#even though she broke with those schemes herself | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

danganronpasurvivoraskblog · 1 month

Text

Mikan Tsumiki VS Fluttershy [Danganronpa Survivor VS My Little Pony]

Hifumi: Mikan Tsumiki, the not-so eloquent Ultimate Nurse...

Leona: And Fluttershy, the not-so submissive Element of Kindness.

Hifumi: Kindness is compassion and love in perfect harmony. It is loving yourself enough to love those around you.

Leona: But despite their power, it seems these two clumsy, skittish, yet sweethearted companions are gonna need a little help with that...He's Hifumi, and I'm Leona!

Hifumi: And it's our job to analyze their weapons, talents and skills, to see who will win a DEATH BATTLE!

Leona: Back to standard procedure folks!

Hifumi: As we're already all familiar with by this point, Hope's Peak Academy is a school committed to assisting in the training of high school students who are at the top of their fields.

Leona: And as we mentioned before, when everyone at the academy thought their lives were set in stone, Tragedy struck! Literally

Hifumi: That of course, being the arrival of Junko Enoshima. Alongside her manipulation, scheming and casual feats of murder that she did for a bit of fun, her most notable feat of the Hope's Peak Tragedy was the brainwashing of Class 77, turning them into the Ultimate Despair, who then proceeded to wreak havoc on the world as we knew it.

Leona: Yeah, we've been over this...Though it is pretty sad. All of these guys were living such fruitful and happy lives before she came along...

Hifumi: Well, I wouldn't say ALL of them...Truth be told, aside from the likes of Izuru Kamukura and Nagito Komaeda, there is one member of the Ultimate Despair who stands out more than others...That would of course, be Mrs Mikan Tsumiki.

Leona: Huh...She seems pretty meek...

Hifumi: Well, that would be...HALF right. Mrs Tsumiki's early years were difficult, and that's putting it VERY lightly! She suffered from emotional and physical abuse at the hands of both family members and people she knew outside of that. She has talked about getting burned by cigarettes, getting smeared with mud, and getting splashed with water, among other things. The bullies would make her pay for their debts, make her eat bugs and make her act like animals, beat her up, cut her hair, draw on her, and use her as a dart target. At times, she was even told to undress.

Leona: Jesus fucking Christ! Those people are MONSTERS!

Hifumi: It's actually a lot worse than you may think. Because of the things she was subjected to, Mrs Tsumiki became so twisted, she began to see abuse as AFFECTION. Consequently, she turned into a very shy individual who believed that receiving negative treatment was preferable to receiving none at all.

Leona: What the FUCK man! Jesus, how can humanity be so fucking cruel! What did SHE do!?

Hifumi: So, it's no wonder that she ended up falling to Despair first. She was the first victim of the brainwashing, serving as Junko's guinie pig, and she took to it VERY well...Better than Junko could have dreamed.

Leona: I'm afraid to ask what you mean by that...

Hifumi: It's unclear what happened or why, but Mrs Tsumiki became sickeningly obsessed with Junko Enoshima. Like Harley Quinn with the Joker, she subjected her body and soul for the sake of Junko, and to causing as much despair as possible in her name. Her obsession was so strong, it broke through the memory suppression of the Neo World Program when she and her classmates were trapped in it, and following Junko's death, not only did she try to copulate with her corpse, but she cut out her own uterus and replaced it with the corpse's

Leona: I'm gonna be sick...!

Leona does indeed go a shade of green and turn around to vomit in the corner.

Hifumi: I had figured you already knew this...I apologize.

Leona: Can we like...maybe take a step back? We're moving through this a bit too fast...

Hifumi: Right, right, of course...Mikan Tsumiki learned how to take care of herself at a very young age because no one was there to tend to her wounds. As her proficiency in this area increased, she developed an interest in nursing and was eventually brought on as the Ultimate Nurse by Hope's Peak Academy.

Leona: Because of this, she's very intellectual about medicine and healthcare, and on multiple occasions, she's been able to save her allies even when they're basically as good as dead. She also knows exactly how much anesthetic and painkillers to exhibit to a person to knock them out without killing them.

Hifumi: Which is extremely important to her own unique way of fighting and taking down her opponents, because believe it or not, past all the emotional damage and timid nature, this skittish nurse lady is...kind of a badass!

Leona: Mikan seems to give this idea that she's a harmless, good-for-nothing girl who couldn't hurt a fly, but NONE of this is true. If you let your guard down around her or find yourself at the end of her anger, you might find yourself being thoroughly PENATRATED by her MASSIVE...! GIRTHY...! Syringe!

Hifumi: You had me for a minute.

Leona: Given the shit this chick does, I think the dirty jokes are appropriate here.

Hifumi: In all seriousness, Mrs Tsumiki has used this syringe a few times, most notably during her confrontations with Future Foundation's Ultimate Elite Task Force, specifically the Ultimate Nail Artist, as well as Nagito Komaeda.

Leona: Why does EVERYONE want to fight Nagito Komaeda!?

Hifumi: It's not like we want to, it's just that he's VERY punchable. But the difference between her and the others whom have fought him is...believe it or not, she was able to take him out.

Leona: SHE DID!?

Hifumi: Well...KIND of...She was able to run circles around him and trap him, applying her skills with stealth and smarts to get the victory, but ultimately knocked him out by distributing repeated shots of sleeping drugs to him. This only took effect AFTER his fight with Izuru Kamukura though, so it's more like she came and got the last hit in when he was already on low health. Doesn't take away from her other achievements though.

Leona: The syringe can be used to scratch and stab a bitch with it's needle, but it also holds what is basically a tub of anesthetic medicine. If she impales someone with it and gets all up inside them, she can let her juices flow through them, and this she-devil's juices are DEADLY, even more than usual.

Hifumi: You need to stop.

Leona: If I didn't say it, you would!

Hifumi: Dirty jokes aside, anesthesia and sleeping drugs are a powerful weapon when used right, especially in the hands of someone experienced giving shots to people. Distributing enough of this can have some heavy side effects. Agitation, disorientation, lightheadedness, somnolence, dysphoria, changes in hearing, tinnitus, perioral numbness, metallic taste, and dysarthria can all result from an overdose. These warning signs and symptoms can develop into seizures, respiratory arrest, coma, and ultimately death if they are not properly identified and treated quickly.

Leona: But that thing sure looks big dumb and heavy. Wielding it can't be easy. How much does it weigh exactly?

Hifumi: Oh, about 150 lbs.

Leona: Oh, ok-WHAT!?

Hifumi: Not only is the syringe pretty hefty on it's own, but Mrs Tsumiki has stated that the syringe can hold up to 18 gallons of sedative liquid inside it. The density of the anesthetic is obviously much thicker than water, but that would at least put it to at least 150 lbs, which for reference, is about the weight of a dirt bike.

Leona: And she's just lugging that thing around no problem?

Hifumi: Obviously, Mrs Tsumiki isn't something like Mr Nidai, who could probably wield the heavy thing like a spear if he wanted, so her attacks using her trademark weapon are usually a little sluggish, so assuming you can outspeed her, it won't be much of a problem. However, if a hit DOES land, kiss your ass and your consciousness goodbye!

Leona: And even if it doesn't, Mikan's got ways around this problem...In the form of OTHER weapons! MORE NEEDLES!

Hifumi: She is indeed a Trypanophobists nightmare, as well as a nightmare for everyone else. On top of having a giant syringe as her main weapon, Mrs Tsumiki has also been known to employ smaller syringes as weapons, which she uses kind of like throwing knives. The syringes have a unique property in that the moment they pierce flesh, they apply whatever liquid is inside them, which again, is usually sedative anesthetic, albeit on a much smaller level than her main weapon.

Leona: They also sometimes contain painkillers or other sorts of medicines, usually created with Seiko Kimura's help, that Mikan can use on herself and her allies to pep them up. And she's got killer accuracy too. Plus, she has a surgical scalpel on hand for an emergency. It's honestly kinda weird...I wouldn't expect such feats from someone this emotionally unstable and...honestly, clumsy.

Hifumi: Yes, it's a well known fact that Mrs Tsumiki has a tendency to accidentally fall over in compromising positions, however, though she doesn't always outright admit it, it's implied that this was all an act. Due to her diseased mind, Mrs Tsumiki didn't become a nurse mainly out of her desire to help people, but actually upon recognizing the likelihood that she could feel in control of sick and injured people. After all, people who are sick are, by default, weaker, and they would have to rely entirely on her since they were the weaker party, and she would be in charge of their lives.

Leona: That's...kinda fucked up actually, but hey, I get it. She's seen some shit.

Hifumi: Fortunately or unfortunately, this endless abuse didn't stop even as an Ultimate Despair. Though she gave her life and everything else to Junko's cause, and claimed COUNTLESS victims, possessing one of the highest kill counts among the remnants, she was eventually captured and placed into the Neo World Program by the Future Foundation, which was then taken over by Junko's AI, and she was subsequently forced into the second killing game.

Leona: During which, her abilities and own physical capabilities really shone through. As we said already, Mikan was the only one who was able to remember her life as a Remnant of Despair, likely because her love for Junko was so insanely strong. Shortly after Monokuma hit the group with the Despair Disease, Mikan concocted and pulled off a plan of her own, which resulted in the deaths of BOTH Ibuki Mioda and Hiyoko Saionji. Speaking of which, let's talk about that quickly!

Hifumi: Nobody looks upon this moment favorably, let's be honest, but to be frank, this plan was BEYOND impressive in terms of how it's pulled off! Namely because of the amount of speed and timing that would be needed to pull it off.

Leona: We don't really need to go into specifics, but to summarize, during her plan, Mikan ran from the hospital to the music venue, smashed a bunch of electronics, changed the temperature of the room, tore off the wallpaper hiding Hiyoko's body, glued the door shut and runs all the way to the motel just as Hajime is meeting up with his friends. Based on the relative amount of time it takes for Hajime to meet up with the others, Mikan's window of opportunity was a minute at least and 2 minutes at most.

Hifumi: Which is frankly an almost impossible feat of strength and power coming from someone like her, but we can talk more about that in a minute. Following the conclusion of the Killing Game, Mrs Tsumiki was one of the first people to be brought back to life in the other side, but unfortunately...the influence of the disease remained.

Leona: Perhaps it's because Mikan technically got two doses of the brainwashing, or because she remembered during the Killing Game; but either way, Mikan came back still as a remnant self, and caused a lot of trouble, especially since the object of her affection didn't remain in the world any longer, with both her real and AI self having been wiped out. Fortunately, Hajime and the others weren't about to give up on her, even after everything she did.

Hifumi: Ironically, Ibuki Mioda, a fellow Remnant, was the primary defender of Mikan's second chance, despite being one of her victims in the Killing Game. She assisted Mikan in recovering from the trauma and returning to a generally stable state of mind. And there was a lot of trauma to work through, in case we didn't convey that already.

Leona: I guess in the end, all she ever needed to get over her damaged body and mind was a healthy relationship. And she got MORE than that when it came to Ibuki! Turns out our loveable nurse isn't TOTALLY terrible with women! Then again, as simple as I am, I wouldn't be quick to enter a loving relationship with a girl who murdered me once before...

Hifumi: Mrs Tsumiki went on to rebuild her classmates' faith and trust in her, helping the Future Foundation with medical needs and healing people this time for the right reasons. Even though she is still emotionally hesitant and timid most of the time, she makes an effort to apply herself in the fight for good and works on growing rather than letting her past or her flaws define her. With all that being said...there WERE some problems.

Leona: Yeah, it turns out that even after restoring her honor, she still felt an itch...a craving for Despair...But she tried her best to suppress it for the sake of her classmates around her. She would never have dreamed of hurting her friends anymore, but she continued to relish the thoughts, and hated herself for it. However, she eventually learned to follow the old saying "If you can't lose it? USE it!"

Hifumi: I think you're misremembering "If you can't beat them, join them," but I suppose that works better here. Whenever things are at their bleakest, Mikan Tsumiki learned to instead of giving in to her lingering psychopathic tendencies, she would WEAPONIZE them.

Leona: We in the analysis business give this idea a neat little name of "DESPAIR RAGE!" You know that meme of the doctor with the gun? "I'm a healer, but..." that one? Yeah, that's Mikan when she's in this state.

Hifumi: Not only does she become inherently more violent and destructive in this state, throwing most of her morality and conscious decisions to the wind, but Mrs Tsumiki also becomes more sociopathic, sometimes outright toying with her enemies, like she did to Nagito Komaeda when she had him at her mercy. While the state doesn't necessarily make her STRONGER, it does stop her from holding back in any way, shape or regard.

Leona: On that note, to close out this segment, why don't we quickly go over some statistical feats? We've already established that she's really strong and fast, but despite her surprising strength, Mikan has a hard time applying that to fights. She IS a medic after all, not really a soldier, and applies most of her skills to healing wounds instead of causing them, unless it's as a last resort.

Hifumi: Which is why when Mrs Tsumiki is faced with combat, she chooses to less rely on strength and durability, and opts more for speed and smarts. Like hiding in the shadows to land a sneak attack, or setting and luring her opponents into traps. It helps that she seems to have an innate stealth ability and keen strategical prowess.

Leona: I guess when you're not capable of setting off nukes by taking a shit, this is the best you can do. Speaking of traps and durability though, I'd have to say her most impressive feat is the fact that she fought Nagito Komaeda in such a confined environment! And when he was an Ultimate Hope too!

Hifumi: I'm inclined to agree. Do you remember how we mentioned in our first matchup that Makoto Naegi was able to survive being thrown through a solid ceiling and walls? Well, during her fight against Komaeda, Mrs Tsumiki did the same thing! SEVERAL MORE TIMES IN QUICK SUCCESSION in fact!

Leona: As a reminder, we calculated in the third episode with Akane that the amount of energy required to send someone crashing through a solid stone wall 31.572 grams of TNT, since Akane herself did it with Nagito earlier in the same arc. Mikan's feat is significantly less impressive since the number of walls she was thrown through were thinner and fewer, but it's still an unbelievable feat for someone to survive, and that's not even mentioning what happened afterwards!

Hifumi: Mrs Tsumiki's penultimate plan was to keep Mr Komaeda distracted until the Future Foundation had enough time to blow up the building with the both of them inside it. This ultimately didn't do much in terms of stopping Komaeda, but the entire buildings collapse didn't kill HER either! She escaped with several wounds and a completely mangled foot, but with her life.

Leona: So all in all, just remember that if you ever tick this seemingly timid and sweet caretaker off, you may find yourself in a state worse than death. An apple a day keeps the doctor at bay!

Leona: We're about to get into some serious shit with this one, and no, I'm not kidding, so hold your horses.

Hifumi: Was that a pun, or did you say that on accident?

Leona: Welcome to the land of Equestria, a magical kingdom full of rolling plains, beautiful mountain ranges, and rainbows! A place where you just can't help but be happy! One of the places you'll find in this magical realm is Cloudsdale! Home of the Pegasuses...or Pegasi...or...Pegacivilians...Take your pick.

Hifumi: While Unicorns are known for their magic, and Earth Ponies are known for their connection to nature, their ability to fly, walk on clouds, and manipulate the weather are what makes the Pegasi unique.

Leona: Here's some juicy lore for you folks out there who stupidly thought that this was a simple toy franchise for little girls - The Pegasi are portrayed as a militaristic, organized tribe with a well-established fighting force and a cloud home filled with war-themed monuments. Members of the original Pegasus Tribe were in charge of weather control in exchange for food harvested by Earth ponies. To sum it up, the Pegasissies in the world of My Little Pony are kind of like Saiyan's in Dragon Ball, or at least a similar premise. Yes, really.

Hifumi: And just like it was with the Saiyan's and Son Goku, there's one Pony in particular who doesn't quite fit in line with the legacy of their bloodline. We can certainly see the warrior influence in Rainbow Dash, a previous DB competitor, but far from it in her best friend...The peace-loving, hug-mongering Fluttershy.

Leona: As someone who, to probably no one's surprised, is obsessed with MLP, allow me to take over most of the historical analysis here. As Hifumi just mentioned, Fluttershy, even as a filly, was not like the other Pegasusans in Cloudsdale. In fact, she was quite a notorious outcast who didn't fit in, nor get along with many of the others around her.

Hifumi: Mainly due to how she had a taller, ganglier body and larger wings, but also wasn't a very good flier, despite that basically being the Pegasi's thing. It would kind of be like if someone made fun of you for not being able to walk properly because you have a bonky leg, which...Yeah, that's...

Leona: Yeah, kinda fucked up, right!? My Little Pony addresses ABLEISM, and very early on in fact! She was given the rather disgraceful nickname of "Klutzershy" from the colts because of her clumsy nature, but a young Rainbow Dash stood up for her. She challenged Fluttershy's bullies to a race, but then...things went a LITTLE wrong...

Hifumi: During the race, Rainbow Dash and the bullies accidentally knocked Fluttershy off the clouds and down to the ground below, but she was conveniently saved by landing on a group of butterflies. However, this was the first time she had ever been outside of Cloudsdale and was unfamiliar with the world around her, and Fluttershy was overwhelmed by seeing the beauty of the animals and the greenery for the first time.

Leona: So much so that she started to sing a merry tune. You know, as you do. But a few moments later, Rainbow Dash, who had been frightened by Fluttershy's fall, burst in so fast to find her, she created a sonic rainboom that startled the animals and scared them into hiding.

Hifumi: Fortunately, it was here that Fluttershy discovered her true calling in life. She might not have been as fast, or as brave as the rest of her people, but learned that she had a gift for talking to animals, after managing to quiet the critters down after the scare. Moments later, she earned her Cutie Mark.

Leona: And no, that's not a euphemism for something. The cutie marks are obtained when Ponies discover a unique characteristic that sets themselves apart from others. Effectively, if she existed in our universe, this would the the symbol of Fluttershy's Ultimate Talent.

Hifumi: With time, Fluttershy established herself as one of the members of the Guardians of Friendship, or as the community calls them, the Mane 6, alongside Rainbow Dash, as well as Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie Pie. Unfortunately, even once she was a fully grown adult pony, her timidness and shyness didn't go away. I mean, it's in her name obviously, but she's typically very pacifistic and somewhat cowardly, possesses severe stage fright, and she was so shy in the first half of the series that she could hardly speak in front of strangers and that she was unable to say "no" when asked to do something that she didn't want to do.

Leona: But again, that's what makes it so weird and baffling, because just like her opponent, this "crouching moron" is a "hidden badass!"

Hifumi: Even early on in the series when it's most sold that Fluttershy is weaker than most Pegasi around her, it's also proven to NOT be the case. It may mainly be because of her lack of confidence in herself, but at her peak when she throws this to the wayside, usually out of fear or anger, she has the potential to be stronger AND faster than even Rainbow Dash.

Leona: She WAS able to outfly Rainbow Dash while towing two other ponies in a hot-air balloon, and kept up with her when creating a tornado. Something that the Pegasussusamongus do as part of their rituals in Equastria, and even though she's noted to not be as good at base level as the rest of her people, she SHOULD realistically be capable of this feat at her full potential.

Hifumi: You did that one on purpose...

Leona: Maybe I did, maybe I didn't?

Hifumi: You DEFINITELY did!

Leona: She's also ran the entire Running of the Leaves, a very intense running race, without showing a notable decrease in stamina, and her ability to empathize and communicate with animals has helped both herself and her allies in tight jams before. However, on top of all these wacky powers and abilities, there's one that really stands out that only she possesses...THE STARE! DUN DUN DUUUUUN!

Hifumi: The Stare is, in short, Fluttershy glaring at you angrily like a disappointed mother, and she usually uses this look on misbehaving animals. While this doesn't sound THAT intimidating coming from a soft-spoken pony like her, it's proven to ACTUALLY be quite powerful, so much so that Fluttershy openly says she only employs it in life or death situations, or to maintain order. It's so effective, she was able to use it to tame a cockatrice!

Leona: Kind of like Medusa, staring a cockatrice in the eyes turns you to stone, which it did once to Twilight Sparkle. However, Fluttershy employed the stare on it, looking it dead in the eyes, and actually got it to RELENT, causing her own petrification to be reversed, as well as Twilight's.

Hifumi: However, despite how powerful this "Stare" really is, it has it's limitations. Namely, it's shown not working on powerful and/or chaotic and unrelenting creatures like the infamous Discord, who merely laughed in Fluttershy's face when she tried to use it on him. It also seems to have absolutely no effect on more aggressive creatures like Flash Bees.

Leona: But even amongst the incredible feats of the Pegusfring's, and her own powers like the stare, Fluttershy's main source of power comes from her own special magic. The Mane 6 are capable of wielding these special artifacts called the Elements of Harmony.

Hifumi: In the My Little Pony universe, the Elements of Harmony are commonly described as "the most powerful magic known to Ponydom." Thousands of years ago, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna discovered them and removed them from the Tree of Harmony. Every artifact symbolizes a facet of friendship and becomes active only when the wielder possesses the matching trait and when all six are used together.

Leona: That being said, Twilight Sparkle was able to use the Element of Magic by herself in Equestria Girls, so the latter part isn't exactly true. In the case of Fluttershy though, she wields the Element of Kindness!

Hifumi: The Kindness Element is represented by a pink butterfly-shaped gem set in a gold necklace, resembling the butterflies in Fluttershy's Cutie Mark. Though it's only really ever used as a last resort, using the Element of Kindness, Fluttershy can restore peace and balance in moments of complete and total anarchy. Aside from granting Fluttershy special magical powers like generating forcefields, the Element can be used to banish different villains to different planes of existence, like the moon, Tartarus, or limbo, or it can be used to imprison something, like when it was used to imprison Discord in stone.

Leona: Yeah, Tartarus is a thing in My Little Pony. I told you, the lore fucks! And if you didn't think THAT was crazy, the Element can also summon a rainbow tornado that no matter what, completely engulfs its target! If they are evil or opposed to harmony, this tornado will completely change their morality and they will show remorse for their actions!

Hifumi: A very fitting power for someone like Fluttershy, who even without the Element's power is already kindness and sympathy incarnate? Do you remember how we brought up Discord? He's a Draconequus who is LITERALLY the physical embodiment of disharmony and chaos, and was originally one of the ponies most terrifying foes.

Leona: Emphasis on "originally," because thanks to Fluttershy's kindness and her willingness to see the good in people; even after he went on to cause even more trouble for her and her friends, she was not only able to REFORM Discord of his evil ways, but became his best buddy! And potential love interest as a lot of the fandom will tell you, but that's a discussion for another time. So yeah, if anyone's gonna wield the Element of Kindness, it's Fluttershy!

Hifumi: To make things even worse for any enemy that might have the gall to underestimate her, Fluttershy is also capable of boosting her power through the last means you might expect from MLP, but then again, that seems to be a running theme...Transformation!

Leona: We could be here all day talking about this but to sum it up, there's basically this tree that has a chest, and unlocking this chest unleashes this ancient power inside it that allows the Mane 6, including Fluttershy, to take on the POWER OF THE RAINBOWS! Or...Rainbow Power as it's called.

Hifumi: The Rainbow Power is only briefly seen, but following the opening of the chest, Fluttershy and her companions all gained more magic and underwent physical transformations. The Mane 6 used this power to defeat Lord Tirek, after he stole Twilight's powers, along with the magic of the entire population of Equestria! And that includes, Celestia, Luna and Discord's power!

Leona: The Rainbow Power and transformation bestows Fluttershy with all the same powers as the Element of Kindness tenfold! When she and her friends used it following the overpowered Tirek's rampage, she returned the stolen flight, strength, and magic back to the ponies of Equestria, even the Alicorns, and it also gives her powers like unlimited flight, powerful forcefield creation, summoning a gigantic spiritual Alicorn to aid in battle, and even increased Banishment powers like when she sent Tiren back to Tartarus with it.

Hifumi: And to top it all off, that's not the only transformation that Fluttershy possesses. She's also capable of taking on her own unique, and honestly rather deadly form...the Flutterbat!

Leona: So not only is Fluttershy at her peak a weather controller, multiversal goddess and the living embodiment of the concept of Kindness, she's also a FUCKING VAMPIRE! MY LITTLE PONY EVERYBODY!

Hifumi: To be more specific, Fluttershy became a vampire fruit bat-pony hybrid when Twilight unintentionally transferred the vampire fruit bats' desires to her. Her cutie mark transforms into three pink bats, and she gets fangs, bat wings, red eyes, and bat-like ears. She was able to outmaneuver the other ponies in the air with ease while squeezing the juice from apples and spitting out their seeds in this form.

Leona: So think a vampire that sucks on apple juice instead of blood. Twilight eventually managed to restore her back to normal, but at the end of the episode, Fluttershy retained a small fang, and later took the form of Flutterbat again to help Princess Luna defeat the Tantabus.

Hifumi: All in all, there's a LOT to Fluttershy than meets the eye, and thinking she's an easy target is a recipe for one's downfall. She has so forcefully bucked the back ends of two garbage wagonloads that they have flipped over to the vertical position and back again, skillfully wrestled a bear while trying to give it a massage, and withstood an attack from Sunset Shimmer when she herself was using the Element of Magic.

Leona: In one episode, she and Bulk Biceps, a very muscular Pegasoo, collided into a mountainside with such force that an indent was formed, and Fluttershy was crushed beneath Bulk's larger body. She is stuck on him when he flies off, but she appears surprised rather than pained, and in the following scenes, she is perfectly fine! She's also successfully defended herself against Iron Will, a really buff minotaur dude, fought and overpowered Cozy Glow for a time, stood up to a giant dragon despite her innate fear of them, and fought an army of Changelings, insect-like beings who feed off the love of others to gain power for their own.

Hifumi: Fluttershy may easily lose her cool when she's angered, and she may be cripplingly afraid of many things, but there's one indisputable fact about her. She's a VALID and DESERVING member of the Mane 6, and will pull her weight when she needs to, no matter what comes her way.

Hifumi: Alright, the combatants are set! We've run the data through all possibilities!

Leona: IT'S TIME FOR A DEEAAATH BAAATTLLLLLLEEE!

WARNING:The following battle contains actions of extreme violence committed on a character from My Little Pony. We understand this sort of graphic content and description can perturb some readers, so while we don't normally give this warning, we will here. Should you wish to skip straight to the results, by all means do so.You have been warned.

The scene opens to into a peaceful setting within the middle of a quiet orchard on a sunny day in Equestria. The birds are singing, the animals are casually playing around.

This peace however, is interrupted by a terrified scream, as Mikan Tsumiki comes bursting into the clearing, crying and panicked, literally pulling her hair out.

Mikan: Where am I!? What's going on!? WHERE AM I!? WHAT'S GOING ON!?

Freaked out and scared at having randomly ended up in this strange and unfamiliar location, Mikan's mental state is rapidly crumbling, and the animals around her run for safety, feeling threatened by her frankly overwhelming presence.

Meanwhile, not too far away, several more animals gather around a yellow and pink pony, tending to them and singing to them while doing so.

Fluttershy: ♪ I like the quiet, I like the calm...To turn it up, to sing along...I'm not just shy...Look close, and you will see...There's so much more to♪ -HUH!?

Fluttershy's soothing melody is swiftly interrupted as the animals cries from beyond the shrubbery grow closer. She lifts her head and sees several critters scurry from the bushes, followed by a clumsy, stumbling, purple-haired nurse, who trips over the branches and lands on her face. She quickly lifts her head to see Fluttershy staring back at her with astonishment.

Fluttershy: A human...!?

Mikan: KYAGH!? A-A t-t-talking horse!?

Fluttershy: How did you get here!? A-And why are you scaring the precious little animals away!?

Mikan: Wh-What!? No, no, no! Th-That's not what I

*CRUNCH!*

Fluttershy: HEEE!?

Mikan: EEEP!

Fluttershy, the animals and even Mikan herself gasp in horror, as Mikan gets to her feet and accidentally steps forward on top of a small mouse. The mouse squeaks in pain as it's crushed beneath her foot.

Fluttershy: Oh no! H-Hold on! I can help-!

*WHOOOSH!*

Mikan: AAGGGGH I'm SORRRYYYYY!

*SMACK!*

Fluttershy: GUGH!

Mikan: Agh...TCH!

Mistaking her approach for her trying to avenge the creature, Mikan fends Fluttershy off by grabbing her syringe from behind her back and swatting her away with it when she flies in to supposedly attack. Mikan looks back and forth between her weapon and her now opponent, her expression darkening as she realizes it's far too late for peaceful negotiations.

Though Fluttershy seems hesitant, she agrees to the duel regardless. With the exception of one deer who quickly grabs the poor mouse's body first, the rest of the animals quickly scarper, leaving the area open, as the fight begins!

youtube

Though initially trying to go in for the first blow, Fluttershy starts the fight by staying on the defensive. Mikan hoists her giant syringe up and takes some hefty swings. Though even in a panicked and confused state, Fluttershy easily avoids them.

*SHUNK!*

Fluttershy: KUGH!

Mikan: HUAGH!

*POW!*

Fluttershy: Haah...! U-Uwagh...Ngh...CHAGH!

Mikan: OOF!

When Mikan eventually gets a hit in while Fluttershy is at her most vulnerable, he punches the plunger to inject Fluttershy with the viscous anesthetic fluid inside. Fluttershy manages to break free just in time, and despite feeling lightheaded due to the anesthetic's effects, she counterattacks by using her front hooves to kick Mikan.

Fluttershy takes a moment while she has breathing room to check her wound. Seeing that she's slightly bleeding, she quickly wipes the wound with her hoof as Mikan recovers from her previous attack.

Mikan: What is going on...!? A-Am I hallucinating!? Is this some kind of dream...!?

Fluttershy notices that Mikan is panicking and in this moment, takes some sympathy on her.

Fluttershy: Hey, um...It occurs to me that we...may have jumped to conclusions before...You don't have to be so scared-

Mikan: N-No! GET AWAY FROM ME!

Mikan pulls out a bunch of smaller throwing syringes from her apron. Crying her eyes out in fear, she throws a barrage of them at Fluttershy, trying to turn the Pegasus into a pincushion.

Fluttershy: EEK!

Fluttershy's eyes widen as she sees these needles incoming, and she quickly rolls to the side and dashes out of the way. She flies forward, but looks back, worried that the needles might hit any of the animals.

Fortunately, they collide with the trunk of a thick tree and get stuck. Unfortunately, Fluttershy, not looking where she's going, bumps into Mikan. The two clatter to the floor, the latter in a rather compromising position that she quickly covers up.

Mikan: KYAAGH!

Fluttershy: Oh, sorry! I'm so sorry!

Mikan: No, that was my-Ugh...It's ok...Hold on, let me-

Fluttershy: N-No, let me get this for-OOF! My, this is REALLY heavy!

Mikan: No, no, I've got it! Thank you though...

Fluttershy: Sorry, I wasn't looking!

Mikan: No, seriously, thank you!

Fluttershy: Anytime!

Mikan & Fluttershy: Huh? Wait...Oh, DANGIT!

After a brief distraction, in which Fluttershy helps Mikan to her feet and tries to hand her back her primary weapon, the two forget that they're supposed to be fighting and cuss themselves out for it. Mikan takes the first strike, almost pinning Fluttershy to the ground with her heavy weapon before the Pegasus shoves her backwards.

*WHOOSH!*

Mikan: Huh!? WAH-!?

*CRACK!*

Mikan: GUAAAGGH!

*SLAM!*

Mikan: OHOUGH!

Fluttershy: HEEEH!

In quick succession, Fluttershy darts between Mikan's legs, kicks her square in the back from behind, grabs her legs and pins her to the ground, similarly to how she does when she's massaging bears, though this is done with the intention of holding Mikan still on the ground.

Fluttershy: Please, just listen to me! I'm sorry I scared you! We don't have to be fighting like this!

Mikan: Haah...! Haaah...! Haaaah...! NRGH!

Fluttershy: YOWCH!

Fluttershy's wishes for peace aren't granted. Mikan gets Fluttershy off of her by grabbing another small needle and stabbing her in the ankle, injecting more of the fluid. Mikan throws Fluttershy off of her, grabs her big weapon, and dives into the trees.

Fluttershy: Wait...! C-Come back...!

Fluttershy calls after her, but the anesthetic makes her even more dizzy, and she's unable to see straight for a moment. Mikan on the other hand, hides behind a rather thick tree trunk in a darker part of the orchard, cradling her body and starting to hyperventilate.

Mikan: What do I do...!? What do I do...!? I don't even know where I am and I...I...!

You hurt them...

Mikan: Geh!?

It never ends...You hurt everybody...

Mikan: Stop...!

She'll kill you...

Mikan: No, no...!

She should...

Mikan: Grrgh...!

Die, you piece of shit...!

Mikan: Forgive me...! Please...forgive me...! I...

She slowly rises to her feet. She then slowly lifts her head, her expression having changed dramatically. The tears stop flowing, her lips stop quivering, she holds her syringe with a tight grip, and her eyes become swirled with layers and layers of anguish and darkness.

Mikan: I won't stop...until you FORGIVE ME!

Fluttershy: Please, c-come out...! I can help you...!

Fluttershy stirs as she suddenly hears the sound of something fast through the leaves behind her. She quickly turns around, but only sees traces of something that was there. She hears the same sound again and turns again, seeing the same thing.

Fluttershy: Human...? Wh-Where are you...!?

Mikan: Here...!

Fluttershy: HUH!?

*SHUUNK!*

Fluttershy: GHAAAAGH!

Fluttershy screams in agony as without a word of warning, besides Mikan's sadistic teasing, she feels the incredibly sharp pang of the giant needle in the back of her body! Though being restrained, Fluttershy turns her head enough to see that Mikan's timid demeanor has gone, and now the look in her eyes bares naught but a despairful rage.

Mikan: Heeheheheheheh! KYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAGH!

Fluttershy: OOPH! RRGGGH!

Mikan: Heeeehehh...Hehehehhehehhheeegh...!

Mikan grabs Fluttershy by her jaw with one hand, holding onto the pony tightly as she uses her other to pump her full of the drugs in her weapon. Fluttershy's vision slowly begins to go dark, and the more the anesthetic enters her system, the weaker she gradually becomes, allowing Mikan to dominate her; baring a sadistic and perverse smile all the while.

Mikan then, to add insult to the very painful injury, kicks Fluttershy onto the ground and bounces off her into the air. While airborne, she once again reaches into her apron and produces several more syringes, which she holds between her fingers. She smiles down at Fluttershy, sticking out her tongue, sweating, and with a face-wide blush of ecstacy.

Mikan: Here's your PRESCRIPTION!

*SHUNK!* *SHUNK!* *SHUNK SHUNK* *SHUNNKKK!*

Fluttershy: KYAAAAAAAAAAAGGH!

The pain is agonizing! Fluttershy is injected with multiple sharp objects all over her body, pumping her full of drugs and rendering her nearly incapacitated and in immense pain, despite the needles causing little bleeding. She begins to lose sensation in her legs and her vision begins to warp. Mikan lands, picks up her enormous syringe, and moves slowly toward the Pegasus, raising the needle above her head for the final blow. All Fluttershy can do is crawl forward helplessly.

Fluttershy: No...Please...d-don't...! Huh?

Though her vision is still shaky, Fluttershy looks forward and meets eyes with a lone fruit bat, which is passing through, unaware of what's really going on with the situation and just looking for apples to eat in the orchard.

The bat glares into her eyes, and despite her agony, something stirs within Fluttershy, and her eyes widen, only to morph into an enraged and deranged frown as she feels her body begin to change...! Meanwhile, Mikan finally lets her chunky syringe fall down towards her head!

Mikan: DIE!

However, much to Mikan's surprise, as soon as she brings the needle down on Fluttershy, the pony disappears. This time, it's HER turn to be surprised when she senses a presence behind her...!

Flutterbat: *HIISSSS*

Mikan: GUAGH! GAGH! *SPLUTTER!*

Fluttershy, now FlutterBAT, smacks Mikan with her now hefty tail, sending her crashing into another tree trunk. Mikan lazily crawls to her feet and glares back at her attacker, who menacingly hangs upside down from a tree branch sucking on an apple.

Mikan: Filthy fucking rabies infested CREATURE!

Flutterbat: *SCREEEECCH!*

Mikan yells these enraged words out while hoisting her syringe over her shoulder before sprinting back into the fray. Similarly, Flutterbat drops from her perch and flies toward the Ultimate Nurse like small plane.

The sheer force of Flutterbat's wings almost knocks Mikan over, but she manages to stand and stabs Fluttershy with her syringe once more. This time, though, she sees that it does much less to slow Fluttershy down.

Mikan: What in the hell ARE you, freak!?

Flutterbat: *SCREEEECCH!*

Flutterbat, naturally, has nothing to say in response, and Mikan's frustration at not being able to gain the upper hand over her opponent grows. But Flutterbat also has trouble dealing Mikan any significant damage. She attempts to bite Mikan in retaliation, but the nurse dodges it and kicks her out of the way, only to have a gust of wind throw her back in turn.

Flutterbat: *HIISSSS*

Mikan: KYRRAAAAAGGH!

Mikan and Flutterbat trade violent blows, with Mikan using her syringe to hit Flutterbat and the former using her tail, sending each other flying back into the trees.

Flutterbat: Agh...Ngh...Hm?

Mikan: Haah...Hagh...HRGH! Huuh! Huuh! Huuh!

The blow into the tree has an interesting effect on Flutterbat as the transformation and continued fighting frees her of the initial effects of Mikan's drug-induced lunacy, making her vaguely come to her senses. When the pony sees the Nurse hyperventilating, clearly in a state of a panic attack, her reason comes back to her.

With it, Flutterbat drops out of her transformation and becomes Fluttershy again. Mikan's panic attack leaves her open to another blow, but Fluttershy refrains.

Before she can do or say anything, the animals from earlier slowly poke their heads out from the bushes, sensing a break in the fighting. Among them, Fluttershy sees the mouse Mikan stepped on earlier, now feeling a lot better, as it squeaks happily, but then squeaks in concern as it looks back towards Mikan.

Fluttershy also looks back at Mikan, who is still on the ground, breathing heavily. She smiles and nods towards her animal companions, as they prepare a plan.

Fluttershy: I...think I understand it now...! Everyone was so afraid of you...but you've been afraid this whole time, right? You must have end

Mikan: Grrgh...Hngh...

Fluttershy: I guess it's true, huh? It's so sad. I'm so sorry...But still...

Fluttershy stamps her hoof on the ground, drawing the panicked and crazed Mikan's attention. Fluttershy then employs her most deadly technique - THE STARE!

Fluttershy: That's NO excuse for your behavior! You need to calm down!

Mikan: ...

Fluttershy: ...

Mikan: Are you making fun of me...! Please! DON'T PICK ON ME!

*SHWOOSH!*

*CLINK!*

Mikan: Huh!?

Fluttershy: Yeah, I somehow knew that wouldn't work...!

Fluttershy giggles, embarrassed that her trick didn't work, but also clearly not having expected it to. But to Mikan's shock and surprise, as she throws another array of needles towards Fluttershy, they seem to bounce off her. In reality, they collide with a forcefield the Pegasus puts around herself.

While distracting Mikan with The Stare, Fluttershy's animal companions hang the golden necklace that is the Element of Kindness around her neck, and Fluttershy does not hesitate to use it's power to protect herself.

Mikan panics and throws more needles, but they also bounce off. Fluttershy bears an expression of sympathy, but also determination as she and her animal friends stride slowly towards the Ultimate Nurse.

Fluttershy: I meant it when I said I don't want to hurt you...But without my friends here...I need to do this...!

*SHIIIIIINE!*

Mikan: KRRGH! H-HUH!?

Mikan is nearly blinded by a light that erupts from Fluttershy's body, and once it dissipates, she looks up in horror to see Fluttershy in her Rainbow Power form.

Fluttershy: I think you should be careful...

Mikan: Wha-!? WAAAGHAAAGH! WHAT IS THIIIIS!?

Fluttershy: It's the most powerful magic in all of Equestria...Friendship!

Mikan: KYRAGH! KYAAAHAGH!

Die...Kill...No...NOOOOO...! STOP! NOOOOOOOO!

Mikan: H-Huh!?

Mikan's eyes shut tight as she's suddenly swept off her feet by a tornado made of rainbows that completely envelops her. However, they shoot open again, not in fear, not in shock or horror...but in clarity.

The voices in her head that drive her into despair...the foundation of her despairing rage...she feels them being washed away, and for the first time in her entire life...she feels free.

However, despite this, her nightmare doesn't appear to be over, as she stares back up at Fluttershy, who's body glows with a white light, and her eyes white out as she's filled with power.

Fluttershy: Heehee...!

*POYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!*

Mikan: K-KYEAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGH!

Fluttershy, with a warm and cheerful smile, and with the animals of the orchard hovering around her in bliss and tranquility, fires a golden beam of light down onto her opponent, and Mikan screams in fear as she sees her body slowly but surely begin to turn into stone! Starting with her feet and working it's way up into her head, the broken Ultimate Nurse becomes a solid frozen ornament.

Fluttershy slowly descends to the ground with her animal friends, and returns to her base form. She's completely healed of every wound she suffered during the fight and her vitality is restored to normal. She and the animals approach the statue and carefully watch it.

Fluttershy: Once my friends arrive, we'll let you go free, and I'll gladly let you join my tea party! ...But for now, I'm sorry, but I have to sit you in time out...

Leona: Ah, poor poor Mikan. First a victim of batshit Danganronpa lore, now a victim of even more batshit My Little Pony lore. But hey, at least she didn't "DIE" die...

Hifumi: Unsurprisingly, this match was pretty clear cut. Though despite the one-sidedness in terms of how each combatants abilities stack up to each others, Mikan Tsumiki DID possess her own fair share of advantages.

Leona: To start with, Mikan's primary way of taking out enemies is using her needles to either rip them to shreds, or inject them with enough anesthetic to send them into comatose. Despite it still being pretty high when scaled to other characters in My Little Pony, Fluttershy's defense is easily her weakest stat, and she's evidently not immune to drugs...and I genuinely can't believe I just said that.

Hifumi: Tsumiki's best shot at winning this fight would be to catch Fluttershy off guard, and inject her with enough sleeping drugs that she falls unconscious and deliver an easy killing blow that way, assuming Fluttershy doesn't somehow die from the overdose. And with her evidently unmatched stealth and speed skills, as well as the fact that she's undoubtedly far more strategic than her Pegasus opponent, it was entirely possible she could get the jump on Fluttershy, who all things considered is very gullible and easily duped, and achieve exactly that!

Leona: That being said, while not IMPOSSIBLE, it was still very unlikely. It took SEVERAL shots, and even Mikan having to distribute basically all of the drugs contained in her claymore needle to render Nagito Komaeda unconscious. This is most likely because Nagito's Ultimate Hope abilities gave him an exponential increase in stamina that allowed him to resist the drugs for a long time, only taking effect with one final shot following several battles in succession.

Hifumi: And based on the calculations of her feats, as well as scaling her to Rainbow Dash in particular, it's likely that Fluttershy's max stamina was MUCH HIGHER than even that.

Leona: As were MOST of Fluttershy's stats at that. Mikan was fast, being able to outpace Nagito Komaeda, who possesses above superhuman speed and reactions, but Fluttershy was DEFINITELY faster, so much so that it's hard to even lock down her maximum speed. Scaling it to Rainbow Dash though, who she was able to keep up with when creating the tornado, we know she's at least faster than light.

Hifumi: In terms of physical strength, in both their base form and Despair and Flutterbat forms respectively, they might have been equal in terms of attack potency, but to reiterate, Mikan Tsumiki's primary weapon is a 150 lbs syringe, and though she IS able to wield it, she does so sluggishly, in a way that Fluttershy just can't NOT dodge easily.

Leona: Another advantage Mikan held was that based on the way the ability works, it's most likely that in her Despair Rage state, she would be immune to Fluttershy's stare, just like Discord and the Flash Bees were, since Mikan is also a very aggressive creature in this state that honestly relishes on fear more than it perturbs her.

Hifumi: However, what Mikan would NOT have been immune to was the Elements of Harmony, and there was no way in hell she was EVER going to beat Fluttershy in her Rainbow Power form. In fact, Fluttershy's power of the Element of Kindness basically countered every ability she had left.

Leona: Her powers could easily allow her to generate a barrier that blocks all of Mikan's weapons and projectiles, and would cleanse of her any lingering effects of the drugs if there were any. And to top it all off, Fluttershy's rainbow tornado would wipe every trace of evil and Despair away from Mikan, effectively taking away her Despair Rage state and every ability and bloodlust along with it. She could also just as easily use the Element of Harmony to turn Mikan to stone like with Discord and the other villains in MLP. You know, if Mikan really is struggling to cope with her past and the Despair still inside her, she should probably ask Fluttershy for therapy. Pretty sure it would do her wonders!

Hifumi: Let's be honest, if these two ACTUALLY met, there's NO WAY they would fight. They have a lot in common, with both of them being pretty wimpy, timid and sweet in their base forms, and not being able to fight at full potential unless angered or despaired. Despite their far from intimidating appearances, both Mrs. Tsumiki and Fluttershy have shown feats of strength and ability far beyond the average human or pony.

Leona: But that is the exact reason why Mikan falls so far of the victory here. One is a human, and the other is a pony. Mikan possesses no form of special combat abilities or powers, but Fluttershy has used her unique abilities alongside her friends to take down opponents like Discord and Tirek; both godly beings far beyond anything Mikan could ever HOPE to take down.

Hifumi: Mikan Tsumiki was a terrifying foe, but Fluttershy's total dominance and undefeatable power of Kindness and Friendship put the Ultimate Nurse in her stone-cold place.

Leona: Though she was Flutter-SHY of victory, fortunately for Mikan, forgiveness is the NEEDLE that knows how to mend!

THE WINNER IS FLUTTERSHY!

Next Time:

The world is under attack and the robot invaders are taking over! But don't worry! These two unlikely teenage heroes are going to step up, fight for and with their families, and take back humanities world! But when the odds collide, which one of these average teenage girls is gonna come out on top?

#Youtube #danganronpa survivor #danganronpa #mikan tsumiki #death battle #warriors of other worlds arc

11 notes · View notes

anotherhumaninthisworld · 11 months

Note

Hi! Out of curiosity, what was the whole drama with Charlotte and Augustin? I’ve tried reading it in several Robespierre biographies and it’s never made sense

Good question! That you couldn’t find an answer in a biography that made sense is not all that weird, I tried looking over the ones I had access to and those that touched on the fight all got it wrong in some way in my opinion. The reason for this, besides the fact that the conflict is a pretty small detail in the grand scheme of things, is probably that we have several different sources mentioning it that all put their own spin on it in some way or another. I would say these sources fit into three categories:

First off, we have contemporary letters dealing with the fight written by Augustin and Charlotte themselves. These include an undated letter from Augustin to Maximilien, as well as a letter dated July 6 1794 from Charlotte to Augustin.

Second off, we have what Charlotte had to say about the fight in Mémoires de Charlotte Robespierre sur ses deux frères, published in 1834 by Albert Laponneraye.

And third, there’s what contemporaries said regarding it. This mostly includes Armand Joseph Guffroy’s Secretes de Joseph Lebon et ses complices (1795) as well as the memoirs of Maurice Gaillard.

The fight, as far as we’re concerned, dates back to Augustin and Charlotte’s trip to the Army of Italy, where the former was tasked to go by the Committee of Public Safety on July 19 1793. Augustin set off a few days later together with Jean François Ricord, another representative on mission. For company, Ricord brought his wife Marguerite, while Augustin (on Charlotte’s request, if we’re to believe her memoirs) brought his sister.

We only have Charlotte’s memoirs to rely on regarding what played out between her and her brother during the trip. According to them, the group, after a time of traveling from town to town with counter-revolutionaries constantly after them, finally settled in Nice for a longer period of time. There, Augustin and Ricord made frequent outings to different divisions while Charlotte and Marguerite occupied themselves with making shirts for the soldiers during the day and went for walks and horseback rides in the countryside in the evenings. This latter activity soon proved to be troublesome, as ”several journals paid by the aristocracy” back in Paris started accusing the two women of acting like princesses with their equestrian outings. As a consequence, Augustin vetoed further horseback rides after receiving a letter from Maximilien regarding the issue, and Charlotte promised to abstain from riding from then on. But not long after, Marguerite, who according to Charlotte ”was the most frivolous and inconsiderate person in the world,” proposed they should go on yet another ride, and Charlotte, after trying in vain to remind her of what her brothers had said, hesitantly joined her.

When Augustin reproached his sister for the ride a few days later, Charlotte called on Marguerite to testify that it had been her idea. But Marguerite, instead of telling the truth, not only enforced the lie that it was Charlotte that had wanted the ride, but also added that she had taken her with her against her will. Augustin chose to believe her, much to Charlotte’s distress — ”My brother knew I was incapable of lying. Why then did he not want to believe me?” After this incident, Augustin started keeping a certain coldness in regards to Charlotte which caused her much despair, though it would not appear she tried to approach her brother to explain herself again.

The straw that broke the camel’s back came when Marguerite a while later suggested to Charlotte that they should go to Grasse together, something Charlotte agreed to do. But hardly had they arrived when Marguerite came forward with a forged letter, telling Charlotte it was from Augustin and that he urged her to return to Paris as soon as possible. A shocked Charlotte obeyed and set out for the capital the following morning, ending her journey somewhere in the fall of 1793. Marguerite in her turn went on to slander Charlotte to Augustin, saying that she didn’t care about him and that this was the reason for her brusque departure. She and her friend Madame Gesnel made him believe Charlotte had caluminated both Augustin and Madame Ricord. According to Charlotte, Marguerite was seducing her brother, who ”believed it essential to his honor and duty” to respond to her advances (it might be added that this is very similar to how Charlotte explains the relationship between her other brother and Éléonore Duplay). It evidently worked, and Augustin refused to see his sister when he too returned to Paris for a short stay (December-January), choosing instead to move in with the Ricords. He told Maximilien about both Charlotte’s brusque departure from Grasse, as well as her compromising the honor of him and Madame Ricord, causing the former to become angry with her too.

Such is the story as presented by Charlotte in her memoirs. Parts of it can and has been questioned, above all the idea of Augustin as completely innocent in the drama. Both Maximilien’s biographer J.M Thompson and Augustin’s Mary Young instead embrace the idea that there did exist a mutual liason between Augustin and Madame Ricord that Charlotte became an annoying witness to. Thompson declares himself sceptical in regards to the idea of Marguerite forging a letter from Augustin, while Young completely dismisses it and instead suggests the letter did indeed come from the pen of Augustin, eager to send his sister away so she wouldn’t be in the way of his love affair. The idea that there was something more than platonic friendship between Augustin and Marguerite also appears in the memoirs of Paul Barras, who served as a representative to Toulon at the same time as Augustin and Ricord:

Fully convinced that women constituted a powerful aid, [Bonaparte] assiduously paid court to the wife of Ricord, knowing that she exercised great influence over Robespierre the younger, her husband's colleague. […] Robespierre the younger was particulary attached to Madame Ricord.

Besides the question of Augustin’s guilt, it can also be observed that the letter where Maximilien tells his siblings about the controversy Charlotte’s horseback rides were causing has never been found. I’ve also not seen anyone point out the journals denouncing Charlotte and Madame Ricord’s outings the memoirs are alluding to…

If this first bit of drama can be boiled down to a mere personal feud, it gets harder to make the same case when we get to the second part of the conflict. This is where the first of the two contemporary letters — the one Augustin wrote to Maximilien — comes into the picture:

My sister does not have a single drop of blood that resembles ours. I have seen and learned so much about her that I regard her as our greatest enemy. She abuses our spotless reputation to lay down the law on us and threatens to take a scandalous step in order to compromise us. We must take a decisive stand against her. We must make her leave for Arras, and thus take her away from us, a woman who causes our common despair. She would like to give us the reputation of bad brothers, her calumnies spread against us aim at this goal. I would like you to see the citoyenne La Saudraie, she would give you certain information on all the masks that it is interesting to know in these circumstances. A certain Saint-Félix seems to be from the clique.

This letter is unfortunately undated, but two things has lead to all historians up until this point to place it somewhere in April-May 1794. The first is the fact that Augustin makes allusions to Guillodon La Saudraie whose first known contacts with Augustin (of whom she, according to the memoirs of Charles Nodier, was the presumed mistress) are from the first half of 1794, when she accompanied him on his second mission. Augustin had already in a letter dated March 24 also asked Maximilien to offer her an audience, and it seems likely for this to have been a follow-up to that.

The second clue is that, on May 19, a letter written by Augustin Darthé revealed that Charlotte had come back to Arras two days earlier, just like her younger brother asks for above. She had been escorted by Joseph Lebon, representative to Arras who Maximilien had recalled to Paris on May 14, saying that the Committee of Public Safety had decided to direct his energy ”in an even more useful way” and telling him to ”come back as soon as possible, to return promptly to the post where you currently are.” I have chosen to believe ”the more useful way” Maximilien suggests Lebon should use his energy for alludes to the mission of bringing Charlotte back to their hometown.

It can be observed that, if it’s true the letter to Maximilien is from April-May 1794, Augustin wouldn’t have met his sister since the fall of 1793 (assuming Charlotte is telling the truth in that he didn’t want to see her during his short break in Paris). The question is therefore evidently what exactly Charlotte had done for it both to reach the miles away Augustin and make him think this ill of her. In her memoirs, Charlotte passes in total silence on both this letter and her exile to Arras (and with that, the question of whether she gave her consent to being sent there or not). Since the accusations in Augustin’s letter are so vague, it gets hard to verify what exactly she’d done to make him so upset, other than it seems to be about her 1, slandering her brothers and 2, doing something scandalous. The first charge I suppose could tie in with Augustin falling for Madame Ricord’s claim that Charlotte was caluminating him, as the memoirs would have us believe. However, we do also have several pieces that could fill the criteria for the second charge that all date back to around the same period Augustin allegedly penned down his letter.

First off we have a letter written on April 25 1794 and sent off to Charlotte. In it, the author brings her up to speed regarding the recent repressive politics their hometown Arras for the past months has been the victim of:

What has been said of your country is true; for six weeks one hundred and fifty people have been guillotined and about three thousand imprisoned. […] I’ll spare you other details that are too atrocious to be believed, when you haven’t been an eyewitness. If I had more time, I could have given you more detailed facts; I cannot tell you what I have heard from different people without having had the time to verify it. We go into the countryside tomorrow. I forgot to tell you that the prosecutor of the revolutionary tribunal is arrested and the revolutionary commissar broken.

He also makes allusions to a commission Charlotte is part of, that appears to have as its goal to slow down the repression apparatus. This commission may be what the deputy Armand Joseph Guffroy is alluding to in the following part of his Secretes de Joseph Lebon et ses complices (1795):

I was not discouraged; Leblond’s sister, Demeulier’s (sic) daughter, Buissart’s wife, Robespierre’s sister, to whom he was also almost invisible, took every means to reach him.

Speaking of Guffroy, the second piece is a letter dated May 7 to him from the arragois lawyer Antoine Buissart, a friend of both him and the Robespierre siblings. The letter confirms Charlotte’s interest in what was going on in Arras:

We salute the citoyenne Robespierre; my wife has just received her letter; tell her as soon as possible that I will immediately give her the clarifications she requests.

Furthermore, as shown through the above cited letter, Charlotte came to see Guffroy (this was something she would herself confirm when interrogated after thermidor, adding that Madame Duplay reproached her for it). It is not impossible this relation caused dislike in Augustin, who, along with his brother, had ”a great contempt” for Guffroy if we’re to believe the memoirs of Élisabeth Lebas. Since March 3 1794 Guffroy had also become suspect in the political arena, as he on that day had been expelled from the Jacobins accused of having connections with a former marquis, forcing the Revolutionary Committee of the Picques section to release Louis XVI’s former locksmith and having English letters found among his papers. This denounciation had also forced him to resign from his functions as member of the Committee of General Security. Guffroy was himself convinced that Charlotte visiting him was the reason for her fallout with her brothers, as this is what he wrote about it a year later:

[The brothers] drove [Charlotte] out of their house because she did not think like they did, because she came to see my wife and because she saw citizens who were sincere friends of justice and truth.

Finally, there’s also a passage (1, 2) from the memoirs of Maurice Gaillard that’s of interest here. Gaillard claims to have met Charlotte somewhere in May 1794 to hear her opinion on the magistrates of Melun having been denounced for two years earlier signing an adress denouncing the demonstration of June 20, 1792. Charlotte not only expressed her disapproval when it came to this affair, but also deplored of the terror in Arras and raged against the Duplay family. She then helped arrange an interview between Gaillard and Couthon, but when the latter got threatening she holds him still in the armchair he was sitting while yelling at Gaillard to escape. Tracking him down again she tells him that ”the wretched man merely wanted to discover your inmost thoughts” but that she ”succeeded in making him ashamed of the crime which he was about to commit against one whom I had introduced to him in confidence.” She then urged Gaillard to flee the city, which he also went ahead and did. Curiously, Charlotte appears to think the conflict between her and Augustin to be old news in Gaillard’s account, talking instead about how she’s eagerly awaiting his return so he can help her get Maximilien to move away from the Duplays.

(note that these four pieces are very rarely (I might say never) used by Robespierre biographers who talk about the conflict a bit more in detail).

Whatever it was Augustin’s letter was alluding to, Charlotte ended up in Arras. We know through a letter her step-cousin wrote to Augustin that she doesn’t appear to have made their fallout known to her friends there (so again, pretty far from Augustin’s charge that Charlotte had slandered her brothers). Her stay was nevertheless short, already on July 1 we find a letter confirming she was back in the capital. Charlotte’s reason for leaving is unknown, but according to Guffroy it was to avoid arrest:

Lebon had [Charlotte] denounced to the popular society of Arras, by his cutthroats, as an aristocrat. Her apparent crime, and at least the pretext for her arrest, was to have been with Payen de Neuville la Liberté, an estimable farmer, whom Lebon had guillotined, and brother of another Payen, member of the constituent assembly who had served as father and friend to Robespierre, and whom Lebon likewise had guillotined. […] Without Florent Guyot (sic), who brought her back to Paris, she would have been imprisoned there, because Lebon's accomplices had denounced her in their infernal club which they called the popular society.

While most historians I’ve looked at have dismissed this as mere slander, it can nevertheless be observed that the dates of execution for the two Payen brothers Guffroy is talking about (June 21 and 26) matches rather well with the time Charlotte’s would have departed from Arras… On June 28 we do actually find a letter from Antoine Buissart to Maximilien, telling him that since a month back, he, his wife and Charlotte have been denounced by a certain Carlier, administrator of the department of Pas-de-Calais — ”You know that from this time on I am a conspirator in the eyes of the famous Carlier, and my wife and your sister two intriguers.” Guffroy did in his turn call the same Carlier ”Lebon’s fiercest lieutenant” so it may actually be him he accuses of having denounced Charlotte here above…

Augustin had returned to Paris just before Charlotte. In her memoirs, Charlotte describes the situation between them in the following way:

He seemed to be fleeing my presence. I admit it, I was indignant against him; what had I done to him, I said to myself, for him to treat me this way, for him to say to anyone who will listen that I am unworthy of him, that I conducted myself badly with him, that I no longer deserve his esteem? It was then that I wrote him the letter that Levasseur recorded in his Memoirs.

This is the second of the two contemporary letters regarding the fight, dated July 6. In her memoirs, Charlotte tried to declare certain phrases of it as embellishments by her brothers’ enemies, but an encounter with the fac-simile of it proves that she was actually lying there.

Charlotte begins the letter by writing that Augustin’s aversion for her has developed into the most implacable hatred, to the point that they can’t even talk to each other anymore. Because of this she will instead try to write to him. She tells Augustin how hurt she has become by his hostility — ”what does it matter to me that I am hated by those who are irrelevant to me and who I despise? Their memory will never come to trouble me, but being hated by my brothers, I, for whom it is a necessity to cherish them, this is the only thing which can render me as unhappy as I am” — a hostility she considers herself completely undeserving of. Despite this she writes that she won’t hold any grudges the day Augustin decides to come back to her, she will only feel joy over having him at her side again.

Like that of her brother, Charlotte’s letter is very emotional and very vague when it comes to the question of what the conflict is actually about. When she gets a bit more specific however, it would once again appear like her relationships is what Augustin had denounced her for:

Nonetheless, do not hope in your delirium to be able to make me lose the esteem of a few virtuous persons, which is the only good which remains to me, along with a pure conscience ; full of a just confidence in my virtue, I can defy you to detract it and I dare to tell you that, beside the good people who know me, you will lose your reputation rather than harming mine.

Charlotte ends by declaring she will move into the house of her and Augustin’s maid Madame Laporte so that she won’t be in Augustin’s way. Her interrogation held a few weeks later confirms that she went through with that plan. According to Charlotte’s memoirs she never saw her little brother again, and there was therefore never any reconciliation between the two. This is the last thing we know of it.

So the drama is no doubt not just a little confusing. What I personally consider most likely is that Augustin had found out about Charlotte political activities and contacts, felt both his own reputation and, to borrow a phrase from Charlotte’s letter, ’the public good” threatened by it, and written to Maximilien to urge him to send Charlotte away from Paris and with that her connections. While the mistrust of the sister certainly could have been fueled by what had played out between the two during the mission, I am hesitant to buy the memoirs’ story of Augustin simply having been brainwashed by Madame Ricord into hating Charlotte. The fact that Charlotte makes allusions to Augustin having a problem with her friends does also imply there was much more to it than that.

Finally, and I’m totally just speculating here, if it turns out no article regarding Charlotte and her scandalous horseback rides can be found in any contemporary journal, then I wouldn’t be all that defiant in front of the idea that the entire story could be something fabricated by Charlotte and Laponneraye to hide the former’s more controversial activities. We know through her testament as well as this letter that Charlotte, towards the end of her life, wanted to rehabilitate her brothers’ memory and be remembered as a loyal sister. Laponneraye was in his turn someone who evidently didn’t think women belong in politics. This is shown through the following sentence from the preface of the memoirs, which, given what has since been found out about Charlotte, has aged badly in more than one way:

Passionate about the private life, [Charlotte] could never bring herself to leave it, and was always careful not to imitate those women who, forgetting the role that suits their sex, throw themselves madly and ridiculously into a career that is not made for them. So she played no part in the extraordinary events that signaled the time when her older brother was in power. […] Charlotte Robespierre occupied herself with politics only as much as is necessary for her to follow her brothers with her eyes in the arena where they fight hand in hand against crime.

With all this in mind, the idea of Charlotte and Laponneraye redefining the conflict between the former and Augustin to be more appropriate to their narrative doesn’t come off as all that foreign to me. Regardless, I think the two letters line up much better with the version of the drama presented by Guffroy compared to the one presented in the memoirs.

#augustin robespierre #charlotte robespierre #bad brother bonbon #sus sis charlotte #robespierre #ask #maybe i’m paranoid #but the version of the fight presented in the memoirs just sounds like one of those stories by a bad author #where the characters must act as stupid as possible for the plot to even move forward #like why does charlotte join madame ricord instead of just being a damn adult and saying ”no”?#why does augustin choose to believe a person he’s just met rather than his own sister he’s known his entire life?#why does charlotte just accept that augustin doesn’t believe her rather than explaining herself again?#why doesn’t charlotte ask to see the letter this obviously suspect woman just claims to have?#regardless this whole family was messed up

60 notes · View notes

snailsandpuppy-dogtails · 11 months

Text

California

A one bed one bed. Smut ahead, be warned. Garvez, Ao3 WC: 5,267 Penelope is directed to join the team on a case in California, but due to some seemingly serendipitous events she and Luke end up sharing a room and a bed. Everything goes fine until Penelope wakes up and can't get back to sleep, maybe some reading will help lull her back down. ---------------

Three FBI profilers and one technical annalist supreme huddled around a cellphone in the lobby of a Pasadena, California hotel like beach goers around a bonfire. Unfortunately, this was not a vacation.

“Garcia, Alvez, you’re sure you’re ok bunking together?”

“Oh, I’m fine, so long as Penelope keeps her hands to herself-“

“Excuse-” she defended, turning to wap him with the back of her free hand.

“Ow! See?!” Luke flinched and teasingly begged, looking for a grain of sympathy. None was found, though sly smiles were traded.

Penelope glared turning back to Prentiss on the phone, “Of minimal issue, Oh Fearless One.”

Prentiss remained back at Quantico, Rossi had also been held back, his insight and connection to Voit deemed too vital to allow him to stray further than an hour’s drive. Penelope’s presence, however, had been specially requested by Pasadena P.D.

Due to her insider, if outdated, knowledge of CalTech’s campus and community, and given what Prentiss viewed as temptation in the form of a key witness, she was directed to go along. It wasn’t until accommodations came up that the practicality of sending three female agents and one male agent out in the field dawned on her.

Feeling left out at being held back, Rossi had upgraded the team to a ritzy hotel. He argued that he wanted to make sure the team (really, his concern was Penelope) was comfortable, not in some trash heap motel the Bureau would spring for. He reasoned that since she wasn’t often in the field and since he wasn’t there this time, he wanted to do what he could to make her feel secure…He certainly hadn’t in his wildest actions schemed, hadn’t used his skills as a profiler, hadn’t even thought they would…and those thoughts hadn’t been spurred by the intermittent gossip his late wife shared in idle moments at home. David Rossi absolutely had not looked for the nicest place with the fewest amount of vacancies…

And even if he had, it would have been a 33.333% chance they’d end up in a room together…

He had zero way of knowing Luke wouldn’t feel right sharing a room with JJ because she was married (even if he was very familiar with Luke’s Catholic upbringing), nor that Tara, forced to share a room with Gabriel growing up, had an aversion to bunking with men (only exacerbated by her experience with her ex husband and ex-fiancee), and he only knew Penelope to have shared that one time with Morgan…

However, it was indeed the discomfort of Tara and Luke, and the flexibility of JJ and Penelope that quickly brought the group to the decision of Luke with Penelope and Tara with JJ.

A sound of defeated aggravation broke between the four and the phone, “Now I feel bad! Penelope, I can do it, we all know how tidy Luke is and with any luck it should only be a few nights. Sharing a room with him can’t possibly be as bad as sharing with Gabriel.”

“Aww, gee, thanks, love you too.“ he mocked, playfully scowling.

JJ and Penelope smirked

“Tara, it’s fine, really. You guys, we’re fine. I have brothers, and I’m not bothered one bit by sleeping in the same room as male friends and coworkers. Luke and I can share a room.

“Hey, no really-” Tara tried again.

“I know the last time was with Derek…” JJ started.

“And that’s why it’ll be fine!” Penelope insisted, loudly cutting everyone off, “Guys, it’ll be just like that! …Well, hopefully not just like that, I could really do without the dead man part-”

No one knew. No one needed to know. One dinner three years ago, countless charged interactions, and a hand full of flutter-filled dances buried in the past. They were on stable ground now. They could do this as friends.

“Alright, if you’re absolutely sure. Everyone get some sleep, you’ve all got your work cut out for you in the morning.”

With sleeping arrangements sorted and key cards divided up the group loaded into the elevator with their bags, Luke carrying double, ignoring the weak protests of the blonde toddling along behind him.

As the elevator climbed in levels, Luke and Penelope now bickering over the baggage situation, JJ and Tara held a conversation of their own through traded looks; raised eyebrows, widening, narrowing, and rolling eyes, and little nods saying what they wouldn’t out loud, each wondering if this serendipitous arrangement would make their trip that much more interesting in the morning.

“Have a good niiiiight” JJ sang as she and Tara exited a floor ahead of the other two.

“Sleep tight” Tara bid, fluttering her fingers in a wave.

Luke ducked his head chuckling, Penelope scoffed in slight offense narrowing her eyes at the parting duo.

Rude.

As far as they were concerned she and Luke were colleagues, nothing more. Nothing to be making cute little voices about.

Settling in to their room, things had gone without incident, their interactions polite. Cordial. They set their things down, she took a bath, he made her tea, he took a shower, and then they went to bed.

There were no lingering looks, no awkward exchanges, and no tension to constrict

despite

the one little issue no one had realized they faced

Freshly showered, Luke folded back the covers, pausing to play with his alarm (he never needed it, but he didn’t like to leave things to chance in an unfamiliar environment) before getting in the singular bed.

One bed.

One very nice, very large, very inviting looking bed. One bed for the two of them. How anyone who worked at the hotel had managed not to mention that detail was beyond him. He wondered if Penelope was regretting her choice in being so easygoing now. He wondered if he should offer to sleep on the couch...but she hadn't mentioned it and he'd decided in an effort to mirror her unbothered attitude, he wouldn't either.

Fake it until you make it, right?

Coming out of the bathroom in little shorts and a matching camisole she was completely adorable and sexy, and as she assured him she had no problem with him sleeping in his briefs instead of full length pajama pants because she figured he was a hot sleeper, which was a perfectly considerate and not at all lascivious thing to say, he felt guilty for thinking the second part.

She was correct, too, at home he slept in little else, but on cases he always slept in an FBI training shirt and basketball shorts. If there was some middle of the night emergency, he did not want to have to evacuate half dressed. But somehow the basketball shorts he kept in his go bag had gone missing…He was usually meticulously prepared, so he was grateful when she showed mercy as he tore the bag apart in confusion and frustration looking for them, only to turn up with long flannel pants he kept for cold nights at home instead.

Alvez, looking at her lost and apologetic, in that just tight enough dark blue shirt…

Friends. In a bed.

(and very little else)

Right.

She could do that.

With his arm between them tucked on his chest and his other tucked behind his head, Luke focused on his breathing, drifting off almost instantly.

For Penelope, initially it had been just as easy. The hot tea Luke had kindly brought her for her bath calmed her insides while the warm water on the outside worked it’s magic on her swollen feet. By the time she had finished, she was but a string of spaghetti in a boiling pot, limp, plump, and lax. Serenely, she too fell quickly into slumber, cuddling against the comforter.

But if the lack of awkwardness and ease of rhythm lead her to believe that either truly felt things were neutral, she was deluding herself.

Her subconscious was not so easily lulled into the false narrative told by the waking tech analyst however…

Rousing with a start from a dream she could only embarrassingly describe as too good, she first cursed JJ and Tara for their earlier insinuations, obviously planting the seeds for what had transpired for dream Penelope, then watched the dark profile next to her for a time. He was asleep. He would be asleep. This was business, work, mundane, routine, she was as good as Matt laying in this bed next to him, as good as Roxy, to Luke this meant nothing. To Luke this would never mean anything again. And why should it? Hadn’t she let him know in no uncertain terms where he stood? Rejected him enough? No man would continue to hold feelings that long, no person would lack so much self respect…

And yet, it was lies. She clearly lacked that self respect.

Penelope rolled to her back, closing her eyes and letting out a slow, quiet breath. Sleep had come so easily just an hour ago, but now the sandman was far from this room, far from this bed, half way across the globe, and she lay starkly awake. She found herself flopping and shimmying; right, stomach, left, back, she rolled and twisted, but nothing would settle.

Frustrated, she jerked to her left, facing the edge of the bed. She needed to sleep so she wouldn’t be snappy and mean, anything else she could work through with coffee, but she’d been such a biting jerk coming back she wanted to be better this next case, actually act like she wanted to be there, because she did. Being back had helped her accept this was where she felt most useful, where she felt like what she did mattered, plus nothing really compared to working with friends.

She’d laid with her eyes closed trying to clear her mind and focus on her heart beat, her respiration, feel the weight of her limbs, and the bed supporting her, all the meditative tricks she knew, but nothing worked. Sergio would pop in, or Shane, her brothers, Luke. She needed something else, something to wipe away the unsolicited thoughts. She decided to read until she fell back asleep, a bit of reading always helped when nothing else would. She’d set the screen’s brightness on her tablet low so it wouldn’t keep her up and so it wouldn’t accidentally wake Luke. Luckily she’d been reading on the plane on the way here, so it was already close by in her bag at the side of the bed.

Powering it on, she went straight to the Ao3 bookmark for her favorite guilty pleasure (guilty only because if she thought too hard about it, fanfiction about FBI coworkers with a friendly rivalrous enemies-to-friends-to-lovers type relationship might hit a little too close to home) and was pleased to see a new story had been posted. Pleased until she saw the subject, her brain screaming at her to turn it off and making her head whip back to check he was still sleeping when she saw the rating…

Penelope bit her cheek and frowned, conflicted. Fudge. If she were home, on her own, she wouldn’t think twice. But reading one bed smut while at work? In a real life one-bed scenario? With the situational equivalent laying inches from her?

Don’t do it! Don’t do it! Don’t do it! blared like alarm bells.

But he was asleep, she argued, and this was one of her favorite writers, the story was all but guaranteed to be good… not quite a good thing if what she was looking for was sleep, but now she simply wanted the distraction from being awake and restless.

He’d never know.

Getting in to it, she tried for a time, then no longer bothered to fight off her brain’s urge to replace the male avatar with Luke in the visualizations that appeared as she read. Unfortunately, this story was closer to their own than simply being two agents sharing a bed on a work trip. It was all too easy for Penelope to think about him as the female lead reminisced guiltily about dancing with her co-worker, when she bit out pithy teasing retorts, and when he flirted back effortlessly. So wrapped up in the parallels between the story she was reading and her actual life, she failed to notice when Luke was no longer sleeping, soft breathing behind her, weight turning gently towards her.

Every flip and flop, huff and rustle she’d done trying to get comfortable enough to fall back asleep had unknowingly tugged him closer to the edge of waking. He was a light sleeper by trade, never knowing when he’d need to wake up and be ready for action. This time though, it wasn’t battle he found waking him but a sleepless Penelope, dim light of her tablet softly glowing, finger silently scrolling.

From his higher vantage point behind her, Luke peered over her shoulder wondering what it was Penelope Garcia read late at night when she couldn’t sleep. Though he read, he wasn’t a ‘read to sleep’ kind of guy. Maybe it was chatrooms on deepweb, maybe it was tech stuff, possibly even some shopping…

‘I know you want this as much as I do’ ‘How does it feel?’ he asked, pressing himself against her

Luke sneered in disgust. Like assault he answered the protagonist in his head.

Huh. So that’s what she read…

From what he could make out it was some self-published bodice ripper-

was that what they were still called?

What if there wasn’t a bodice to rip? Reid would know what they called them.

Why was he thinking about Reid?

Oh, yeah, because he was trying pointedly not to think about Penelope in this bed a heartbeat away reading what was as best he could tell some porn about two coworkers sharing a hotel room and bed while out on a case, much like…

Neither had offered to take the floor, the expectation that they were both mature enough to handle themselves, were work colleagues, and friends on top of that squashing any thought of things being romantic between them. Why would either compromise their sleep, their health, their ability to function at optimum level tomorrow just because they were sharing a bed? They weren’t a pair of hormone riddled adolescents, they could stand to lay next to each other without anything happening. And they were friends…but he was wishing now he had offered to take the couch, or the gutter for the direction his thoughts were headed…or that he could peel his eyes away from her reading.

Kate’s mouth dropped open and her eyes shut, a silent breath released. Jake’s actions grew bolder, hand slipping from control on her hip, down and forward, splayed fingers brushing low on her abdomen and just north of her clit, coming together to land on the tie of her pants.

Playing with the string, his fingers tangled in the barrier keeping her from him ‘’…the flirtatious banter, how your body responds to mine when we dance, the look in your eyes… I know you see how I look at you…Aren’t you? Just a little bit curious?” he could feel her breathing speed up, becoming labored at his words, the memories, the feel of him on her. Jake moved, his lips nuzzling her ear as he whispered, “I know I am. It’s ok if you’re not, but if so, tell me.”

Luke could see Penelope’s breath picking up like Kate’s, shoulder and chest rising and falling.

He hadn’t realized he’d done it until he felt the warmth under him. He’d been leaning over for a better view of the story, wanting to see what else the two agents got up to, how far Jake might go, if Kate would beat the shit out of him. But now his large hand was resting on her waist, middle and ring fingers tight against unquestionably prohibited skin, skin so smooth, exposed from the restless tossing and turning she’d done pre-book, electric shock zinging up his fingertips and locking his skin to hers.

Just because she was reading something incredibly similar to the situation they were currently in, characters sharing oddly similar experiences to theirs, did not mean he could touch her, was not an invitation. He knew.

And yet… he couldn’t help but wonder: is that what she wanted? Is that what he should have done two years ago? Did she expect him to make a move? To show her how he felt? To shut her down and vehemently deny he didn’t feel that way, but in fact felt there was more, could be more, between them? He’d thought at the time she just wasn’t feeling it anymore, that the draw had worn off. He thought he was clear when he’d asked her out…but now he wasn’t quite so sure.

Her breath stilled at the touch, Luke’s hand moving lower molding to the curve of her hip, hesitantly coming to rest just there.

Partially startled at the contact, but lust-fuzzed brain taking up the majority of thought, Penelope imagined his hand slipping down and back, groping her ass, about Luke, like Jake, fed up with the lies, restraint breaking, turning her roughly, forcing her to admit she thought about him -still thought about him, never had stopped thinking about him, wanting him.

But he was probably just reaching out during his sleep, he was a tactile person, it would make sense he was a sleep snuggler.

Unsure what possessed him, where his self-control had gone, Luke found himself speaking the words from her story; “I know you see how I look at you…It’s ok if you don’t want to, but if you do, please tell me.”

At that her heart stopped- Sleep-reading was NOT a thing- then slammed- Did he just quote the fluffing dialogue?!- then thundered.

Okay, so he’d changed it, still, it was a plead; please don’t rip my arms from my body, please say yes, please, please, please.

Shuddering a breath, her head tilted back, but what he saw in her face wasn’t fear or timidness, it wasn’t anger or outrage, what he saw was pure desire, pools of black reflecting back the soft gray glow of the tablet she was still clutching loosely, full lower lip dropped and waiting like an especially succulent section of orange for the taking.

“Just kiss me-” had barely been uttered before her lips were on his. The tablet falling to the carpet with a dull thunk in her rush of movement to turn fully towards him, Luke reacting instantly, body moving to cover hers, hand scooping behind her head, fingers threading through silken hair, the meeting of lips, of tongue tips, breath exchanged, gentile but frantic little sips until they turned deep, and long, and hard, her body rocking into his, Luke settling on top of her. Even if he knew better, he wasn’t wasting this opportunity.

The pressure and weight of Luke’s body on hers, his muscles tight against her, his lips plush and firm, directing, instructing, pulling her along, the rough abrasion of stubble across her neck as he nipped and sucked and kissed her jaw, and tugged on her earlobe, his thrust and buck and grind into her pushing her further, spurring her on, building her up, his hands traveling along her sides, gripping, squeezing, leaving her a moaning mess under him. She was teetering on the edge from friction alone, dream and story having peppered her body into a wet and wanting state. Hard, harder, Penelope spreading her legs to hook around and allow for better connection, more fulfilling contact, his groin against her clit, Luke’s tongue at her pulse and his hands slipping, slipping, pulling and tugging lose, hands under her top and she wants it so bad, wants those hands, that body, everything, everything she’d wanted for years, everything she’d wanted but couldn’t, wouldn’t let herself have because… the though of-

that

“Luke- Luke Luke, stop. We should stop.” Penelope breaks away pushing and panting. Luke freezing at the request, arms locked, hovering over her.

“This is… This isn’t… We both know…” her hands tremble against his chest, fighting the urger to swoop down and feel more of him, to move up and pull him back down. Fighting the impulse that would ruin them both.

Between them Luke’s head drops.“God damnit, Penelope,” and it isn’t a yell, though in his chest it feels like a roar, it’s a whisper, soft and heartbroken. “for me it's there, it's alway there, it’s always been there. I’m not your girlfriend and it's not just some unresolved sexual tension. This is real for me, this is a full, all-in, I’d like you to be my last- kind of thing. Something I want to try for night after night, and day after day…Penelope, I have…very strong feelings for you and not just because we happen to be in this bed together…And I feel like you might have them for me… If this is because you’re scared, talk to me, we can work it out together, I want to work it out together. I want to be with you, and not just tonight…”

Penelope blinked up at the man still atop her, the man straddled between her legs, the man who froze in the heat of passion when she told him to. The man she’d been running from. And for what? She couldn’t tell herself it was because of the job when he’d waited until they were no long working together to ask her out, it wasn’t that his motives were unclear, if they had been, they weren’t anymore, and it wasn’t that she couldn’t trust him, when he’d shown her from the start anything she was willing to give was safe in his hands with how he had always cared for every member of their team. Her faith was in him, but still it felt too big, too far, up so high and leaping off the cliff and she was never a leaper, a trouble maker and rule breaker, yes, but she was always hidden away behind firewalls and multiple vpn routs and…safe…But if she wasn’t safe with Luke…then there was no one she would be safe with.

She was breathing hard and she wasn’t sure if it was from the panic attack she was holding off by a thread or if it was from the sudden physical activity, or perhaps both, but she breathed out a strained “Too big-“

Uncomprehending, Luke’s brow furrowed, confused “I’m not- what?” Was she…talking about…

“Too much, let’s just. Hi, I’m Penelope, and I like you.” she’d awkwardly pulled a hand between them positioning it for a handshake.

Luke stared at her like she’d suddenly sprouted three heads before barking out a laugh, “WHAT ARE YOU-“

Penelope cut him off yelling and pushed at his chest as she pulled herself up into a seated position against the headboard, “Shut it! Just go with it!”

Luke’s smile widened but his laughter stopped. Sitting back on his knees, he took her hand shaking it in greeting, “Nice to meet you, Penelope, I’m Luke…I like you too…” then quieter, leaning in, he confided, “Chica, I’m not sure where to go with this”

“I think we should kiss and see where things go from there” she said matter of factly.

But Luke was still more than a little confused, not understanding, “Penelope, I think it’s fairly obvious where things are going to go from there…” It wasn’t supposed to be a joke, but the whole thing felt a little funny so he didn’t bother smoothing out the teasing grin beaming back at her.

Did he ever not need to talk things through?! “Just SHHH! For one- Geez! Must you always-“

But Penelope found her thoughts dissolving as powerful lips swallowed them, an arm drawn tight around her waist lifting her up to him and the other bracing against the headboard, Luke surrounding her. Gradually she relaxed, his bracing arm sinking further down to the bed with their twining bodies, his other easing them each further down the mattress. No longer were movements frantic or rushed, together they moved like molasses, sticky and thick, a slow, sweet, undulation melding together.

His lips on hers, her body with his, legs tangling, feet skating up calves, hips in a slow grind, Penelope exploring all his hard lines and all his soft ones, her hands combing through his thick curls and stroking his neck, his mouth sucking at hers, she could feel herself rapidly reaching a boiling point again, and Luke, she could feel through their scant layers, quickly catching up. His hand tangled in her hair, gently pulling, angling her head, their mouths meeting and pressing deep and leisurely, his other hand at her hip, fingertips trail up and down her thigh, squeezing and groping, his lips moving, parting from hers, traveling south, her jaw, her throat, her collar, her chest, humid and plump and sucking wet and slipping on skin, the anticipation of those same lips on her breasts, those hands on her…that tongue, the hand on her thigh sliding up up up, and the other, down down down, both meeting at her waist, teasing the fabric apart there.

Stopping just sort of what she wants, pulling back a few inches, Luke looks up at her, questioning. This had been the stopping point before, he wants to make sure this time, doesn’t want a repeat, “Can I?” is pushed between them, velvet and gravel, fingers skirting the hem of her top.

Breathless, Penelope gulps out her response, head bobbing in agreement “Yeah. Yes. Absolutely“ as she lifts herself to ease in discarding her camisole and shorts, then helps to peel off his shirt and briefs.

Naked, new, though dark, Penelope takes a moment to admire him, Luke, sweet, caring Luke, his body, this machine, her hand skims his chest, fingers coasting down the valley of muscle to the hard plane of his V’d hips, Luke’s eyes drifting shut, her reverent brush untangling his soul. Her hand lifts, his eyes open, Penelope pulling him back into another sensuous, slow, passionate kind of kiss, sweet and deep, Penelope, who always made him prove himself, was now telling him that he had, and he wishes he’d done it first, wishes he’d shown her such deference, so he tries, hands coming up to her belly, smoothing over her waist, across her ribcage, hands cupping her breasts and thumbs brushing nipples, kiss never breaking, deep and long until the panting and whimpers are too much and she’s writhing under him and gasping for air.

She’s aching and wet, tight, and swollen, and sensitive, more than ready, all she can taste is skin and lips and tongue and all she can smell is Luke and all she can feel is the heat from his body on hers, and then large rough fingers are making quick strokes to her clit, and there’s a small sharp nip to her throat opening up to the blossom of his soft lips, slick warm tongue softening the sting, the same slick warmth blooming as she comes suddenly, a sharp noise to match the nip peeling from her throat, hips jerking towards his and what feels like a smug smile landing in more plush kisses at her collar. His fingers don’t cease and she’s quickly pulled into another body dragging orgasm, his name tugging up from her navel in a tight whine “Luke- ohm ygod. No. Not. umf-fair” stutters around her jerking torso until her hands reach for his and he pulls away chucking, nuzzling into her neck, kissing her cheek.

“It seemed very fair to me for all you put me through…” he teases lightly, planting more skating kisses to her jaw.

“While I admit that was crafty, that is not what I- that is not what we- that is nOT what- ” but despite her fully gown, very experienced self, looking down at the impish and smoldering, very fine Luke Alvez whose fingers she just came on multiple times, she can’t bring herself to say it.

“Crafty?” he questions, “Maybe considerate…” and then that shit-eating grin spreads, and she knows he knows, “What is it you want, Chica? Tell me and I’ll do it” He kisses the corner of her mouth and she wants to push him away and pull him in and never let him go again. The problem with Luke Alvez.

He just wants to hear her say it, for her to beg him. And really she’s not so sure she’s above that anymore, not entirely, but instead of giving in entirely she reaches between them, her hand grasping his rigid cock and strokes it, purring as she does, “I would like this inside me, Newbie. I would like you to use it and make me come again.”

Accenting her request, she hikes a leg high on his hip, but waits, prompting, “Ready,?” At that Luke swoops, kissing her again, forceful, searing, his hips dipping, Penelope guiding him into her. He feels massive, heavy, uncomfortably large against her stimulated walls, Penelope constricted and hot and throbbing around him. They both take a moment to adjust, but once they do neither hold back, Luke thrusting and thrusting, Penelope’s body meeting and responding in kind, fast and harsh, slipping and slamming together, his arms cupped around her back, hands on her shoulders, hers holding and clinging to his back, tense. She can feel the little cuts forming under her nails, digging, needing him close, closer, more, so close, all of her tightening, all of her quickening, his cock hitting over and over the spongy bundle inside her, pain and pleasure, the firm muscle of his pubic bone grinding and kneading her clit, gasping, “Luke-” her head twisting from him, his mouth gliding undeterred over her jaw and down her throat, the taste of her, he couldn’t get enough. “-I’m gonna, Luke-“ and his hand fumbles from it’s grip, but not to where she thinks, not for what she thinks. Instead of slipping between them she feels his fingers brush up her wrists, feel towards her hands, grabbing them, pulling them away from him, planting on the pillow next to her head, some of her hair, fingers lacing roughly, palms kissing as he pitches further, harder, again and again. Her fingers curl around his, her walls curing around his cock as he continues to fuck into her deeper with each thrust, the shudder of her silken walls pitching Luke over, coming undone, he pulls her into another deep kiss, her thighs convulsing around his waist, her muscles spasming on his cock, Luke thrusting and kissing and kissing and thrusting until he’s gone soft, until neither of them has anything else to give and they break apart, Luke rolling to the side, but not letting go, their hands still clasped, panting and sucking down air, the sweat on their bodies pebbling their skin.

She wants to make a joke, to lighten the mood, but with him it doesn’t feel right, with this it isn’t right, so instead she raises the hand that he’s still holding, the part of her he won’t let go, and kisses it. Rolling to her side she snuggles into him, her head on his chest, and listens to the ebbing of his heart, she kisses his sternum and her other arm hugs around his waist, only then does Luke let go, arm coming to hold her closer, and together they fall back asleep.

#criminal minds #fan fiction #garvez #smut #luke alvez #penelope garcia #one bed #rossi #emily prentiss #jj #tara lewis

28 notes · View notes

cru5h-cascades · 1 year

Text

Splatoon 3 SIde Order Theory #2: It Was Lil' Judd All Along (Lil' Judd as the villian of the DLC)

Hey everyone! After seeing how well my first theory did (at least to my standards. I got a pretty small tumblr goin' on here, so any attention I get means a lot to me!), I decided to make another! In my first theory, I sort of teased what my next theory will be about, and now here we are! Anyways, let's just get into it already.

Even though there's already a bunch of damnning evidence that Lil' Judd might end up being the big bad in the DLC (getting the headpiece he wears after you beat hero mode, Lil' Judd's dialoge in Tableturf Battle, the note you get in the sunken scrolls, ect.), but I feel like the teaser for Side Order might have some sort of signs pointing to Lil' Judd being to blame for Inkopolis Square's downfall.

First, I want y'all to take a look at the mystery octoling (we dunno if she's Agent 8 or not... yet) standing in the square. Check out the color scheme going on (black, white, gray, and dark brown).

I dunno about you, but this scene in the teaser for Side Order kind of remind me of the Judds. These lil' guys are also black, white, and gray. I know I might be jumping to conclusions right now, but hear me out. So when the trailer for Splatoon 3's hero mode came out in September 2021, we were introduced to Alterna and the fuzzy ooze. The fuzzy ooze had hints of brown fur on it, just like a grizzly bear. As many of us know, people were throwing theories left and right about who the villian of the main game was gonna be, and many of us thought that it was gnna be Mr. Grizz, which ended up being true (however I felt like the reverse Grizzco laugh at the end of the trailer was a dead giveaway. I've played way too much Splatoon to not know how the Grizzco laugh sounds.). What if this is the direction the Splatoon devs are going again? Forshadowing the events of the game with some minor enviormental details?

Also, throughout the teaser, we see a bunch of freaky af imagery, one of which peaking my interest just a bit. The white brain thing that forms in the vid. I know I've already said that the brain formation pic might've hinted at zombie fungus being the reason why the Square is like this (see my first theory if you wanna know what I mean), but I feel like this could also point towards Lil' Judd being the villian of Side Order. You see, Lil' Judd's a clone of Judd. The brain that forms in the teaser is gray and white, like Lil' Judd. Maybe this is a small hint towards cloning being a major theme in the DLC. Speaking of which, we also get a pic of the mystery octoling with clones of herself following her. These clones are also gray and white.

Also, why would someone target the Square to begin with (Not counting Tartar. I don't really think they'd bring Tartar back, but if they did, I'd think it'd just be in a flashback to the Deepsea Metro, whatever that may look like or be about.)? Lil' Judd was first introduced in Splatoon 2 and we first learned about Lil' Judd's hate for Judd in 2. What if Lil' Judd finally broke and wanted to try to wipe out Judd's legacy, starting with were Lil' Judd and Judd first met? Maybe destroying the Square is just phase 1 of Lil' Judd's plan? Maybe this is all just in preperation to kill Judd (as that one note Lil' Judd wrote in the sunken scrolls implies)?

With that being said, who do you guys think will be the big bad in the DLC? Do you guys think it's Lil' Judd or someone else? I'll most likely make more theories if any come to mind or if we get another trailer for SIde Order, so look out for those and remember to staaay fresh!

#splatoon #splatoon 3 #splatoon 3 dlc #splatoon side order #splatoon theory #theory #rb > likes #lil judd

7 notes · View notes

bleep-blop-lizard-hop · 10 months

Text

Warrior Thoughts

Season 3 Episode 4

Spoilers ahead

Ah Toy/Nellie/Lai—The beginning of the episode broke my heart all over again. So much death and destruction! Even worse is the rift it caused between Ah Toy and Nellie. Ah Toy blaming Nellie and herself for indulging in this fantasy that was too good to be true. In season 2 she pushed Nellie away because it wasn’t safe in Chinatown. Now she’s pushing Nellie away because it’s not safe for them outside of Chinatown. Ah Toy leaving after telling Nellie “Happy mean nothing if you are dead.” Fucking hell.

Chinatown is more dangerous than ever, but it’s Ah Toy’s domain, where she feels in control. Staring in the mirror, covering up her wounds and trauma with makeup, wearing her dress like armor. Back to square one again and it sucks. I agree with Ah Sahm, let’s go after those bastards!We also see the darkness in Lai rising again, poor baby. I guessed that Ah Toy’s line was gonna be the title, “In Chinatown, no one think about forever.” More bad news from Bill when he told her he can’t protect her from the new police chief. Our girl can’t catch a fucking break.

Finally, Nellie is crushed when that judge took her away their land as “imminent domain.” She starting to see the limits of her power as a wealthy white woman, because of sexism duh. The fucking audacity of Dickhead to be like “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Nellie was unhinged and dragged his ass in front of everyone. Flashbacks to Penny and Buckley last season…please don’t throw her in an asylum! It wasn’t surprising that he bribed the judge. If he did that, then what’s the point of attacking the vineyard and killing innocent women?? Male ego and pettiness, that’s what! I hope we’ll see Ah Toy and Nellie together again next episode. They need each other more than ever now! Ah Toy is understandably shaken, but she’ll get her revenge! I hope they make it slow and painful for Dickhead. Though, I’m worried about his whip-wielding evil henchman.

Hop Wei— This money printing scheme was clearly trouble from the beginning. Especially because YJ wasn’t even trying to be subtle or careful. Still, watching racist cops raid the Hop Wei and beating YJ was beyond awful. Warrior has never pulled any punches regarding the racism and corruption in this era. Which, sadly, still happens today. Bill is starting to grow on me, only because Atwood is so incredibly terrible. If words and spit counts as “assaulting” then he’s a weak ass punk! In the end, YJ is taken away by the police.

Ah Sahm/Yan Mi— Meanwhile, Ah Sahm and Yan Mi are trying to sneak away with the press and evidence. Ah Sahm has to knock out some cops along the way. Very satisfying to watch, after all the shit they were doing to the Hop Wei. Thank Chao for being in right place at the right time. Yan Mi is understandably upset at being dragged into danger like this. On the other hand, they’re a Tong what did you expect? She and Ah Sahm argue, then kiss, then have sex. It’s the second time Ah Sahm had gotten sticky while YJ is having a crisis (FJ nearly dying in season 1). Really curious how this is gonna play out. Ah Sahm doesn’t have the best track record with romance.

Long Zhii—*Sigh* Mai Ling, Mai Ling, Mai Ling. Cockiness is a family trait with her and Ah Sahm, huh. I understand her idea of doing business with white people, but she was getting waaaay too comfortable. Yeah you’re a big deal in Chinatown, but white people will only see you as a Chinese woman. A pity project for them to indulge, or an exotic sexual plaything. Mai Ling had to learn that the hard way. Still, she didn’t deserve to be arrested and deported because of a white man’s lies!

Other Thoughts— Power, who has it, and how they use it is obviously the main theme this season. Marginalized people who cultivate even a little bit power are always at risk of losing it. Rich white men at the top are the real enemies (aka water is wet). Both YJ and Mai Ling are in jail, I wonder what will happen to their tongs. Will they finally establish a common ground after this? How will these characters fight back against a racist and corrupt system? They’ve endured so much pain and trauma in these past episodes. Hopefully things will improve for them later on.

3 notes · View notes

iamaslutforcoffee · 2 years

Text

Home Sweet Home Chapter Five

I stared blankly at the ceiling, right at the posters I took no effort pulling down.

All I could think about was her.

She was a pain in the ass most of the time when we first met, I really was one of her brother Aiden's friends despite being a year younger. But she was just always there. Always quietly reading some book, or doing some project with yarn.. in school she was excelling in EVERYTHING, but she didn't like being praised for it. She just liked to be left alone and to cause no one any trouble.

I remember the first time she came out of her shell. Someone was messing with me, as they usually did, and she hit them as hard as she could with a library book. Ever since then we were called 'the freak' and 'the freaks girlfriend'.

I sighed, wishing I could re-live those memories and popped a cigarette in my mouth and lit it.

"Eddie?" I heard at my bedroom door. It was Wayne calling for me.

"Yeah, come in!" I yelled, laying back on the bed facing the ceiling.

"Whats up with you? You've been less of a pain in the ass then usual" he asked, leaning against the small door frame.

All I could do was smile and shake my head. I blew smoke and pointed at him.

"She's back"

He looked at me weirdly, and then had a aha moment.

"I should've known. I'm training her brother at the plant. You really ought to talk to her Eddie, you don't let those types of girls go."

I sat up, cigarette in hand and shook my head.

"Couldn't even if I wanted to, she had a baby on me" I spoke, the last part still a surprise in my mind two weeks later.

"A baby? Ah, fuck. Kid I told you to be more careful!" He said, not surprised.

I pulled a picture from my pocket and gave it to him, it was one where she was holding him but her back was facing the camera, and Harrison was facing me.

"Damn, he looks just like..." he spoke

"Her. He looks exactly like her" I finished for him.

"Whats his name?"

He inspected the photo, not bothering to look at me.

"Harrison Wayne Hemmington-Munson."

He laughed, shaking his head.

"She always did say her first born boy would be named after me"

"Yeah, just the grand scheme of things" I looked at him and smiled, flailing my arms about. He shook his head and laughed.

"Kid, you've gotta grow up. And remember what I told you" he spoke, yet again pointing his finger at me

"You'll have to remind me, cause I'm pretty sure don't have a baby was one of them and look how that went!"

He just continued to shake his head, mumbling something about kids under his breath.

Somewhere down the line, I pulled my phone out and got ahold of Eloise, telling her to meet me at our spot.

"I'm gonna make this right" I told myself.

I have to.

~~~

As Eloise pulled into the parking area of the lake she couldn't help but remember most of her memories from this very same lake. Like the time her brother Aiden managed to slip on some kind of slimy substance and broke his arm. Or when her and Eddie played chicken with who ever they could terrorize. Their first kiss, their last..

Sighing, she put the vehicle in park and gathered herself together. It was starting to get cold in Hawkins, she wondered why Eddie said to meet at their spot. It wasn't like they could go swimming.

She took a final glance in the mirror, her glasses in place of contacts, little to no makeup and the standard dark circles due to her constantly having to be up to take care of Harrison, or do school work. She never complained, though. Her father helped with what ever they needed, and for that she was more greatful then anyone would ever know. Opening the door she stepped foot on the grassy sand, deciding that no shoes was probably better. She threw the cheap flip flops in the seat, grabbed her purse and pulled her hoodie down more to cover her legging clad lower half.

As she walked closer to the water she saw a passenger-less boat and oars, and it made her think back to when her mom and her would kinda float out to the middle of the lake and would just read. They were both quiet women, and just enjoyed the peace of being alone.

She heard the low rattle of the familar vehicle and didn't even bother looking to see who it was, it was a automatic feeling. She heard Metallica coming from its speakers, and heard his absolutely lousy singing some how above the music.

Yet all she could think to herself was that it was very typical, very obviously Eddie Munson.

As his footsteps approached, she felt two arms wrap around her and the smell of cheap whiskey and cigarettes filled her nose. It was his smell, and if she had anything to do with it she wouldn't forget it.

"D'you want to go on the boat?" He gently asked and she knodded, walking towards it. Whomever owned it would have to be understanding.

As they begin their little mission to the center she peered out everywhere but refusing to look him in the eyes.

She was still hurt, and pain was something that was hard for her to process.

"Eloise?" He spoke, his smooth voice waking her senses.

She turned her heard towards him and finally gave him the gift of her full attention.

For now atleast.

"I need to apologize, for uh.. how I reacted. It's not fair to you or him..." Eddie started to say but she cut him off.

"S'ok, Eddie. It's not like I can expect a warming welcome"

"Damn it, would you let me finish?!" He responded immediately, toying with the rings on his fingers. His favorite one was the pigs head. She stole it for him when they were younger and said it would be his wedding band.

"Go on" she spoke, looking away again.

"I didn't know how to react. I was scared. I'm sorry.. would you allow me to make up for it? To make up for lost time?"

"Eddie.. I'm not mad at how you reacted to Harrison. I don't blame you for that reaction. Its the fact you acted like you were almost disgusted that you have a child with me now" she spoke and placed her hand under her chin still refusing to make eye contact.

"Eloise, I would NEVER be disgusted of that. I want more kids with you, I was just.. scared. "

She knodded and understood what he meant. His parents were NEVER around for him. In fact, the last that he heard they were both locked up. His uncle Wayne was the closest thing to a father he ever knew. Parenthood was a scary thing in general and she was very aware of the fact it would take serious time for him to adjust.

"Eloise.. please. Please let me in... it's like your eyes are wide shut and while I can open them it might hurt alittle bit"

That made her giggle, that infamous Munson humor of his was a favorite characteristic he had engraved in his DNA.

"C'mon, princess... You gotta give me a break.." he spoke lowly as if there was anyone else around.

She sighed, looking at the waters below them. Eloise reached out to touch them, the cold wetness bringing a familiar touch to her fingers.

"Ok. OK. Eddie i swear to god you have to give us a chance. If you want me you're going to have to want him too. I won't ever take him away from you, you will always be welcomed in his life. But you have to take the both of us" she spoke.

His dark eyes peered into hers, knodding barely.

"It wasn't even a question in my mind. But I need him tonight, if that's ok." He spoke, grabbing her hand into his.

"Ok.. uh.. what for?" She asked confused. It was Friday, the day he was always busy on.

"I mean if he's my son, he's gotta learn how to play DND!" He spoke in his unusually chipper voice, making her smile.

There was the Eddie she knew.

3 notes · View notes

themickey · 14 days

Text

MICKEY JACQUEMIN ( RUBY CRUZ ) is a TWENTY SIX year-old AEROSPACE ENGINEER in MONTREAL, CANADA. They were brought under Richard’s care when they were only ELEVEN YEARS OLD. They are known as THE NOSTALGIC because they are UNDERSTANDING but also NAIEVE.

BASIC INFORMATION

Full Name: michèle jacquemin (she only allows richard and mrs tristian to call her michèle)

Nickname(s): mickey, mick, mj

Date of Birth: march 5th, 1979

Age: 26

Occupation: aerospace engineer

Current Residence: montréal, canada

Orientation: lesbian

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Hair: dark brown

Eyes: blue (maybe hazel, idk)

Height: 5'5"

Notable Features: full, expressive eyebrows. gay face

PERSONALITY & BEHAVIOR:

Strengths: kind, caring, understanding, loyal

Weaknesses: naive, gullible, too trusting, spacey

Quirks: always a bit fidgety, especially when excited or anxious

Vices: drinks occasionally and will never deny a drunk cigarette

INTEREST & HOBBIES:

Interests: space, comics, computers and the rise of new technology, music

Hobbies: video games, mostly gameboy and the brand new nintendo ds. runs a myspace and livejournal like the military, always posting new "surveys" and blog posts daily even if no one reads them.

Special Skills/Talents: very good at math, can do long equations in her head without a calculator. can pick up most things pretty easily though she usually gets too distracted to keep up things for too long so she always had a bunch of unfinished projects or hobbies she gave up on

BECOMING A WARD

mickey, born in montreal, was raised by a single mother and never knew her dad. the only thing she knew about him was that he was american because she has dual citizenship. however, when she was seven years old, her mom passed of sudden heart attack. mickey was too young to really understand what happened but her life drastically changed. at first, cps tried to take her to her father in chicago, but he denied even knowing he had a kid and she was placed into foster care. she spent four years in foster care, some good homes and some bad but it never quite broke her spirit and generally positive outlook on the world. she caught richard's attention when he was visiting her school on a business trip and was intrigued by how bright she was and despite her teachers warning of how her hyperactivity makes it heard to teach her, richard decided to bring her to woodrow and give her the tools she needed to flourish.

LIFE AS A WARD

mickey was always seen as the naive ward, too trusting and gullible. she always seemed much younger than she really is and hates that people think she's the youngest even though she is quite young. she sees the others as her family but after much teasing from the other wards, she tries to keep those feelings to herself, she always wants the others to like her and make everyone happy. at first, she had trouble bonding with the other wards because english was not her first language, speaking mostly québécois french when she first came to the states but she quickly learned and has since tried her best to connect with her fellow wards. there were many times she would get in trouble growing up because she's very easily influenced by the other wards, letting them drag her into their schemes and dumb ideas. if mickey wasn't a girl raised in the 80's and 90's she would probably be considered to have adhd and be autistic but since we didn't know as much about it back then, mickey was written off as being hyperactive and childish. she often visits woodrow even after moving away because it was the only place that has felt like home since she was a child. even though most of the wards are gone now, she still sees them all as a family. the last time she was home was just a few months before richard's passing.

AESTHETIC

mickey is never one to care about the latest fashion trend or what is in style, she prefers to be comfortable and wear things that make her feel good. she was always a tomboy growing up, would sometimes try to steal some of the boy wards' clothes until richard caught her and allowed her to shop in the boys' department of stores. she likes baggie clothes and will hide her body in layers. loves a good graphic tee over a long sleeve shirt. think of any classic 2000's teen heartthrob and put his wardrobe on a 5'5" girl. [pinterest inspo if you're curious] she's always preferred her hair on the shorter side, grateful that richard always allowed her to be herself and experiment with her looks. now it's cut past her chin and with swoopy bangs that she's always flicking out of her eyes. again, think of any 00's teen heartthrob with the classic vaguely scene boy hair cut

EDUCATION

mickey chose to go with the woodrow home schooling. she was never very good in a tradition school setting because her mind seemed to move faster than the teachers could teach which often got her into trouble for "acting out." so instead she liked that she could set her own pace with the teachers at woodrow and learn what she was interested in. after high school, she went on to go to richard's alma mater. she's always had a dream of going to space and working for nasa.

EXTRACURRICULARS

mickey loved extracurriculars growing up, she did science club and science fairs, was a mathlete, even tried model un for a year but realized she didn't like geo political sciences. though, outside of her academic hobbies, she found she loves fencing, which may seem out of character but as a young hyperactive teen, richard encouraged her to try a physical hobby to get her energy out and liked the idea of being able to swing a sword around

THEIR LIFE NOW

after graduating college, mickey was accepted a job at DART areospace in montreal. she didn't plan on going back home after spending so many years in america and being two and a half hours away from woodrow, but when the opportunity came, she couldn't say no. currently, she lives in an apartment in the city with her long term girlfriend, jessica, and their cat. unbeknownst to the other wards, however, mickey and her gf have not been on the best terms. they met while in college and when mickey took the job, jessica moved with her but moving to a new country has caused a lot of tension between them. jessica thinks mickey works too long of hours and doesn't give her the attention she deserves because even when she's not at work, she's talking and thinking about work. mickey's not perfect, but she loves jessica. before receiving the letter about richard's death, they had the talk about how they want different things in life and mickey knows their relationship is pretty much over. going back to woodrow for the funeral, she's not sure what she'll be coming home to and is scared that it will be nothing

#posting now for whoever happens to see #will repost when we open

0 notes

sileniadream · 1 year

Text

Lyreis' Childhood

It was an early morning in Prontera when the new princess was born. Joy would be seen in the capital of Rune-Midgarts, praising the god Odin for the good fortune as the royal family line will continue in the blood of a girl. But that joy wasn’t shared by Greid de Fariena, the consort, as he wished for a son and not a daughter, to push his name into the royal line and a man on the throne, seeking fame and power when he was seeking love in the first place. He could have rejoiced if only his dear wife wouldn’t be so frail as to nearly die giving birth to Princess Sieryl, and would have been able to carry another child. But such is life that every wish isn’t granted, and Saerah Adelevy would only give him her precious Sieryl de Fariena, as she was kind enough to concede on the name.

Years went by slowly, as the little princess grew up surrounded by maids and teachers, taught into all that was expected of the next in line. She was devoid of love from her father, and could only see her mother on some day when she wasn’t sick. Sieryl’s favorite moments were when she could stroll into the garden with her mother telling her the names of the flowers, how Greid used to call her Jasmine when they were younger and full of love, and how she was called Sieryl from a lily. Years went by slowly, but her father wouldn’t stop his scheme to have an heir. Looking around the nobility, her found a woman that wasn’t too much known, but beautiful enough to catch his eyes, and behind Saerah’s back, had an affair and soon enough a son. It took ten years before Sieryl saw them, and she hated Kadra Norena, the mistress, as soon as she saw her, even though she was still too young to understand what was happening.

Her mother, during those time, grew even weaker, eaten by her depression. Before Sieryl turned thirteen, on the day before her nameday, she called her little princess one last time to see her and kiss her goodbye. Sieryl wondered why, but she was only a child, and during the night, Saerah took her own life with poison. This, she would only learn far, far later in her life, and for years Sieryl thought that she was assassinated, as it was how things were told to the kingdom.

Learning of the death of his wife, Greid mourned with his daughter for some months, before remarrying with Kadra, and adopting Eldwin, his bastard son. Sieryl received a package from her mother with a jade ring engraved with her family herald : a royal lily crossed by a feather. It broke her heart and she decided she would never accept this new family, closing herself to anyone. Months passed by again, and suddenly Greid decided it was time for Sieryl to be wed. She was marriageable after all, and he wanted to get rid of her to put his son on the throne. Kadra gave him an idea : to call upon every rich man in search of a wife, to come to a banquet to meet the princess, and to make an offer to Greid. No matter their upbringing, background, even age : if they had the riches, they could qualify as Sieryl’s husband.

Many came, young and old, nobles, merchants, and even one no one expected to see, a man that was under warrant, a pirate richer than any of them for he only had the ability to cross the treacherous seas of their world : Amra Kerien. Captain of the pirate ship Leviathan, he came, curious about this whole story, disgusted though by the display of the lecherous men trying to grab some titles thanks to a little girl only thirteen of age. Grief wanted to arrest him at first, but Kadra told him of the prospect of a pirate that could bring treasures from lands far from his grasp, and so he let him join the banquet and heard of his proposition. All of it was just a trick to make one of Amra’s crew kidnap the young Sieryl under the nose of the poor few guards allocated to the princess. They took her on his ship, and no one thought of Captain Kerien as the kidnapper since he was with the other men, easily seen thanks to his red hat.

Being then left to leave without worry, Amra went back to his ship and left the kingdom with the princess. He dropped her into a harbor she didn’t know about, ready to let her live in this new land where no one would know her. But she refused to be left alone once more, pleading to come with him, as he was the only one who somehow took care of her those last years. Amra refused first, but couldn’t leave her as he saw himself in Sieryl’s eyes. He decided then to turn her into a cabin boy, changing her name into Lyreis. She decided on her surname, Levy, cutting a part of her real family name and making it a shorter one of the Leviathan, and joined the crew.

#ffxiv #final fantasy xiv #lore dumping #lyreis levy #lyreis #story time #adelevy #amra kerien #cw: suicide

0 notes

littlemissrant · 2 years

Text

Bridgerton Season Two

Guys!!! If You haven’t watcehd Bridgerton season two, then what the heck are you doing here reading my post?!

You should stop reading this, go watch season two. Come back and then read this because I need to rant about this season. Starting now!

Dare I say season two is more exciting than season one.

In the last season we found out who Lady Bridgerton is, Penelope Featherington. Now when I first saw this, I was disappointed that they revealed her in the first season. And that it was Penelope of all people. I was hoping it was Lady Danbry. But after watching eason two and seeing Penelope in action. I was on board. I’m curious though on what’s she’s going to do with the money. I guess we’ll find out in later down in the story.

And I’m also curious about the Featherington men. They’re always broke and getting into debt. And Mrs. Fetaherington really self sabotage herself in the beginning of the season. If she didn’t try to control everything then Jack Fetaherington would have married Cressida and they would have money again. And, they wouldn’t have to make up that ridiculous scheme in robbing the investors then leaving London to America.

I also have to say that I love Anthony’s love story more than Daphne’s. Mainly because it was more dramatic and complicated. Like those two are so stubborn and I am so happy that they shaved his side burns!

I was also surprised that they gave Anthony a new love interest. I thought they were going to find a way for him to be with Siena. But I am happy he found Kate, someone to ground him and challenge him. And I am so happy that Edwina ended up with the Queen’s nephew. The look on Cressida and her mother’s face were so satisfying.

Who I am not so happy with is Colin Bridgerton. He completely broke Penelope’s heart (even though she did betray Eliose when she wrote about her in the Lady Whistledown). But now that they are not friends anymore, the cards are off the table. Penelope can write about anyone without worrying about hurting her friend’s feelings. And Eliose can tell the Queen who Lady Whistledown is.

But I was really excitied about Eliose liking someone. I was like, “Um, hello! We should be celbrating people! Wildly, joyously, ferociously celebrating!!! Like where is her family at??? They should celebrating too!!!”

0 notes

mcheang · 3 years

Text

@pendoodlex Do an Adrien Salt where Lila lies about Chat Noir and Ladybug being in a relationship and Adrien confirms the lie.

It’s my love life!

It’s easy to lie about stuff people want to hear. Alya was greedy for any gossip about Ladybug and loved support for her theories on Ladybug.

Recently they debated on Ladybug’s true age. Was she an immortal with teenage hormones and atttiude? Or simply a teenager?

Now they were on to Ladybug’s love life.

Lila: Of course LadyNoir is a thing. Ladybug just denies it because she doesn’t want to give Hawkmoth any more reason to target Chat Noir, but it’s obvious how much they care for each other.

Alya: Yes! A witness to Ladynoir!

Marinette: a lying witness

Nathaniel frowned. “I don’t know, Lila…”

Before Lila could insist she was correct, Adrien actually jumped in. “It’s true. Ladybug and Chat Noir are a couple. Sorry, Nathaniel, but she’s off the market.”

Marinette froze. Did Adrien just lie to Nathaniel about her love life? Just so no one would interfere with their beloved Ladynoir fandom?

WTH???

Overwhelmed by her hurt and rage, Marinette actually grabbed Adrien’s hand and dragged him out of the classroom, her face burning red.

Some assumed she was trying out another one of her confession schemes. Lila thought Marinette was going to tell Adrien she was a liar (eh, he already knew.)

In a far off corner, Marinette was whisper-yelling at Adrien. “What are you thinking? It’s one thing to ignore Lila’s lies, it’s another to endorse them! LadyNoir is not real!”

Thinking that Marinette still had a crush on Chat Noir, Adrien winced and rubbed his head. “I’m sorry, Marinette. But it’s true. Ladybug and Chat Noir are a couple.”

“No, they are not! Where’s your proof?“ She demanded.

Adrien thought quickly. “I saw them kissing on a rooftop last week.”

Marinette raised a brow. “Are you sure you weren’t just dreaming?” Her voice was heavy with skepticism.

Adrien: Positive.

Marinette: Well, I’m not sorry to say that you’re wrong. Ladybug and Chat Noir are not a couple.

Adrien: and how are you so sure? Just because you have a crush on Chat-

Marinette: Because Ladybug visited me after my dad was akumatized!

Adrien:…what?

Marinette took a deep breath. She hated lying but she also couldn’t stand lies about her.

“Ladybug consoled me after Chat rejected me. She reminded me about the other great boys in my life and ones I have yet to meet. And I asked her why she wouldn’t date Chat. Do you know what she told me?”

Adrien was quiet.

“She said she was in love with a boy from her own civilian life, not Chat Noir. To be honest, he’s not even her type.”

Adrien perked up. “Ladybug has a type?”

Marinette: Obviously. From what I hear, she’s more into the sensitive soul kind of guy.

Adrien: Chat is sensitive!

Marinette just stared at her crush in disbelief. “Um, yeah, no. The dude sulks whenever he gets rejected and has no idea what no means. For crying out loud, he gave me a pink rose before dumping me, and that was after he ate the treats my dad baked for him.”

Adrien: For someone with a crush on the hero, you sure sound bitter.

Marinette exhaled again, calming herself. “I’m not bitter. I’ve moved on, truly. Enough to see what Ladybug meant when she said I’ll move on soon enough. I’m over Chat.“

Adrien raise his brows.

Marinette continued, “I’ve been able to analyse his actions without the hero-crush filters. Be honest, Adrien, how would you feel at having to constantly reject the same person over and over again? Wouldn’t you be annoyed by their repeated flirtations?”

Adrien shrugged. “I reject fans all the time. Well, not exactly. I just ignore their love letters.“

Marinette shook her head. “That doesn’t count. You don’t know those people. Let’s say Chloe was going to confess her love to you every day. And you have to reject her every day. When you reject her, she raises a fuss and causes an akuma. How would you feel about your childhood friend?”

Adrien grimaced. “That would suck. I would avoid Chloe just to avoid her confessions.”

Marinette raised her hand, like there you go. Point proven.

Adrien wasn’t done. “But,” he insisted stubbornly, “it’s different for LadyNoir. They’re partners. Yin and Yang. A superhero duo. Who else is she going to end up with if not her partner? These kinds of pairings always win in the end.”

Marinette: that’s just sad. You’re comparing Ladybug’s love life to fiction. Life isn’t a fairy tale, Adrien. you don’t decide who Ladybug ends up with, and it’s not right for you to lie about her either.

Adrien: LadyNoir will happen. I’m sure of it.

Marinette: You’re not even going to take back that lie, are you?

Adrien: Why would I? It’s going to be fact.

Marinette said sadly, “Goodbye, Adrien.”

After school, Marinette tore down her posters of Adrien. Filters removed, indeed.

Tikki: Don’t worry, Marinette. I’m sure things will come right in the end.

Marinette: that doesn’t mean I can’t help set things back in order. Tikki, spots on!

Alya turned around at a tapping on her window.

Alya: Ladybug!

Ladybug: Hey, Alya. Listen, I’ve been reading your blog, and I need to set some facts straight.

Alya: Is this about revealing your love life? Because honestly, it would be better to be honest about your love life than to let others hope they have a shot with you. Remember Copycat?

Ladybug: That’s my point. I’m not dating Chat Noir. I don’t even like him that way. Lila has been lying to you, Alya.

Alya: Um, she’s your Best Friend…

Ladybug: When did I ever say that?

Alya:…….. ……….Why didn’t you correct me before today, then?

Ladybug sighed. “Because i had called her out in front of Adrien, and she got akumatized. And when she disappeared for a while, I figured there was no need to bring her up.“

Alya: Hold on. Adrien knew Lila was lying?

Ladybug: Yes. Though I’m sure he must have his own reasons for protecting Lila. But back to my point. I am not dating Chat Noir, and I am not interested in him like that. My love life is mine to decide, not for others to insist on just because they prefer me with Chat. How would you like it if Parisians started pairing you with Pegasus or Monkey King instead of Carapace? With them insisting you break up with Nino just to be with someone they chose for you?”

“That would be annoying,“ admitted Alya. “And invasive.”

Ladybug: I want to do a live interview, to clear the matter up once and for all.

In this interview, Ladybug was professional and succinct as she stated she doesn’t know Lila Rossi and she is not in a relationship with Chat. She doesn’t want to hurt her fans, but her love life is for her to handle.

Unable to help herself, Alya asked, “If you don’t like Chat, who do you like? You don’t have to give any names, but just one little tidbit, please?”

Eh, why not?

Ladybug leaned back on her hands and smiled, her eyes going faraway and dreamy. “Mature. That’s all I’ll say.”

After all, Luka had always supported her crush on Adrien. He never pushed her, but was always there for her. Why didn’t she how good he was? Oh right, Adrien filters.

Lila was fuming. How could she show her face again? Where was an akuma when you wanted one?

The akuma was drawn to a LadyNoir fanatic.

Fight fight fight. Chat was noticeably sulky at having been rejected on air.

When Alya came over to interview, he insisted he would not give up on Ladybug. Alya raised her brows, “Yeah that’s fine. But just don’t be pushy about it. And from your attitude earlier during the battle, I don’t think you fit Ladybug’s ideal criteria.”

Chat flushed and turned away, using his baton to propel himself home.

At school, Lila was playing truant, and Alya was grilling Adrien for keeping quiet.

Adrien: her lies weren’t hurting anyone!

Alya: I’m taking into account your isolated childhood, so let me just say, lies are hurtful. And it’s not right to encourage and spread her lies either.

Adrien: LadyNoir has to happen!

Nino shook his head in disgust. “You sound like that akuma last night. Ladybug has the right to decide who she wants to be with. If you ship LadyNoir, that’s fine. But you shouldn’t let it get this far to decide for Ladybug who she ends up with.”

Alya sighed, “Let’s blame Gabriel for this and hope Adrien can still be saved.”

Alya also understood when Marinette gave up on Adrien after seeing his behavior. She was interested in Luka but decided to wait because she didn’t want him to be a rebound guy.

Anyway, Adrien learned to keep his opinions to himself when all they got him was disapproval.

Ladybug’s interview caused the Parisians to question if the Italian diplomat should even still be in Paris if her daughter likes to spout lies about their heroine. How could she let her own daughter lie about stuff like that? It was enough that Mrs Rossi was questioned at work and her ignorance unveiled.

Yeah, Mrs Rossi would be lucky to keep her job after this but it was suggested Lila be sent outside Paris since she would certainly be unhappy with her new pariah status. Lila was sent to a correctional facility where no one was charmed by her falsehoods. Hell, she couldn’t even contact her mother because she was even busier trying to make amends.

When Ladybug finally told Chat she was happily in a relationship with her new boyfriend, he was sulky. Oh sure, he continued to fight alongside Ladybug but he was hopeful that she would break up with her boyfriend.

Plagg: that’s a horrible reaction. Can’t you just be happy for Ladybug?

Adrien: love is irrational and can’t be reasoned with, Plagg.

Plagg: then can you at least be polite and respectful to Ladybug’s wishes that you stop flirting with her?

Adrien: fine. Being Chat Noir was a chance to finally express myself, though.

Plagg: there’s a difference between freedom of expression and being rude/disrespectful/obnoxious

Adrien tried to date Kagami, but she broke up with him. There was no point in continuing the relationship when Adrien was so fixed on Ladybug.

I’m gonna leave this open ended. Any ideas how you would end this story?

#miraculous ladybug fanfic #miraculous ladybug fic #ml fanfic #ml fanfiction #ml fic #miraculous ladybug fanfiction #ml salt fic #Adrien salt #Lila is exposed #Lila gets exposed #post-Chameleon #Marinette x Luka

562 notes · View notes

goggles-mcgee · 2 years

Text

Too Late: Chloe & Sabrina (commission for miner249er)

Chapter 11 of @miner249er ‘s commission

Previous Work

Last Chapter Next Chapter

Summary: Sabrina had always hated hospitals; she added another reason to that list today.

Sabrina had never been a fan of hospitals, she didn’t know what it was about them, but something set her on edge. Maybe it was the sterile smell of everything, maybe it was the too-bright lights that reflected off the pristine white floors that made everything seem mechanical and dull, maybe it was the buzz from multiple lights that were dying that no one paid attention to until they were gone. There were many options, many variables, that just made a hospital the most uncomfortable place Sabrina had ever had to set foot in. It had been that way when she and her father arrived at the hospital when they got the news that her mother had been in an accident, she had been six then, and it had been that way when her father, her uncle and aunts, and her grandmother all gathered in a cramped room that smelt of disinfectant, stale broth if that made any sense, and her grandfather’s cologne. They had gathered to say goodbye, she had been ten. All trips to the hospital weren’t surrounded by loss but it was those times that stuck with her the most, not the time she had to be rushed to the hospital to remove her appendix, not the time her father broke his arm, and not the time she had broken her leg.

So it was hard to think of anything other than death and loss and deep aching sadness and bittersweet goodbyes when she marched her way through the halls of the hospital. Her father had dropped her off, he had work but she knew even if he hadn’t she didn’t want him to be there, not because he had become more than a bit overprotective after the...incident at school, and not because he was being a helicopter parent, but because she knew his memories of hospitals were just as heart wrenching as hers, more so even. He deserved a break from everything. From her and everything surrounding her class, so she didn’t ask for him to walk her to Chloe’s room even though she really really wanted to. God, she felt like she was a child all over again, wanting her father to hold her hand and protect her from the scariness of the world, but she wasn’t a child anymore, she was a teenager, nearly an adult and she needed to grow up. If anything, Marinette showed her that. Sabrina had been scared and when she was scared all she wanted to do was be invisible.

Being Chloe’s frien-no...being Chloe’s servant in the beginning had been a survival strategy. It was nothing more than a way to lay low and keep off the food chain radar, but she got caught up in it. She didn’t bat an eye when she had to laugh at another kid’s misery, she didn’t worry when Chloe schemed, because she was safe, she was off the market. There were days when she thought about it all and the guilt ate away at her but she always reasoned she had done it to survive. To make herself small and not cause any trouble for her dad who had done nothing but try his best once he became a single parent. Besides, her father was in the same boat as she, with the mayor, except his situation was more extreme. It had bigger consequences. Seeing that had only made her resolve harden. Time had passed and even if the guilt continued, Sabrina kept to her routine, she liked routines and she liked being organized, Chloe liked her being organized. It was in that time that she saw the real Chloe, the one who just missed her mom and wanted approval, and in that she saw herself, so she allowed herself to get close.

It was not an easy transition. Not in the least, but they both worked on it because they both wanted a friend, a real friend. It had been Marinette that had made them see that their relationship was not good, it was not benefiting them even if it seemed like it was, and in different ways, it was hurting them. It had hit them after Evillustrator and again after Miraculor, it hit hard and it hadn’t been easy since. Sabrina had desperately wanted to talk to Marinette and thank her or...or something, but time passed and Sabrina felt like so did her opportunity. By the time she remembered and wanted to try again, things with Lila had already escalated and it was all too easy to get swept into the crowd, to go invisible and under the radar, it wasn’t an excuse, it was just the unfortunate truth.

A truth her father was having an extremely hard time coming to terms with. On one hand she could understand, how could small, weak, eager-to-please Sabrina, have anything to do with the horrible mistreatment of a classmate? How could his precious daughter who had been too scared to talk back to her one and only friend, participate in isolating and in everything but name, bullying a classmate to akumatization and her subsequent disappearance? To him it had to be unthinkable, impossible, but for all the reasons he probably thought she couldn’t possibly be involved or entangled in the liar’s web of deception and manipulation was actually all the reasons why she had. She was weak-willed, she was always eager-to-please, and she was always scared and Chloe had been dealing with a lot so Sabrina had been desperate for attention, for friendship. In came Lila Rossi.

A politician’s daughter, or so she had said, more powerful than the mayor arguably, and she had connections beyond connections. Lila Rossi was someone to fear, in Sabrina’s world anyways, she did not want her attention, whether it be good or bad, though she desperately wanted to avoid being on the girl’s bad side. So she did what she did best, she blended in with the crowd as a survival tactic and in the process got lost in the crowd. She was not proud, she was ashamed and she wore her guilt everyday. It was in the grease of her hair, the bags under her eyes, the breakout of zits and blackheads on her face, and the chewed down nails on her hands. In short, she was a wreck, but when she heard Chloe was in the hospital she couldn’t just sit at home anymore. Though she knew her father preferred that despite his worry over her health, both mental and physical.

For the first time in a long time, Sabrina left home and it wasn’t because she felt ready to face the world, it was because her best friend was hurt. How cruel. She bit her lip as the elevator took her up, up, up further into the hospital, further from outside, she couldn’t bite her nails since she had bitten them to nubs basically. If her lip bled so be it, she was worried. The news had just said Chloe was taken to the hospital due to a careless mistake, but Sabrina knew her friend, Chloe was a lot of things, but she was not clumsy. Chloe was graceful, no one liked to admit it, but she was and the blonde had her former years in dance to thank for it. When Sabrina had called and the calls went to voicemail, she texted, thankfully the texts were answered but all Chloe had said was she needed some casts. Sabrina became more worried, usually Chloe would spill all the details no matter what it was about, but she didn’t, not this time. So she decided she would visit.

When the elevator stopped she felt like her stomach had stayed on the ground floor, her heart was beating so hard she was scared it might pop out at any moment, but she pushed on. Why didn’t Chloe just tell her what really happened over the phone? Was she scared Sabrina wouldn’t want to see her if she knew? Was she worried someone would see the texts? Any answer was possible and that was frustrating, it was frustrating to the point of tears but she kept them down. She could cry later. At home, when her dad went to work for the night shift he willingly took to distract himself from everything. Now she had to be the strong one, she couldn’t be scared, she couldn’t be weak, not when Chloe was hurt and probably feeling scared and weak herself. She walked numbly, she was given directions to the right room but even that felt like it was done by someone else and not her, and all too soon there she was. Room605.

It took a minute but she finally opened the door after giving it a brief knock and walked in. There was a sharp inhale that filled the room beside the TV buzzing mindlessly in the background and Sabrina wasn’t all that shocked to discover it came from her. She didn’t mean to but she couldn’t help it. Sabrina had never seen Chloe look so...so small. Even if the bed wasn’t as big as the one the blonde had in her room it still engulfed her, her hair was down but it seemed like someone had brushed it out of her face as she laid in the bed so she could watch TV. One leg was in a stark white cast that was elevated in a sling above the bed, one arm was in a cast to match the leg and she had small bandages everywhere else it seemed. Her eyes looked so dull even when she smiled at Sabrina.

“Rina. You made it.”

“Oh Chloe,” Sabrina breathed out as she rushed to her friend’s side and held her good hand. “What happened?”

Sabrina watched as the girl licked her dry lips and gave her a sad smile, “Didn’t you see the news and the papers? I just had a slip down some stairs. Really I should have been paying att-”

“Don’t do that. Don’t lie to me Chlo. Please.” Sabrina softly pleaded.

For a while they just sat there looking at one another, neither one willing to break the gaze, but then Chloe’s eyes filled with tears and Sabrina was awarded a bitter win. Tears rolled down Chloe’s cheeks and the girl frowned, Sabrina knew how much she hated to cry so she silently got out her handkerchief and wiped the tears away as best she could. She didn’t say anything as Chloe got her breathing under control and did her best not to sob. If a sob did break free, Sabrina just squeezed her good hand gently as a silent comfort. They did this for a couple of minutes until Chloe stopped crying, she looked so exhausted, so defeated. She watched as the blonde grabbed the remote to the bed and pressed a button that helped sit her up but kept her comfortable enough not to irritate her leg or arm.

“It...It’s been bad Sabrina. Ever since The Protec-ever since Marinette disappeared and all the news stations started reporting on her. You know, you’ve seen the groups that have formed, I bet you hear about them from your dad too.” Chloe began.

Sabrina nodded her head, she had heard of the groups, all had different names but their vision or “goal” was the same. “To honor The Protector, To remember her, and to avenge her.” Most didn’t believe in getting revenge but the more extreme groups did. They thought their actions were more than justified to do so. It was those more extreme groups, The Followers, as they called themselves, that broke into places they determined was a part of the Protector’s life. Whether the place was a good or bad place for Marinette, they broke in, what they did varied as well. They stole things Marinette made or owned, to...worship, it was scary to think of, they destroyed things if they were at a place that held painful memories for “The Last Akuma”, or they became violent. Few were victims of the violence.

“At first Daddy and I just thought the hotel was getting more people after all the sudden cancellations and moving to other hotels. Not that I blame anyone mind you, they never liked me, my dad is kind of awful when it comes to politics and with no threat of Hawkmoth anymore they didn’t have to be afraid to do what they wanted. Then...Marinette happened and people found out how I...bullied her and they really didn’t help things.” Chloe explained.

“But you had been working on it and everything else!” Sabrina protested.

“Not enough.” It was simply said, not as a guess or as an excuse, but as a statement that held no room for argument, or that’s how it felt to Sabrina anyway. “The sudden rush of people made my dad happy and excited. Mom was suspicious, mind you, but Daddy didn’t listen. Even Jean-Jacques suggested we close the hotel for a while to temporary visitors, Mom agreed but Daddy was determined to keep the hotel afloat.”

“How many people was it?”

“A lot. I don’t know the exact number but, it was a lot. We...there started to be accidents...like a small fire in the kitchen, Daddy’s meal somehow had cherries in it despite the staff knowing about his allergies, I would be locked in some rooms that I thought I was alone in. It was weird.”

Sabrina sucked in a sharp breath. “Chloe…”

“I know. I know. They...Daddy was in denial. He said they were all accidents, even when there was a shard of broken glass in my glass of water at the restaurant. I didn’t swallow it...I spilled my drink and we saw it. That was the last straw for mom, she flew back to New York and said we could come with her or not at all but she wouldn’t stay in Paris.”

“Oh Chloe...I’m so sorry.” Sabrina said and gave her friend the best hug she could manage without hurting her.

“I’ve been considering it, and I had planned on talking to my dad about it when I was pushed down the stairs. The elevator wasn’t working...it just...it wasn’t coming no matter how long I waited or how many times I pushed the button so I just decided to go down the stairs. I was almost to the lobby, just two floors away and...and I felt hands on my back and next thing I knew I was at the bottom. It was so scary Rina!” Chloe began to cry again and so did Sabrina. “I heard them saying it was for The Protector, it was all for her, and they were gone, there was just so much pain. I remember screaming for my dad, for anyone, but I don’t remember who found me. I passed out from the pain.”

“That’s awful! My dad hasn’t spoken about this! Why hasn’t he? You guys did tell the police right? They need to find who did this!” Sabrina nearly shouted.

“My dad probably told them to keep quiet about all of it. It’s not exactly the best kind of thing to happen after everything with the class and Rossi and Marinette. We have enough bad press going on about us. Daddy doesn’t want more eyes on us.” Chloe sounded so resigned as she leaned her head back on her pillows and closed her eyes shut tight in a frown.

Sabrina watched her friend helplessly, she wished she could help, she just didn’t know how she could possibly make the situation better. “Are you okay? Sorry, stupid question.”

Chloe chuckled humorlessly but not unkindly. “It’s not stupid. Honestly? I could use a ridiculously expensive spa treatment right now, a vacation, decent food, and maybe better parents.”

“I can only help with one of those things but I can do my best. I can order you something and go get it.” She suggested.

“Don’t leave me alone...please…”

“Of course I won’t Chlo. As long as you need me. How about you take a nap and I order some food? You look like you could use the sleep, and I’m sure I can find some good food that will deliver.” Sabrina suggested.

She frowned when Chloe shook her head in response and looked away, “I can’t sleep.”

“Chloe. You need to rest, I’m sure if you close your eyes and relax you will be able to take at least a small nap, and besides I’ll be right here the entire time.”

“Sabrina. Look...I just...I can’t go to sleep. I mean I can but then.” Sabrina watched as Chloe bit her lip and refused to look at her which made her frown in return.

She sat there just staring at the blonde who was doing her absolute best not to look at her when she felt like she realized why her friend didn’t want to go to sleep. That’s what it had to be, it wasn’t she couldn’t go to sleep, it was that she refused to go to sleep and Chloe only did that for one reason. “Have you been sleeping alright, Chloe?”

Chloe glanced at her briefly before she shook her head once more.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not really, but well, maybe if I do it’ll stop bugging me and I can finally get some sleep instead of having this ridiculous nightmare.” Chloe growled out helplessly. Her frustration was practically hanging in the air before Sabrina who waved her hand in a ‘go on’ motion. So Chloe licked her teeth and took her good hand from Sabrina’s to inspect her nails as she spoke. “First of all the dream is ridiculous, utterly ridiculous and it shouldn’t be bothering me as much as it is, but…”

“Dreams aren’t exactly logical Chloe. Neither are nightmares.”

“Yeah. Well. I don’t particularly like dreaming about Dupain-Cheng, more so now that everything happened and...and all those theories came out. It starts with me running. I’m always running. Paris is burning, people are screaming, everyone is demanding, begging for help. Ladybug is there.” Chloe added hesitantly and Sabrina understood why she mentioned the theories. It wasn’t confirmed but everyone believed Marinette was Ladybug, it wasn’t just because of Ladybug disappearing right when Marinette did, it was because of what she said in class that only Ladybug should have known. No one in class had said that to any media of course but sometimes people just believe things without proof.

“And?” Sabrina asked softly.

Chloe huffed out a shaky breath. “And she’s just watching. She just stands there watching Paris and its people burn! Like that is totally not something Ladybug would do so it makes me mad. It always makes me mad. So I demand to know why she isn’t doing anything and at first she just stares at me. Her eyes are so...they’re so scary Sabrina. They look so lifeless...and she does answer.”

“What does she say?”

“She looks at me and she says, ‘But I am doing something.’ And she says it with so much confusion but she also sounds so sure of herself! Like! How? How is she doing anything? All she does is stand there and says nothing!” Chloe practically shouted.

Sabrina swallowed around a lump in her throat as she was taken back to one of Mlle Bustier’s past classes and what they had been speaking about that day. They had been discussing many pieces of literature but they all had the same focus that inaction was still an action and that was why it was always better to do something than stand back. They had been speaking about it because apparently bullying was getting serious again in some schools and this was Mlle Bustier’s way of showing them that it was better to stand up for a friend or even speak to a teacher. “Inaction.”

“Hm?”

“Your dream. Ladybug. I think it was your brain remembering that one lesson about inaction… How inaction is still an action, though not a positive one.” Sabrina explained with a sense of dread, she saw Chloe swallow before she licked her lips and continued.

“Maybe. Like you said, dreams aren’t logical. After she says that I always scream and remind her that she promised to always protect Paris and its people from all harm. That’s when...that’s when Ladybug just morphs into Dupain-...into Marinette. Her face is so blank as she asks me, ‘Did I?’ Like she doesn’t remember. Like she never made that promise! And then...And then she changes into that thing. Into The Protector, and she looks over everything before finally looking back at me and in the most monotone voice, like more flat than Mendeleiev’s, says, ‘I didn’t.’ Then I wake up.” Chloe finished with a small toss up of her good hand.

She was clearly trying to make it look like it was no big deal but Sabrina could tell the dream really affected her. “I’m so sorry Chloe.” She didn’t know what else to say.

“There’s nothing you can do about Sabrina so don’t apologize. I just...I have this bad feeling like...it’s stupid.”

“If it’s bothering you, it’s never stupid. You told me that.”

Chloe took a deep breath. “I feel like the dream is more than...well a dream. Even more than a nightmare. I keep having it and I can’t help but think...maybe it’s..I don’t know…”

The feeling of dread rose in Sabrina’s stomach as she knew what Chloe was getting at, but she still had to ask. “Like a warning?”

“Yeah.”

Next Chapter

94 notes · View notes