#called the previous part the 'eye' arc. and yeah Eyes but also. eye of the storm | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

luvbugs-blog · 1 year

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one bed? - featuring the aot boys

today, we have: jean, bertholdt, and reiner

in which: there's only one bed? lmao have fun! note that in reiner's part, you are a warrior that escaped back to marley with reiner after the shiganshina arc.

warnings: none. i have extreme paranoia when it comes to me writing smut, so you will not see some from me until i get better (i am literally touch-starved, so i feel like anything i write will be cringe)!

author's note: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know what to write next. i'm literally out of ideas. either in the comments, or in my messages. i will appreciate ANYTHING.

jean

"alright everyone," hange says, "go to your respective rooms. we'll meet back up in the morning and explore some more!" she turns to leave with onyankopon and levi who were staying in a nearby hotel as to not draw too much attention.

you look around for jean, sasha, and connie who were also staying in this hotel with you. as soon as you went to grab sasha to room with, connie swooped in, and the two were so excited that they were going to have a "sleepover". you heave a small sigh.

"don't sound too disappointed." jean says, giving you a small smile. "sad you're stuck with me tonight?"

"never." you say, bumping your shoulder with his. "it will just be much harder to keep an eye on those two." jean's smile slowly slides off his face.

"oh yeah." not much you can do about it now. you grab jean's hand and pull him to go find your room.

"this is actually so interesting, being in marley. i can't believe they have actual cars!" you say excitedly, smiling while looking out the window. you couldn't believe how advanced this place is.

"you sound like hange now! keep it down before your dumbass gets us caught." you give jean a little smack.

"oh shut up." the two of you finally reach the room, and as jean opens the door, he stops halfway into the room.

"hey! get out of my way, horse-face!" jean turns to look at you, his face a little red.

"i think they gave us the wrong room." confused, you look around jean to see there is only one bed in the entire room.

"oh." the thought of spending the night with your best friend in the same bed also made you a little pink. much to your relief, jean didn't see because he was too busy hurrying to use the bathroom. in reality, he was trying to calm himself down, but you didn't know that.

your stomach was swirling as jean finally came out of the bathroom, his face wet, like he had washed it. you had to look away. of course you were nervous. you've had a crush on the man for quite a while now. but you'd rather die than admit that.

an awkward, uncomfortable silence blanketed the room. until jean spoke up. "I honestly think we should just share it. it's pretty big. and we've grown up together. it won't be awkward."

that's a relief. "yeah. as long as your big horse feet won't kick me in the middle of the night."

"hey! my feet are normal shaped!" you giggle, the previous tension gone. "yeah yeah."

the two of you chat a little bit before calling it a night. you tuck yourself under the covers, turning your back to jean. "i hope you don't snore."

"guess you'll find out tonight." the two of you try sleeping, and for a few hours, it was successful. until the room got incredibly cold. you shuffle closer to jean, but it wasn't helping all that much. you turn around, facing jean, who looked fast asleep.

"hey." silence. "hey!" nothing. so you start poking his face, and he flinches. "what?" now you're embarrassed.

"nevermind."

"oh no. you didn’t wake me up for nothing." he pokes your face. "what do you want?"

"can you hold me?"

"what?!"

"i'm cold!"

"oh. alright then, come here."

"really?"

"yes, y/n. now hurry up." so you weasel your way into his arms, sinking into his chest. he is so warm.

and in the morning, when he wakes up before you, he'll let you sleep, with your leg around his waist and his arms around you. maybe he will finally work up the courage to ask you out.

bertholdt

you were shaken. of course you were, you were kidnapped. the last thing you remember is walking away with armin on the wall, and you could faintly hear hange talking to moblit about titans that could dig. but you wake up on a tree, in the forest which was surrounded by titans. you see ymir awake, scowling at two men up on higher trees. is that eren over there? you have to blink because it's so bright, but when it finally comes into focus, you realize it's reiner and bertholdt. oh yeah. the traitors. you start breathing heavily, thinking about how it's your lover up there. ymir tries to calm you down, her eyes wide, but it doesn't work. how could he do this to you. was everything fake? were your friends still alive. why were you here? you start feeling faint, and feel hot tears pooling at your eyes. you faintly hear the screeching of odm gear coming closer, and you hear bertholdt talking to ymir, but it's too late, and you pass out once again.

when you awaken a second time, it's night. you have to adjust your eyes to try to figure out where you are. but all you see are stars. you're on the wall. you feel a hand on your shoulder.

"y/n?" you turn your head without moving your body and see him. bertholdt, who's eyes are red and swollen. you reach your hand up to hold his face but then think better of it. you let your hand fall.

"i'm so sorry. y/n, i'm so sor-"

"bertholdt!" you recognize reiner's voice and lift your body up, with his hand on your back. you shove his hand away, ignoring the hurt look on his face. you see reiner and ymir coming your way. while bertholdt and reiner whisper to each other, ymir comes to check on you.

"are you alright?" you shrug. which earns a sad smirk from ymir. shortly after, bertholdt returns to kneeling next to you, but not saying anything. after a while, you find your voice.

you turn your head to bertholdt and ask, "how did i get here?" he flinches at your strained tone, but softly explains what happened while reiner and ymir set up sleeping bags they found in the district below. you also find out the truth about bertholdt's background. about him being from marley, his mission, why he decided to become a warrior. he explained about his sick father and the oppression he received just because he was eldian.

and suddenly, your heart was conflicted. there was life outside of the walls. but they weren't free. they had the same blood you did, and they were being tortured for it. but they killed so many innocent people from inside the walls. those people didn't know what they were dying for. they didn't deserve to die. you wanted to yell and scream at him, but you also wanted to comfort him. so you cried. you cried and cried and fell into him because you were weak, and despite hating him for all he had done, you loved him. and he held you as you cried, and eventually he started crying with you. so the two of you cried until there were no tears left. in the silence left behind, you whispered to him, "take me with you. take me home with you." too weak to argue, he agreed. he placed a soft kiss on your forehead and wiped away your tears.

"ok."

what felt like hours later, reiner came to drop off the sleeping bag.

"i'm sorry, but we could only find three." while bertholdt starting insisting you take it, you just stand up and take the sleeping back from reiner, giving the man a hug, which surprised him.

"thank you. one is enough. we can share." and so you did.

you held onto his long ass body and just held each other, oozing comfort the both of you needed.

reiner

while porco and pieck were mocking him from behind, you were at his side, giggling at his little pout. you intertwined your arm with his and put your head on his shoulder, causing the two goons to laugh and mock even more. but the two of you didn't care. you guys were considered pretty close before, but after returning from paradise, the two of you were inseparable. the two of you walked along the festival, reiner occasionally having to stop to pay for gabi and the others, but never separating from you.

"oh, reiner!" pieck says, "don't forget about the meeting we have tomorrow." the both of you sigh.

"we haven't forgotten pieck," he replies. you detach yourself from reiner when you see porco beckoning to you. while reiner and pieck chatted, you were able to talk a bit with porco. the two of you wandered for a bit before reiner came to pull you away, looking a bit jealous, which porco wouldn't let him live down.

the two of you follow the children around until they get too tired and full from all the festival food. while reiner is dragging gabi around, the two of you talk about the trek you will have to make for the meeting.

"we should rent a hotel room. that way we won't have to get up too early tomorrow to travel."

"good idea!" so after dropping off the children at their respective homes, the two of you hitch a ride to the hotel nearest to HQ where the meeting was taking place. when the two of you check in, you only ask for one room, but two separate beds.

however, when the two of you went to go to sleep, there was only one bed. although, it didn't bother you two that much, as the two of you often slept over together.

so when it was time for bed, the two of you crawled in together, immediately cuddling together. you lay your head on his chest and he holds you. this was how you often found comfort when the two of you first got back from the island, often crying about bertholdt, annie, and the comrades you considered friends. and the two of you haven't stopped this little routine, even years later.

but this time felt a little different. reiner was holding you more tightly than usual. but you couldn't bring yourself to ask why because you were too tired. as you were falling asleep, you hear him whisper, "I love you." not that you would know this, but he had been telling you this for a long time when you were sleeping. so it quite surprise to him when you opened your eyes and smiled.

"I love you too." you slowly press a kiss to his lips and he graciously returns it.

author's note (again): will there be a part two? idk yet. let me know if y'all want one in the comments section. (and i know you saw my author's note up top. *suspicious side eye* you better tell me what to write next)

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wolfjackle-creates · 11 months

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Bring Me Home Arc 2 Part 5

It's Wednesday again, you know what that means! I'm going to officially start calling this Arc 2 instead of Chapter 2 because it's too long already and I only *just* get to the plot with the end of this segment.

Story Summary: Tim and Danny are both neglected by parents who care more about their work than their families. They deal with this by spending too much time online and find each other playing MMORPGs. They keep up their friendship as Tim becomes Robin and Danny becomes Phantom and don't bother keeping secrets from each other.

First, Previous

Word Count 1.3k words

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Tim clenched his teeth, but allowed himself to be pulled to the counter where they ordered an obscene amount of food thanks to the appetite of four metas. He insisted on using B’s card to pay for everyone.

Sam didn’t even wait for their food to be ready before she started questioning Conner.

“What do you think of rich people?” she demanded.

“Um… What?” Conner looked to Tim, eyes wide, clearly lost as to what he should answer.

Tim just shrugged.

“What. Do. You. Think of rich people? It’s not a hard question. I’m just trying to gage your actual punkness.”

“I don’t… I mean, Mr. Wayne is cool. I’ve met him a few times and he’s always been nice to me. But Lex Luthor… He’s the worst.” Even now, Conner couldn’t help but shudder when he thought of his creator and Tim scowled into his soda.

“Don’t mince words, Kon,” Tim said. “Luthor should be shot and dropped in the deepest part of the ocean.”

Conner laughed and pointed to Tim. “Yeah, that.”

“Hmmm… It’s a start.” Sam nodded. “Really, there’s only one rule to being punk and everything else derives from that: the man sucks.”

“The man?”

And there it was. Conner was still learning a lot of slang. “She means the people in charge. That you can’t trust the government or people in authority to actually have your best interests at heart or to do the right thing.”

“Oh!” Conner’s eyes lit up in understanding. “Well, obviously! I’ve always had to look after myself. At least until I met you guys.”

Cassie elbowed him. “And now you’re stuck with us for life. You’re ours.”

“Damn right!” Bart held out a fist to Conner who bumped it with his own.

Danny laughed. “You weren’t exaggerating, Secrets. You guys really are ride-or-die.”

Tim looked over his friends and couldn’t hold back a soft smile. “Damn right we are. Just like you three.”

“Well, we know something about the ‘or die,’” said Danny.

Tim rolled his eyes. “You’re worse than Dick.”

Tucker’s mouth was open as he looked between them. “They know?”

“Yeah,” said Danny. “Tim’s known since, like, a week after the accident. And when they came by my house, my parents decided to show off the home defense system. Couldn’t keep it a secret after that.”

Based on Sam’s wince, she knew exactly what the home defense system could do to Danny. Tucker pulled out one of his devices and started typing on it. “Will you finally let me do something about that?”

Danny just rolled his eyes. “I’m fine, Tucker. Sam. Tim. All of you. My parent’s inventions never work right. Or they don’t know how to actually use them. They didn’t think the thermoses worked at first, for God’s sake!”

“Right.” Tucker rolled his eyes. “Because their guns have never worked. Tim, can I have your number and email? Maybe if we all get on him he’ll listen to sense one of these days.”

“Oooh!” Cassie bounced in her seat. “I’ll help! We’ve lots of experience in that with Tim. He’s also the worst at calculating reasonable risks.”

“Great!” Tucker typed her number and email into his PDA and they started setting up group chats. Bart joined in by discussing some of Tim’s more ridiculous civilian escapades.

Tim exchanged a look with Danny. This was so not going to end well.

“Well, while they’re sorting that out, more about punk!” Sam pulled Conner deeper into a conversation about fighting for freedom and liberty and how her ultra recyclo-vegetarianism fit into her beliefs.

Tim sighed and said, “Well, at least they’re getting along?”

Danny groaned and held his head in his hands. “We’re so going to regret introducing them, aren’t we?”

“I already do.”

And then their order was called. Of course Bart was at the counter before any of the rest had even registered it was their order, but Conner and Cassie jumped up to follow and help him carry it.

Sam tried to go help but Tim held out a hand. “They’ve got it, trust me. Having more people will just make it harder for them.”

She still stood, but by the time she turned to help, the others were already returning with hands full of loaded trays. She scowled as she settled back down.

“We would’ve helped,” she said as the others set the food down.

Bart waved her off. “We got it! Sides, most of this is for me, Conner, and Cassie.”

Danny shook his head. “I ordered just as much as you!”

Tucker agreed, “And I ordered almost as much.”

Cassie shrugged as she rooted through bags and grabbed her orders. “Well we got there first. Come on, I’m hungry. Quit arguing and grab your food!”

Danny passed one bag to Sam, “One salad for you.” And a second bag found it’s way in front of Tim. “And a nasty burger for you. You’ll never want to eat a batburger again after this!”

Tim rolled his eyes, but obligingly unwrapped the burger and took a bite. He hummed in appreciation. It really was a solid burger and the sauce was quite good. “I do like it, I’ll give you that. But I still prefer Batburger.”

“Ugh, you’re hopeless!” Turning his back to Tim, Danny addressed the others. “What about you three? Batburger or Nasty Burger?”

Conner shrugged, “This is great, but it’ll always be Batburger for me, too.”

Cassie elbowed him as she finished her bite. “That’s only because you and Tim get midnight burgers there too often and you are mixing up the taste with the memories. These are clearly better.”

Bart had already finished his first burger and was licking his fingers clean. “Yep. These are absolutely better.”

Tim threw an arm around Danny’s shoulders. “Fifty-fifty split! Means we can’t make a decision until you come to Gotham and try one yourself.”

“Oh, that’s what it means, does it? And when do you think I’ll make it to Gotham?”

“Any time you want! You can stay with me. Hell, I’ll even pick you up and bring you there.”

Danny grinned. “If I ever can guarantee a break from ghost attacks, I might take you up on that.”

“Right,” said Sam to Conner. “While they’re flirting”—she expertly ignored Tim and Danny’s spluttered protests—“have you ever tried wearing makeup? I think you’d look killer in eyeliner.”

Meanwhile, Tucker pulled out his PDA and some headphones and started showing a video to Cassie and Bart who shifted to better see the screen.

Tim took a large bite of his burger, unsure what to say to Danny after Sam’s comment.

Danny didn’t seem to have the same reservations and shifted so he could press his shoulder against Tim’s. “Sorry. She and Tuck like to tease me. They’ve been calling you my internet boyfriend for ages.”

That admission made his face heat even more, but Tim tried to shrug it off. “It’s fine.” He knew from Dick that if he continued to protest, everyone would just take it as further confirmation they were right.

Danny shrugged and grabbed another container. Tucker tried to protest, but Danny ignored him. “Here, try a chili cheese fry; they’re great.”

Tim let out a breath and grabbed a fry, getting chili and cheese all over his hands as he did. “Thanks.”

Somehow, the group managed to not get yelled at for an hour as they laughed and joked in the corner booth, but eventually an employee came over to ask if they needed anything else. Danny ordered a milkshake for Jazz, and the group filed out. Night had set in fully while they’d been eating and Tim looked up at the sky. The stars really were much more visible here than in Gotham.

And that was when a large, swirling-green gash opened up in the night sky and dozens of ghosts started pouring through.

-----

Sam is so going to try and radicalize Conner. Tim is just gonna let it happen. At least this radicalization is better than what he'd been exposed to previously.

Tag List Part 1

@gremlin-bot, @bonebrokebuddy, @britcision, @lady-time-lord-, @welcometosasakiworld, @akikkobara, @phoenixdemonqueen, @dolfay, @skulld3mort-1fan, @we-ezer, @markus209, @sjrose1216, @onyxlightdragon, @dragonsrequiem, @jesus-camp-the-sequel, @spidey29phangirl, @kyrianclawraith, @evilminji, @introvert-even-on-the-internet, @emergentpanda-blog, @lexdamo, @v-inari, @idontgetpaidenoughforthisshit, @longlivethefallen, @undead-essence, @xye-chan, @liandrin, @seraphinedemort, @kisatamao, @schalensitzbucket, @caelestisdreamer, @runfromthemedic, @nutcase8691, @channajen, @tonicmii, @ambiguouslyominous, @vythika96, @addie-lover-of-stories, @ironicvixen, @violetfox2, @pickleking8, @mysticalcomputerdetective, @ark12, @mygood-bitch99, @squirrel-wolf, @satisfactionbroughtmeback, @sometimesthingsfallapart, @automaticsoulharmony, @d4ydr34min9, @revnantdpxdclover, @midigeria, @raginblastocyst, @feral-bunny31, @lunaria618, @ghostreblogging, @ace-aro-as-shit

#dpxdc #dead tired #is that a plot you spy?#why yes it is!#the rest of this will be written as I rewatch the singular episode over and over and over again #i hope itll go quickly

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evenmorefatallyobsessed · 11 months

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Prof. Gelé AU Concept

To be clear this isn't the only Au/ comic I'll put the model in but it is the one that comes to mind for me most often.

Bleiss is born into the previous generation to RWBY's main characters like Jaune was in my Prof. Arc AU, also like him she became Glynda's partner.

There wasn't really much to say about Bleiss, not really. She Nicholas Schnee's second born daughter. She had talent, beauty and a fierce intellect. But she was also a rebellious teen with a chip on her shoulder towards Atlas.

After that one snake in the grass tried to coil around her what was his name again Assques? Anyways she broke his nose, stole his date and the next day sick of this Atlas high Society shit she left to be a Huntress in Vale, to live her own life how she pleased, free from the SDC.

And Bleiss didn't just manage she fucking flourished! Made a cute friend and admittedly unrequited love named Summer, the best drinking buddy ever in a Branwen called Qrow and finally a bitch she could count to cover her back in Glynda...

Yeah admittedly the two didn't get along too well at first... Okay more like their first two years but whatever. Anyways Bleiss fucking loved her life, shit even turned out she had a knack for this teaching shit.

though only for Hunter Academies, combat school parents were always complaining bout their brats picking up some of her awesome habits.

She loved her students, some more the others specifically of the cute girl variety. Gawd did she love putting that brat Coco in her place. She'd have to do it again soon, the girl had been a bit too cocky recently with her fellow students after all.

But for now there were mors important things to deal with. Some fuckers had attacked Amber, she might not have fucked the girl or anything but she was a former student and nobody fucked with the brats she trained, graduated or not.

So she was suprised when the Malachites called her. The pair of girls she trained both on fighting and in bed having been excited over beating Ray's fucking brat who tried to wreck her favorite club. Thank god she gave them a few lessons on fighting from time to time.

Anyways apparently Junior got some kid some fake transcripts. A part of her wanted to grab the suspicious brat and throw him in a cell to interrogate. Too coincidental that someone attacks Amber, steals half her fucking soul and now someone else is trying to sneak into where they just so happen to have her.

So she makes it a point to be in front of the Bullhead the faker was coming in through. She was gonna decide what to do with him once she saw him. After all her drinking buddy Qrow got in with fake transcripts after all so she had to at least pretend to give him the benefit of the doubt...

She felt a bit bad for her neice Weiss, yeah she wasn't exactly her favorite kid of her sis but still. She always did like sweet, little innocent Whitley betterbafter all.

Then her daughter started showing of her dad's side and the guilt for not paying her too much mind died...

Seriously she left the brat there in a freaking crater sniffling and... And... And who the fuck was that?

Tall, blonde and strangely getting her engines roaring was a blonde boy with deep blue eyes, and a freaking knight aesthetics and a sword and... Wait? That was him!?

Okay so the brat apparently had a semblance that influenced people, had to be that? She wasn't into men. So why did her eyes keep tracking him, right right semblance.

Well didn't matter she had her man targeted and went in for the kill. Grabbing the blonde away after old Ozzy's dumb speech. Really it was less kidnapping and more telling the blonde to follow her.

A lie about boys sleeping separately from girls and he was all too willing to follow. Really he was sorta naive for a spy/ assassin. She had him right where she wanted, in her room ready to get straight to the Seductio-Interrogation! She meant Interrogation.

Thankfully the hunky chump still believed he was in the clear so she just had to act all treachery and respectable and junk while she slowly used her ace.

Alchohol, loose lips came hand in hand with drinks after all. And here he was all trusting, with that dopey sweet smile and those lovely blue eyes and that fuckable fac- DAMMIT!

She didn't think he'd be heavy drinker like her, brat could hold his liquor... Sexy. Finally though she managed to ignore the blazing inferno that was her libido long enough to get down to buisness.

And by that she meant she broke a bottle and he reached to clean it for her drunk ass... And cut himself.

He, he didn't have aura... And then everything came out now that she was interrogating the boy about his aura outta worry more then suspicion. After all he couldn't be a spy without aura. That'd be retarded and suicidal, once she told him how she knew he was a fake he buckled and caved in...

And she listened, listened to the blonde talk about his dream, and how he was denied the chance to even attempt it. How he ran away from home, sold just about everything he owned to get his hands on the fake papers so he could risk it all on the chance to attempt to live up to his families name.

So he could be a hero instead of just his families biggest dissapointment... Their black sheep. And she made up her mind then.

Glyn would've blamed the booze, but Bleiss knew perfectly well what she wanted to do.

So she did something she really did...

Something Glynda feared her doing, she gave the blonde a private lesson... And no not the sexy kind though she was awfully fucking tempted.

But no Bleiss Gelé unlocked the blonde's stud levels of aura and then went full out drill Sargent on the sexy blonde. Most would've broke, hell many combat school graduates did under her excessive, cruel and unusual tutoledge.

It was why she was strictly teaching in Dust classes so she couldn't train the poor soft Hunters-in-training. But Jaune didn't break, oh he whined, cried and yelled, but the blonde as it turned out was made of tougher stuff then his folks gave him credit for.

And then the night was over... Dawn broke and the poor blonde bastard hadn't gotten a wink of sleep. But that was fine, she had a plan, she'd go to Ozzy, get his permission to make the kid her sexy assistant like she was gonna do for sweet lil Whitley when he came down for Vytal and then she'd... And he was gone!

Next thing she knows she's freaking out over the kid being launched into the fucking Emerald Forest! Oh Gawd! She wore him the fuck out and not even in the fun way!

She'd never been more pissed at her partner then she was at that moment as Glynda restrained her. She was freaking the fuck out as she saw the poor kid launched through the air... Then he wasn't cuz that one famous brat chucked her spear his way.

Then she directed herself his way... Did something happen between them? How? Darling must've at best had a minute or two to interact with anyone on the way here?

After several more minutes of annoyingly futile resistance she finally calmed down and accepted things as is and decided to watch Jaune try his luck during Initiation and vouch for him if he failed.

-O-O-O-

Glynda felt very... Conflicted over her partner Bleiss. On one hand she'd known her through her entire time in Beacon. She understood Bleiss even if at times if was irritating to do so.

It was ultimately why she felt secured to a point around her. Glynda knew what to expect from her... Usually. Right now as she fretted over a random boy who she couldn't have known for more then a few hours was leaving her utterly stumped.

She observed him, and frankly Jaune Arc while having high aura levels was hardly what she could call competent. The boy was tripping all over himself and getting lost in thought randomly.

He was proving to be a detriment to his partner. Then they entered that cave and he... Did he fall asleep!?

Actually looking closer at him the blonde he looked utterly exhausted and his aura levels were rather low especially given how quickly they were restoring... If she didn't know better she'd have thought the Arc had been fighting for his life, the. Night... Prior.

No...

Turning she looked to her worried partner and spoke the most dire question without thinking positive even her impulsive, sadistic partner wouldn't be so reckless.

"Bleiss what did you do?" Bleiss avoided her gaze and begun to mumble, that was never a good sign.

"What did you say?"

"I... just... Trained him a bit last night." She wasn't the only on to look horrified, Port, Oobeleck and even Ozpin looked pale at the implications. After what Bleiss considered legitimate training was illegal across the kingdoms.

"How is he alive..." She agreed with Port before turning back to the screen concerned about the boy.

Her previous concerns were utterly dashed. Anyone who could survive Gelé's training more the deserved a spot in Beacon.

-0-0-0-

Exhausted, irritated and sore were Jaune's feelings... Aura, thank merciful Oum for aura! He didn't know how he survived all these years without it. But he was sure he would've died last night if not for the soulful energy.

Miss Gelé was terrifying, at first he'd been flustered when such a pretty older woman tricked him into her room, then confused and then worried when his transcripts came to life.

But all that fell wayside when out of nowhere she stood up grabbed him, dragged him outside and told him she'd be teaching him a few of the basics a Huntsman needed to know.

He'd been about to talk back, not willing to take a hand out even if from a teache- Then she knocked him flat on his ass, walked up to him and said some kinda cool sounding words before she unlocked his aura.

Oh she explained what she did to him. But did so as she was stabbing at him with a freaking sword, darting around the place like a bullet. She even summoned monsters! Just constant pain, agony on the physical front and lectures on Grimm, Aura, Dust and a ton of other stuff he didn't know about.

All while she continued to beat his ass...

Once his aura shattered she'd beat him with fist, kicks and really painful grabs until it restored and they were back to him trying not to be impaled! Wash and rinse and repeat to sunrise! She looked happy! Excited even!

But hey, at least he had super powers now... Aura was awesome. Though right now he'd trade it in a heart beat for a coffee of even better a pillow...

But those thoughts could wait! He had bigger worries. He didn't go through all that just to g

fail Initiation! The Grimm weren't even as scary as that after all!

At some point he must've gone in a cave because currently he was running from a freaking Giant Scorpion!... Still not as scary as Ms. Gelé but this thing clearly wanted to kill him.

Aura into his feet like he saw miss Gelé doing he managed to outpace it! Pyrrha said something bout not wasting his aura but frankly he still had a lot...

Like much of the rest of the day it all happened like a blur. Ruby and Weiss eating dirt from falling from the sky and giant bird getting added to the mix and something about chess pieces.

All he knew is that they needed to get outta there fast to pass and best of all not fight the two giant monsters. That was a plan he could get behind!

And he would've, should've and was sure as hell going to. Until the ginger girl beside him called out her partner's name. He turned and saw that Pyrrha and the brunette he could assume was Ren hadn't made it before the bridge collapsed.

Really it should've been a easy choice, they were strangers, he hadn't even known Pyrrha a hour. He owed them nothing and the finish line was right there! Yep, it was a easy choice, one he didn't even need to think about... Dammit.

Pumping aura in his legs he leaped out towards them. After all what kinda person wouldn't rush in to help others? Not him that's for sure.

Exhausted, tired and only mentally there by a fraction his mind worked overtime. Instincts were in the front seat. And so he listened to them.

He knew there was no way he could tear through the things armor... At least, not with what he knew how to do. But there was something?

pumping aura into his arm he tanked a sting with his shield, the attack denting his heirloom's mechanism shifting sheath but somehow managed to feat of strength to not have his poise broken from the blow.

The Grimm's carapace was thick, to thick for a sword like his... But maybe if he stole another one of miss Bleiss's moves?

She'd been so nimble and quick during the fight, pushing aura into her legs as she explain it while beating him.

It was where he got the idea of doing it, though he had the feeling he wasn't nearly as good at it as she was. But despite how petite she was her blows were heavy... Because she put aura on the blade, heck she even swung it once and sent the energy flying.

It was that which he inspired to copy in that moment.

Pushing all the energy he could into his sword, desperation and determination were powerful motivators.

and from them he managed to once more repeat the technique Bleiss had preformed before him like her aura reinforcement.

All his aura surging out in a arc of violent energy, that cleaved into and through one of the Deathstalker's claws.

His aura shattered, he was out and now the thing was glaring at him, oh he was scared but he had three people with him. All of which seemed more worried about his auraless state then even he was. It reassured him, didn't seem like they'd run for it.

Which meant he had a chance. After all, this Grimm wasn't nearly as fast a attacker as Ms. Gelé, and Jaune had learned last night just how much being light on his feet could help.

He smiled, a crooked, sure toothy grin it's way, finding himself terrified but also excited to kill his first monster.

-0-0-0-

While they were sure Team RWBY would be the focus of their students for the staff the group their eyes were on were JNPR. And for once it wasn't because of miss Nikos.

No the reason was the blonde dancing around and avoiding the Death Stalker's strikes.

Who knew it was targeting him but didn't turn tell to run despite having no aura but instead kept it's attention so the others could wear it down.

"A Fucking Mazing..." Glynda felt a chill run up her spine as she turned to look at her partner. And what she saw terrified her.

Bleiss was unashamedly looking hungrily at the Arc.

"One fuckinh night with aura and he manages this..." Her lip bled she was biting it so hard. Wait, did she say a night with aura!? Didn't that imply he didn't have it before.

Surely not, he used aura reinforcement on his legs several times and even swung a aura Arc. Those were advance techniques, techniques her partner knew... Technique that look utterly and completely unrefined and raw being performed by the Arc as if he'd never used...

She had to do a double take, but, but he was so nimble on his feet?

"Heheh, Hahaha! He can't beat that thing in strength but if he can dodge me he can sure as hell dodge it!" That... Was true.

Actually he didn't look like he was dodging it so much as... Dancing around it's blows.

What was this, well at the least she knew one thing as Bleiss licked her lips.

She would have to keep a eye on the boy for his own sake from her partner.

#prof. bleiss au #bleiss schnee #glynda goodwitch #jaune arc #au concept

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staycalmandhugaclone · 4 months

Text

Identity Pt 3

Part (3) of Identity, the next arc of Doc's Misadventures! If you're new, start at the beginning with Touch Starved!

Well, guess I decided to make up for the last two chapters being on the small side. I admit, I was super intimidated by this one. It's a bit of a change from how my chapters usually go, though the next one will fall back into more familiar territory 😉 Also, @captainrex89, sorry! I absolutely didn't mean to leave you out of my previous tags, and thank you for bringing it to my attention! ❤️

Warnings: Brotherly bullying, varying degrees of dread, unwanted advances (between two women, though I want to be clear: the 'unwanted' aspect is not due to gender), profanity, brief descriptions of gore and burns, needles, brief description of dead bodies

WC: 5,953

Sleep refused to return to me after the conversation with Wolffe, thoughts conflicted between betrayal and guilt. I would never be able to bring myself to regret joining Hunter and his brothers, but the knowledge that Wolffe let me go so easily hurt in a way that left my heart writhing in my chest. It was almost a relief when the time came to begin mission prep despite the lingering anxiety in every terrifying unknown that entailed.

I’d had no say in the elaborate gown chosen for me, nor had I ever had to adorn such pretentious attire during my years as a medic, a thing for which I instantly found myself profoundly grateful as I fought against the urge to scratch at the elegant lacework adorning my arms and neck or to readjust the layers of heavy silks draped about my chest and hips. While the garment was a stunning example of Separatist finery, the life it represented held no attraction to me, and I found myself loathing the way it clung to my figure just enough to impede my movement.

After wasting several minutes trying to secure the clasps at my back without stretching or tearing anything, I finally accepted defeat with a sigh and headed toward the chorus of voices in the neighboring room and had to swallow back the flare of self-consciousness at how quickly they fell silent the instant I tread through the door.

“Yeah, yeah; quit gawking. Who’s going to help me button this thing up?” I drawled, rolling my eyes as though my cheeks weren’t heated beneath a violent blush. Boost instantly shot up, beaming smile on his face, but Warthog slid his foot forward just enough to catch his brother’s ankle, sending the man crashing down with a sharp curse. I was laughing too hard to notice Sinker until he stood mere feet before me, waiting impatiently for me to turn my back to him. Flashing him a toothy grin, I spun around.

“Anything broken?” I called back upon hearing Boost’s deep groan.

“Just my pride…” He replied morosely, earning a fresh bout of chuckles as I pointedly ignored the careful movements of Sinker’s fingers gradually working up my spine.

“Any questions about your cover story?” The Sergent asked.

“I’d be a bit embarrassed if I did.” I answered, brow hitching as I glanced over my shoulder at him. “It’s almost too close to the truth for comfort.”

“Easier to make it believable that way.” He said dismissively. I knew he was right, and being able to call on actual memory to support my manufactured cover of being the daughter of a senator from Agamar admittedly lessened my anxiety of the façade. I didn’t doubt how quickly that anxiety would return upon reaching the gala, however; how alone I’d be as soon as I stepped off the platform and listened to the engines fade as Wolffe and his men acted their part of chauffer before circling around to infiltrate the grand structure elsewhere. I glanced down at the slim band about my wrist, noting how brilliantly the twined metals gleamed under the fluorescents.

“You sure this thing isn’t going to set off any sensors?” I asked, twisting my arm to begrudgingly admire the elegant jewelry.

“Getting nervous, civi?” I could hear the smirk in Sinker’s voice, and instantly shot him an unamused glare.

“As long as you don’t activate it until after you’re inside, you’ll be fine.” Boost reassured me as he finally pushed himself to his feet. “We’ll hear you loud and clear the whole time.” I forced my lips into a smile at his approach, though I found little comfort in his words. Once they were clear, they’d send a signal to the bracelet, causing it to buzz twice granting me permission to take my leave, and I knew I’d be painfully aware of its delicate weight the entire time, second guessing if I’d missed the subtle alert or worrying that someone else might notice it if it went off at an inopportune moment…

“I swear, if you just jinxed me, Boost…” I warned jokingly, earning a cheeky grin.

“That other squad has you all jumpy.” Warthog accused, stretching his legs out atop the now vacant couch. “I don’t remember you being so nervous with us.”

“You’re clearly forgetting that mission on Nal Hutta.” Sinker retorted, drawing an affronted scoff from me.

“You mean when you sold me to the karking hutts?!” Before I’d finished speaking, both Warthog and Sinker were laughing shamelessly. Only Boost had the good sense to look at least partially chastised.

“We got you back.” He reminded me, voice lilting between apology and compromise. Before I could more than twist my lips in reply, the door hissed open as Comet joined us.

“Hey! You clean up nicely, med’ika!” He greeted happily, utterly oblivious to the ire warming my blood. I gave a mock curtsy before letting out a small sigh.

“How close are we to leaving hyperspace?”

“Any second. Wolffe sent me to grab Warthog.” He answered, looking past me to where his brother lounged contently. The pilot let out a reluctant grumble but offered no further argument before grabbing his helmet and starting toward the cockpit as the ship shuttered slightly. This was the most dangerous moment; waiting to see if our clearance codes were accepted planet-side or if we’d be shot down before ever nearing atmo. The four of us waited in tense silence as the engines stalled, surely marking the beginnings of Warthog’s attempts to grant us access to land. Mere seconds later, everyone in the room let out a small breath of relief as the ship roared back to life.

“You ready?” Comet asked in a fond whisper.

“I’m just going into a room filled with people I’m trying to overturn without so much as a dagger to protect myself. Why wouldn’t I be ready?” Even that growing anxiety couldn’t quell the flood of affection at his gentle laugh, cheeks warming as he slipped his hand through my hair to touch his forehead softly against mine.

“You’ll do great.” How could I not believe him when he spoke with such unfettered quiet, that subtle smile granting each word an effortless confidence that swept the tension from my frame absent even the memory of doubt.

“Remember, we’ll be able to hear you the entire time. You just need to meet the contact, monitor security details, and get out when we tell you to.” Sinker’s attempt at crisp professionalism nearly hid the hint of his own worry from bleeding through, and I offered him a comforting smile as he lightly bumped his head to mine as well before he and Comet started toward the back rooms lest they be seen upon landing.

“Be careful, med’ika.” Boost murmured, shamelessly forgoing the routine keldabe kiss to lightly press his lips to my forehead.

The silence that fell around me after he joined his brothers was deafening; the fleeting calm granted by Comet’s innate quiet fading away beneath the impending reality of how many ways this mission could go wrong.

Just as the telltale shuttering of atmosphere jostling the ship began, the cockpit door slid open, instantly drawing my attention. Wolffe stood with his arms locked about his chest, head tilted down ever so slightly as he studied me with those unflinching, intense eyes. I felt my body still beneath his gaze, all thought toward sobbed apologies and shouted accusation abandoned in favor of the desire to simply remember every night I’d sought him out for the wisdom gained by the loss of too many brothers, for the unwavering conviction of his carefully metered responses in the face of every moment of crippling doubt and regret and fear that had haunted me in those first months after abandoning my home world.

I still felt the desperate need to know why he’d let me go, but some unspoken warning forbade me from asking, and my shoulders sank with a forfeited sigh.

“Don’t get yourself killed, kid.” It was such a rare thing for him to whisper like that, like there was so much more hanging on every word, painstakingly stifled into silence, allowed existence only in the way his jaw clenched in that forced stillness. My lips parted, chest swelling with a breath I knew I couldn’t risk releasing in anything other than a sharp exhale.

“You too, Wolffe.” I replied in that same, unsatisfied quiet. We both seemed to pause, almost pleading the other to break, to find some means of washing away the shadows cast by lips loosened beneath too much heartbreak and confusion in the hushed hours of night, but there wasn’t time for it. There never would be, and that was an agony I knew we’d simply have to live with.

The acceptance that softened those eyes drew a weary smile to my lips. With a small nod, he stepped back, allowing the door to close once more between us, and was again, I stood painfully alone, though that solitude felt somewhat lighter. I think I’d found myself expecting him to avoid me in the wake of my outburst, but I should have known better. Wolffe had never been one to hide regardless the weight of whatever decision or confrontation awaited him. It was simultaneously intimidating and envying, but my relief in not having to tread into the gala with that uncertainty cloying my thoughts was a blessing I was too eager to accept.

Music dominated the center hall, brass resonating through domed ceilings as strings sang of unknown sorrows and lost loves. What unearthly vocals accompanied the masterful orchestra lingered in subtle reverie rather than making any attempt to monopolize the attention of the dizzying number of senators and dictators and generals garbed in finery worth more than their citizens could hope to ever earn in their lifetimes floating about the grand ballroom careful only to avoid the disastrous social scandal of treading across the center stage absent a partner to mimic them in some pre-choreographed dance that had long since sacrificed all memory of passion in favor of empty symbolism that none cared to even pretend to remember.

I’d purposefully avoided all but the fringes of the room, save for a handful of forced conversations for the sake of my cover, head tilted up in silent judgement of those around me as I pretended to sip whatever pale liquid filled the crystal flute I’d been offered upon entering. B2 droids stood frozen in precise formation within enclaves built elegantly into the walls, almost more a decoration than true security. Their armor gleamed brilliantly beneath the enhanced candlelight flickering throughout the chandeliers floating overhead, void of scuffs or dirt or any signs that they’d ever seen battle. Still, I didn’t doubt how quickly they’d snap to attention at the faintest show of danger.

The droids weren’t my primary focus, however. Hidden within the higher echelon lingered just as many organic guards as those made of cold metals lining the gala. Each time I drew the glass to my lips, I counted off another half dozen, noting their clothes and species and any other details that might identify them. Years spent in the GAR left certain habits painfully obvious despite how the Separatist soldiers tried to blend in; shoulders held just so, the way their eyes scanned the room, the practiced tempo of their strides that only decades of intention could ever hope to unlearn.

My attention kept wandering back to those brave enough or bold enough or bored enough to find themselves gliding around one another in that antiqued dance, my lips just hinting at a smile as thoughts drifted far from this façade of self-importance. It was so easy to imagine Tech embodying the exact precision of those movements, tall form granting each stride an elegance lost to so many of those fumbling through the motions. I wondered how long Wrecker would humor the uninspiring steps before yielding beneath his desire to simply enjoy the moment; how his innate glee for life might grant new meaning to the music through a dance all his own. Hunter, surely, would find no joy in the act itself, but would amuse the both of us with whispered comments on those around us, noting groundless confidence in a nearby couple as one believed themselves far more accomplished than their clearly unimpressed partner, how he might create tales of how certain persons found themselves here when, in truth, they would prefer a stale beer in a raucous bar, while Echo would embody the perfect partner, matching movement for movement with a gentle conversation to free me of all thought toward where we were and who we were with; and Crosshair… I doubted any combination of pleas or promises would succeed in dragging him amidst the countless dancers yet found myself wishing for the chance to try all the same.

“That bracelet wouldn’t happen to be of Dal-Shay make, would it?” My gaze instantly snapped to the rugged voice, heart jilting at the codeword meant to reveal the contact I’d been sent to meet, and I froze, ice shooting through my veins and blistering beneath my skin. I knew those eyes. I knew those hands, and though his hair had thinned with age, I held no doubt toward who stood before me.

“I… I must be mistaken. Apologies.” He quickly murmured, head ducking politely as he began to step away.

“Uh; not at all.” I stammered, cheeks warming from the brief misstep, and stretched my arm toward him to reveal the telltale ornament. “You have a good eye.” Relief clearly shown in that eerily familiar face as I tried to convince myself that my initial assumption had to be some trick of the mind even as I found myself longing to ask if he remembered how his children laughed as he tried to teach them the very dance playing out before us.

“I understand we’re in for a treat with the gala’s speaker tonight.” He said warmly, attention turning to absently follow the orchestrated performance alongside me, shoulder just near enough to brush mine. I dropped my hand near his, shifting to block the brief contact of him slipping the tiny datachip between my fingers.

“I thought that was meant to be a surprise.” The feigned reprimand in my voice was enough to draw a chuckle from the older man, and I took the opportunity to appear mockingly insulted, arms crossing my chest that I might tuck the chip away through the lacework binding my neck.

“Whoever it is, I’m sure we’ll all be regaled with inspirational goals and haughty assurances primed to loosen ample credits to feed the war effort.” I continued in an uninterested sigh. He released a hum of agreement but let a moment of silence settle between us.

“May I ask you something?” I asked quietly. His attention flicked only briefly to me, lips pulling into the heartbreaking ruination of a smile.

“Of course.” There was a weary warmth to his voice that spoke toward a broken hope he couldn’t let go of.

“How did you come to find yourself here?” I offered no forged smile as I looked toward him, reflecting the solemn heaviness clear in his eyes as he drew a slow, deep breath.

“I lost my wife to the war.” I’d almost expected him to offer some pre-conceived dismissal, but there was no reservation in his reply; no effort to hide the way his words haunted him still. “Then I lost myself to the grief, and because of that, I lost my daughter, too. By then, it was too late to save my son, but I realized something. I could either continue drinking myself into a grave that wasn’t coming near quick enough, or I could try to do something.” He gave a small shrug, and I had to lock my cheek between my teeth to stem the threat of tears.

“’Something?’” I echoed, brow hitching slightly, and the flare of mischief that lit those eyes reminded me of endless afternoons filled with laughter and a love I hadn’t felt in far too long.

“Not gonna say my motives are entirely altruistic,” he admitted with a half-concealed smirk, “but it’s a hell of a lot better than lying around feeling sorry for myself.” Maker, I wanted to tell him… I wanted to make him look at my eyes and beg him to recognize me, but how could I? He’d found something to live for, and I couldn’t begin to guess how he’d react upon learning what had happened to me when I suddenly vanished… what happened to my brother…

“I think that’s amazing.” I murmured instead, voice just hinting at the tension coiling up my throat. He flashed me that smile once more, and I could feel every ounce of guilt and exhaustion weighing on him, but then he let out a small sigh.

“Probably best I see myself out right about now.” There was a gratitude in his words as he bowed his head. “It was a pleasure talking with you… Good luck.” My lips parted, and I only just managed to bite back the words screaming for breath.

“Take care.” The quiet whisper left in something just shy of a sob as I watched him start toward the main entrance, and I wondered how he’d made it past the iris scanners and blood tests that had taken the powerhouse of the Republic to see me through when I first entered those grandiose doors. I wondered if he’d found himself a part of some thriving network working against the Separatists from within, if he’d made new friends and new lovers that helped see him through the long nights and hopeless days. I wanted that for him. I wanted to find him when the war ended and tell him everything; to apologize for blaming him when I had no concept of how effortlessly loss could drown a person, and beg his forgiveness for my contribution to that loss, but, again, I found myself bound to a silence I loathed by the extraordinary circumstances we’d somehow placed ourselves in.

The pale liquid swirling within my glass suddenly looked far too tempting. Shoulders swelling beneath a carefully metered breath, I brought the chilled cup to my lips.

“Package acquired. Continuing patrol.”

Another half hour saw me through several more loops around the elaborate ballroom, with another dozen or so undercover soldiers identified and a final count on the displayed droids. I hated not knowing how Wolffe and the others were doing, if they’d reached their target or if they’d been captured… killed… I hated how my dread grew with each passing minute of hoping that damned bracelet would grant me some sign that they were alive, that we could leave, but I’d seen those men survive far more treacherous assignments than this. It would be foolish to doubt them now, nor was there anything I could do to quiet my fears either way.

“You seem frightfully alone tonight.” My attention snapped toward the crisp, well-spoken greeting to find a tall woman drifting to an easy stance a few feet from me.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” I retorted coyly despite the nervous trill dancing beneath my skin. She looked so nearly human; pronounced cheekbones emphasizing the powerful build of her jawline, jett-black hair falling midway down her neck, not a strand out of place beneath the carefully applied product slicking it back, but there was a subtle blue tint to her skin that left me feeling a chill despite the climate-controlled air filling the room.

“I suppose that depends on your preference toward the available company.” She yielded with a good-natured bow, pale lips just hinting at a smirk. I knew well enough to judge the broad width of her shoulders for the earnest strength and skill they represented rather than some consequence of mere vanity.

“It would seem rather bold to dismiss a building full of the most wealthy members of the Separatist Alliance.” I shot back, brow hitching slightly.

“And yet…” She motioned toward me with a knowing grin, and I found myself letting out a quiet chuckle.

“And yet.” I repeated, offering no argument to the implication.

“I think we might be each other’s solution to the monotony of tonight’s obligatory attendance.” My heart dropped at the implication in her words, the eagerness in hazel eyes garnished with streaks of crimson, mind already racing for some way to excuse myself. “Is there any way I might convince you to join me for a dance?” Kriff…. kriff, kriff, kriff… It took every ounce of self-control to school my expression into some façade of curiosity vailed beneath feigned disinterest.

“I’m afraid you’ll not find me nearly so capable as the partners already waiting near the stage.” I replied with a pointedly insincere apology, glancing toward eager faces standing at the edge of the dance floor silently hoping for someone to join them.

“Ah, but I’ve never been fond of accepting what is so effortless to take.” My jaw tensed at how fondly she mimicked my attempted dismissal. “You strike me as a challenge, and that is far more tempting than the promise of performing thoughtlessly repeated steps with equally thoughtlessly repeated conversation.” The thin chain suddenly felt impossibly heavy, attention desperately pleading for it to vibrate, for it to flutter with that quick signal that I might flee this place.

“I’m here neither to act as temptation nor cure for your boredom.” I retorted with no small hue of offense. The woman responded with a huff of abashed laughter.

“Of course.” She hummed ruefully. “And yet…?” I nearly rolled my eyes at the charming smile as she held her hand toward me, cursing the impossibility of my position. If I declined, would her wounded pride see her to one of the guards with questions none could answer? Would it be safer to humor her, if only to serve as distraction lest her curiosity reveal the fallacy of my identity? Could I even recall enough to mimic those swaying to music that deserved far grander celebration than the subdued series of near-touches and attentive gazes?

“And yet…” I sighed with an almost reluctant defeat as I lightly set my hand atop hers, and I wanted to sneer at the victory that lit her eyes. “I warn you, however; I haven’t partaken in this archaic dance since I was a child.”

“Shall I offer promises not to let you fall, nor laugh should you stumble?” I did roll my eyes at that, but she only chuckled gleefully, strides unfaltering as she led me to the edge of the dance floor, thumb resting so gently against my fingers that I barely felt it.

“You haven’t told me your name.” I noted without drawing my gaze from the closing flurries of motion in the encroaching finale of the song, desperately trying to recall how to perform those movements myself.

“And doesn’t that just make it all the more interesting?” She teased. I merely scoffed, fighting back the threat of panic upon watching the dancers offer their partners a low bow before taking their leave that the next batch might take their place.

“What’s it like on your planet?” She asked as we stepped forward. My chest ached from how violently my heart thrashed within me, barely able to keep the nervous tremble from legs hesitantly assuming the appropriate beginning pose.

“Cold.” I answered with a small shrug, as though I couldn’t be bothered to explain further. “I suppose the springtime is pretty enough – when the farmlands are in bloom.” The music began in a gentle, lilting murmur, guiding us through those first few steps absent embarrassment. I tried not to show how I struggled to offer even simple conversation in the midst of straining to fall back into some semblance of muscle-memory from lessons taken decades prior. “And you? What are your homelands like?”

“I wouldn’t know.” That drew my attention more pointedly to the woman effortlessly striding around me in careful rhythm to the growingly pronounced bass. “I was turned over to the state as an infant – grew up in various military schools until I was old enough to enlist.” There was neither grief nor shame in her voice, and I couldn’t help but respect her for that.

“Then you have both my condolences and my congratulations.” I said quietly with a respectful nod. “I suppose there must be something special about you to have seen you from such tragedy to where you now stand.” Her lips twitched with a prideful grin before she could fully suppress it.

“I should like to think so.” She answered, shoulders drawing back slightly as she stood just a hair’s breadth taller.

“Did you ever try to find them?” I asked, forgoing the social normalcy forbidding such potentially unpleasant topics. “Your parents?”

“Why would I?” She so nearly hid it, but I could hear the faintest note of contempt in that airy question. “They saw no reason to be in my life, so I’ve no reason to strive to be in theirs.” Freed of overthinking each movement, my body flowed naturally in time with hers, and I tried not to draw my own attention to that revelation lest I break whatever trance guided my limbs.

“There’s no weakness in seeking to understand why.” I paused as I spun away from her, glancing back to just catch her gaze over my shoulder until the next beat saw me facing her once more. “Nor is there weakness is mourning what their absence robbed from you.” A somber quiet eased the earlier glee from her eyes, though she made no effort to look away from me.

“I’ve had time to mourn.” She stepped just inches closer than she should have, and my heart balked at the sudden intimacy in those near-touches. “I’ve let myself feel anger at their abandonment, curiosity toward their motives, and I find myself in the same state of mind after each burst of emotion: gratitude.” My brow hitched at that, silently inviting her to explain. “Had they not surrendered me to the Alliance, I may never have committed myself so fully to its cause.” Oh. “As I am, there’s nothing to distract me from my mission,” Oh no. “And that freedom for absolute devotion is a boon few understand.” This woman was dangerous in ways I had no means of protecting myself against. I needed to run. Now.

“Nothing distracts you?” I pressed, fighting the way my eyes wanted to dart toward the main doors and forcing some taste of flirtation in my voice, expression carefully drawn into something resembling a teasing grin which she happily returned.

“There’s a difference between enjoying certain… pleasantries and allowing those pleasantries to become a hindrance.” I let out a quite scoff.

“Maker forbid anything of the sort.” The taunt barely caused the woman to narrow her eyes. “Still… the results speak for themselves.” I offered, pointedly letting my gaze travel down her meticulously kept form, drawing a haughty smirk to her lips.

She’d just drawn breath to reply when the music faded to an unexpected halt, notes hanging in the air just long enough to draw our attention away from each other, and I vaguely noticed the odd looks several of the other dancers kept shooting us before a man began to speak at the podium overlooking the ballroom from the second story, flanked by an ensemble of stern looking military commanders.

“Esteemed guests and colleagues, now that you’ve had time to partake in conversation, arts, and libations – enough, I hope, to loosen premeditated budgets – it’s time to announce our guest speaker!” A gentle laughter rolled through the crowd, some out of politeness, others clearly encouraged by too much drink.

“I’ve always found this part to be over played.” The woman murmured, leaning down enough for the warmth of her breath to trail over my ear, sending an unpleasant shiver down my spine, but I responded with a knowing glance.

“What? You don’t enjoy hearing various members of the ruling class pretend to fawn over each other out of civic duty?” Her shoulders shook with a quiet chuckle.

“Nor do I enjoy the painfully inadequate attempt at humility that follows.” She added, nearly groaning.

“But we shall clap when appropriate and cheer when it ends all the same.” I sighed, happily paying no attention to the introductory speech of whatever over-glorified parliament member had been chosen to parade before the others. It wasn’t until feeling the woman’s hand tug softly against my arm that I noticed her turn toward one of the grand staircases as the rest of the audience had just begun to applaud.

“Come with me.” She murmured, voice rich with what would, to most any other in the room, have been an intoxicating mixture of danger and confidence.

“What?” I couldn’t silence the depth of confusion, nor could I still those first few steps as she guided me forward. “You… uh-” Her eyes lit at my stammered attempts at speech, thrilling as my mind struggled to make sense of unspoken implications, and by then it was too late.

“You’re…” She merely answered my final attempt to grasp some understanding of what was happening with a broad smile, and it was all I could do to keep from breaking into a cold sweat as that earlier panic returned in force, but she’d already tread up that first step. There was no way I could escape this without causing a scene, though I didn’t doubt that some manner of a scene was precisely what she wanted. I’d shared empty words with enough of those around us to quickly be known as the unimpressive daughter of a senator from an unimpressive world, and what better way to stir some sense of self-entitled rivalry than to find oneself overlooked in favor of such an unimportant person as me? Those individuals were sure to go far beyond reasonable contributions in hopes of gaining the favor of the methodical woman leading me toward the focal point of this grand theater of insincerity.

With a smile far too charming for the charade she was clearly playing, the woman paused mere meters from the podium to offer me a final bow, warm hand slipping around mine to bring my fingers to her lips for a parting kiss, and I didn’t doubt how profoundly my cheeks darkened in a violent blush as she turned to the face the rest of the room. There was no way to escape amidst the countless eyes gazing and glaring and sneering up at me from below. I could risk no wrong move like this. I had no choice but to embody the smug aristocrat I’d striven all night to portray, at least until the speech ended and I might find myself overlooked in favor of those known to harbor far more wealth than one of my standing.

“My deepest gratitude to our lovely host!” She started, rich voice booming clearly through the room. “Both for his kind words and for the use of this gorgeous estate!” She took a half step back to look toward the man whose earlier speech I’d all but completely ignored, drawing her hands together to lead the crowd in another round of applause. “And, of course, to you!” She continued, arms sweeping out to motion to all those standing before her. “Friends, business partners, many a bit of both, and all irreplaceable to the overall success of this Alliance.” Another raucous cheer boomed within the towering walls.

“Let’s waste no time stepping around the reason for this albeit enjoyable party. I handpicked each and every one of you for one reason.” My heart dropped, body going painfully still as my eyes darted to the woman standing mere feet away from me. “I know you all to harbor the same profound loyalty as I do, and that loyalty calls on us to do all we can to put an end to this farce of a war!” I didn’t hear the roar of approval as ice danced beneath my skin in waves of frenzied dread. “We know that is a feat that cannot be bought with empty wishes and vague dreams.” ‘Handpicked’… That’s why she approached me…

“If you want a thing done, you must pay for it, be that with credits or time or blood – we all must sacrifice to lead our people to victory.” She knew I didn’t belong here and merely sought not to let me out of her sight as she gleaned what knowledge she could from me. “Many of you know my story, but for those that don’t, you may find yourself asking what I know of sacrifice to find myself justified in demanding it from all of you.”

There wasn’t time for her to say more, nor for me to fall further into that consuming panic of prey freshly caught in the jowls of some great beast. Before her voice faded from the far corners of the room, the world erupted in white. I couldn’t understand why I was no longer staring at the woman’s back; why distant screams sounded so strangely muted while my own breaths rang clearly beneath a deafening ringing; why I could feel the vibration of rushed footsteps reverberating against my cheek even as I watched my own hand struggling to push against the floor beneath me that I might force myself back to my feet.

That confusion lingered even as a shock-induced acceptance left those unknowns feeling far less important than they deserved, flittering awareness straining instead to merely react; to survive. My vision blurred as I fought to take in what was happening around me, broken thoughts reaching for some hint as to what I should do.

Smoke billowed from behind us, remnants of the shattered wall strewn over the floor in smoldering shards. Another might have balked at the bodies cast about the platform that once lined the speaker in some grand show of empowerment, many of which lay lifeless, illustrating the power of the blast in the form of ruined and lost limbs, blackened cloth atop blackened flesh burned too deeply to bleed, while others were far from still, motions just as desperate as their choked cries as they scrambled to haul themselves clear of the flames.

My hand slipped just as it had nearly gained purchase, dropping me harshly back to the hardwood beneath me. There was no thought beyond acknowledging that blood slickened the time-worn surface, nor was there any hope of discerning if it was my own blood or someone else’s. I merely felt the need to try once more to stand, muscles trembling in that vain, driving instinct to flee absent any hope for logic.

Vaguely, I watched several people rush the podium, recognized the orderly shouting so ingrained in medics and soldiers roaring orders between each other as they tended the orphan-turned-war leader who’d so easily ensnared me in her trap. I think one turned toward me but couldn’t make out their voices as reality flickered around me with a dizzying delay despite how I strained to drag myself back toward consciousness.

I barely noted the medic or soldier or whoever it was quickly tread away from mob, steps oddly booming and distant all at once even after he stopped to kneel beside me. If he spoke, I couldn’t make out his voice among the discordant chorus of confusion and panic, but I felt the sharp stab of needles piercing my neck before my mind sank away from that unapologetic chaos into a far more frightening darkness.

Next Chapter

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teetle-time · 5 months

Text

Live or Die, Man, We Need Each Other (Part 1 of ???)

Shortly after the invasion, Leo and his brothers go on their first post-Krang mission: stopping a different ominous group of occultists from summoning a being of unknowable power from another (non-prison) dimension to wreak havoc. Evil never rests, after all, even if he and his bros should probably still be recovering from their last big all-out battle.

Meanwhile, Danny just wants to take a fucking nap.

Surely this won't turn into something absolutely massive in scale that sucks them all in.

(or, so do yall remember that Danny Phantom crossover that's been haunting me? yeah lol behold. throwing some ghost king danny in a blender with the rise guys and some classic tmnt tropes that rise never really got a chance to explore, with an eventual side of textfic/chatfic, jack and maddie fenton trying to be good parents, dani, the epf, the giw, roughly one and a half farmhouse arcs, rise-ifications of minor characters from previous tmnt iterations, and *checks notes* shelldon my son <3)

Not actually posting to ao3 right away this time I think- I kinda wanna polish/tweak this bit a lil more first, but I figured this first bit works well enough on its own! also i wanted to infect yall w/ the brainworms because a mere 8 dp-only xovers on ao3 feels like it should be illegal <3

〜

There was an electric charge in the air as Leo peered down at the cultists from the rafters.

Considering the fact that the charge felt like a portal despite Leo's lack of portaling intent, he would bet away his rights to the final pizza slice for a month that something was about to come through.

The cult below (not the Foot, shockingly enough) had chanted enough Latin that Donnie had gone pale upon checking his tech for a translation, so that 'something' probably wasn't good, either.

Just how Leo wanted to spend the end of his first full day off his crutches.

Really.

(Idly, he wondered if there was any point to being so bitingly sarcastic in his own mind when nobody could hear him anyway.)

He met Raph's eyes, then Mikey's, then Donnie's, each of them mirroring his own resignation and resolve.

"Veni ad nos, Rex inquieti Mortuorum!" cried the cultists as one. "Veni ad nos ut serviamus tuo glorioso proposito in mundo viventium!"

Leo opened the mind meld for a split second. Right, so I caught "rex," "mortuorum," and "serviamus." All in favor of sending these idiots to the Pain Train?

That got matching smirks from his brothers, and Leo grinned back before flipping down from the ceiling and dropping into the main mass of observing cultists. "Hey, guys, I think I got a bit lost. I was looking for the bathroom, but it looks like I found a bunch of would-be world-conquerers instead!"

The face of one of the lead cultists, the one at the head of the summoning circle, contorted into an expression of rage almost comically intense- and, to be quite honest, second only to Casey's extremely emotive face.

And then the rest of the cultists swarmed him.

Luckily, his brothers had only been a split second behind him, and the four of them wove between cultists with ease when possible and laid the hurt on 'em when slipping through wasn't an option.

"We gotta break that circle!" called Mikey worriedly. "Barry told me even circles half as ornate still summon things way above our pay grade!"

"We're getting paid?" quipped Leo, even as he zeroed in on the circle and slashed his katanas through the air. "What, we get an allowance now?"

No portal of his own appeared, his energy immediately flowing into the air just above the circle instead. Lovely.

As Leo inwardly rolled his eyes and just pressed further through the mass of people, Raph's crimson projection shot overhead. "POWER SMASH JUTSU!"

While Raph did successfully manage to bring his glowing fists down on the circle with enough force to shake the ground and knock the cultists nearest him off their feet, the circle only glowed an ominous acid green, completely untouched despite the now-massive cracks in the concrete around it.

The lead cultist laughed from where he'd fallen to the ground. "Yes! Yes! The King has heard our call and is coming to do our bidding!"

Leo watched in horror as the acid green crackled into icy blue, and as the temperature plummeted, an eerie voice rang through the warehouse.

"Uh, the only bidding I was planning on doing today was in an online auction for a rare piece of Dumpty Humpty merch."

What.

All motion froze, and Leo found himself gawking as smoke billowed from the circle before coalescing into…a white-haired humanoid teenager.

"And I'm pretty sure that auction just got sniped from me with 10 seconds left on the clock, but instead of getting the chance to snipe it back, I got yanked out here," snarked the teenager, glaring at the hooded cultists with eyes the same acid green as the circle had been.

One of his eyebrows lifted slightly at the sight of Leo and his bros, but otherwise he paid them no mind.

One of the cultists spluttered. "What-?! You're not the Ghost King!"

The teen's face went flat. "No, actually, I'm pretty sure I am. Wasn't planning on it, but, yknow, the old guy picked a fight with me a few years back. If it's him you wanted, uh…you're shit outta luck. I don't really do things his way."

The cultists all started turning towards the teen in anger, but-

One.

One single flick of his wrist, and the cultists were all encased in ice, save for small holes just in front of their noses and mouths.

That was all it took.

The teen groaned and dropped his head into his hands, some of the eerie reverb fading from his voice. "And today's a test day."

"Uhhh…" said Leo intelligently.

The teen stiffened, then stood up straight and scratched at the back of his neck with a sheepish grin. "Ah, shit, sorry about all this. Were these idiots trying to sacrifice you? Cultists have a tendency to do that, even though I keep telling them not to."

"Um, no…Your Majesty…?" tried Raph, his voice rising to a squeak at the end.

"Ugh, ew, please no." The teen grimaced. "You can just call me Phantom. Or my first name, but I'm not really sure I wanna say that out loud with these guys right here." He hooked a thumb over his shoulder at one of the cultists, who helpfully made a furious little peep in the ice.

"Fair enough," said Mikey, getting his metaphorical feet under him just before Leo could. He clapped his hands together cheerfully, and only Leo's lifetime of growing up with Mikey let him still see his younger brother's nerves. "So, are there any rules or anything for that summoning circle that need to be put into action before you can go back to your online auctions?"

Phantom shrugged. "I mean, technically if there's still somebody conscious around, I still have to make a deal before I can leave, but I'd be willing to get these guys to the cops with evidence of their crimes in exchange for directions back to Illinois."

Leo met Donnie's eyes. He could see the urge to ask Phantom every question in the English language.

Donnie shot him a pleading look.

Leo pressed his beak together thinly, then smiled at Phantom. "As long as that evidence doesn't include us four. And also my twin bro over there wants to be able to ask you things. Probably all the things."

"I can keep you out of it," Phantom agreed immediately. "I know what it's like to wanna stay on the down-low, trust me. Though…I probably can't stay very long, but I can make an email address so we can keep in touch?"

"That would be splendid!" declared Donnie, a grin already splitting his face.

"Sweet," said Phantom. With a snap of his fingers, the cultists and their icy cases shot out the door, the circle's light died, and a slip of paper appeared in front of Donnie. "Now, uh…how do I get to Illinois?"

Seeing Donnie preoccupied with entering the text on the paper into his systems, Leo went to pull out his phone, but Raph beat him to it, already opening up TelloMaps and showing Phantom. "Well, it's a bit of a ways away, but-"

Phantom's hands flew up to grab at his hair. "I'M IN NEW YORK?!"

Leo frowned. "Hey, what's wrong with New York?"

"Nothing!" said Phantom far too cheerily, already lifting into the air. "Except! It is an almost 900 mile flight and I have cl-uh, gotta be somewhere in under two hours! Gotta go, I'll keep in touch, can't stay any longer BYE!"

And he shot out one of the upper windows in a flash, leaving only a skybound sonic boom in his wake.

Leo blinked. "…huh. D'ya think he knows I could just portal him there, or…?"

Mikey visibly deflated into Donnie's side. "Ohhhmegosh, Barry's gonna lose it when I tell him about this."

"Woah, woah, hold on, who says we gotta tell him anything?" Leo asked.

"Bro, the 'old guy' Phantom mentioned?" Mikey quirked a brow ridge at him. "That'd be Pariah Dark, a violent ghost who ascended to the ghost throne right about when humanity was learning about this hot new thing called 'fire.' Barry taught me about it on, like, my second day of mystic training. Dude was so big and bad his subjects had to revolt and lock him up, like the Shredder on steroids except without the evil armor possessing him."

Donnie pressed his palms together and lifted them against his beak, the perfect picture of someone who'd just realized something horrifying. "Is the throne passed down through, perchance, a line of conquest?"

Mikey nodded. "But usually mystics tend to figure that anybody who could beat Pariah Flippin' Dark would be even bigger and badder than him. Except…"

Raph's face was turned down in a thoughtful frown. "He sounded…kinda like a normal human teenager our age. Except for the 'dead' thing. Did he actually mention Dumpty Humpty, or was Raph just hearing things?"

"If he'd known there'd been a change in power, Barry would've told me," Mikey continued. "Not just because I'm his favorite, but because he knows I'm just chaotic enough to think about trying bigger things on my own, and learning about the Ghost King is kinda huge."

"Only thinking, though, right, Mikey?" prodded Raph sternly.

"Scout's honor!" chirped he immediately.

"Is that even something we can say after we failed at being Todd Scouts…?" Leo trailed off.

"Casey made me an honorary Brownie Scout when she came to visit after the invasion and you guys were all out cold," said Mikey unapologetically.

"I wonder what happened 'a few years back,' and what a white-haired fellow teen from Illinois had to do with it," mused Donnie, helpfully bringing the conversation back around to the important bit.

"Betcha Hueso might be in the know," Leo suggested. "He's a yokai instead of a ghost, but being a skeleton yokai might mean he knows stuff like this."

"Let's get home before we do anything else," said Raph. "I can see Leo's legs shaking under his weight."

"What?" Leo protested. "My legs aren't-!"

Unhelpfully, his knees knocked together hard enough to draw his attention to where they were, in fact, shaking from the effort of holding himself up.

"Ah, crud," Leo groaned. "Never mind. I can still portal us home, though, at least."

"That's what I thought," Raph snorted. "Besides, I think this whole Ghost King mess can probably wait until we're all sitting down, if that's the new guy."

Mikey nodded. "Gotta give ya that. Barry'll probably still make a funny face, though."

"Eh, let him." Leo hefted himself up onto Raph's shell, then leaned to the side and sliced a portal open. "Vámanos!"

〜

As Danny streaked over Pennsylvania, he dug out his phone and started tapping at the email app Tucker had coded a few months back. It'd been mostly for laughs- who on Team Phantom even needed email when they all had Fenton Phones? and even regular phones, nowadays?- but it was just as secure as everything else Tucker made, and as it turned out, it was exactly what he needed this morning.

Better to have it open in the background so he knew when the purple turtle guy got around to emailing him.

Once he made sure he still remembered his password, he pocketed the phone again and pushed himself a little faster. He'd clearly gotten faster since the last time he'd checked- the sonic boom was honestly his first clue- but he couldn't keep that kind of speed up for very long yet, and he was still over…looked like Ohio, now.

Oh, wait, there was a 'welcome to Ohio' sign just up ahead- and he passed it.

Now he was in Ohio.

All that to say, he still couldn't afford to slow down in distraction for very long if he wanted to get to class in a bit more than an hour.

As if waiting for Danny to think exactly that, his phone buzzed.

He tugged it back out to check, and it buzzed again in his hand.

The first notification was a text from Jazz: 'I saw you weren't in your room just now. Fight or flight?'

The second was an email from an [email protected] an email that seemed more like an essay, if the shortened version in the notification meant anything.

Danny grimaced, made sure he was aligned with a highway down below so he wouldn't drift off-course, and tapped out a response for Jazz.

'flight. bookin it rn, p far. tell u later, but im ok'

She responded with an immediate thumbs-up and smiley emoji combo.

"Never change, Jazz," Danny huffed with a grin.

Then he tried to look at the email.

'Tried' being the key word.

Luckily, the purple turtle had prefaced his email with the sentences 'You are welcome to answer this once you have the time. You did mention being in a rush at the moment.'

Relieved, Danny shoved his phone back in his pocket and turned his attention towards his own personal Get-Back-Home 100% Speedrun.

#self fic #the dp xover vision #rise #tmnt #danny phantom #dp #rottmnt #save rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #save rise of the tmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rise of the tmnt #save rottmnt #this may read like a 'danny is ridiculously OP in comparison to the other fandom' but it's more of a #'danny is ridiculously OP. the teetles are ALSO ridiculously OP.#the teetles have only just found out about danny but danny is about to find out more abt the teetles'#there will be mutual fanboying as the basis of their friendship aksbajdbajsbajaha

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finch-velutina · 28 days

Text

Gear 5 Foreshadowing/Analysis

One of the things that absolutely delighted me about gear 5 was how natural it felt for Luffy. It was Luffy to a T - which is what makes it so incredible! That's the best part of him :)

I learned about Gear 5/Joyboy/Sun God Nika like a month after starting One Piece, and I was just able to see how every element of the show was building up to this.

luffy vs. kaido fight spoilers under readmore

GEAR 5 GEAR 5 GEAR 5!!

Part of the reason it feels so natural is because of how it shows that the Devil Fruit's Awakening builds on Luffy's growth and understanding of his powers, particularly his use of all 4 gears, which are all incorporated and clearly referenced in the Gear 5 fight:

Gear 1- Luffy interacting with lightning!! Because since we have known since Skypiea, rubber is nonconductive, meaning luffy isn't affected by it. Luffy grabbing the lightning strikes and using it to catapult him around? That's gomu gomu no rocket! On top of that, he manages to become the lightning and swoop towards Kaido (in a move that looks a lot like Python). He's able to combine his base rubber powers in a wild and wacky way, and absolutely loves it :)

Gear 2 comes in play in this incredible screenshot from the fight after Luffy restarts the Drums of Liberation. Gear 2 is also about controlling bloodflow and breathing - and by extension, the heartbeat!! Its all there. Thank Gear 2 for luffy's auto-defibrillation skills.

Gomu Gomu no Giant is the logical progression of Gear 4 Boundman, (which builds on gear 2 and gear 3 as well). It's like a version of Luffy without the additions

Gear 3: ... Yeah, this one is pretty obvious.

But the most important aspect of Luffy it brings in from his previous fights is his silliness. From the shocked face Crocodile gives him when he sees Water Luffy to Kaido's eyes popping out as he uses him as a jump rope. Things that seem meaningless, like his Gomu Gomu no UFO move. (I had to include this because I thought about how Joyboy it was from the moment i saw it. He's just joyously having fun in weird ways!! <3)

The magic of Gear 5 is in how everything from before comes together and combines seamlessly, which brings us to section 2:

Foreshadowing of Joyboy

Luffy has always been the sun. Tanjiro has nothing on Luffy for Most Sun Coded Anime Protagonist. Luffy is from the East Blue on Dawn Isle. One could say he rose from the East. The beginning of his story is called romance DAWN. This is from other posts that delve into it more, but luffy has been liberating people from the start- Koby, Zoro, Shells Town. Thats just how he rolls, it's part of his existence- Luffy will see someone oppressed, think "Is anyone going to help them free themselves?" and not wait for an answer. Punching a celestial dragon? That's ridiculous. But Luffy was made to do ridiculous things.

Skypiea, which is where we learn about Joyboy, has Luffy facing off against Enel and winning easily because of his nonconductiveness - the true god destroying the false one.

On Fishman Island, he frees Shirahoshi from her prison and promises to take her to see the sun. Another aspect is the symbol of the sun pirates being changing the celestial dragon's slavemark into a SUN. Luffy also takes away the giant shadow of Noah hanging over them.

Dressrosa? Known for it's SUNflowers.

When Luffy loves and accepts sanji, freeing him, the sun literally dawns on him. One of my fave moments with him. (To go into sanji & his wano arc i would need a whole different 1000 word essay on him. Bbg u are simply so fucked up)

Wano arc amps up the dawn = freedom references by 100. referencing the dawn 24/7, having luffy become a slave

Luffy has always been free because he is himself.

#one piece analysis #monkey d. luffy #one piece

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engie-the-profit · 10 months

Note

What are your thoughts on Infidget (the ship of Infinite and Gadget the Wolf)?

i think its fine? i dont inherently dislike it or anything, and i dont mind seeing it from time to time. the only thing that i dont like is like, a lot of the shipping community's interpretations of it. and by that i mean the people that twinkify and feminize gadget into being a little wooby baby that cant do anything without his big strong man and infinite is just the stereotypical scary-on-the-outside soft-on-the-inside masc/male/im a man/im he him boyfriend. either that or gadget is fine and its just infinite who is extremely out of character. i had a lot of "he would not fucking say that" moments with infinite when infidget was at its most popular bc these kinds of depictions were everywhere and it was really annoying

the only version of infidget ive ever shipped was a lovers to friends to enemies to... somethings type deal where they dont go back to how they used to be by the end but its not vitriolic, they just outgrew each other in their own ways during the events of forces. that or their relationship cant get mended at all and theres no closure bc infinite dies or whatever like he did in canon. and i know this is the best version of infidget bc i made it up, thanks

i actually shipped it before forces even came out bc i thought that that was sort of the route that sonic team was going to take with tying the avatar into the story. it made sense to me for the avatar (or in this case gadget) to have some sort of previous history or connection with infinite bc in my onion, that makes their dynamic a little spicier and more compelling. in my version, gadget and infinite (then zero) used to be very close until zero started getting more involved with a local gang, the jackal squad, which began to drive a wedge between them until they got more and more distant from each other. and then some more time passes and gadget hasnt heard from zero for a long time and then the events of forces start. i think part of the idea was from this dialogue that we got to hear when footage of infinites second battle came out before the game itself:

(image text reads as infinite saying "and those eyes.. i feel like we've met before.")

-which implied that the avatar and infinite had history. which was technically true, but it was within the timeline of the game bc it turned out he was referring to like. the flashback cutscene of the avatar being too scared to fight back the first time they ran into infinite before joining the resistance, so it wasnt what i was hoping for

another reason iirc was uhhhh whatshisface? sega scourge on youtube? they made a theory video about infinite getting his mind wiped by the ruby or something and that added fuel to the fire. its a really cool concept and while i dont think that the avatar wanting to avenge those they lost is necessarily bad, i feel like its just kind of meh for the kind of story forces was trying to tell, what with the friendship-is-cool themes and whatnot. so i thought the avatar/gadgets arc was going to be we get to find out how they and infinite (or at least just the former lol) know each other, and how infinite became infinite in the first place, and gadget wanted to both help put a stop to everything but also get his friend back through, you guessed it, the power of friendship. hooray! i read a really good fic that was like that called til we touch the sun on a03 (that fic still makes me go insane thinking about it) that went with a sidestory for gadget that was quite similar to what i just described

plus the idea of infinite and gadget having shared a past but only one of them remembers it and now has to deal with a monster that looks like who they used to be but is no longer the same in every other regard due to them going dark side (willingly or unwillingly) is super angsty. and i like my ships raw and some degree of brutal for the soul. it keeps me young

but yeah im overall neutral. tl;dr: infidget is a fine ship, i just wish it had more canon-supported flavour and i wish the majority of shippers would stop writing infinite so poorly to make him fit properly into their milquetoast domestic fluff romances, but whatever. we all get enjoyment out of different things, even if theyre wrong :3 (for safety reasons i have to disclose that the previous statement was a joke)

#he said ask #thats my new ask tag. nickisnotgreeners understand the reference #fortywholecakes #engie.txt #infidget #sonic forces #gadget the wolf #infinite the jackal #sth #and i just have to reiterate that i dont think that anyone who does twinkify gadget or any other chars for ships are bad people #i just think its really boring and heteronormative to make a male char excessively feminine just for the sake of a ship #like do we have to talk about how assigning hetero-relationship roles onto queer couples is weird and stupid #or can we not bc i thought that got left in 2015 #i should also add that i have not been in the infidget tag in years so idk what people are up to nowadays #hopefully more progressive than 2018 lol

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herrmannhalsteadproduction · 1 year

Text

Wingman? Wingwoman? Wingperson. (Chapter Four)

Summary: This is Part Seventeen of my series A Herrmann/Halstead Production. It is an AU where Christopher Herrmann's mom had an affair with Pat Halstead resulting in a baby. The series follows this OC character (Rebecca "Bex" Herrmann) as she grows up and gets to know her brothers and the various Chicago teams. It is very much an AU, just to underscore that. It doesn't follow the same timeline and characters will follow different paths.

Click here for the Series Rundown where you can find the links to read all of the previous installments (which I highly recommend you do so that this one makes sense.)

Rating: Teen and Up

Relationships: Christopher Herrmann & Original Female Character, Jay Halstead & Original Female Character, Will Halstead & Original Female Character, Jay Halstead & Will Halstead, pre-Greg 'Mouse' Gerwitz/Original Female Character, Will Halstead/Connor Rhodes, Assorted OC Couples

Warnings: Referenced Domestic Violence and Threatening Behaviour (these are warning tags for a brief scenes with Ty), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Rejection, Self-Sabotage, Swearing, and I'm adding Emotional Whump because writing this one hurt me, but also on the flip side - Connor and Will still being too freaking cute to handle.

A/N: To underscore my previous note, this is an alternate universe so things have unfolded differently. This will not follow the canon arc exactly by any means. But I hope you'll still enjoy it!

Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Bex

Will called them back in the middle of the afternoon and it was pretty much the best phone call Bex had ever received. Top five for sure.

Her brother was giddy and the two of them were just as bad, drawing stares as they did a happy dance in the middle of the sidewalk. He couldn’t talk long since he had to go back to work, but promised to tell them the whole story later that night.

After his date.

“You’re next, Bex! You got this!” Will’s whispered cheers echoed out of the speaker phone. “I’ve got to get back to work, but I believe in you! Love you, bye!”

He disconnected before she could respond, leaving her standing there holding the phone and giggling as soon as she made eye contact with Emery.

“I would love to be a fly on the wall there for the rest of the day,” Bex said, still chuckling. “He is so spun.”

“That’s going to be you soon enough!” Emery knocked shoulders with her. “Got a game plan yet?”

“Still a work in progress,” Bex mumbled and Emery shook her head.

“Take your own advice, Bexie Babe,” she said. “And breathe.” She linked arms with Bex as they headed back toward the car. “What else was it you said to Will? You’ve already got something great and this is just taking a step toward something even better.”

It had certainly worked out for Will.

“Speak from the heart,” Emery continued. “You’re good at that.”

Breathe and speak from the heart. That seemed straightforward enough. “Okay, yeah,” Bex said, taking a shaky breath. “I’ve got this.”

“Say it again with confidence,” Emery demanded.

“I’ve got this,” Bex yelled.

“Yeah, you do!”

They high-fived and climbed into the Tin Can 2.0 to finish off the rest of their errands. High on Will’s success, they managed to zip through the remainder of the list and soon enough, Bex was dropping Emery off at Kira and Malia’s.

She waited until Emery was safely inside before getting ready to pull out of the parking and just as she was about to leave, her phone went off with a series of dings.

Picking it up, she swiped the screen to see a bunch of messages from Emery.

Pep talk texts before you go! Breathe! Be brave! Remember – horrible, horrible honesty.

And the last one was a bunch of emojis: lips, heart hands, and—

“Seriously?” Bex laughed as she dumped her phone back in the cup holder, ignoring the string of eggplant finishing off the message. Mission accomplished in any case.

A game plan was starting to form…

She felt lighter.

She felt ready.

Well, she needed to grab one more thing and then, she’d be ready.

***

Adam

As far as work days in Intelligence went, this one was actually kinda boring? With a break between cases, Voight had declared it paperwork day which sucked, but at least Adam was all caught up now.

Unlike Halstead, Atwater, and Upton who were still upstairs typing away. Dawson and Olinsky had ducked out awhile ago—no idea how they’d managed to be so fast.

Al typed with two fingers.

Kim was finished too so they’d made plans to meet up for pizza and a beer. He jogged down the front steps of the precinct, whistling to himself and feeling pretty pleased with—

“Adam.”

“GAH!” He flailed away, nearly falling off the last step when Bex popped up out of nowhere.

Where the hell had she come from?

“You’re awfully jumpy,” she said mildly, leaning up against the railing with a tray holding two iced drinks in her hands.

“What are you doing here?” He looked around, trying to keep one eye on her and the other scouting for traps. “If you’re looking for Jay, you’ll be waiting awhile.”

“I’m here to attend to…other business.” She maintained eye contact with him while picking up one of the drinks to take a slow sip.

Other business. Like…revenge business.

“Right. Cool,” Adam said, keeping a careful distance away from Bex as he navigated around her on the sidewalk. “I’ve gotta go, but I’ll see you around.” He kept her in his sights, walking backwards toward the parking lot.

“Not if I see you first,” she called out.

Yeah.

He was inspecting every inch of his car before he got in it today.

***

Bex

That was fun.

She watched Adam scuttle off with a smirk.

“Bold move terrorizing folks outside of a police station,” a familiar voice said.

She spun around to see Mouse standing on the steps behind her, mouth quirked in a crooked little grin.

“They all know it’s justified,” she said, waving a hand at the precinct in general.

Mouse chuckled for a moment until his gaze met hers. All the good humour slowly faded away and tendrils of doubt started to creep into Bex’s mind.

He cleared his throat and adjusted his bag on his shoulder. “So, uh, you looking—you looking for Jay?” He jerked a nod back at the door. “I think he’s gonna be an hour or so still.”

“Actually, I came here to see you,” she said and his gaze snapped back to her.

“Me?” He looked like a deer in headlights and Bex wished she could hear what he was thinking because this one-eighty in his behaviour lately was giving her whiplash.

***

Mouse

Mouse couldn’t breathe.

He’d been trying so hard to keep his distance—to take some time so he could be around Bex and not want…fucking everything.

But now here she was. Standing there looking beautiful with a smile of pure sunshine and she was here for him.

And he couldn’t.

Breathe.

How was he supposed to do this?

“I got you one of those iced caramel monstrosities you like,” she said with a teasing grin, holding out a cup with a familiar logo. His favourite coffee shop from three streets over.

He unclenched a hand from the strap of his bag and reached out to accept it with a jerk. “Thank you,” he managed to say.

“Soooo…” Bex tossed the tray in the trash and rocked back on her heels, taking a small sip of her drink. “You busy right now?”

Say yes and walk away.

Say yes.

Walk.

Away.

“Well, I’ve got this monstrosity to work my way through now,” he said instead, clearly not in control of his own mouth anymore.

“What do you think about taking a walk with me while you do that?” Bex asked, fingers clenching on her cup as she bit at her lip.

If he was a better man… a stronger man…he would say no. Mouse could see where this was headed from a mile away. It had been building for weeks. Months really.

There was never any real possibility of hiding from it. Distance was never going to stop it.

Inevitability made him a weak man. He needed to live in this fantasy for a few moments longer and pretend that this was his life. That he and Bex were taking this step toward something more.

Something great.

Instead of a mistake.

He wanted a few more minutes to pretend he could have this because when it ended how he knew it was going to end…the fantasy would be all he had left.

Mouse wanted to hold onto as many scraps as he could.

“Yeah,” he murmured, hating himself for giving in to this desperate need. “I could go for a walk.”

***

Bex

Bex and Mouse walked down the sidewalk together, bumping arms occasionally as they drifted into each other’s space. He filled her in on the boring day of paperwork they’d had and she told him about Emery’s progress.

Easy chit-chat that barely masked the humming tension between them.

She was doing this. Bex could hardly believe it, but she was doing this. The first part of the plan—get Mouse’s attention with a tasty beverage—has been successfully navigated and now she just had to make it through step two.

Set the stage.

There was a little garden park a block south of the precinct. Erin had actually introduced her to it one time when they met up for coffee. It was fairly quiet, nicely shaded, and had the added benefit of being relatively neutral ground that she and Mouse could both escape from if things went seriously south.

Plus a nice little bench they could make out on if things went seriously well.

…way to get ahead of yourself, Bex.

She deftly steered them into the park and made a beeline for the bench, patting the spot beside her for Mouse to take a seat.

He veered left instead, taking a spin around to look at the flowers.

Okay.

That was fine. She could pour her heart out while standing just as easily.

Well, not easily either way, but whatever.

Bex left her drink on the bench and wandered over to Mouse’s side. He was staring hard at a bed of daylilies, jaw clenched.

He looked stressed.

…maybe this wasn’t the right moment.

But what if there was never a right moment? There was always something going on and finding a perfect time was probably never going to happen.

And if he was freaking out about them getting closer, then there was never going to be a moment unless she took the initiative.

So.

Time to leap.

“Mouse,” she said quietly, but still managing to startle him. “Sorry. Um, I came looking for you today because there’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”

His forehead furrowed into a deep frown. “Bex—”

“Just let me get this out, okay?” She said in a rush, holding up a hand to ward off whatever he was going to say. She’d come too far to stop now.

“We’ve known each other for…a long time now,” Bex said with a little laugh and he smiled back at her faintly. “You’re one of my best friends, but I feel like lately, we’ve been getting even closer and it feels like we’re moving toward something—something more than friends.”

Oh, god, could she be any more awkward?

Focus, Bex.

“What I’m trying to say is that I would like that. And I’ve been getting the feeling that you would too,” she said, voice going up in a questioning note. “So, would you like to go on a date? With me?”

Bex held her breathe as all her hope and fear and excitement swirled in one terrified vortex.

Mouse’s eyes went wide. “Bex, no—”

Her brain stuttered to a halt and the vortex stopped.

Everything was silent.

Then that crack, the one deep inside that had been patched up so crudely, split and opened its jagged maw.

She—

She’d done it again.

What the hell was wrong with her?

To think that Mouse could lo—that he might—

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I think I misjudged what was happening here and—oh, gosh. I’m so sorry, Mouse, please forget I said anything, okay?”

“No, Bex, no—” He grabbed at her arm to stop her very necessary retreat and she couldn’t look him in the eye because she was two seconds away from losing it.

“Not no no,” he said and what did that mean? Did he not know any other words right now?

“I’m trying.”

Oh. She’d said that out loud.

“Bex, please look at me,” Mouse said and it was the desperate note in his voice that had her looking up. “Not no, I don’t want to, but no, I can’t. We can’t.”

“What do you mean, we can’t?” Bex halted her escape attempts and now Mouse wouldn’t meet her gaze. “I need a little bit more here, Mouse, because I’m so confused.”

“You didn’t misjudge anything,” he said softly. “There was something there.”

…was.

“I thought about being with you. Wanted that so much.”

She reached out to lay a gentle hand on top of his. “Me too,” she said. “Don’t you think it’s worth trying?”

Mouse shook his head in a rough jerk. “It would be a mistake,” he said flatly, stepping back.

“Or it could be amazing,” Bex said. “And honestly, I’d put better odds on that outcome.”

“No, it would never work—”

“I think you could give us both a little more credit.” Frustration was starting to edge out the shock now.

“It wouldn’t be you,” Mouse said, looking out at the garden with a thousand-yard stare. “I would mess it up, Bex. There are things you don’t know about me—”

“But I want to know—”

“I could never be who you need me to be.” He tapped a fist against the centre of his chest. “I can’t give—there’s no way it wouldn’t end in disaster, Bex and then—I’d lose you.”

She didn’t know what to say. How to break through this horrible imaginary scenario he’d spun for himself. “Mouse, no—”

“I’d lose you,” he said, firm now in his conviction. “And I’d lose Jay and I can’t do that, Bex. You and Jay are the most important people—you’re my family.”

Mouse moved back into her space suddenly, gripping her hands in his. “I can’t risk it. Do you—please understand, Bex,” he said, voice breaking. “Losing you and Jay would be it for me. I couldn’t survive that. I can’t—it would—”

“Okay.” Bex fought to keep her voice level as the reality of things finally settled in. “It’s okay, Mouse. I understand.”

There would be no convincing Mouse that his fears were unfounded.

She couldn’t say with one hundred percent certainty that they weren’t because no one could predict the future—although Mouse seemed to think he could—and maybe they would end in disaster.

She’d rather try and see how it went then never try at all, but it took two of them to make that decision. Bex liked to think that their friendship could survive a break-up, but maybe that was her being naïve.

Maybe Mouse was saving them from a broken future, but that thought didn’t do anything to fix the widening crack of pain and grief spreading through her.

They were trading possible, imaginary future heartache for very real heartache right now.

How was this better?

Bex dug deep and forced a small smile on her face. Mouse looked like he was careening toward a panic attack and she knew how hard it must have been for him to get all of that out.

The last thing she ever wanted was for him to lose his family.

For them to lose each other.

For them both to fall apart.

At least she had more people to help her pick herself back up.

Mouse had Jay.

And he had her.

She could suck it up and hold them both together for now.

“You are never going to lose us, Mouse,” she said, squeezing his hands back. “You’re my family too and I don’t know if you’ve noticed this about us Herrmanns, but once we latch on to you, you’re stuck with us for life.”

They both chuckled a little wetly at that.

“We will always be friends,” she said. “We will always be family. Nothing could ever happen to make us lose each other.” She shifted their hands into a pinky swear. “I promise.”

He stared down at their joined fingers as she shook them. “I’m so sorry, Bex,” he began.

“Shut up.” She released his hands and pulled Mouse into a hug. He held stiff for a moment before putting his arms around her and holding tight. “Believe that we’re going to be okay,” she said. “That’s all I want from you.”

“Okay,” he whispered into her hair.

She’d try to believe it too.

They had to be.

***

Mouse

Bex left shortly after that, saying she had to pick up Emery.

Mouse stayed in the little park, sitting on the bench and peeling at the edges of the label on his cup thinking that if he waited long enough…the ache in his chest would go away.

That the knowledge he’d done the right thing would kick in and he wouldn’t feel like he’d gone ahead and destroyed everything that mattered the most to him anyway.

But deep down, he knew.

He knew—

This wasn’t how doing the right thing was supposed to feel.

***

Bex

Bex sat in her car outside of Kira and Malia’s building.

She’d somehow found her way back to the Tin Can and driven all the way there without noticing and that was definitely not good. She was lucky she didn’t get into an accident.

The sun was beating down on the windshield making it rapidly more uncomfortable in her sweat-sticky seat, but she couldn’t move yet.

Not when moving meant facing people and facing people meant telling them—

She couldn’t move yet.

Her phone buzzed and she fished it out of the cupholder to check the message.

Will.

Checking in to see how it went.

Oh, god, she couldn’t tell him. He’d totally cancel his date with Connor and he was so excited for it. She didn’t want to be the one to ruin that.

She’d had her fill of ruining things today.

BEX: I chickened out.

A laugh slipped out at the keyboard smash he texted back. Another rapid fire set of texts followed it.

WILL: We’ll work on your game plan. WILL: It’ll be GREAT!!! You’ll see!

BEX: Sounds like a plan. Have fun on your date. Emery and I will be at Kira and Malia’s so you’ve go the apartment to yourself. 😉

WILL: a;lsdfa;ds

BEX: How red is your face right now?

WILL: STOP WILL: IT’S OUR FIRST DATE

BEX: I’m just saying…

WILL: 😩😩😩 WILL: We’re taking it slow, okay? WILL: I don’t want to mess this up.

A lot of that going around.

BEX: Sorry, I’ll stop teasing. It’s going to be great. You guys are perfect for each other. BEX: Have fun, okay? I can’t wait to hear all about it.

WILL: See you tomorrow

Yeah. She definitely was going to hold off telling him the truth for a few days. He deserved to have this time right now.

They could deal with her disaster later.

Bex took a deep, bracing breath and headed up to Kira and Malia’s apartment.

You’re okay.

You can talk about this.

You’re fine.

She knocked on the door and Kira answered immediately, Malia and Emery peering over her shoulder from behind.

Kira took one look at her face and reached out to pull her inside. “Oh, sweetie.”

Bex bursts into tears

***

Actual and Honorary Bastards Group Chat

MALIA: 911 MALIA: everyone come here now

ISAAC: WHAT’S WRONG?

SAM: do you need actual 911? We’ve talked about this, Malia

FAITH: Use your words

MALIA: Mouse said no.

DEVON: ON OUR WAY

BEN: We’re getting in the car

MALIA: wait

SAM: ????

MALIA: bring snacks MALIA: and alcohol MALIA: a lot.

***

Isaac

Their crew was assembled at Kira and Malia’s within twenty minutes.

He wasn’t quite sure what kind of scene they’d be walking into—everyone remembered AJ—but Bex seemed remarkably composed.

That was actually more disconcerting if he was honest.

She was teary as she gave them the run-down of her conversation with Mouse, but every time her voice started to break or she got choked up, she stopped and tamped it all down before continuing.

A quick glance around at his friends told him they were growing just as concerned.

“I’m so sorry, Bex,” Emery said, reaching over from her spot beside her on the couch to rub her back. “You must be crushed.”

“It’s not like we were even dating,” Bex said, looking down as she knitted her fingers together in her lap.

“That doesn’t make what you feel any less real,” Faith said softly. “It didn’t have to be official for there to be a real relationship there.”

Bex nodded, swallowing hard. “I just—I feel like I should have realized that’s why he wasn’t making a move, you know? And now I’ve pushed it and freaked him out and what if it’s all ruined anyway? I shouldn’t have said anything—”

“Bex, stop.” Isaac made his way over to the couch and wiggled his way in between her and Kira. “Anyone who saw the two of you together could tell there’s something special there and you’re not a mind reader, okay? Don’t beat yourself up for putting yourself out there.”

“I’m worried he’s going to pull away even more now—”

“You don’t let people get lost, Bex,” Emery said with a gentle smile. “Not for long and never forever. Mouse is in the Herrmann orbit for good and he’ll figure that out soon enough.”

“Okay. Yeah, I guess we just…see how it goes.” Bex sniffed and rubbed at her face before glancing around the room. “Please tell me there’s junk food in those bags you hauled in.”

“So much!” Devon hopped up and started rifling through them. He tossed Bex a bag of salt and vinegar chips first. “We’ve got you covered, girl.”

Isaac used the food distraction as a chance to slip away. His phone had been buzzing non-stop with people wanting to hear how it went.

Wanting to hear the good news that didn’t exist.

As far they knew, it was a sure thing so what was the harm in a few—many—playful check-ins.

They had Bex safely squared away, but he had no idea where Mouse was and he didn’t want to risk anyone making a playful comment to his face.

The guy had made a mistake, but he had to be hurting just as much as Bex right now.

Taking a deep breath, Isaac unlocked his phone and opened up the message thread that had been hopping all day.

He said no. Still getting the details. Best if everyone just forgets about this for now.

Two seconds of silence and then…

The Bouse group chat erupted.

***

Bex

Isaac’s phone was going crazy. He’d muted it, but she could see him peeking at it every once in awhile and a flood of notifications flashing across his screen every time.

“Okay, what is going on?” she finally asked, not able to take it anymore.

Whatever it was, maybe it would be a good distraction.

“Hm?” He quickly flipped his phone face down again, not looking at her. “Oh, nothing. Sorry. Work stuff.”

Right.

“Isaac,” she said and he hummed, still not looking her way.

Her friend was wonderful at so many things, but lying to people’s faces was not one of them.

“Isaac, look me in the eye and tell me that’s work stuff.”

He looked her in the side of her nose as he picked up his phone and started to get up off the couch. “It’s work—oof!”

Bex leapt across Emery to snatch the phone out of his hands. “You forget I know your unlock code,” she said.

“No, Bex!” He tried to grab it back, but she already had it open and more notifications were flashing across the screen. “I’m so sorry,” he said, flopping back on the couch. “I—”

“Is this?” She swiped through the messages. “There was a bet going on me and Mouse?” She looked up to see a room full of regretful nods and Emery rolling her eyes.

“For the record, I was not involved,” she said. “I haven’t even been here.”

“Who is?”

“Pretty much all of Fifty-One and a good chunk of the precinct and Med,” Sam admitted. “Not Chris and Cindy or Jay and Will. Or Connor actually.”

“Are you mad?” Isaac asked in a small voice. “We didn’t mean for it to get this big.”

Bex sighed. She wanted to be, but she didn’t have the energy. And honestly, she wasn’t even surprised. Fifty-One had been betting on everything for as long as she’d known them. And she knew how easily their shenanigans spiralled out of control. They couldn't help themselves.

Part of her wished they’d managed to curb those impulses for this particular situation though. She didn’t need it to get any messier than it already was.

“I’m not mad.” She waved the phone at him. “I’m more concerned about these reactions because you know how my family is. I don’t want anyone saying anything to Mouse.”

Well-meaning or not, it would make things ten times worse. None of them could possibly understand all of the layers at work. They’d just see her hurting and want to take action.

“I’m gonna—” She motioned toward the screen of Isaac’s phone.

“Oh, for sure,” he said. “Go ahead. It’ll be better coming from you I think anyway. More effective.”

Oh, she could do effective.

Bex opened the group chat and started a voice message.

“Hello family and friends. This is Bex. Yes, I know about the bet. I hope you all lost money. By now you’ve heard that ‘Bouse’—who thought of that by the way? Never mind. Not important. Bouse isn’t happening and the most important thing to know here is that it’s no one’s fault. It is what it is, okay? Under no circumstances is anyone to say anything to Mouse. Not one word. If you do, I will know and I will make your life a living hell. And on top of that, I will never make any of you cookies every again. Think about that. If one of you steps over the line, no one gets cookies. Forever. So please just…try and be cool, okay? Love you. Bye.”

She closed the chat and tossed the phone over to Isaac before leaning against Emery with her eyes closed. Everyone was quiet for a minute. Emery stroked her hair.

“Chief Boden is backing you up in the chat and telling everyone to behave,” Isaac reported and Bex sat straight up.

“Uncle Bo was in the chat? God, you really did get everyone.” Bex shook her head. “Okay, no, we’re officially done with that little side quest. It’s too much. Food and drink and snuggles, now, please.”

Her friends leapt into action and she let them do all of the fussing. She was going to let herself be a mindless slug for the next few hours.

Except—

She should do one last thing.

Bex picked up her own phone and sent a quick text to Jay.

Would you mind going to check on Mouse? No questions asked, please. Just do me a favour and check?

He immediately asked a bunch of questions, but when she didn’t respond just wrote “Okay.”

There.

Now Mouse had someone too.

*** Shay

She stared down at her phone. “Don’t say it,” she said, holding up a finger to Julie, knowing she was giving her a look without even having to check. “I know, okay? I know.”

“I wasn’t going to say I told you so.” Julie cuddled up beside her on the couch, hooking her chin onto Shay’s shoulder as she checked out the rapid fire messages being exchanged in the group chat. “I was going to ask if anyone has actually talked to Bex. Do we know how she is? How she really is?”

Shay shook her head. Isaac had been light on details, but she could read between the lines. Plus, Bex sounded awful in the voice memo she’d left in the chat.

They needed to start organizing. Figure out ways to support Bex.

If there was one thing she knew about heartbreak—hard won through her years and years of experience with it—

It always got worse before it got better.

***

Jay

He made his way over to Mouse’s place in record time.

Bex had sent him that cryptic freaking message and then refused to respond to him so he had no idea what he was walking into.

A prickle of fear crawled up the back of his throat as he thought about past situations he’d walked into with Mouse. Things he thought his friend would never come back from.

“Mouse!” Jay banged on the door. “You in there? Open up!”

He kept on banging until the door finally opened.

Mouse stood there, looking like shit and blocking his way in. “What’s up, Jay? You’re gonna get me kicked out of the building if you keep yelling like that.”

“What’s up?” Jay tried to move forward, but Mouse wasn’t budging. “You tell me what’s up? Bex sent me a text asking me to check up on you—”

Mouse’s face did something complicated at that before settling back into a blank stare.

What the fuck was going on?

“Why is she worried about you? What happened?”

“She’s probably just worried because I’m doing what you said.” Mouse focused on a spot on Jay’s shoulder as he talked, voice slow and flat. “Pulling back a bit. Keeping my distance.”

That wasn’t—no, Mouse had got it twisted somehow.

“I didn’t mean don’t hang out with her,” Jay said. “I want us all to hang out like we always do. I just meant it was a bad idea to date.” He started to dig his phone out of his pocket. “Look, I’ll text her and we can have a movie night or something and get some pizza—”

“Jay.”

His tone stopped Jay mid-screen swipe. Jay looked up to see Mouse watching him with a pain in his eyes that he hadn’t seen there for awhile now.

“You’re not getting it, man,” he said. “If I can’t—you said it would be a mistake, right? And I get that. I do. So, I’m trying to walk it back, but it’s—it’s hard.” Mouse’s hand gripped at the door as he took a breath. “…I just need a bit of space.”

“Mouse—”

The door was shut and Mouse was gone before he could finish his sentence.

“Shit,” Jay whispered to himself as a voice in the back of his head started rumbling that he may have seriously fucked up.

***

Will

Will had been counting down the minutes until his shift was over, racing home as soon as he was free. He fed Kol, took him out for a walk, and then hopped into the shower.

Then he stared at his closet and really wished Bex was home.

He settled for sending her pictures of his outfit options until she and her friends helped him narrow it down to the perfect one.

Will felt like a teenager getting ready for his first date. It was a little bit ridiculous.

But fun?

He decided not to examine it too hard.

One final check on his hair and he was out the door to pick up his date.

Connor was waiting for him at the door of his building, but Will managed to get out to open the car door before he made it there. “I would have come up to your apartment,” he said. “Knocked on your door for the whole nine yards.”

“Okay, don’t laugh,” Connor said, pointing at warning finger at him. “ButIgottooexcited.”

“What?” Will laughed, hearing enough of that mumbled mess to get an idea of what he said.

“I got too excited to wait upstairs and decide to come down to wait for you here,” Connor said, rolling his eyes. “Happy now?”

“Yes, actually,” Will grinned at him as he got in the car. “Very.”

They had dinner at one of Will’s favourite restaurants—an Italian place that was more hearty, than fancy. They stopped at a bar afterwards—not Molly’s because neither of them was interested in that level of scrutiny on a first date—for some after dinner beers and a few rounds of darts.

Will kept waiting for the other shoe to drop and for things to take some kind of turn, but it was…

Amazing.

Conversation flowed easily between them with lots of laughter. They stuck to fun and interesting things. Kept it light. They’d had plenty of heart to hearts already so there was an unspoken agreement to lean into the levity of a first date.

And then there was the flirting.

Apparently Connor had been holding back before because Will was overwhelmed in the best way possible. Although he liked to think he was giving as good as he got if Connor’s heated glances were anything to go by.

They stayed out until midnight. Hours later than they should have considering the day they’d both worked, but neither of them had been ready to say goodnight too soon.

Will took Connor back home and walked him to his front door.

“I like the whole nine yards,” Connor said, quirking a smile at him before leaning in. “So…where does a goodnight kiss fall on the taking it slow spectrum?”

He pretended to think it over. “It’s allowed,” Will finally said, moving to close the distance between them.

It was tentative to start, in the way of first kisses, until Connor tilted his head just so and everything slotted into place. Will felt the sparks down to his toes as he deepened the kiss.

He chased the feeling until Connor made a surprised noise and Will pulled back to see he’d somehow crowded Connor into the wall of the building.

Oops.

“We should probably stop before we break the spectrum,” Connor said, sounding a little breathless.

“Right,” Will released him with an embarrassed chuckle. “Sorry about that.”

“Don’t be.” Connor darted forward to give him one last peck. “I liked it.” He smiled at Will before saying goodnight and heading inside.

Will’s phone went off as he headed toward his car and he knew before he checked it would be Connor.

CONNOR: What are you doing Friday night?

WILL: Going on a date with you?

CONNOR: My fancy car and I will see you at seven.

WILL: I’ll be waiting on the sidewalk.

He knew he was grinning like an idiot the whole ride home, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care.

He’d gone on a date with Connor Rhodes.

And it was awesome.

Walking back to a Bex-less apartment was less awesome. He wanted to tell her every single detail, but that was going to have to wait until tomorrow.

At least he wasn’t completely alone.

“Kol,” he said, as he flopped down on the couch. “Come here and let me tell you about the wild day I had.”

***

Bex

She and Emery made it back to the apartment by ten the next morning. Well after the time Will would have left for work so at least she wouldn’t have to face him until that night.

Or so she thought.

His stuff was all hanging by the door when she opened it and she could hear humming coming from the kitchen.

“Will?” She called out, sharing a resigned glance with Emery. “What are you doing home? Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” he called back. “Somebody needed a switch so I don’t go in until noon. Glad I still get to see you…” He trailed off as he came out of the kitchen and got a good look at her as she stood in the living room.

She tried to look normal, but—

“Oh, Bex,” he said, face falling as he made his way over in two strides. “What happened?”

“I’m fine,” she said, but her voice breaking on the last word didn’t help her cause at all.

Kol lifted his head up from the couch and whined at her.

“Kol says that’s bullshit,” Will said.

“Language, Kol,” she managed to mutter before Will had her wrapped up in a gigantic hug. He maneuvered her toward the couch, getting Kol to scoot over to make room. Emery murmured something about making tea as she headed for the kitchen.

“I really am okay, Will,” she started to say before he cut her off with a flat look. “I will be okay,” she amended. “Talking with my friends last night helped a lot.”

“You can talk to me too,” he said earnestly and she loved him for it, but—

“What I really want to do right now is talk about your date.”

“Are you sure?” He didn’t look convinced by that plan of action at all.

“Oh, my god, yes,” she exclaimed. “I need the serotonin, okay? Do not leave a single detail out. I want to hear about the date. I need to hear about the asking! I mean, I know it went well, obviously, but I want to hear it all from you.”

“I did the sleeve thing,” Will said, already blushing.

“I knew it would work,” Emery yelled from the kitchen.

“Yeah, definitely not how you thought it would though,” Will said, rolling his eyes. He proceeded to tell them the whole hilarious story and Bex sat back, letting herself bask in her brother’s joy.

***

Bex

Later that night, when it was dark and quiet and Will was still at work, she and Emery sat on the couch with Kol between them.

“How are you really doing?” Emery asked her.

“I could ask you the same thing,” Bex shot back.

Silence filled the space between them as neither one moved to answer the question.

But—

Horrible, horrible honesty, right?

“I’m not okay,” Bex whispered. “I feel like I’m walking around with my chest ripped open and I’m trying to hold it together and it shouldn’t be that hard, but every step keeps dragging me down.”

Emery nodded, reaching over Kol to grab her hand. “I’m not okay either,” she said. “I thought I could keep busy and distract myself, but I’m—I’m scared all the time, Bex, and it’s so exhausting. I hate that everything is such a mess, but I can’t find my way through it.”

Bex shuffled around to fully face her on the couch. “I don’t want to talk to my brothers about this right now,” she said. “It’s just too complicated—it’s too much, but—”

“You need to talk about it,” Emery said.

“We both need to talk,” Bex countered. “About all of this stuff. Without pretending we’re okay.”

“So, we’ll be not okay together for awhile.” Emery squeezed her hand and Kol grumbled, rolling over on the couch so they could give him belly rubs. “I can handle that.”

Not okay. Together.

Sounded like a plan.

If you need something to make you smile after reading this and you haven't spotted it yet, I rewrote the break room scene as a little ficlet from Connor's perspective. It's called I'm Looking Disrespectfully, Sir and you can read it here. (Two other bonus ficlets are also available: IT'S DECEMBER 23RD, WILL!!! which takes place before Sometimes You Need and The Grocery Store Trip which takes place after Game Night 2: Fresh Blood. Hope you check them out!😀)

Click here to read Part 18: Honesty. Horrible, Horrible Honesty.

Click here to read Wingman? Wingwoman? Wingperson. on ao3:

And here is the tag list (let me know if you wish to be added or removed):

@sorry-i-spaced, @iunnowatuwant, @thegirlwhowishedeveryonelived, @ivyalmighty, @thewannabewriter, @lexhalstead3, @multifandomgrl08, @foxes-and-cats, @sensitivemallysix, @thebewingedjewelcat

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mycomicbox · 1 month

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Random Thoughts on Persona 5 Royal - Part 2

[Progress: July 9th, 3rd Palace conquered]

<<< Part 1

One thing that this game does better than previous Persona titles is the satisfaction upon beating a boss. Taking down a Palace ruler feels so much more rewarding than beating a Shadow Self or a Full Moon Boss, especially watching them break down from guilt.

Speaking of rewards, Social Links (now called Confidants) have way more rewards for ranking them up. This is such a nice change, but I'm surprised that it didn't make its way into Persona 3 Reload. Granted, I think it's because Confidants are, lore-wise, slightly different from Social Links, as they're based on accomplices in crime rather than just bonds.

THE PERSONA COMPENDIUM CAN BE SORTED ALPHABETICALLY. Where was this feature two games ago?

Who let this small child into the magical catacombs?

Yusuke might be my favorite Phantom Thief so far. I feel a slight kinship with him, being an artist myself. Plus, I like his voice.

The Madarame arc gives me somewhat similar thoughts and feelings to the real-world AI art debacle. Y'know, with the whole plagiarism-for-profit thing. Someone smarter than me could probably word it better, but you get what I'm saying, right?

From what I've seen, I think that this is the most a principal in a Persona game has been relevant to the story. I don't know about Persona 1 or 2, but the principals in 3 and 4 were just no-name whatever guys.

Okay, the hot pot scenes were really sweet, with the squad just hanging out at Leblanc and talking.

That one Shinjuku scene is one that I've heard horror stories about, and... yeah, even after it was altered in Royal, it's still bad. At least it's brief.

As it turns out, I am far better at video game darts than real-life darts.

Makoto had it rough before she became a Phantom Thief. Glad that she did, since her Persona and costume are dope.

Fusion Alarms are way better than Persona 4's Fusion Forecast.

⚡️ Confidant Lightning Round:

Chihaya is too goddamn cute. She scammed me out of ¥100,000 with a block of salt and I couldn't even be mad.

Imagine if you were shopping for medicine and the pharamacist asked "Why do you have such a serious look on your face?"

I think Kawakami deserves a hug. And also five billion yen.

Yoshida's got my vote.

I remember reading somewhere that it's possible that Kasumi was planned to be a female protagonist, but was scrapped? Like, if you hack the game to give her Joker's guns, she can actually wield them (unlike other party members, who will just freeze the game). I could be wrong, though. Anyway, I can't wait to learn more about her.

Mad sus that I have to rank up Maruki's Confidant or else miss out on a whole third semester. He seems pretty nice so far, but I'm keeping my eyes peeled...

Overall, the story and gameplay loop have me hooked, even more so than previous Persona titles. Can't wait to see where the story goes next.

#i talk #my gameplay #persona series #smt persona #persona 5 #persona 5 royal

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kitkatpadywaks · 1 year

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In Another Universe

Mini-Series: Part 3/?

The Meeting.

Pairing: Morpheus x Fem!Reader

Story: Dancing With The Devil (Alternate path from the end of part 2 of the story onwards)

Warnings: Third Person. Will Mostly Be Referred To As She (Called Y/N When Her Nickname Is Being Used And Will Occasionally Be Called By Her 'Angel' Name). She Has Kids. Daddy Issues. Some Angst. Tension (She's Keeping Secrets and Morpheus Knows It).

Word Count: 2k

A/N: Major Spoilers for the Story (Klaus Mikaelson fic), like this existing spoils the mystery of who my character is as well as her character arc.

This will also be posted to my Wattpad.

Previous | Masterlist | Next

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Y/N spends the next few weeks waiting. Waiting for the inevitable moment when she's face-to-face with him again. She waits for the Kindly Ones to tell them how to get into his realm, Dream's realm.

His name makes her shiver as she paces around the apartment. Like she had been doing since she got back from meeting Raphael's history professor friend who isn't a friend, Hob Gadling. Who she could tell was hiding something. Which she hopes is something painfully human as she knows her brother likes him, if his constant blush was anything to go by.

Oh fuck, I hope I don't look like that when I'm around Dream. She pauses her pacing when she hears the door open and close, looking at her brother in confusion when he appears in the kitchen where she stopped her pacing. "I thought you where staying with Hob for a bit longer?"

Raphael stares at his sister not knowing what to tell her, before deciding it's best to just tell her the truth, "I was, but an old friend of his turned up and I wanted to let them catch up."

She eyes her brother knowing there's more to the story, "But?"

"It was him..." He watches the confusion cross her face, then the understanding "Yeah, it was an awkward and long conversation. Cause it turns out, Hob is immortal and they've known each other for over six hundred years!"

She barely processes the information before Raphael is speaking again.

"And the Kindly Ones said to follow your instincts and they'll lead us to Dream's realm."

"Okay..." she stops him from walking away, "what happened with Hob? Did..."

"I kind of just went, 'Huh' and walked away. Then I ran into the Fates and came back here."

"You need to talk to him." She holds her hand up to stop him from interrupting her, "But for tonight, we'll eat, watch some films and then you're going to bed. Okay?"

Raphael nods, "But what am I going to tell him? 'Yeah. Hi. I'm your soulmate but get this. I'm from another universe so our relationship is doomed.'" He throws his hands into the air, groanng.

She snorts, ignoring the sting of their reality as her eyes tear up. "Maybe not that." She grabs his arm, dragging him into the living room. "Choose what we're going to watch, I'll grab the snacks."

She walks back into the kitchen and leans against the fridge as she tries to stop the tears from flowing down her face. After taking some deep breaths, she composes herself and grabs the bags of snacks she picked up from the shop on the way back from the pub. She walks back into the living room, determined to forget their inevitably doomed relationships.

The siblings decide to wait a few days before attempting the journey to Dream's realm, mostly based on Raphael wanting to be in a better mood and therefore more polite. Y/N gives him that as she knows it will be needed and she will be her usual self no matter how much time she may take to try and be otherwise.

She waits in the alleyway near their apartment for her brother, kicking around a can as she had been doing for the last five minutes, tensing up when she hears footsteps coming down the alleyway and relaxing when she sees her brother.

"Ready?"

She raises an eyebrow at him to which he just shrugs, releasing his grey wings from his back. She does the same, putting up a hand for him to wait as she takes a deep breath, trying to allow her instincts to take over. She stretches her wings briefly before taking off into the sky, Raphael following close behind her as she just flies, not thinking as she lets her wings and instincts lead the way. She closes her eyes, enjoying the feeling of the wind flowing through her feathers and her braided hair. Her eyes flutter open as she feels herself going through something. The feeling is not unlike when she goes through the rifts she makes to travel through universes, but softer, almost.

"Woah."

Her brother's quiet voice reaches her ears as she takes in the same thing he's seeing. The vast colourful land and the endless black beach, separated by gates that look giant even high in the sky. Raphael gestures towards an area of the beach that sits in the middle of the two different gates. She glides down onto the black sand, her powerful wings making it fly around her as she lands.

"Which one do we take?" Her brother asks as he lands behind her.

Their wings recede into their backs as she leads them to one of the gates. It opens as they draw near, revealing a woman with dark skin peering at them over round spectacles.

"Welcome to The Dreaming." She greets them with a polite smile.

They walk the long distance to the palace with the woman who introduced herself as Lucienne. The siblings walk along the path, greeting and being introduced to The Dreaming's residents they come across. Lucienne tells them about The Dreaming as they go, including what the function of the two gates is. The pointy-eared woman lets them know that the gate they went through, the gates of Horn, tells Lord Morpheus that they mean no harm to the realm and its resident. Which would have told him the opposite if they went through the other gates, the gates of Ivory.

She exchanges a look with Raphael, both finding it amusing that she had implemented something similar in Hell nearly twenty years ago so she could weed out who would be a threat to her daughter, Evie, who she was forced to raise in Hell, away from her little sister and her father.

They walk under the front gates of the palace, the siblings looking up at the living stone guards, the Gryphon, the Wyvern, similar looking to the one that watched over and protected her daughter in her universe, and the Hippogryph all watch the siblings walk into the home of their sovereign.

Lucienne leads them through the palace, through all the corridors until they stand in front of a set of doors, which open on their own when Lucienne knocks. They enter a large room, Raphael taking in the structure as Y/N stares at the man standing on the stairs leading up to a throne. They stop in front of the stairs, the siblings bowing simultaneously, feeling his inquisitive gaze. She locks eyes with the man she now knows as Dream or Morpheus, searching his expressive blue eyes while his face remains emotionless, much like her own. She is only distantly aware of Lucienne introducing him, coming back to the present when his gaze drifts over to her brother, her head turning to look at Raphael.

"It's an honour to be welcomed into your realm, Lord Morpheus. I am Raphael and this is my sister..." he hesitates

"Lucy. We've met." His eyes flicker to her and then back to her brother.

"Right." Raphael chuckles, Morpheus's intense gaze making him shift on the spot.

"Why have you sought an audience with me."

She looks up at Morpheus, "The Kindly Ones told us you may be able to help us."

He looks at her, a shiver going down his spine from hearing her voice for the first time. "And how might I do that?"

"We're looking for our father." Raphael buts in, "He's been rather difficult to pin down."

"Your father?" He questions, "Why?" Morpheus narrows his eyes at her, taking in her caution, and her pain. The pain he's felt since he first laid eyes on her, that he didn't realise was hers until that very moment. He could feel how cruel life had been to her.

She takes a deep breath as she looks at her brother. He returns the look, letting her decide what to tell him. She lets her instincts take over, glad that they don't seem to be marred by Morpheus. "Well, the short version is, he's dangerous and powerful. And he will do anything to keep that power, he has and he will threaten people and he'll kill them if he even thinks they're a threat. He won't stop, not unless we find him and bring him to justice. For everyone's sake. For every universe's sake."

"Every universe's sake?" Lucienne speaks from her position next to the stairs.

She looks at Lucienne, "We're from another universe. And we've been chasing our father across... I don't even know how many, universes. What I do know is, we have to be careful. If he knows we're in the same universe as him, he will move on and we'll have to start all over again."

The silence that follows makes her nervous, even more so when there's a tug in the back of her mind. She blocks it, glaring at Morpheus as his eyes momentarily flash silver, telling her that he knows she's holding something back.

"What do you need from me?" He asks hesitantly, letting her keep her secrets. For now.

Raphael opens and closes his mouth as he tries to think, frowning at his sister when he comes up with nothing. The Angels had no idea why the Kindly Ones had sent them to The Dreaming.

"What do you do? What are your powers?" She asks, figuring it was a good place to start.

"I hold the collective unconscious of every living being capable of dreaming. Controlling their dreams. Watching over them as they sleep. Though I'm not sure that includes your father, if he's anything like you described."

The sibling raise their eyebrows at him, as neither of them expected that answer.

Y/N's mind whirs around with thoughts, "It shouldn't need to." She ponders out loud, turning her head to look at her brother to see if he's on the same line of thought she is. He isn't, judging from the confusion on his face. "Our father can't resist boosting his own ego."

Raphael's face lights up with understanding.

"Miracles." The siblings say simultaneously.

She looks at Morpheus once again, "Has anyone been dreaming of, friends or family's miraculous recoveries from illnesses or someone saving them from certain death. Stuff like that."

There's a beat of silence, "I can't recall anything you have described."

She purses her lips, Morpheus's eyes flickering down to look at them. "Is there a way I can search through the dreams? I may be able to spot his influence where you can't."

He looks at her incredulously, "And what makes you think I would allow you to enter the minds of the dreamers?"

Her pride bristles at the question, before her common sense kicks in and she deflates. He has no reason to trust her, whether she passed the test at the gates or not, he knows she's hiding something, something big. She knows he can sense it, thanks to their bond, even if it has yet to be completely fulfilled.

"Because of what you feel..." Raphael blurs out, hoping his sister is right about them being soulmates, even if he doesn't believe it as he remembers when Klaus died. How much pain his death caused her, how much she went through to see him one last time, physically and mentally.

Morpheus's head snaps towards Raphael, his face darkening.

"The way every nerve lights up when you're in the same realm, the way you can't stop thinking about him... her!" Raphael's face flushes slightly making his sister smirk at him, "You know she doesn't mean any harm to your realm or the mortals. We're just here for our father and then we'll leave and you don't have to see or hear from us ever again."

The silence that follows weighs heavily on everyone in the room, even Lucienne starts shifting in place. Y/N examines Morpheus's face as he continues to stare her brother down, feeling as he tugs on their connection, as he confirms what he refuses to admit to himself, what he knows to be true.

"I will consider it. For now, you may search for your father in the library." Morpheus doesn't voice his displeasure at the thought of her leaving, of never seeing her again. His heart constricts as he thinks about how he can extend her stay, if he even should.

The siblings don't voice the question on the tips of their tongues, instead, they bow in respect and follow Lucienne as she leads them through a side door in the throne room, Morpheus's burning gaze following them until they're out of sight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks for reading!

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wolfjackle-creates · 6 months

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Bring Me Home Arc 2 Part 17

Damn, how did this get to a part 17????

Here's the promised WIP Wednesday (on a Thursday)!

I had a lot of fun writing this part. The words just flowed so easily.

If you didn't notice, I now have the first arc posted on AO3. It covers the first three parts I've shared here along with some extras that I never did.

Part 1, Previous

Word Count: 1.9k

-----

By the time morning had rolled around, Tim had also signed them up for a 7:30 AM and a 6 PM TV interview. Hopefully they could do enough damage control to mitigate the worst of Walker’s bad PR, whatever that turned out to be.

Tim nudged everyone awake at 5 AM. Conner and Cassie got up the easiest.

“Morning, Rob,” Conner said through a yawn. “Time to prepare for our interview?”

“Yep. We’ll be going in uniform since this is an interview for the Young Justice.”

“Great,” said Cassie. “We’ll be ready.”

Tim went to Danny next. “Hey, Danny.” The boy didn’t move, so Tim shook his shoulder slightly.

“Wha…?” Danny blinked his eyes open. “Wha’s goin on?”

“Me and the others are going to our interviews. We’ll be back in a few hours, kay?”

Danny just blinked at him and Tim laughed fondly.

“I’ll leave a note.”

Tim skipped breakfast on their way out, though Bart offered him some breakfast bars.

“It’s too late to be up,” Tim yawned.

Conner laughed as he hugged Tim and wrapped him in his TTK. They rose several feet into the air. “You should not have pulled that all-nighter.”

“How else was I supposed to be awake in time?”

Tim could feel the way Conner shook his head. “Just tell me where to go. I’ll get us there.”

Tim pointed to an area in town. “It’s over that way.”

Bart grinned. “I’ll meet you three there!”

“We won’t be long,” said Cassie.

With the benefit of flying, they were at the radio station within fifteen minutes. Sometimes being friends with metas made life so much easier.

As soon as they entered, a team of people greeted them.

“You were actually serious!” exclaimed a tall, white man. “Thought for sure it was a joke when I got your email last night. I’m Steve and I’ll be your interviewer this morning.”

Tim shook his hand. “Good morning, Steve. Robin at your service, and these are Superboy, Wonder Girl, and Impulse.”

Then they had to be introduced to all the producers, sound engineers, and assistants. If it hadn’t been for his parents’ gala training, Tim was certain he would’ve forgotten all the names instantly.

The employees knew how to do their jobs, however, and despite everyone wanting to meet the heroes, in less than twenty minutes, they were set up in the recording studio.

“So,” said Steve. “I just want to make sure I get this right. You, Robin, have been friends with Phantom for a while now and wanted to tell our listeners the truth about him. That he’s actually a hero and not a menace.”

“That’s right, Steve. I knew him before… Well, he’s a ghost. You know what before implies. He was there for me when I first became Robin. Now I want to be there for him when he’s dealing with similar struggles.”

“That’s not what any of the experts believe.”

Conner snorted. “The so-called experts in this town want to completely destroy any and all ghosts. Don’t think they’re unbiased.”

Bart nodded. “Yeah. We may not have known Phantom as long as Robin, here. But he’s a good guy. Helped us out when we got stranded here.”

“Stranded, eh? Mind if I ask you more about that on air?”

Tim laughed. “You can ask whatever you like. But I can’t guarantee we’ll answer everything. Secret missions and all that, you understand.”

Steve sighed theatrically. “It was worth a shot. Now, we’ll be going live in about five minutes and we’ll have three segments of eight minutes separated by two minute ad breaks. For a total of thirty minutes in the studio. Anything in particular you want me to ask?”

Tim pulled a sheet of paper out of his utility belt. “I wrote some down, if you don’t mind. They should be engaging and broad enough to please your audience and personal curiosity.”

“I won’t ask only from this list, you understand,” said Steve as he took it.

“Of course not. The first three are ones I do request that you ask, however. Beyond those, they’re just suggestions.”

Steve skimmed the list and nodded. “I can work with this.”

Beyond the window, the sound technician made a signal.

“All right, everyone. That’s the one minute mark. Let me introduce you before you say anything, capiche?”

Tim gave a thumbs up and the others added their assent.

The “on air” light turned on and Steve spoke in a voice much more performative than the one he’d been using. “Good Morning, Amity Park! This is Steve Boyce here to help you bring in the day. How are you early birds doing? Have I got a treat for you today! So last night I got absolutely no sleep because at nine thirty, shortly after our newly implemented curfew, I got a surprise email. From no other than the heroes who helped us out the other night when we were attacked! That’s right! The one and only Robin from Gotham emailed my and asked to come on my small, local show. So he and the Teen Titans are here with me. Let’s give them a warm Amity welcome, what do you say?”

Cassie laughed. “Thanks for that introduction, Steve. I’m Wonder Girl and I’d like to clarify one point. The former Teen Titans have kept the name Titans even if they’re no longer Teens. So we’ve decided to go by a new name.”

Bart nodded. “Yep. We’re the Young Justice now.”

Steve laughed. “Looks like I’ve already put my foot in it. Let me correct myself, let’s give the Young Justice a warm Amity welcome.”

Tim put on the happy gala voice his parents had drilled into him. “Not at all! It’s a new change and we’ve never really operated out here before. Even back home in San Francisco or Gotham we get called the Teen Titans more often than not. We’re just on a crusade to get the name change to stick.”

“Well I’m sure all of my listeners will be sure to get it right going forward. Now, let’s get down to business. We’re all thrilled that you were around to help us out the other night, but what brought you to Amity to begin with? Mayor Montez has publicly stated he never even had a chance to reach out for help before you were on the scene.”

“That was all Robin’s doing,” said Conner. “He’s friends with Phantom, you know.”

“Yep,” agreed Tim. “We were in the area when our transport broke down. Impulse figured out where we were and I knew of Amity due to my friendship with Phantom. Since we weren’t on a time limit, we decided to pop into town for a visit. Imagine our surprise when our very first evening here, we experienced a ghost invasion!”

Cassie laughed. “Oh, come on, Rob. With our lives, it really wasn’t that surprising.”

“Yeah,” said Bart. “We’ve totally had weirder things happen to us.”

Steve leaned forward and pitched his tone lower as if conspiring with them. “Well, I’ll definitely be asking for some of the details on what those might’ve been later. But first, I have to ask. Robin, how did you meet Phantom? He’s that ghost in the black-and-white jumpsuit, right? As far as I know, he’s only ever been seen in Amity. And you’ve certainly never been here before.”

Tim took a breath, this was the moment. “Yep, that’s him. And, well, it may be strange, but I knew him before he was ever Phantom.”

“Before he was Phantom? Do you mean…” Steve let his voice trail off.

Tim let out a low sigh and closed his eyes. He really had to sell this. “Yeah.” He made sure his voice was rough. “Yeah. I knew him before he died. He was one of my best friends growing up and we’ve known each other for years.”

Conner put a hand on his shoulder. “Rob…”

When even Steve needed a second to figure out how to reply, Tim figured he did a good enough job. “So you know him when he was alive,” Steve said. “Who was he? Where did he live?”

“I’m afraid I can’t answer that,” said Tim. “He was young when he died and his family don’t need people harassing them. They’ve been through a lot. And I know Phantom’s reputation isn’t the best.”

Steve let out another put-upon sigh. “And there you go being reasonable when all I want is the hot gossip. Fine, no questions about who Phantom was. I’m sure you were thrilled when you found out he came back as a ghost, though.”

Tim laughed and was glad Steve was able to change the mood of the interview so quickly without him doing anything. “Oh absolutely. I near about had a heart attack when he called me up out of the blue to say he was a ghost now! This was my first opportunity to visit him since, you know.”

Conner nudged him. “So he brought us along for the ride.”

Steve hummed. “So for the rest of you, this is your first time meeting Phantom?”

“Yep,” said Bart. “I like him. He’s cool.”

“So, Impulse, you think he’s trying to help us. Because it seems like whenever he shows up, things get broken and we have to spend days or weeks and tens of thousands on repairs.”

“Robin knows more about it than I do,” said Bart, “but I guess what let Phantom cross back over to Earth is allowing other ghosts to cross back over. Phantom just wants to spend more time with his living family and friends. The others ghosts…”

“They want more than that,” finished Tim. “Phantom’s explained it to me a bit. They all have something driving them that can only be fulfilled on Earth. And they don’t care what they have to do to satisfy that drive. So Phantom steps in to try and prevent them from causing too much damage or hurting anyone. Then he forces them back to the dimension they come from.”

“In fact,” added Cassie. “We spent all night talking with Phantom and we got his side of the story on several of his fights since he first came to Amity. We’ve written it all up and submitted them to the local paper, so look in the OpEds over the next few days if you want to know the truth.”

“Oh, well now you’ve definitely got me intrigued! I think I will. Anything you'd be willing to share with us now?”

“Do you remember how a month or two ago, a giant robot was seen in Amity?” asked Tim.

“Not something I’m likely to forget!”

Tim laughed. “I’m sure! Well, what you don’t know is that he crossed over to Earth from the Ghost Zone about three or four days before you ever saw him. Phantom kept him from gaining a physical body for days before Technus was able to get past him.”

“Really? So you’re saying that without Phantom, we would’ve been dealing with that robot for a lot longer?”

“Yep.”

Steve asked several more questions about Phantom. Some serious: How does he plan to decrease property damage going forward? We’re coaching him on how to move a fight and deescalate conflict. And some light hearted: So I heard he’s a dog person? Oh, absolutely. A ghost dog adopted him a few weeks ago.

Then the questions turned more personal as he moved on from Phantom and asked about their lives and exploits. And before they knew it, the interview was over.

“Thanks for reaching out,” Steve said as soon as they left the recording studio. “You are by far the biggest guests I’ve ever had on.”

“Thanks for agreeing to have us on so last minute,” said Tim.

“How could I possibly say no?”

-----

Hope you enjoyed the interview! I probably won't go into detail for the TV one since it'd just be rehashing the same information.

I no longer do tag lists, but I do have a Subscription Post if you want to be notified of updates.

#dpxdc #tim excels at interviews #his parents trained him for it from the cradle #and the rest have done them before #and they actually care about making danny look good #so theyre gonna behave #steve didnt sleep a wink before this interview #he got the email and was half convinced it was a prank #had a backup show planned and everything #the staff totally made copies of this show #and everyone took home a tape #(management turned a blind eye though thats usually discouraged)

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pikahlua · 1 year

Note

Okay so...Dabi's Dance, the episode was spectacular, easily in the top three best episodes this season, hell it might even be No.1 and the voice acting really sold it, I could listen to Dabi talk for hours, the emotion and the build-up and how he just couldn't help himself and just had to start dancing from how excited he was, it was great. The animation followed that energy well too, really dynamic and I vaguely started thinking of JJK when I saw it.

I think my only complaint is that they cut out the 2nd shot of Twice reaching out and the dialogue over it, "I still gotta protect their happiness!" You can't have Skeptic asking Dabi to bow down to his editing skills, all "perfectly spliced" and not show what he was editing, because it sure wasn't "just the mere existence of the video" but the contents of the video. There's no flashback to Dabi holding something in his hand telling Hawks he should've been keeping both eyes on him when he says, "your cameras caught such good footage!" That tells us the cameras weren't just part of the room or Hawks' feathers, but something Dabi carried with him.

Because we saw all the footage go out when the war started and Hawks slice them off his wings. I don't know if anime-onlys will remember that. Or the fact that Twice's line there? Took place at a different moment than the "hand-reaching out" scene. Skeptic placed it over there because it made Twice seem more vulnerable. The audience doesn't even know that Dabi was encouraging Twice to "go wild" and "make quick work of those heroes out there, just you alone is enough" because even though that IS spoken at this time, it's cut out. And so is Dabi himself from the frame, they don't know Twice is reaching out for a high-five, it just looks like he's pleading for help and desperate to escape. Technically true, but there's more going on here. And Dabi uses that to color his hero-hating propaganda. He wasn't so fully honest about doing his best to protect Twice. Sure, he wanted Twice to get out alive, but he waited to record that line anyways? He waited outside since the start of the battle to throw back the line of "looks like sympathy tripped you up after all!" He had two agendas. Dirty Hawks' name on purpose and secure the damage Twice's quirk could do. Idk if any of this will be noticeable at first glance. He reallyyyy wanted his broadcast to have a certain vibe, this isn't a simple call-out for "justice." Even his manner of speaking is more subdued and polite, sad and hurting, like he's a concerned whistle-blower for society, while live-time Dabi is gleeful and saying things a little different from the video.

Dabi's Dance is brilliant because it re-contextualizes everything we know about him. The silent, rough-spoken, loner of the League being this clever, energetic guy is one hell of a reveal. Part of that re-contextualization is breaking down everything we assumed about him from previous arcs. He hates Endeavor and wants him dead? Yes, but also no. It's a mix of hate, love, and grief and he was worried about him actually dying in Kyushu. He's been scheming in the background all along, with Ending and StarServant, and dragging Skeptic everywhere as his new best friend. He tells Endeavor that "not everyone has to be pure and selfless, just you" even though he tries to call out heroes as a whole, acting like he wants everyone to "think more critically" and hold them all accountable, when really he's only had eyes for Endeavor.

It's just better to drag them all down, because as AFO said, he'll burn down the whole world for his grudges, and this way makes more of an impact, it puts all the blame on Endeavor, doing it now with the war. If people distrust all heroes, then they'll never give Endeavor the slightest chance. Because he's a "hero" they're all bad, he goes so far as to drag in Hawks because "he's someone Endeavor keeps in company" bad people hang out with other bad people, so might as well ruin the whole profession yeah? All cause Endeavor is a hero, they're all with him by association, and it's what little Touya was asking Natsuo. If Endeavor is like this, do all heroes do that? But does he REALLY believe that heroes "only protect themselves" when he claims that "heroes must always be ready to save a life" betting that Hawks would save Twice from his flames. (And I'm so baffled by this when he believed Hawks was genuinely capable of killing, he killed Jeanist after all, the autopsy proved it.)

Hardly matters, Toga saw the video, and she believed his every word. It's quite reminiscent to what she tells Ochako, that heroes think only themselves and the people they protect are considered "real people" they wouldn't protect anyone else. This is unrelated, but Dabi says "this is my present to you Endeavor" when he talks about digging up info on Hawks and I was hit by a flashback of him also referring to Shouto as a "present" in recent chapters when he thinks about if he has time to bring his corpse to Endeavor with his failing body. Thinking about this and his "come to see your pals get cremated?!" when the 2nd war starts, and I'm just a whee bit suspicious that someone really was honest when he tells Toga giving her Twice's blood was just a way to get back at Endeavor.

Whoever she hurts, the damage she does, everything in this 2nd war that's meant to be a much worse version of the 1st war with everything that didn't happen, happening, because "I guess I didn't bully them hard enough" it worked halfway, but now the villains will really make themselves a clean victory. No short-comings. What tentative trust was gained by the heroes will shatter by them again, completely. Dabi is such a good villain, I want people to see that. He's so sneaky, knowing how to bide his time and how to utilize his resources. He's more of an active villain than Shigaraki and that makes him fun. He's got a brain and full awareness of his actions, I love and hate his constantly changing words. Saying that "my fire that killed over 30 innocents is indeed Endeavor's fire" "look at that Endeavor, another one burnt up by your flames!' before going "haha way to state the obvious! stay out of this, this is a family affair!" when Deku says "you aren't Endeavor!" when the whole world gets dragged into this "family affair" as per Jeanist's words. He's just SO AWARE and having a blast controlling the narrative, and I just like and enjoy that more than a villain being possessed by AFO who can no longer think for themselves, who never really got to even in his own planning. I hope people watching the newer episodes see this because he didn't just spontaneously decide to be like this, he's serious when he says he planned and thought about it for years. It's easy to hear the words, it's something else to think back on his every scene and see, why when and how.

How did you fit this many words into a single ask?

#my hero academia manga spoilers #final showdown spoilers #ask pika #anon ask #dabi #go off anon lol

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thetomorrowshow · 2 years

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poisoned rats in a pot of grain - ch 12

Masterlist - Previous

here it is folks, final installment of posioned rats but NOT the final installment of the superpowers au! there's still the last chapter of scott's backstory and a multitude of one-shots to be posted :) hope that this provides some main-arc-ending closure tho jskhdfjk

cw: discussion of stockholm syndrome, implied/referenced past abuse

It’s been three months that Jimmy’s lived in the big house in the center of the hero district (AKA, Scott’s house), and while he never feels like he’s getting any better, he also just can’t shake any of the weird feelings he has for Scott.

It’s undeniable. Scott is the best thing that has ever happened to Jimmy. Scott’s offered him safety, security, a place that isn’t a hospital, and he’s given so much more than was in the original deal. Home-cooked meals, a grounding presence, movie nights with popcorn and laughter, hugs, a friend, a confidant. Even on Jimmy’s worst days, he knows that Scott is there for him, will tell him again and again that he’s safe and he’s out of there and he’s never going back. No matter how annoying he is. No matter how many times he asks.

It’s undeniable. Jimmy is in love with Scott. Which is highly unfortunate, because there is no way Scott feels the same way about him.

Scott’s not only perfect and put-together, but he’s untouchable. He’s everything the city stands for, and his reputation as a pinnacle of light can’t be sullied by anything less than what he is and deserves.

Jimmy is . . . well.

So when Scott approaches him one evening, fidgeting with his phone after a long call that Jimmy hadn't heard any of, he knows what he has to do.

“Lizzie’s just gotten her own place, and she wanted to know if you’d like to stay with her,” Scott says, voice uncharacteristically nervous. “She’s still going through the legal process of reclaiming her identity from when she was presumed dead, so I would still have conservatorship for a little while, but I wouldn’t mind at all if you wanted to move in with her. She lives in a more accessible part of the city, she’s actually related to you, you wouldn't have to put up with me anymore . . . you know. We just thought it might be a better option for you.”

As Scott shifts and doesn’t quite make eye contact, Jimmy knows. Scott is uncomfortable with him. Scott doesn’t like him. Scott is through with putting him up. He’d done more than was required, anyway. Jimmy doesn’t blame him for wanting to get rid of him. Only one person in his entire life has wanted to keep him and that person—

“You don’t have to choose now,” adds Scott, eyes still fixed on some point over Jimmy’s shoulder. “I just wanted to let you know that it’s an option.”

There’s not really a choice to be made, though, is there?

“Yeah, I—” Jimmy swallows, “I’d love to stay with Lizzie. That—when?”

Scott’s expression is unreadable. “You can stay as long as you like, but she said the earliest you could come is Wednesday.”

Three days.

When Scott leaves to make dinner, Jimmy stows himself away in the corner beside the guest bed that is no longer his and cries.

Midday on Wednesday, he moves out. He packs a trash bag with his still admittedly few possessions into the back of Lizzie’s Toyota Corolla, waves goodbye to Scott (he doesn’t want to hug him, doesn’t want to make this any harder for himself), and joins Lizzie in the front seat, pulling the hood of his drawstring-less grey hoodie over his face.

She tries to make small talk on the drive. Jimmy can’t find the voice to respond. Eventually, she falls silent.

Her apartment isn’t too far from the hero district, and it’s quite a bit nicer than Jimmy’s old apartment that he’d never gone back to. She shows him his room, smaller than the guest room in Scott’s house but bigger than his cell. She leaves him to make lunch and Jimmy stands in the middle of the room and tries not to cry.

He would know if he succeeded if he could see past the blurriness.

Lizzie seems far more determined than Scott was to get him out of the apartment.

At first it’s small things, things that Jimmy actually agrees to, like getting a membership to the gym down the street since he wants to keep building his strength but Lizzie doesn’t have any of the necessary equipment. She gets one as well, even though he knows that she doesn’t have much in the way of money, and they work out together three times a week in the mornings before she leaves for work.

It’s terrifying, being in a gym, working out, all those people around so many people all seeing when his hoodie rides up a bit and the whipping scars on his back are briefly visible, but if people notice they don’t say anything and neither does Lizzie. It doesn’t get any easier, but it doesn’t get any harder either, which is a win in Jimmy’s book.

But just as soon as he feels like he can handle that, Lizzie’s pushing him to do other things. Go shopping with her. Go to the new ice cream place together. Hang out at the mall. And sometimes he acquiesces, sometimes he goes along because he knows that it’s good for him and Lizzie hasn’t seen him in years, but sometimes he has to put his foot down. The mall is a place ripe with triggers, and it had taken just a glimpse of someone wearing a collar-like choker for Jimmy to instantly dissociate, unresponsive until Lizzie brought him home.

That hadn’t been nice, and Jimmy doesn’t intend on going to the mall again any time soon.

He does try, though, to go places with Lizzie that aren’t just the gym and therapy. She’s meaner than Scott, as he complains to Nora one day, and actually makes him do things that he doesn’t want to do. Nora just tells him that maybe that’s what he needs right now.

He really doesn’t believe that when Lizzie sets him up for a date.

“She’s really nice! She works in administration, I think you would like her!”

It doesn’t matter if he would like her. Jimmy does not want to go on a date with some woman he’s never met! Is it that hard to understand? He’s told her over the past three weeks that he’s fine with her pestering him about going places, but not about meeting people. All it had taken was two men in an alley to send him to hell—who’s to say this woman won’t drug his drink and take him away?

Lizzie understands his anxieties without him expressing them, and maybe that’s just because he hides in his room staring at the wall for hours after she brings it up, but she understands anyway. She promises that she and Joel will be there the entire time, making it a double-date if he wants that.

Jimmy doesn’t like it. He doesn’t like it at all.

But he’s got to get over Scott.

Scott calls every night. It’s part of his duties as conservator, probably. He always asks to speak to Jimmy. Jimmy’s throat always closes up before he can manage a single word.

Scott’s visited twice since Jimmy’s been here, once to make sure the living conditions were adequate for his (soon to be Lizzie’s) charge, and once because Lizzie invited him for dinner. Both times Jimmy had felt almost as anxious as he had when Lizzie first came to see him, and both times he found that he couldn’t speak.

Scott seems more tired than usual. He seems stressed. He frowns more often than he smiles. Jimmy just wishes he could make everything better for him, solve all his problems.

Scott doesn’t feel that way about him, though. To Scott, he’s just another responsibility weighing him down.

So Jimmy goes on the date.

And when she’s nice, but gives him weird looks when he has to do breathing exercises, he doesn’t suggest a second one.

The second coworker Lizzie brings in is impatient with him, snaps at him when he doesn’t know how to choose from the plethora of items on the menu, and straight-up leaves when he starts panicking over the sound of the door to the restaurant swinging open. Lizzie’s entirely on his side when he says he doesn’t want to see her ever again.

And the third person Jimmy goes on a date with—a man that Lizzie had once again met at work and who had seemed up for a double date—is Mythics. Jimmy knows it is, even though he’s never seen the man’s face.

Joel knows it is too, judging by the way he spends more time staring wide-eyed at his drink, trying not to laugh. He doesn’t do anything to rescue Jimmy, as many times as Jimmy silently begs him.

And Mythics, surprisingly, is both kind and funny, and while Jimmy certainly doesn’t have a good time (the last time they’d met had been under very bad circumstances, and even seeing him makes his entire body light up in fear), it’s somehow better than his last date. Still a disaster, especially when Jimmy has a flashback when the waiter accidentally spills ice water on him and Mythics panics and just . . . pats his hand awkwardly.

After that, Jimmy tells Lizzie in no uncertain terms that he is not going on another date. She doesn’t argue with him about it.

Somehow, seeing all the romantic opportunities in his life just makes him miss Scott more.

“Jimmy,” Lizzie says, plopping down on the sofa beside him, “go back to him.”

It’s been two months that Jimmy’s lived here, and while Lizzie’s a good roommate and an even better caretaker (when he needs it), Jimmy desperately misses Scott. Scott still calls every evening for some reason, but it’s not the same. It’s not the same walking into the kitchen without him there, it’s not the same without hearing his voice from the guest room and immediately perking up, it’s not the same without those strong arms holding him and lulling him to sleep after a bad flashback.

Still, Jimmy’s rather skilled at schooling his face into unreaction, and he thought he’d been rather subtle about his feelings. So when Lizzie stares at him, waiting for his words, all Jimmy can manage is, “How did you know?”

Lizzie snorts. “Are you kidding? You’ve been moping around the apartment the exact same way you did when Sara Little turned you down for homecoming. Why do you think I set up all those dates, moron?”

Well, she’s not wrong. She’s also not done, though.

“And it’s not like you’ve said anything to Major, so I know you haven’t told him how you feel—you never even talk when he’s on the phone, no matter how many times he calls.”

He still doesn’t, that’s true, but even after all this time when Scott calls and Lizzie puts him on speakerphone, the words once again get stuck in his throat and nothing he does can force them out. It had taken him a while to find his voice around Lizzie in the first place, and losing those words usually means he’s mute for the rest of the night, and it’s so awkward trying to get Lizzie to work out what he wants to say.

(It was always so much easier around Scott.)

With a questioning gaze from her and a nodded permission from him, Lizzie lays her hand on his arm. “Do you really like Scott?”

He thinks for a moment.

None of his relationships have gone far. Aside from Lizzie’s disastrous attempts at getting him a romantic life, he’d had a girlfriend briefly in high school, and since then a couple of short-lived flings when life became too miserably lonely to bear. Nothing’s lasted. He hadn’t wanted anything to last.

If—not that it’s a possibility, not that Scott likes him that way—if he was dating Scott, he would very much want it to last.

“Maybe?” he croaks, rubbing his face. “I don’t—I don’t know. It’s weird, because like . . . he saved me? Is it—” and this is what’s really been holding him back, isn’t it, this dark thought that dwells in his heart— “is it wrong to fall in love with the person who’s taking care of you? Is that like—could it be some sort of Stockholm Syndrome, or something, or—”

“Jimmy,” interrupts Lizzie. “It’s not Stockholm Syndrome.”

“But if—”

“Stockholm Syndrome inherently involves developing positive feelings for an abusive captor,” Lizzie says, putting meaningful stress on the last two words. Jimmy’s face burns; he knows why she said it like that.

“You’re saying I’ve had Stockholm Syndrome before.”

Lizzie shrugs. “Just guessing, based on what your flashbacks have been like. Do your feelings for Scott seem anything like the feelings you had for Xornoth?”

A sharp shudder runs through Jimmy at the name. One hand flies to his hair, ruffling it a bit, the other to his throat, making sure there’s no press of leather.

“No,” he says eventually, thinking of the beatings, the cage, being forced to hold a kneeling position for hours on end, not being allowed to speak unless commanded by his master, the lazy smiles Xornoth had given him when he did well, the scarred words on his skin.

And then those give way to thoughts of Scott helping him back to reality after a bad flashback, running to get him water, asking him his opinion on any sort of decision, joking with him, carrying him to bed after he falls asleep while watching a movie, giving him space when he needs it and willing attention when he doesn’t, engaging him in genuine conversation and getting to know him and asking his preferences and remembering them. . . .

“No,” he affirms, stronger. “No, Scott’s different. He’s—” he tries to put into words some of his thoughts— “he’s so sweet, and he always checks in with me, and he wants my opinion—” and Jimmy’s thoughts turn to a different sort of opinion of his, one to do with abs flexing under a skin-tight suit and dimples in round cheeks and wavy cyan hair and a rough voice in the mornings. . . .

Lizzie’s watching him with a smile that says she knows exactly what he’s thinking about and Jimmy knows his face must be tomato red. “Um,” he squeaks, voice cracking, and she bursts out laughing.

When she’s recovered, and he’s recovered as well, she rubs his upper back in that awkward way of hers that he thinks is meant to be a hug but comes across on just this side of uncomfortable and stares directly into his eyes.

“You should tell him,” she says sincerely. “You’ve been through so much. It can’t be any harder than any of that.”

She’s right, but this is an entirely different category from everything else that’s happened in his life. And sue him if he hadn’t realized that actually confessing to Scott was even an option, Nobel Peace Prize winner and prime protector of the city and all else he entails. Scott’s meant to be untouchable.

Well. That was before Jimmy lived three months in his home.

“What’s the worst that could happen?” Lizzie prods.

“He could turn me down.”

“Okay. And then we’ll go out for ice cream and watch sad movies and cry about it and then it’ll be over. No pining after him for months on end.”

And maybe, just maybe, Lizzie has a point.

And with the way she carefully looks away and can’t quite keep a small grin off her face, Jimmy wonders if she knows something he doesn’t.

Lizzie’s waiting in the car. He can go right back if he needs to. Not until he tries.

He’s come a long way in the past half year. Six months ago, he never would have imagined standing in front of Major’s door, about to ask him out, while his sister waits to pick him up after.

The late hour, intended to prevent unwanted observers and to ensure Scott’s at home, reminds Jimmy of another night. Another time, long ago. A time when he had just escaped, bleeding out and staggering deliriously to Major’s door, hoping the hero might rescue him from the demon behind.

He freezes, hand poised to knock—you can’t see stars in the city but he’s seeing them at the edges of his vision, it hurts so terribly but he has to keep going, trip through Major’s front garden to the door, he raises his hand to knock but he doesn’t have the strength, it weakly slides down the door—and he’s back, body aching with phantom pains. There’s no blood on his nice blue sweater, no terrible injuries that make him wobbly and lightheaded. It’s just him and Scott’s door.

Then the door opens, and it’s just him and Scott.

Scott’s wearing his mask, but his face breaks into a grin when he sees Jimmy and he beckons him inside, closing the door behind and slipping off his mask. “I wasn’t expecting you! I told Lizzie you could visit at any time—I already ate, but there’s some tacos if you want—”

“Scott, I—” Jimmy interrupts, but he can’t continue. All his courage flees from him in a moment, and his knees are quivering and stomach flip-flopping and Scott is gorgeous. He’s so very pretty and his eyes are slightly confused and he tilts his head just a little bit to the side and Jimmy’s never been so nervous about something so good.

“You all right?”

It’s bad enough that he looks so perfect—he’s worried about Jimmy, he invites him in when he turns up unannounced and offers him food.

He can’t accept the hospitality before telling him. He has to admit to what he feels and run.

“Scott, Scott, I—” and then it’s all rushing out, too fast to stop— “Scott I really really like you and I ignored it ‘cuz I thought it was Stockholm Syndrome or something but then I talked to Lizzie and she said it sounded like I just have a crush on you, but Scott—I’m sorry, I shouldn’t like you like that, but I do and I can’t—”

“Jimmy—”

“—everything you’ve done to take care of me I sort of assumed it wouldn’t be appropriate, so if you feel uncomfortable I can go back home with Lizzie and you can transfer conservatorship to her and then you never have to see me again—”

“Jimmy!”

He freezes, ducks his head. He wishes he had his hoodie on right about now, but Lizzie had said something about nice first impressions.

There’s silence for a moment, then Scott holds out a hand in a silent question.

Jimmy takes it.

They stand there, the only sound the creaking of the wood floor beneath Scott’s bare feet. He lays his other hand atop Jimmy’s.

“Jimmy,” Scott repeats, more even, and Jimmy looks up to see—

Scott’s smiling.

He’s smiling and that smile sends bursts of light through Jimmy’s chest, and he can’t help but blush because all his brain is saying is he’s really really pretty.

“I’ve been planning to transfer conservatorship over to Lizzie for a while,” Scott tells him, and Jimmy’s heart doesn’t even have time to drop before Scott continues. “Because I really like you, Jimmy, and I wanted to ask you out but I didn’t feel comfortable doing so while I held that power over you. I didn’t—” he lets out an almost-sigh almost-whoop and squeezes Jimmy’s hand, “I didn’t think you actually liked me! That’s why—I thought, when you left to stay with Lizzie—”

Jimmy feels. . . .

Well. He’s not quite sure what’s happening.

His phone buzzes. He lets go of Scott’s hand and fumbles it out of his pocket to check it, wincing at how ridiculously bright the screen is.

“It’s Lizzie,” he manages when Scott raises a brow. “She—she wants to know if I told you yet.”

Scott moves past him, peers out the peephole in the door. “Is she here? She dropped you off, yeah?”

Jimmy doesn’t answer. Did Scott—did Scott say he likes him? Does Scott actually, genuinely, like him?

“You like me?” he finds himself whispering, searching Scott’s face for some sign of a lie. Scott giggles, just the tiniest bit.

“Yeah, Jimmy,” he says. “I like you. Like-like you. Is that okay?”

His head is light. His head is light and he’s not quite sure if he’s standing straight or lying out flat, but the most beautiful man in the world actually likes him. Wants to go on a date with him. Wants to hold his hand and kiss him and more.

“I think I need to sit down.” He stumbles into the nice living room without even kicking off his shoes as he’s supposed to, seeing as the nice living room is for guests and has the best carpet in the house. He sinks into the slightly uncomfortable sofa there (the one in the casual living room is much softer and more lived-in), feels his head flip-flop (like his stomach won’t stop doing) and his grip on reality loosen slightly. That’s not the best.

“Um, I might have a flashback?” Jimmy closes his eyes to try and combat the floatiness, rests his head back on the sofa. “I’m just really overwhelmed at the minute.”

“Okay. I’ll text Lizzie—do you want her to come in?”

“Yes,” Jimmy answers instantly, because even though he knows Scott well at this point and has lived for so long with him, the dynamic has changed in every way he can think of and he needs someone to make sure it doesn’t change any more right now.

Scott sits beside him, and it’s almost a normal night hanging out.

Scott really likes him. He really does.

Lizzie comes in and congratulates them, a smile in her voice that says she had known more than she let on. Jimmy doesn’t ask, just listens as she and Scott agree to call up Joel and Scott goes into the kitchen to warm up tacos for all of them. He doesn’t even open his eyes until Lizzie lifts him up—holy moly she’s strong—and carries him into the actual living room, places him gently on the much comfier sofa there. She tells him how proud she is of him, and sits with him in silence as he allows his brain to wander and secure itself in this space.

When Joel arrives Jimmy rouses himself from the half-sleep he’s managed to slip into. The four of them hang out and eat tacos and watch Wheel of Fortune reruns, Joel laying in Lizzie’s lap as she plays with his hair, Scott pressed close enough to Jimmy that his presence is there and accessible but not too close for comfort.

It’s perfect. It’s a family.

“So, you like me,” Jimmy says quietly while Joel throws popcorn and yells at the player for guessing wrong. Scott smiles at him, nudges his shoulder.

“Yep. And you like me.”

A smile crosses Jimmy’s face. “Why didn’t you kiss me earlier, then? To shut me up while I rambled, like in the movies.”

Scott snorts. “That would have been incredibly inappropriate. Just kissing you, out of the blue, without consent? No.” He holds a hand out.

Jimmy takes it.

“When I kiss you, I want it to be at your pace,” Scott tells him seriously, shifting to face him. “I want you to feel happy and safe. Does that sound okay?”

Jimmy nods, and for a moment, he considers kissing him. He’s surrounded by friends—by family, he’s safe, and he’s happy. He’s so very extraordinarily happy.

And maybe it’s silly, but he doesn’t want a kiss to ruin that feeling. If he doesn’t like it, or he isn’t ready, or it’s overwhelming, he’ll lose the warm feeling in his chest that he gets when he gazes around the room at what his life has become. He could feel sick, scared, or just generally uncomfortable and this wonderful night would end early.

There’s a chance that it would be nice. There’s a chance that it would make everything that much better.

But over the course of his life, Jimmy’s come to understand that he’s never had good luck when it comes to chances. And this moment is so perfect that he can’t quite be convinced that anything would make it better.

So instead, he ever-so-slowly rests his head on Scott’s chest, ever-so-slowly pulls Scott’s arm around him, and ever-so-slowly lets his eyes flutter shut. For once, he isn’t thinking of all the many things that could go wrong. He’s just purely happy, for the first time in years.

Scott sighs contentedly, releases Jimmy for a moment to pull the couch blanket over them cozily.

He’s safe. He’s happy. A lot of things have changed quite suddenly, but nothing else has to right now. He can take this as slowly as he wants—Scott isn’t going anywhere. His family isn’t going anywhere.

And if he has anything to say about it, Jimmy isn’t going anywhere either.

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tenebraevesper · 3 months

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Sonic Cyber Revolution Analyzer: The Memories of the Past Arc (Part 4) - Amy Rose & Minami Kusakabe

Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Silver, Shadow and Metal Sonic remember their first meeting with their human partners, while also dealing with the aftermath of what happened at the Codex Research Facility, leading to the formation of Team Neos.

Chapters

Entry 10: His World

Entry 11: Believe In Myself

Entry 12: Unknown From M.E.

Entry 13: My Sweet Passion

Entry 14: Dreams of an Absolution

Entry 15: I Am... All Of Me

Entry 16: What I’m Made Of

The Memories of the Past Arc is a story arc segmented into two parts: The Memories of The Past & Present Day, and each chapter focuses on a different pair of characters. The first segment explores how they met and became partners, while the second segment focuses on the aftermath of what happened in the previous story arc.

As a side-note, all of the chapter titles are also the titles of each character’s theme songs: His World for Sonic, Believe In Myself for Tails, Unknown From M.E. for Knuckles, My Sweet Passion for Amy, Dreams of an Absolution for Silver, I Am... All Of Me for Shadow and What I’m Made Of for Metal Sonic.

Part 4 of this story arc’s analysis will focus on Amy Rose and Minami Kusakabe and be split into two segments; the first segment focusing on the story itself and the second part being an in-depth character analysis.

-The Memories of The Past: Amy & Minami-

''Let's see what the future holds for you,'' Amy Rose flipped a tarot card, her brow furrowing as she looked at the symbol on it. She felt a slight chill flowing down her spine when she realized that the card was telling her that her client, a female sheep ARNav clutching a handbag and looking quite nervous, would have really bad luck today. She felt sorry for her, racking her brain to come up with something, an explanation that wasn't too gloomy. ''Um, well…''

Amy Rose is introduced as an employee at a fortune telling shop by reading her tarot cards and interpreting the future of her client, which unfortunately isn’t too good. She is quite nervous, well aware that her client would get upset and is worried about her employer getting angry at her.

As it turns out, Amy always wanted to help people with her fortune telling, but unfortunately for her, most of her predictions turn out to be negative, leading to people calling her a curse and believing that she is the one controlling their fortune, instead of understanding that she can only interpret the future, not control it.

Unfortunately for Amy, her employer is already furious with her in regards to scaring off customers, so she fires her. Amy is left dejected, wondering if she even has a place in this world.

Meanwhile, we are introduced to Minami Kusakabe and her childhood friend Makoto Ryle, with Minami dragging Makoto towards the fortune telling shop Amy was working at, with Minami not caring about Makoto bringing up how the fortunes there sound more like curses, as she wants to experience it herself.

Makoto rolled his eyes, the two finally arriving at the fortune telling shop, only to see a pink hedgehog walking out of it, looking quite downcast. Minami blinked in surprise, turning to Makoto as both of them recognized the ARNav, and ran up to her.

''Hi,'' Minami greeted her, with Amy lifting her head, a bit startled by the sudden greeting. ''The name is Minami Kusakabe, and this is my friend Makoto. Do you know if we're at the right place?'' Minami asked, pointing at the shop behind them. ''We were told that this is where those cursed fortunetellings happen.''

''I'm Amy Rose, and yeah, you are at the right place,'' Amy replied, still crestfallen. ''Although, you won't getting any of them, since I got fired.''

''So, you were the one who'd do those fortune readings,'' Makoto stated, with Amy nodding in confirmation.

''Right, and I feel that it would be better if I didn't,'' she replied, lowering her gaze. ''All I wanted was to help people, but everyone got angry because bad stuff happens that I have no control over. If anyone here is cursed, then it's me, because somehow, everything I say comes true.''

''Then, you are exactly the one I've been searching for,'' Minami said, clapping her hands in excitement. ''I was actually searching for you, as I wanted to have my fortune read as well.''

''Wait, really? Even though you know that something bad might happen? Even though you have been told that I'm 'cursed'?'' Amy asked, reluctant to to agree to do what Minami asked her.

''You said that you have no control over it, so there is no reason for me to be angry at you; and even if it does come true, at least I'll be warned,'' Minami replied. Amy stared at her for a moment, then nodded.

After meeting Amy, Minami quickly reveals that she doesn’t care about whether Amy is cursed or not, she would be fine with whatever Amy tells her. Unfortunately for her, Amy realizes that she would have a chain of bad accidents and suddenly panics.

''Okay, then, so it'll be just your future,'' Amy said, placing the stack of cards in Minami's hand. ''Pick one from anywhere you want and keep it flipped down.'' Minami did as Amy said, with Amy then taking back the stack, placing it on the bench and then took Minami's card, flipping it around. Her ears were pinned down as a sense of dread filled her body when she saw the card. ''I… I'm sorry, but you're going to have a really bad day. As a matter of fact, it is going to be a chain of bad accidents, and…'' Amy shook her head, feeling the corners of her eyes tearing up. ''I'm so sorry, I didn't want this to happen! Please, don't be mad! I know I said that I have no control over the future, but I just know this one is going to come true.''

''Hey, don't worry,'' Minami comforted her, reaching for Amy's hand and keeping a tight grip around it, cupping it with her own. Amy suddenly realized that she was shaking and Minami's calm and gentle tone helped her calm down, if only a little. She stared at the teenage girl, stunned as she saw her smiling. ''Like I said, at least I'm prepared for the future.''

''Maybe, but I don't want you to get hurt,'' Amy protested, still anxious. ''I just have a bad feeling about this. Perhaps I should stay with you just to make sure nothing awful happens.''

''Sure, but don't you have somewhere else to go? A family or friends, perhaps?'' Minami asked, rising an eyebrow. Amy shook her head.

''I just got kicked out of the only place I could call my home. I don't really have anywhere to stay,'' Amy responded, wiping a tear away. Minami tilted her head, observing her curiously, only for a sly smile to spread across her expression, her eyes sparking as Makoto realized that she was once again up to something.

Amy believes that Minami would hate her for predicting a cursed day, only to be assured by Minami that everything is fine. Amy wonders whether she should stay with Minami to make sure nothing bad happens to her, with Minami actually looking forward to it. Unfortunately, they get interrupted by another Irregular attack.

The three go to check it out, finding Sonic, Lucas, Tails and Warren fighting a falcon Irregular, with Knuckles and Lily, as well as Touka, joining them. When the Irregular takes notice of Minami and Makoto, he attempts to attack them, only to get hit by Amy, who summons her Piko Piko Hammer and slams it right into the Irregular, sending him flying. This leaves Sonic quite impressed, with the whole group quickly running off when they hear the Irregular Hunters coming.

Once they’re at a more private space, Lucas, Sonic, Warren, Tails, Lily, Knuckles and Touka introduce themselves to Minami, Amy and Makoto. Amy is genuinely impressed by Sonic’s heroics, who responds how he just does things his own way. Amy then reveals how she predicted that she would meet him, which is why she came to Neos City, but believes that she cannot stay here because of her status as an Irregular.

''Because… I'm an Irregular,'' Amy admitted, closing her eyes as she placed her hand on her arm, avoiding looking at anyone. Minami and Makoto's eyes widened in surprise and they exchanged glances, before turning their gaze towards Lucas and his friends. For some reason, they didn't look nearly as shocked as they expected them to be. Minami then turned back to Amy, startling the latter when she placed a hand on her shoulder.

''You aren't going anywhere,'' Minami told her. ''Irregular or not, I want you to stay with me. You had told me that you don't have anywhere to go, and I actually wanted to ask you whether you would be fine with being my partner.''

''But…'' Amy was baffled, glancing at Makoto, who simply shook his head, arms folded across his chest.

''Don't even try arguing with Minami. Once she has made a decision, there's no way of convincing her to change her mind,'' Makoto replied. Amy turned to Minami, frown turning into a smile and then started to laugh in what sounded to be both relief and disbelief.

''Why does everything I foretell come true?'' She shook her head, rubbing her temples, then looking up. ''Another prediction I made was that I would find someone who'd understand me and my abilities, and accept me for who I am, but I thought that it couldn't be possible…''

''Hey, it's okay,'' Amy was surprised when Minami suddenly hugged her, pulling her in a tight embrace. Amy just hugged her back, happy to have finally found a place where she was accepted. Makoto turned his gaze towards the rest of the group, rising an eyebrow.

Minami absolutely refuses to let her go, offering her to stay with her. Amy is happy and relieved that she had finally found a home despite all odds, wanting to stay with Minami.

Makoto, meanwhile, points out how Lucas’ group doesn’t appear to be too shocked about the reveal of Amy being an Irregular, with them admitting that, yes, Sonic, Tails and Knuckles are also Irregulars, and Tails gives Amy an AR Visor to protect her identity. Amy offers to read all of their fortune, with everyone besides Touka agreeing.

-Present Day-

In the present day, we see Amy wandering through the Codex Research Facility, as Team Neos decided to explore it in order to find any more information. She overhears a conversation between Touka and Shadow and Warren and Tails about Prof. Hiroshi Sakamoto, Shadow’s creator (and the Gerald Robotnik of this story), with Warren recognizing the name as his late grandfather, Max Taylor, used to work with him.

Amy figures that she could help Shadow and Touka in her own way, offering to read their fortune, but before Touka can respond, she is whisked away by Minami, leaving Amy and Shadow alone. Shadow agrees to the fortune telling session, so long as Minami brings back Touka in one piece.

During the session, Amy points out how Shadow’s past had been filled with trials and tribulations, and how the card represents suffering and him still being chained to the past, and how he was basically suffocating under all of the pressure and expectations. The card that represents the present shows that Shadow still struggles with an inner turmoil. The card that shows the future genuinely surprises Amy.

''That is strange…'' Amy muttered as she stared at the card. ''That is the same card Sonic had pulled.''

''What do you mean?'' Shadow asked, now intrigued. Amy showed him the tarot card, which had an image of a person with a shadow of themselves looming over them.

''This is the Doppelgänger card. It usually indicates danger, a forewarning that a person will encounter a darker reflection of themselves; some kind of shadow archetype. In mythology, seeing your own Dopplegänger is an omen of death. The Doppelgänger may not always mean harm, but that doesn't mean they're capable of it. It can be taken metaphorically, as in the person is a danger to themselves; or it can be taken literally, as in the person in question will be in danger of someone who resembles them, be it physically or psychologically,'' Amy explained, handing the card over to Shadow, who furrowed a brow as he observed it.

''You said that Sonic drew the same card,'' he muttered, looking up at her. ''Did he find his Doppelgänger?''

''As a matter of fact, he did,'' Amy replied. ''A few days afterwards, he ran into Metal Sonic, who not only resembles him, but also almost caused him to drown. So, basically a literal death omen.'' She then gave him a sheepish smile. ''Then, there is you.''

''Me?'' Shadow rose an eyebrow.

''From what I've seen, you're literally Sonic's equal in any aspect, but without his optimism or desire to help people just because he can or…'' Amy trailed off as she saw the unamused look on Shadow's expression.

''To sum up, you're calling me his shadow archetype,'' Shadow added in a deadpan tone, returning the card to Amy and folding his arms across his chest. ''The irony is not lost on me.''

''Heheh, I guess it is kind of ironic…'' Amy laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her head, adding, ''Not to mention, you also put all of us into danger.''

She observed Shadow as his gaze lowered, avoiding eye-contact with her. ''I apologize for… for how I acted.''

''Don't worry, it's fine,'' Amy replied, shaking her head and giving him a warm smile. Shadow looked back at her, looking uncertain. It was still hard for him to process that everyone would forgive him so easily. ''Hey, if Sonic trust you, then I do too.''

Shadow wonders if they all trust Sonic so easily, with Amy admitting that he can be quite convincing, while Shadow agrees, but points out how his persistence is quite annoying.

Meanwhile, Minami has dragged Touka away to point out how this whole situation reminds her of the video game Sonic Adventure 2, with Touka having no clue what she is talking about. Minami is shocked by the reveal of Touka having never heard of any of the Sonic the Hedgehog games and insists on sending her all the games and lore for her to play and read through, so Touka can get up to date.

Minami is also curious about Touka and Shadow’s life at the Codex, showing her excitement about uncovering this mystery.

''I'm being involved in what is essentially a conspiracy theory, with government experiments, life-threatening situations, video game characters coming to life, and there is still more to uncover,'' Minami replied, clasping her hands, her eyes sparking. ''Could you please tell me what happened here? Pretty, please! At least a bit? I won't tell anyone… well, except for Amy.''

Touka admits how her life would’ve been boring without Shadow. She explains how she wasn’t allowed to do much, but with Shadow, things weren’t as bad and she they would often get into trouble, as well as look out for each other. They basically grew up together and consider each other as siblings. Minami can relate, as she too sees Amy as her younger sister and adores her a lot.

They then get interrupted by Silver and Knuckles, who had found something important.

Amy Rose

Amy Rose is a major deuteragonist of Sonic Cyber Revolution. She is an Irregular ARNav based on her in-universe video game counterpart and is the partner of Minami Kusakabe.

Bold and fearless, Amy is a proactive go-getter who goes after what she wants and lets nothing get in her way. She is an energetic tomboy with a love for feminine activities, being very assertive and not afraid of speaking her mind. She is very expressive with her emotions and can be a bit aggressive if she feels threatened. She is also very sweet, compassionate and caring, wanting to helping people in trouble, and loves her friends dearly.

Amy’s hobby is fortune-telling via her tarot cards, and she is quite good at it, if not a bit too good. Much to her dismay, most of her predictions come true, one way or another: the bad predictions especially. This led to her becoming isolated, with people claiming how she was cursing them or bringing them bad luck. This is why she would often insist on not taking those predictions for granted, but no one would listen to her. She only desires to help people by telling their fortune, having no ill will towards them.

Amy is very skilled with her Piko Piko Hammer, smashing anything that looks funny at her into tiny pieces. Interestingly, the Piko Piko Hammer is actually very heavy, despite how it looks, with Amy being the only one strong enough to pick it up and wield it properly.

Upon using Chaos Surge alongside Minami, Amy is engulfed in pink sparks of energy, with her eyes turning from green to pink. This power-up allows her to unleash devastating shock waves with a swing of her Piko Piko Hammer, even being able to crack the crust of the earth with every slam.

Amy is very close to Minami, seeing her partner as her older sister, and deeply cares about her. Minami was the first person who didn’t judge her for her fortune-telling skills and she is quite thankful for having her by her side. However, knowing that Minami can easily get carried away with her own antics, Amy is also the one to usually pull her back on the right track. Nevertheless, the two love and support each other strongly.

Amy is also very attached to her teammates, seeing them as her closest friends and doing her best to keep up with them on their adventures, Sonic especially. However, unlike her video game counterpart, Amy doesn’t have a crush on Sonic, showing instead deep admiration for his heroics and being inspired by him to help people in her own way. in turn, Team Neos also tends to consult her for advice, either via her fortune-telling or, as Sonic points out to Shadow in a later chapter, to just talk about their feelings and relieving themselves of whatever emotional burden they’re carrying.

It should be noted that the outfit Amy is wearing in the story is her outfit from the Sonic Riders spin-off video games rather than her trademark red dress. She actually buys her red dress and her pink outfit her Sonic Boom counterpart is wearing after meeting Honey the Cat in Entry 29: Amy’s Cursed Day, becoming friends with Honey during their meeting.

Minami Kusakabe

Fan Art by Emerald The Lynx

Minami Kusakabe is Amy’s partner and, alongside the hedgehog, a member of Team Neos.

Minami is a very sweet and compassionate girl with a cheerful disposition, remaining optimistic even in the most dire of situations. She has a big heart and a very caring nature, being perky, passionate and persistent, especially around her friends. She does have a slightly mischievous streak and is very headstrong, being supportive of her friends and her partner and showing little to no fear in the face of danger. She is also the second youngest member of Team Neos (her and Makoto being 15, while Lucas, Lily, Warren and Touka are 16).

However, if you know her well, you would understand that those are only qualities she shows around her close friends, because under her sweet smile hides a darker nature, revealing a not so innocent side of her. Despite her appearance as a tomboy with a feminine streak, adoring anything cute and pastel-colored, Minami has a strong interest in the occult and supernatural, and is also something of a conspiracy theorist. As an example, in her room, you might find a collection of plush toys while also being covered in plastic spiders for decoration.

Minami can also be very manipulative and deceptive, using her skills at crying crocodile tears to get herself out of trouble and considers herself a very good actress. She likes to use her sweet nature as a façade to lull those who threaten her or her friends into a false sense of security before striking back.

Upon using Chaos Surge alongside Amy, Minami gains the ability to summon a hammer made out of pure pink energy, allowing her to smash through anything in her path, with her and Amy being quite skilled at working together as a team.

Minami considers Amy as her younger sister and adores her with all of her heart. She is fascinated by Amy’s fortune-telling skills, understanding her reservations and supporting her every decision. The two are almost inseparable, both looking out for each other, with Minami encouraging Amy whenever she feels crestfallen, while Amy makes sure Minami doesn’t get herself into trouble due to her mischievous streak.

Minami is childhood friends with Makoto Ryle, and despite their differing personalities, they get along quite well. Minami has a habit of dragging Makoto into her adventures, and Makoto having to look out for her to make sure she doesn’t get herself into trouble, being the voice of reason between the two.

Minami is also very close to the rest of Team Neos, and is noted to be the one who is the most informed about the Sonic the Hedgehog video game lore, being usually the first to make references to the games. Similarly to Amy, she shows a lot of compassion for her friends, but unlike Amy’s gentle approach when it comes to giving out advice, Minami is very blunt, being skilled at breaking the ice and speaking at truth no matter how uncomfortable it is. While it catches her friends off guard, they do appreciate her bluntness.

Insert Themes:

My Sweet Passion by Sonic Adventure 2 (Theme of Amy)

Links:

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#Sonic Cyber Revolution #Sonic Cyber Revolution Analyzer #amy rose #sonic adventure 2 #sonic the hedgehog #miles tails prower #knuckles the echidna #silver the hedgehog #shadow the hedgehog #metal sonic

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