#and like. literally anything he says to amy ever about loyalty and 'you would do anything to not disappoint leo'

[true-blue-sonic]

The thought of Eggman Nega having a hand in Silver’s “creation” is hilarious. The Robotnik bloodline just cannot escape the curse of at least one of their best creations turning against them in some way.

…Actually, right after I sent that last ask, I happened to remember something. I know it’s been mentioned before that Silver likely isn’t an artificial creation because he mentions having been born, but isn’t it possible in the Sonic universe to implant fake memories? I always thought that that was the way Gerald got Shadow to believe he had to destroy the world. And that was 250 years before Silver’s time, so imagine what the tech from his time could be capable of

I think it would also fit with the fact Eggman Nega is just so bad at being a credible villain that he never managed to get Silver back under his control again. Eggman reprogrammed Metal after the events of Heroes to have unwavering loyalty to him once more, and Gerald was long dead by the time Amy managed to make Shadow remember his true wish (and in ShTH Gerald's video message furthermore inspires Shadow into a second wind that allows him to beat Black Doom, so he managed to undo the destruction of the world after all like his sane self would have wanted).

But indeed, on the topic of Gerald and Shadow, in Gerald's speech in SA2 in the Last Story he says: "I designed its mind to be perfect, pure…", implying to me that he meddled with Shadow's mind somehow (because the Shadow we see in earlier flashbacks is quite kind with Maria, while pondering over his purpose and why he was created). We also see that Shadow at first does not recall Maria's actual wish ("Give them a chance to be happy. Let them live for their dreams."), and instead only remembers bits and pieces. Here it is interesting to note that in those, Maria never says the word revenge or anything urging for it. She just says "Shadow… I beg of you… please," and "Do it for me… for all the people… on that planet…", which Shadow fills in with her desiring revenge. I'm not certain if this is indeed what happened, but I figure Gerald actively repressed the parts where Maria asked Shadow to protect the world and put the idea of revenge in Shadow's head instead, while still leaving enough pieces of Maria's presence and words for Shadow to recall she had a wish for him to fulfil. So from that, I figure tampering with memories is absolutely not impossible in the world of Sonic.

In canon, I doubt Silver is indeed an artificial creation because there is nothing pointing towards it, but I quite like the idea of a story where Nega created him to be the ultimate fighter in his army or something like that... and somehow managed to make a hoglet with such a strong sense of justice and desire to help others that it all backfired on him immediately. I can imagine Nega pulling a Starline-esque move wherein he kept erasing Silver's memories in attempts to this time get him to be loyal, except Silver somehow managed to escape and be free from his control between memory wipes. He'd remember enough about Nega to know he's very dangerous and wants to destroy the world, and he also knows enough about himself that he doesn't want that to pass, and thus them being archnemeses is settled for life. And Nega is never going to be able to defeat him, haha! I think it'd be even more interesting if he made Silver with just some base powers (some telekinesis, maybe being able to teleport), but Silver keeps developing himself further. And now he can fly at the speed of sound! And make knives from pure psychic energy! Some precognition and telepathic abilities, why not? Lifting literal tons of weight at once, sure! Eggman Nega can't even be proud of the fact his creation is able to do all this, because it's only ever used to wreck his plans. He'll be beyond bitter about it!

#I really love SA2's story actually I find it incredibly intriguing #just... Gerald's video message. How he describes Shadow as a son in ShTH but goes insane with grief so much he begins to see Shadow only as #a means to an end to take revenge on everyone who took Maria from him #he goes from calling Shadow his son to just calling him 'it' #and Gerald even *says* he's gone insane and that it frightens him yet he continues with his plans anyway #and everything Shadow was supposed to stand for (helping people) got twisted into him destroying them all instead #it intrigues me so much #silver the hedgehog #eggman nega

[palukoo]

for all that the west wing makes it blatantly clear that like josh and toby and leo are all obsessed with loyalty, and for josh and leo specifically loyalty to jed, i just think its interesting that cj is the one who actually stays

#tww #the west wing #cj cregg #my post #god anyways i love her so much #you could in a lot of ways say the same about charlie but you can also argue that his loyalty shifted to cj #like... cj who was one of the last to join the campaign iirc... who toby got to come on... who argued constantly about being kept out of #the loop... who didnt know what the hell to do when taking the chief of staff job #and the rest of them all leave.... im not criticizing them for that! but like. we have leo talking about jed being his guy #we have leo being criticized for being too close to jed to be objective and leo doing anything for jed and his legacy #and abbey saying leo would kill himself for jed... we have 'josh doesnt leave people' and 'you serve the issues by serving the man' #and like. literally anything he says to amy ever about loyalty and 'you would do anything to not disappoint leo' #and we have the way toby is so angry at anyone who doesnt show this loyalty #at will for leaving at andy for not marrying him at cj sometimes im sure and at sam for leaving #(his is the least obvious but i have been thinking about him lately) #and josh leaves to find his guy and leo leaves to serve his country and his party when they need him (because jed doesnt anymore??) #and toby literally commits treason (which yk a part of me sees more as a betrayal to cj than to the president... hes her friend and #he got her into this and shes alone bc theyve all left and the president is sick and abbey and her cant agree when they have to have #opposing priorities on this (which i think is also really painful for cj) and hes all she has and she trusts him and tells him #and then he leaks it... he lets her be the main suspect for weeks... its loyalty again in a way when he does turn himself in #when he never tells them it was her #(and oh boy i also have some andy related thoughts on this... cj having to go through this opposing priorities with people she cares about #bc what she wants for andy and what she needs for the administration are different things) #but he still did betray her trust) #and cj's just left to try to make the most of this administration as everything falls apart. and she had people #she has will and kate and charlie and margaret and i dont want to lessen that at all #but its not the same! #s7 (and s6 honestly) is so distinctly like painful for cj #oof these tags got long

[teamxdark]

The sun beat down from overhead, and the scent of salt carried over as the breeze guided the waves to the shore. Below his feet, the captain felt the soft rocking of the ship sway him from side to side, back and forth, a sensation so familiar that he had to concentrate if he ever wanted to notice it.

And, well... He wanted to notice it right then. Anything to keep his troubled thoughts at bay.

Shadow was no captain. He had never considered himself good for the role. He could govern himself just fine, but when it came to a group, the weight of responsibility for others pushed him to his worst.

The problem was that no one noticed it.

The hedgehog lifted his head, keeping a hand on his hat to prevent it from flying away, and looked up at the clear skies, dotted by a few seagulls gliding on the currents up above. A perfect day to set sail, as the navigator had told him; Knuckles had an exceptional sense of direction and the strength of body to carry out duties as the helmsman or at the rudder, even when weathering a storm.

Even though he still sometimes drank himself to sleep to handle the guilt of refusing to accompany her.

A flash of yellow swooped by his periphery, and the captain turned to see Tails hard at work, checking the rigging and assessing the sails. The lad was young but brave, and had exceptional knowledge about the structural integrity of the ship. He could spot issues that most would gloss over, even with years of experience. A prodigy, an asset, an invaluable member of the crew.

Shadow still saw the boy's hands shake as he retied the knots, and he knew he still slept in the same hammock as his brother, worried that he might meet the same fate as her.

"Here you go, Captain!"

Amy's cheerful voice interrupted Shadow's brooding, and she pressed a large sandwich into his hand. "It's the last day we can have bread, unsalted meat and fresh vegetables, so I decided to make everyone something special."

The cook was her own force of nature, with a bright and friendly disposition that made those around her feel calmer and happier, and she made meals so good, even with a limited pantry, that the crew swore she was capable of magic. Yet, Shadow had seen her at the cannons, firing mercilessly at those who threatened them. She never missed a shot.

She still cried into their stew, sometimes.

Amy carried on, bringing the next sandwich to Silver, who thanked her with a kind smile. The cabin boy was the newest addition, a stowaway-turned-crewmate that they couldn't manage to turn away. He was an odd one, optimistic and thoughtful, yet impulsive and filled with a rage that brought the worst storms to shame. His telekinetic abilities helped him keep the ship spick and span all over, and when obstacles couldn't be avoided, it was often he who held the ship together... quite literally.

Shadow knew she would have found him to be priceless.

"Ready to set sail, Captain?"

Shadow held back a sigh and looked over to his first mate. Sonic was leaning over the side of the ship, feeling the breeze hit his face, his eyes serenely closed as he noticeably avoided looking at the water. For someone who didn't know how to swim, Sonic still fit in the crew like a hand in a glove tailor made for it. A jack of all trades, he was quick, decisive, courageous, fearless...

She should have picked him.

Shadow's hand rose to his chest, feeling the bumps and indents of the necklace hidden underneath his shirt, until it stopped over his heart, where the jewel lied.

Pink. Heart-shaped. Not worth much by a jeweller's appraisal, but absolutely priceless to any and everyone on that ship. The true symbol of the captain.

"Sometimes you have to make the value yourself," she had told him as she slipped the stone back under her shirt, safe from view.

"Just about," he finally responded to Sonic, noticing how the other hedgehog's ear dropped a tad before lifting back up.

"Sorry Cap, but it doesn't really sound like it."

Shadow hated that he was right. He hated that he still didn't feel ready. He hated that he had such a fantastic crew that he didn't feel worthy of inheriting.

When he was only responsible for himself, it was one story, but he didn't know if he could stand being responsible for anything that could happen to the rest of them. Shadow knew himself; after so many years of following her orders, so many instances of breaking away from her plans because he needed to figure out something for himself, he had come to a conclusion:

He was selfish, self-centred, and unfit to be the one calling the shots for people who needed someone with a strong mind and a constant focus on the big picture.

Why did you give this to me, Rouge?

Any of them could do a better job. Sonic, though he seemed carefree, commanded attention and loyalty and inspired trust and morale. Amy was a natural leader, responsible and resourceful. Even Knuckles, who still fell for Sonic's dumb pranks, had shown that he could step up to the plate and lead when he needed to.

Shadow had been the wildcard, a mix of a lone wolf and a follower, a gun to be aimed and fired by someone with enough clarity of mind to know what she needed to shoot for in the long run.

Rouge had been the perfect captain, except for one thing.

For some reason, she had named Shadow as her second in command.

"Still comparing yourself to her?"

Shadow's hand fell from his chest. He refused to respond.

Sonic leaned back from the railing, opening his eyes to the sky. "I guess I get it. Big shoes to fill and all that. But no one's a perfect captain, you know. Captain Rouge might have been one of the best there was, but the instant she saw a pretty gem..."

"... we'd get sidetracked," Shadow finished, pressing his lips together. It was true; as great as Rouge had been, she had a weakness, and that weakness was why she wasn't with them now.

"I just wish she had told us where she was going..."

It was a question the crew often asked themselves. Why had their captain run off to find a treasure reputed to have a curse so terrible that the map was torn apart and scattered. Why they had spent the better part of a year sailing around to find the pieces. Why Rouge had put together the map in secret and left to find it alone, leaving Shadow her necklace with the announcement that he was in charge. Why she hadn't taken anyone with her, save for the joking offer to Knuckles to accompany her, which the echidna still managed to convince himself was a true offer as a way to find something concrete to blame for the guilt and fear that he felt. That they all felt.

Shadow had nothing like that. He envied Knuckles in a way for it.

"Think of it this way," Sonic said, once again pulling Shadow from his thoughts. "It's an adventure of our own, and the prize is finding her again."

Shadow clenched his fists, crushing his sandwich in the process. "If she's still alive," he muttered, saying what so many of them were afraid to even think about.

"Hey now, come on--"

"Six months!" Shadow snapped. "It's been half a year and there's been no sign of her at any of the rendezvous points!"

You left us. You left me here, with your crew, and now I have to do what I could never do.

"And that's why we're looking for her, right?" Sonic asked, remaining calm even as Shadow felt his world split apart, yet again, as it did far too frequently when he was left with his thoughts. "That's why you ordered this search. Because you know that giving up on her when there's still a chance is the worst thing you could do for her."

Shadow breathed in heavily through his nose, forcing his hands to unclench. Sonic was right. There was a stupid, dumb, idiotic, pathetic part of him that couldn't accept what he knew should be the truth.

Rouge, if we find you and you're still alive, I'm throwing you overboard myself.

"We set off in two minutes," he ordered, stuffing what was left of his sandwich into his mouth. Next to him, Sonic grinned and gave him a salute.

"Aye aye, Captain."

With that, he was off, no doubt relaying Shadow's order to the rest of them. Shadow, meanwhile, walked to the bow of the ship, looking out to the horizon as he drew the necklace out from under his shirt.

They had no leads. They had a great many countries and vessels after them thanks to their history of heists. The odds of finding anything helpful were so astronomically slim that they might as well be sailing to their deaths.

But if any crew could do it, it was this one.

And Shadow, no matter how little he believed in himself, no matter how much fear he held, had to lead them.

"Sit tight, Captain," he whispered to the necklace's heart-shaped gem. Behind him, he heard the sound of Silver raising the anchor and Knuckles calling out directions to Tails at the helm while he pushed the rudder.

It was time to begin their adventure.

#Smash speaks. #I wanted to see if I could write a short thing and decided pirates. #Turns out writing short things is very hard. #This feels like a Chapter 1. #Luckily I have none ideas on how to continue so 🎉 #Also I did not edit this. I am very tired and I can't tell if hungry or unhappy stomach. #Either way I wrote pirates I hope you enjoy.

[jazy3]

Thoughts on Grey’s Anatomy: 18X01

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

I was really excited for the Premiere and I have never been so disappointed in my life. It took me a few days to write this review because I’m just so unimpressed. I feel like the only interesting parts of the Season 18 Premiere were the Meredith and Hayes FaceTime call, Levi in that outfit and Jo with that hair, and the interviews. That's it. I mean Teddy and Owen’s two weddings were interesting if you’re a Teddy and Owen shipper, but I never have been so that didn’t really do anything for me.

The pacing of the episode was super slow and it was just altogether boring. There were also just so many inconsistencies. For example, Teddy and Owen originally planned to get married at the park with just Megan, Farouk, Evelyn, Leo, and Allison which doesn’t make sense because prior to their break up they were talking about planning their dream wedding. Now they finally get married and Richard didn’t even know about it? They asked Megan to fly in, but they didn’t tell their friends at the hospital after they just all attended Maggie and Winston’s wedding two weeks earlier?

It’s also not clear if Meredith knows that they got married which is weird because she’s the main character of the show and was an integral part of Owen’s previous two weddings one of which was held at her house. Also, Amelia and Link weren’t there and it’s not clear if they even knew about the wedding which is weird because Meredith, Amelia, and Link were all present when Owen proposed to Teddy at Christmas at Meredith’s house and they are all co-parenting Leo together.

While I appreciated the shift to a lighter tone and that they chose to have this season exist in a post-COVID alternative universe where we can see the actors faces again without the PPE and return to escapism the Premiere didn't pack the punch I was expecting. The premieres are usually super shocking and action packed and this one just wasn't. It was just boring and all of the most interesting stuff happened off camera during the two weeks between the Season 17 Finale and the Season 18 Premiere which is just stupid.

I saw the priest getting hit by one of the cyclists coming a few minutes before it happened based on the promo and the context of the scene and there wasn't a big shocking event like there usually is. The pace of the Premiere really felt off to me. My friend Amy who I watch with every week described it as the pacing you usually associate with a nice stroll through a moonlit garden. Fine for episode two or three or a connecting episode but not the Premiere. I feel like they really misjudged what fans were looking for and I’m hoping that they do the work and course correct now that the Premiere has aired and the completely dismal fan reaction as come out.

One of the few bright spots for me was the introduction of Peter Gallagher as Dr. David Hamilton. I love him as an actor! He's great! His recent roles in Grace and Frankie and Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist were fantastic! I was super excited when I heard he was coming to Grey's. I like Dr. Hamilton so far and I'm interested to see how his relationship with Ellis and Meredith having dreams about her mother following her battle with COVID will play into the story this season. While it would be interesting to see Meredith work in Minnesota temporarily like Cristina did back in Season 9, I don't want her there permanently. Seattle is as much a character in the show as any of the main characters we've come to love, and something would be missing for me if she moved.

To be perfectly honest, it doesn't make much sense to me for Meredith to move to Minnesota permanently when she only knows a few people there. Who would watch her kids? If she's going to move to me, it makes more sense for her to move to Kansas where Alex is or Switzerland where Cristina is. Her kids have already lost their father and so many other caregivers and Meredith has stuck it out in Seattle for so long after everything that's happened that her moving to Minnesota for me would be bonkers.

Also, where were her kids in the Premiere? All of the interviews that came out prior to the Premiere talked about how Meredith’s focus at the beginning of the season would be on her work and her kids, but they were nowhere to be found in the Premiere and it’s not clear whose watching them while Meredith is in Minnesota. The interviews also made it seem like Meredith and Hayes would still be circling each other at the start of the season with quotes about how timing hadn’t been on their side, that they still needed to have an official drink and go out on a date, and that while Meredith wasn’t looking for a relationship one might find her.

That had literally nothing to do with the Premiere we saw whatsoever! The kids were MIA and it turned out that Meredith and Hayes started dating off screen following Maggie and Winston’s wedding and we didn’t get to see ANY of the firsts they talked about so much over the last two seasons. So stupid. The Premiere was a total rip off. I hate that Nick Marsh is back and I’ve never gone from liking a character and an actor to hating them in such a short period of time ever. My God. I’m so pissed off about this. What the hell were they thinking? Why did they think we would want this at all?

Don’t get me wrong, I loved Nick Marsh as a character and Scott Speedman's portrayal of him when he first showed up in Season 14. I was all ready for him to be Meredith's next great love and I was on board. But then he disappeared and was never heard from again and it was reported that Speedman wanted to take a break from TV for a while so I mourned the loss of what could have been and moved on. I sat through the out of character nonsense that was the DeLuca storyline in the belief that eventually that storyline would end, and Meredith would get a real proper love interest that made sense and would be her post-Derek endgame.

So, I was really excited when they introduced Hayes and I have really come to love his character and his budding relationship with Meredith. I feel like I've been waiting forever to finally see them go on a date and I am super pissed off that we didn't get to see it. I would have loved this storyline with Nick if they had introduced it at any previous point in time, but now after they've spent so much time setting up Meredith and Hayes it's just infuriating. I feel immense rage over how they handled Meredith and Hayes and Meredith and Nick’s storylines in the Premiere. I'm so angry. The whole thing just made no sense. That Premiere should never have aired. It never should have gotten past the draft stage. It was that bad. The first date and all of the firsts that come with a new relationship are the most exciting parts of a romantic storyline for me and I love seeing all of that on screen. They hyped Meredith and Hayes’ relationship up so much and even had the two of them talk about 'firsts' and dating after death so for their first date to happen off screen along with Austin's panic attacks and bad reaction to his Dad starting to date again is just such a rip off.

I have stuck with this show through thick and thin and for them to reward that loyalty by having the most interesting parts of that storyline happen off screen while showing a bunch of stuff on screen with other characters that they could have just told us about? So ridiculous. I was so excited for this season and now I'm just angry. I'm hoping that they are building to a big mid-season finale where Meredith is going to return to Seattle and by that time Bailey will have helped Hayes out with Austin and the two of them will finally get together on screen but I'm starting to feel like every time I get invested in one of the Meredith's new love interests, they pull the rug out from under me and I'm getting really fed up.

In other news, I'm not too surprised that Megan and Riggs broke up off screen only because Virgin River, which I love, just got picked up for two more seasons and I imagine Martin Henderson is busy filming that and it looks like Megan is going to be around for a while and they had to explain it somehow. I loved Meredith and Riggs together and I hated how they ended that storyline so I'm not sad about them breaking up off screen.

The Premiere also broke my heart over Amelia and Link’s storyline. It’s just so stupid. It’s drama for drama’s sake that’s all it is and it’s tired. When did marriage become so important to Link? In the span of a few months, he went from being totally fine with not getting married and checking in with Amelia every few weeks on how she felt to convincing himself that Amelia wanted him to propose so he did so at her sister's wedding and used her dead brother's children to do it. Amelia's right the whole thing was super messed up and manipulative and she was right to say no.

Link decided marriage was important to him and that fostering Luna would be totally fine without ever talking to Amelia. Yes, Amelia should have shared her thoughts with him too, but he also should have paid attention. Now their otherwise healthy relationship is over because she doesn't want to participate in an archaic ritual that involves signing a contract and exchanging vows? That's just stupid. I hope they find a way to work it out and get back together because I really like them as a couple.

I like Dr. Michelle Lin the new Head of Plastic of Surgery that Bailey and Richard are looking to hire. I thought for sure after that photo of the other guy made the rounds on social media that he was going to be the new Head of Plastics, but then he said that he doesn't do "free" and I knew he was out. I'm excited for there to be another female surgeon of colour on the show as the gender and racial balance on the show has been more white and male as of late and I think Grey's is at its best when you have a roughly equal number of women and men and as many different races being represented as possible.

I think it makes the storylines more interesting and authentic and personally gives me more characters that I can identify with. This new doctor seems driven, determined, and could have a potentially interesting dynamic with Richard and Bailey. She’s also giving me some Cristina Yang vibes and I’m all for that. I love Cristina. Always have. Always will. That being said, I'm a bit confused as to where they are going with Jo's storyline as I thought for sure the new Head of Plastics would be a guy and her new love interest. But Bailey did say they still needed to hire a new general surgeon and a new neurosurgeon so maybe one of them will be for her?

I can't really say that there was anything I loved about the Premiere which is disappointing. Jo's parenting hair dye mishap was funny, Levi's outfit cracked me up, and I liked that Bailey agreed to help Hayes out, but that's about it. The thing I was most excited for coming into this season was Meredith finally being back on her feet and seeing the romantic storyline between her and Hayes finally come to fruition.

Finding out that she's going to be in Minnesota for the foreseeable future, she and Hayes started dating off screen but had to call it quits because seeing his Dad date someone new caused Austin to have panic attacks, and finding out that Nick Marsh is back? I hated it. I don't understand how the same person who wrote the Season 16 masterpiece “Snowblind” with that amazing snow scene between Meredith and Hayes wrote the Premiere. I just don't understand. I really hope they're not going to do a love triangle with Meredith, Hayes, and Nick because that would just be so stupid.

She's a forty something award-winning surgeon who's a widowed single mother of three. Love triangles made sense when she was young intern, but at this point it's just dumb. I also didn't feel the chemistry this time around between Meredith and Nick like I did the first time. It felt forced and flat. I like Maggie and Winston together, but I didn't find their storyline in the Premiere particularly engaging. I'm glad that Amelia stayed true to herself, but I hate that Link has decided marriage is the only way forward and that they're still fighting.

The only moment that really made me laugh out of the hour was when Jo opened the door and Levi was in that ridiculous outfit. I loved the FaceTime call between Meredith and Hayes, but I hated the context. Honestly, I'm not really excited about any upcoming storyline this season which makes me really sad. I'm usually super positive and hopeful when it comes to this show, but this episode just stomped all over my dreams. All I can hope for now is that they pull a twist and everything I was hoping for happens in the mid-season finale otherwise I don't think I'm going to like this season very much.

Until next time!

#grey's anatomy #meredith grey #cormac hayes #MerHayes #jo wilson #levi schmitt #atticus lincoln #amelia shepherd #amelink #miranda bailey #richard webber #cristina yang #michelle lin #ellis grey #david hamilton #thoughts #review #18X01 #here comes the sun

[everyonewasabird]

I maybe got to looking at Sorting Hat Chats earlier and kind of accidentally sorted the cast of Les Miserables into Hogwarts houses?

(A while back I sorted the Amis, though it wasn’t Sorting Hat Chats style. This one has a little overlap with that, but this is limited it to characters whose POV we get at least a little of.)

Jean Valjean - Gryffindor/Slytherin

Gryffindor Primary: When he’s first arrested, he arraigns society before a tribunal of what his intuition tells him is right. Deciding right and wrong for himself has always been Valjean’s way. After the bishop, doing what he believes is right becomes his entire life.

Slytherin Secondary: He disguises himself, hides, and adapts, adapts, adapts in order to survive.

Bishop Myriel - Hufflepuff/Slytherin

Hufflepuff Primary: What matters most are people in need, full stop.

Slytherin Secondary: He will adapt absolutely anything in order to help the person in front of him. Bible not useful here? Adapt the bible or ignore it. Also, he successfully cons Valjean into changing his life. “Do not forget, never forget, that you have promised to use this money in becoming an honest man,” Myriel says, while Valjean stares dumfounded because he never promised that. Myriel is the world’s sweetest trickster, with the possible exception of Gavroche.

Fantine - Slytherin/Gryffindor

Slytherin Primary: All that matters is Cosette.

Gryffidor Secondary: I spent a while convinced this was Hufflepuff, just because every good situation for Fantine is about hard work and community, and all her catastrophes are about losing that. But in times of crisis, she always goes straight towards doing the thing she needs to do.

Javert - Ravenclaw/Gryffindor

Ravenclaw Primary: I thought Hufflepuff at first because he’s so much about who counts as a person belonging to society. But I think it’s more that his moral code is the social order: who’s right or wrong and whose life matters is determined by whom the social order values. The law as written is important to him, but only secondarily. This is a horrible code, but it’s a code, and losing it destroys him.

Gryffindor Secondary: I’m a little torn--he’s steady and hardworking and all about fairness in a very Hufflepuff way. But he charges into a den of literal thieves with his hat in his hand and a cheeky one-liner. He’s never happier than when he’s following his intuition on the hunt. Going with Gryffindor.

Cosette - Gryffindor/Slytherin

Gryffindor Primary: She follows her gut. It’s what she does when she meets Valjean in the woods, Marius in the Luxembourg, and Marius again in her garden. She’s all about listening to instincts.

Slytherin Secondary: She is heartbreakingly good at shifting herself to be what other people want of her. Also, she might be the only person who ever successfully deceives Jean Valjean.

Marius - Slytherin/Gryffindor

Slytherin Primary: The most important thing in the world is his father’s life debt to Thenardier. Other values he holds include Cosette. He would like to care about the miseries of the world, and he does a bit, but his personal loyalties come first.

Gryffindor Secondary: Once Marius decides to do a thing he is unstoppable. Needs to learn English and German in like a week? Done. Decides on a life of idleness? Does absolutely nothing with his time for months. He decides to join the barricade, and ten minutes later he's standing on top of it with a keg of powder in one hand and a lit torch in the other.

Enjolras - Gryffindor/Gryffindor

Gryffindor Primary: Motivated entirely by his own moral intuition, which shifts with circumstances but is always about an intuited sense of right. Other people might say, “don’t give twelve-year-olds rifles,” but that’s rule-bound Ravenclaw logic. Gavroche proves himself as one of Enjolras’s best men, so Gavroche deserves the gun. Le Cabuc dishonors the barricade, so Enjolras does the only thing that can restore that honor, then he sentences himself to death for it. Because it’s the right thing to do.

Gryffindor Secondary: He can and will set himself on fire to change the world, and anybody willing is welcome to join him. He’s never rash or unconsidered--he’s slow and thoughtful and he plans meticulously, though he’s also a spectacular improvisor. But his way forward is straight through.

Gillenormand - Slytherin/Gryffindor

Slytherin Primary: He has very few actual moral precepts, just people he acts to benefit. Most of those people are himself, though occasionally he extends it to Marius. He likes to feel generous, and he likes to think he has political opinions, but both are pretty shallow.

Gryffindor Secondary: He’s loud, he’s brash, he’s charismatic, he decides what he’s going to do, and he does it. God help anybody he has power over.

Thenardier - Slytherin/Slytherin

Going into detail just seems silly. Not all Slytherins are this, but he’s definitely the worst version of Slytherin, of the kind whose loyalty never extends beyond himself.

Eponine - Slytherin/Gryffindor

Slytherin Primary: She’s showing signs of developing a broader moral sense, but her motivation for it, and for everything she does, is Marius.

Gryffindor Secondary: Nobody gets things done like Eponine. She doesn’t want the five scariest criminals in Paris to get through a fence? They’re not getting through that fence. She wants Valjean to move house and Marius to go to the barricade? Marius is at the barricade and Valjean has moved house. 

Gavroche - Gryffindor/Gryffindor

Gryffindor Primary: Being spontaneously kind and good all the time is Gavroche’s entire existence.

Gryffindor Secondary: He scales buildings and elephants and barricades like it’s nothing. They needed bullets, and there were bullets in the street. So that’s where Gavroche went. ;_;

#i'm sorry for the last one :( #another les mis sorting hat post #feel free to argue with me #sorting hat chats #les miserables hogwarts houses #myriel's slytherin qualities amuse me unduly #it occurs to me belatedly to mention: #in talking about harry potter i intend no support for rowling's terf bullshit

[dingobabywrites]

 so, in light of recent events, people have been discussing when they think Dean and Cas realized that they were in love with each other. While I 100% believe dean realized in purgatory, I dont think Castiel realized until Dean broke Naomi's connection.

BUT!!!!

I also think that is around the same time Sam realized it too. Obviously Charlie already knew ( " what about Castiel, he seems helpful and..Dreamy" she's a lesbian. That comment wasn't for Her!") I think Charlie was the one to point it out to sam and I think the two of them agreed to keep it to themselves since neither of those two would have been able to handle that information. So, I wrote a little thing about how I think it went down.

I also wanted to give myself an explanation for those wierd looks and mystery note from the end of the episode...so yeah...here's that.

Sam hobbled down the hall to the guest room, his hand still throbbing from knocking Dean unconcious . It was…worrisome, to say the least, that he was having this much trouble with healing from such a minor injury, not to mention the other things that were happening to his body; the fatigue, coughing up blood. Troubling, but, as much as he hated to admit it, worth it. Dean had been pissing him off more than usual lately anyway. It wasn't just the trials. Sure, he was frustrated with Dean for thinking he wasn't strong enough to handle them (he had fought against Lucifer in his own mind for christ's sake) but it was everything else too. His loyalty to Benny still didn't sit right with him. He had been so quick to kill Amy, just because she was a monster. He didn't care that she was just feeding her kid. She was just a monster to him. But for some reason, Benny got a pass. Sure, the guy saved both their asses, he was grateful for that, but even Bobby knew it was wrong.

And then there was Cas.

 

Sam wanted nothing more, than to tell Dean that he should have learned his lesson the first time with the Angel. It wasn't like he didn't like Castiel. Of course he did. He was appreciative of everything the guy had done for them. Dean was right that he had saved their asses more than once. It was just….at the end of the day, whether they liked him or not, Castiel had betrayed them. He understood that perfectly. What he couldn't understand, was why dean was so suprised by him doing it again. Hell, Dean had been the one to bring up that fact that the guy wasn't acting right since he got back and yet, there he was, praying to him, putting his trust in him again. It was maddening, to say the least. He had tried to talk to his brother about it, but Dean immediately shut down.

So, yeah, his hand was still hurting, but it was damn worth it.

He turned the corner to find Charlie stuffing her things into her duffle. He knocked on the door frame with his uninjured hand. "Hey, there."

"Sam." She half smiled, when she turned around, her eyes still a little bleary from crying. "Hi, I'm just…just packing up to head out and…" she sniffled and plopped down on the bed, covering her face as she began crying anew.

Sam walked into the room and pulled up the desk chair, sitting down in front of her. "Dean told me what happened, while you two were under." He said. "I am so sorry about your mom, Charlie." He placed his hand on her shoulder as she began crying harder. "I know how hard it is to let go like that…"

"Dean was right," she sniffed. "I needed to stop holding on."

Sam let out a bitter scoff and pulled his hand back, squeezing both hands between his legs. "Yeah, Dean's always right, isn't he? Too bad he can't follow his own advice."

Charlie looked up, her eyes sad and confused. "Holding on to my mom was the reason I was stuck there. If he hadn't made me let go, I would have died.we both would have."

Sam shook his head at himself, trying his damndest to let go of his own bitterness to be there for his friend. "Ya, I know. I'm sorry…just…I know you're hurting right now, I just want you to know I'm here for you."

Charlie sniffed again, wiping her arm across her face to dry it before leaning back and staring at Sam. "I don't get it." She said, as firmly as possible.

Sam, leaned back and shrugged. "Me neither, really. I always thought all djinn fed off happiness. It's like every time we figure stuff out, something new comes along to throw us off our game."

"Not that." Charlie said, waving his statement off. Sam looked at her, confused, not sure what she was referring to. She took a breath and pulled a book out of her duffle throwing it on Sam's lap. 'Mystery Spot' By Carver Edlund. "You say these books happened in real life. That everything written in them actually went down…but the past two times I've been around you guys…you certainly dont act like you do in the books."

Sam skimmed the first page of the book and chuckled, tossing it back on the bed next to Charlie. "Yeah, well, things have just been different, I guess."

"So, you used to love and support each other, no matter what and now you just, what? Stopped?" She asked.

"It's…" Sam scoffed and shook his head. "things are just, more complicated now…"

"You maybe, wanna elaborate there buddy?" She asked. "I may be a genius, but a mind reader, I am not."

Sam let out a breath and scrubbed a hand through his hair. He figured it might feel better to at least get something off his chest. "To be honest Charlie, I dont think Dean is cut out for the job anymore."

"Why not?"

"His judgment, for one thing." Sam answered. "I don't know, just ever since he got back from purgatory… he's been…it's like he can't think straight anymore. He used to be no nonsense when it came to killing monsters and only trusting people he knew he could trust and now… I mean, I get it. Purgatory was rough on him, but the guy has literally been to Hell and back. I don't see why this time is any different."

"What do you mean?" Charlie asked softly.

"I mean like, being friends with a freaking vamp." Sam answered, coldly. "Yeah, Benny wasn't like the others, and I get the whole 'brother's in arms' aspect, but it still doesn't make sense." He waved his hand, gesturing back at the book before letting it drop. "That Dean? That Dean would have never put his trust in a monster. That Dean wouldn't let people back into his life that had screwed him over, and now…I don't know, now it's like he just doesn't care about letting people in that who could hurt him, or…people who already have."

"So, it's not just about the vampire." Charlie said. "Who else has Dean been trusting that you don't think he should?"

Sam gritted his teeth and shook his head. "Cas really messed him up Charlie. I mean, the guy already turned his back on us once and Dean just let him back into our lives like nothing even happened."

"Ah." Charlie said, with complete understanding. "Okay, I get it now."

"Get what?" Sam asked.

"I get why Dean has been acting wierd, duh." She said, like it was obvious. Sam sat, staring at her, trying to peice together what puzzle she seemed to have completed. "Oh, my God. Do you really not see it?" Charlie laughed.

"Um, no?" Sam said, skeptically.

"Wow," she scoffed. "And here I thought you were the observant one." Sam waited for her to explain herself, still utterly lost on what she was talking about. "It's Castiel." She said, speaking to him as if he were a child.

"What about him?" Sam asked, hoping like hell that she wasn't talking about the angel brainwashing his brother or something.

"I've read the books, Sam." She said. "I know all about Dean's special Angel friend."

"No." Sam shook his head. "No, chuck stopped writing after Dean went to hell. There's no way you could have a read anything about Cas."

Charlie scrunched her face and bobbed her head back and forth. "Mmmm, not exactly." She reached into her bag and pulled put her laptop, turning it on. "Remember how I said the books were online now?" Sam nodded waiting for her to continue. "Okay, dont get mad," she said as she typed "but, he may have kept writing a little bit longer than you thought…."

"He what?!" Sam said, furious. They had told that dick to knock it off after that stupid convention."How long?"

"Relax." She said, scrolling through some page on her screen. "He stopped after you sacrifice yourself to Hell, actually. It was beautifully written by the way, super emotional, but no one has seen or heard from him since."

'Good!' Sam thought to himself. He felt a little bad for that thought, since Kevin was now the prophet it meant that the reason no one had heard from Chuck was likely because he was dead, but at least no one else could know more about their lives than they already did. "Okay, but what does any of this have to do with Dean? Why would Cas be the reason he's acting wierd?"

Charlie sighed, cringing to her self a little. "Well, as you already know, where there's a fandom, there's most likely fanfiction…"

"I'm aware." Sam said, peeved by the memory of stumbling upon the fanfiction written about him and Dean.

"Look, I'm not saying anything is definite, but alot of people who write fanfiction are really good at reading between the lines." She clicked her mouse a few times before closing her laptop and setting it back in her bag. "I mean, I've read all the books myself, and I totally know that you guys are real people and not some fictional characters, and it's completely not okay to speculate on your lives and feelings or whatever...but I mean, it's kinda hard not to see where they're all coming from."

"What are you talking about, Charlie?"

"Dean said that Benny helped him fight through purgatory, right?" She said. "He met him pretty early on in his time there, no?"

"Yeah," Sam said, still completely bemused, "I guess…Dean hasn't really talked a lot about what happened while he was there. He told me some things, but he never really went into detail."

Charlie nodded and shrugged sheepishly before continuing. "Okay, so he met Benny early on, and Benny told him he had a way to get back, right off the bat. So, why did it take them so long to get out of there?"

"Dean said he spent alot of his time searching for Cas." Sam answered.

"Exactly!" She exclaimed, like that should have been the answer.

"I'm sorry Charlie, I still don't understand what you're getting at here."

"Sam, he could've come back at any point after meeting Benny. They only spent as much time as they did together, because Dean wanted to bring Castiel back with him. Even after everything he did. Don't you think that's a little…suspicious?"

"That's exactly what I've been saying!" Sam said. "Why would he do that?!"

"Yeah, Sam, why?" She said, still trying to lead him. "Why would someone run back into a fire, when they have a way out? I mean, I think you, of all people, would know the answer to that."

Sam gaped at her in shock. It took a minute for him to register what she was implying, but once he did… "Charlie, that's…"

"Just a thought!" She defended before he finished. "I'm just saying that Dean doesn't normally put his trust in people. Except, maybe…the people he REALLY cares about and the people that protect them. Maybe there's more to the story when it comes to his trust in Benny than you thought. I definitely feel like there's more when it comes to Castiel."

"Charlie, come on." Sam laughed a little. " You know Dean. He's…"

"More complicated than people give him credit for." Charlie cut him off. "He also knows how hard it is to let go of the people he loves. He's actually really bad at it. Maybe, worse than you know."

"Charlie," Sam started, before being cut off once more.

"He's definitely more concerned about you than you think." Charlie said firmly, standing up as she did. She began packing once more, keeping her eyes averted from Sam's. "He's not trying to control you, you know. He raised you, Sam. You mean alot to him. You ever think for a moment that he's just really scared for you? Scared of losing you? I mean, back to my point, he is really bad at losing people."

Sam sat in silence, petulantly mulling over Charlie's words. She was right, probably. Dean may have been scared, but it was still possible that he just couldn't hack the life anymore. Sam wasn't some child. And the other stuff she was saying…she was way off base. There was a big difference between reading about someone's and living it.

"I sent you the link to the website I used to read the books." Charlie said as she zipped up her bags. She slung her backpack over her shoulder crossing her arms as she stared him down. "I know you lived through it all and everything, but not every part was about you. There's a few things you may have missed."

"Yeah, I don't think that's gonna happen." Sam shook his head.

"Just a suggestion." She shrugged. "It might open your eyes to a few things you don't understand. I get not wanting to relive those times but…if you ever decide that's something you might wanna do, hit me up. I can tell you what chapters to skip, or whatever. And, if your really curious about Dean's relationship to Castiel, 'On the Head of a Pin' is a good place to start. The torture chapters are pretty rough, and I know you'll want to skip over your parts…but the other stuff.…" she shrugged.

"Okay." He said, at a loss for more words than that.

"You ready to roll?" Dean said, from the doorway, knocking on the door frame before entering the room.

"Looks, like it." Charlie smiled up at him as he entered.

"I didn't interrupt anything did I?" Dean asked looking between her and Sam with concern written all over his face. "You guys look a little spooked."

"Ew, gross, no." Charlie said, scrunching her face at Dean's implications. "Sam, was just helping me with my bags. Right Sam?"

"Uh, yeah…" Sam said, standing up and grabbing her duffle off the bed.

"Eh, come on, you know I'm just teasin ya!" Dean chuckled, jabbing her on the shoulder playfully. "He may have the hair, but the body parts are all wrong, right?"

"Definitely." Charlie agreed.

"Come on." Dean said, tilting his head toward the door. He waited for Charlie to leave the room, then cast a skeptical glance at Sam before following after. Sam was sure he was in for an earful after she left. He began dreading it as he said his goodbyes, anticipating the lecture as he told Charlie she was welcome to comeback at anytime. But it wasn't the only thing on his mind now. After bidding Charlie farewell, he went inside, giving the two of them their time alone. He hesitated for a moment, convinced that the trials were seriously messing with his head if he was even considering this. Then again…

He headed to the library, grabbing a peice of paper and a pen on his way and sat down. 'This is just stupid.' He thought to himself as he wrote down the words 'On the Head of a Pin'. He heard the bunker door open. Dean walked up, the look on his face telling Sam that it was time for his ass- chewing, so he decided to cut it off before it could start.

He clicked the pen closed and stood up, ready to defend his actions. "Okay, look you were right. I-I should laid low. I-I know." He said as Dean approached him."I should have hung back. I'm glad I was able.."

Then Dean grabbed him. Then Dean pulled him into a hug. It wasn't at all what he was expecting. He was lost, but relieved and hugged his brother back.

Dean chuckled and patted his back before pulling away. "What do you say we find our prophet?." Dean smiled, before smaking him in the chest and walking away.

Sam was left to himself, completely bewildered by what had just occurred. Dean had certainly not been acting like himself, but this was a whole new level. Maybe there was some truth to Charlie's words? Maybe he really was just scared? Maybe Sam really didn't know everything about his brother. Now, wasn't the time to think about that, though. Dean was right, the had to look for Kevin. They had work to do. Research.

But Dean had to sleep at some point. Maybe Sam could do a little light reading in that time.

If Charlie was right about Dean being scared for him, who knew what else she was right about?

#destiel #fanfic #destiel crack #crack post #this is not at all what happened #unless

[cherrydae]

Clandestine | Final

Series: see the masterlist for the links

Genre: Assassin!Baekhyun

Word count: 6k

Warnings: Violence, angst, uhhh more angst?

Summary: One drunken night leads to your life getting entangled with a network of assassins. You became their target, and Byun Baekhyun the shooter.

__________________________

Any other person would need weeks to plan out a plan to break into a well protected assassin headquarters. Yet it took Baekhyun and your friends merely two days to have everything sorted out. Especially because the clock was ticking, and every minute they waited, Minseok would lose his patience more and more. It was risky, there was a lot at stake starting with their lives and your own. But it seemed to be the only way where they’d have a chance at success when it came to rescuing you. 

Baekhyun was pacing around the livingroom of Yejin’s house. It was dawn, and tonight was the time for them to move, and it was slowly hitting Baekhyun what was at stake. “Can we go through the plan once more.” He said as he continued to pace around, a hand threading through his black hair.

“We’ve done that already. Four times so far. Baekhyun, our plan is solid. It will be fine.” Yejin said from the couch, where she was busying herself with strapping a small knife to her leg. “Doesn’t matter! A fifth time won’t hurt. Chanyeol, what’s our plan again?” 

Chanyeol was about to protest, but once he locked eyes with Baekhyun, he saw an unusual blaze in them. The usually fearless assassin was drowning in fear. “Alright, Baekhyun. We’ll go through it one more time, but then you’ll need to calm down or else we won’t be able to set foot out of this house.” Chanyeol replied, to which Baekhyun frantically nodded.

“We’ll go undercover. You said you had it all sorted with your friends and they would be the ones letting us in. We will go pretending that you are bringing Yejin in as a client, with me playing her bodyguard. Jongin will monitor everything from the car and guide us through the building with his weird tech bullshit.” Jongin rolled his eyes and extended a hand to whack Chanyeol across the head, causing Chanyeol to grin before he continued. 

“We’re in, we get rid of our outfits and from then on we find Y/N and try to avoid any ugliness. Which, to be honest, I doubt will happen. But…” Chanyeol cracked his knuckles before winking at Baekhyun. “We can handle that, don’t you think? Plus, we have Jongin. Anyways, we break her out and leave through the exit Jongin found for us. That’s basically it.”

Baekhyun nodded before sitting down, both his hands now in his hair. “But what if the security doesn’t buy our shit? Or if Yixing and Kyungsoo aren’t capable of convincing them? Or if we’re too late and Minseok would have her killed off alrea—” Jongin cut him off, moving from his spot on the couch to sit next to Baekhyun. “Enough. Baekhyun, why are you so afraid? Weren’t you supposedly a cold blooded assassin? This can’t be the toughest case you’ve ever had.” 

“I am! Or was— or whatever! But with all my other cases, I couldn’t care less about what happened to the targets or whoever was involved. It’s different this time. Y/N’s life is at stake, and it suffocates me to know that our mission could literally end or save it.” Baekhyun hung his head as he shook it, leading to Yejin moving over as well to kneel in front of him, both her hands resting on his knees. 

“Hey. Where is the cocky Byun from a few months ago? We will save her, Baekhyun.” She nudged for him to look at her, and he softly murmured a reply as his eyes locked with hers. “I love her, Yejin. More than I could ever imagine myself loving someone.” He dropped his head low again. “I can’t stand the thought of losing her.”

Yejin reached her hand out to lift his chin, making him look at her again. “We love her too, Baekhyun. Which is why we’ll make sure nothing happens to her. We want to save her just as much as you. Why else would we be working together? Nothing will happen to her. I promise. We all promise.” 

Baekhyun took in a deep breath, eyes fluttering shut and exhaling before he opened them to look at her again and nodding. “You’re right. I’m sorry, I lost myself for a moment there. It won’t happen again. What did you say again a few days ago?”

Yejin frowned. “You mean let’s kick some ass?”

He nodded. “Let’s go kick some ass.”

______________________________________

The sun was down, which meant that it was time for the plan to be set in motion. Yejin was dressed in a black dress with spaghetti straps that reached until her calves. To top it off, she wore black stilettos and had her hair clipped up. When the boys looked at her shoes with confusion, she waved them off. “Definitely taking them off when we’re inside. Now, can we move?” To which all three quickly nodded, packing the final things before heading out for the car.

The entire car ride was silent, however not in a bad way. Everyone was just trying to regain themselves for what was about to come. Baekhyun’s eyes then drifted to the passenger seat to Yejin. He knew that Yejin was also having trouble with this situation, despite her trying to play it off cool. She found out through the assassin boyfriend of her friend, that her own boyfriend is an assassin as well. It mustn’t be easy for her as well. Especially since they haven’t heard from Jongdae ever since. 

Soon, they arrived at the headquarters, making sure that the car was parked not too close by. Jongin handed out earcoms to the other before opening his laptop and connecting them all to each other. “Can you all hear me?” He spoke, before the other three nodded with their thumbs up. 

Jongin heaved a deep breath before nodding himself. “Then it’s time to get this over with. Stay safe guys, okay? I’ll help you the best I can from here.” Baekhyun gave Jongin a smile, before reaching out to grab his shoulder lightly. “Thank you, Jongin. Thank you everyone for trusting me enough to do this. Let’s go.” 

The three of them walked towards the headquarters that was heavily guarded at the entrance. The amount of guards might be little, but the surveillance and the amount of automated guns placed on the fence were uncountable. Baekhyun and Yejin walked in front, with Chanyeol walking right behind Yejin, a pair of sunglasses resting on his nose. 

This moment was dependent on Yixing and Kyungsoo coming on time at the entrance. Baekhyun met up with them one day ago to talk with them about his plan, which they were originally against. 

“Baekhyun you’re insane! Once it sinks, the entirety of Black Lotus will know you’re a traitor. And I’m not sure we can take part in this.” Kyungsoo mumbled, shaking his head as he sunk back in his seat. Yixing was chewing on his lip as he shook his head as well. 

“Guys please. Jongdae told me, and I can’t get the image out of my head of Minseok hurting her. Please. I—I love her. I want to be with her…” Baekhyun practically begged, looking his friends in the eyes, pure desperation evident in his irises. “I can’t do this without your help. Please…” He choked out the plea, his head falling down between his knees.

Yixing took a deep breath before speaking up. “Fine! Fine. I’m onboard. But what you need us to do, can’t be done by myself…” His eyes slowly drifted towards Kyungsoo, whose eyes widened as he quickly shook his head.

“I can’t do it! I can’t betray Black Lotus like this.” Kyungsoo uttered, shaking his head more frantically. “Kyungsoo you know I can’t do this on my own. They listen more to you than to me anyways! You’re practically a second Minseok, just a tad less intimidating.” Yixing said, to which Kyungsoo pursed his lips.

“I can’t…” He whispered. “Kyungsoo. It’s for our friend. He’s been with us through everything. You can’t even set aside your loyalty to Black Lotus for a split second to help our friend?” Yixing sat up straighter, and Baekhyun slowly lifted his head to look at his friends.

He could see Kyungsoo ponder, the gears twisting and turning in his head before he heaved a deep sigh. “Fine. Only this time. Never again.” 

The three of them stopped by the entrance, two guards advancing towards them, their assault rifles resting comfortably in their hands. Baekhyun and Chanyeol had a handgun clicked at their belt, but they agreed to try and use it as little as possible. Gunshots equals a recipe for disaster. 

“This is private property. No trespassing allowed.” Did one of the guards say, to which spoke up. “Shame of you to not even recognise me, Song. I work here. Do I need to show you my tally of successes?” The guard, supposedly Song, rolled his eyes before stepping closer to Baekhyun. “I haven’t seen you in weeks. How am I so sure you’re not smuggling some random people in?” 

“Excuse you? Some random people? I might just be the daughter of the wealthiest man in Korea, so watch your tone you imbecile. Amy Lee, at your service.” Yejin spat at the man, rolling her eyes and leaning back against Chanyeol.

Song turned towards Chanyeol, with raised eyebrows. “I don’t know if you’re just stupid, but do you really think her father would let her even leave the house unguarded? I’m her bodyguard.” Chanyeol said with an irritated tone. 

“She’s our newest client, and I’m bringing her to introduce her to Minseok. So step aside, Song.” Baekhyun said with a grin. Song was about to protest, but that was until the gate opened, and Yixing and Kyungsoo stepped out.

“Let them in. They have to meet Minseok.” Yixing told both the guards, but the other guard spoke up. “I don’t trust Byun here. I haven’t heard anything about a new client visiting today.”

Kyungsoo stepped forward, eyes narrowing at the guard. “Then that is your own dumb mistake for not knowing the schedules around here. She is to be expected in 2 minutes, and if you don’t step aside right now and she’s too late for Minseok, I’ll be the one to drive that bullet through your skull.” He hissed, to which both guards gulped before nodding and granting entrance.

The five of them then walked past the guards and into the building, before Yixing and Kyungsoo turned towards them. “This is as much as we can do. Please, don’t get yourselves into trouble.” Yixing said, and Kyungsoo reached out a hand to pat Baekhyun’s shoulder before they quickly walked away. 

Baekhyun then dragged both of them to the left  and into a silent hallway before kneeling down, as Chanyeol got rid of the glasses and jacket. “Okay, we’re in. Step one is a success. Jongin, do you hear us?” “I can. I’ve managed to access the surveillance system and I can see you too. There are several ways to get downstairs and to the chambers, however every one of them has guards there. So be prepared to take them out quietly. I’ll guide you through the least guarded path.” 

All of them nodded, until Yejin slowly stood up. “What’s wrong Yejin?” Chanyeol asked, furrowing his brows. Yejin merely shrugged before kicking her heels off, her hands grabbing the ends of her dress and ripping it off until the dress came mid thigh. “Much better.”

Chanyeol, Baekhyun, and Jongin that was looking through his laptop screen all widened their eyes at her before Baekhyun emitted a whistle. “Someone’s feisty. We ready to go now?” He murmured as he looked at both of them, before they gave him a smile and a nod. “Let’s do this.”

“Alright, you have to get out of this hallway and go to your right and take the first right as well. There you will be met with two guards. There’s an abandoned room in that hallway where you can dump them.” Jongin spoke, and the three of them nodded before getting up and quietly making their way out of the hallway and towards the place Jongin directed them to.

They stopped before they had to turn the corner, before Baekhyun and Chanyeol glanced at each other, nodding before they sprinted around the corner and lunging at the two guards. Chanyeol quickly moved behind to guard to take him into a headlock, making sure to press tightly against the guard’s throat to block his airways until he lost consciousness. 

Meanwhile, Baekhyun quickly kicked the gun out of the guards hands, before grabbing his arm and twisting it behind his back, quickly moving behind him as well and grabbing his gun to hit the back of the guard’s head, letting his body drop next to the one Chanyeol just took out. 

The two of them looked at each other with a satisfied grin before dragging the two bodies into the room Jongin mentioned, binding them tightly against each other before slipping out of the room and meeting Yejin whom has advanced already. 

“Nice job. Now continue on down this hallway and the end of it, turn left. There you will be met with a staircase that leads you one floor down. After that we’ll need one more floor and you reached the chambers. However, there are two guards at the end of that staircase, right behind the door that leads you to the floor below. Watch out for them.” Jongin said, as he typed away on his laptop to grant himself access to more cameras. 

They nodded before they ran down the hallway, turning to the left and in fact there was the door that led to the staircase. Baekhyun was in front, as he quietly opened the door, and carefully stepped down each stair, trying to avoid any noise echoing and putting off the guards behind the door. Once they reached the end of the staircase, Baekhyun motioned for Chanyeol to follow him, causing Yejin to huff and roll her eyes. 

Baekhyun motioned that on the count of three, he’d open the door, and they’d have to lunge at the guards again. Chanyeol nodded, and Baekhyun started to countdown before busting the door open, and immediately turning right, to grab the guard’s head before he could process what happened, bringing it down to be met with his knee. However, that didn’t seem to know the guard out, as he reached out for Baekhyun’s leg and pulling it with all his might, sending him tumbling down to the ground. 

Chanyeol on the other hand gave a firm punch into the solar plexus of the guard on the left, before giving him a harsh elbow in the temple and sending him to the floor out cold. Once he turned around, he saw Baekhyun and the guard struggling on the floor, either one of them desperately trying to land punches on each other. “You piece of shit—” Chanyeol hissed before dragging the guard off of Baekhyun, and punching him square in the jaw before landing another firm punch against his temple and knocking him out cold. 

Yejin then peeked out of the door, eyes widening and quickly walking over to Baekhyun to help him sit up. His lip was busted and bleeding, and there were wounds all over his knuckles. “Oh my god, are you okay—” Yejin quickly said, yet Jongin hastily cut her off. “A guard is running towards your direction! He’s coming from the right!”

Yejin quickly stood up, shaking her head. “Oh no he’s not.” She hissed before dashing to the right, meeting the guard at the end of the hallway. Yet before the guard could process what happened, Yejin had already jumped up on him, her thighs secured around his neck and using her bodily weight to send the guard to ground, his head hitting the ground and knocking him out cold as well. 

Once she got up and turned toward Chanyeol and Baekhyun, whom once again looked at her with widened eyes, did she frown. “What? I told you I could fight a little. And you haven’t even seen me work this one yet.” She motioned towards the knife strapped to her leg.

“A little? You literally jumped up with your thighs around his neck like a boa constrictor—” Baekhyun said, slowly standing up as Yejin made her way back to them. Yejin merely shrugged and gave him a grin before motioning for him to move on.

“Remind me to never anger you, Yejin. Anyways, you’re almost there. Turn right there and you’ll find the door to the last staircase that will lead you to the chambers. I can only see the hallway there since there is no surveillance inside the cells, so you’ll have to find out on your own which one she’s in. There’s two guards down there as well so be careful.” Jongin said, to which the three of them nodded, quickly hiding the three guards in one of the rooms, strapping them to each other before making their way towards the staircase.

When they reached the bottom of the staircase, Chanyeol stopped Baekhyun from advancing. “Yejin and I will take them on. You come after us and look in every single cell to find her.” Baekhyun was about to protest, before pressing lips on each other and nodding. 

Chanyeol then threw the door open before grabbing the nearest guard by his neck, which alarmed the other guard and caused him to come lunging at him. However, Yejin appeared from behind Chanyeol, her fingers grasping the knife and taking it out to stab the guard in the leg, quickly using a hand to cover his mouth before moving behind him. She wanted to once again envelop her thighs around his neck, yet the guard quickly elbowed her in the gut, causing her to fall back before he turned around, taking the knife out of his leg, ready to stab her.

Yet Chanyeol came lunging at him, sending the guard to the ground before straddling him and landing several punches onto his head. “You asshole!” He spat, yet the guard tried to shield himself with one arm, slowly lifting up his other to press the knife into Chanyeol’s leg. Chanyeol wanted to let out the loudest scream, but he knew that would cause an uproar and decided to swallow it.

However, before the guard could further press the knife into Chanyeol’s leg, Yejin got up to kick the knife out his hand, and firmly kicking him into the temple with the heel of her foot. She then helped Chanyeol off of him, helping him stand up and giving him a worried look. “Are you okay? I’m sorry I didn’t help sooner.” To which Chanyeol shook his head, waving her off. “He didn’t stab me deep, I’ll be fine. Are you okay?” Yejin nodded.

“Guys! Found her!” Baekhyun exclaimed as he stood by the door of the room that contained you. Both of them rushed towards Baekhyun, before Chanyeol quickly tried to rummage with his lock picking gear. Baekhyun was impatiently waiting beside him, his foot tapping on the ground as he kept on repeating a “C’mon, c’mon….” 

And then a click echoed, indicating that he managed to pick the lock. Baekhyun quickly pushed past Yejin and Chanyeol before rushing into the room and towards you. You were in the chair, your head hanging low with both your hands bound to the back of the chair again. 

“Y/N! Y/N, wake up please!” Baekhyun said before he dropped to his knees in front of you, his hands reaching out to touch your cheeks, slowly lifting your face to meet his. The sight caused his eyes to widen, and his blood to boil. There were angry bruises all over your neck, and there was a big bruise on your cheekbone, as well as a deep cut on your lip. “Oh my god—” Yejin whispered as she saw you, her hand flying up to cover her mouth.

“I’m going to kill him.” Baekhyun coldly stated as he stood up, turning around to head to the door. Yet Chanyeol stopped him. “Are you that stupid! We found her, let’s get her out of here rather than draw even more attention towards us!” He said to Baekhyun, his grip firm on his arm. 

Baekhyun took a deep breath before turning back around to walk to you again, kneeling down once again. “Hey… are you okay? We’re here now, we’re going to free you.” He whispered towards you, causing you to weakly smile at him as you gave him a small nod. Baekhyun leaned up to give your lips a light kiss before moving behind the chair to undo the confinements. He had to once again keep his cool as he saw the wounds on your hands as he was trying to free you.

Once they were off, he quickly moved back in front of you, draping your arm over his shoulder before helping you stand up. “Let’s go, okay? We’re taking you home.” Yejin walked towards you, leaning in to press a light kiss to your forehead. “I’ve missed you so much…” She choked out, as Chanyeol came to lightly touch your cheek with a smile. 

Chanyeol and Yejin walked in front, with Baekhyun behind them as he helped you follow them. The four of you were now walking up the stairs per Jongin’s instructions, since he found an exit to escape from. However, once you were all on the first floor again, Jongin panicked.

He didn’t have his eyes on his laptop screen for a few seconds, because he had to arrange everything to start up the car again, yet when he looked back, he saw Minseok advancing towards the four of you from behind.

“Guys! Watch out! Behind you—” Yet before they could process what happened, Minseok had already kicked Baekhyun in the back of his knees, sending him to the floor and quickly grabbing Y/N, and pressing a gun to her temple. “Follow me if you don’t want me to shoot her right here right now.” He hissed at them, before slowly walking both you and him backwards and up the stairs. 

Chanyeol helped Baekhyun stand up, and kept his grip on his arm firm as they slowly followed Minseok, a bitter expression painting their visages. Soon, they were on the roof, with Minseok mere metres away in front of them, his gun still pressed against her temple.

Baekhyun and Chanyeol saw this as an opportunity to draw both their guns, pointing it at Minseok, to which he cocked his gun, pressing it even firmer against her temple. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” He said to them, a disgusting smile on his lips.

“What do you want, Minseok.” Baekhyun spat at him, still keeping his gun pointed at him. “What I want, is to know why you’re such a useless human being. I sent you on one job. Only one. It wasn’t even that difficult. All I asked was for you to bring me information, and yet you managed to screw this up. The easiest job, and you managed to let me down!”  Minseok yelled at him.

You were struggling against Minseok’s grip, yet his grip tightened on you, so struggling lead to no avail. “Minseok. Let her go.” Chanyeol coolly said, his eyes narrowed. Yejin was standing next to Chanyeol, tears pricking in her eyes. She felt powerless. If she advanced, you’d get shot.

“And why would I do that? She brought this upon herself! She is the whole damn reason we are up on this roof. Hadn’t she stuck her nose where it didn’t belong, the three of you would still be getting drunk at your oh-so amazing university, and Baekhyun would be bringing me in more cash. Yet here we are!” Minseok turned his head towards you, leaning closer to your ear. “I should just kill you off right here right now, don’t you think? You have been a real pain in my ass these past months.” He softly whispered, causing your eyes to widen as you whimpered. 

At that moment, a gunshot could be heard. When they all turned to where it came from, it was Jongdae whom managed to make his way onto the roof as well, as he shot up a warning call into the air. “Minseok, enough is enough. Your games are getting too much.” Jongdae said, before pointing his gun at Minseok as well.

“Jongdae…” Yejin uttered, eyes widening as she looked at him. Jongdae glanced at her, giving her a small nod before turning back to Minseok. Minseok however, caught on before letting out a laugh.

“You! The whole damn reason why you’ve been slacking off for me is because of her? You are disgusting! I sent you to fix Baekhyun’s mistake, yet you commit the same sin!” Minseok emitted in disbelief, shaking his head as his eyes fluttered shut.

He then slowly opened them, a sly grin curling on his lips. “Ah. I figured out the best way to ruin all of you. It’s not you.” He motioned with the gun towards you in his grip. His eyes then drifted towards Yejin, causing Jongdae to widen his eyes when he realised. “It’s you.” Minseok then quickly turned the gun towards Yejin, and pulled the trigger.

However, when Yejin opened her eyes, she realised that it wasn’t her that got shot. Jongdae’s eyes met hers, before his body fell to the concrete. 

Baekhyun’s eyes widened, and he felt himself lose all of his cool. He was fuming, which is why he didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger, and shoot Minseok straight through his skull. Minseok’s lifeless body dropped down, as well as letting you fall to your knees as Baekhyun quickly rushed towards you to help you sit up.

Meanwhile, Yejin was shaking as she slowly got down to her knees, reaching out for Jongdae with trembling fingers, lightly touching his cheekbone as she saw him look at her, his entire body trembling as well. “J-Jongdae— please… no.... Chanyeol! Call someone, anyone!” Her voice raised in volume as hot tears streamed down her cheeks.

“Yejin I can’t—” Yet she yelled at him once again. “I don’t care! Anyone! Fix this! I don’t want Jongdae to go, so go fix this!” Her hands cupped Jongdae’s cheeks as she slowly brought his bleeding head onto her lap, shaking her head frantically. “Please don’t leave me. Jongdae, stay with me… P-Please—” She choked out, to which Jongdae managed to weakly smile. His lips slowly parted, and he tried to push out a sentence, yet his eyes fluttered shut as his head lulled to the side.

____________________________________

You’ve all managed to escape, and both Jongdae and you were rushed to the hospital. Jongdae was rushed into the ER, whilst the doctors took you to a regular room. 

Baekhyun sat by your bed, whilst Chanyeol decided to join a frantic Yejin in the waiting room of the ER. She couldn’t stop pacing around, as her sniffles echoed throughout the room. “Yejin, please. It’s been hours. Come sit down. The doctor will come out soon, but you have to calm down.” Chanyeol softly said, patting the spot next to him. Yet Yejin shook her head.

“I’ll be fine. I’ll be completely fine. Pacing around won’t do me harm. I love him, Chanyeol. Don’t think about my pacing. Shouldn’t you get your leg checked?” She stopped pacing around for a moment, turning towards Chanyeol. “I’m fine. Jongin patched me up. It wasn’t deep, so I won’t die.” His last word however, caused Yejin to flinch as she paced around again. 

At that moment, though, did the doors open, and the doctor stepped out whilst taking his mask off. Yejin rushed towards him, and Chanyeol stood up as well. “And? Please tell me he’s alive, doctor…” Yejin murmured, the tears welling up in her eyes once again. The doctor took a deep breath before nodding. 

“He was in a critical condition, and he slipped back into it during the surgery several times. But the surgery was a success.” The tone of his words however, didn’t seem as relieving as they should. Yejin felt rather weak in her knees, and Chanyeol noticed so he quickly moved to stand by her, his arm gripping her waist tightly.

“There’s more isn’t there…” Chanyeol whispered. The doctor slowly nodded. “Though mr. Kim is in fact lucky that this gunshot didn’t lead to imminent death, the wound isn’t minor. We managed to get him out of the critical state, however…” Yejin spoke up, the desperation evident in her tone. “However, what, doctor?!”

“However, he has slipped into a coma, and I’m afraid that we don’t know when he’ll get out of it. I’m really sorry.” The doctor gave Yejin a small smile, reaching out to pat her shoulder before he headed back inside. At that moment, Yejin’s knees gave in, yet Chanyeol was holding her firmly against him as he slowly walked the two of them back to the chairs, and pulling her against his chest for her to sob into.

Baekhyun’s hand reached out to lightly take yours into his own once he noticed that you woke up, and he brought it up to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to it.

“Welcome back.” He softly whispered to you, causing you to smile. “Thank you.” You softly replied, slowly turning your head towards him. “I’m so...glad that you’re alive. I don’t know what I would’ve done if… and the thought of you just— it was killing me.” Baekhyun said, once again bringing your hand up to his lips. 

“I’m okay. Just a little bruised, maybe a little traumatised. But I’m okay, Baekhyun.” You replied with a smile. Baekhyun then got up from his seat, to sit on the edge of your bed, letting go of your hand to lightly caress your cheek. “God, I’m so in love with you. I’m so happy that you’re okay.” He then slowly leaned in to press his lips softly against yours.

He then pulled away to lock eyes with you, his lips widening into a smile before he leaned in for another kiss. You, however, stopped him this time. “Baekhyun I—I can’t.” 

Your words caused Baekhyun to frown as he slowly pulled away from you. “What— is this too soon? I’m sorry, you just got out of a life threatening situation. I should’ve been more considerate, but I just missed you too much. I’m sorry. I won’t do it again—” You intervened however, shaking your head and speaking up.

“It’s not only that, Baekhyun. I just— I can’t kiss you, without having the image in my head of you killing people.” You murmured softly, your gaze falling down to your lap. “Y/N I—” Yet you shook your head again. “No, Baekhyun. Listen to me, please.” 

“It’s not that I don’t love you. I love you, Baekhyun. I love you so much. You really do make me happy, and you have made me happy. But I just can’t do this anymore.” Baekhyun’s eyebrows furrowed as he reached out for your hand again. “What do you mean? Didn’t you say you loved me… Is there someone else—” 

“No Baekhyun you don’t understand! That isn’t my issue at all. You are the only man for me. But I just can’t be with someone that kills for a living. I can’t be with you, in your apartment, knowing that every piece of furniture there was bought with money you earned through taking someone’s life…” You heard your voice crack, as tears were brimming your eyes. 

These words pained you to emmit, but they were the truth. You couldn’t be with a killer. “But, I told you! I would drop it all for you. Don’t you remember? Under the stars? I promised I’d leave it all behind for you, and we could live our lives together, right?” He started to sound frantic, his eyes searching over your face to find any form of hesitation. Anything that he could say to convince you to not push through with what you were about to say.

“I’m sorry, Baekhyun. It doesn’t change the fact that you’ve done it before. As much as I do love you, we can’t continue on like this. I can’t do it. I’m really sorry, but we’re done. And please, don’t try to convince me or come after me. Once I’m discharged, I’ll move away.” A few tears rolled down your cheeks, as you avoided Baekhyun’s gaze. You didn’t want to watch his expression, because it would break your heart even more. But this decision was something you were sure about.

“Please… I love you. Don’t do this, please—” He croaked out, tears pricking in his eyes as well. You shook your head however. “I’m sorry, Baekhyun. Could you please leave my room now? I want to get some more sleep.”

He was about to speak up again, yet you pulled the covers further up, turning your head away from him, indicating that the conversation was over.

Baekhyun parted his lips to speak again, yet he decided to swallow his words, reaching his hand up to wipe at his eyes before slowly nodding and making his way out of the room. Before he closed the door, he turned around to look at your form once again, whispering a soft “I’m sorry.” before shutting it after him.

___________________________________

It was two years later. You have said your goodbyes to your friends once you were discharged, and decided to move to London, as you wished. You would finish your studies here, and find a job in the city of your dreams. Yejin refused to leave Jongdae’s side, especially after the doctors have found a hint of activity, indicating that the possibility of Jongdae waking up increased.

Chanyeol and Jongin decided to move to Busan, yet they would visit Yejin every weekend to make sure she’s still doing alright. 

No one at Black Lotus found out about Yixing and Kyungsoo being the ones assisting the breakout of you, which is why they have appointed Kyungsoo to be the new leader of Black Lotus, with Yixing now being the best assassin.

Ever since you moved away, you haven’t heard a word from Baekhyun. Of course, when you were first discharged, did he try to talk to you again, as well as text you numerous times. You, however, were sure of your decision. As much as it ached then, you knew it was for the best after everything that happened. 

It would be a lie for you to say that you didn’t miss him, but it didn’t bother you as much as it did at first. You were happy where you were, especially since you rounded off your bachelor’s degree and were about to start your master’s.

You were sitting in the lecture hall. It was the first day of the year, and thus the first day of your master’s. You were thrilled to be part of this, especially since you were once again at a prestigious university.

The professor clapped her hands together, before shushing the students and speaking up. “Welcome, everyone to one of the final chapters of your life. I can assure you, that this master’s degree truly is one of the most interesting ones.” Her remark caused the students, as well as you, to let out a chuckle.

“Now, before I get into the details of this study; I would like to introduce a new exchange student. He came all the way from Seoul after rounding off his bachelor, to finish off his studies here at our university!”

You felt your heart hammer in your throat, as your eyes slowly widened. It couldn’t be. You must be getting paranoid. Anyone could transfer from Seoul, to here right? It must be a coincidence.

Yet at that moment, Baekhyun walked in, stopping right next to the professor, and right into your line of vision. His black hair was now traded for a deep wine red, and he had a cheeky grin hanging from his lips as his eyes were fixated on you. 

You felt your breath catch in your throat.

“Nice to meet you all. My name is Byun Baekhyun, and I’m thrilled to be joining your programme.”

a/n: anyways!!!! that was it!!! the end of clandestine!!! kinda left it open for you to fill in what happens next. I want to just thank you all for being so patient because it took me months to finish this, but a promise is a promise. i swore i wouldn’t drop clandestine, and here we are! thank you everyone for being with me down this path for a year and liking my story! each time i read a comment, it really does give me the strength to go on. i also want to give a special thank you to @chengf because she’s been with me through this entire ride and dealing with my desperate facetime calls whenever i got stuck. i couldn’t have done this without her. this is also my way to announce that after this, i’ll be going on rest. i’ll try to bring out one more work since i promised @chengf a cop!baekhyun one shot, but after that i’ll be on rest. this is my first series, and my last series. so yeah, thank you everyone for all the love and support! please, don’t hesitate to leave me comments and asks about the series! what did you think of it? was it okay? do you have any questions? i love reading comments and questions. so yea, thank you all! i love you! lots of love, from valerie

#exo #exo fanfiction #exo scenario #baekhyun fic #baekhyun #baekhyun x reader #byun baekhyun #baekhyun fanfiction #baekhyun scenario #kpop #kpop scenario #kai #kpop fanfiction #chanyeol #jongin scenario #jongin #minseok #chen #jongdae #jongdae scenario #baekhyun smut #baekhyun imagine #exo series #clandestine #baekhyun series #au #exo imagine #exo smut

[angryrabbit42]

Loyalty, Bravery, & Owls

A Harry Potter AU for @skywokers  @dwsecretsanta Better late than never, Merry Christmas!

Amelia Pond received her letter to Hogwarts out of the blue. She was living a normal life in Leadworth with her best friend Rory. Nothing interesting ever happened there until the letter. Well, almost nothing interesting. Once when Amelia was eight, she spotted a man appearing out of nowhere in her back garden. 

He had been in black trousers, a button-down shirt, bowtie, suspenders and on his head was a bright red fez. Amelia had laughed at the man and he’d pointed a stick in her direction. “Oblivi---hang on, you seem a bit magical. Are you...magical?” 

“No. I’m ordinary.”

The man put his stick away and knelt down beside her. His brown hair was a bit messy and floppy and he had a bit of a chin but his big green eyes were friendly. “What’s your name?”

“Amelia Pond,” Amelia Pond responded and sketched a terrible curtsy. Her aunt was always going on about manners. Amelia thought it was all rubbish but not right now. Now the curtsy seemed right.

“That’s not a real name!” he barked. “Unless you’re a heroine in a fairy story?”

“No, I don’t think so,” she told him annoyed. “And it is too a real name. Friends call me Amy.”

“Well, then Amy. I bet you will be extraordinary. Keep an eye on the owls.” He tapped her nose. “The owls aren’t ordinary. Not around here anyhow. I’ve been looking for a particular one for ages.”

Amy frowned as the man stood up and searched the trees. “Owls aren’t extraordinary.”

“Why not?” he asked pulling his stick and waving it about. Green light sparkled at the tip and a few stray sparks escaped it. 

“Because they’re owls,” she told him as if he were extraordinarily stupid.

The man puffed out a breath. “You’re a tough nut to crack Amelia Pond. Well,” he slapped his knees, “I’m off. The owls here are not the owl I’m hunting. That one there is a bit shifty… Anyway, I’m off. Lovely to meet you.” The man pumped her hand in a grownup’s handshake and tipped his fez to her. 

“Wait,” Amy called but the man half turned in a circle and was gone.

Now Amelia Pond had a letter. She was magical. And she was going to Hogwarts. She raced next door to tell Rory. Rory was her best friend. He had been the only one who hadn’t laughed when she became obsessed with owls. He had helped her. He had even bought her a book on owls for her tenth birthday. She hoped he had a letter, so they could go to school together. He didn’t. 

“Why not?” Amy demanded. 

“I don’t know!” Rory shouted, crying. He knew what Hogwarts was all about. “My parents are a witch and a wizard. I should be going! Maybe I’m a squib. I’ll miss you, Amy.”

Amy glared and stomped her foot. “No, you will not be sorry Rory Williams. You will go with me.”

“How?” Rory asked.

“Can you fit in a big trunk?”

Amy let Rory out of the trunk as soon as they were safely in a cabin on the Hogwarts Express. Rory shook with nerves. “They’re going to find me, Amy. They’ll make me go home.”

Stubbornly, Amy growled, “We stick together. You’re just a late bloomer.”

“What if I’m a never bloomer? The sorting hat will know, Amy. This is dangerous. They could take away all my memories or worse, let me keep them,” he said sadly. Amy took his hand and squeezed.

A redhaired teacher slipped into the room and sat across from them. “You’re a Williams’ yeah? You look like your mom,” she asked as she flopped down on an open seat. 

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Oh, stuff all that,” the teacher said, fussing with her blue robes. She also had a long scarf wrapped around her neck. “Professor Noble, magical zoology, and a bit of auror work on the side with my brother John. He’s a skinny stick with fluffy brown hair. He teaches transmogrification and sometimes juggling.”

Amy gawped. “I want to juggle.”

“Right,” Professor Noble said, eying her up. “Bet you’re another Gryffindor. Like me. Like my brother… Williams here will be a Hufflepuff, I’ll wager you two pumpkin pasties each. “Course as a teacher, I’m beyond such things.”

“What do you know about the owls?” Amy asked and Rory groaned.

Professor Noble sat up, suddenly stern. “What does a first-year know about the owls?” 

Amy shrugged. “A guy appeared in my back garden once. Seemed keen on finding a particular owl. He was sort of weird with a fez.”

She barked out a laugh, “The headmaster was in your back garden? Hunting an owl? Oh, that is rich! Well, little proto-Gryffindor, there are a few rogue owls. They’re wreaking havoc on the mail. Real pain in our ar--”

“Donna!” A thin man in a pinstriped suit appeared in the doorway. “I’ve managed to light a very small part, a very inconsequential part of the train on fire. Hi kids, bet that one’s a Gryffindor, eh?” he asked, pointing to Amy. “What with the red hair and all. You a Weasley?”

“You are the worst! The literal worst. You’re a professor for heaven’s sake! Come on matchstick, let’s go save the train. See you at the sorting kids.” Professor Noble breezed out of the cabin taking her brother along by the ear.

The rest of the train ride passed in relative peace with children popping by to discuss the cakes, chocolate frogs, familiars, and a few of them looked upset when Amy mentioned wanting an owl. Rory leaned over and explained, “They’re not popular right now. The rogue ones are also spies sometimes for the other side, for the death eaters.”

“Why did you wait until now to tell me that?” 

“Couldn’t risk the Ministry of Magic knowing that you knew about magic. Muggles aren’t allowed. I’m not allowed. I didn’t get a letter,” he said the last in a harsh whisper.

“No one has said anything.” Amy looked around. “Once you’re in the castle, they’ll have to let you stay.”

“I hope so.” Rory mangled his school robes. They were old and patched. He had stolen them from his father’s old school trunk along with his father’s student wand. Amy had her own wand, a shiny new one from Olivander’s. 

“Can you do magic?”

Rory pulled out his dull, ancient want. “I’m not sure. Should I try?”

“No. We need to lie low.”

The rolling hills gave way to the dark underground cavern. The kids were separated into groups. Amy held tight to Rory’s hand as they climbed into a boat with a tall gangly girl with natural hair and a digital camera. “This is amazing! I got to document all of this. So much better than regular school, right?”

Amy nodded. Pale-faced, Rory also nodded. They made it across the lake with a large mountain man giving them a speech about… well, Amy didn’t listen. She’d ask Rory later. They touched down at an honest to goodness big gothic castle. Rory was shivering in terror. “They’re going to know, Amy. They’re going to know.”

Amy pulled Rory away from the crowd. The two of them hid behind a pillar. “Shut up. If you pretend you belong, and the hat says okay, you’re in, right? That’s what the kids on the train said. We get sorted and then we go to the houses. You get sorted and you’re in. They can’t take it back. So toughen up, Rory! I don’t want to do this without you! Don’t make me go to magic school alone.”

“I-I don’t want you to be alone.” He bowed his head. “I’ll try.”

Amy pulled him into a tight hug. “You’re my best friend in the whole world, no universe!”

“Ah, Amelia Pond, erm, Amy, sorry, it’s been a hot minute,” said a voice Amy only half-remembered. The children spun to face the man with his suspenders, a bright shiny purple bowtie this time and a long purple coat over a white button-down. Annoyingly, he was still wearing the fez. “And… who’s your friend?” 

Rory trembled like a leaf.

“Rory Williams, his family is always in Hufflepuff,” Amy said, faking a cheerful tone.

“Hm,” the man said, peering intently at Rory. He pulled a pair of round, maroon spectacles from his pocket and stared at the air around him. “Yes, Brian’s your da, isn’t he?”

“Yessir, yes, Brian is my da.” Rory answered proudly.

The man advanced on Rory and poked him in the chest. “You tell Brian, that that dinosaur ruined my favorite tweed jacket. And I will never forget… how cool that was.” He backed off, crossing his arms and leaned against a pillar. 

“You’re Headmaster Smith!” Rory exclaimed, “Professor Noble was talking about you.”

“Oh, was she? Did she call me a rude word? She always calls me rude words. We’re cousins. Ignore her. Anyhow, why aren’t you in the line to be sorted, Williams? Pond? Time to see where you belong… unless?”

“Unless?” Amy asked.

“Unless you’d like to help me find a bad owl,” he offered, green eyes boring into Rory. 

Amy was terrified for Rory. What if the headmaster knew he didn’t belong? “Both of us?” she asked.

“Yeah, yes, of course, Rory would you like to hunt a bad owl? He’s gone a bit rogue. I followed him into the owlery but he skittered out into the dark forest. Could be dangerous. Monsters in the woods. Big ones. Want to see ‘em? Catch an owl?”

“Yes?” Rory’s eyes kept shifting between them. Amy grabbed his hand and held on tight.

The headmaster noticed, arching a delicate brow. “Well done!” He clapped his hands then rubbed them together. “Let’s go!”

The headmaster, who very quickly made them call him Doctor instead of Headmaster which he thought was stuffy and stupid and something you called a person over 1500. Amy let him ramble, holding tight to Rory as they followed a dirt trail down and down and down into a pitch black wood full of trees the size of skyscrapers.

“Wands up,” the Doctor announced. They scrambled to match him. “Repeat after me, ‘LUMOS.’

“Lumos!” Amy said. The tip of her wand lit up with a warm soft glow.

Rory was hesitant, staring at his wand in terror. The Doctor arched both brows. “Come along Williams. ‘Lumos.’”

“Lumos?” The wand sputtered but did not light. Rory’s face turned beet red.

“Again, more conviction,” the Doctor encouraged.

“LUMOS!” Rory shouted and his want lit up golden and bright.

The Doctor’s grin was bright and catlike. “Well done. Probably announced our presence to everything in the wood that eats us, but eh, worth it for the pretty warm light, isn’t it?”

Rory stared at his wand in wonder until he was almost left behind. The Doctor set a brisk pace. Every few meters he would make a sound like a wounded animal. Birds would echo him. Amy swept her wand back and forth. Eyes glowed in reflected light. Things shuffled in the dark. She gripped Rory’s hand until he yelped a bit. 

Something swooped past them. Rory and the Doctor raised their wands. A great tawny owl strafed them. Its eyes glowed red. The Doctor shot a chartreuse beam of light out of his wand. “Immobulus!”

The owl was suspended. Amy reached out and she could touch the tail feathers. Rory hung back, trying to pull her back to safety. She could see something in its claws. The Doctor used his wand to lower the bird to the ground. He took what was in its claws and slipped it into a pocket. He whispered something and the owl shrank back down into an egg. Scooping it up, he stuffed it into a pocket and beamed at her. “Well done.”

“We didn’t do anything,” Rory said.

“You cast a perfect lighting spell,” the Doctor corrected. “It helped me find what I needed. And you did that by following a stranger into a deadly wood. If that’s not brave, I don’t know brave. C’mon, let’s catch the end of the sorting.”

Rory stepped forward. “Um, Headmaster, erm, Doctor, I can’t go to the sorting.”

“Whyever not?” he asked, eyes boring into Rory. “Don’t you want to go to Hogwarts with your friend Amelia?”

“More than anything.” he gushed and Amy squeezed his fingers. “But I didn’t get a letter.”

“Well, that’s unfortunate. I suppose I’ll take you home then. Take my hand. I’ll have to remove all your memories of this place,” he said sadly. “But, the best part of a memory wipe is that you won’t remember what you forgot. It’s a great way to not be sad.” The Doctor looked sad but also sly and it made Amy mad.

“No.”

“No?” the Doctor asked.

“No! Rory is brave! And he’s smart! And he did your spell! He’s magical! You saw that a minute ago. He shouldn’t have to go home because he didn’t get a stupid letter! What if it got lost? Then he never gets to go to magic school!? If that’s your system then it stinks! Rory is my best friend and he deserves to go to Hogwarts! And if he can’t, well you can take me home too. I don’t want to be anywhere that doesn’t think he’s good enough!” She stomped her foot.

“Okay,” the Doctor responded.

“Okay? Okay, Rory can come?” Amy demanded.

“Yeah, okay,” the Doctor agreed. “You’re right. Rory is brave and loyal, and magical. He belongs here with us. And if a letter is all that’s preventing him from getting in, then the system is stupid and wrong.”

“The system is stupid and wrong,” Rory growled.

“No it isn’t,” the Doctor argued.

“You just said…” Rory floundered.

“I said if you didn’t get a letter, but you did. You and ten other unlucky hopefuls.” He pulled the packet from his pockets. “I’ve suspected for a long time that some of our letters weren’t getting delivered. Now I have proof. The ministry will have to listen to me now, thanks in part to you two. Well done!” The Doctor pulled a letter from his pocket and offered it to Rory. “I would have let you in either way,” the Doctor said. “I’m a Hufflepuff and loyalty is our best trait and you have it to spare, Rory Williams.”

Rory beamed.

“Wait, what? I do too,” Amy growled.

“Yeah, but you’re a Gryffindor. I can smell it on you. If it weren’t for this one, you’d be a Slytherin. Now go on up to the castle and prove me right. Follow the path. Touch the fifth brick and whisper, ‘Yogurt is just stuff with bits in.’ The wall will let you directly into the hall. Go on. I’m sure we’ll all be great friends.”

He beamed and vanished.

Amy was a Gryffindor. The hat barely touched her head before she was among all the other redheads. Rory got Hufflepuff. They were in separate houses but never separate from each other. 

The end.

#dwsecretsanta #amy and rory #amy pond #Harry Potter #AU #Rory Williams #eleventh doctor

[kinda-iconic]

Truth doesn’t always set you free

This fanfic was written for Day 4 of the Choices July Challenge…

Pairing: Adrian x MC

Day Four Prompt: Independence Day

Summary: The group head downtown to celebrate Independence Day by watching the fireworks, but when the group are ambushed and Amy is hurt by one of Gaius’ lackeys, Adrian soon takes matters into his own hands - quite literally!

Author’s Notes: This fic is part of a mini series that I am writing; most of my Adrian x MC fanfics for this challenge will be a part of this series. I’m ever so sorry for the delay; I’ve had a few bouts of writer’s block recently, so I have not been able to get a lot of writing done. My head has also chosen to play up recently, and this has had a negative impact on my motivation. This story takes place a month after the events of ‘Guilt isn’t always a rational thing’.

I’m really sorry for the delay; my health hasn’t been great, and I wanted to try and give you something that was worthy of the wait. 

Warnings: Descriptions of violence and injury - it’s not too bad, but I just thought that I’d warn you! PG-13 for sure though - maybe even higher I don’t know!

Tag List: @nk-writes @queerchoicesblog @galaxyside-0 @shelley-parah@desiree-0816 @begging-for-kamilah@choicesfannatalie@adrianadmirer@krishu213 @hhiggs@flowerpowell@nobounderiesplease@theclanless @bhavf @octobereighth@mangoruby@flyawayboo@katyagrayce @dr-brianna-casey-valentine@perriewinklenerdie@lovemychoices @timmagicktoad@choicesjulychallenge@femmeshep@drakesensworld @the-soot-sprite@mfackenthal@itscassandraleigh @iplaydrake @whenyourheartskipsabeat  @emceesynonymroll

‘So, are you going to tell us where we’re going?’

Adrian turns his attention to the source of the voice; Amy is walking beside him, her balayage hair cascading down her shoulders and onto her burgundy sweatshirt. She meets his gaze, nestling her head on his shoulder. 

‘And spoil the surprise?’ Adrian drapes his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to his side, ‘absolutely not.’

‘But we’re a team, remember?’ She pouts childishly, her bottom lip quivering from her fictional sadness. ‘You usually tell me everything...’ 

He smiles fondly at her, his arm carefully constricting around her waist as his hand settles on her abdomen. He inclines his head towards her, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple.

‘Not when I’m trying to surprise you,’ he looks at her with adoration, ‘I’m not about to disclose ALL of my secrets.’

She meets his eyes, a warm smile enveloping on her face as she entwines her fingers with his, savouring the warmth of his touch. 

‘If it’s any consolation, he hasn’t told us where we’re going either.’ Jax appears beside her, the hilt of his katana glistening in the moonlight as they make their way down the high line. ‘We know as much as you do.’

‘It’s nothing special.’

He turns to glance over his shoulder; Kamilah strolls idly behind them, her hands tucked firmly in the pockets of her jacket.

‘All we’re doing is joining in with the festivities by watching a firework display, nothing more.’

Jax spins around to face her, his brows raising in confusion. 

‘You knew about this, Kamilah?’

’I can assure you that it’s safe,’ she sighs reluctantly, reaching up adjust the pendant that dangles around her neck; ‘I staked the area out myself earlier this evening; there are no threats.’

‘Are you sure about that?’ Jax queries, ‘I mean you said something similar before our trip to Vegas, and we all know how that turned out...’

‘Do you think that Adrian would risk the safety of Amy and his child just to observe a firework display if it wasn’t safe?’

Jax huffs, scratching his chin. ‘I guess that’s true,’ he refocuses his attention on Adrian, ‘but I’m still wondering why you chose to tell her and not us.’

‘Kamilah is his best friend, Jax,’ Lily rests beside Kamilah, placing a confident hand on her shoulder, ‘besides... she’s a hell of a lot stronger than the two of us combined and they’ve been friends for over two centuries.’ 

‘And we’re not his friends too? Amy’s his girlfriend AND she’s carrying his kid! Doesn’t that count for anything?’

‘Well of course,’ Kamilah rolls her eyes, ‘but if Amy had known, then she’d have insisted on coming with me...and she’s not exactly able to defend herself.’ 

‘Hey!’ She exclaims, ‘I’ve held my own in a fight before...’

‘I have never doubted that,’ Kamilah mutters, her gaze drifting from the mortal to the stars as they glisten in the night sky, ‘just not when you’re four months pregnant.’

‘That’s true I guess...’ she glances subtly at the others, ‘but that’s not to say that I can’t protect myself.’

‘You’ll never need to,’ Adrian chimes in, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead, ‘for you have the four of us here to protect you.’

The group continue on for a while, coversing quietly amongst themselves as they make their way towards the pier. A slight sound causes Amy to pause, her brows narrowing with worry as she glances nervously at their surroundings; it isn’t long before Adrian notices her discomfort, his hand tightening around hers as he whispers softly to her, his voice riddled with concern and confusion. 

‘What is it?’ He releases her hand before snaking a protective arm around her waist, ‘are you feeling alright?’

‘Yeah I...’ she looks over her shoulder pensively, ‘I thought I heard something, that’s all.’

‘Are you certain?’

Amy sighs anxiously, her eyes darting to the four corners of the pier. ‘We’ve been through so much, Adrian,’ her voice is quiet and wary, ‘I wouldn’t say anything unless I was a hundred percent sure.’

Adrian closes his eyes for a moment, concentrating on their environent. His brows narrow as he deepens his focus, his nose twitching. It isn’t long before he hears it; at first, the sound is barely recognisable but, as its source draws nearer, he is soon able to work out the origin of the sound.

Sharpening metal.

Amy inclines her head towards him, her voice lowering to a hushed whisper, ‘Can you hear that?’ 

He outstretches his arm in front of her, preventing her from taking another step forward as he concentrates on the walkway before them. The pier is dimly-lit, but Adrian spies a mysterious figure approaching them, the figure growing in size.

His hand clasps gently around her arm, placing himself in front of her.

‘Adrian...?’ 

‘Stay behind me.’ 

Adrian’s eyes fade to a shade of crimson as he continues to usher Amy out of harms way. He turns his head slightly, addressing his companions with a wary tone.

‘Kamilah -’

Kamilah takes a few steps forward, draping a protective arm around Amy’s shoulder. She focuses on the figure, her eyes narrowing as she tries to assess the severity of the situation. She motions for Jax to approach, her arm holding Amy close. After a moment she speaks, her voice somber and cold.

‘I don’t like this...’

‘My sentiments exactly.’

As the mysterious figure draws nearer, Kamilah’s eyes widen as a bout of recognition befalls her; the shadow is no stranger, but a fellow vampire. One that both her and Adrian know all too well.

‘Good evening Kamilah,’ he tipped his hat in acknowledgment, ‘...Adrian...’

‘Clarke,’ Kamilah queries, her brows narrowing with curiosity, ‘What in God’s name are you doing here?’

‘Why I just came to talk,’ he claps his hands together, eyeing Amy with an intensity that is indescribable, ‘and to deliver a message from our King, of course.’

Jax scoffs, running his hand through his hair. ‘Why am I not surprised?’

‘I never saw you as a messenger, Clarke,’ Kamilah interjected, ‘though I guess there’s a first time for everything.’

He responds with an unnerving smile.

‘You know me, Kamilah,’ his grin widens, the satisfaction of this moment becoming apparent as he nods his head in Amy’s direction, ‘I’ve always been one to bend over backwards for others... I’ve often been told that I’m a very selfless person.’

‘It’s a shame that we can’t say the same about your loyalty...’

As the two continue to bicker, Adrian turns to face Amy; he reaches up to caress her cheek, his thumbs tracing intricate patterns from the skin of her neck to her bottom lip. He presses himself closer to her, lowering his voice to a hushed whisper.

‘I need you to stay behind me.’

‘But you know him,’ she retorts in confusion, ‘surely he wouldn’t do anything that...’

‘He’s serving Gaius, Amy; right now he’s capable of anything.’

Her eyes widen at the mention of those words, a fearful expression resonating on her face.

‘What do you mean by that...?’

He wraps an arm delicately around her hip, his other hand resting at the nape of her neck.

‘If you fear the man you serve, you’d move heaven and earth just to make them happy,’ he watches the man with cautious eyes as he continues to argue with Kamilah, ‘even the kindest of people are lured into making that mistake.’

‘Is that what happened with you?’

He sighs defeatedly, running a gentle hand through her hair. ‘It doesn’t matter,’ he leans in, placing a sweet kiss to her forehead, ‘what matters is that you heed what I say.’

‘Adrian...’

‘Do I have your word?’

She nods, taking ahold of his hand as he lowers it back to his side.

‘Good,’ he looks over a Jax, whose eyes are trained on the pair as they converse. He removes his suit jacket, draping it over her shoulders.

‘Stay back here with Jax and Lily... I’ll go and see what all this commotion is about.’

Adrian wanders over to Kamilah as she continues her heated discussion with their visitor. As he draws nearer, he is soon able to deduce the source of the metallic noise; the man is holding two sharp knives, one of them strong enough to slice through bone. The sound they had heard not too long ago was the sound of the knives being drawn across one another.

‘So are you going to deliver this message, or are we going to have to extract it ourselves?’

Clarke stands brazenly before her, his eyes fixated on Kamilah as he presses on, his voice cold and calculated.

‘Oh I can assure you this message will be delivered,’ he smiles menacingly at her before his attention shifts to Adrian, ‘but I’m afraid that I’ve specifically been told that it’s only one for Adrian’s ears.’

‘Oh really?’

Adrian surveys the man, his eyes scanning the young vampire for any sign of movement. He glances down at his hands; Clarke’s fists are clenched around the hilt of the knives, every word he speaks causing his knuckles to whiten as he constricts his fingers.

It doesn’t take Adrian long to put two and two together.

The message was never a verbal interaction or a threat; it was always going to be a physical altercation.

Adrian places his hand on Kamilah’s forearm. ‘I suggest you take a step back, sister,’ he places himself between her and the man, ‘after all, whatever this message entails, it seems as though it was only meant for me...wasn’t it, Clarke?’

Kamilah does as he says, her gaze never leaving Clarke as he takes a sinister step towards Adrian, lifting his hand to brandish one of the blades.

Amy watches on in horror as the man approaches him, the silver hue of the blade glinting in the light of the moon. She starts to speak, her voice hoarse and fearful as she begins to realise the severity of the situation.

‘Adrian...?’

‘Your move, Clarke,’ he sighs with agitation, his red eyes boring into those of his opponent, ‘though I can assure you that this won’t end well, at least not for you anyway.’

The man takes a deep breath, closing his eyes for a brief moment as he regains his resolve. However, within a second he has changed into his vampiric state, his large fangs soon becoming obvious to the eye.

‘RAHHHHHH!’

He lunges at Adrian, his inhuman speed causing him to swiftly change his path as he punches his fist in the direction of Adrian’s throat, the blade brandished tightly in his hand. Adrian dodges the attack with little effort, blocking his whimsical blows with his forearm. He delivers a brutal jab to Clarke’s rib cage, forcing him to briefly retreat from his attack.

‘Is that really all you’ve got?’ Adrian laughs humourlessly, ‘I would have thought that Gaius had told you what to expect when it comes to fighting me.’

The man scoffs, hissing his response through gritted teeth; ‘he told me that you were strong, and not easily defeated...’

He charges at him again, this time with more ferocity. He slices the blade mid-air, its jagged edge catching Adrian’s skin; a small trickle of blood soaks into Adrian’s shirt, but the cut swiftly heals. The man tries to lash out once more, the blade aimed at Adrian’s shoulder, but he manages to catch Clarke’s wrist before he has the chance to inflict any more damage.

‘Then you’d know that I have remarkable reflexes.’

With a tired sigh, Adrian launches the man into the air, watching with intent as he crumples into a heap on the pier beside him, his body crashing into a metal crate.

‘Yes...’ he rises to his feet, clenching his jaw as he winces through the pain, his breath ragged and uneven, ‘but there’s one thing that you have forgotten...’

‘And what’s that, exactly?’

Clarke raises his head, his impenetrable gaze fixated on the mortal; Adrian’s attack had accidentally left her unprotected, for the man now stood mere metres from the young woman. He fights through the pain, each word separated by a short pause as he glances menacingly in her direction.

‘Even the most fearsome of soldiers have their weaknesses...’

Adrian’s eyes narrow as he takes a step forward, his nose scrunching up with rage as he cautiously approaches the vampire.

‘If you touch her, you’re a dead man.’ He snaps, each word more venomous than the last, ‘I will not hesitate to break you...’

‘Is that so?’ He turns to address her directly, his words egotistical and melodramatic. ‘I’m sorry sweetheart, but I guess there is such thing as collateral damage...’

As Adrian charges at Clarke, all he can see is red; his desire to protect Amy from the man becoming more prominent with every step. However, before Adrian has a chance to reach her, he suddenly stops in his tracks; Clarke stands before him, both of his arms wrapped around Amy’s shoulders as he turns her to face him. His arm constricts around her, pulling her closer to his chest, his other hand placing the knife against her throat.

‘One more step and I cut her down!’

‘Clarke -‘ Adrian holds up his hands in surrender, his eyes widening as he is able to see the true extent of her fear, ‘whatever your business is, it is with me... not her...’ he swallows nervously, ‘she has never been a part of this.’

‘I guess not,’ he pulls on her hair, causing a sharp gasp to emanate from her lips as her head tilts backwards, leaving him with better access to her throat, ‘but I can certainly see that I was right about her being your weakness...’ he eyes Adrian with malice, a tortuous chuckle escaping his lips, ‘just look at yourself, Adrian; see what this poor pathetic creature has done to you...’

‘Clarke...’ the sternness in Adrian’s voice has dissipated, replaced with a cautious tone, ‘...let her go...’

‘Why would I do that?’ he hisses, baring his fangs as he draws the blade closer to Amy’s neck, ‘right now it seems as though she is the one thing that is preventing you from tearing me apart!’

Jax growls, removing his katana from its sheath. ‘Only because you’re using her as a human shield!’ 

‘Why shouldn’t I?’ Clarke hissed, baring his fangs as he drew the blade closer to Amy’s neck.

‘I’m warning you, Clarke,’ he edges closer, testing the young vampire’s resolve, ‘release her now...’

‘Or what...you’ll kill me?’ His demeanour soon changes to one of regret, and Adrian is able to sense that the young vampire is starting to have second thoughts. ‘I’m dead anyway, be it by your hand or his...’ the man hesitates for a moment, thinking over his next few words with caution, ‘I may as well have a bit of fun before the end.’

Adrian takes another step forward, his lips curling into a snarl as his crimson eyes bore into those of his counterpart.

‘LET. HER. GO.’

Clarke yanks her hair back once more, causing a powerless wince to escape her. ‘Nah...’ he inclines his head towards her neck, his fangs mere inches from her skin, ‘I think that I might just take this one out now... it’s not like anyone’s going to -‘

The man is soon interrupted by a sharp pain between his shoulder blades; Jax appears from behind him, his hand clasping at the dagger as it lodges itself into Clarke’s flesh.

‘AHHHHH!’

He spins around to face the Clanless leader, his arm squeezing her closer to his chest as he points the blade at Jax.

‘YOU SON OF A -’

Jax slashes at the arm that holds her, the accurate precision of his attack leaving Amy unharmed as Clarke’s grip on her begins to weaken. He goes in for another strike, but is soon met with resistance as Clarke tries desperately to fend him off, meeting the attack with defensive force.

‘You want to do it the hard way?’ Clarke hisses through gritted teeth, his jaw clenched as he uses all of his might to hold Jax at bay.

‘FINE.’

Without warning, he spins on his feet, shoving the mortal down onto the floor with an almighty force as he counters Jax’s defence.

‘Oof...’

‘AMY!’

As the pair continue to fight, Amy struggles to find her feet, a sharp twang of pain emanating from her knees and elbows; her legs are trembling, and she soon finds herself unable to stand. Within seconds, a pair of familiar brown eyes are gazing back into hers, their expression one of terror.

‘A...Amy?’ Adrian’s voice is no louder than a whisper, ‘are...are you alright?’  

‘Y...yeah I’m fine...’ she sits upright, letting out a grimace as she holds onto her head, the pain intensifying with every word. She laughs humorlessly, running her hand across her abdomen, ‘I think it’s safe to say that I took the hit for the both of us.’

He reaches over to caress her cheek, his eyes glistening with fresh tears.

‘Amy...’

Their conversation is suddenly halted by the sound of a muffled scream, resonating from behind them; Clarke is kneeling before the couple, pinned firmly in place by Kamilah and Jax. He struggles against his captors, his demeanour one of hatred and envy. However, as Adrian rises to his feet, Clarke’s resolve quickly falters, his eyes widening as the vampire takes a step towards him. 

‘I didn’t mean to hurt the poor lass, I swear I...’ he stutters, frantically shying away from the group as the vampire begin to descend, ‘I was only following Gaius’ orders!’

‘Were you now?’

‘Of course,’ he exclaims, gesturing to the fallen mortal, ‘I told you I never meant to hurt her, but the stupid girl got in t-‘

Before Clarke can finish his sentence, Adrian charges at him, his expression dark and contorted.

‘ARGH!’

He ignores Kamilah and Jax, shoving them aside as he clasps his hand around Clarke’s throat, lifting him into the air. Amy looks on in disbelief, a muffled sob hitching in her throat as she cries out to Adrian, her breath short and raspy. 

‘Adrian stop!’

Adrian pays her no mind, ignoring her pleas as he presses on with his task. He snarls through gritted teeth, his voice predatorial and venomous.

‘Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t rip out your throat!’

The man claws at Adrian’s hand, trying desperately to free himself from his snake-like grip. He grimaces from the pain, his words short and sudden. 

‘Ah...ahh easy...EASY!’

‘Adrian stop this please!’

‘I’m waiting Clarke,’ the hands around his throat tighten, and the young vampire soon finds himself struggling for breath. ‘GIVE. ME. A. REASON.’

‘I...I was after you. You’re the one he...he wanted me to target...’

‘That’s funny, because from what I witnessed,’ Adrian lifts the man further into the air, his hold unwavering, ‘you intentionally went after her...’

‘She got in the - AHHH!’

Adrian’s fingers constrict around the assailant’s neck, his nails scraping across the skin as he clamps his hand around his jaw. The man struggles for breath, fresh droplets of blood seeping through his collar as Adrian’s nails seep further into Clarke’s flesh. 

‘P...please...Mr...Mr Raines.’ 

The group watch on in horror, their expressions pained and conflicted as they hesitate to intervene. Amy is the first to respond, her approach cautious. She places a gentle hand on Adrian’s shoulder, her fingers trembling as she tries to pull him out of the darkness.

‘Adrian...please just...just stop it.’

‘He HURT you!’ He snarls, his gaze softening briefly as he looks down at her stomach, ‘he could have harmed you both...’

‘I’m standing in front of you aren’t I?’ she interjects, ‘so he couldn’t have hurt me THAT badly...’

‘But he still shouldn’t have...’

‘Adrian please...’ she edges closer to him, wrapping both of her hands around his forearm, ‘let him go.’

He glares at the man, his crimson eyes narrowing as he takes in his horrified demeanour. He remains like that for a moment, his gaze transfixed on the man before turning his attention back to her.

‘I need to protect you...’

‘And you can,’ her grip around his arm tightens as she lowers it, bringing the struggling man back to the ground. ‘Just not like this; never like this.’

‘Amy...’

His breathing is less erratic, and Amy begins to sense that, for now, Adrian is back to how he used to be. He loosens his grip around Clarke’s throat, but not enough to let the vampire slip through his fingers.

She smiles lovingly at him, slowly removing his hand from the assailant.

‘Do the right thing...let him go...’

He tilts his head, narrowing his eyes as he assesses the man before addressing Kamilah, his gaze still trained on the vampire as he begins to cower in the shadows. Adrian’s voice is stern, and Amy can sense that he isn’t about to let this incident go unpunished.

‘Take Amy back to the penthouse.’

‘Aren’t you coming?’

‘No...’ he pauses slightly, his expression darkening as he glares at the man, loosening his tie as he steps towards him.

‘I’m on clean-up duty.’

‘Adrian...’

Amy takes a step towards him, her arms wrapped protectively around her torso as she approaches him, ‘what are you...’

He pulls her into his embrace, his arms tightening around her. ‘I’ll be back soon,’ he kisses her tenderly, resting his forehead against hers, ‘I just need to take care of a few things, that’s all.’

‘L...like what?’

‘Ssshhh it’s okay,’ he presses another kiss to her lips, cupping her face in his hands as he speaks softly to her, ‘I’ll be back before you know it.’ He reaches down, placing his hands gently on the bump as he turns away, addressing Kamilah over his shoulder.

‘Take care of them, okay?’

Kamilah nods, placing a gentle hand on Amy’s forearm.

‘You have my word, brother.’

She tilts her head in the direction of the street, urging Amy to accompany her back to the penthouse. Amy turns away from him, allowing herself to be escorted away from the situation. However, it isn’t long before she hesitates, stopping in her tracks. She looks over her shoulder at Adrian.

‘Adrian...’

‘Go,’ he draws closer, nodding in Kamilah’s direction, ‘I’ll be right behind you.’

‘But...’

‘I promise you,’ he stands before her, placing a gentle hand on the bump, ‘I’ll be back before you know it.’ He presses another kiss to her cheek, his fingers entangling in her hair.

‘Now go.’

                          --------------------------------------------------------------

Within moments, the group have dispersed into the darkness. Adrian waits for a minute, making sure that his friends are out of hearing distance, before returning to his darkened state. 

‘Please, Mr Raines, Sir I -’

‘I’m going to make you a deal, Clarke,’  he kneels before the man, cupping his hands together, ‘You’re going to tell me what that abhorrent little man told you to do, and in return,’ he frowns, focusing his attention on the weapon as he turns it over in his hand, ‘I’ll refrain from burying this stake in your heart.’

‘I...’

‘Take your time, Clarke,’ he edges the stake closer, resting the point just above the man’s heart, ‘it’s not like we have an abundance of time.’

‘I was only following orders...’ the vampire exclaimed, his expression changing into one of fear, ‘you of all people know what Gaius is like!’

‘Indeed,’ he frowns, tilting his head with acknowledgement, ‘which also means that I know you won’t return to him until you’ve completed your task.’ Adrian swiftly points the stake at his chest, his other hand clasped firmly around his throat. ‘So tell me, Clarke, what exactly were you asked to do?’

‘I...I can’t tell you he’ll...he’ll kill me!’

‘I think you should focus your attention on the person that is holding a stake to your heart at this moment in time,’ his knuckles constrict, causing the man to wince, ‘and not the one that will rip you to shreds later.’

The man glares at him, his fearful demeanour quickly replaced with one of malice.

‘Is that it then? Are you going to kill me?’

‘Possibly,’ he lifts his head, meeting the vampire with a stern glare, ‘unless you decide to be honest with me.’

A menacing laugh escapes Clarke, his eyes narrowing as he watches Adrian intently. ‘You don’t have the guts!’ He hisses, each word more venomous than the last, ‘if the way you acted around your girlfriend didn’t prove that, your current hesitation to stake me will.’

‘Is that so?’ Adrian leans forward, his voice a harsh whisper as he delivers another warning, ‘I think you’re forgetting exactly who I am, Mr Clarke.’

The man scoffs, his words barely audible underneath his raspy breath.

‘Don’t you mean who you were?’

Adrian laughs sinisterly. ‘Oh I can assure you Clarke,’ he reaches up to loosen his tie, ‘that man never left.’

‘Is that a threat?’

‘Interpret it how you like,’ he shrugs, taking a step away from him, ‘I’m giving you the opportunity to save your life.’ He hesitates for a moment before delivering his words, each syllable more cold and calculated than the last.

‘If you value your pathetic existence, I suggest you cooperate.’

‘And admit defeat to you? The lost soldier...the Butcher of Antietam?’ Clarke scoffs, scrunching up his nose in disgust as he addresses Adrian, ‘I would rather die a thousand deaths than say another word to you.’

‘You’re talking now aren’t you?’ He pauses for a moment, taking in the man before him.‘You know you’re lucky, Clarke; I could have left you to Kamilah.’

‘I’m not scared of her.’

‘Really?’ He queries with a surprised tone, ‘that’s fine talk coming from someone that was cowering in the shadows only moments ago.’ 

‘I’m not telling you anything!’

‘Suit yourself.’

Adrian turns away from him, folding his arms across his chest. He peers over his shoulder at the man, his nostrils flaring as his anger intensifies. 

‘I didn’t particularly want to do this, Clarke,’ Adrian’s grip tightens around the stake,‘but it seems that you left me with no choice.’

‘Please, Mr Raines,’ his resolve swiftly falters, ‘I...I have people that I care about... a family...’

Adrian hesitates for a moment, though it isn’t long before his expression darkens, his eyes fading back to crimson.

‘Maybe you should have thought about yours before you came after mine.’

‘And what would the girl say?’ A sinister smile creeps across his face, ‘your precious Amy... what would she think if she saw you like this? What would you say to her if she caught you behaving in this way?’

Adrian sighs with agitation, ‘I don’t know why it concerns you,’ he pauses for a moment, his expression displeased, ‘but I would probably reassure her that worms like you get what they deserve.’

‘No you wouldn’t...’ he cackles sarcastically, ‘you know that the moment she so much as mentions your name you’d be fawning all over her...begging for her to look away as you rip me apart.’

‘I think it’s about time you shut up, Clarke.’

‘Or what...You’ll kill me?’ He smiles menacingly at Adrian, ‘what would your master say if he knew the full extent of your affection for her? Didn’t he ever tell you what usually happens when a vampire develops strong feelings for a mortal?’

‘No, but I’m guessing that you’re about to enlighten me.’

‘You get weak...’ he hisses, each word filled with poison and hatred, ‘you become more vulnerable, hellbent on keeping that person safe until, just when you think you have your feelings all under control, something will happen that’ll change that. You’ll grow paranoid; unsure that you have done everything that you can to protect them until...’ he sighs with little emotion, ‘well, until they meet their end.’

‘Huh...’ Adrian shrugs, his knuckles paling once more as his fingers tighten around the stake, ‘well, seeing as you won’t be around to witness what happens between Amy and I, I take comfort in letting you know that I really don’t care about how you feel on the matter.’

‘Spare me,’ he scoffs, ‘like I give a damn about you or that precious little mortal that you care so much about.’

‘Like I said before...my feelings towards her are no...concern...of yours.’

The man shakes his head in disappointment, his nose scrunching up as he glares at Adrian.

‘It’s not like it matters to me anyway; after all, her days are already numbered,’ he chuckles stoically, ‘if not by her association with you, then her natural ability already made her a target.’

Adrian’s eyebrows narrow as he closes in on the vampire, his hands clenching into fists. 

‘What did you just say?’

‘He’s going to kill them,’ he spits with disdain, ‘he’s going to pin you down like the beast that you are and make you watch as he tears out her hea-’

Before Clarke has the chance to finish his sentence, Adrian plunges his fist into his chest. He holds it there for a moment, a loud gurgle escaping Clarke’s lips as he looks up at the elder vampire; his expression is darker than any he has ever seen, his crimson eyes boring into his as he speaks, his voice full of rage and venom.

‘That’s enough of you.’

With a flick of his wrist, he rips Clarke’s heart from his chest; the man’s body slumps onto the floor, his lifeless remains crumbling into ash before him. 

Adrian glances down at the heart in his hand, its crimson hue staining the outer rims of his shirt before it crumbles to a smoky ash. He stands upright, the white dust seeping through his fingers as he tilts his palm downward, letting the dust fall to the ground like golden grains of sand; he stares down at the vampire’s remains, his expression conflicted.

‘For a second there I thought you weren’t going to go through with it.’

He turns his head in the direction of the voice, his scarlet eyes boring into the eyes of the figure as he emerges from the darkness; Jax stands adjacent to him, his hand wrapped tightly around the hilt of his katana as he slowly approaches the elder vampire, keeping himself at a safe distance.

‘I was beginning to think that I’d have to take care of him myself.’

Adrian sighs agitatedly, crouching down to retrieve the blade as it lay dormant in the pile of ash. ‘How long have you been standing there?’

‘Mmmm...’ Jax considers his answer for a moment, ‘I’d say I’ve been here long  enough.’

Adrian turns the stake over in his palm, his brows narrowing as his concentration deepens. It isn’t long before his gaze softens, his eyes widening with fear as he focuses his attention on Jax, the darkness that once possessed him fading away at the mention of her name, his voice a beacon of concern and rage.

‘Is Amy alright?’

‘She’s fine,’ he scratches the back of his head, watching his companion with wary eyes, ‘she has a few bruises forming, but Kamilah said she’ll be okay.’  

‘Thank god,’ he whispers to himself, his lips curling into a relieved smile, ‘Did Kamilah contact the Doctor?’

‘She’s with Amy now; all was okay when I left, and it seemed as though she was about to leave.’

‘And the baby?’

‘From what I’ve heard, yes. Amy doesn’t have to go into hospital, but we just need to keep an eye out for any changes; if she shows any signs of pain or discomfort.’ He pauses briefly, lowering his gaze to the begotten pile of ash, ‘did he tell you what you needed to know?’

‘Yes, he did,’ he walks towards Jax, subtly glancing over his shoulder at Clarke’s remnants, ‘but I don’t want you to say a word of this to the others;’ he gestures to the pile of dust as a strong gust of wind begins to take the ash in the direction of the current. ‘I don’t want Amy anymore upset than she already is.’

‘Really?’ He scoffs slightly, ‘I can’t possibly imagine this upsetting her.’

He meets Jax with an icy glare, his scarlet eyes fading back into their usual brown. An irritable moan escapes Adrian before he speaks, the tone of his voice somewhat unnerving.

‘If you still want your head attached to your body, Matsuo, I suggest that you quit with the sarcasm.’

‘Yes Sir.’

                          --------------------------------------------------------------

The pair make their way back to the building in companionable silence, neither one choosing to discuss the events of that evening. After a short while, they arrive at Adrian’s penthouse, their minds racing with thoughts of Gaius and the threat that he made to the lives of Amy and her child.

Kamilah perches on the edge of the couch, her expression one of concern as she looks at the mortal, whose arms have wrapped protectively around her abdomen.

‘Are you sure you’re alright?’ Kamilah questions, ‘you don’t feel any pain or...’

Amy shakes her head.

‘I’m okay, Kamilah, honestly,’ her fingers interlace with the threading of her sleeves, ‘if anything I’m just a little shaken up...’

‘That’s an understatement!’ Lily’s voice carries across the room as she ponders over to the pair, taking a seat beside her friend. She places a glass of water in Amy’s hand before continuing, her gaze fixated on her friend. ‘You were jumped by some pompous little twerp, of course you’re going to feel a bit shaky for a while...’ she runs her hand across Amy’s back, ‘but in all seriousness, how are you feeling?’

‘I...’

The elevator chimes, alerting the trio as they sit pensively in the room; they focus their attention on the doors as they slide open, signalling Adrian and Jax’s return. The duo enter the apartment, their eyes quickly assessing the wellbeing of those in the room before Adrian’s gaze falls on Amy; a thick marble throw is draped over her shoulders, her long balayage hair fixed neatly in a side plait as if to keep it from falling into her eyes. She meets him with a promising smile, his eyes never leaving hers as he begins to make his way towards her.

‘Amy...’

He takes another step forward, but is soon intercepted by Kamilah, her slender frame blocking his path to the mortal as she reduces the distance between them. She swiftly addresses him, her voice quiet and stern.

‘Did he talk?’

‘Yes,’ he pauses for a moment, looking over her shoulder at the mortal, ‘is...is Amy alright? What did the doctor say?’

‘Everything is fine, Adrian,’ she smiles reassuringly at him, ‘there’s nothing to worry about...’ she sighs despondently, her arms crossing as she swiftly changes the topic of the conversation back to their attacker.

‘What did he tell you?’

‘He didn’t say anything that is worthy of discussion,’ he removes his tie, placing it on a nearby counter, ‘just idle threats and tasteless comments.’

‘And where is he now?’

Adrian pauses for a moment, lowering his gaze briefly before glancing up to meet her eyes.

‘He won’t be bothering us anymore.’

‘Well I can see that.’

Adrian’s brows furrow in confusion.

‘I don’t follow...’

Kamilah lowers her hand, gesturing to his blood-stained sleeves. ‘I don’t know what happened between you and Clarke,’ she sighs defeatedly, ‘but I’d recommend cleaning your hands or changing your shirt before you go anywhere near Amy.’ She clenches her jaw, looking over her shoulder at the young woman; Jax now sits beside her, his hand placed reassuringly on her forearm as he tries to soothe her nerves with his words. ‘If you go over there covered in blood, she’s going to know that you killed him.’ 

                                    ---------------------------------------------

Once Adrian has ensured that any evidence of his encounter with Clarke is hidden, he approaches the mortal with caution, his expression sorrowful and guilt-ridden.

‘Amy?’

‘Hello,’ she whispers softly, her voice quiet and melodic, ‘I was beginning to wonder where you had disappeared to.’ 

He kneels down before her, reaching forward to take her hand in his. He brings her hand to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to her palm before closing his hands around it. A warm smile graces her lips, but it isn’t long before her expression fades as she takes note of Adrian’s demeanour. 

‘Adrian?’

He meets her with a weak smile, his sorrowful eyes filling her with concern as he continues to gaze upon her. He cups her cheek gently as he inclines his head towards her, resting his forehead against hers.

‘I’m so happy that you’re okay.’

She places her hand on top of his, squeezing it reassuringly. ‘Are you alright?’ She pauses for a moment, trying to process his fearfulness, ‘you look rather shaken up...’

‘I could say the same to you, my love,’ he leans in, pressing a gentle kiss to her cheek, ‘are you in any pain? Do you have any injuries?’

Amy giggles half-heartedly, ‘the only thing that’s hurt is my pride.’ She lowers her gaze to the floor, her loving smile soon returning, ‘that’s pretty battered, but I’m otherwise okay.’

‘What did the doctor say?’

‘She said that I shouldn’t have anything to worry about, but that I should call her if I have any pain or feel any discomfort.’

‘And...you’re alright now?’

Amy wraps her arms around his neck, resting her forehead against his once more before capturing his lips in a tender kiss.

‘Of course! Now that I know where you are...’

She lowers her gaze, her eyes suddenly focusing on the reddish hue that is evident on his clothing. She runs her hand across his arm, reaching for the sleeves of his shirt. However, before she has the chance to unravel the fabric, he takes her hand in his, squeezing it reassuringly.

‘You...you’re covered in blood...’

He follows her eyes, glancing down at his rolled-up sleeves. He rolls them up further, desperate to hide any signs of their altercation.

‘I must have bled more than I thought when he caught me,’ he reaches up to caress her cheek, meeting her with an adoring smile, ‘but I’m alright.’

‘Are...are you sure?’

He nods, placing his hands protectively on her abdomen. ‘Everything is fine, Amy; all that matters is that we’re all here in one piece.’

Her train of thought is suddenly disrupted by a shower of light illuminating the room. She turns her attention to the window, the dark city sky lit up with colourful hues as sparks of red, purple and green adorn the penthouse. She stands up, pondering over to the windowpane, her face pressed softly against the glass.

‘Was that a firework?’

‘I believe so,’ he smiles fondly at her, wrapping an arm carefully around her midsection. ‘I guess we got back just in time to see the show.’

They stand like that for a while, feeling security in the other’s embrace before Amy speaks, her head tilted back to rest on his shoulder as she watches the night sky.

‘Well, it wasn’t exactly the way I wanted to spend my 4th of July, but I have to admit that it ended well.’

‘I’m sorry about today...’ he places a soft kiss to her temple, ‘I should have been more vigilant...’ he shakes his head hesitantly, ‘none of this would have happened if I’d just followed Kamilah’s advice...’

‘Hey it’s okay,’ she looks up at him, ‘you weren’t to know what was going to happen, and everything turned out alright...’

‘But my carelessness got you hurt.’

She spins around to face him, her small arms encasing him in a warm hug. She nestles her face into his chest, her gaze fixated on the fireworks as they continue to blanket the city with colour.

‘You can’t blame yourself for what he chose to do.’

‘No?’

‘Nah...’ she closes her eyes, her lips curving into a tired smile, ‘you did all you could to keep me safe...if anything I’d say more.’ She inclines her head towards him, pressing her lips against his as she runs her hand across the bump. ‘We’re all okay and out of harms way, and I’ve already told you that the baby and I are alright...’

‘Well I can assure you that he won’t be able to hurt you again.’

‘What do you mean?’

His arms constrict around her once more, pulling her further into his warm embrace. ‘There’s no need for you to worry,’ he places a soft kiss to her cheek, resting his face in the crook of her neck, ‘it’s all over now...’

The pair remain like that for most of the evening, pressed against one another as they continue to watch the firework display from the sanctity of Adrian’s penthouse. They stand there in silence for a while before Adrian speaks, his voice no louder than a hushed whisper. 

‘Amy?’

‘Yeah...’

‘Happy Independence Day.’

#choices: stories you play #playchoices #choices bb #adrian raines #adrian x mc #adrian x amy #choices july challenge #day 4 #prompt #independence day #kamilah sayeed #jax matsuo #lily spencer #long post

[survivor-tierradelfuego]

Ep. 3: “Quite honestly it was a train wreck” - John

Zack M

really disappointed in my tribe right now. 

we are about to some telephone challenge and we needed 3 people to do this. literally excuse after excuse after excuse from everyone on the tribe as to why they couldn't do it .... and we wonder why we are losing. ugh. anyways, i'm going to do this shit with my crappy wifi because i rather act like i'm helping than bow out out of fear. and honestly i want to show that i'm committed to the tribe. it would be fucking beast mode to pull out the first win of the season for us. literally let me be the first to do everything for this tribe.

also my game feels strong so if we lose again lol whatever. 

oh yeah, amy went home. *as we go on, we remember....*

James Hayden

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v17lq3Nh054

Aimee

https://imgflip.com/memetemplate/165556484/Screaming-woman-in-car

Zack M

storytelephone confession time: i killed it. at least with the information that made it's way to me. i only missed one question that ben told me. the main reason we got 9.9/10 is because leanne forgot 6 of the 8 animals when telling ben and then we had the 10% disadvantage. i know leanne is to blame for 5% of that. curious about who got the other 5%. but like here's the thing, i love leanne. i feel confident in her loyalty so i'll smile and let that one go. i got her back. ben told me at the end of the challenge that aimee shared with him that i'm "social". so like i guess i have to stop being nice to her. i don't really want her to be the next one eliminated but strike one was how upset she seemed to be with me after telling her the only reason we didn't tell her was because neil threw her name out as someone he was talking to. i really wish she would have listened to me and not messaged everyone. i feel like that put a target on her back. strike two is mentioning my name once. right now she isn't my target but she is on the edge. i don't know who my target is right now tbh. really there's only aimee and najwah that i would consider. i hope we don't get a tribe swap because at this rate, making the merge isn't even a question for me and i'd like to keep it that way. also, ben and i are starting to call each other a power duo. i really would like to make it to the final two with him even though i've promised cody a final two. cody is hilarious but he gives me anxiety. he seems to be losing his cool and going into messy territory. he has too many conversations going which gets him worked up. i need him to focus on what's important. i want someone who i can work with. i'm not trying to babysit. but no plans of cutting that tie until the merge happens and then i will revisit the thought. cool calm and collected. you get like one freak out "what if" moment a day with me and then i'm done. what ifs ... it's what kills people's games. if my 5 alliance would just let me vibe and feel people out we would be perfect. i haven't been wrong yet. *knocks on wood*

Pedro A

i feel like those two tribals were completly different...Neil was voted out for talking too much.....and Amy was voted out for being quiet...and coming late

Ryan

These stupid idols... I feel like im so close every time! Who knows, maybe im way off? I seriously just want, no NEED that extra layer of security, even though I'm feeling alright right now

John B

Another Challenge, another time when our tribe can't seem to make a decision. I totally get why nobody ever wants to step up when it comes to taking charge in a challenge, but honestly I have no clue how we keep winning when the other tribe seems to have no issue making group decisions. There must totally be a Head Honcho over there running things behind the scenes. I have some new juicy details about the tribe now thanks to Pedro. Pedro, Amy-Louisa, and Ryan have started their "outsiders" alliance and this is stressing me out. Pedro says I'm his number one and then goes and makes an alliance without me. I think I'm getting too hung up on Pedro and I being a pair I need to worry about myself and nobody else. Obviously I'm not going to break things off, but I don't really feel like he needs to know everything I'm doing now. At least I think we are in a pretty good position. I am pretty tight with Kalle, Grae, and hopefully Maddison, and He's really tight with Ryan and Amy-Louisa and we both had a good relationship with Alan and Olivia. Between the two of us we are in an ok spot for the time being. If Tyler goes first if we lose, which still feels like the case for now, I am not sure what we are going to do after that, but we will cross that bridge when we get there. I'm going to keep working on my relationships with everyone for now and hopefully I can keep my paranoia in check. WISH ME LUCK YALL!

Alan B

Tyler put a huuuge target on his back by calling the other tribe trash when they've been doing so well, like not only they probably want to get him out asap but now everyone on our team also wants him out? and also he fluked his first challenge? How on earth did he think that comment would do anything but lower his chances at winning and make him look like a jerk to everyone playing? It's honestly kinda hilarious how bad a move that was

Leanne

So, tribal was nice and easy and went as planned, which was a very good thing, albeit with a couple of downsides. The most obvious of these is, we’ve had our easy vote... now what? I seriously do not even have the first inkling of how things are going to go next time we have to have a vote. Either I don’t realize the wind is blowing in a certain direction, which is scary, or there simply aren’t any real targets right now... and I’ll expand on that possibility later. For now let’s talk about another downside. Yesterday afternoon I got a message from Najwah asking if I’d heard the whispers about someone possibly having an idol. I said no, I didn’t know anything, and asked her where she heard it from. She said, one of the guys. Well, which one? That’s when she asked me to video chat. Finally she told me it was Cody who said to her, *we* think someone has the idol. We. I haven’t heard about this from anyone else, and I know Cody and Zach are tight. I hesitate to ask Zach about it. Who would I say I heard it from? I had to drag Cody’s name out of Najwah, and I don’t want to give her up as my source. I don’t think she made it up. Either Zach or Cody or both are stirring something up. I want them separated. I want Cody out but I don’t think I could get enough people together to make it happen, not to mention the fallout if I tried and succeeded, or failed for that matter. The thing is, I don’t know which of the two is instigating this stuff. First it was the weird vote out of the blue, now this. I’m not going to do anything with it for now except sit on it, but I see they are both schemers who came to play. I’d rather have Cody gone because I haven’t spoken to him individually, but he talks to plenty of other people and I don’t like what he’s up to. Zach, at least, has the appearance of being loyal to me. He hasn’t said word one to me about this potential idol. We check in fairly often with each other, how are you feeling, what are you thinking, we still on?, we got this. Like I said I don’t know what to make of this and don’t want to act rashly. The good news is that Najwah and I had a really nice talk, about all sorts of things. I’ve been trying to get personal with her, telling her things about my life, telling her about things like my ex and our relationship then and now. She seems to respond well to things like that, and I’m grateful for the chat because it’s a good way to make a stronger connection. So we talked about the personal life stuff, and also some game talk. She says she isn’t as close to Sarah as I thought she was. Plus we discussed how much to trust Zach and Cody, which is still an open question. And we compared notes on the idol search. We both made the same error and got the disadvantage in the same place. I asked her if the perfume was an advantage and she said yes. So now we know, and we each told people about the perfume so maybe we can increase our odds of winning something, and hopefully we don’t have to spend our own coins to do so. Really the best thing I got out of the conversation was that I feel even stronger about my relationship with Najwah. I think she is trustworthy and we’ve exchanged info completely upfront, at least I think so anyway. Right now she’s my most important ally. Last night, just after tribal, I reached out to James for the first time one on one. His answer caught my eye. I told him I appreciated that he’s willing to fight for us, and then we got to talking. It was mostly a conversation about what it would be like to be on the real show, but we talked about our shared ineptitude when it comes to anything physical, and debated whether or not we wanted to be on for real. Him, Hell yes. Me, 39 days with no food and no sleep, no thank you. But it was a start. A really good start. No game talk yet but at least we’ve got a foundation. The thing I noticed about James from that conversation was that he’s very hard-core about this. I made some comment like, this game is intense, to which he responded, when I got that buff I was in it to win it. He means business. His love for the show is so strong and shines through everything he says. He’s taking this seriously in the extreme. That’s something to watch out for. A quick sidenote about his answer regarding the potential for a swap. The question said there had been talk of it. Talk? What kind of talk? None that I knew about. Something else to consider. Finally, the challenge. I was having such a hard time deciding whether to step up for it or not. For one thing I was just plain terrified about freezing up under the pressure and letting the team down. But I’d like to think I have a decent memory. Najwah even commented about my memory a couple of times prior. And she was urging me to do it for a few minutes before I told the tribe I would. My thinking was, if there’s something down the line that we don’t all have to be in, maybe something with pictures or something that I really suck at, well, I will have already taken my turn and it’s someone else’s. At least if I try this I might have *some* success. Besides, I owe this tribe after I got us part of that disadvantage. But oh wow was it hard and scary! I take reassurance from Jay saying that was one of the better scores she’s seen in this challenge. Still there was so, so so much that I missed. And now that it’s over I fear I may have miscalculated. Remember how earlier I said there doesn’t seem to be any real public targets right now? Yeah... that. If we lose it’s going to be because I dropped the ball. So either we win and I am the big hero, which doesn’t hold much weight as we saw with Neil, or I lose and there is one clear culprit for the loss. Nice going Leanne.

Zack M

welp. it's happened. someone has sent a message to the wrong group. my literal nightmare. 

leanne: That’s what I’m thinking. I’m just deciding whether I want to use up all my coins that way, especially when I don’t know how to get more. najwah: ya sure 

LOLOLOLOL what? look i know leanne and najwah are close so this isn't a surprise. also, leanne is the reason for our disadvantage so she is obviously out hunting for the idol. just something to keep in mind when it comes to voting out leanne or najwah. definitely going to have to split the votes in the chance one of them has an idol. nothing exciting is really happening today. this is low key why i like losing. it keeps people on their toes and active. when they are active they don't have time to think. less thinking = more time for zack on this island. 

Zack M

this is a post to just to shout out najwah. it's so fucking nice when someone is like i'm available to talk to you about real life stuff and not just game. i love having open honest conversations about feelings. i do feel a little bad saying how much i want to work with her and leanne. it's not a lie but like i have a majority 5 alliance going with 3 choices to vote out and i think those 3 are talking. who am i supposed to say? i refuse to be the first one caught throwing an alliance members name out.

Kalle N

WE FINALLY LOST AND I'M SO HAPPY!! I'm excited for people to start throwing out names, although Tyler seems to be on everyone's chopping block from what I've heard so far. This should be exciting

Amy A

We lost the challenge and I KNOW it was my fault. I didn’t remember half of the stuff Jay told me. Urgh I feel so terrible for my tribe. Fingers crossed I don’t leave the game first.

Cody A.

Hey all!!! I am happier than a white girl at Starbucks in UGGS. I’m so pumped we FINALLY won immunity!!! 🤩🤩🤩 That being said... I’m kinda sad we won’t get to vote Leanne’s ass off tonight. LMAO. But if we’re being honest.. I think she might have the idol anyways, and Aimee would have taken the hit 😭 which is sad. I like aimee. I REALLY like Amy, but we saw how that worked out. Anyways.. I’m thankful we’re not losing another number, with a tribe swap looming, that could have been bad! BTW, I do like Leanne, quite a lot actually, but the girl literally has not had a single conversation with me. Amy missed half the game and still found time to talk to me about her badass hair and struggles with relocating! I guess I should try and end this confession now, TTYL. 

Pedro A

we LOST...and i kinda feel like me and jonh are kinda running this tribe....i hope a swap doesn't screw us over

Pedro A

Tyler is the name that everyone came up with ..hes rubbing people the wrong way 

Olivia A

I was disappointed about losing our first challenge but I feel better because everyone seems settled on voting for Tyler. The message he sent after the other tribe lost for the 2nd time seemed to rub everyone the wrong way. I think it’ll be an easy vote. 

John B

That challenge was rough, honestly I was crying laughing the entire time. Quite honestly it was a train wreck. Im not going to say it was Amy but like.. It wasn't not Amy. I'm not going to throw her under the bus though. Luckily I have my new core four alliance. My dream alliance of me, Pedro, Grae, and Maddison. I am super close with Kalle and Pedro has the outsiders and we both have Olivia. I am cautiously optimistic that this can be an easy vote for Tyler. We will see what happens though.

Zack M

we won! huge shout out to leanne + ben. #teamwork look at god. i'm so glad i was a part of the first win for our team. 11 to 4.5 lol whatt?!? (i don't count the disadvantage because i am not responsible for that) it's been too silent today and i feel like my alliance members are starting to get annoyed with me because i'm may be spiraling a little bit but honestly i've proven myself to be a threat. this isn't for no reason. in this game + real life .... give me validation and i'll shut up. it doesn't have to be the truth.

James Hayden

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpw07_jlqxQ&feature=youtu.be

Aimee

https://elysiankardia.tumblr.com/post/623755743585255424 This is what I will be doing tonight after that INSANE WIN! Love these legends getting it done 👑 👑 👑 It was great getting to video chat with Ben and Cody! It finally felt like we had camp life in the game instead of just challenges and tribal. Right now with the bonds I have formed at this point in the game... I am working closest with Najwah and Ben. They are my ride or dies! 💞💖 I trust them to the moon🌙 and back. We really needed this win and I’m so happy Leanne, Ben and Zack were able to pull this through! We all needed a night off. https://64.media.tumblr.com/908f7a445a41c1e3b6c3c0fd4820ebfe/a53f344a539857da-cb/s540x810/80e7cf8f5ad8a99a80784a359c7f03d683aa3efe.gifv

Pedro A

tonight is our first tribal council....Tyler will probably go home...i hope this is the last time we go to tribal....cause after this vote...idk who will be eliminated from our tribe

Sarah

The plan is to vote out Neil tonight and cause a blindside. Everyone is on the same page tonight about not trusting him so I am confident that the plan will go through but also scared as heck. 

Kalle N

So far everything has been relatively quiet and simple which terrifies me. Either this will be a 9-1 vote against Tyler, or there are things happening that I'm not involved in... I just have to trust the people I'm talking to and hope it's not me going home I guess. I'm like 75% sure it'll be Tyler that leaves tonight though. 

Zack M

i really don't like days off. low key wish someone else would have done the challenge so we could have lost. i get paranoid everyone isn't actually taking today off. cody also shared that najwah and aimee are close so i hope najwah doesn't share that i mentioned aimee because that's bad news for me. should we have kept amy t? ugh. 

Maddison

Inevitably our tribe is attending tribal tonight. This seems to be a comprehensive easy vote, but there is never an easy vote in Survivor. Hopefully an idol doesn’t come into play and shock us all. Alliances have definitely been formed and the game is well underway. I have to remember that everyone is playing, regardless of their outward threat level. 

John B

Well, we are quickly approaching the first tribal council and I think things are pretty set in stone at this point. Unless I am being completely bamboozled which will make me cry. This vote is going to be too easy which is going to mean trouble for the rest of the votes after this, everybody is getting along too well so if we go to tribal again after this, lines are going to have to be drawn in the sand. I am getting worried about Pedro, I think he may start to become a bit of a liability. He is too nervous for literally everything which is making it impossible to make plans for down the line. He was saying he was wanting to vote out Maddison and I'm like would it be so hard to just vote out someone we aren't in an alliance with?... like... hello?? Alan may be a good next vote because we know they have the idol, on the other hand, them having the idol could come in handy down the line. I think if we lose again before a swap or something Olivia or Alan may be a good plan. I still do not trust Ryan at all, I really don't think he likes me and I am putting in the effort here. If we can bring the "outsider alliance" in with the core four, we would have a solid six that I think would take us far in the game, I am just worried that Pedro is going to start something I don't want to do. Hopefully we can get through this first vote and get back on a winning streak 

Ben Kessler

Baba booey! I helped win the challenge for our tribe, so you can just call me Joe Anglim. On a serious note, Zack is very paranoid about people throwing his name out, which I like because it makes him feel like we are close. I would like to vote Leanne out because it looks like she has connections I do not have. Leanne definitely worries me that she has an idol. Just need to keep tabs on everyone and make sure my name isn't thrown out. SarahI found the hidden immunity idol! Yesterday was the first time that I went hunting. I had been told information about the idol hunt through Cody and when he told me what was in the clothes and antique store I had this gut feeling that the idol was in the jewelry box. I had gotten 10 coins yesterday from searching the boat and then I got 5 from Cody and 5 from James, my closest allies, so I was able to buy the jewelry box today. I have spoken with Zack about wanting to share coins in order to get it. I plan on telling Cody because he is my number one and ride or die. I haven’t decided if I am going to tell anyone else or make it known to my alliance. I do feel better knowing that no one else has the idol, and I do not plan on using it anytime soon. This is such a crazy game aishshfbrhe

Najwah

I'm so happy we finally won a damn challenge! So basically Leanne and I had a long video call and we were discussing our advantages and disadvantages etc. In finding the immunity idol. She then accidentally sent a message in the main group lmao. Luckily only Cody and Zack so it so we used that to our advantage and told them where to go when they land in town. Thing is, they gave us no info back? So now we are idol hunting on the places they've been to chacke whether we can actually trust them coz we'd like to work with them. I love Zack as a person but I think he's dangerous as a player. I haven't connected with him as I have with Cody. Trying to connect with Aimee but she seems to keep us all at a distance. We have to go through a crazy winning streak now bc I am not in the mood for my trials. Fes great to have the evening off. Two evenings off actually. Its shark week so that's perfect. I

Najwah

I need to reconnect with Sarah. We haven't spoken much since Day 1. I know Cody talks to her. The only problem I have is that Leanne would like Cody out of the game solely because he's close with me and close with Zack. I'll do everything in my power to protect Cody though. I do feel as though he has loose lips and tells Zack everything which is a liability. Zack has the ability to win this game. He's smart and he has a ruthlessness about him. I'm definitely weary about him. I'll be watching him. He says we can trust him but idk. We will see. Pedro AIf tyler plays an idol...i have no ideia who he will write down Pedro A3 hours till tribal ...and im scared if tyler has an idol

Grae G

I formed a tight alliance w John Pedro and Maddison. I’m still working w the girls and actually like them more but it’s clear John and Pedro are very much in control and I’d love for them to continue believing it. Tyler is gonna be the first to go, just because he didn’t quite fit with the group vibe. Which sucks but you know it happens! No hard feelings if you’re reading this Tyler. Hey it could be me tonight you never know. Its still early yet in this and I’m trying to play a low key game and if it bites me later than so be it lol I honestly don’t have much time between work and life to put more time into it then I am. I think it’ll be basically everyone voting against Tyler maybe a few stragglers but I’m really expecting full majority. If anyone has an idol as of now I’m absolutely shocked and don’t think Tyler has one but who knows  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

Amy A.

So everyone keeps saying Tyler is being evicted today but the game is scary so you really never know. First tribal for Maola so I’m excited and scared. Fingers crossed it’s NOT me. I hope it’s an easy tribal and tomorrow morning I’m still in this game. 

James Hayden

Today's Day 7. I found 10 coins this morning during my idol hunt. As promised, I gave five to Sarah so she could use them to find the idol. She said she trusts me and is with me 100% and wants to go far in this game together. Clearly, I trust her 100% - or as much as one can in a game like this - and like our odds together. We are also talking about adding a third person from our five. Ben is my pick and she seems on board. From the outside, I don't think we are an obvious trio. I just this move won't bite me in the ass later down the line. God, I hope she's not playing me. If she's, then good on her and she's good at this game. 

Tyler H

Not much happened for me for the past few days during this round, but I still think I’m better then everyone 

Alan B

My confession is that I procrastinated way too long on my confession XD

Ryan

I believe the plan is simple tonight... well, let's find out

#episodes

[scriptscribbles]

What Hogwarts houses would you sort The New Who Doctors and companions?

Oooh, that’s an interesting question. It’s a challenge, really, because to me, Hogwarts houses are often such a reductive thing, but within the actual Harry Potter series, in my opinion, they tend to be a lot richer and more interesting, so I feel like I chafe against certain fandom approaches. But let’s give it a go.

Ninth Doctor: Gryffindor. To me, Gryffindor, more than anything, is a need to stand up for something. Not just to be brave or cocky, anyone can do that. But to deeply grow to put onesself on the line to stand up for something, that’s what it comes down to. And that’s what Nine’s arc comes down to. He’s finding the idealist in himself again, with Rose’s help, that he would die to be, even if it meant the Daleks won. That, to me, is really quite brave.

Tenth Doctor: Ooh, it’s so easy to say Gryffindor, isn’t it? He’s the Doctor of big speeches and bold statements and such. All that fire and ice and rage feels like the most obvious example. But I’m not sure if I believe it. I think he might be more Hufflepuff than he seems. He connects a lot with people, that’s his power. When stripped of it, like in Midnight, he’s nothing. His loyalty is a big thing. He and Rose became massively codependant, for example. And that farewell tour, God. He visits everyone. Literally, everyone. That girl a guy he created using his form fell in love with. Jo Grant. Jago and Litefoot. Everybody. I tend to view regeneration stories as the purest encapsulation of an incarnation, and his makes quite the statement.

Eleventh Doctor: Slytherin, through and through. The sweetest, most well-meaning Slytherin ever, he’s brave and lovely and charming and clever and protective of his friends. But he’s a cunning one, in the way the Seventh Doctor was cunning. He keeps secrets because he thinks he knows best, and plays long games with his own universe-wide persona, and in general tries to be one step ahead of everything, even when there’s no actual mystery to solve, to the detriment of his relationships. He’s absolutely wonderful. And brave, all those years fighting to protect children, for example. But all along, he does it for his secrets and does it with a tiny bit of trickstery flourish.

Twelfth Doctor: Gryffindor. I can’t see anything else. Once I might have, his pragmatism seemed very Slytherin cunning. But over his growth, he’s proved so much more than that. I mentioned before how I think Gryffindor is more than anything a willingness to stand up for something, and he proves that. He’s pragmatic enough to know ideals alone can’t save the day, but good enough that he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Rose Tyler: Gotta say Hufflepuff, I think. Not that she is always loyal: she can be remarkably, and I believe Russell T Davies once said, beautifully, selfish. And she isn’t always there for the people she loves, like Jackie’s big speech about how she’s becoming less human. But it’s often out of her love that she fights for that, particularly for the Doctor. The whole relationship between her and Ten is just, overall, the ultimate codependency. She latches onto that, becomes infinitely loyal to that way of living and being he exemplifies. She isn’t quite a leader, but give her a Doctor and she will become the posterchild for everything he represents, all out of love. I think that’s a pretty powerful loyalty.

Martha Jones: Gryffindor. She’s clever, don’t get me wrong. But her whole arc is finding her own bravery. Both to do the great big fights, like against the Master, and to tell the guy she can’t help but fall for that he’s just not worth her pain. That is all so, so brave. She’s a quiet character, but her moments of strength are always when she speaks out and takes a stand.

Donna Noble: Oddly, I think she’s the toughest of all for me to place. She can shout the whole world down, but the quiet, working world depression and disillusionment are really the driving core of her character, I think. And that’s a contrast to the normal modern Doctor Who arc. Usually, the characters start in a messy place and find an identity, but Donna’s is a story of disillusionment with a bitterly ironic final note. It’s powerful, but also hard to fit into the more idealistic and self-actualizing Hogwarts sorting system. If pushed, I might say Gryffindor, given how brave she has to be to take a stand when stripped of everything, like in Turn Left. But I’m not sure I entirely feel it.

Amy Pond: Gryffindor and I accept no substitutes. She’s a hurt, abused girl fighting to be loved and to be heard. And when she feels like something might go wrong, she takes it on herself rather than work it out with other people. She tries to sacrifice herself even when it isn’t necessary, such as in trying to divorce Rory just so he could live the life she mistakenly thought he needed more. She is so, so humanly brave and humanly fixated on saving people in her own way. I think she’s Gryffindor at its most flawed and vibrant.

Rory Williams: Since he gets companion credit, I’ll go for him. He’s a Hufflepuff. He just is. 2000 years, I mean, come on.

Clara Oswald: In a comic, Twelve corrected his past self and called her a Slytherin. He’s right. She is. A beautiful, brave, wonderful Slytherin who aspires to be the best hero possible, but also can’t help weaving a complicated web of stories and cunning even when it traps her up.

Bill Potts: Ravenclaw. Pretty straightforwardly, she aspires to be an information sponge and then to share that with other people. That’s her whole arc. Learning all she can from the Doctor, and then sharing it with Heather. She’s a student, all in all. The only obstacle she ever had there was merely socioeconomic.

#dalekofchaos

[literaphobe]

and here i am, there you go again (again)

goSH and here we are at chapter 3 of drama club AU! part 1 and part 2 are linked as follows!! i just wanna thank you all again for loving drama club AU and any feedback/thoughts/questions are very much appreciated and craved!! warning there might be a Cliffhanger in this chapter (depending on what you consider a cliffhanger)

JAKE’S COUCH, 1504 HOURS, JAKE AND AMY’S SECRET KISSING PRACTICE SESSION (2)

“Okay, so I’ve locked my room to make sure we don’t go in there,” Jake declares, with an air of pride that makes it seem like he just did something world-changing, ground-breaking, kick-you-in-the-crotch fantastic, when all he did was turn a key.

“Is there really a need for that?” Amy asks as she settles down on the couch with a noticeably larger bag of homework. “We’ve already agreed on not going inside, it’ll be fine.”

Jake tuts at Amy disapprovingly. “Oh, Amy, Amy, Amy. Don’t you know that if you tempt temptation, temptation will tempt you?”

“What-” Amy scoffs, because Jake is the most ridiculous person in the whole wide world. “That makes no sense!”

“Neither do most fancy quotes! Anyway, locking the door to my room is the first precaution we’re taking, case closed, Jake also closed.”

Amy wants to debate the logic behind his words, but chooses to inhale as deeply as she possibly can instead, because arguing with Jake is like bringing a toy knife to a gunfight– something one shouldn’t even begin to consider doing.

“Okay, Jake. Thank you for locking your door. As for me, I brought more home-”

“Boooooooooo!” Jake jeers, proceeding to stick his tongue out and point his thumbs down.

She rolls her eyes. “Okay, asshole. How’s locking the door so much better than bringing more homework? Doing homework can help distract us from… whatever happened last time.”

Jake rolls out a dry chuckle, getting Amy to look up at him. “Seriously, you almost yelled it during rehearsal yesterday, but now that we’re alone and there’s literally no consequences if we say it out loud, you call it ‘whatever happened last time’?”

Amy coughs, choking on her pulsating awkwardness. “Yes, because I wasn’t thinking straight yesterday. I’m fine now, so I’m not saying it.”

“What’s wrong? If you’re 'fine’, then why won’t you say what we almost did?” An impossibly wide smile spreads across Jake’s face, and it’s like he gets a kick out of teasing Amy. Oh wait- he does get a kick, a huge kick at that, out of teasing Amy. Never mind.

Amy’s face is red now, and it’s completely Jake’s fault, but he refuses to move on and instead just enjoys the situation.

“So, I think that-”

“Amy, you’re avoiding the question! Do you not know what we 'almost did’? Do I have to-”

“Oh for god’s sake we had sex, okay?! Wait, crap! No, we almost had sex, we didn’t actually have sex, we just kissed and it got… heavy.”

Jake exhales, almost impressed by what just happened. But mostly, he has no idea how to respond to that. Amy’s flustered, very very flustered, as is Jake, and he feels bad for being a jerk.

“Okay, I took it too far, I’m sorry. I’m going to pretend that never happened. So… about the extra homework you brought?”

Amy jumps at the chance to change the subject. “Yes! I brought more homework because no matter what I’ll always prioritize homework over kiss-”

“Yeah, but you and I both know that homework’s only able to distract you.”

“True, but isn’t that enough?”

Jake shrugs. “Maybe, but- in case that doesn’t work because you can’t resist me–” he reaches somewhere behind him on the couch, pulling out a DVD–“I have Die Hard! If things get too hot n’ heavy, we’ll just pop in the best cop movie ever and get too distracted by its awesomeness to even remember that we exist.”

Amy huffs indignantly, because he’s got to be joking. “Okay, firstly- what makes you think that I’m the one who won’t be able to resist you and not the other way around?”

Jake stops her immediately. “Amy, if you’re about to try and seduce me because you have a crazy need to prove yourself all the time- please don’t. I’m an eighteen year old boy who likes girls. You’re a girl, and as much as I’d hate to say this a super hot one, okay? Unseducing me is the real challenge here.”

Amy finds her lungs stiff and frozen, and she’s so strangely affected by Jake’s… compliment. He’s all grins and light jabs, his casual tone making his words seem like nothing, but they don’t feel like nothing.

A memory from their first encounter at Jake’s house strikes the forefront of Amy’s mind, allowing her to realize just why she’s so affected by Jake’s words-

It’s because he’s said them before.

“Fuck, you’re so hot…”

She remembers it now, his warm breath against her skin, his fingers usually clumsy but ridiculously skillful when pressed against her. Burning desire burgeoning everywhere he touched her, licked her, bit her… His words started a wildfire in her; she had never felt that wanted… that needed…

To think the same person who rendered her saneness mute then is the very same Pain In Her Ass that happily teases her at every given moment now.

Except Jake’s not smiling anymore because she’s been silent for too long. He now looks apologetic, like he’s taken things too far again, and Amy doesn’t want him thinking he’s done something wrong so she pulls herself together and speaks.

“Fine. Secondly- I know you’re super obsessed with Die Hard, but it is so not the best cop movie.”

And thus begins the biggest showdown of all showdowns to ever happen in Jake Peralta’s home. They argue for minutes, with passion and fury, over something that does not matter in the slightest.

JAKE’S COUCH, 1516 HOURS, ARGUING OVER DIE HARD AND WHETHER ITS REALLY THE BEST COP MOVIE

“You know what?” Jake spits, voice haughty and petty. “I’m willing to go so far as to say that Die Hard isn’t just the best cop movie of all time, it’s also the best Christmas movie of all time!”

Amy gasps, long and sharp, her eyes stretching wide open. “Don’t you dare!”

“Yeah!” He looks up at the ceiling, pointing angrily at the faceless behemoth beyond it. “you heard me It’s A Wonderful Life! Die Hard is the best Christmas movie of all time!”

Amy grabs Jake’s outstretched arm, placing it back down at his side in protest. He has surprisingly firm biceps, but Amy tries not to think about it. She has to prove that Die Hard sucks.

But also, why would Jake wear so much plaid and cover up his arms all the time if they were, y'know, arms Amy probably won’t mind seeing bare instead of clothed?

“Y-You, can’t just say Die Hard’s the best movie of all time! Where’s your proof? What’s your argument supporting that Die Hard’s the best cop movie at all?”

“What’s not to love about it? Dope one-liners, badassery, John McClane single-handedly saving the day? The best villain of all time?”

“It’s unrealistic- the fights he gets into during the movie and the following sequels should’ve killed him several times over. Also, single-handedly saving the day isn’t what being a cop is about!”

“Yes it is!”

They go on for ages, at length, and words are traded back and forth with an intensity that would bring a stenographer to tears.

The only problem for Jake is- Amy seems to be winning.

It’s not because she’s right about Die Hard not being the best cop movie (and Christmas movie) of all time, and it’s not like Jake believes for a second that Die Hard isn’t the greatest film to ever grace movie theaters across the globe.

She’s just so systematic and organized and logical in her arguments, whilst Jake is emotion and loyalty and unconditional love (for Die Hard). It makes him more easily worked up, whilst Amy stays much calmer in comparison.

He knows, that if she keeps this up, he’s going to find himself tongue-tied eventually during the argument, and as per all argument rules, not being able to say anything means that you can’t find anything to refute your opponent’s point, meaning that they have won.

And no way in hell is Jake losing a fight over Die Hard being the best cop movie ever.

The moment where Jake has nothing to say comes sooner rather than later.

“-plus, Die Hard is really weird about feet! What’s with all the making fists with toes, and glass getting stuck in feet, and just all the foot stuff in general? Why was he barefoot so much?”

“I uh- he- no! Just-”

Amy’s lips turn up in a beam that lights up her face, and it sets off sirens in Jake’s head.

No, this can’t be it, he can’t lose this argument- he has to find a way…

JAKE’S COUCH, 1549 HOURS, HE FINDS A WAY

Just as Amy’s about to triumphantly rub her supposed victory in his face, Jake slams forth with a silencing kiss to Amy’s lips.

The momentum has Amy getting pushed down by Jake on the couch, the decade-old leather pressing against her back as she completely loses herself.

She’s taken by surprise (honestly, even Jake feels surprised by his own actions), but this surprise takes a little while to register.

Before that, Amy melts against Jake, his lips a comforting and addictive drug she willingly indulges in. They’re making out on Jake’s couch like two horny teenagers- oh wait. They are two horny teenagers.

Two horny teenagers- that said they weren’t going to do something like this again!

Upon this realization, Amy pushes Jake off of her and proceeds to shove him hard, her strength causing him to sit back up, before falling against the other side of the couch himself.

“Jake!” Her voice is pitched and strangled, disbelieving of what Jake’s done (and what she’s given into). Jake, on the other hand, just props himself back up and smirks at her.

“What?” He asks, innocuously, innocently, but it’s all obviously a facade.

“Why’d you kiss me?”

Jake takes her hand in his, and gives her a look that numbs her all over. “Would you believe me… if I said it was because I’m deeply in love with you?”

Amy almost considers this for a second, but a deeper look in his eyes reveals that he’s just messing around, of course. She pushes his hand away in annoyance.

“Cut it out,” she rolls her eyes, and Jake’s chuckling.

“I couldn’t let you win an argument about Die-”

“That’s why you kissed me?!” Amy exclaims, and that’s when it dawns on her that of course that’s why Jake kissed her, the fact that she didn’t draw that connection immediately speaks volumes of how lost she was in his lips.

JAKE’S COUCH, 1558 HOURS, JAKE AND AMY’S KISSING PRACTICE SESSION (2.5)

Amy spends at least five minutes lecturing Jake on why kissing her to shut her up was wrong, and how stuff like that was what they have been trying to prevent, trying to avoid during their kissing practices.

“-yeah, don’t worry about me pulling something like that anytime soon,” Jake remarks with an almost tired stretch. “Getting nagged at is a real mood killer.”

His words strangely hurt Amy, and she’s stunned for a beat, like a boulder’s just dropped down on her chest, and a lump sits in her throat.

Except- shouldn’t his words make her happy instead of disappointed?

“Good,” she deflects, clearing her throat. “Ready to kiss like professionals now?”

“Yeah, lay it on me.”

She leans in slow and steady, their kiss much more tame than the crazy lip locking that went down previously. No one is making inappropriate sounds, no one is touching where they shouldn’t be touching, and it’s nice.

Of course, it probably shouldn’t feel nice, but Amy can’t help what pleasures she feels.

She hums a little as Jake’s lips leave her lips and trail to her jaw, failing to withhold a moan when he makes his way to her neck.

Wait, what?

Her eyes fly open, and she pushes Jake off of her once more.

“What the hell are you doing?!” She demands, and Jake wipes his mouth almost slyly, a move that gets her heart pounding again.

“Kissing you like a professional?” He attempts sheepishly, and Amy huffs.

“Your lips were on my neck, Jake.”

“You sure seemed to like it,” he mumbles under his breath, eyes flicking away.

She smacks him on the shoulder.

“You said I had killed the mood, Jake! Our kissing is supposed to be lips on lips only.”

“Fine!” He explodes. “I lied, okay? You lecturing me for five minutes was probably the hottest moment of my life.”

“What?!” She’s almost happy, but really, she’s more bewildered than anything. “Wow, eighteen year old boys are easily seduced.”

“Uh, I think it’s less of that and more of me having an authority kink-”

“WHAT?!” Her eyes are wide now, and panic mirrors in Jake’s eyes.

“WHAT? NOTHING!” He exhales harshly. “Not the right time or person to be discussing my kinks.”

“JAKE, SERIOUSLY-”

“NO MORE YELLING IT’S CONFUSING ME SEXUALLY!”

Amy completely gives up.

“You know what? Let’s… let’s just watch Die Hard.”

Jake lights up. “Really? Yes!”

JAKE’S FRONT DOOR, 1844 HOURS, AMY LEAVING

“Sorry you didn’t get to do your homework,” Jake apologizes with a look that is not apologetic in the slightest.

“It’s okay, I’m doing it when I get home,” she replies, checking her bag to make sure she’s left nothing behind.

“Good, glad I showed you that Die Hard’s more important than homework.”

She scowls at him. “Die Hard’s not more important than homework- and I’m bringing Training Day over next time.”

Jake chuckles light-heartedly. “Fair enough.”

“You should do your homework too, Jake.”

He shakes his head. “Nah, that last time was a one time thing. I’m a bad boy at heart, Ames,” he winks.

She steps closer to him now, grabbing him by the neck and speaking into his ear. “Be a good boy- and go do your homework Jake, or I’ll punish you,” she commands, in her best 'authority’ voice, before pulling away.

The arousal on his face is very obvious, and it’s almost laughable. He really does have an authoritarian kink.

“That’s like… so fucking unfair,” he curses, his eyes never leaving Amy’s. She’s nearly mesmerized by the attention.

“I know,” she says, so confidently it nearly scares her, and to her own shock she winks at him.

He gulps, hands reaching for her but she backs away quickly.

“Amy,” he appeals. “Come here please.”

She shakes her head. “No.”

He walks back into her space. “I’ll be good,” he promises, stepping even closer. “I’ll do all my homework.”

He shuts his eyes and leans in, but Amy ducks and he winds up with a waft of her hair instead. Admittedly, that’s not so bad since her hair smells of cream and strawberries.

“Sorry Jake, but kisses are only for good boys who’ve already done their homework.”

She walks away into the night, feeling bizarre but strangely powerful, leaving Jake standing there in a daze as he watches her disappear behind a corner.

BROOKLYN ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL, 1323 HOURS, GLOBAL STUDIES CLASS

“Alright everyone, please hand in your essays as I come around,” their teacher instructs during the first few minutes of the lesson.

Everyone gasps in shock when they see Jake reach for his bag, pulling out a complete essay.

Even their teacher is shocked.

“Jake,” Gina rasps, not believing what’s unfolding before her eyes. “You did the homework?”

“This is gross,” Rosa remarks, crossing her arms. “I can’t watch.”

Jake rolls his eyes, avoiding Amy’s look of awe as they both submit their essays.

“I can’t believe you actually did the homework,” Amy murmurs, which gets Jake’s attention. His face, previously twisted in a scowl, now relaxes in a wistful gaze.

“Someone did say I’d get punished if I didn’t do it,” he gently reminds, which gets Amy blushing rather hard. She still can’t believe what she did, and she can’t believe it actually worked. “By the way, I expect a reward for all this.”

Amy raises her eyebrows skeptically. “A reward for doing something that’s originally your responsibility? I don’t think so.”

His breath catches, then he exhales almost longingly. “You’re killing me, Ames.”

She ignores him, in favor of starting on an assignment they’ve just been given. In his frustration, Jake starts doing the work too.

JAKE’S HOUSE, 1501 HOURS, JAKE AND AMY’S SECRET KISSING PRACTICE SESSION (3)

“Wow, no homework today?” Jake remarks as he opens the door for Amy, who walks past him empty handed and heads straight for his couch.

“Well, since I never ended up doing any of it last time, figured I’d save myself the trouble.”

“Aww, didn’t know my lips were so distracting,” he slurs. “No script too?”

Amy rolls her eyes as she leans her head back. “Please, don’t flatter yourself. And I don’t think we should read lines when we practice kissing anymore.”

“Right,” Jake agrees, remembering what happened the last time they decided to read lines. “Good precaution.”

“I think,” Amy continues. “We should focus on making this kiss more appropriate for a school play, remember? Our original plan?”

Jake rumbles with low laughter. “Oh yeah- making our kiss unsexy.”

“Mmhmm.”

“How do we go about doing that?”

Amy shrugs first. “Um, maybe-” she pauses. “We could kiss like we’d usually do, naturally, and then we work out what’s wrong with it.”

“Oh yeah, that’s great,” he drags out the word, twisting its meaning, his tongue-in-cheek smile making his words seem a lie. Like he can’t wait for this next new plan to go wrong.

“Stop smiling,” she scolds, but he doesn’t listen.

“What? My face is always like this.”

He’s right, Amy supposes. More often than not, Jake Peralta’s smiling, displaying those classic grins and smirks of his.

“It’s annoying,” she insists, but Jake’s smile doesn’t falter. It’s as if he understands her tension, feels it but does not show it himself.

“Maybe you should kiss it off then,” he suggests, and Amy pulls him in roughly in response.

He doesn’t hold back at all, as if he’s trying to make as many 'mistakes’ as possible for them to correct in later kisses. Amy isn’t much better, adrenaline pumping through her veins as she takes what she wants from Jake.

They waste a lot of time on their trial kiss, and when Amy’s had enough (meaning her sense finally outweighs her desire), she pushes Jake away. His eyes never leave hers, and it makes Amy want to pull him back in again.

God, she’s been single for too long.

“How was that?” Jake asks, and it cracks both of them up, because they both know that kiss was horrible (in the best way).

“Uh, I think we need to, firstly,” Amy pants, and it makes Jake titter in amusement.

“I think we need to, firstly, catch our breath,” he mimics, annoying Amy but simultaneously making her smile.

“I’m good,” she remarks after some time has passed. “I think we need to work on distance.”

“And that means…”

“We’re too close to each other when we kiss. And that’s a problem we should work on.”

“Okay,” Jake nods. “So what’s too close?” He pulls her in, placing her two inches from him in a comical manner. “This?”

“Yes,” she heaves, before pushing him away.

“Okay,” Jake gets off the couch and moves ten feet away from Amy. “This far enough?”

“Unless we have elastic lips, that’s too far- come back!”

Jake laughs to himself about 'elastic lips’, rushing back only when Amy gestures for him to hurry. “Man, you’re clingy.”

“Can it,” she warns, and it doesn’t affect Jake in the slightest.

“Okay,” he positions himself a comfortable distance away from Amy on the couch, holding her a forearm’s length away. “This good?”

“Yes,” she validates.

“So can we kiss again?”

They lean in, and although it’s less violent and messy this time, it still feels too…

“Too sexy?” Jake checks as he pulls away this time. “Or just right?”

“Too… inappropriate.”

“Okay, so what’s wrong this time?”

Amy shrugs. “Maybe you should try not touching me,” Jake frowns at this, “and let’s limit the kiss to about five seconds this time. I think time’s a contributing factor too.”

“Cool,” Jake accepts, not very coolly, and leans forth (not touching this time) again. He raises his hand up high, obediently counting down the five seconds of the kiss.

“God, I hate that,” he grimaces as he pulls away, and Amy’s inclined to agree, but he crashes back into her before she can so much as form a thought.

He holds her now, in ways he knows he shouldn’t. They kiss, in ways they know they shouldn’t. The kiss goes on, and it goes on, and their little five-second-rule flies out the window.

They lose themselves again, for a little while, and when they pull apart Jake’s face is no longer tight with scowl. He’s practically glowing now.

“That’ll get the crowd cheering,” he points out cheekily, while Amy breathes deeply.

“And parents suing, Jake.”

JAKE’S COUCH, 1617 HOURS, JAKE AND AMY’S SECRET KISSING PRACTICE SESSION (3.5)

Several kisses later, Jake and Amy identify a key problem in their kissing.

“Oh god,” Amy realizes, getting Jake raising his brows in interest. “We’ve been using too much tongue.”

He cracks up, starts cackling immediately, as Amy continues on with her revelations.

“We shouldn’t have been using tongue at all!”

“And who’s fault is that?” Jake simpers smugly. “All I’ve been doing is letting you in like a gentleman every time you push your naughty little tongue between my lips.”

Amy’s face burns from embarrassment, but she can’t let him do her in like this.

“Jake, come on.”

He’s just as at fault for this as she is, and he knows it, cracking under her pressurizing looks.

“Fine! It’s both of us. But tongue is fun!”

Amy sighs patronizingly. “I know, Jake, but this isn’t about fun.”

“Oh, it isn’t?” He teases, and Amy exhales soundlessly.

“Come on, let’s try it without tongue.”

Jake goes along with this, but turns out he’s perfectly capable of making a kiss sexy, dirty, sinful, and even offensive without tongue all the same. A whine escapes her throat as he pulls and sucks, her lip between his teeth. He’s touching her again, and every little action only makes things worse and worse.

They pull apart and Jake looks almost proud of himself. “Did I do good?”

“No,” Amy clenches her teeth as he licks his lips tantalizingly. “That was very bad.”

“Okay, fine,” Jake relents, pulling Amy in at a respectable distance, kissing her gently and only ever moving slightly, before pulling apart again. “That good?”

Amy clears her throat. “Be-better…”

“So… I think it’s safe to say we’ve made progress,” he remarks, and Amy nods. “And that means we’ve done a good job today, right?”

“I suppose,” Amy trails, and that gets Jake humming in satisfaction.

She’s shocked at his next move- which, put simply, ends with her on his lap.

“Jake,” her voice tightens, “what are you doing?”

“All work and no play makes Jake a dull boy,” he explains, whispering into her ear. It makes her shiver, which she supposes is his intended reaction. “Play with me, Ames.”

She has little idea what he means, but that doesn’t stop a chill from tingling her spine, a tingle that refuses to die down as it spreads throughout her.

“Jake,” her breath rasps as he touches her again, his lips doing things to her neck that she can’t describe because her eyes shut from the sensations. “Wha- why?”

“’Cuz of yesterday,” he answers, and Amy flushes from the memory, the memory of her pulling him in, denying him of what he asked. “You ran away.”

“I didn’t run,” she argues. “Power walking is not running.”

He dips her back down on the couch now, and her breath hitches.

“Felt like you were running away from me,” he insists, “no more running now.”

“Why not?” She asks, almost feeling stupid because she feels her resolve drain away with each passing second.

“I wanted you, and I still want you now,” he says plainly, “let me have you? Just for a little while?”

He then slows down. “You can stop me, you know. Just say the word and I’ll back off.”

But she stays silent. It makes him smile, she feels his lips curling against her skin.

He indulges in her kiss again, but then Amy feels something missing that she wants.

A second later, she’s flipped their positions and he regards her cheekily as she straddles his hips.

“Just to be clear,” she clarifies. “It’s not you having me, it’s me having you.”

His eyes glaze over with something dark at that, and she relishes in the fact that it’s because of her.

“I’m all yours,” he says, and Amy dives in.

They get very caught up in kissing (yes, that’s the unspoken rule between them, it must only be just kissing), so caught up, that neither of them notice the sound of a key turning, unlocking Jake’s front door.

For once, Karen’s back home early.

“Jake?” She calls as she enters the room, getting shocked at the scene she walks in on.

Her son, is lying on their couch with his leg thrown over the waist of a girl on top of him. They are engaged in a very heavy make-out session, and neither of them see her as their eyes are shut.

She shrieks, which alerts Jake and Amy of her presence and they split apart instantly, looking like they’ve just been issued death sentences.

“Oh god,” Jake panics, and gets off the couch, rushing to his mother’s side. “Mom, I can explain.”

Amy, on the other hand, stiffens, unsure whether to flee or stay put and face the music. What if Jake’s mother, who she fondly remembers praising her acting over the years after school performances, calls her parents and she gets into trouble? What if she no longer thinks highly of her, the demon who was just making out with her son on their couch?

Karen’s reaction takes a turn that neither of the two expect.

“Oh Jake,” she embraces her son tightly. “You finally asked out that girl Amy you’ve been crushing on forever!”

#text #peraltiago #brooklyn nine nine #okay so #i won't say this is sin like part 2 #but still grab lots of holy water #actually idk if this is sin or nah #is this sin?

[grapehyasynth]

AOS Rewatch, Part 7

This is a bit of a long one....

1x16

There are more hints here about Garrett... Deathlok receives a message “Don’t say I never gave you anything” and Garrett recently said something like that to someone.

Who was the Brit who was sending messages to Amador? Do we ever learn that? Garrett is not British...

lol Fitzsimmons’s responses to ‘have they exhibited any strange behavior?’: “No more than usual” and “strange is such a subjective word”

Tripp never seemed to like Ward -- he’s got good taste

Fitz is playing with the drawers like he played with stuff NUMEROUS TIMES in S3 while talking to Jemma

but who WOULD be the Watson in their relationship?

Fitz sad/peeved she’ll “leave me all on my lonesome”

At this point it’s still very unclear to me/the audience how Jemma feels about Tripp

It’s funny that none of the other characters in TAC gear interest me, just Fitz

Why does Coulson not wear TAC gear tho.....

Fitz: “I prefer high-tech hardware” instead of toy -- is that what he calls his sex toys too? (I’m the WORST)

Ward is so. full. of. shit.

“Don’t use my name, Jemma” lololol worst spies ever

Coulson’s father’s death was a defining moment -- but it’s never mentioned again after this...

Omg Coulson almost had it right, asking Ward if someone ordered him to kill Nash -- and then he just doesn’t follow it up

Fitz’s cute little scared face when May comes in while he’s snooping

I’m also devastated by knowing Fitz is constantly feeling betrayed by people

May obviously didn’t check the lab very thoroughly if baby Fitz was able to evade her that easily

Also omg I’m so devastated by Fitz’s twitch and his face when May shoots the glass lab doors right by his face

I’m really sad Coulson believes ill of May so quickly. Like, really? After all you’ve been through?

1x17

I’m going to be stressed and concerned the entire rest of this season

But also this episode is so good

Oh god Fitz looks so devastated when he realizes Jemma’s at the Hub

I’m so glad Weaver isn’t Hydra

May assembled the team -- because of course she is, she’s a boss badass

Shouldn’t May also know and understand why Coulson has to be suspicious of her? She acts like it’s so out of left field but if she were in his position she’d need to suspect her team as well

I love love love love love the Hand/Jemma/Tripp loyalty test scene

Fitz shooting a guard with great accuracy, even leaning a little around someone else to do it -- I’M SO CONFUSED BY THESE FEELINGS

I love that Jemma is willing to stand up to authority when she really believes in it

The age and power difference between Skyeward is SO GROSS and I will never think otherwise

I love that Fitz is worried about Jemma but still won’t consider unethical methods of reaching her

I’ve always enjoyed the way Garrett is outed, with Coulson catching his little slip

Sitwell was Hydra -- bet everyone’s glad Jemma shot him

“No John, this is you being a psychopath”

God Fitz’s tearful courage in the face of Garrett’s threat remains one of the most beautiful Fitz moments in the whole damn series

Was that Fitz’s first kill? I’ve lost track of when he’s used ICERs and when not

THE FITZSIMMONS RUN AND HUG <3

Funny that no one suspected Tripp and Ward despite both having been proteges of Garrett 

1x18

Ward broke into a SHIELD prison and killed a bunch of people but no internal cameras caught him to alert SHIELD outside the Fridge to his presence?

I still don’t understand where the British English words in Amador’s instructions came from

It’s somehow strange seeing Fitz assure Jemma, not the other way around

First Talbot appearance!

I love the walk and talks because of how often they show up in bloopers

Coulson trusts Ward but not Tripp? Hmm.

Okay now the whole Fitz/Simmons/Tripp triangle is being made more clear to the audience.

So Garrett says he planned to eliminate Skye? This is confusing because her being injured helped lead him to GH and more answers about Coulson’s recovery, but either the show can’t decide on his motives or Garrett can’t.

Fucking Grant Ward: “I’m everyone’s type” lol bye

“Simmons got choked up” when she had to turn her badge in MY BABY

Coulson was just out of high school when Fury recruited him

Jemma’s all shy around Tripp. I don’t like it. I like when she’s crushing on someone and is flirty and outgoing and makes a fool of herself lol. (Though to be fair, she’s pretty shy and careful around Fitz when they first get serious, but they’ve got a lot more riding on it)

Ward explaining himself to Raina is really annoying talky exposition

lol Fitz is so snippy with Tripp

Everyone lookin’ cute in their non-SHIELD-issue winter hats

Jemma is afraid of bears. (And birds, as we’ll learn.)

Hydra is keeping Gravitonium in their underground base? That is setup for a MASSIVE workplace accidenct

1x19

the steal-your-light guy’s last name is Daniels so I’m going to headcanon that he was related to Will and the whole family is rotten because even if Will Daniels was in theory a good guy he is a plot device that was NOT NECESSARY and caused me and my children SO MUCH PAIN

The way “Garrett” sounds in Iain’s accent is divine. Like, say all the r’s please, Iain. (Damn my name has no r’s in it. Will change my name immediately.)

I hate seeing Fitzsimmons care for Ward

Tripp knowing things Fitz thought were reserved for the more ‘intellectual’ types like him and Simmons -- it’s the first threat to Fitz’s intelligence, which as we see in Season 2 is the thing that gives him his confidence

May literally called Hydra’s tactic and Coulson just ignored her. Great time to become a terrible tactician and leader, Phil.

I like that while others look nervous about the lie detector test, Fitzsimmons just look impressed.

I love Fitz’s little smile when he says “just me and my mum”

I could swoon over all of the FS polygraph results but you already know they’re the cutest/funniest things ever.

Though to focus on one: Jemma says she’s not entirely sure why she’s still with SHIELD. Fitz, meanwhile, says he wants to be with people he knows and trusts.

I wish Koenig had just shot Ward during the test

Fitz saying Tripp is a “horrible person” lol. Also, this is the first episode it’s fully canon-acknowledged that he likes Jemma and isn’t just platonically jealous she’s spending time with Tripp.

Fitz and Coulson are hit by Darkforce but are totally fine...convenient...

Patton Oswalt and Amy Acker are for sure some of the best guest actors this show has had

Ward is being so obvious, like way too friendly. How did no one notice he was acting strangely?

May is truly the hero we deserve

“Our best agents are watching” -- Jemma includes Fitz in her list of best agents <3

Coulson trusts Bruce Banner’s tech more than Fitz’s :(

I hate the intimate Ward/Skye moments. So gross

God I love Fitz and I’m so so so so sad he didn’t get a non-traumatic chance to love Jemma

Marcus Daniels didn’t see it was a trap when the cellist was just playing by herself with no audience??

I’m always gonna be proud of Skye for gaming Ward for so long

I can’t watch Skye’s bathroom freakout without thinking of the blooper where she accidentally opens the trash can

Coulson knows Fitzsimmons are about to have a chat and gives them space for it

JUST TELL HER FITZ *CRIES FOR A FEW MORE SEASONS*

Agent May’s mom lives in Pennsylvania (or at least has a car registered there). I want to know SO MUCH about her mom’s backstory.

1x20

Domestic Fitzsimmons with pancakesssss

Poor Fitz discovering Skye’s message. Definitely one of the best-acted reactions.

Jemma’s so clinical, but she’s also so obviously furious with Ward.

Jemma is so practiced at comforting Fitz with his physical, angry reaction -- I expect that’s something he learned from his father. But he stops as soon as Jemma is near, because he’d never hurt her. (AND NOW I’M CRYING)

Tripp calls Fitz a tech “ninja” (#tripplives #gonetoosoon)

lol May digging in the cemetery

I love Skye for calling Ward out for being a Nazi. This show should do more of that.

How many planes is Coulson gonna sneak onto for kamikaze missions?

Why doesn’t anyone shoot Mike in the head? Like obviously I want him to live but they don’t know he’s savable and that’s clearly his most vulnerable spot

MASSIVE product placement for Nokia, Marriot, Ritz-Carlton. Like, SHAMEFULLY obvious

Fitzsimmons at the pool I CRY

Coulson looks out at them while he’s talking to Maria Hill -- he can’t imagine setting them adrift from the team

Fitz would rather not believe some people are evil, Jemma believes some people just inherently are -- oh my how their views will change in coming scenes

The fact that no one dates Tripp is a TRAVESTY

People keep telling Ward he doesn’t owe Garrett anything and he disagrees, and it’s all set-up for the next episode where we get the whole backstory, but honestly that episode didn’t change my feelings towards Ward at all. More on that next time.