice cream in Roncesvalle again.

grade twelve is stressful, but also you are so close to being done that it almost doesn’t matter. Elle is getting so, so excited about her top surgery, and you both are applying to schools. You try to coordinate so you can end up together, but Elle is also very interested in some American schools, as well as a school all the way in BC. You’ve been sticking to mostly local: Dalhousie, U of T, Concordia, McGill—but Elle is Thinking Big.

‘I’m going to be starting my life as Elle, truly, after this surgery. I’m going to finally be me. I want to explore; I want to know what’s out there!’ she tells you as you sit in the snow fort you and Kirsch had built a few days earlier.

You nod, but you also do not want to nod, because you love her but you want her close to you all the time. But you know she’s right: her and Kirsch had started this really cool blog that’s, in Elle’s words, a ‘subversion of the toxic masculinity prevalent in our western culture,’ and it has been getting really popular. She dresses Kirsch up in traditionally feminine clothing, does his make-up, and puts him in demure poses. It was featured in the Huffington Post, which Mattie was excited about, and in Vice, which you were excited about.

She’s got so much potential, and you don’t want to stop her from reaching that, but also? You’re gonna miss the fuck out of her.

college applications are dumb.

new years 2010 is much drunker than past new years, because you’re all ‘old enough to make your own decisions, but dumb enough to make the bad ones anyway, and I would rather you make them in a safe environment,’ as dad had said. So you all wake up wildly hungover, and Danny and Kirsch had clearly had sex on your dad’s leather couch, and Lola vomited in the sink in the morning.

You thought you got away scott-free, but Mattie keeps giving you sly looks all morning, so you are worried. You go to the bathroom around one for a shower and are absolutely appalled to see Elle has taken the liberty of leaving a massive hickey on your collarbone, and later, as you’re all eating pho on your living room floor, Danny clears her throat and says, ‘so what were you two talking about last night? Carmilla, you really seemed to agree with whatever Elle was saying.’

Elle chokes on her pho she’s laughing so hard. You just mutter, ‘jebite se svi vi,’ and dump sriracha into Danny’s pho.

once again, you, Danny, Kirsch, and Elle go skating at Nathan Phillips in mid-february. You wear the lumpy toque Kirsch made you, and—since you are leagues better than you were that first time—Kirsch has elected you as his figure skating partner. He says it’s because you ‘weigh less that a full-grown labrador.’

You don’t argue, because 1) he’s right, you’re little, and 2) you love him and you like making him smile, and an added bonus is it makes Elle laugh.

Elle buys you hot chocolate after, and you are suddenly reminded of that first time, when you couldn’t speak for the recognition you saw in her even then, so when she hands you your hot chocolate you kiss her wrist and you say ‘volim vas,’ and she gets soft and she says ‘Ani ohevet otach, Carm.’

you don’t say anything after that.

elle hears back from colleges in early spring. She comes twirling into Coraline’s with a huge smile, keeps batting her eyelashes and acting coy when people ask her what’s got her in such a good mood.

‘Oh, nothing, the world is just so lovely, isn’t it?’ and ‘It’s so nice to be secure in your future.’

You wait till class is over to ask her what’s going on. It’s just you, Elle, and Coraline, and Elle hums before reaching into her shoulder bag and pulling out an envelope with a dramatic flourish.

‘Oh, this?’ she says, fanning herself with the torn envelope. ‘Oh, nothing, just my acceptance letter, bitches!’

You feel your chest clench, because you and Elle applied to quite a few of the same schools, and you had gotten your acceptance to Dalhousie a week ago, but that envelope looks nothing like yours did.

‘To—to where, neshama?’ you ask quietly. Coraline puts her hand on your knee.

Elle smiles at both of you, blinding and so, so happy. ‘Barnard.’

You’re happy for her, you are, but. Barnard is in New York. Coraline’s hand squeezes your knee.

‘Congratulations, Elle!’ she sings, letting go of you to wrap Elle up in a hug. Elle is laughing, twirling and looking so happy, so you stand up shakily and join their hug.

You can deal with the 1,800 kilometres later.

—

#indie au #interlude #carm x elle #i hate my idiots #here comes the DRAAAAMAAAAAAAAAA #yall been WAITIN FOR #also did u spot laura #herher #read me

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