#and he knows he’s supposed to fire—the arrow has their names on it. but he just can’t bring himself to do it | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

gimmethatagustd · 11 months

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what the fire gave us (1) | jjk

You were born with a Gift that the world wanted to turn into a weapon. All Jungkook wanted to do was show you that you could find love, even in the dark.

🔥 pairing: shadow elemental!jungkook x water elemental!(f)reader

🔥 part of a spring offering collab

🔥 wc/date: 9.7k | june 2023

🔥 warnings: major character death (doesn't occur until part 2 but i'm being nice by warning you now; not jk or reader), minor character death, referenced past murder, smut (doesn't occur until part 2), unrequited love (not between reader & jk), reference to human experimentation (nothing is described in detail), persecution of supernatural people, mentions past war, blood, injuries/violence, they all definitely have ptsd, jungkook is a precious baby boy but he'll also kick your ass, JESSI !!!!!! JESSI STANS RISE UP !! JESSI IS THE COMEDIC RELIEF !!! (at least, i find her funny)

🔥 notes: PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD READ THE WARNINGS. there is heavy angst, particularly in part 2. i hope that you enjoy this story, even with its cuts and bruises. think of it as stranger things meets avatar the last airbender 😂

🔥 more notes: i was supposed to finish this fic in may lmfao but y'all should know by now that there's no point in trusting me to do what i'm supposed to do. i'm sorry but i will probably never change 😭 ANYWAY. this fic is gonna be over 20k, so i decided to upload it in two parts in an attempt to maintain my sanity cuz this website is trash about handling long posts. i'm almost done with part 2, so it should be uploaded within a week (i swear to GOD i mean it). also, if you follow me on AO3 you'll see that i'm posting this fic in multiple chapters. that's cuz i like the formatting of AO3 chapters better than tumblr. the formatting fits the story better, too.

🔥 main masterlist / part two

🔥 what was jai listening to? cyberpunk - ateez

moodboard credit: @btscontentenjoyer

3 MONTHS

Lookout duty is hard on you. When it’s your turn to camp out on the roof and watch for potential threats, you complain that staying awake all night is hard. Most of the other runaways are night owls, but you aren’t. You need your beauty sleep, you joke. You can’t get comfortable on the roof, even if there’s a flat landing with pillows and blankets to keep you warm.

These are a few of your excuses, but you can’t bring yourself to tell the others the truth: you are scared.

It’s close to midnight when you hear the creak of the trapdoor opening. The likelihood of it being anyone other than the group of Gifted runaways you live with is low, but you can’t trust that the impossible wouldn’t happen. You’ve seen the impossible happen far too often.

Hopping down from the old milk crate you’d been sitting on, you crouch behind a giant bean bag with your bow and arrow ready. The harness you wear strapped around your torso holds your spare arrows. It digs hard enough into your shoulder that you form blisters if you don’t wear a thick enough shirt.

The fluffy pink hair poking out of the trapdoor makes you sigh in relief.

“Hey, kid,” the pink-haired man whispers.

He gently closes the trapdoor and walks with a hunched back toward you, careful not to expose too much of his body beyond the roof’s railing. The abandoned warehouse you live in is on the city's outskirts, with nothing for miles but empty concrete parking lots and overgrown plots of land.

Still, you never know who might be out there. Although the Red Pins have only inflicted pain from within their research facilities, all the runaway Gifteds know that the government employs more than one type of evil to hunt them down.

You try not to think about them, those scientists in long white coats that fall to their thighs and blood-red nametags pinned to their labels with names you often see painted on the walls of your nightmares. Lately, the frequency of the nightmares has lessened. It doesn’t feel like it, though, when you often wake in the middle of the night to your friends screaming in their sleep while they suffer through their own trauma. You wish the knowledge that the pain of being government lab rats is something you all share could be comforting. But, instead, it only makes you hurt more.

“Yoongi,” you huff, returning to your perch on the milk crate. Now your hands are all sweaty. “You should be sleeping.”

“Hi, Yoongi; nice to see you too! Thanks for coming to hang out with me!” Yoongi mocks your voice, clearly stating what he thinks you should have said. “Oh, no problem, Y/N. I just wanted to see how you were doing and hang out with my favorite kiddo.”

You scrunch your nose at kiddo.

“I’m not a kid.”

Yoongi leans over to rub his knuckles into your head. “Nah, you definitely are.”

Despite the lack of lighting outside, Yoongi practically glows. That’s always how it is with fire elementals. It’s like they absorb all the light and let it buzz inside them. Like fireflies, you’d once told Yoongi. He hadn’t found it cute to be compared to a bug.

“If I’m a firefly, then you’re a fucking fish,” he’d teased. You’d promptly summoned water from a nearby puddle to throw in his face.

For as long as you can remember, that’s how it has been between the two of you: fire and water. A push and pull. So different that you need each other to be whole.

You watch Yoongi get comfortable in the bean bag, his skinny limbs spreading like a starfish and his eyes lifting to the sky. In quiet moments like this, you would give anything to hold him. And not out of fear like you had when the scary men came to take you away from your parents. And not out of anger like you had to when you stopped him from blowing up the research facility they’d held you in.

No, you want to hold him and for it to be gentle, soft, and peaceful.

Like now, when the world is silent except for the crickets calling to each other in the weeds and the rustle of wind in the trees.

But he thinks you’re just a kid.

You’re not that much younger than him. But, if you put in the effort to look at your relationship objectively, you’d see that Yoongi’s paternal nature comes out with you and the other runaway Gifteds. He cares for you as an older brother would.

It’s not enough for you, though. It will never be enough.

“Is everyone else asleep?” You rest your elbows on your knees and hold your chin in your hand. When you speak, you look out at the empty field.

“Hobi sneezed and blasted a hole through the bathroom wall,” Yoongi says with a low chuckle. “So me and Joon found some supplies to patch it up the best we could. I think they’re all asleep now, though.”

“How is it Hobi’s the one breaking shit and Namjoon’s fixing it?” You press your hand against your mouth to muffle the ugly snort bursting from you. There’s very little to find funny in this life, so you cherish how your chest burns with fond warmth.

“The world’s all backwards.” Yoongi’s gummy smile lights up the night and tears into your heart.

The two of you fall silent once again. Moving slowly, you reach out to hook your pinky finger with Yoongi’s, a small smile forming when you feel his pinky wrap tightly around yours.

“Where are we gonna go, Yoong?”

He watches you with eyes heavy with sleep, determined to stay up with you even though he doesn’t need to. Initially, you thought it was because he wanted to keep you company. Now, you often wonder if it’s because Yoongi is afraid to sleep, too. He never speaks about his experience at the Labs; the other runaways have learned the hard way not to ask. Singed eyebrows don’t look good on anyone.

“I don’t know.”

You already knew this would be the answer, but it scares you anyway. Yoongi always knows everything.

Yoongi lets go of your hand to sit up in the bean bag.

“Hey, kid,” he whispers. He gently presses his palm to your jaw, cupping your face. You hope he doesn’t hear your breath hitch in your throat. “As long as we’re together, you don’t gotta worry about anything, okay?”

You stare at him for a long time, searching the bags under his eyes and the worry lines on his forehead.

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

3 MONTHS, 1 WEEK

There’s a stream that cuts through the overgrown fields behind the warehouse. It’s man-made, flowing from a sewer tunnel beneath the cracked parking lot - and likely from somewhere else, perhaps connected to a lake beyond the woods at the property's edge. The separation between industrialization and the natural world of the unknown hurts your heart. You’d never felt longing until you found yourself inside a cage of cinderblock walls and concrete floors.

A rope of water whips across your face, drawing you from your thoughts of the woods. It’s muddy and makes your skin and clothes smell sour.

Though the air is still crisp and bites at the tip of your nose, spring came early this year. It takes minimal effort for Namjoon to draw more water from the soiled stream as it’s not frozen over like it should be. With a flick of his wrist, another rope of water hits you, this time across your chest.

“Aghh!”

“Pay attention.”

You lift your arm in enough time to block his next assault. The liquid rope freezes in the air before shattering into a thousand glimmering pieces, scattering jagged ice across the pale yellow grass.

“I’m tired of this, Grandpa.”

Namjoon rolls his eyes at the pop culture reference; you’re pleased he understood. Posed to speak, mouth already opening, he barely gets a sound out before another voice bellows across the field.

“WELL, THAT’S TOO DAMN BAD!”

Hoseok isn’t afraid to be loud. He smiles, all teeth and pink tongue, and throws his head back as he cackles. Everywhere he goes, he carries the smell of spring with him - cherry blossoms and morning dew that makes newly-grown pieces of grass stick wet against ankles.

You close your eyes and let spring overpower the sour smell of sewer water Namjoon has thrown at you for the past hour. It lets you forget how your skin aches with welts and bruises.

As Hoseok bounds toward you and Namjoon, a dark tornado spins beside him. When he gets closer, you can see Hoseok occasionally blowing a small gust of air toward the tornado. It appears to be made of smoke, a gradient of grays and blacks.

“Look at this,” your friend announces with a mischievous grin. “Me and JK learned a new trick.”

With a quick snap of Hoseok’s fingers, you and Namjoon watch in patient silence as the tornado begins to slow its speed. Almost gently, the smoke curls tighter and tighter until the darkness turns into a solid mass.

Jungkook stumbles a few times as he attempts to get his footing. His limbs continue to propel his body into a small spin.

Hoseok quickly reaches out to grab the younger man. Secure hands squeeze his shoulders, and then it’s only Jungkook’s head lolling about.

“Cool, right?” Jungkook’s voice is gruff, but his lips curl into a weak smile.

Namjoon lets out a long sigh. “You look like you’re going to be sick.”

Although Namjoon is right, Jungkook does look like the effort of his little party trick took a toll on his body; you can’t help but match his smile. Especially when his eyes flick toward yours. You told his gaze for half a second before Jungkook quickly looks away. His cheeks flush pink, but you’re sure it’s from the exertion of all that spinning.

“I think it’s really cool,” you praise the two while elbowing Namjoon in the ribs. With a grumble, your sparring partner returns to his previous stance a few feet away.

“We should go again. Just for a little while longer.”

Every muscle in your body feels stiff when you turn away from Hoseok and Jungkook.

“I hurt all over, Joonie.”

“Let her rest!” Hoseok adds to your whining. “All we ever do is practice fighting.”

“Sparring.”

Hoseok waves a dismissive hand at the younger man. “Whatever you want to call it. I find it to be fri-”

You stifle a laugh by pressing the back of your hand to your mouth as Hoseok is tackled to the ground by Jungkook. The two men roll around, all arms and legs, kicking up dead grass and dirt. A lot of howling and teasing laughter rings through the open air.

It isn’t until Jungkook is launched into the sky by a gust of wind you know comes from Hoseok, and lands roughly on his back, that the playful fight ceases. How Jungkook lands knocks all the air out of his chest, but he laughs once his lungs start working again.

“Ridiculous, all of you.” Hoseok brushes grass from his clothes. It’s futile; they’re dirty and ragged anyway. Try as you and Namjoon might to use your Gifts to clean the clothes; water does little when there’s no soap.

“I let you win,” Jungkook teases.

Still, he stands a bit further from Hoseok than he had previously. Not far enough for anyone to notice, aside from you. You notice although you don’t mean to. It’s hard not to when Jungkook keeps stealing glances, only to look away when you try to return his gaze.

“You did not.”

“Did, too.” His insistence makes you giggle.

“And how did that work out for you? Hmm? How does your back feel? I know you landed on that rock.”

“I-It, it doesn’t hurt.” Jungkook glances your way. His cheeks are still pink. “Would take more than that to hurt me.”

“Jungkook is impossible to beat.”

You startle at the gentle voice, spinning on your heels to see Yoongi approaching the group. He’s got a leather satchel strapped across his chest and resting at his hip. It bulges with what you assume are plants and fruits scavenged from the woods.

“Boy Scouts” is what Yoongi offered when you asked how he knew so much about surviving in nature. It was peculiar; nothing about Yoongi seemed like the type. He’s tougher, more steel than wood or earth. A bulletproof shield, you think. Broad and strong.

“Impossible?”

Your question is meant to be a tease, but Yoongi’s face remains stoic. Such a severe look only reveals itself when he assumes his position as your misfit group’s leader. It would be extremely attractive if it didn’t scare you.

“How can you fight shadows?” Yoongi deadpans. He stares into your eyes long enough to make your face feel hot, but you don’t look away.

“I…”

Yoongi hums at your lack of an answer. Suddenly, you feel unbelievably small.

“It’s not impossible,” Jungkook whispers. His head hangs low, long bangs hiding his face. The rest of his hair is tied into a bun at the nape of his neck. “I’m just as beatable as you, hyung.”

Something about Yoongi’s expression softens at the honorific. Formalities died long ago, along with many other traditions that once made Korea what it was. So many things died during the war - tangible and cultural - lives and ways of being. Now, the Republic is something you know your friends no longer recognize. Although it is not your home country, your heart aches for what it once was - something you will never have the privilege to experience because you arrived during the Restoration of the Republic - a fallacy of an era since the country was never restored to how it was.

That may be best. It is easier to mourn the loss of something you never knew.

In moments like this, you feel terribly inadequate - when you speak with broken Korean or struggle to understand the foreign politics behind why Gifteds are hunted, no matter how many times Namjoon patiently attempts to teach you. All you know is that, at least here, to be Gifted is not a death sentence, per se. Other countries’ governments have been far less lenient with their mutant population.

You’re simply seen as a science experiment to be tested on, poked and prodded, pushed until you’re driven mad, and then warped into whatever shape the government has the need for.

“You have no match,” Yoongi smiles softly at Jungkook with a shake of his head. “I do.”

Holding out his hand, a small flame appears in the center of Yoongi’s palm. It floats just above the skin, though he isn’t burned. You’ve seen Yoongi summon fire a million times from the heat of the air around him, and he never ceases to amaze you.

With a nod in Namjoon’s direction, Yoongi waits for a small rope of dirty water to splash against his hand. Namjoon is much kinder in his attack against Yoongi, only summoning enough water to extinguish the flame.

“Water will always win against me,” Yoongi admits. This time, he holds your gaze when he speaks. “It is my match.”

You feel something stir in your belly that migrates up your chest until it eventually threatens to suffocate you, nearly getting lodged in your throat.

“You would do well to continue sparring with Namjoon,” he says after a moment before turning to Hoseok and Jungkook, who have otherwise been silent.

It’s an order, even if Yoongi is gentle with his words.

With a sigh, you turn back to Namjoon. It’s difficult to stamp down the heat Yoongi always manages to trigger inside of you. You would compare him to fire even if it didn’t already run in his veins.

Drawing from the murky stream, you weave a ball of water between your palms.

“Let’s go again.”

While you spar with Namjoon, Yoongi leads Hoseok and Jungkook to the other end of the field.

You and Namjoon spar as though you are dancing. It’s a push and pull, your rhythms falling into harmony, even when one of you performs a surprise attack or a new move that hasn’t been practiced before. Perhaps it is because you both fight with water. There is a fluidity to it that the others don’t possess.

Occasionally, your eyes stray to where Yoongi, Hoseok, and Jungkook have begun to spar. The three men do not dance. Instead, they are a fury of elements intertwining in chaos. The wind snuffs fire, Yoongi and Hoseok blasting each other incessantly. Shadows allow Jungkook to disappear before being hit by an attack, only to reappear right behind his opponent to go in for the kill.

And it would be a kill if this was real. You know Jungkook keeps a rather terrifying knife strapped to his thigh. You all carry weapons, though you don’t really need them. Even Jungkook, with a Gift that’s misunderstood and exceptionally rare, is never found without his weapon.

Out of all the Gifteds you’ve met on your way to safety, you have never encountered another who can manipulate shadows. So, there is truth to Yoongi’s statement.

Jungkook is terrifying, even with the wide, starry eyes he always seems to stare at you with. He’s quiet and shy, typically sticking to Hoseok. You assume it’s likely because you found the two of them together. Both were kept in the same room at the research facility in Busan. As unassuming as Jungkook may be, you’ve seen him manipulate shadows to wrap around a Red Pin’s neck. Those shadows twisted and tightened until the man crumpled.

You didn’t need to have the Gift of blood manipulation to know when his heart stopped.

It was one of the scariest moments of your life, even beyond the suffering you’d endured having lived in the research facilities since you were a teen. Before then, you’d never seen someone die. Even when Yoongi and Namjoon helped you escape, they shielded you from the worst of it. It wasn’t until the three of you came upon the newest facility that such horrors were unleashed.

Jungkook hates himself for it. You know he does; you typically make your bed beside his, and he cries in his sleep. Self-defense protects the body in the moment, but harms the mind and heart long-term.

You probably would have done the same.

For as tragic as his story is - or what little you know of it - Jungkook has an undeniably beautiful soul. Those horrors have yet to turn him cruel or his heart black. Even when he spars, you can tell that he’s being gentle. He holds back and doesn’t reach his full potential out of fear of hurting others, you’re sure. You can see it in how he bounces on the balls of his feet to keep his movements light and how his back muscles ripple beneath his shirt as it clings to his skin. A bead of sweat runs along his neck, over the vein that bulges from his exerting effort.

Something prickles under your skin. When you look up, it’s into those wide eyes full of galaxies you’ll never understand, are somehow okay with not understanding if it means you can continue to gaze upon them.

A small smile pulls the corners of Jungkook’s mouth up. His expression is short-lived, though, quickly falling as a bright orange flame licks at his ankles.

“Don’t let my words get to your head, Jeon,” Yoongi teases. “Impossible to beat, but easy to hurt.”

This time, you catch Yoongi’s eye. You duck your head when he winks at you, just in time to block another blast of water from Namjoon.

“Why is everyone so off today?” Namjoon grumbles to himself. You haven’t managed to successfully hit him even once.

“I’m tired,” you whine again, dropping a ball of water to the ground. Dead grass quickly soaks it up once it splashes. “We should check on Jessi.”

Your group's sixth and final member is tucked away in the corner of the warehouse on the top floor. It’s dark up there, though Yoongi’s everlasting fire, paired with the windows Jessi managed to open, gives enough light for her to work.

She has black grease smudged on her left cheek and across her forehead. Her long, thick hair is tied back into a ponytail, though strands have fallen out to frame her face. When you step closer, you hear her muttering, but you can’t make out what she’s saying. It’s not for you. She speaks, facing the black box placed in front of where she kneels on the floor. The floor can’t feel good on her knees with its bits of broken concrete and dirt. Everything hurts in this life; it hardly matters as long as you’re here and not there.

“This piece of shit,” Jessi hisses, running her hands across her face. It smears more grease onto her skin, but she doesn’t care.

“Not working?”

“Beep beep boop beeping all over the fucking place, then static. White noise and shit. Like it’s telling me to fuck off even though I’m the one fixing it.”

You hum, crouching down to stare at the box. It’s an old radio meant to transport messages back and forth. Perhaps left behind by the military after it had occupied this land while it bulldozed the vigilantes seeking to save Gifteds from the fate you all ended up sharing anyway.

Jessi tweaks a few exposed wires. Every time they spark, you flinch. Mini white lightning, it’s deadly for anyone but Jessi. She grumbles and continues her work with deft fingers calloused from toiling away at the stupid thing for months.

“I’m normally so fucking good at this, I swear to God.”

Frustration colors her tone, even if her expression and cursing didn’t already give her feelings away.

You don’t doubt her, though, and you tell her as much. Still, you know firsthand that it sucks when your powers don’t work how you want them to. As a technopath, fixing the radio should be easy work for her.

“There must be something wrong with it… Maybe the Red Pins did something to it?”

You don’t know anything about technology. Even with the phone you’d stolen off one of the Red Pins, all you’d gotten to do was look at TikTok and try to find out where your parents were before Yoongi made you destroy the device. The government had ways to track you. Technology was as much your friend as a stranger on the street.

With a sigh, Jessi leans back until she’s sitting flat on the grimy floor.

“Maybe? Fuck if I know. I think I’m getting close, though. I’m getting some frequency when I concentrate really hard, but I wanna fix it so it’ll work even without me.”

Your friend whispers the end of her statement. It goes without saying; each one of you knows the fragility of life on the run.

“Thank you for working so hard.” Even in the dim lighting, you can see her watery eyes shine. It hurts your heart, but all you can offer is a light squeeze of her shoulder.

Jessi shrugs. “It’s as much for me as it is for you.”

You watch her stand and brush the dirt from her butt, her joints cracking from sitting down too long. When you first joined this mutant crew, you would have followed behind Jessi to comfort her. But, after months of running and fighting, you’ve learned that sometimes solitude is the best healing method.

4 MONTHS, 2 DAYS

“What makes you think you’re ready? That any of us are ready?”

Yoongi watches you with catlike eyes from where he sits at the kitchen table. The chairs circled around the battered wooden table are mismatched and in varying stages of deterioration from being abandoned for so long. The one Yoongi sits in is metal, and he leans on its two back legs, his right foot pressed to the floor to keep himself steady and his arms crossed against his chest.

Although Yoongi isn’t raising his voice - he never does - you still feel like you’re being scolded.

“I know we are,” you challenge him. Your voice is steady even as your fingers tremble. To stop them from shaking, you squeeze your hands into a fist, nails biting at the skin of your palms.

You should sit down, but holding your energy in is hard. Instead, you pace the kitchen while Yoongi’s cat eyes and Jessi’s wide ones follow you. You feel like a lion looping its cage, the desire to run restricted and confined.

“How?”

“We can’t stay here, Yoong! We can’t. I can’t.”

The front legs of Yoongi’s chair slam into the concrete floor. He allows the momentum to pull him forward, landing his elbows on the table’s surface.

Looking at Yoongi hurts. You can tell from his face that the next thing he says won’t be pleasant. His lips are pressed into a fine line that curves downward slightly. It’s cute how he can pull off a straight-lipped frown, but not when it’s directed at you.

It’s been at least an hour of back and forth between the three of you. Jessi tapped out a long time ago, resolved to watch the tennis match of an argument between you and Yoongi rather than exert energy on a fight she isn’t committed to. Yoongi and Jessi have the final say in all group decisions as the group's elders. It’s another reminder of how you think Yoongi sees you as someone to take care of rather than an equal.

“Have you ever killed someone before, Y/N?”

You pause your pacing to stand in front of the table. Yoongi is an exceptional cook, managing to create delicious meals out of what little you all have to work with from the forest. But now, at this moment, you feel like you’re going to be sick from the food churning in your stomach.

“No.”

“No,” Yoongi repeats. He speaks slowly, like he’s mulling your answer over, letting it twist around his tongue until he’s satisfied enough with its taste to swallow it down.

Leaning forward, Yoongi presses his palms against the table’s surface. He spreads his fingers and stares at them. The two of you seem to trace over the scars that line his skin, little nicks, and slices that healed light pink or blazing white. You’ve never seen Yoongi naked, but you have seen a good expanse of his body when you’ve used your Gift to help the others get clean. From what you’ve seen, you know Yoongi’s entire body is littered with battle scars.

“I have,” he admits what you already knew, and the gravelly sound of his voice makes you shudder. “Jungkook has.”

You wince at the mention of the younger man, but Yoongi doesn’t give you a chance to speak.

“Do you want to ask him what it’s like to squeeze the life out of another man? He may have done it with shadows, but I guarantee he still felt it in his hands.”

Yoongi lifts his eyes to yours when the first tear rolls down your cheek. Concern wrinkles his forehead.

“Yoongi,” you start, but the pink-haired man shakes his head.

“I don’t mean to upset you, kiddo.” The pet name twists your gut tighter with frustration - even though Yoongi’s voice is filled with gentle adoration when he calls out to you. “But I’ll be damned if I let us walk into that forest without knowing where we’re going or whose claws we’re running into. The Gifted Commune is, at best, a rumor. At worst - a trap.”

You want to tell him that falling for a rumor or getting caught by the government is better than sitting in a concrete cage. The prospect of finding a community of other Gifted runaways who have managed to create a society safe from the evils you’ve grown up with means more to you than the fear of the unknown.

There’s no use, though. Jessi is nodding along to Yoongi’s words; the blank expression she wears when she’s upset already masks her face.

“I will not put you in a situation where you must kill or be killed, Y/N. I won’t fucking do it.” Yoongi clears his throat suddenly, and he looks away from you. You’re unsure, but think he might be blinking back unshed tears.

You’re still pissed, but now your anger is mixed quite prettily with debilitating guilt. You’ve never seen Yoongi cry, and you realize with a sinking feeling that you really don’t want to.

“It’s too fucking risky,” Jessi finally speaks. She presses her fingers against her forehead, massaging it slowly as she, too, looks for words. “The radio is almost fixed; I can feel that it’s close. Then we will have a clearer line of communication with the Commune. It doesn’t guarantee anything, obviously, but it’s better than going in without fucking knowing anything.”

There’s nothing else to say. Yoongi doesn’t look at you or Jessi, instead staring at something in the opposite corner of the room.

Jessi gives you what you think is a smile laced with pity - or at least an apology.

How can everyone be so content to stay in the warehouse? You’re a bunch of sitting ducks, hiding out in the same location for months, practically waiting for the government to send their agents to either corral you into laboratories again or exterminate you. You don’t understand how becoming a moving target is a bad thing.

But, ultimately, you don’t understand why Yoongi can’t just trust you.

With a frustrated huff, you twist around to hurry out of the kitchen. As you cross the threshold, Namjoon appears in the doorway.

“Oh, I need to ask you-”

You don’t mean to shove Namjoon with your shoulder as hard as you do, but you don’t have the patience to comply with whatever he expects you to do for him. Probably more sparring and training.

On the one hand, sharing your identity as a water elemental with someone else in the group is an affirming experience. On the other, it’s infuriating because Namjoon sees your potential and pushes you toward it - even when you fight against him.

Namjoon sputters something, and you hear Jessi convince him to drop it. Whatever else they have to say is lost on you; you’re no longer interested in entertaining the conversations of the “leaders” of the group. Part of you wants to find Hoseok or Jungkook to force them to commiserate with you, but something about dumping your sludge of emotions onto them feels wrong.

So you do what you’ve always done best: you repress.

It isn’t until a few hours later when you’re lounging on your makeshift bed with the only tattered book you kept from your facility (Fahrenheit 451, how fitting), that you give yourself over to the gnawing need to interact with other humans.

Jungkook bounces on the balls of his feet, items that you can’t make out pressed against his chest.

“Will you cut my hair for me, noona?”

The out-of-use honorific flusters you, making your face burn under Jungkook’s attentive gaze.

“You don’t have to be so formal with me,” you insist, embarrassment ravaging your twisted stomach and fluttering chest. Something about the attention Jungkook gives you makes you feel nervous and giddy.

“It’s not very formal, really. It’s… respectful? I just… You are, it means,” Jungkook lets out a huff. He blows his bangs out of his face as his cheeks turn pink. “You are special to me.”

You duck your head, shocked by Jungkook’s honesty. It warms you in a way you’re not sure you understand, letting the feeling sit inside your chest rather than exploring it any further.

“Where I come from, we don’t have words like that.”

Jungkook gives you a shrug. Neither of you mentions that in Korea, those words don’t really exist anymore, either.

“But, okay,” you relent softly.

Jungkook stands beside the mess of blankets that make up your bed, holding a pair of scissors and electric clippers Jessi enhanced to operate on their own. Jungkook nicked them from a Red Pin on their way out of the research facility he’d grown up in. Hairstyling tools didn’t seem high on your list of items to steal, but they’d come in handy. Like now, with Jungkook’s bangs falling entirely into his eyes and his hair sweeping across his shoulders.

The pout Jungkook wears lessens slightly. He holds out the tools with an expectant look on his face. It’s cute how his bottom lip juts out, pink and chapped from nervously chewing on it. You’d overheard Namjoon scolding him for something earlier that morning before you went outside to patrol the grounds with Hoseok and Jessi.

Taking the items from Jungkook, you lead him out of the bedroom and into the bathroom. The lights sputter briefly before they fully brighten the small room. Jessi was excited to learn that her Gift extended to electricity as a whole, not just that within technology like computers and radios. With all your Gifts combined, the warehouse is liveable, almost comfortable.

Jungkook sits on the closed lid of the toilet, making you tower over him. He parts his legs slightly so you can stand between them as you run your fingers through his hair.

You spread your fingers and sweep his bangs up, exposing his forehead. It opens up his face more and makes him look older. Jungkook is handsome; there’s no denying that. You’re sure in another life, he could have been a regular college kid with a sweet girlfriend and a bright future.

“What would you like me to do?”

“Hmm?” Jungkook hums with his eyes closed, and his head tilted back slightly.

You don’t miss how he leans into your touch, completely pliable in your hands, as you massage his scalp and continue to play with his hair. It’s thick and soft, even without the proper haircare products to maintain the health of the follicles.

“How do you want me to cut it, silly?”

You reach for the hairbrush you keep tucked away in the bathroom cabinet. It takes a few more moments of silence while you brush out Jungkook’s waves before he finally speaks.

“Short. Cut it all off, please? It’s too hard to take care of now, and it gets in my face.”

“Don’t get mad at me if it comes out bad.”

Jungkook lets out a frustrated sound. “You always do a great job. You gave Yoongi hyung an undercut. It looks so good!”

At the mention of Yoongi, you feel your heart drop. Somehow you know Jungkook is here to make you feel better even if he hasn’t said anything about the argument, and he’s the one seeking your help, not the other way around. He’s a distraction - one you wonder if Yoongi sent himself.

It isn’t that Yoongi won’t apologize; you just never give him a chance to before you run off to lick your wounds on your own.

It’s the healing quality of solitude, you think as you prepare to cut Jungkook’s hair. However, this time, you’re not alone.

You can’t help but smile when Jungkook starts singing a song of his own creation as chunks of his hair fall to the floor. His song drowns out the static that buzzes in your brain like the fuzziness Jessi’s broken radio emits when anyone but her fiddles with it.

“This way,” you speak softly, not wanting to disrupt his singing as you press your fingertips against his jaw and under his chin to lift his face toward you. Your finger presses against the little mole just below Jungkook’s bottom lip. The angle gives you a better view of your work so far.

A small smile flickers on Jungkook’s face as though he’s trying to keep it down, but the corners of his mouth won’t listen to him.

“It feels nice. We don’t touch.”

You hum and nod your head, but Jungkook’s eyes are still closed. It’s true; kind touches are rare. Hoseok is really the only one who gives out hugs. Everything is tough all the time. There’s little room for gentleness, even amongst friends.

So you understand when Jungkook’s smile wins out, and he finally surrenders to the happiness your light touches along his jaw bring him.

4 MONTHS, 5 DAYS

It takes Yoongi three days to apologize.

Perhaps you should have apologized first, but you struggle to see how you could have done anything that warrants an apology. Yes, you feel bad for upsetting Yoongi, but his attitude toward you lately has rubbed you the wrong way.

During the three days it takes him to apologize to you, he seems to do his best to avoid you.

On the days you’re assigned to go on patrol with Yoongi, Jungkook accompanies you instead. You don’t mind having Jungkook by your side, you discover, even though you’re upset that Yoongi is behaving so childishly.

Neither Jungkook nor Yoongi talks much, but you learn that their silence feels different. Whereas Yoongi’s silence stems from feeling confident and content with not needing to fill the air with incessant babbling, Jungkook’s silence is awkward and heavy. He fiddles with the loose strings of his shirt, his reddened cuticles, and everything else. You don’t mind the awkwardness, though. It’s nice to comb through the woods with someone as powerful as Jungkook; you know there’s nothing to fear with him around.

The only weapon Jungkook carries is the knife strapped to his thigh. You, on the other hand, stay heavily armed. Your fingers tighten around your bow. When you twist your torso, the harness that holds your arrows digs into your shoulder. You also have a knife, though you are honestly afraid of close combat. A gun would be even better, but ammo is difficult to come by. It’s easier to collect your arrows after you’ve shot them, although you haven’t needed to yet. Since finding refuge at the warehouse, no one has discovered your group.

Apparently, all your friends are willing to keep testing fate. You aren’t interested in pushing your luck. Jungkook doesn’t comment on the group’s plans for moving forward - or lack thereof. Something tells you that he’ll do whatever Yoongi and Jessi tell him to do.

Still, going on patrol with Jungkook does a decent job of preventing your thoughts from straying toward your argument with Yoongi. Your hands brushed together a few times as you walked side by side, and you could practically feel Jungkook’s brain shortcircuit from the contact.

Part of you thinks he has a crush on you, but the more logical part of you knows he’s probably shy. The kid has gone through a lot in life. Not everything is always about you; you try to remind yourself. Yoongi doesn’t even want you. Why would Jungkook?

On the third day, bright doe eyes don’t greet you at the edge of the woods, just as the sun is kissing the sky for the first time. Instead, sharp cat eyes hold your gaze when you lightly jog over.

“Good morning, kiddo.”

Yoongi wears dark shorts with tattered edges cut from a pair of old jeans and a plain t-shirt the color of the forest in spring. It’s not warm enough to wear what he’s wearing, but fire elementals run hot like you run cold.

“Hi,” you say, voice a bit stunted as you hold your jacket tighter to your body.

You’ve foregone your bow and arrows today; you may or may not have snapped your bow in a fit of frustration that may or may not have anything to do with Yoongi ignoring you at dinner the night before. A knife and your Gift will have to do, but you feel it is enough. Namjoon insists on learning how to use your Gifts and weapons in tandem. For double the defense, or so he says.

Carrying a knife seems ridiculous when you know how to choke someone with their own spit without touching them.

Once you’re within arm’s reach, Yoongi offers his hand to you. He holds it as though he’s going in for a handshake. Yellow-orange fire licks at his palm and swirls in tendrils around his fingers and wrist.

After a few seconds of silence, he makes a slight grunting sound and wiggles his fingers, beckoning you.

It’s impossible not to cave. A prickly feeling tingles down your arm, beginning somewhere in your chest and eventually settling in your fingertips. A tiny hurricane of water stolen from the moisture in the air circles around your hand just as the fire does Yoongi’s.

He lets out a pleased sound when your palms glide across each other. You hook your thumbs together, using the momentum to spin your hands around until your fingers are interlaced and pressed into your palms. You both squeeze your hands once, twice, three times in a heartbeat before pulling away. By the end, the fire and water have disappeared.

When you meet Yoongi’s eyes, the warmth of the fire in his palm has transferred to his gaze. There is an apology in how you release each other’s hands. The handshake holds secret words of friendship and reassurance between you.

The two of you stand in silence for a bit until Yoongi tilts his head in the direction of the woods. You nod in response and follow Yoongi along one of the many patrol paths your group has established.

There’s never anything in the woods besides small animals like squirrels and rabbits, but everyone feels better knowing there is a consistent patrol of the area, just in case.

“So,” When you look at Yoongi, his lips twist into a light smirk you absolutely do not like. “You and Jungkook.”

“Me and Jungkook what?”

Yoongi shrugs. “Just seems like you two been hanging out a lot.”

“Yeah, because you were fucking ignoring me all week.”

His smirk drops into a stern frown, but Yoongi continues following the path. He walks slightly ahead of you with his hands clasped behind his back. It feels like he’s taking a leisurely stroll through a garden rather than going on patrol in the woods for government assassins.

“It was immature and irresponsible of me, and I’m sorry for that.”

Forgiving Yoongi is too easy. It’s the way the morning sun shines through the canopy of trees above you, casting streaks of light against his fading pink hair. The way he carries himself with confidence is gentle and comforting rather than arrogant or misplaced. It’s how he looks at you; you know he would do anything for you.

“It’s okay,” you finally concede. You scramble a bit to fall in line with Yoongi again. “I was being dramatic.”

“Life is one big drama, isn’t it?” Yoongi muses with a chuckle. It’s a question he doesn’t expect an answer to, which is good, considering you’ve got something else buzzing around in your head.

Well, fuck it. You’re just gonna say it.

Heart pounding, you eventually find it in you to say, “I still think you’re wrong.”

After a moment, Yoongi hums in acknowledgment of your admission but doesn’t offer anything else. It’s better than nothing, so you tell yourself to be content with all that he offers.

“Anyway…” You don’t want to drop the subject, but Yoongi’s question is nagging in the back of your brain now - a nagging question you now have a gnawing desire to know the meaning behind. “Me and Jungkook can hang out without it meaning-”

Before you can finish your statement, Yoongi slaps his hand against your mouth. The calluses on his palms are rough against your chapped lips, and his skin is sweaty. His free arm comes around to the front of your chest near your collarbones. He draws you against his chest so tightly you can’t move.

“Don’t talk.” His breath is hot against your face, and his voice is almost indiscernible.

You give a tiny nod before locking your body completely still. You hold your breath, straining to hear what Yoongi might hear or see what he might see. There’s nothing, just the usual sound of life in the woods - birds chirping, small animals scurrying in the brush. You don’t see anything either.

You can only focus on the frantic pounding of your heart and the calm beat of Yoongi’s against your back. How he can be so relaxed when he thinks there might be danger in the woods that you can’t even see is unreal.

Slowly, Yoongi takes a step back away from you. He holds a finger to his lips and silently mouths for you to stay where you are. Everything inside you screams to disobey as you watch Yoongi disappear further into the woods, the thick trees swallowing him whole.

But you don’t. You stay put, fear rooting you to the ground even though your body desperately wants to follow.

What lies beyond the thicket of trees? What is dangerous enough that Yoongi wants you to stay put but not so dangerous that he believes he can take it on alone?

Just when your resolve is about to crumble, something catches your attention out of the corner of your eye. Barely breathing, you turn your head to watch a dark spot glide across the forest floor. It’s two-dimensional, not an object but a presence creeping along the ground.

Suddenly, the spot grows. It spreads, turning its shape from a flat, uneven circle to a thing with tendrils sticking out of it, each new tendril moving independently. You gasp when one of the tendrils creeps up your leg. Despite being two-dimensional, you can feel the darkness. It’s firm and cold, like a snake slithering up your body.

Every inch of you trembles as the strange darkness slowly spreads across your body. You squeeze your eyes and hold your breath. Perhaps this is the thing that Yoongi saw, a phantom stalking the trees. But now you’re left behind to be absorbed into its darkness, eaten alive.

You’re startled when the cold disappears; instead, strong arms pull you against a firm chest. Warmth envelopes you, and when you open your eyes, you see familiar ones looking back at you.

“I got you,” Jungkook murmurs. He has you tucked under his chin, and he tilts his head down when he speaks to you. You shiver as his lips lightly brush against your forehead.

“Where did you-”

“Shhh.”

Jungkook’s heart isn’t steady like Yoongi’s had been. On the contrary, it’s beating rather furiously. You can hear him attempting to regulate his emotions, taking in mindful breaths and exhaling in a way that tickles your skin.

You don’t know how long you stand there pulled against Jungkook’s chest. After a while, your breathing matches his until you fall into a gentle rhythm that makes you sleepy. The adrenaline is making you crash, your body hardly strong enough to hold yourself up after panicking so severely - still panicking. Luckily, when you lean into Jungkook, his hold on you tightens.

In another situation, pressing your fronts together would have flooded your body with heat. You can feel all of Jungkook like this, from the bulging muscles of his chest to his thigh pressed slightly between your legs from how he holds you up. But fear of the unknown and Jungkook’s clearly distressed state prevent those other thoughts from materializing.

Jungkook’s body doesn’t relax until Yoongi appears around the corner of a large tree. He keeps his arms wrapped around you, and for a second, Yoongi looks around at the clearing you're in as though he can’t see you.

It isn’t until Jungkook lets go of you that recognition flashes in Yoongi’s eyes.

“There you are,” Yoongi murmurs to the two of you. He looks like he rolled around on the ground, little pieces of leaves and sticks caught in his hair and stuck to his clothes. His left knee is bleeding from a few superficial scrapes.

“What the fuck happened to you?”

Yoongi looks at Jungkook before he answers your question, which irritates you. “I tripped when I rushed in, but it was nothing. Just a large fox I heard making noise back there.”

A fox is likely the largest animal in the woods, with no bears or wolves in the area. Still, you don’t trust Yoongi. You can pick up on the charred smell coming off of him. He smells like a barbecue, which means only one thing…

“Have you been practicing turning yourself invisible?”

Jungkook ducks his head down but no longer has long bangs to hide his face. It takes a second for your brain to process Yoongi’s question - and the change in the topic - but Jungkook is already answering him by the time you figure it out.

“It’s not really invisibility,” he says softly. “It’s more like… an illusion.”

Yoongi hums and motions for the two of you to start walking. You’re returning to the warehouse, you realize, even though you only just started the patrol route.

“Yeah, I can… adjust the lighting, I guess? To make it seem like you can’t see me. Or, us, this time.”

Jungkook gives you a small smile when you whip around to look at him.

“I didn’t know you could do that.”

“Yeah,” Jungkook repeats. He draws his bottom lip between his teeth and wiggles it like he has more to say but doesn’t want to let it out just yet.

The three of you walk in silence until you reach the warehouse. When Yoongi walks ahead of you, you can tell he’s limping, even as he does his best to walk normally.

“He’s okay.”

Jungkook stands beside you in the field behind the warehouse, watching Yoongi reach the backdoor.

“He’s bleeding.”

Jungkook’s ears are pink when he responds, “He’ll be okay.”

“He’s lying to us.”

Jungkook absentmindedly runs his fingers along his bottom lip. It droops as he speaks through a pout. “Maybe. But I trust him, even if he is.”

It’s a strange thing to trust someone who is lying.

All you can do is nod. All you can do is accept that the people around you are doing what’s right because, aside from them, there is no one and nothing you can trust in the world.

As you approach the warehouse, Jungkook curls his fingers around your wrist to stop you. He watches you with the same wide-eyed look he gives everyone, though something about this time feels different. His expression is more open and vulnerable. He looks at you like he’s waiting for you to hurt him.

“I’m sorry I scared you,” he apologizes softly.

“But you didn’t?”

Your eyebrows crease your forehead, trying to recall what you may have done to make Jungkook feel like you feared him. Sure, his sudden appearance in the woods was startling, but he’d brought you a feeling of comfort and safety - not fear.

Jungkook doesn’t correct you. Instead, he lets go of your wrist as shame warms his cheeks, but he doesn’t look away from you. The timidness is still there. You can see it in how he chews on his bottom lip. Still, his eyes take on a more guarded, hardened expression for a split second, and then…

He’s gone.

“What the fuck?” You mutter to yourself.

Now that you’ve seen the darkness before, your eyes quickly notice the spot on the ground that creeps and grows into odd shapes, slinking along the grass before taking form up your legs, curling around your arms.

It’s Jungkook. You knew it in the woods, somewhere deep down. Your fear for Yoongi’s safety - and your own - prevented you from processing the situation. But now, as the darkness envelopes you again, you know what to expect when you close your eyes and open them to see Jungkook’s broad chest as he crushes you against him.

“You never showed me before.”

Maybe it’s weird that you’re still clinging to each other, but Jungkook is warm and solid, and his heartbeat guides yours into a slower rhythm.

“That’s because it’s creepy.”

“Well, I think it’s cool. Even though, yeah, you kinda scared the shit outta me.”

Jungkook lets out an embarrassed whine and squeezes you tighter. You knew he could command shadows but hadn’t realized he could become one or move within them. Sure, the tornado trick he’d done a few times with Hoseok had been cool, but you’d always thought he was merely swirling the darkness around himself. You hadn’t realized he was the darkness.

Honestly, it made him all the more terrifying and equally as endearing.

“I just had this… feeling something bad was happening…” Jungkook whispers into your hair. “I needed to check.”

“Good thing it was only a fox.”

Jungkook nods in agreement; you know he believes it more than you do.

“I’m just happy you’re safe.” You can feel his cheek press against the top of your head for a moment before he finally releases you.

There’s a feeling there as Jungkook leads you to the warehouse. He laces his fingers with yours, and you can’t help but hear Yoongi’s question on a loop in your head.

You and Jungkook?

4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS

“What if they think we’re the feds and feed us false information?”

“We’re too stupid to be the feds. It would be obvious.”

“I don’t know… we all escaped the government, so they must be pretty stupid.”

“What if they’re the feds?”

“Shit, I never thought about that.”

“They’re not the fucking feds.”

“How do you know that?!”

“Can all of you please just shut the fuck up?”

The six of you crowd around the radio on the kitchen table. Jessi shows you how to operate it, which flip to switch to activate the microphone, and how to adjust the volume. You’re all muted for now. When Hoseok goes to flip the switch, Jessi smacks his hand out of the way.

“Listen to me,” she says sternly, turning in her seat to get a good look at all of you. “No one talks.”

“But-”

“No one talks.”

Five heads nod at her command, including Yoongi, which feels very satisfying to you for some reason.

Details of the Gifted Commune somewhere beyond the woods traveled by word of mouth. Coordinates and radio frequencies were exchanged in hushed tones between the Gifteds who dared dream of a life beyond the Labs. You’re sad to admit that you were never one of those Gifteds. It wasn’t until Yoongi helped you escape that you even realized escaping was an option, so brainwashed into thinking the Labs were all you had. You were in a new country, stumbling through an unfamiliar language, taken from your family. Sure, you’d learned enough to get by over time - but missing your adolescent years made you feel hopeless.

Jessi is the only one who had communicated with the Commune leaders in the past when she and another Gifted managed to break into a control room in the Labs she came from.

That’s why she’s the one to speak into the radio that you find operates much like a long-distance walkie-talkie. You’re glad it’s not you. She introduces herself, her whereabouts, and her credentials with an even voice you know you could never replicate.

Despite the distrust you’re all afraid of, Jessi’s previous connection to the Commune makes it easy for her to request to speak to the Commune leader, a healer named Kim Taehyung.

Sitting with your fingers gripping the edge of the table so tightly your knuckles are beginning to ache, you lean forward as though you can get closer to the gentle voice that floats from the radio’s speakers.

Taehyung doesn’t sound anything like you’d imagined, though you aren’t sure what you were expecting, to be honest. Maybe someone with a rougher voice made harsh by the trials of life as a fugitive of the Republic. Instead, he’s soft as he asks Jessi how many there are of you and what your coordinates are. This man, already larger than life even though none of you knows what he looks like, is patient as he gives Jessi instructions on how to reach the Commune.

“I can assure you,” Taehyung speaks, and you don’t know what he’s about to say, but you find yourself already believing him, “You will be safe here. It won’t be a short trip.” That makes your gut twist, but you focus on his following words. “But there are abandoned shelters along the route to find refuge in. The nights get terribly cold.”

Namjoon scribbles some notes down on a worn piece of paper. It’s been written on and erased to add more notes over the months you’ve been at the warehouse since there are only a few pieces of paper between the six of you. There’s a small hole in the middle of the page where someone erased too hard - or too many times, you suppose.

“Thank you, Taehyung-ssi.”

The line is quiet for a moment. Jessi’s gaze shoots up to glare at Jungkook’s interruption, but Taehyung speaks before she can chastise the younger man.

“Anything for my dongsaeng,” the man on the other side of the radio states.

You don’t know him, so there is no way to tell if the subtle lilt to his voice indicates affection, but it seems like it as the two men use polite terms no one ever uses anymore. It’s old-fashioned and reminiscent of a time lost to all of you.

Jessi steers the conversation back to planning the group’s journey to the Commune. Excitement makes you jittery as you skip out of the kitchen, the men - aside from Yoongi - following after you. The boring stuff is what follows, and you’re all content to let the leaders discuss that stuff.

“Do you think we’ll be able to do it?” Hoseok clasps his hands together, occasionally squeezing them. When he speaks, he keeps his eyes on the closed kitchen door.

Namjoon shrugs at the same time you respond, “We have to.”

PART ONE - PART TWO

do not copy, repost, modify, or translate any of my work

#jungkook x reader #bts fanfic #bts x reader #jungkook fanfic #jungkook angst #jungkook smut #jungkook fluff #bts angst #bts fluff #bts smut #jai writes #gimmethatagustd #a spring offering collab #wtfgu

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boxofbonesfic · 9 months

Text

Title: Brave [3 of ?]

Pairing: Orc!Steve x Reader

Summary: You manage to earn your day’s water, but also something else—Steve’s attention.

Warnings: 18+ Only, Genre typical violence, Warlord Nomad AU, Dark Fantasy AU, Enemies to lovers, Eventual smut, References to past abuse

A/N: a little more world-building, some insights into pack culture—and what’s expected of our reader 👀 i hope you all enjoy!

The rabbit’s ears twitch as it lifts its twitching nose to the air. You’re downwind, so it can’t scent you, not unless the wind shifts. It’s been hours of you sitting here, waiting as one by one the rest of the pack peels off, searches for better pickings elsewhere. You don’t, though, remaining still and quiet until you’re the only one left crouching low in the grass.

She lifts her head higher, ears swiveling before she lowers her head back down to the sparse patch of green in a sea of dry brown, her whiskers trembling. Slowly, quietly, you creep forward, pausing each time she does as you get into position. You nock an arrow, sighting it down your pointer finger—the way Steve showed you.

The thought of him curdles your stomach, and you grimace. What does he care if I live or die? You think snidely, your lips tightening as you draw back the string with a firm, steady hand. You grit your teeth. He thinks you weak—you know the others think so. They speak it freely, and in truth you cannot blame them. Your survival feels like more of a mistake than anything, a cruel twist of luck that had denied you the end you were supposed to meet. You are as unsuited to this life as both the cobbler and the baker’s boy, and yet you breathe while they moulder.

Don’t miss.

You release the arrow, and much to your surprise, your aim is true. The arrow pins the rabbit, the tip sinking into the dirt behind it. Its back legs twitch, and briefly your stomach turns as you watch the light go out in its frightened black eyes. Unexpected tears gather in your eyes as you wrench the arrow from the rabbit’s still warm flesh, and wipe it on the grass.

“I’m sorry.” You mumble, placing a hand on its little head. “Thank you.”

“To live out here is to take life.” You aren’t surprised by Steve’s voice, nor his presences. You suppose it had been foolish, really, to think you were alone. You wipe furiously at your tears before glaring at him over your shoulder with red-rimmed eyes. “It was an honorable kill.”

You look down at your hands, and swallow thickly at the sight of dark red blood.

“I have never killed anything before.”

The orc sneers. “Then you have led a much more comfortable life than most anyone, man, orc, or beast.” He gestures to the rabbit. “Come. I do not think anyone will contest that you’ve earned your water tonight.” You watch as Steve strings up your kill, tying it to the back of your saddle.

—

You approach the fire-pit with your rabbit, your jaw clenched nervously as you twist the rope in your hands. The orc female tending the pot is as broad-shouldered and gruff as the males, her blond hair cropped close on the sides, the top long enough to fall across her eyes. She crosses her arms as you approach, a surprised, if wry, smile on her face.

“Well I’ll be.” She takes it from you, nodding in approval. “Clean kill. I’m impressed. I did not think a thing as dainty as you would be able to draw one of our bows.” You know she doesn’t mean it as an insult, merely an observation. Orcs, in your new estimation, seem to be overly fond of blunt communication, unbothered nuance or delicacy. You had never thought yourself particularly dainty, either; though as you look up at her you realize how small you are indeed.

“Thank you.” She turns to place your rabbit upon the chopping block she has cleared, and you look away as she begins to clean it. “What… what is your name?” You ask awkwardly, and she glances up at you.

“Carol.” She unsheathes a heavy looking short blade from her hip, slicing the rabbit from tail to nose. “You’ll make a fine hunter yet, little human,” she complements your work a second time, and you duck your head, your cheeks burning.

“I—I’ve never hunted before.” You admit. “Today was the first time.”

“Have you not? Perhaps I shall take you next time. Mayhap we can catch bigger than a rabbit.” She winks. Carol does not shoo you away, not even when the other orcs begin lining up with their own, impressive kills. Bucky is last, of course, a small deer strung up on a pole he carries easily by himself over one large shoulder.

“We should make jerky from this one. Salt it and dry the skins between the saddles,” Carol says, slapping its flank. You hope in vain that his slate gray eyes will not fall on you—but you feel their weight even as you busy yourself cleaning foraged carrots, and you hear the sneer in his voice.

“Making yourself useful?”

“She killed a rabbit today.” You had not expected Carol’s defense, and when you glance up at her, she stands with her body broadside in front of you, like she’s trying to block you from view. “A good kill, for her first time.”

Bucky scoffs. “Every one of us had a doe skinned and parted out before we were even weaned.” He sneers at you, the tusks poking out from his lower lip glinting menacingly. “But I suppose if you were an orc youngling, you might be blooded for it.”

Carol rolls her eyes.

“I just want to earn my water.” You say, meeting his gaze as you jut out your chin. “That’s all.” Bucky says nothing. He glances down at your rabbit, and then back up at you.

“It’s a good kill.” You swallow—that is probably the closes to a compliment that he’s apt to come. He turns on his heel and walks away, dirt crunching under his boots.

When Carol serves out the stew that night, you get a bowl—instead of the scraps you’d been allowed to take from the pot in the nights before, and your stomach groans audibly at the privilege of being full. For the first time, you find a—small—place by the fire that no one seems to mind you taking. In your bowl, you find almost an entire leg of rabbit. You look up, expecting to find Carol’s knowing gaze, but instead, your eyes connect with cool blue across the fire.

You look down quickly, pretending to ignore the weight of his eye as you bring a spoonful of stew to your lips.

“I beg your attention, brothers, sisters, people,” Steve’s voice carries across the fire-pit like a clap of thunder. The response is immediate, a curtain total silence dropping. Though there is no king among them, you think Steve might be the closest comparable thing.

“The day after tomorrow we ride for Tarrath. You know what this means; we will not stop. Not for rest, not for water.” You swallow the uncomfortable feeling that this speech is partially for your benefit. His bright blue eyes rest on yours. “Do not fall behind.”

Carol sits heavily on the log beside you, a bowl held in her large hands. It provides a welcome distraction, and you drop his gaze, turning to look at her.

“Eat up, little human,” she replies, gesturing at you with a spoon. “You will need your strength.” You bite into the rabbit, a mixture of gravy and grease running down your chin as she nods at you.

“Tomorrow, we hunt.”

to be continued

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choclodox · 1 year

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Lyle’s IQ score Head Canon

HEAR ME OUT: as much as Lyle def gives me himbo™️ energy, I also feel like he’s supposed to be…PRETTY SMART? he’s just also goofy. Like, I feel like he’s one of those friends that’s the smartest but also the dumbest person you’ve ever had at the same time.

Here is my evidence (dons glasses and grabs a laser pointer)

1. First and foremost, I’m pretty sure Quaritch wouldn’t let a dumbo be able to advance to the rank of Corporal, so Lyle needs to have SOME level of competency (but there’s still some room for his goofball nature lol).

Side note, studies show that people who are comical tend to have higher IQs since it ranks critical thinking to understand humor and make jokes. So Lyle is at least smart in that department.

2. In the first movie, we can see that Trudy trusts him enough to work on her Samson. We all know how much Trudy LOVED her Baby, so she must have had some serious trust in Lyle (someone who wasn’t an RDA mechanic) to let him even TOUCH her Rogue One’s equipment.

3. Also in the first movie, Lyle actually knows his stuff about combat theory and the AMP suits. When Quaritch has Lyle survey the aftermath of the Omatikaya’s retaliation for the destruction of the Tree of Voices, Lyle is able to describe in detail what the damages are. He’s able to tell that the arrows were fired from Ikrans based off the angles of the arrows in the damaged equipment and dead bodies, he can say for a fact that the AMP suits are not just damaged but what exactly is damaged (the Driver in this case).

4. Now in the 2nd movie, we actually get to see more of his smarts come into action. Lyle actually gets promoted from Corporal to Lieutenant and becomes second in command to Quaritch. The RDA wouldn’t let that happen if he was purely a trigger happy soldier; you needs some gray matter for that position.

5. Next, Quaritch looks to LYLE to pull the security feed off of OG Quaritch’s AMP suit. And Quaritch is a smart guy too, but it feels like Big Curly Q knows he’s out of his depth on this one and just hands it off to Lyle because he knows that he actually knows his stuff.

But ya, thanks for coming to my TedTalk :)

Also, a few other hcs I embrace

Lyle is that ONE gringo friend that knows FLUENT Spanish (and possibly knows other languages as well). And when I say Gringo, I don’t mean he’s white but is still Hispanic, no. There is a reason why JamCam named this man after Wainfleet, Ohio (the Ohio of Ohio). But nobody questions his ability to speak Spanish. You leave him alone in any Authentic Hispanic setting and come back in 20 minutes, they’re running to the liquor store because they already ran out of Tequila/pisco/etc. TEAM LATINO LOVES HIM

*side note, Jake probably knows some Spanish too since he did his tours in Venezuela. Who knows, maybe he taught some to Spider because he knows he’s team Latino. A

*and Quaritch probably knows some of Nigeria’s native languages (Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, etc) since he did 3 whole tours there before coming to Pandora

Lyle likes 90s music (Britney Spears, Mariah Carey) but mainly SHAKIRA. I could see him just dancing alone to Hips Don’t Lie and someone walks in trying to get his attention, but he doesn’t notice and they have to clear their throat and he just screams when he finally notices them

He can dance Samba, Cumbia, Tango, Flamenco. ANYTHING in that family HE CAN DO IT FLAWLESSLY ASU PAPI

Might come from a family of mechanics and worked in a mom and pop mechanic shop (I embrace that one HC where he has a love for cars and just engineering in general). Maybe he wanted to be a more refined engineer but just couldn’t pass the tests since he was more of an intuitive thinker and tests favor more of the technical thinkers.

Likes DragonBall Z but will never admit it

#avatar #avatar the way of water #avatarfanart #avatar2 #miles quaritch #jake sully #trudy chacon #lyle wainfleet #recom lyle wainfleet #lyle wainfleet headcanons

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silviakundera · 18 days

Text

Kinnporsche Fanfic Recs

In celebration of the 2 year anniversary, here is an avalanche of Kinn/Porsche fics that I've enjoyed. Painfully incomplete & posted in no particular order. My shipping interests are 100% focused on the K/P couple and that will be reflected in my list, sorry 😘.

Deep Like a Coastal Shelf by Lilla_Torg

(79,000 words) Green Arrow inspired AU. "After five years abroad, Kinn Theerapanyakul returns to find his city under siege by a vigilante known as the Phoenix."

Stain of Sun by Lilla_Torg

(78,000 words) Omega brothers Porsche (hacker) and Chay (grifter) team up to take down the Theerapanyakul crime family. Things do not go as planned. // This marries A/B/O with mutant powers. As long as you're not wholly opposed to Omegaverse, give it a chance. Every one of this author's long KPtS fics is a banger.

Pouring Down Crimson Fire by Lilla_Torg

(119,000 words) Sort of a mutant AU but honestly that underplays how fucking cool this fic is. “I think you know something about keeping secrets,” said Kinn. He flashed Porsche a pocket-ace smirk. “You’re mine. Say it.”

The boy he’d been fourteen years ago would have told him where to shove it. But Porsche had been around long enough to know that the mafia always won. Still, he looked around, searching for a way out, before giving up and turning back to Kinn, those black eyes awaiting his surrender.

“I’m yours,” he said.

a perpetual unscattering by concernedlily

(31,000 words) Canon-divergence AU. “Pissing in bottles behind a cocktail bar,” Kinn said. “But Pa gave him to me, so I’m stuck with him.” To a visibly furious Porsche he said, “You don’t know the minor family? Never come across any of them before?”

“How would I know the fucking minor family?” Porsche snapped.

what a tangled web we weave by fortunehasgivenup

(80,000 words) 1000 Nights inspired alternate universe, fantasy-historical Thailand. // After the betrayal of his first husband, King Anakinn Theerapanyakul vows to never love again. Once a week, he takes a new husband, a young man who will not live to see another dawn.

When a nobleman comes to find a young man to adopt and marry off to the king in place of his own son, Thee chooses Chay.

Faced with an outcome that he refuses to contemplate, Porsche steps in and takes Chay's place. He only has one request for the king - to be allowed to tell his brother one last bedtime story.

Burn Your Name Into My Skin by Everyforkedroad

(72,000 words) In which Kinn visits a high-end sex club and he & Porsche meet under the guise of anonymity for what should be a 1 night encounter. Except not only are they intensely drawn together... things are not what they seem.

Salt by ronandhermy

(49,000 words) Sweat stings because the salt is purifying. Porsche may be in high school but he is still a National Champion in Taekwondo and he catches the eye of the national team's newest sponsor: The Theerapanyakun Family. Alternate first meeting. Leans into the darkness of canon, read the tags and proceed w caution.

how do you like it, daddy by Baby_Droll

(28,000 words) "and ain't shit 'bout me cheap and ain't shit 'bout me free" - our lord and savior, florence millicent. kinn & porsche, and all the other pieces on their fucked up chess board. a sugar baby/daddy au with an omegaverse twist. // This is a dark reimagining alternate universe. Iconic toxic K/P fic.

two shots by Martynax

(81,000 words) AU, different first meeting. Porsche joined the armed forces & became a hired gun. // “So I’m supposed to end a mafia dispute?”

“Something like that,” he mutters, wondering if he’s making a mistake, revealing it to Porsche so soon. Nothing is set in stone, after all. But he has a gut feeling that the man appreciates honesty and simplicity much more than intrigue and schemes.

be the best you ever tasted by Martynax

(90,000 words) an AU where Porsche's life is shit so he shakes his perky little bum for strangers at a strip club and Kinn books him for a private show. Porsche doesn't fuck customers and shouldn't get associated with whatever grey business his boss is trying to run out of the club. But... you know how this is gonna go.

between the sheets by DasWarSchonKaputt

(70,000 words) “And who’s that?”

“Oh. That’s Porsche. He’s Khun Kinn’s live-in boytoy. He’s harmless, mostly. Just a pretty face.”

A boyfriend can go so many places a bodyguard can’t. As the threat of a potential leak in their security forces looms large, Khun Korn hatches a plot to place an added layer of protection around his heir presumptive. Enter Porsche, former bartender, current bodyguard, and reluctant fake boyfriend of Kinn Theerapanyakul.

Stumbling to the Edge by FireRisingOverTheHills

(51,000 words) Of the genre of KP fics where Kinn and Porsche meet-cute in a random bar encounter, instead of a meet-ugly, this one is my fav. I just really enjoy the Kinn PoV with his what?! is?! happening??? vibes as he finds himself irresistibly drawn to someone who doesn't fit neatly into defined roles.

"He makes this all seem like it’s perfectly normal and Kinn is helpless to do anything but go along with it."

Whatever Else that Touches You by technicallyverycowboy

(9,330 words) Tender established relationship and bisexual self discovery, post canon. // "No, it's fine." Porsche shifts to be a little less plastered against Kinn's side, straightens his shoulders and smooths out his jacket with great dignity. "The answer to your question is yes, I have really never been with any other men." Porsche answers questions, asks some of his own, tries new things, and fills in the knowledge gaps of his own sexuality.

An Elegant Mechanism by Laughsalot3412

(87,000 words) A/B/O AU, Kim centric with some background K/P and dysfunctional brothers & cousin bonding. The only fic on this list that isn't K/P primary. // "Kim was only an omega when he was luring people closer to his gun. No one had to give Kim a weapon. He was one. (Kim's mission is to get close to Porchay Kittisawat. Chay is not a typical alpha. Kim is not a typical omega. Kim isn't having feelings and Chay is going to be so normal about all of this.)"

Love and Violence by thewayside

(9,500 words) Beautifully written, post ep 14. // "Love and violence have always been bedfellows for Kinn. Down to how his first proper relationship ended in a pool of blood. Porsche’s beauty might have drawn him in, but he knows in his gut that he met someone in kind that first night, blood coursing through their veins as the fight ended and Porsche led him onto a bike to a road he barely knew."

Burnished night, blood-soaked stars by The_Old_Astronomer

(13,000 words) Missing scene set between the end of episode 6 and the side story (pre-ep 7). Porsche fights to keep Kinn alive after the attack, and gradually realises how much the other man means to him.

Night Call by vesna (mrsronweasley)

(34,500 words) "On Kinn's birthday, Kinn is dragged by Tae and Time to a strip club, where he gets a private dance from a man who calls himself Jom. Kinn is smitten. Things spin out from there." Canon AU, where Porsche became a stripper because bartending wasn't paying enough.

NFWMB by vesna (mrsronweasley)

(18,700 words) There's a rushing in Kinn's ears, a noise he can't shake. It almost makes him miss the next thing Arm tells him. "He was supposed to check in, as per protocol, but—" "But what," Kinn snaps. A headache is building behind one of his eyes. Arm's eyes are wide right before he lowers them and says, "He hasn't been heard from in two and a half hours." Or, post-canon Porsche is kidnapped. Kinn goes through it.

Caught Off Guard by Altered_Ego

(23,000 words) The one where Porsche is one of his escort's bodyguard. Alternate first meeting; Porsche took another path to support his brother.

the less i know the better by mslunita

(45,000 words) Bored Kinn joins Tinder in hopes of getting his rocks off with a different kind of guy, instead of the standard escorts. Porsche challenges him in just the right way. // Alternate first meeting. Basically their canon selves, but this is after Porsche has already had his bi awakening.

XXX curious STRAIGHT boy BEGS for COCK for the FIRST TIME XXX by mirrorofprinces

(35,000 words ) Porn industry AU. “Porsche is extremely close to signing. In fact, he has a final meeting with the execs on Monday morning. The only condition is that he wants to request his first partner, and it’s you.” Kinn takes a long drink of his whiskey, sets the glass down, and runs his tongue over his teeth. “So you had to meet with me, urgently, to tell me that a beautiful boy wants me to fuck him, thinking I’d say no.” He drums his fingers on the bartop. “Which means there’s a catch.”

paint my kiss across your chest (your touch is like a happy pill) by darkknight

(16,000 words) Episode 8 era. "Porsche discovers different new ways of how good sex can feel, ways that would never even have crossed his mind before meeting Kinn."

quis custodiet ipsos custode by concernedlily

(8,600 words) Porsche being on dangerous missions and Kinn discovering he has Feelings About That. Missing scenes and Post Ep 14.

Wing of a Butterfly by Kalere

(320,000 words) Some years before the canon storyline, two young men have a random encounter at a bar. Their friendship changes everything. // The epic Porsche & Vegas friendship fic.

#kinnporsche #kpts #fic rec #there are tons more great KP fics #i am certain I left off at least a dozen #this fandom is blessed with its authors #please be inspired by this to publish your own recs

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braxiatel · 1 year

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of love and loyalty

(read on AO3)

Martyn is going to betray Ren.

Martyn is smart. This world - whatever it is - is every man for himself.

Ren is caught on the idea of another sort of world, a home that is becoming a distant memory, where most of their enemies call him friend. He dreams of trade emporiums and prosperous nations.

Martyn knows better. He plans to survive this thing, and it is obvious that one day Ren is going to become dead weight.

But even so. In the light of the fire, Ren’s eyes spark just so, and the first fall of snow in autumn looks like diamonds in his hair and makes his smile all the brighter.

Martyn could betray Ren. There is a blood-stained axe in his hand, and the newly crowned king stands naked before him. It would be no harder than it was the first time.

He knows that to be a lie the moment he thinks it. It would be harder, but only a little, because killing the man he loves was already just shy of impossible.

He gives himself over. Dies twice for the banner of a king he believes in fully. Tells himself he might still leave and knows better. Takes the man into his arms and his bed when they cannot tell the snow from the ash in the dead of night.

Dogwarts falls, her king with her, and Martyn is entirely lost to it. The dirt is no fitting grave for a king, and Martyn does not stop to think that this is the one chance he has to escape their burning city. With Ren’s name on his lips he charges into an impossible battle.

An arrow pierces his heart, and he dies for a dead man. There is meaning in it, still.

–

Martyn is going to betray the Southlands.

Martyn is smart. This world - just like the last - is every man for himself. An alliance of five is tenuous and dangerous, and Martyn refuses to be the one to die to prove it.

Ren is there too. Not the blood-crowned king, but a knight eternally devoted to a monarch fighting for a doomed fort. Well, imitation is the most sincere form of flattery.

He cannot help but fall in love with Mumbo. There is something familiar in the way the sunset shines in his hopeful eyes and in the sincere naivety of betrayals to come when he kisses Martyn.

But he knows better than to put all of his eggs in one basket, this time. He forges ties in the dark, and when the Southlands fall, he goes the only place he ever could go: to Ren.

In the chaos of it all, They come to him. Whisper secrets and truths about the world he thinks he has always known consciously or not. It is every man for himself. There is no escape. If they are supposed to love, it is only to lose.

It ends the same way it did last time: forts fall, alliances break, and Ren and Martyn both lie dead in the dirt.

It ends differently: this time they meet on the battlefield as enemies rather than allies. The way they dance around each other in combat is only flirting, in the same way Black Heart Altar was a wedding.

While he breathes his last he hopes against hope Ren will win this one.

—

Martyn has no allies to betray.

Martyn is smart. This world - the last in a long row - is every man for himself.

Except it isn’t. Isn’t supposed to be, anyway. That isn’t Their will.

He thinks he could have loved Cleo, if they’d let him. Cleo’s mind is sharp, and they have no illusions about what sort of game this is. In one world she loved entirely and died anyway, in another her love was rewarded with nothing but betrayal.

There are a lot of ways to be soulmates, and at least the two of them respect each other.

The heart wants what it wants, though, and just as he cannot stop thinking of Cleo, his mind strays to his previous lovers.

To Mumbo, who died so early and has not returned. Was he not enough fun for Them? Did he escape? Or did getting stabbed in the back by someone he loved just as much as Martyn break something in him that means he is gone for good?

And Ren. He has gotten smart about these games, Martyn notes, when he overhears him telling BigB how he plans for the two of them to survive. No more thriving nations, but a home that will scare off anyone but the two of them.

That may have been his undoing.

If his soul is Cleo’s, his heart belongs to Ren, and when the two of them find each other in the dark he cannot help but take the hand that reaches for him.

He keeps the other at arm’s length nonetheless. Trusts him, but does not let himself care the way he once did. When red eyes meet his and vows not to hurt him Martyn smiles but promises himself not to turn his back on Ren for too long.

It makes it easier when Ren does die, or at least so Martyn tells himself. If he loves he loses and when he loses They win.

At the end it is him and Cleo after all. Her hand brushes his before they go into battle and he knows it’s as close to love as they were ever going to get.

Can he really blame them for still being loyal to Scott after all this time?

Their bond kills him before he has a chance to find an answer.

–

Martyn is going to betray Scott.

Martyn has always been foolish. This world - the last he hopes - is every man for himself, and it is only now he truly understands that.

Scott knows it too. It is in how he cannot begrudge Martyn for walking away to chase his boogie kill, and in how he does not blame Martyn for chasing the time Scott’s last moments on green offer.

There is no love in this world, no lovers.

Scott is cold and so is Martyn, the spark between them not enough to rekindle what was lost. He takes what he can get away with, gives as little of himself back as he can. When he catches himself admiring the red in Scott’s eyes and the sharp row of teeth in his mouth, he runs off and does not return until he is certain his head will win against his heart once more.

Unguided, the hand does what all hands do in this game and stains himself in blood.

He was once a knight, a man of honour, who lay down his life for his love, in a world that ended with its last survivors offering each other the kindness of dying by the warm hand of another rather than the cold steel of a blade.

That was a long time ago.

Martyn betrays Scott.

Martyn wins.

They win too and Martyn loses, anyway.

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luimagines · 2 years

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Ooo what fierce deity becoming his own thing and apart of the chain, right hear me out, then sees reader and goes ‘yup that’s my wife’ and now they have a deity at their beck and call

My time to shine. I suppose this would be Fierce Deity realizes he loves Reader? But also just him being.... him. So not really? XD

I think I'll get there eventually. Good choice Anon!

Masterlist

Content under the cut!

He wasn’t sure how it happened.

One moment he was asleep and the next he was awake enough to feel the crack in his confinement. Confused and ever curious, he manages to get a glimpse through.

It’s impossibly bright and green. His cage is picked up gently. He can feel the gentle way it is moved and he comes face to face with the most beautiful creatures he’s seen in a all his years.

“The Old Man’s not gonna like this.” They hiss.

The deity can feel his breath catch. Their voice.... How melodic...

“What do we do?” Another voice hisses. A young boy. Like a boy he used to know. “We needed it. We’re under fire-”

On cue, they both scream and he’s dropped. Estranged and disoriented, the war god knows the sounds of battle when they’re near. His previous host never used him for personal gain. Only to protect and preserve. He can follow through with those simple wishes.

He reaches beyond his escape and breaks through his confinement.

With a deep breath he steps out into freedom at last. He has no clue what has been happening nor does he know where the voices have gone. Surely, in their panic they have deserted him.

But monsters begin to swarm the area and his instincts take over once more. He scours the area for more each and every time the hoards fall to his blade. This battle is easier than some of his pervious ones. The numbers thin out within minutes and he’s left attempting to find what has happened to his pervious host- or to the voice that had carried him so preciously.

A battle cry roars over him the sound of an explosion. He sees their face fly through the sky, arrows knocked and firing as they tumble through the air. His breath is taken from him that moment. He watches them pull out their shield and land against the ground with bent knees, following the momentum of their glide to stay standing. They never ceased to fire.

What battle prowess, he thinks. He’s not entirely sure that they saw him.

More monsters flood his little clearing once more, all of them running after the most intriguing human. He can’t afford to lose them before he even learns their name.

He deals with them swiftly and mercilessly. They would have never even known they were being chased to begin with.

With a pregnant pause, it appears to him that those were the last of them. Sheathing his sword, he goes to look for someone who may be of need of his assistance. Perhaps someone with potential blast wounds.

As he walks and his adrenaline dies, he realizes that being free at last feels very different than when he walked around through his hosts. His thoughts feel quiet with no one to bounce off of them. They almost echo.

It’s disorienting.

“Where is it?!” A voice snarls.

“Old Man listen-”

There they are, he smiles to himself. When he enters the hastily made camp, everyone falls silent. His previous host is the first to flash recognition through his eyes. He is no longer the boy the deity once knew. He is now a man.

The deity looks at him fondly, almost with pride.

He scans the group and it’s full of nothing but children. Or children well on their way to becoming men. And then there was you, the one that stood apart from them. The one that wasn’t a chosen.

His heart beats at last within your presence and he takes a step towards you. Many of the boys move to step between him and his goal. The man... which he can now presume to be currently called Old Man, is the first to step in between.

He says nothing.

Amused, the deity raises his hand and presses it to his head, rubbing it as he presses down. It messes up his hair and he looks up at the larger being with confusion and less hostility.

It’s enough for the deity as he side steps The Old Man and takes a knee next to you. You are tense. He can feel it. With his head bowed and his arm across his chest he makes a silent vow. Truly, you are something of divine magnificence. Something to be protected and revered.

He is going to look after you. He promises.

#linked universe #linkeduniverse #linked universe x reader #fierce deity x reader #legend of zelda #.....I wasn't expecting the amount of First and FD asks #but *man* I'm here for it #Y'all better be prepared #I'm trying to space out the non-conventional Chain stuff

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starwalker03 · 8 months

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The worst thing Bruce could do is have a Batman gambit and reveal he knows who the new Deathstroke is and didn’t tell anyone but Clark. How would Dick react to that?

So I had a good idea of what batman gambit meant but I googled it to be sure and wow. That's an actual recognised thing. Huh. Honestly that's almost funny.

Anyway. That'd be fucking hilarious. Oh my god can you imagine. Like. First of all we gotta think of the situation. Why does he have to do this? The most sense is he's atte lying to psych Deathstroke out and manipulate him into giving himself away. I have an idea where this'd likely happen in canon but all I can imagine, without spoiling, is that Bruce says it to Artemis when the league finally talks to her. And she ferries this back to Dick like 'oh my god dude. Dude. DUDE. HE KNOWS WHO YOU ARE'

Which. Oh boy that would not go well.

Part of me wants to believe Dick knows Brice well enough to see through it and recognise it as a batman gambit, because it's very much a cliche batman move. But. This would cause such an emotional reaction I don't think Dick would be able to see it. And even if he could there's be a very angry voice in his head screaming 'HE KNOWS HE KNOWS HE KNOWS AND HES DONE NOTHING'

Oh boy. Honestly the only way it ends is by Dick confronting him. He has so much emotional turmoil over all of this and hearing that Bruce actually has known who he is. Possibly all along. Dick now gets to analyse every small thing in hopes of figuring out when Bruce found out. Perhaps Slade told him? Or Bruce saw his face on security camera footage? Or an endless assortment of guesses. Dick has barely come face to face with Bruce over the decade because Slade kept them apart so everything he's analysing isn't even something he was part of firsthand, it's all from a third person perspective of how Bruce has behaved in the past ten years.

So yeah. It ends with a confrontation. It ends with Dick jumping him on a patrol and hanging him off a very tall building. Or it ends with Dick killing every active mobster currently on Brice's radar to draw his attention and empty his schedule so he can yell at Bruce on top of a building.

It ends with Dick screaming at him because WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU KNOW. HOW LONG HAVE YOU KNOWN?

And Bruce realises that he's made a very big mistake because he has no idea who Deathstroke is and this is not the reaction he was expecting. He just has to bluff. But everything he says in hopes of de-escalating the situation is not working.

How long have you known? Since Slade Wilson died. (seems a recent enough time, and also would have been a lot of chaotic things happening that something could slip without Deathstroke noticing he'd given himself away) [he's known since I was free. Since Slade was gone. He didn't come for me. He didn't try to stop me from taking up the mantle. He found out and he left me]

Why didn't you track me down? Why have you never tried to speak to me? We didn't have bulletproof evidence of Wilson's passing till you attacked Red Arrow. I've seen your files as Renegade, by then I assumed you'd made your decision to follow your masters footsteps. (this makes sense. This is something anyone may think in my situation) [master? My master?? he thinks- he doesn't- he didn't want me back. He didn't care to find me. He thinks I want this]

You're a fucking piece of work Bruce you know that. Everything he ever told me about you is true. I suppose it's up to you to decide if that's true. Don't blame me for what he's done, or what you keep deciding to do. (why is he taking this so personally? Why would he call me by name? Why would Slade make a point to put dirt on my name?) [He doesn't care. He doesn't care. He doesn't care. He doesn't UNDERSTAND]

Fucking hell Bruce. How do you even live with yourself. I may be the mercenary but you're just as bad as any of them. God how do put that mask on and call yourself a hero while you drag more innocent kids into the line of fire to save you. I have never put my children in danger. You've killed two of them now haven't you? And you didn't even try to save either of them. I've heard about Jason, I know what he did when he came back. God knows how you managed to manipulate him into working with you again, he was better off dead than fighting alongside you! You have no idea what you're talking about! I HAVE NO IDEA? ME? CAN YOU EVEN FUCKING HEAR YOURSELF?! who the hell do you think you are?! I THOUGHT YOU KNEW BRUCE, HAVE YOU ALREADY FORGOTTEN EVERYTHING I-

And he stops. And he takes a breath. And he stumbles backwards as he really looks at Bruce for the first time since the start of this conversation. And he realises.

It's a batman gambit. He's bluffing.

He's bluffing.

He doesn't know.

And he just starts laughing. Quietly chuckling until he's leaned over his knees and holding his gut because he has to laugh or he'll break into even more hysterics because BRUCE DOESN'T KNOW.

What the hell are you laughing about? You don't know. You don't. You're bluffing. This is all a bluff, you don't know who I am. Oh my god how did I fucking fall for that? Jesus Bruce you're a real piece of work.

What gave it away?

And Dick would stop. And look at him. And just shake his head with one final laugh. And he'd take off his mask.

Bruce doesn't recognise him for a moment. There's a few seconds of silence as it dawns on him. And Dick watches as it does, hurt by the fact it takes so long, and waits for Bruce to react.

Bruce has no words but he has to make sure. He has to know. He has to hear him say it-

Dick?

Rethinking anything you've just said?

I- I didn't-

You're right. You didn't. You did not. You had no idea, you just hoped it would go your way. And I guess it did, now you do know. Congratulations. Hope you're happy now.

And then he'd leave Batman gaping.

#dc comics #dick grayson #fanfiction #young justice #with morality like a polynomial #wmlp #angst #deathstroke #the batman #bruce wayne

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totesnothere04 · 1 year

Text

The Harder They Fall

Colonel Quaritch x F!Reader

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the fanart, screenshots, or gifs used with my stories.

Warnings: Murder, angst, fluff, cursing.

The Bigger They Are Pt. 1 to this story.

You were sitting alone in Jake and Neytiri's hut, chopping up fruits for your family to snack on while you and Neytiri make dinner. Your earpiece crackled to life and you dropped the knife to listen.

"Mama Toruk, it's Arachnid." You hear Spider come through.

"What's wrong?" You ask when you hear the urgency in his voice.

"Lo'ak and I caught the trail of avatars. They're boot prints so it's not any of ours." Spider says in what sounds like a whisper.

"Where are you?" You ask.

"We're at the old battlefield, near the old shack." He says.

"Okay. Be honest with me. Who all is with you? Anywhere you go Kiri is always one step behind." You say.

"Me, Lo'ak, Kiri, and Tuk." He says and you groan.

"Fall back. Report it to Jake and fall back. I'm on my way." You say quickly as you wipe off your knife and sheath it. You run to the open area and call for your ikran. He screeches as he comes into view and you quickly jump onto his back. You press your neck com to call Jake.

"Devil Dog, it's Mama Toruk." You say and you instantly get a response.

"The kids are in trouble. I know." Jake says. "We're en route but we're still a good ways out." He says.

"I'm Oscar Mike. I should arrive quicker than you do." You say.

"Wait for us to engage." Jake says and you shake your head.

"No promises." You fire back before ending the connection. You land a little ways away from the shack and quickly and quietly move through the trees. As you neared the shack you noticed a group of avatars holding the children hostage. You saw your son at the forefront trying to protect his crush and his friends.

"You are supposed to be dead." Your son spoke to the tallest avatar.

"What's it to you?" A voice you hadn't heard since before your son was born, responded. "What's your name?" He asks and you mentally scream at your son not to tell him his actual name.

"Spider." You quietly exhale. "(L/n) Miles'itan." He finished and you wanted to bang your head on the tree you were standing in.

"Wait-" You heard Miles move closer to your son. "Is your mother (Y/n) (L/n)?"

"Yes." Your son answers shortly.

"And your father?" He asks.

"That man has been dead since before I was born." Your son spoke with authority and you were awestruck. Of any time to grow into his adult voice, it was now? "The Great Mother Eywa granted my mother a second chance at life. She was pregnant with me when her human body died."

Miles felt his blood run cold. You had died but came back as Na'vi, and had raised your son alone. He felt tears prick his eyes and he motioned for his group to lower their weapons.

"Colonel... Are you sure that's a good idea?" Lyle asked.

"If you remember anything about (Y/n), Lyle... What is it?" Miles asks and Lyle nearly threw his gun away from himself. He didn't want to be caught holding your children at gunpoint. You decide to let the kids know you're nearby. You made a rolling chirp multiple times and Spider looked up toward the sky.

"Colonel..." Lyle said and Miles put his hands in the air.

"Stand down. All of you." Miles says. Most of the avatars put down their guns, except for Walker. "Walker, be smart. Put the gun down." But she didn't listen and continued to aim her gun into the trees. You notched an arrow and let it fly into her neck. She dropped and you came out of the trees and stood protectively infront of your son.

"(Y/n)." Miles almost whispers your name but you raise your hand to silence him.

"You... You already took one life from me, and you seek to take another." You spoke in broken English after rarely using said language for 16 years.

"(Y/n) please." He says and reaches for you, but you back yourself and the children up.

"Kehe, vonvä.(Stop it, asshole)" You throw at him and he visibly cringes at your words.

"(Y/n)... I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to shoot you." He pleads and you scoffed gripping your bow tighter.

"This girl... This girl here will never be able to be held by her biological mother because you killed her." You hissed at him and his ears pinned back in shame. "I died... I died with our son in my body."

"Ma'am we were just following orders." Lyle tries to defend his friend only to be met with the most murderous glare.

"Orders are not final. Morals are where you are to draw the line. It is obvious to me now that none of you hold your own." You say and quickly cut your son free from his restraints. You give him your knife to do the same for the others. Miles finally steps up to you and cups your cheeks.

"I love you. I love you so much. I want a second chance." He pleads and you narrow your eyes at him.

"Why should I? You will just come to kill my people and the peace we worked so hard to build. Our home was burnt down last year... Again. Humans show no care for this world, and neither do you. Or have you forgotten that you were the one to give the all clear to destroy the original Hometree?" You asked maliciously.

"I know. I know baby, and I hate myself for it because it drove you away from me. All I want is for us to move forward." He nearly begs and you tear away from his grip. A sob forces its way out of him and you turn to the children. All of them are watching with bated breath, and very confused. The man who had just been threatening them was now a sobbing mess at the mercy of their aunt. One of the kindest women they had known all of their lives. Kiri motions you toward her and you move to stand next to her.

"Aunt (Y/n)... I know what this man's human counterpart did, but they are not the same man. I say give him another chance." Kiri says and you think back to when you encountered Eywa. Your head flies up as you turn to look at Miles.

"Nothing trackable. Everything you have on you that the RDA can track take it off." You growl at him and he immediately tears off his neck com and earpiece. Every one of the others starts to remove their trackable gear as well. You hear two sets of approaching footsteps. Jake and Neytiri appear next to you and Jake gestures to Walker.

"You engaged." He stated.

"And you are getting slower with age." You reply.

"What are they doing?" Neytiri asks.

"They are removing anything that could be tracked by the RDA. I was going to leave them behind here, and take the kids home. But your daughter can be very persuasive about giving a second chance." You tell them and they look at Tuk. "Not Tuk, Kiri."

"Kiri... Do you know who that is?" Neytiri asks her daughter.

"Yes, and I am convinced they are not the same man. He begged and pleaded for Aunt (Y/n) to give him another chance. She did not want to, but I felt it right to give him a chance." Kiri said as she looked between her parents. At that time the avatars had thrown all of their gear into the old shack, and had regrouped infront of your family.

"If you think you know what it is like to live on Pandora... You are wrong. You will need to unlearn everything you have learned because you cannot fill a cup that is already full." You tell the group as you place a hand on Jake's shoulder. "This is my brother and Olo'eyktan Tsyeyk Sulí or as you know him, Jake. He gives you an order you follow it. If you stay here, your human leaders are not your leaders anymore."

"I'm okay with that. Ardmore is a bit of a cu-" Lyle starts but Jake cuts him off.

"Young children are present." Jake says as he cuts his eyes to Tuk.

"She's uh really mean? And weird?" Lyle tries to save it and Jake tries to suppress a laugh by covering it with a cough.

"Good save, Wainfleet." Z-Dog laughs. "So are we going or what? Standing here is kind of depressing." She says and you look over the group and look into Miles' pleading eyes.

"You will cut contact with your humans from this point if you join us." Jake warns them and they nod. "Then come on. Neytiri, Neteyam take the kids back. (Y/n), Spider, and I will take them back on foot."

"Ma Jake, that could lead into eclipse." Neytiri says.

"Then I guess we'll start teaching them on the way there." Jake says as he gestures for her to go. She leaves hesitantly but does as she's asked. You make sure Spider is infront of you and start the trek back to High Camp.

"Do you think he is being truthful about wanting to be a part of our lives?" Spider asks.

"I pray to Eywa that he is because unlike him I do not have the heart to kill him." You whisper back to him.

"Then lucky for you I have what it takes to kill him and so does Neytiri." Jake says and you frown. "We do need to teach them. They're bumbling about back there making all kinds of noise." You sigh and turn to them.

"Your shoes, remove them." You tell them and they look at you quizzically.

"To travel quietly and quickly your shoes need to be removed." You tell them and they take off their boots. "You must trust your body to move the way it must for you to survive." You say and Miles throws his boots off to the side. The others quickly follow and soon your group is moving through the trees. Barely any noise is being made between you, Spider, and Jake, but the others were struggling to trust their bodies and their instincts. You stopped abruptly and knelt as you sniffed the air. Jake and Spider knew to trust your instincts and stopped moving as well. Everyone else stopped and watched as you sniffed again then climbed up a tree.

"What's she doing?" Miles asked.

"She has particularly good instincts, a trait Spider inherited from her. She was scenting so it's either that eclipse is nearing, or there's danger nearby." Jake whispered as he gestured for them to all lower to the ground and they did as told. Jake and Spider's ears swiveled to listen to all the sounds around and near them. Spider leaned over and sniffed near the ground and set back on the balls of his feet.

"It's not danger from animals she's worried about." Spider told Jake who nodded.

"Night-time maybe?" Jake asked the young male.

"Maybe, but I'm not sure." Spider answered his superior. You slid back down the tree and stopped next to your son.

"Eclipse is approaching and it's about to rain." You tell them. Several of the avatars groaned in annoyance, while you waited for their griping to stop. "Are you done? Good because we will not be stopping. Living in a rainforest you must learn to travel on foot in the rain or on freshly wet ground." You say as you get back up and continue moving forward. Everyone is somewhat stunned by the way you spoke except for your son and Jake.

"She's gotten pretty intense." Mansk says as he gets up to catch up to you.

"Yeah. Tends to happen when you're a single parent." Spider spits out as he quickly chases after you with the others following close behind, except for Miles and Jake.

"You know... The science pukes told me that whatever our first memory was that came to us was the most important thing to us. The first thing I remembered was her." Miles' ears tilted downward as he thought and raindrops started to fall perfectly encapsulating Miles' mood. "I lied and told 'em that it was you betrayin' me. It seemed like the only answer that would satisfy whatever vulture was on top." Miles looked up at Jake making direct eye contact. "I was right. We're just expendable pawns in a war to eradicate a species that's been labeled as a nuisance on their own world. I didn't see it before because I was just me. A simple Kansas military man that couldn't see past the end of my nose. This body feels different. Acts different." Miles says as he gently plates his fingers through the dirt.

"Your first memory was her because in Na'vi terms she was your mate. You knew she was pregnant when the war started. I knew but never pressed her because she didn't notice. The Na'vi body is hardwired with primal urges to protect our mate and our children. As Marines, our minds and bodies were trained to know when something is off. She had very early pregnancy symptoms and if I saw it... I know for a fact you did." Jake tells Miles who looks away in shame.

"I did... But I still shot at her. I killed the woman I love." Miles said as he looks out over the landscape.

"I'm not going to tell you it's okay Miles, but I am gonna tell you that if you still want her there's still hope. She never mated with anyone in the clan. She said it's because her priority was Spider, but Spider has been a technical adult for a little over a year. So get your shit together, and stop throwing that pity party." Jake said as he stood up and so did Miles.

"Thanks, Jake. You're right. Feelin' bad for myself won't get me anywhere. So how do I get her back?" Miles asks Jake who smirks.

"In Na'vi standards none of you are adults yet. You'll need to pass your iknimaya, then you can court her... The traditional Na'vi way." Jake ends the conversation and the two take off to catch up with the group. When they caught up with the group both you and Spider had your bows drawn with an arrow notched. You both released at the same time and moved toward whatever the two of you just shot.

"What's goin' on?" Miles asked his friends.

"They just got our dinner. Told us we'll need to learn to hunt. (Y/n) said we aren't allowed to mooch off of other people's hunts." Lyle told Miles.

"Fine by me. Let's go see if we can help." Miles and Jake led the group to (Y/n) and Spider.

"Spider call your ikran and take these back. We won't be very far behind." Jake said.

"But Jake-" Spider said as he looked between you and his father.

"I've got her kid. You can trust me on that." Jake said but Spider didn't seem too comfortable. So Jake went closer to him and clasped his shoulder as he leaned in to whisper to him. "I refuse to watch her die in my arms again. I've got her, Spider." Spider reluctantly nodded his head and called for his ikran. She landed and chirped as she nudged Spider with her nose.

"Let's get these loaded and we can go home." Spider said to her and they set to work with Spider flying back with the hexapede's for the avatars.

After getting back to high camp and getting them settled into their temporary homes you and Jake sat down to talk to the 'recoms' as they called themselves.

"You know, when I woke up the first thing I remembered was fishing with my Mom." Mansk said as he continued to eat his meal.

"Mine was cake." Z-Dog said and everyone turned to look at her. "What? Cake is good you can't deny it."

"We don't have cake here... Sadly. But! We don't suffer for an entire week once a month." You say happily. "It's only for like 3-4 days once every 2-3 months."

"Wait... What?" Z-Dog asks.

"Na'vi women have a heat every 2 to 3 months, meanwhile Na'vi men go through a rut." You say and she seems to mull it over then she smiles.

"I can do that. It's nice to know I won't be the only one that'll have to suffer in this group." Z-Dog jokes and the men groan.

"Another thing to take into consideration is that you cannot get pregnant unless you make tsaheylu. Which none of you are allowed to make yet, because you haven't passed your iknimaya." Jake tells Z-Dog and Miles' head snaps up.

"How would you know?" Miles asks. "From what I have in my head you've been mated to Neytiri almost the entire time you've been here."

"We like to experiment every now and then." Jake says and Miles looks between you and Jake. "(Y/n) has never shown interest in joining us if that's your actual question." Miles seems pleased.

"Besides the only thing that matters to me is my son. He has been all I think of and all I care about for 16 years." You say and Jake rolls his eyes.

"You need a mate (Y/n). Someone to help you." He argues and you groan.

"Of course, mother, I'll find a mate the moment someone actually piques my interest." You tell him and he rubs his eyes tired of this argument.

"But noone here piques your interest." Jake nearly growls.

"Precisely. So I think we should finally stop having this argument. It's been on going for 14 years now Jake. Just because 'Olo'eyktan demands it' doesn't mean it'll happen." You say and he pinches your arm.

"Ha ha. I don't demand you to find a mate. I'm just worried about your well being." Jake says.

"I've been fine. Men are a distraction from my son." You tell him. "None have shown interest in me and that is fine."

"You've had so many suitors. Thats a weak excuse." Jake's jokes as he pokes you.

"None of interest. All of them just boys." You say as you start separating some twine and beads.

"Their mates don't say that." Jake teases and you cut your eyes over to him.

"Their mates were just girls when they mated. They've grown into men and women, but they were still young." You say and Jake shakes his head.

"I'm gonna drop this before it turns into a full argument... Again." Jake says and Lyle clears his throat.

"This a daily thing for you two?" Lyle asks and you hiss at Jake.

"Almost." Jake says in a nonchalant tone.

"He does not know when to drop it." You say and Ja laughs.

"I mean remember how long it took for the Colonel to finally get her to go on a date with him?" Ja asks his friends who all chuckle at the memory.

"6 months just to agree to a date." Lyle said through giggles.

"Now I have a son. It is different." You seethe but take a deep breath. "I am going to continue my work in my hut." You gather your things and leave.

"(Y/n)..." Jake calls but let's it fall. "She just needs some time alone. Maybe Spider can get her in a better mood."

"Well if she's happy being a single mom... Let her be." Zhang says. "My mom raised me alone, and I think I turned out okay."

"It's nothing to do with Spider. He's one of our best hunters and trackers, but he won't always be in her care." Jake mumbles. "He's already got his sights set on my oldest daughter."

"The older girl from the clearing?" Miles asks. "She looks familiar."

"We adopted her. Her mother's avatar went braindead after her human body died." Jake says. "But she'll always be my daughter."

"Augustine?" Miles asks and Jake freezes for a moment then nods.

"That day you got two of us. It took Grace 2 days to pass on." Jake says as he starts chopping up fruit.

"And (Y/n)?" Lyle asks.

"The moment we landed at site 36. She died in my arms." Jake tells them. "Bullet straight through the left side of her chest. It was a miracle that she lived long enough to get to the Hallelujah Mountains. But hey she's alive and well now, and one of the biggest pains in my ass next to my second son."

"The one that flipped the Colonel off?" Ja asked through giggles. Jake sighed and rubbed over the bridge of his nose.

"Yep. That's my son." Jake says. "I better get back home before Neytiri skins me alive." Jake bids them goodnight and goes home. They all decide to lay down to sleep as well.

Time flew as you, Spider, and Neteyam taught the recoms. Neteyam and Spider took great joy in watching the group fail at riding Pali. The only two who seemed to excel at it were Miles and Lyle. Though you knew they were good at it from riding horses back on Earth. The three of you teamed up to teach them to use a bow and arrow. This time Zhang surprised everyone by being near mastery of it. Apparently his Mom was an archer and took great pride in passing that skill on to her son. Teaching them to speak the language made you realize just how irked Neytiri must've been with Jake. You made a mental note to talk to her and tell her you empathize with her past efforts. You were overseeing Zhang, Miles, and Lyle's first hunt. What none of them realized was that the kill, the reciting of the prayer it's what decides when they're ready. To say the prayer and actually mean it. You were crouched behind them when Miles' ears twitched in the direction of beating hooves. He notched an arrow and zeroed in on the hexapede. He released it and ran into the clearing kneeling next to the poor creature. He spoke his thanks and the prayer and swiftly stabbed into its heart. Your ears perked when you heard Zhang closing in on his kill and you rushed to observe him as well. Lyle was right next to Zhang as they both completed their tests. You helped them put their hunts on their pali and you jumped onto yours. You turned to look at them as they mounted their pali.

"The three of you are ready." You say and lead them back to High Camp. The moment you dismounted Jake and Neytiri were next to you. "They are ready. What about the others?"

"Neteyam reported that Z-Dog is nervous and keeps fumbling. However, he also says that Prager and Fike are doing fine. She should be fine." Jake says.

"Spider told us that Ja has already completed his hunt. Brown, Lopez, and Mansk are still tracking. Though Mansk has a better sense of smell so he should find his kill sooner than the others." Neytiri tells you.

"Good. Here are their hunts. They recited the prayer and meant it." You say and Jake lets out a small smirk.

"Your squad is almost there Miles. Now your rite of passage can truly begin." Jake says and Miles waits for Jake to explain. "Now you will tame an ikran, participate in the dream hunt, and then the ceremony to celebrate your adulthood. The hexapede's you brought back will be used to feed the clan at your ceremony day after tomorrow." Miles' arms drop to his sides.

"You mean a banshee?" Lyle asks incredulously.

"How are we supposed to do that?" Miles asks.

"You will know tomorrow. My eldest son Neteyam, (Y/n), and Spider will escort your group to finish your iknimaya. (Y/n) will follow you up on her ikran to teach each of you to fly as you tame yours." Jake tells them. "For now prepare your hunt for you ceremony fay after tomorrow."

"What's the dream hunt?" Zhang asks and you wince.

"The dream hunt is a search for your spirit animal. You will be put in a chemically induced trance by being bitten by an arachnid and swallowing a glow worm. Very few Na'vi have failed their iknimaya." You tell them.

"And if we fail?" They ask.

"Then you have either died or you will forever be seen as a child. Unable to mate, or claim an ikran." You tell them and Miles gains a determined look. Zhang and Lyle seem a little perturbed by the dream hunt, but they seem fine. "I can help you braid your hair if you wish. It has grown out quite a bit."

"Sounds good to me." Miles says.

"Sure, as long as you don't yank my hair too hard." Lyle says. You roll your eyes and start helping them prepare for tomorrow.

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thehungergamesbreakdown · 11 months

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Katniss, Oh Katniss.

Katniss Everdeen is such an iconic heroine. She sparked so many young girls to pick up archery as a sport. However, there are two different Katniss that exist - the book Katniss and the Movie Katniss. In this post, we will be talking about Book Katniss today.

Katniss is our narrator in the books. It is the first point of view, we get her thoughts and everything through her eyes. Katniss is an incredibly blunt narrator - she tells things exactly how she views them with her opinions mixed in. She definitely suffers from C-PTSD (Complex PTSD) from growing up in Panem.

Names are important in "The Hunger Games". Most of the characters have Roman names, like Plutarch and Cinna, and others have plants. Katniss reveals that she is named after the water plant Sagittaria, otherwise known as "Katniss" or "Arrowheads". The plants grow these potato-like tubers that are edible. Her father taught her that "As long as you can find yourself, you'll never starve" (Collins, 52). From what we get from her name, Katniss is a born survivor and has a connection with her main weapon - arrows.

Second, we can look at her at Katniss' appearance. This is established on page 8 as Katniss describes her friend, Gale. "He could be my brother. Straight black hair, olive skin, we even have the same gray eyes. But we're not related, at least not closely. Most of the families who work the mines remember one another this way." (Collins, 8). Katniss reveals in the same breath that her mother and Prim do not look like her with their light hair and blue eyes. This is because Katniss's mother is from the merchant class.

While there are no official maps of Panama, Katniss ensures we know exactly where District Twelve is. She said, "District 12 was in a place called Appalachia. Even hundreds of years ago, they mined coal here, which is why our miners have to dig so deep.” (Collins, pg 41). Appalachia is a region of the USA that is set in the Appalachian mountains, it makes up "423 counties across 13 states and spans 206,000 square miles" (Appalachian Regional Commission). Most people argue that District Twelve is either in West Virginia or eastern Kentucky on details about the weather and fauna and flora but Collins left the details muddled.

While this is complete headcanon ("ideas held by fans of series that are not explicitly supported by sanctioned text or other media" Merriam-Webster Dictionary), a lot of readers take the location of District 12 and Katniss's description to believe that she is indigenous or a part of the Melungeon people, a marginalized mixed-race Appalachian community. Regardless of whether you believe in this headcanon or not, Katniss's olive skin and grey eyes are an important distinction in her community that she is from the Seam, the poorest part of District 12.

Katniss in the first book is a rough and traumatized young girl. I feel like a lot of people focus on her bitterness at the world. Katniss doesn't trust anything at face value even if she's not in a stressful situation. She wants her family to be safe and well-fed, no matter what it costs her personally. Poaching is a high offense in District 12 after all and she has been going in the woods since she was 11 to feed her family. What most people forget about Katniss is that she is King. She loves her sister, Prim, more than life itself and she tries again and again to make sure she can have some semblance of a childhood then when she meets Rue in the arena, she cannot help but ally her - mostly because she reminds her of Prim.

"I can almost hear Haymitch groaning as I team up with this wispy child. But I want her. Because she's a survivor, and I trust her, and why not admit it? She reminds me of Prim." (Collins,

In later books, Katniss allows the circle of people she cares about to grow. In "Catching Fire", she comes across two women named Bonnie and Twill, on the run from District Eight to the supposed District Thirteen. Despite the fact it might get her in deep trouble because of the Capitol watching her, Katniss helps them.

"First I give them all the food in my pack, grain and dried beans mostly, but there's enough to hold them for a while if they're careful. Then I take Twill out in the woods and try to explain the basics of hunting. She's got a weapon that if necessary can convert solar energy into deadly rays of power, so that could last indefinitely. When she manages to kill her first squirrel, the poor thing is mostly a charred mess because it took a direct hit to the body. But I show her how to skin and clean it. With some practice, she'll figure it out. I cut a new crutch for Bonnie. Back at the house, I peel off an extra layer of socks for the girl, telling her to stuff them in the toes of her boots to walk, then wear them on her feet at night. Finally I teach them how to build a proper fire." (Collins, pg 68).

Katniss is a fascinating character to study because of her complexities. This is barely scratching the surface of her character. In the next post, I'll be examining the Movie Version of Katniss and how she differs from the Book Katniss. See you then.

#the hunger games #the hunger games breakdwon #katniss everdeen

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dakogutin · 3 months

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i have a lot of issues about this

im already apprehensive about the live action 2.0 in general and this is just making it worse bcs whyy is azula in book/season 1? and why is she fighting with a bow and arrow??????

azula being introduced in book2 is very important for so many reasons. book 1 is supposed to establish the world, the setting, the roles of the main characters, namely: aang, katara, sokka, and ZUKO. zuko's role in book 1 is the antagonist. he is the face of the fire nation; the enemy. and so many of the episodes highlight how complex he is as an antagonist, mainly through the help of uncle iroh and zhao. we see throughout book 1 that zuko is "flawed" as an antagonist because he has better morals, and the contrast is shown with how zhao's greed literally had him killing the moon spirit. then at the very end, we see a scene of ozai introducing azula, essentially tasking her to fulfill zuko's failed mission and capture the avatar. the whole book 1 is a build up of zuko's role as an antagonist, and book 2 is notably all about change, not just for zuko but also for aang, since their arcs are paralleled. in book 2 aang learns earthbending-- the opposite of airbending, he also learns to control his avatar state, and toph joins their group. similarly, zuko learns to redirect lightning, he and iroh accept their banishment, azula (and friends) enters the story. it's all about change. azula gets introduced in book 2 because-- as ozai intended-- she's taking zuko's place. she is filling his role, but we have a point of comparison. she's deadlier, more eligible(sorry zuko) because of her unfailing loyalty to the fire nation and therefore will have no conflict with morals like zuko or greed like zhao, and her main character trait is obsession with perfection.

which then leads me to my next point, whyyyy is she using a bow and arrow?

her obsession with perfection, as i mentioned, was highlighted in several instances throughout book 2. like this one in her training scene

"almost perfect." ... "one hair out of place."

"almost isn't good enough."

theres a notable symbolism with azula's hair reflecting her perfectionism (i could write about it in detail in a separate post), but it's also manifested in her bending. she is deemed as a firebending prodigy as a child and even lords this over zuko, especially since they were both pitted against each other all the time. as a gifted child who received this as her biggest validation, she naturally grew to become obsessed with perfecting the skill. and now in her quest for the avatar, which was personally appointed by her father to prove that she's better and more competent than zuko, she knows failure would mean being like zuko in her father's eyes. she calculates every move, concluding that she can only rely on her own bending and having her inner circle composed of non-benders: mei and ty lee. of course there's also a factor of her being paranoid with trust and loyalty, but that's another discussion. she only fights with her bending, and she probably considered non-benders lower than her, especially since at that time only the royal family can bend lightning. this is in contrast to zuko who was more versatile, learning to fight with swords(which azula mocked as well, calling it 'playing' instead of training). so, really, why would she use a bow and arrow?

i sincerely hope this was just one scene of her using it in the live action, and that she's not actually an archer. but as i said im not very excited with the idea of having another live action, very much traumatized by the film. so little changes like this make me scared that they're once again going to misinterpret the characters because every detail matters, like azula's later entrance in the story and her perfectionism.

#atla #avatar the last airbender #keeping my expectations painfully low so i wont get disappointed bcs i fear i cant continue gaslighting myself that its not real

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satari-raine · 6 months

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How about #16? And you can pick whichever ship you want!

#16: things you said with no space between us. ask meme here - still taking requests.

It's still unnerving, like an arrow aimed at his neck - having Milo's attention fully on him.

He breathes through a snarl that should be softer around its edges if not for the fact that it's him, and that Milo is bleeding, snow blue hair matching his own shade of red around Milo's temple - a careless tumble with gravity having been content to watching him fall. It would've been worse if not for Actagawa's quick thinking, but the fact that it's anything at all simmers Bisco's blood, this irascibility a burning underneath his collar. It's a minor enough wound that there's no stitches needed, only the antiseptic and bandages required buried under the curling of Bisco's fingers - just a "Sorry, can you get this, Bisco? We don't have a mirror so I can't see to do it myself" that Bisco had cut off with yanking the supplies to his own chest, silent only because Milo's answering smile - sheepish, pink around the cheeks with the blood that he hasn't lost - leaves him unable to say what he actually wants.

Instead, he has Milo in his lap, almost nose to nose, with the weight of his partner a match to the sudden lump lodged in his throat.

"Hold still," is all that comes out, gravel-rough, and Milo answers by disobeying him with an eager nod, pale fingers curling into the cuff of Bisco's sleeve, happily trailing along, happily attached, as Bisco dabs at the split skin. Milo doesn't wince; he's too strong for that, or perhaps Bisco is blind by being this close, even as he finds himself gentling the pressure when he imagines it's lingered for a second too long. Actagawa is scuttling about in the background, from the corner of his eye, watchful among the arid sands. The sun is setting. He wants this done before it's down.

"Bisco," Milo starts, saying it almost mindlessly (as if Bisco isn't aware of how mindful Milo is when it comes to him) and Bisco holds his breath as Milo's warms his cheek. He shifts back instinctively, finding Milo has already started to move in turn to find his eyes. There's a warmth there that looks out of place with the cockiness of Milo's grin. "Bisco."

His mouth twitches to match; he stomps it down, but finds it still slips out in his tone if the way the corners of Milo's eyes crinkle when he replies, "Am I supposed to know what you mean by just saying my damn name over and over?"

"You usually do."

At that, he does grin, his laugh a bite at Milo's bark.

"Moron," he states with certainty, curling the red-blue hair back behind Milo's ear from where it had slipped, fingertips brushing over the curve and trailing down to the lobe. "Duck your head back, I'm not done."

"Yes, sir," is all Milo ends with, voice a sing-song smoothness that Bisco wonders he used when he was treating patients back in Imihama. If - a big if, Bisco imagines - Pawoo ever got injured, beyond the rust, if Milo's voice served as a balm to her cracked pride.

The bandage isn't shoddy by his own standards but already, even without a precious mirror, Bisco watches with a barely contained frustration - a "really, doc?" ready on his lips - when they lean back from another and Milo instantly reaches up, not with the hand still curled in Bisco's sleeve, and pokes at the bandages. But then Milo's smiling, sparing no restraint in how often he's gracing Bisco with the sight, his hair catching on the setting sun as he tips his head back with a proud laugh, a short and quiet thing in the space between them, with all of who Milo is in this moment lighting every single one of Bisco's nerves on fire.

"Not bad, Bisco," he says and it sounds like he means it, and the two bloody rags draped over Bisco's knees makes Bisco wonder how tired Milo is now, finally dropping down from the adrenaline. There's a coolness quickly spreading over the desert, as the moon in his periphery begins to rise, so Bisco thinks nothing of it as his fingers drop down from curling Milo's hair back behind his ear - again - a slow glide of callouses against pale skin, fingertips resting at his neck, and Milo shivers.

He thinks nothing of himself when, for a moment, he pulls Milo forward, pressing his forehead to his partner's. His goggles push up into his hairline, crooked and threatening to fall back behind him into the sand, but Milo's hand is leaving his sleeve to curl around his fingers, a smooth warmth against the chill Bisco didn't realize he was carrying. He lets out a breath in a sigh and does everything in his power - and failing miserably - not to smile when Milo copies him.

With his eyes closed, without looking, he knows Milo's focused on him, that the man has settled himself in to staying like this for as long as Bisco allows it. He never had to teach Milo what somehow comes to him so innately - not archery, or cooking out in the wild with only the elements providing for them, or for having the damn decency to say no for once, come on, Milo; no, not this - the way his partner has let himself be so captivated by whatever he sees in Bisco that his focus leaves Bisco feeling stripped raw, as if there's no space between them.

He sighs again, brushing noses with Milo as he pulls back, opening his eyes to find Milo's right there, open, trained on him like a well-nocked arrow.

Just for that, with a grin, he raps his knuckles once, twice, against Milo's bandages and lets Milo's hiss of pain, pittering out to soft laughter as he tries to push Bisco back into the sand - tries and fails, "you're on me, y'know, you idiot" - chase away anything he could think to say in this moment, locked down, deep in his chest.

He'll let it burn there for a little while longer.

#Asks #Anonymous #Satari writes #BisMilo #Sabikui Bisco #You said any ship so I hope some Sabikui Bisco fic is okay #They're on the mind since I'm trying to write them for part of my NaNoWriMo projects #Hope this is okay too just in general or that it matches the prompt #I feel so bad at doing what I love #I feel so bad admitting that because it feels that's all I'm ever showing anyone anymore #But I know that might just be 2am talking #Well time to pass out listening to some Sleep Token

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kujo1597 · 8 days

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Alright! I’ve updated my fanfic. Posted some silly doodles after much frustration at Tumblr being a functional website. Bought a really cool Chun-Li action figure. Time for Jem! This is the last of the episodes that were originally Super Sunday shorts. It gets pretty crazy and it’s an entertaining way to pave the way for the full series.

When we last left off Eric hired a private detective named Malone who found Synergy. And after her highly advanced security system failed he smashed her with a chair. Now, I’m no Private I. but I feel like you shouldn’t be smashing the thing you’re supposed to be investigating.

Before you click on that Read More you should know that I not only hit the 30 image limit but I also embedded three videos. So this might be a slower load than usual.

Synergy contacts Jerrica to tell her that there’s an intruder and she along with her sisters spot Malone leaving Starlight Drive-In. Synergy projects a disguise on them where they look like cute old ladies.

D’awww look at them.

They follow Malone to the Bureau of Records where the self proclaimed greatest detective asks for the ownership records of Starlight Drive-In. Come on man, you must know who owns everything else with the word starlight in it.

Greatest detective my ass…

That’s okay because Eric has no idea either. EMMETT BENTON GAVE YOU HIS COMPANY CALLED STARLIGHT MUSIC IN HIS WILL! Eric! Jesus!

Anyway, Malone proposes the idea to Eric that Jerrica and Jem are the same person. But Eric brushes him off because he’s seen Jerrica and Jem together. Malone says that’s weird and tells Eric that there’s something spooky going on. And also tells Eric that he’d better hurry up and pick up the machine in the photo because it’s currently blowing a couple fuses.

Because he hit the machine with a chair.

Malone is very good at his job.

Jerrica and her family walk into where Synergy is kept and see that she’s in pieces.

But it’s okay! Synergy’s actual security system was pretending to get smashed by a chair. Upon seeing that Synergy is actually fine Jerrica tells everybody that they need to hurry up and move Synergy out of the drive-in.

Meanwhile we see Eric in a truck with Zipper and a new guy on their way to pick up the mysterious machine.

It is now a race against the clock to disassemble Synergy and load her up into a truck.

They pulled it off just in time. Eric is mad that he missed his opportunity to seize something important to uncovering who Jem is.

After bringing Synergy to Starlight Mansion they reassemble her. It takes a bit for Synergy to boot up, much like an old computer, and her first action was to turn Jerrica into Jem. And this leads us into the first music video of the episode.

She’s Got the Power. I like this song! I enjoy this music video. It’s a good time. It makes Synergy look really cool. She fires a bow and arrow made out of fire, sets off explosions, makes rainbows come out of her hands. And other neat stuff.

Let’s see what Eric and the Misfits are up to. Roxy is complaining to Eric and saying that he needs to do something. Which he does. The battle of the bands is coming up soon.

During this “conversation” Ashley knocks on the door and lets herself in. Pizzazz immediately starts criticizing Ashley, Stormer appears from… somewhere off screen. Ashley says that Pizzazz was never her friend and gives the $30 up. Pizzazz takes it without hesitation. And don’t forget guys, that was Stormer’s money. Well, she’s probably never getting it back.

Eric walks up to Ashley and asks who she is. Roxy calls Ashley a useless Starlight Orphan and this excites Eric. He’s hatching a plan and it’ll use Ashley. Eric sends the Misfits out of the room. Stormer didn’t leave at first but Pizzazz makes her come along.

We cut to Starlight Mansion where everybody trying to figure out what to wear. One of Kimber’s choices is Shana’s dress. As much as I ship Kimber with a certain blue-haired Misfits I actually don’t think she would look great in dark blue. Kimber has a handful of blue outfits but they tend to be on the lighter side. So I think Kimber should pick something else.

I really enjoy these lighthearted moments where everybody’s joking around and just having a good time. My big four year writing project might make you think otherwise, but I do enjoy levity.

The phone rings and it’s Ashley. She asks Jerrica to help her and says that she’s trapped. Of course she’s in Eric’s office and he tells Jerrica that Jem and The Holograms can’t perform and that Jerrica can’t tell anybody about this or else Ashley will pay the price.

After the commercial break (Did the short end with the phone call?) we see the band discussing the kidnapping. Jerrica tells her sisters that she’s not going to tell them what to do, but she’s going to meet up with Eric. Naturally everybody says they’ll come with Jerrica and this is when Rio knocks on the door. Jerrica tells Rio that they need more time to get ready. But Rio knows something up with Jerrica, they are high school sweethearts after all. But Jerrica insists and after a sigh Rio leaves.

Shana says that he could have been a big help but Jerrica doesn’t want to risk Ashley’s safety.

A quick change into Jem later and everybody heads out.

We cut to the Music Bowl and hey-

*squints* Nah, those are probably cardboard standees. Moving on.

Wait no. What? What is going on? Those aren’t standees! Cosplayers maybe? News broadcast talking about the event. And then we see a garbage truck getting loaded up and crushing things in it with menacing music. Hm. Let’s keep this in mind.

Eric dumps Ashley off with the Misfits and Pizzazz both has no patience for kids and is really mad at Ashley so she suggests sticking her into a trunk until the contest is over. But Ashley won’t take this lying down! She slips away from Roxy and Pizzazz and the two of them chase her all over the room. But unfortunately Roxy manages to catch Ashley and Pizzazz grabs her feet. They toss her into the trunk. Stormer isn’t too keen on this idea.

Pizzazz and Roxy leave but Stormer stays behind to calm Ashley down. Sadly before Stormer can let Ashley out of the trunk her bandmates return. They pressure Stormer into leaving Ashley behind. She looks heartbroken but decides to go with them leaving Ashley alone and yelling for help from Stormer.

But she won’t be getting help.

Oh look, it’s my favourite person. And Pizzazz is flirting with him again. She says that Jem’s not coming to the competition.

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Ah! Sudden image quality boost! Anyway, I decided to embed the last two music videos of the episode. I knew from the beginning that I'd embed Jem's song from this competition but I decided to embed this song as well. I wasn't going to because these posts are so image heavy and I don't want them to take fifty years to load for people.

I really like this one. It’s one of the few Misfits music videos from this batch of episodes I find myself returning to somewhat frequently. Pizzazz’s singing voice was provided by Ellen Bernfeld who did a really great job. I praised Britta Phillips in the last episode recap and I need to give Ellen props too. We get a better showing of her abilities as the series goes on. She really captured Pizzazz’s attitude and energy. A perfect casting. All the musicians did great work on Jem. I applaud them. The backing vocals in Taking It All are also really good.

One of the things Pizzazz takes is Rio. She can have him. Haha, kidding. God that relationship would be a fucking disaster and everybody around them would get dragged into their fights.

Or maybe it could be like multiplying two negative numbers together and how that makes a positive number. Their awfulness cancel out and somehow turn into something really good. But that is extremely not something that would actually happen.

Besides, at this point in the story Rio is still a decently solid guy.

Okay, now to catch up with Jem and The Holograms. Eric sent them to Starlight Drive-In. Jem’s pretty angry that Eric kidnapped one of her girls. Remember, six months have passed since the first episode which gave Jerrica plenty of time to form a connection with Ashley. It probably isn’t much of one considering how Ashley’s been feeling during these last six months. But it’s enough to make Jerrica protective.

As everybody guessed it is a trap. Ashley isn’t even here. But Eric, Zipper, and his goons are.

After demanding to see Ashley and not getting her Jem elbows Eric in the chest so hard that he collapses. It’s great. Good on her.

She tries to make an escape, leaving everybody behind, and Zipper pursues her on his motorcycle. He eventually catches Jem who had ditched her car. And Synergy starts shouting out Jem’s real name through the two-way communicator in the earrings. Thankfully Zipper is on a loud-ass motorcycle so he can’t hear Synergy. Jem removes the earring and throws it like a shuriken.

I wish I could say that she was throwing it at somebody as a weapon. But alas, no.

After the commercial break we see Eric going over his plan to win by default. What a coward, he’s not standing with his band. He doesn’t have faith that they can win on their own merits. And maybe at this point in the story they can’t.

And why is that? Well, the original concept for The Misfits was that they suck. They can only get sales and beat Jem by cheating. If you listen to the audiobooks you’ll get a lot of this. Constant telling kids that The Misfits are a garbage band. Which honestly makes me feel bad for the kids who watch the cartoon and do like their music. It’s basically telling those kids that their tastes are trash and that they should like Rude Jem instead. Fortunately in the show The Misfits actually improve as a band and become a really talented group with a ton of excellent songs. The Misfits actually put work into their craft and it shows. Stormer does most of this work. But still! They don’t need to cheat later in the series. They just have fun doing it. It makes them feel more like rivals and I wouldn’t be surprised if this shift was to actually legitimize them as the rival group.

Plus you know, I’m sure a lot of budget went into the music for the show and they probably didn’t want to pay musicians to sound terrible. Even these early songs are still well performed.

Tangent over. We see the Misfits exit the stage and Howard Sands explains the applause-o-meter to everybody. And the Misfits did pretty good.

Eric states the stakes to Rio and Danielle and Rio knows that Eric pulled something to keep Jem from performing.

He grabs Eric by the collar but Howard breaks it up.

Now we cut to the drive-in and Zipper tells one of his goons, the fat guy we saw earlier, that he shouldn’t open the door. No matter what happens.

And back to the battle of the bands a forklift is hauling the trunk Ashley was locked in. And for some reason this perfectly good trunk is set to be demolished by the garbage truck from earlier. What’s wrong with the trunk? Why are they destroying it?

Anyway, deep down Stormer isn’t a horrible person so she shouts out that Ashley’s locked in that trunk and Rio pulls it off of the forklift before Ashley meets her end. Rio lets Ashley out and she tells him Eric’s plan. Howard tells Rio that he only has fifteen minutes to rescue Jem. Though judging by the audience even fifteen minutes will be too much of a wait.

Back to the drive-in, there are less cuts in the rest of the series, thankfully, and Jem hatches an escape plan. She makes sure with Synergy that she understands. Because boy howdy is it ever complicated. I'm going to link to it here so you can watch it too. (Assuming it's not blocked in your region.)

Oh god, this makes me laugh every time. Okay, first part of the plan, LIONS. They start screaming about lions being in the building and Synergy projects a pack of lions running towards everyone. Zipper is understandably freaked out by them and runs to the door screaming. But Dumbo isn’t opening the door, he’s following orders. Then part two of the plan, remember that earring Jem threw earlier? That’s being used to project a bunch of cops at the drive-in. So now Dumbo is panicking and trying to get inside. But Zipper is trying to get out.

Unfortunately Synergy’s specs aren’t as good as she claimed because the cops vanish. But not before Zipper sees that the girls have escaped.

Part three of the plan. Project Jem and The Holograms in a random place to distract Zipper as the real ones run towards the door. I think. Well, the door is fake so maybe the Holograms trying to escape were fake too. This is hard to follow. Zipper and his goons run straight into the wall. And now for sure the real girls are trying to escape.

We know this is the real people because Zipper grabs Kimber’s arm.

I don’t know if this was part of the plan, but Synergy makes Jem, Aja, and Shana look like Eric Raymond and they tell Zipper to let Kimber go, and when he doesn’t they throw a crate at Zipper.

Now more cops!

But Dumbo isn’t falling for it this time!

Oh wait, this is a real cop and Rio. Dumbo gets put in handcuffs and Rio enters the warehouse. I’m just going to call it a warehouse. He sees everybody just calmly sitting around. They greet him as if nothing’s happened.

And hug and a kiss later Rio tells Jem that the contest is about to end. She takes a second to pick up her earring before they drive off to perform the last song of the episode.

Well first I have to point out that Rio is driving a police car.

When we see the stadium Howard is telling everybody that Jem won’t be performing because she didn’t arrive on time. But wait! We hear the beautiful sound of Jem singing. Eric is extremely unhappy.

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Music is Magic is really good. Really really good. Please do listen to it.

I recently watched an interview with Britta Phillips and she talked about how when she was recording for Jem she was quite young and her singing voice was loud and high. The director for the singers, sorry don’t know the term, kept asking Britta to sing louder and higher. And she had trouble with some of the songs. But she nailed it almost every single time. It’s impressive as hell. Like, damn she knocked it out of the park as Jem.

To nobody’s surprise Jem wins the contest. The applause-o-meter completely fills up. Even if the Misfits were written like they’re actually a good band with real musical ability they would have lost. That high note Jem hit sealed their fate.

Stormer and Roxy are in shock and honestly kind of dejected. But Pizzazz is their leader and smacks them on the shoulders and tells them that they are going to get even some day.

With the triumph at the battle of the bands we cut to Starlight Music. Jerrica and Rio go up the elevator to celebrate her victory over Eric.

But wait! Eric is in the office! Jerrica demands to know what he’s doing there. And also wonders how he isn’t in jail. Eric says that lawyers can do amazing things if you pay them enough. And then well, I’m embedding the video because getting a screenshot will be very difficult.

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He backhands Jerrica in the face and she falls to the floor. Rio is not going to take this sitting down so he punches Eric square in the jaw and sends him flying. This scene didn’t air in every country and I totally get why. We have a grown man smacking a teenage girl in the face. When I make my other Jem posts I take screenshots from the uploads on the Jem Italy YouTube page and noticed that this scene is missing from those uploads. So I’m guessing Italy is one of the countries it was cut for.

And we end the episode on a high note. Jerrica and Rio embrace while looking out at the city. Jerrica vows to make Starlight Music something that he father could be proud of. And then the couple kisses.

That’s where the Super Sunday shorts end. Boy, what a ride. The main series gets a little less crazy than this. It still has its moments but it’s also overall a lot more grounded. I hope I do post these more frequently because at the rate I did these first five episodes it’ll take years for me to do the entire series.

Hopefully in future recaps I won’t be pushing my fanfic as much as I have been. Though that being said it did earn a couple Kudos since I started posting these. So it has gotten some attention. And I did start doing this to get back into the Jem fanfic writing mindset. And it's helped! A lot! I'm basically done writing that darn wedding.

In the next recap you guys will see an improvement in how the characters were drawn. The show looks a lot less janky and some characters get some redesigns. Some more drastic than others.

#Jem and the Holograms #Kujo Watches Jem #I don't have much to ramble about in the tags this time #I cut out a joke about Stormer in bed with Kimber see if you can guess where it was #I was sad to cut it but it didn't work into the recap organically enough for my liking #The fucking lions get me every time

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