#i need to get my hands on those comics someday. it would make kid me so happy

[abyssalstardust]

When Dead Space came out for some reason little not-even-10-years-old me hyperfixated on it and I would read/look through my uncle's Game Informer issues on it over and over again, as well as the wiki [cause LPs weren't quite a thing yet], and despite being terrified and having nightmares I was so hooked on looking at and drawing necromorphs and being obsessed with body horror in general. And that's probably a not-insignificant percentage of what's wrong with me now

#anyway after I finish watching a SH2 playthrough tonight I'm starting on the DS remake and I'm hyped #I have both games but I never finished 1 cause wonky controls that I don't want to download a patch for #and DS2 - well idk actually I got through most of it but never got around to finishing it #but I did play the fuck out of DS Extraction on the Wii as a kid. over and over again #i need to get my hands on those comics someday. it would make kid me so happy #Dead Space #Necromorphs #it's one of those things that's like 'this thing was absolutely instrumental to my development as a person but not a lot of people know #anything about it' which feels alienating #I could never get through Martyr though because of the horrendous writing

[lurkinglurkerwholurks]

Kitten

First posted: March 22, 2019

Focuses on: Bruce Wayne and the Fam (plus a new addition)

Favorite bookmark: "GIVE BRUCE A BABY GIRL!!!! HE IS A DESTINED GIRL DAD AND DESERVES MORE DAUGHTERS!!!! AND HE NEEDS A BABY!!!!!!"

Tier: This is #11 in terms of hits and bookmarks?? How?? #9 in terms of kudos? #19 in comments?????? #14 in subscriptions. I am baffled by this.

This is my “behind the scenes” series where I indulge myself horribly by annotating my fics. Link to the fic itself above. Thoughts below the cut.

Apparently by this point I had secured a friendship with @audreycritter because she was the one who told me about the existence of Helena Kyle, Selina's daughter, and some comic book nonsense about her maybe or maybe not being Bruce's daughter also and how in some universes Bruce helps her get adopted out and no??? J'refuse????? This is the kind of canon nonsense fic was made to fix.

The decision was a spontaneous one. Rare, for Bruce, but not as rare as some might think. Nor were his decisions—including this one—as free from consideration as the label “spontaneous” might imply. While it was true that Bruce liked to put more deliberate, conscious thought into his life choices, the pieces had already been there, facts lurking in his subconscious like mayfly larva. When the moment had arisen, those facts had sprouted wings and coalesced into a swarm. 

As anyone following along has clocked, the majority of my fics start with the author going "Now let me explain something I need you to understand."

Besides, it wasn’t like he didn’t have a history of making this kind of choice before.

We stan a self-aware man.

He wouldn’t make the same mistakes as before, even if it had taken him multiple times to learn his lesson.

I do want to write that fic someday. I had a specific framework mentally charted out that would partly involve Dick learning about Jason Todd's arrival. Someday.

“Bruce!” Dick’s voice was bright and warm, flooding through the interior like sunshine.

Bruce Wayne loves Dick Grayson so. freaking. much.

He could hear Dick shifting, probably settling against a wall or filing cabinet, before prodding, “No offense, but you’re not one for mid-day, no-reason calls. What’s up?”

Ah, that familiar "okay, who died" anxiety provoked by the unexpected call of someone who doesn't do unexpected calls.

“Bruce, tell me I did not just hear what I thought I heard.” Dick’s voice was flat and preternaturally calm, a detective arriving at the scene of a crime, analyzing and struggling to withhold judgement.

Dick: oh no who died

Dick, two seconds later: oh my god not again

“You were my first call.” Bruce offered the fact quickly, an olive branch to shelter under. He kept one hand on the wheel, one hand on the fussing baby in the backseat, and his focus on getting through this call. “I know I… haven’t handled this sort of thing well before. With you.”

Whatever else he may be, Bruce Wayne is a Dad Who Tries!!!!!

He was fumbling, words turning to sludge on his lips, gumming up with guilt and regret. It was always like that, for him. It was one of the reasons Bruce preferred the cowl. No one expected heartfelt speeches from a wraith out of Gotham’s darkest nightmares. Kids, though. Kids expected those sorts of things from their parents.

Always my favorite version of Bruce, this uneloquent and painfully aware version. Also, ironically, as best I remember this entire scene was one of the easier things I've written. I just watched it happen and took dictation.

He still had days with each of his children when seeing them at the breakfast counter or curled up in the den surprised him. That’s a living thing, he would think, and it’s mine, and he would be overwhelmed once more.

Literally me with my cats. The bit right before this about the choice crashing over him like a wave and taking him by surprise even years after the fact is a thing that happens to me. I adapt really quickly in the moment to various changes and then get hit with delayed, extended surprise. (But Bruce's literal surprised thoughts are me re: my cats.)

“As sure as I’ve ever been,” Bruce replied, and even he wasn’t sure which meaning he was reaching for.

Ah, duality. It's fun to think about which he might mean and which Dick might assume.

Still, it was a relief to have Alfred greet him at the door as if this were just another ordinary day and Bruce was not standing with his neck bent as a small child tugged on fistfuls of his hair.

What an an adorable art piece this would make. Not that I'm hinting. I just see it so clearly.

She was looking around with sedate interest, calm but alert, a monarch overlooking her domain. Or, Bruce realized with wry amusement, a cat eyeing a new box.

Please also know she's doing that little unbalanced head wiggle babies do when they're old enough to hold their head upright on their own but young enough to not do it well.

Bruce had planned on gathering all his children in the den, explaining as briefly as he could the circumstances of the baby’s arrival, and letting them make each other’s acquaintance. But his day had yet to go to plan, so why start now.

Drily wry Bruce is always so fun to write. He doesn't get to be as overtly funny as his kids, but I enjoy the humor.

It was an uncomfortable maneuver, since he had to bend further, almost double, to ease the tugging on his scalp until he could loose those little hands.

big man little baby BIG MAN LITTLE BABY

“I already have a sister,” he pointed out. Bruce was inclined to describe it as petulantly, but Damian managed to keep his bottom lip sucked in, if only just.

Damian: I claim none of you

Damian, confronted by a girl baby: HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO MY BELOVED SISTER

also he's jus' a babyyyy

Damian recoiled further, and Bruce let Batman fall from his shoulders like a loosened cape.

can't get enough of this crap

Bruce wrapped his arm around Damian’s middle and pulled the boy into his side. Damian turned away so he couldn’t look at the baby, who was gabbling to herself as she gummed on Bruce’s thumb. Bruce rested his jaw against Damian’s temple, both to keep the boy still and to keep his voice low. The Manor was the securest place in Gotham, other than the Cave, but he would not risk this.

Sometimes writing the logistics of physicality is so difficult, but when it works for me, boy does it work.

Bruce let the question settle against his skin like mist before answering the same way he would again and again for years to come. “She is now.” He didn’t know. He suspected Selina truly didn’t either. Whatever the case, it didn’t matter, in the same way it didn’t matter that his blood didn’t course through Dick’s veins, that he wasn’t responsible for Jason’s broad shoulders or Tim’s blue eyes or Cassie’s dark hair or Duke’s dimples. They were his. And now this child was, too.

I think, in canon, she's supposed to be his, maybe. Don't know for sure, don't really care, and I don't think Bruce would either, as stated above.

“You will be her big brother,” Bruce continued softly. “That is a solemn charge that you cannot take lightly. As closest to her in age, she’ll look up to you. As she grows, she’ll mimic you—your words, your actions, your behaviors. Which means you’ll be in a unique position, perhaps more than any of us, to influence the person she becomes. Do you understand?”

10000% shamelessly used this exact tactic on a nibling when they acquired a younger sibling.

That was something new, the idea of being able to name a child himself.

Isn't that fun! I love names and naming things. I'm delighted he gets this opportunity. (More on this in a minute.)

Somehow, choosing a name felt like a larger responsibility than all of his former child-rearing experience put together. My car is called the Batmobile, Bruce thought despairingly as he watched his children watch each other.

Did I mention that I love drily deadpan Bruce? That line still makes me laugh.

“So does she do anything?” Tim asked. He was eyeing the baby in the same way he might a particularly florid insect—with interest, scientific remove, and no small amount of wariness. Cass wrinkled her nose but didn’t comment. “She’s a baby,” Duke pointed out with the typical fond exasperation he had picked up once the shine of the Manor had worn off. “What do you expect her to do?”

I loved trying to figure out how each kid would react and if there were ways they might respond to the new baby that would be surprising but still sensible. I'm not sure if I managed that, but I'm still pleased with how they all ended up, this weird little family of only children.

Bruce’s brain made a sparking noise, like a fork left in the microwave.

BZZT DING DING A DING A BZZT DING

“Uh, yeah? Got back on Monday. Why?” Why, why, why. Why were his children so distrustful, that’s what Bruce wanted to know. 

*taps the exhausted dry humor Bruce sign*

Bruce opened his eyes and stared at the baby shrieking inches from his face. Duke stood behind her, his hands clamped under her arms, and stared back impassively as she squealed into the phone.

Bruce has horrible children.

“B, what the—“ Bruce fought the urge to cover the baby’s ears, even though he was the only one who could hear the voice on the other end.

I love this stupid family.

There was an ominous gurgle from the baby. Duke looked at her, then at Bruce, then quickly handed her over. “Not it.”

I have literally watched hundreds of children in my life, related and unrelated. I have changed one (1) diaper, under duress, and immediately and deliberately forgot everything I was taught. J'refuse.

Helena, meaning bright, shining light, Bruce had explained almost bashfully to Selina. Selina, who had left town the same night Helena went home to the Manor but who saw each of Bruce’s texts and left the read receipt on so he would know. Selina, whose name meant moon. So she’ll always know where she came from.

Remember I said later? Later is now. As we were already spitting on canon, I was more than willing to change the kiddo's name if needed, but it turns out DC (I will be charitable and assume purposefully) chose a lovely, symbolic name that matched beautifully in a way that felt like Bruce. So I kept it. So Bruce did get to name a kid, but also not really because comics did it for him.

The legislation that he’d helped champion regarding the treatment of minors in the media hadn’t hurt either.

I think this was around the time there was a flurry of papparazzi nonsense and talk about this IRL with... Jolie kids or Cruise kids or something, I don't remember. Some grown adults being awful and pushy around famously related minors.

With each adoption, the celebrations had gotten smaller but more precious, the attendees a guard set in place, their names like a chant against hardship and a hymn of thankfulness.

I love this line, but I also think it's wrong now. I think the older Bruce gets, the more firmly he cements the relationships he trusts the most, but also the more he meets people deserving of that trust. Loner, low-key terrified Bruce wouldn't have held a gala to celebrate Dick's appearance. He would have gone full feral shields up. Maybe with Jason he would have given half a thought to expectations and appearances, but with a street kid like Jason, he would've wanted that child shielded from the horrible people in his social circle. And so on and so forth. By now he has his friends, but also his kids' friends, their allies both in domino and out.

Bruce vowed it, down in the deepest part of his heart, the core of him that let him lead a team of aliens and demigods, that made a double life possible and dressing as an armored animal a feasible life choice. A life choice he would not let the baby in his arms emulate.

I too sometimes have a deadpan sense of humor. Shocking, I know.

I take that final line not so much as full self-criticism but an acknowledgement that Bruce's children are all driven to the caped life in the same way he was—by trauma and loss and the need to fix Gotham—and all came to him with that drive already installed. With Helena, being separated from Selina is a trauma, even for an infant, but as is stated throughout the fic, Selina will remain fully present and involved as much as she wishes to be. And Bruce will brave hell and high water and even worse to keep this child from experiencing the kinds of trauma that brought his other children to him and into their other life.

She was already a wonder to him, his little moonbeam, a mystery wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a taffeta-heavy party dress with a matching headband.

The bookmark was right. Let this man be a girldad!!!! (I'd briefly considered writing a followup to this, where Cass had to sort complicated emotions about not being the only girl in the house. Never got enough reaction in the early days, though. Something about it or the tags or something attracted a larger than usual contingent of "okay but Bruce is a bad dad" crowd. Bleh.)

He realized he looked like his father, but with airbrushed grey hairs and crow’s feet lines that Thomas Wayne had never had the time to gather. He realized he looked happy.

me @ me: ow????

As stated in the before-cut stats, this ranks decently high in terms of all my fics????? Somehow????????? I can usually get a decent bead on reception just based on how option a fic shows up in my inbox or people reference it on Tumblr or whatever, but this one apparently was a sleeper to only me. Stunned. Bewildered.

#fanfic bts brain dump #batfam #fanfic #bruce wayne #helena wayne

[gregolwman]

"Yeah? Well, my god has a hammer!" - Nick Fury , Secret Invasion

Kept you waiting , huh ? I know , I know . Not exactly endearing myself to the anyone , but that's fine . Still it has been a few days since my last incoherent essay regarding whatever topic wormed itself into my brain . So ladies and germs , I came today to rectify that situation . Before that , let's hear a word from our public relations department . As a disclaimer , I do not make this post regarding Technoblade as a means to gain attention , this blog exists just for shit posting ideas and my own personal opinions and today's topic is regarding him . Personally , I believe in the idea that as fans , we should strive to keep Alex's dream even after his tragic death in June and this is my contribution to that effort . If you don't like it , don't buy it . That is all . Now back to the show .

So a couple of days ago , I was reading through a couple of Thor comics and eventually I make my way to Jason Aaron's work , specifically his run of the Mighty Thor when Jane Foster was the one wielding the hammer . At some point I get to the War Thor business , when Volstagg picked up the displaced hammer of Ultimate Comics Thor and became the God of the Bloodstorm , then my mental gears start churning . Out of curiosity I started looking for the character's concept art and then it all made sense . For those of you not convinced or too unmotivated to open your search engine of choice , here is a photo of the design .

To me at least it kinda screamed Technoblade , but then I started thinking to myself what could be done to this design in order to make it into a fitting tribute to the Blood God . Now , I am not an artist nor do I claim I can draw anything even remotely to the level needed to do both the original design and the idea I have in my head any justice , so I will also add some bits and pieces that came out as close as possible to what I intended .

Obviously I went for the Pigglin Technoblade since that's the one that the version of the titular character that I personally enjoy . What isn't quite obvious however to the casual reader is the weird robot arm sketch . This is my attempt to immortalise Alex's struggle against cancer , something many people this day and age have to deal it . It was mentioned that he would have been amputated if the doctors didn't find an alternative treatment plan and it seemed like something that I needed to add . It is just my personal preference and if people want to not avoid it , then I have nothing against them since I understand it might be a sensitive topic . Anyways , I also used a hoofed hand design in order to lean into the hog design and I added the small horns from Old King Thor's helmet design in order to represent Technoblade's crown .

Normally , I would have avoided posting this whole affair if not for one key detail . Today some representatives from the Foundation Kika came by my housing complex and they went door by door in order to convince people to sign up for a charity event that was happening tonight . It is meant to fund the continued efforts of combating cancer in children . The fact that these kids have to go through such ordeals and the very likely possibility that they might not make it even to their twenties just made me decide to push my inhibitions aside and write this . Screw cancer . What better way to celebrate Technoblade's existence than to dedicate my idea today to a noble cause . I am doing my part . If you are curious , I also added a hyperlink to their site , where details regarding next year's charity marathon are explained . Fair warning , the site is in Dutch , as such you should probably keep Google Translate nearby .

Anyways , to end this sales pitch , I am willing to part with the idea in the hopes that someone , someday will create something worthy out of my ramblings . Today's offer is on the house . Cheers .

This has been Greg for Owlman's Previously Owned Ideas . We do not advise you to post all your secrets on a Tumblr post , you fool , you moron . We also do no refunds .

#technoblade #fanart #sorry for the tmi #fuck cancer #ramblings

[myrandomfandomramblings]

Wildmoore week 2022 - Day 5 Alternate meeting/AU

A childhood promise - Wildmoore fanfic 

12-year-old Sophie ran her palms along her fatigues for the fifth time in less than 15 minutes. She was nervous for her first field trip with the cadets and was eager to make a good first impression. This is also why she insisted her mom drop her off 30 minutes early. 

She dragged her eyes from her sweaty palms back to the dojo in front of her, hoping that watching the class currently on the mat would help prepare her for her own session. The students were currently running through forms, copying the teacher at the front and although they were all doing identical moves one student stood out to Sophie. This was probably because this student was at least a head shorter than most of her classmates and the only other black girl in the building other than Sophie herself. In fact, she reminded Sophie of her younger sister, Jordan. They were probably about the same age: 8 or 9  and had the same small in stature but big in spirit vibe going on. So it only made sense that Sophie’s attention stayed on this girl as the class progressed from forms to sequences to sparring, only leaving her as she approached the sidelines where Sophie sat, seemingly to take a break. 

Sophie forced herself to refocus her attention on the athletes still on the floor. However, this was short lived as her attention was quickly recaptured by the kid, when she heard coughing and sputtering coming from beside her. She looked over to see that the girl appeared to be choking on a tortilla chip, if the open bag in her hands was any indication. 

Sophie had learned first aid at her cadets meeting just last week and suppressed the urge to jump into action with the Heimlich, knowing that as long as she was coughing she could still breath and any intervention was likely to do more harm than good. But the idea of doing nothing was equally unappealing, so Sophie elected for a happy medium as she grabbed the water bottle from the side of her backpack and offered it to the other girl. The girl looked at her quizzically but ultimately took a swig from the bottle and her coughing immediately subsided.

“Thank you,” she remarked handing Sophie her water bottle back, “but I can take care of myself.” 

“I noticed,” Sophie replied pointing to the mats where she had watched the young girl take down opponents three times her size not a few minutes before, “but even the toughest people need help sometimes. Especially when those chip corners get stuck in your throat. That’s just the worst.”

The kid just shrugged but a tentative smile had appeared on her previously stoic face. 

“There’s not a lot of help to go around in Gotham,” she finally said. 

“Well someday I hope to change that.”

“Do you really think you can change the whole city?”

“Maybe not alone but as part of a team, maybe,” Sophie replied gesturing at her uniform.

“Like the justice league or the teen titans?” the kid asked and for the first time since she came off the mats Sophie saw a spark return to her dark eyes.

Sophie didn’t have the heart to clarify that she had meant the military or law enforcement not a superhero squad. After all, who was she to stomp on a child’s imagination. 

“Something like that,” she finally replied.

“Well if you’re going to be a superhero, you probably shouldn’t wear a name tag,” the kid said pointing at Sophie’s name embroidered to the breast of her uniform, “you know secret identities and all that.”

“That’s good advice. I’ll keep it in mind.”

“I know my stuff when it comes to superheroes. Do you like comic books, Moore?”

“Moore’s my last name, you can call me Sophie,” Sophie clarified, “and I can’t say I’ve read many comics. I prefer mysteries.”

“I’m Ryan,” the kid replied, “and if you want to be a hero you should really read the comics. Or maybe I could help you,” Ryan continued, “be your sidekick?”

“Why would you want to be a sidekick when you could be a superhero in your own right?” Sophie questioned.

“You think I could be a superhero?”

“Why not?” 

The kid’s face seemed to light up a little bit more with that.

“I’ll make you a deal,” Sophie said, “we both work really hard and don’t give up until this city is a better place. And when we’ve done that and can truly call ourselves heroes we team up.” 

“You promise?” Ryan asked extending her pinky to Sophie .

“I promise,” Sophie confirmed linking her pinky with Ryan’s, “20 years from now we’ll be the heroes this city deserves.”

For many years Sophie held on to the promise she made that day with a virtual stranger. Every time she wanted to give up during her training, she saw interlinked pinky’s and fierce eyes above a small smile and it pushed her through. And although she clung tight to the memory, she had long given up any hope of seeing Ryan again. That is until she walked into an interrogation room, almost 15 years later, and saw those same fierce eyes staring back at her, now in the face of a beautiful young woman. And seeing her little beacon of hope there, in that dingy concrete room, it broke her heart a little. Luckily, over the next several years that woman would repair it three fold.

#wildmoore week #wildmoore #ryan wilder #sophie moore #batwoman

[maxwell-grant]

Red of Overly Sarcastic Productions once said :"If you can imagine your Batman comforting a shared child, then congratulations, you're righting Batman. If not, you're just writing the Punisher in a funny hat". This got me wondering: could the Shadow comfort a scared child?

Could he? You forget who was there to lift young Bruce to his feet at his first brush with death (sadly far from his last).

But it's an interesting question to pose still, because children were straight up not in the pulps, not in any I've read, and I can't recall any episodes of the radio show that feature them much (there's gotta be at least a few, because they had everything in that show). The most interaction I think The Shadow's ever had with children (from comics that I can discuss here, because Marshall Rogers' "Harold Goes to Washington" is way, way too much for me to go into right now, and the less I talk about some other DC comics, the better) is in the Street & Smith comics.

There's Jerry from the Devil Kyoti arc, a kid who was traumatized by an encounter with the villain who Sayre's looking after and who ends up having some kind of hidden power that allows him to see The Shadow and defeat the villain. There was a blonde Jerry who showed up later in the Monstradamus arc, but he isn't a kid so much as he's diet Jimmy Olsen or a replacement for Harry, but he had weird eyesight-based powers and a familiarity with The Shadow, so I assume it's the same character.

There was also Donald Jordan - Shadow Jr, and okay, I may have to talk more about this weird little failed experiment some other time, but the basic gist of it is that The Shadow had a friend in Tibet named Harry Jordan (and someday I'm also gonna write about the weird prevalence and significance of the name "Harry" in The Shadow's mythos in and out of universe) who was murdered, leaving his son orphaned and with nowhere to go. And, I'll admit that I have a real weakness for The Shadow calling people "son", which he does a lot in this story.

And as you can expect, it then turns out that the kid's also learned how to cloud minds and has basically the same powers The Shadow has in these comics, and they solve the mystery of his dad's murder together, and yeah, you can absolutely tell that they are setting up this kid to be The Shadow's Robin. Although, interestingly, they don't have The Shadow actually recruit the kid, instead it's Jordan who asks The Shadow if he can go with him and join his mission, and Cranston even states he's going to have to "earn" his way

"Must I stay here, sir? It will always remind me of dad - I'd like to devote my life to your fight against evil and evil doers!

Now, "Shadow Jr's" career was incredibly short-lived, it only lasted for about two other issues, and I have no idea what happened in his final appearence called "Snake Eyes" in Shadow Comics #77, I cannot find that issue anywhere and I really want to. But the one other solo story of his I've read was...well, I think it kinda illustrates why the idea of The Shadow having a Robin was doomed from the start.

...Yeah. Even The Shadow at his most sanitized and family friendly is still The Shadow, and there's no room for children in his network, obviously he shouldn't and wouldn't have children be in those positions or make decisions expected from grown-ups who have already had encounters with death and danger, why would anyone do that-

The only instance I can think of The Shadow interacting with a child in the pulps was during The Prince of Evil, when he has to rescue a young boy from Stark's thugs.

Cranston, dazed, tried to stagger to his feet. Before he could do so, the thug had picked up the limp figure of the boy and was darting out into the street. There was a scream of horror from pedestrians.

A heavy truck was racing at top speed along the avenue. Straight into the path of the truck, the thug threw the senseless boy!

The driver of the truck jammed on the brakes. But it was too late to halt the heavy vehicle. The broad-tired wheels rolled toward the limp head of the lad on the pavement.

An instant before it could crush out his life, Lamont Cranston dived headlong into the path of destruction. His shoulder struck the boy, rolling him toward the curb. A quick wriggle, and Cranston swerved aside from the grinding death that loomed over him.

He picked up the boy. One glance and he knew there was no time to lose. The attempted killer had leaped into a waiting sedan and had already made his escape.

The boy was all Cranston could see or think about. Brass knuckles had fractured his skull. He had suffered a concussion of the brain. A glance at his bluish lips and the fixed glaze of his staring eyes told Cranston that unless the boy was operated on immediately, he would die.

A leap, Cranston was in his car. He laid the boy gently on the seat beside him, then headed the car toward the nearest hospital. Traffic lights were ignored.

The boy was taken to an emergency operating room and a skilled surgeon went to work. When it was over, Cranston asked only one question: "Will the child live?"

"Hard to say. We'll do our best."

"Spare no expense. Put him in a private room. Engage day and night nurses."

Cranston's face was pale. He knew that he himself was indirectly responsible for the boy's attack. A supercriminal had made a prompt answer to Cranston's message over Jackson's telephone. That telephone must have been tapped. The attempt to kill the boy was a vicious warning for Lamont Cranston to mind his own business about the Harmon family. It was a follow-up of the attack on Jackson's dog.

Cranston felt a surge of hot anger. He kept it under control while he answered routine police questions. He told all he knew - which was nothing.

He had only one angry thought. He intended to drive straight to the office of David Chester. He'd get the truth out of the sleek Chester, if he had to batter him with vengeful fists!

Cranston was actually halfway to Chester's office before common sense returned to him. He realized he had lost his sense of balance. He was behaving exactly as the crooks wanted. He was playing their game, not his!

He parked, and the hot rage drained slowly from him. He stopped thinking about the limp figure of a young lad on a white operating table.

This is definitely because Tinsley writes the character differently than Gibson, but I actually cannot think of another occasion where we got to read about The Shadow actively wanting to hit someone with his fists. It's very, very rare to read about The Shadow actually getting mad in the first place in such an undignified way. And I think with this passage, you'll start to notice a pattern.

The problem isn't that The Shadow cannot interact with kids or that he can't comfort them, he does it to his agents and adults he wants to help just fine, he knows how to address people in their language, or any language. The problem is, The Shadow is constantly surrounded by danger everywhere he goes, because he is The Shadow. He can be any number of things at any number of occasions, but usually, when The Shadow shows up, it's usually because people are going to die, and people are going to kill, and it's his job to address that and work the scales.

Children should not be anywhere near this, and if The Shadow's interacting with a child, it usually means that some grave danger or tragedy fell upon them, and he's here to either prevent greater tragedy or address the fall-out, and he'd be the first to agree that neither of these options should be happening at all. It doesn't mean he's not gonna do what's right and give life and limb to protect them, but, it shouldn't be up to the Boogeyman to look after them in the first place. Maybe it shouldn't be up to the Boogeyman to protect us.

But then again, as I mentioned when I talked about my own reasons for liking The Shadow so much, there are many kids who would like nothing more than to have the Boogeyman by their side to protect them. There's comfort in knowing that the scariest man in the room is unconditionally there to protect you, and that is the comfort that The Shadow gives best. Not as Cranston, not under a friendly face, but as what he is.

Due to a lack of scenes from the pulps or satisfying scenes from elsewhere, I will instead be pulling one from a fan story written by Kimberly-Murphy Smith, editor and writer of The Hot Cornerm where The Shadow rescues a child who was kidnapped for blackmail. I couldn't care less that it's fanfic, and if you do, come back in 20 or so years after The Shadow's been made public domain and it's gonna be just as official as anything licensed (on my “to write about” list: how fickle the separation between “official” and “fanfic” is, and the many times it plainly didn’t exist). There’s aspects of her writing I don’t care for, but I really like this scene and I do think The Shadow’s more gentle interactions with people are necessary to getting the character.

Annabelle.

She stopped crying for a minute. "Who's there?" she said, her voice choked.

A friend. Your mommy and daddy sent me to pick you up.

"Mommy? Mommy's here?"

Sh-h-h. Annabelle felt a gloved hand gently stroking her hair. She's waiting for you at home. So, we need to hurry up and leave.

"'kay." She looked around. "Where are you?"

It's kind of hard to see me. It's dark in here, plus you've been crying so much your eyes probably hurt.

"Yeah."

Don't be afraid. I'm here to help.

"'kay."

The implicit trust of children was simply amazing at times. Adults trembled in fear of The Shadow's wrath, but children somehow seemed to understand that he was there to help them, even if they couldn't see him.

Sit up, Annabelle. I'm going to pick you up. Be very quiet.

One hand took each of her arms and guided them around a neck she could not see. "Why are you wearin' a blanket?" she asked as the fabric of his cloak brushed against her shoulders.

Sometimes I get cold at night.

"Even in the summer?"

Even in the summer. He gently stroked her cheek and wiped away her tears. Now, you need to be very quiet so those bad men in the next room don't hear us. I'll bet you're tired.

She nodded.

He rocked her on his arms, projecting a very gentle hypnotic relaxation into her with his powers as he did. You probably didn't get your nap, either. Poor thing. Lean on my shoulder and go to sleep. And when you wake up, you'll be back with Mommy and Daddy.

She yawned, then snuggled against his shoulder and went to sleep.

The Shadow sighed with relief. Now to get past the men out front. He gently pulled the pistol out of its holster under his left arm and slipped it into the belted waist of his overcoat within easy reach, then secured his grip on Annabelle and draped his cloak over her.

She clutched the edge of his cloak in her hand like a security blanket and snuggled against his shoulder again.

(Art by Jill Thompson)

#replies tag #the shadow #pulp heroes #fanfic #I think about the -Sometimes I get cold at night- response a lot #and how superhero capes can easily be likened to oversized blankets #and The Shadow is one of the main reasons why capes became so popular among American heroes #seriously you can see how practically overnight so many heroes at the time imitating The Shadow acquired capes #and what is a hero if not a childhood fantasy manifest #they are all just wearing blankets to battle #I think my posts are turning into too much of rollercoasters

[unsualfan]

Baavira week 2022: Boba tea

“The tea shop”

After successfully conquering the Ba sing se, Baatar stumbles upon the Jasmine dragon shop and gets a drink he once had as a kid.

@baaviraweek

Side note: Technically Iroh invented Boba tea in the avatar universe. As seen in the atla comics “The promise” where he served them to Zuko and Aang.

Kuvira finally had Ba sing se under her command. It was quite hard but she knew Zaofu would be even more difficult. But with Baatar’s support, her growing army, and power she was determined to unite the earth kingdom. Republic City? Well she already has plans for that and currently Varrick and Zhu li are working on.

They better finish it on time. I have a feeling I’m forgetting something. What is it what is it. No this is going to bother me. Think think think. What if it is really important I shouldn’t forget? Think..think..think

Kuvira!

She snapped out of her thoughts and turned to face her fiancé. He always makes her feel better when she’s worried

“Baatar, good news it’s…”

“You skipped lunch….again”

Oh so that’s what I was forgetting.

“Oh..um…times flies by when you’re trying to restoring order in…”

“uh huh”

“Ok I forgot again. But I’m really busy right now. I need to have enough resources to give out to the people. It’s been chaos ever since the walls were taken down.”

“I understand that’s important but you need to eat. Last time you passed out. Luckily no one saw it”

“heh…Well I liked it that you carried me in your arms. I wouldn’t mind passing out again” She said with a grin.

“heh…really” He gave her a look that made her blush and dragged the back of his hand on the side of her face

“Ok ok but I really need to be here right now I’m about to give a speech to the lower ring people who lost their homes from the chaos. I need to earn their loyalty. Can I ask you a favor?”

“Sure”

“Could you get some lunch for the both of us? I know you haven’t eaten either”

“It would be greedy for me to go the upper ring restaurant and eat without you”

She smiled. He is always so thoughtful. I wouldn’t have done this without you

“Sure I’ll get us some lunch”

“Thanks”

“I’ll eat after this ok”

And with that he took the train to the upper ring and started looking for some restaurants. Some places shut down because when the walls came down a lot of thieves stole money from the restaurant owners, forcing them to close their business. But he found some that were still open. He walked inside the restaurant called “Acacia Cass” It was still open but only a few people ate so there was no line. Surprisingly. After that we walked outside and headed for the train station but he saw a shop that made him stop at his tracks. “The Jasmine dragon” He looked at it and felt a sense of nostalgia. He remember when he was young and his grandmother Toph suggested to his mother to go there. The owner of the shop was good friends with his grandmother.

Peaceful times.

Huan was with him that time his other sibling weren’t born yet. He remember the two them having fun playing tag outside after they ate. He missed his family. Back in his younger years when they still got along and now there is a rift in their relationship, and always being overshadowed by his father. Still he walked inside. The shop was still going strong after its original owner had pass. Seems like everyone liked his tea so much.

“Hello sir what can get you?” the friendly waiter asked.

Without thinking he said “Boba tea” That drink sounded familiar and those words repeated in his head once he saw the shop. He and his family had them but now he doesn’t remember how it tasted. That was a long time ago.

“Sure sir have seat here”

“Um make that two please”

“Of course” The waiter left.

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

“What’s this?” Kuvira asked

“Its Boba tea I had them before” he looked down “…with my family”

Kuvira looked at him concerned and held his hand. “We’ll have our own family someday after our mission were married”

Baatar smiled “I’m excited”

Kuvira then tried the Boba tea

“So?”

“I’ve never had tea before that has..”

“That’s tapioca”

“hhhmmmm” She kept drinking

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

Baatar woke up in very early. Before starting the day, him and Kuvira always “do the thing” before getting out of bed. He turned to the side. He wrapped his arms over her neck or her back, Baatar was still half asleep. He proceeded her give her small kisses. Baatar slowly opened his eyes hoping to see Kuvira beautiful face. Kuvira told him many times that she always look like a mess in the morning but to him she always beautiful. Instead of seeing his fiancée he has cuddling a pillow. How embarrassing. But where could she have gone. She never leaves without saying a word. He got dressed and looked outside of their tent. No Kuvira. He approached commander Guan and his troops. Still no Kuvira. To Varrick and Zhu li’s lab? No Kuvira. Bolin? No he was still has asleep he heard him murmur “Opal…I miss you…” while sobbing in his sleep. Where could she have he started to feel anxious. He exited their camp borders hoping to see Kuvira on the streets. “She went to catch a train to the upper ring Sir” said a guard at the border. “Why would she need to go to the upper ring so early?” “She didn’t tell but I know that the earliest schedule of the train to go to the upper ring is at 6:00 am”

Baatar catch another train ride at 6:30 am and arrived at the upper ring. Some kids ran past him wearing a merch. She did earn their loyalty after that speech yesterday. One little girl said “She’s my hero” another kid said “I know, she saved me and my mom from the bad guys”. “Excuse me kids, do you mind if I ask if you know where Kuvira is? I know she’s around here somewhere” The young boy pointed at the shop. The Jasmine Dragon. He entered inside and there she was with her back turned from the door.

“There you are, you had me worried”

“Oh sorry I wanted to come early to beat the rush. I didn’t think you’d wake early after staying up all night perfecting your blue prints for the mecha. I didn’t want to interrupt your sleep”

He noticed that there is a stain on her upper lip. She had been drinking boba

“What, I admit it’s delicious and I could not get enough after yesterday”

He crossed his arms

“Ok I’m sorry I had you worry…um I leave a note next time”

He sighed and smiled. Kuvira got up after she finished her drink.

“Leaving so soon, what about breakfast we can eat here”

“That can wait” She turned around and gave him a cheeky smile “I owe you something”

A lascivious smile spread on his face. Oh yes every morning “do the thing”

#Baaviraweek2022 #Baavira week #Baatar Jr #Kuvira #Lok #legend of aang

[sl-walker]

All right, since I’m in the middle of a flare and have to work manual labor for the next four days despite it, I figured I would make myself -- and hopefully other people -- laugh by talking about one of my favorite OG Captain Marvel stories. Namely, from Whiz #50, with a cover date of January, 1944, meaning it was probably produced sometime in late 1943.

I want to share it because why not, this is some absurdly charming stuff.

I’ll get more into why it’s one of my favorites as we go, in the form of running commentary. So, full story (with said commentary) under the cut. If you wanna just read the story without my commentary, stick to the pictures. XD

First, let me say that the cover and splash page definitely live up to the story, though the cover’s a bit more sensationalized. But the premise is pretty damn simple: Our intrepid hero and his newsboy alter ego are on vacation. Cap decides to go swimming. It goes hilariously wrong and thus ensues a bit of a madcap adventure, no puns intended.

Second, the fact that Cap and Billy are depicted as essentially different entities makes what Billy does next the ultimate trolling:

Gee, airing out the stolen laundry on the radio? Really? I’ll leave it up to you, gentle reader, whether Billy actually was trolling his own alter-ego for ratings or whether he was just innocently sharing the story while his other-self winced quietly in whatever ether-space he exists in when not front-and-center.

Either way, I love it.

Continuing on...

I get a kick out of the fact that Billy’s monologue is that he’s no dare-devil. One, because that’s so obviously not true in any way -- (that kid is awesomely, sometimes recklessly brave on the regular even without Cap) -- but two, because the bridge is actually named Dare-Devil Bridge. We aren’t given any reason why this dangerous potential death-trap is there, hanging without so much as a gate or a warning sign or anything, because we don’t need one. It’s there specifically for what happens next.

Which, of course, is Billy calling in Captain Marvel, who does some light complaining about the situation Billy left him in. There’s no bite to it, which I find adorable -- Cap actually does get frustrated once or twice in other issues with Billy calling on him for mundane stuff, though he’s never mean about it -- but there is a bit of the sense of being put-upon there that’s just-- I dunno, cute. It’s something I miss a lot in the various post-crisis takes on the character: That duality, that difference in personality, and the way each of them responds to different situations. Often, they’re on the same page, but notably, sometimes, they aren’t.

Someday, I promise, I need to sit down and write how I think that works between those two without being a truly frightening mental illness manifested, what with them being the same person but not the same person. Because I have so many ideas, and I’ve only had since the early-2000s to percolate them. LOL! But until then, just enjoy this.

Here is another reason why I love the Golden Age Captain Marvel books and why I love this specific story: This is an absolutely normal, mundane thing to do. It’s the human thing to do. These aren’t the actions of some super-serious superdude. These are the actions of a pretty shockingly normal guy doing something mundane. And a whole story is built around that normalcy.

It’s cute. It’s funny. It’s the reader already knowing that he’s getting himself into a situation that he absolutely could have avoided, but also completely understanding how it happened anyway. It’s pretty brilliant writing: I say this as a pretty damned good writer myself.

So much of the reason why, I think, Cap was so endearing as a hero is that humanity. He’s got pretty much god-tier power in the Golden Age, once his powerset is established. He’s utterly invulnerable to all physical harm while powered up. But-- he’s human. He knows he’s human. He acts like it, and decides, “You know what? I’m going skinny-dipping.”

He and Billy are both characters it’s so easy to empathize with.

Also, a reminder that the art under Chief Artist C.C. Beck is really, really good. (He had a whole stable of artists to help produce this stuff!) Ignoring registration issues on the printing press, the actual line art is amazingly good; proportion and perspective and consistency.

But anyway--Cap does get to enjoy his swim. But, then, oh no.

I love the idea of a world where the prime hero -- and he definitely is in that world -- can take off his suit and go swimming, and where someone else is bold enough to steal the damn suit off of him. The first time I read this, I started laughing here. Not at him, but at the situation he’s found himself in. At the idea that some random passer-by saw Captain Marvel’s costume and went yoink!

Another thing I love about this particular story is how much Cap and Billy have to work together, just by necessity. Like-- it’s just really good. But anyway, thank everything Billy Batson is on the ball, coming to the rescue.

Sheer bad luck via the weather keeps this story rolling along in hilarious misdirections. Realistically, that uniform probably wouldn’t be all buttoned together (we see Cap take off pieces of it aside the pants in other issues, including socks!), but who cares? The point of the story is that giant bear rug on the floor’s gonna get put to use.

Man, when have you ever seen Superman creeping naked through some stranger’s house wearing nothing but a random polar bear because he went skinny dipping? No wonder these comics sold so well. This next panel is when I start wheezing, though, and pretty much keep wheezing.

“A lady, too! I’ve got to get away from here!”

I’m dying at this point. That’s such a characteristic response, and yet, I think that’s why it’s funny.

Anyway, because this is an excellent story (I mean this without an ounce of irony, too), our dynamic duo stumbles across a plot in play to rob the hotel they’re staying at.

Here’s a big part of why this is such a good tale: Everything fits. Even when it isn’t explained, like Dare-Devil Bridge, it still fits. Why is the tree down? Because there was just a thunder storm, the same one that blew Cap’s suit into the room with the gangsters.

I don’t know if this is Otto Binder’s story, but I wouldn’t be surprised in the least. It’s a complete story told in relatively few pages that accomplishes everything it’s meant to.

Anyway, using foliage as cover, Cap gets to be heroic----then Billy gets to get back to the business of trying to stop the robbery of the hotel and get his heroic alter-ego dressed again.  Which leads to a rather adorable and funny scene of Billy not only trying to describe what Captain Marvel wears, but what size it would need to be tailored in.

(Cap is supposedly a 44 for a suit coat, we find in some earlier appearance, which would refer to his chest size.  So, an XL for shirts and suit-coats.  He’s a big guy, but he’s actually not a hulking huge guy.  But more on that later.)

I love the fact Billy tries to like-- use himself as a model.  Maybe in another ten years, kiddo.  Billy’s actually pretty buff for like a 12-14 year old, he’s not a scrawny kid at this point, but yeah, no.  LOL!

Another thing I also really, really love about this style, though, is that they draw Captain Marvel as being strong, as having a powerful build-- but not as a dehydrated body-builder with deep cuts. He’s got human proportions, regardless of his strength; he’s got a human build, not a superhuman one.

C.C. Beck had a lot of things to say about superheroes who were just muscles on top of muscles, all clearly defined, and he didn’t like it.  As someone who first got into comics in the early 90s with Jim Lee’s X-Men--

I do get Beck’s point.  I not only get it, but I really highly approve of it.  He maintained to the end that he drew (and oversaw) the Marvel family to look like high school and college athletes, and I can see that.  I think the one person who’s gotten it right in the modern era is Evan “Doc” Shaner, who did Convergence: Shazam!  He not only nailed that strong-but-not-hulking build for Cap, but also how young he looked.  College-age, in fact.

But anyway, enough digression into art and why I like this better than most modern takes on the character.  Also, that’s just a cute set of panels.

I also like that there wasn’t an easy fix there.  Cap’s still in his not-birthday suit, and Billy’s still stuck running around trying to solve the issues at hand.  Next comes some other really good panels:

-snorts-  He’s locked in.  Yeah, that’ll hold him.

Anyway, what I really liked here was again that tandem working; Billy can’t punch through a wall, but Cap can.  Cap can’t crawl out while he’s au natural -- well, he could, but he’d probably rather die first -- but Billy’s got no such issue.  It’s just fun when you get to see them doing something like that.  You have to really think for a minute about the trust each of them must have in their alter-ego.

ANYWAY, we get the rare treat then--

--of Captain Marvel not only yoinking a dude into a dark room, but then stealing his clothes.  Except, not his underwear.  Because that’s nasty.  LOL!

I love that in this series, you do actually get to see him wear other stuff.  Go incognito.  Get his red suit messed up enough to take it to a dry cleaner’s, wherein he ends up dressed like a musketeer after.  Jerry Ordway’s series is, I think, the only other time we see Cap not wearing his famous suit, but it happened enough in the Golden Age that it wasn’t a shock.

Like, I hate to be the one to say this, but I do think DC drops the ball often on just how much you can do with Captain Marvel (or Shazam, depending on timeline, but that’s the wizard’s name to me so mostly I’ll stick with the original name) if you unbend enough to.  It’s not just the costume change, or the duality of him and Billy being the same but not, but also his inherent, essential humanity.

But I am digressing again, sorry. XD  I just feel strongly enough about these versions of these characters to spend hours writing this.

Anyway, only a single panel later:

And that’s that!  Billy Batson has just outed his own alter-ego’s most embarrassing moment to whomever’s listening to WHIZ radio -- thank everything podcasts and the internet weren’t available then, ha! -- and we get to see a recounting of a very fun story.

Like I said earlier, I love this one for its essential humanity.  The hero got himself into this mess, he and Billy got him out of this mess, and stopping the criminals was actually just kind of a lucky stroke thrown in there.  But even though Cap got himself into this, the story never treats him like he’s stupid.  It never treats him like he’s some kind of idiot.  You’re laughing, but-- not in a mean way.

I love how human it is.  How complete it is.  How genuinely funny it is.  It’s a thousand times more funny when you genuinely love and respect Captain Marvel and Billy Batson, too.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this dissertation on a skinny-dipping hero.  LOL!  I enjoyed sharing it with you.

#dc captain marvel #billy batson #shazam #whiz comics

[beebubb]

I read your LJ and will headcanons and i really love them! Can you perhaps make some headcanons of when LJ had to take care of baby william? Like how would he treat him when he hated him and then when he actually grew to like him?

Ahhhhhh!!! Yessss!!! I'm gonna make this a post of LJ taking care or will from newborn to now

LJ taking care of william grossman headcanons (childhood all the way to now) + a bit of will's back story

Will as a baby

Will was assigned to LJ before will was even born

So while everyone was celebrating the pregnancy, LJ was just pissed

"GODDAMNIT THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON'T USE PROTECTION!!"

no one could hear or see him obviously, so he could say what ever he wanted

He just look at the dad be like "i bet that brat isn't even yours!"

He would just DREAD the day will was finally born

When will was born, and his mom finally came back home with will in her arms, was when he finally met him

".....he looks exactly like fucking isaac goddamnit!!!!"

He wouldn't take care of will and could care less about him

He would appear to will whenever he was alone in the nursery room and just say the meanest things to him or just hate anything will did

".....you're the cum shot your mom should have swallowed...."

"can you shut the fuck up?!?"

*carrying him* "go to hell you annoying waste of space"

"i wish I could take your eye out like I did to your fucking grandpa....."

"you know I can gut you whenever I feel like it"

Or just make dark jokes

"i can knock all your teeth over just like isaac! Wait, you don't have any! Hahaha!!"

LJ doesn't admit but, when he was watching over will, he just started crying, he was just so overwhelmed by everything, especially knowing he was stuck with his enemy's grandkid "i hate that i'm stuck with you!!! Why the fuck would you even want me?!? You're just going to abandon me just like your damn grandfather!!!"

With time though, he started growing fond of him

Will was really close to LJ. He would just smile to him, laugh, grab his pointy nose, and even if jack rarely carried him, you know those feathers jack has on his shoulders? Will would immediatly fall asleep with those

Once LJ was a bit more ready to care for him, was when he actually started trying

"Alright, i'm your guardian! I hate it! But if i'm stuck with you, i'm going to raise you MY way!"

"I'm the one protecting you so you BETTER say my name as your first word, got it?"

It took him a bit to warm up to him but it eventually came along

Will was a cuddly baby, so he loved to sleep on LJ's shoulder and grab his nose

"let go of my nose before I kill you"

When he was finally attached to will, he was acting more of a parent than anyone.

He would hate it if someone didn't take proper care of him

"you're holding him wrong!"

"he doesn't like to be held like that!"

"you're supposed to put 2 scoops of formula! Not 1!!"

"goddamnit I'm doing most of the work here!!!"

"if yall wanted a kid you should atleast know to care for it!"

Will's first word was JJ.

It was his attempt at saying LJ

"holy shit!!! That's not my name but it's close!! I knew it!!"

His mom and dad saw it as insignificant and thought it was just those weird baby noises that babies make

But LJ knew what he meant and was more happy than ever

"he likes me more!! In your face assholes!!"

Will as a toddler

LJ was there for his first words, so he was also there for will's first steps

Will was also a very energetic kid, and once he started crawling and walking, it was more chaos for his parents

They had to baby proof a lot of things

But LJ could keep up with his energy, and sometimes even tire him

Though there was this one time when will called him "daddy" and his dad thought he was calling him but actually, he was talking to LJ

Many think that LJ might hate to be called that sense well, you know, he hates children, but he honestly didn't know how to feel. He was a bit surprised, a bit happy, and confused

He didn't deny it, it was just like

Toddler will: daddy! Daddy!

LJ: um....uh... Lets keep playing ok?

LJ loved will and was happy to care for him and pretty much the hate he had towards him was pretty much gone but, he didn't really know how to feel

He let it slide but will called him that a lot

LJ would get a bit emotional sometimes but he would just try to ignore it and keep playing with will

Or he would just slightly smile

Will as a kid (4-11)

Will was now more aware and way more energetic

Which was more fun for LJ

Will didn't have many friends, except for LJ

Even if he was happy and energetic, will was a shy child at school.

Also he didn't play with anyone except jack

The teachers thought that will was weird and called his parents a lot

The teachers would always say stuff like "he doesn't play with any of the other children, and talks alone like if he were talking with someone else especially someone he says is called" jack", is everything OK at home? Have you seen a family psychologist?"

Will was actually taken to a few therapy sessions but he wasn't diagnosed with any mental illnesses. So people just assumed that will just had a really active imagination and that jack was just an imaginary friend

Though will being "weird" just meant he was gonna be an easy target to get bullied

But jack wouldn't let that happen. He wouldn't let some asshole kids ruin will's childhood

Sometimes when the kids would go to the bathroom or just go to the hallway to the drinking fountain, he would scare them by turning the lights on and off

Or he would even follow them home and would make his claw like hands appear from inside their closets or under their beds.

Sometimes he would even grab their legs which would terrify the kids

They soon stopped bothering will because "jack will come and get you!"

So will had a pretty good childhood thanks to Jack sense he would protect him of pretty much everything

When will was in kindergarden they had arts and crafts, he would sometimes draw his mom and his dad together but mostly his drawings were of jack

The teachers thought the parents were irresponsible because lets say that sometimes will's drawing were a bit graphic or creepy and they thought that it was because will watched too much horror movies

Teacher: what are you drawing, William?

Will: it's Jack and I!

Teacher: oh that's nice! But.. What.. What are you doing with Jack?

Will: We're using the stuff inside the guy's belly to make balloon animals! *keeps drawing* jack said that I'll be a killer when I grow up!

Jack was just a proud clown guardian

Jack's prized possession was a drawing that will made of the two of them. It just made him feel really appreciated. Also he encouraged will to play with the kids but will just preferred LJ

LJ: you know that you can play with the other kids right?

Will: i don't want to! I don't like the other kids! I want to be with you, you're my best friend!

It was just fun with will that someday jack would spend days laughing and laughing that sometimes it felt like he would get his colors back

Also will learned to cuss at a young age. And everyone can already guess where he got that from

He was a horror movie fan

Which is why he always said "i want to be like Jason when I grow up!"

"i want to do what leatherface does!"

"I'm going to be just like ghostface!"

But when LJ told him about the pastas, is when he started admiring them

"when I grow up, I'm going to work for slenderman!!"

Also you know in that one comic page where will was at the institution and said "i am the one and only grossman! And I will become the greatest killer the world and the underworld has ever seen!"

Well he had been saying that ever sense he was a kid

Will's mom was a really caring and nice mother but she would soon start getting angry every time will said he wanted to be a killer

Everytime the family got together or the neighbors would ask will what he wanted to be when he grew up, will's mom would always get embarrassed and try to change the answer

Neighbor: what do you want to be when you grow up?

Will: i want to be a killer!

Mom: AN ACTOR!! he wants to be an actor!! He just.. Um... Has seen so many horror movies and well he likes the actors! So he wants to be one!

Will would always get scolded by his mom or get grounded

"William, i told you a million times!!! Stop saying you want to be a killer!!! That doesn't exists! Just choose something normal!!"

William would sometimes just stand or sit in the corner and cry

LJ was always there to comfort him

"Don't cry buddy! Don't listen to that bitch! You will be a killer!"

His mom would get annoyed a lot of will talking about LJ

"You're six!!! You're old enough to know that jack is just an imaginary friend!"

"He's not imaginary!!!!"

And ever sense will knew about the underworld, that's the only place he would talk about.

Will: LJ please take me with you!! I want to go to the under realm! I want to meet jeff the killer! And ben! And masky! And slenderman!

LJ: i can't take you now but i promise i will when you're older!

Will loved his parents but he slowly started disliking them.

His mom always seemed embarrassed of him and his dad was becoming distant

The day that his parents got divorced, he did cry a few days.

He would always ask LJ "did dad leave because of me?"

But jack was there to reassure him it wasn't his fault.

"He's just a deadbeat bitch dad! But i'll be here for you! You don't need him!"

LJ pretty much took a fatherly role to will but never realised it

In will's school he had this "bring your parent to school day" thing and he didn't tell his mom, he wanted LJ to come

LJ didn't have a human disguise like the other pastas sense he was technically an imaginary friend. So he had to consult the rulers of hell to give him a temporary one or grant him that ability

LJ: Come on please! He really wants me to attend! Lend me a fucking hand here!

Paimon: i don't know, your job is just to protect him, you don't NEED to attend something as simple as a school event, he has his mother

LJ: i know but my boy wants ME to come! He doesn't want his damn mother to go!

Yeah, LJ called him "his boy"

He was more of a father than ever even if he didn't admit it

Bael: *sighs* fine, we'll give you a disguise just for today

LJ: yes! Thank you!

And LJ was able to go to will's school, he just presented himself as will's uncle

Will was happier than ever

Jack tried to act normal so he made up lies of his career

"Oh um i'm a....surgeon!"

Being a surgeon was the closest thing to his actual job. I mean, they both take out people's guts right?

Will as a teen (13-17) (basically now)

Will had a bit of an emo phase but not completely. It only appeared whenever he was with his mom

Only when he was with his mom he was distant and always seemed annoyed

He became the typical angsty teen. Started drinking, getting piercings, dying his hair, wear black, eyeliner, etc

Mom: another piercing?!

Will: yeah! Why do you care!?! I'm already an embarrassment to you aren't i?!

They would get into arguments a lot

Especially because of his sexuality

His mom didn't respect will's privacy so he would always check his texts, pictures, etc

"You're talking with girls AND boys?!?!"

Will was bisexual but only LJ knew obviously.

"If my boy likes guys then fucking let him!!! Stupid bitch!!!"

Though no matter who won the argument, it always ended with will crying or just laying on his bed listening to music

William would run away a LOT

Him and LJ had found an abandoned hospital where they would always hang out.

Will could be himself with LJ

His mood and attitude completely changed there.

They would drink beer together, tell jokes, prank random people in the streets, or just do random things

"Look at this street sign i stole!!"

But how did will finally go to the underworld? A family argument in will's 16th birthday

His mom invited everyone to the house.

But will was uninterested

And his mom like always, didn't want to "be embarrassed" by will, so he forced him to wear something else besides black, to take all of his piercings off, and didn't let him dye his hair

Everyone was there eating together

But will, like always, was distant

Uncle: so how are things in school?

Will: everything's fine

Cousin: what college are you going to?

Will: *shrugs*

Will hated his party.

LJ: enjoying your sweet 16? Haha!

Will: i hate it....

LJ frowned seeing him upset in his own birthday, but he gave him something

LJ: hey, i got you a little something! I know you want to be a killer so here!

He gave will the bird mask

Will: ! My...my first killer mask?!

LJ: yep!

Will: holy shit!!! Thank you! *puts it on* i love it!! I look like an actual serial killer!

LJ: i knew you would like it!

Will was super happy with his mask but he was called outside to cut the cake

"Cut your cake bud! Once this party is over, how about we go get some drinks?"

Will smiled "alright!"

He went out to cut his cake.

A few hours later though, everything was ruined

Will had another argument with his mom.

Will: I'M your son!!! Not them!!! Why do you like them more?!

Mom: i do like you will! I just...i just want you to be normal like them! I want you to want a normal career! To do better in school! To dress differently, and like girls!

Will: i DO like girls!!!

Mom: then why were you talking to boys?!?

Everyone just looked at will in shock

Will: b-because.....because i'm fucking bisexual!!! I like boys AND girls!! I'm not gay!!! There's a difference!!!

Mom: but you like boys!! That's not normal!! Nothing of you is normal!! Liking boys isn't normal! And being a killer isn't normal either!!

Will: oh so you hate me for being me?!?! I fucking hate you!!! You make my life a living hell!!!

Will stormed off to his room and locked himself and started sobbing.

Jack saw everything. He would have killed will's mom but everyone was there, plus he wasn't allowed to (a disadvantage of having a deal with the rulers of hell)

Will felt humiliated infront of the whole family

Jack saw how upset he was, so that's when he finally made up his mind

LJ: hey, remember when i told you i was bringing you to the underworld one day?

Will: *wiping away his tears* y-yeah?

LJ: well, that's today!

Will: wait, really?!?

Will immediately sat up his a smile on his face

LJ: yep! How about we leave this place? Let's go to to the underworld! You won't have to worry about your mom anymore! Or that shitty family of yours!

Will: yes!!!!! Yes I'd love that!!!

LJ: then pack your things and lets go!

Will got up from his bed and started packing. And once he was done, he just stood up smiling with his bags in hand

Will: let's go!!

LJ covered will's eyes with his hands.

And before Will knew it, he was in the underworld.

And that's when will finally started a new life.

LJ didn't have a luxurious life to give will but will loved it. Even if they lived in a shitty apartment, will was more happy than ever.

Will was still underage so LJ took care of getting him registered as an official underworld citizen and getting all the paper work done to have full custody of will as his guardian

So he basically adopted will

Will: i can actually be a killer here right?

LJ: yep! There's actually an institution for killers! So I'll start working on enrolling you in!

Will: yes!!!

And that's basically how their lives started

#mine #my post #creepypasta #william grossman #will grossman #Laughing jack

[carolmaximoffs]

freeze

summary: your heat is broken, your roommate has an idea to keep warm...you need to get a new apartment. (no powers/modern au)

pairing: bucky barnes x reader

warnings: nsfw, unprotected sex, cursing, weak dirty talk, did i mention sexual intercourse

a/n: this is technically a short companion piece to heat but it can be read alone. i got a really good response to that one so here’s this little thing i had bouncing around my brain. (especially since a lot of people said they’d rather f*ck for warmth...) thank you for all the love!

IF YOUR TEETH CHATTERED ANY HARDER, they’d break. Your boyfriend of 7 months is on the phone with your landlord/resident mechanic, and he, too, is shivering a ridiculous amount.

“S-Scott Middle Name Lang-g-g,” Bucky is saying, “I swear to God, we’ll fucking move out.”

You throw a pillow at him from your cocoon on the couch. Bucky sighs, running a hand over his face and quickly retracting his statement. Scott was an old friend of yours from high school - he had told you about the vacancy literally the day it opened up, and worked tirelessly to keep the old building in the best shape possible. However, Scott had his daughter tonight. And evidently, he had no plans of coming to your rescue, judging by the way Bucky all but threw his phone onto the coffee table. You let out a surprised cry as he promptly scoops you into his arms.

“I have an idea,” he says, determined. He deposits you on your bed - you’ve got two space heaters running in your room, and since you made it official, Bucky’s room has basically become his closet. “To keep from freezing to death, of course.”

His hands slip under all 3 of your sweatshirts, cupping your breasts ever so gently. You let your head fall back as his thumbs brush over your nipples, your reply breathless. “Of course.”

You feel rather than see Bucky’s smirk as he presses his lips to your neck, nipping at your throat. The smirk only grows as you gasp; two fingers deftly play with a nipple as the other hand slides to your hip. He toys with your waistband, silently asking permission. You jerk your body into his touch, a silent beg. He relents, kissing you deeply, tongue slipping past your lips as he tugs your sweatpants off. You shiver, but Bucky is quick to run his hands up and down your thighs.

“Buck, it’s freezing,” You whine, but he circles a finger over your covered clit and shushes you.

“I’ll warm you up,” He whispers against your neck. It sounds almost like a promise, and it is. He rids himself of his pants, leaving both of you in hoodies and underwear, but those, too, are quickly discarded. You’ve seen Bucky naked plenty of times, but every time feels like the first. You drink him in in the dimness of your bedside lamp. Even in this light, he looks like a present-day Adonis - work as a personal trainer at his friend Sam’s gym had done him well. He looked carved from gold; tanned, calloused hands trace circles on your stomach patiently. Bucky knew you liked to admire him, and, though he would never say it out loud, he liked being admired.

Eventually, you’ve had your fill, and you crave him fiercely. Your body still trembles just a little from the cool air of your apartment, but as you reach up to draw him closer all you can focus on is Bucky. You bite at his ear just to hear him half laugh, half growl as he presses against you. Your bodies are touching everywhere they possibly can. This time feels more intimate than others, and you wonder if it has anything to do with his arms holding you in a tight embrace and pressing you close to his chest. He drags his cock through your folds, slicking himself up and teasing you simultaneously. You dig your fingers in where they’re curled around his broad shoulders, and he complies.

When he’s sheathed fully within you, tip pulsing almost against your cervix, he hesitates. You and Bucky breathe in sync, but you grow restless. Your apartment has entered the Ice Age, your landlord is MIA, and the last thing you need right now is Bucky to blatantly tease you. You communicate this frustration by circling your legs about his waist and whining. Bucky reconnects your lips as he begins to move, and you moan shamelessly into his mouth. The only sounds are your shared moans, and skin slapping skin as you forget all about your failed heating system. 

“How ‘bout that, baby?” He murmurs, somewhere between leaving dark hickeys blossoming across your chest and flicking his tongue along your nipples. His hands come up to push damp strands of hair from your face lovingly, despite his relentless pace. “Not so cold now, huh, pretty girl?”

“Fuck off,” You pant, shoving halfheartedly at his chest but tightening the leg he’s hooked around his hips. Bucky only grins, holding you impossibly closer to him and slowing his pace just to focus on fucking you that much deeper.

“Sorry, princess,” Bucky quips, teeth grazing the shell of your ear. “I’m a little busy fucking you.”

The last word is punctuated with a particularly deep thrust that has you almost screaming. The sound dies in your throat, eyes rolling back in your head as your toes curl. Bucky pulls out just to repeat the . Your euphoric bubble is popped when someone knocks on your front door.

Bucky stills, mid-thrust. You tense beneath him. The knocking comes again, and the two of you practically fall off the bed trying to disentangle yourselves. You’re dressed first, a sweater of Bucky’s and your own sweatpants hastily pulled over quivering limbs. You trip to the door, peeping through the keyhole. Bucky comes stumbling out of the bedroom, bare-chested with joggers slung low on his hips, but you wave him back wildly.

“Stop! Fuck-stop, freeze, pause, go away-” Urgently, you shoo him into the bedroom, ignoring his questioning gaze before swinging open your front door. You greet the people opposite you loud enough for Bucky to hear. “Scott! We weren’t expecting you tonight! And you brought Cass, my favorite princess!”

“I’m a ninja, now, Auntie Y/N,” Cassie informs you, and you nod solemnly as you move to let them by. Scott’s hefting his tool kit, apologizing profusely to you and Bucky both, as the latter reappears from the bedroom in a thick hoodie. Cassie makes herself at home on the couch, swinging her legs as she watches her dad work. “Daddy and I were ‘posed to go to the movies, but he says Uncle Bucky will watch a movie with me, ‘cause he has to fix your house again.”

Bucky’s eyes grow comically wide, but Scott points a screwdriver at him. You know all three of you are thinking back to Bucky’s...colorful phone call with Scott earlier. You clap your hands together, shooting Bucky a forced, overly cheery smile. “I’ll go make some popcorn.”

You’re just hitting ‘start’ on the microwave when strong arms trap you against the counter top. Bucky’s hair brushes your neck as he leans down to talk directly in your ear.

“Kid better pick a short goddamn movie,” he grumbles. One hand leaves the counter to rest low on your back beneath your sweatshirt, fingers splayed just above your ass. “I’ve got some other things I need to finish.”

The innuendo isn’t lost on you, but he’s singing a different tune in an hour. An hour later, Bucky is snoring through fairy-princess Barbie, Cassie passed out on his chest. Scott, who despite owning the building lives on the first floor, scratches his neck a little awkwardly.

“I hate to, you know, impose, but,” He gestures helplessly at his little girl, and you smile softly at the sight. You guide him out, handing him his tool bag at the door.

“Don’t worry about it, Scott. We’ll drop her off after breakfast.” Scott’s body practically melts with relief - no matter how long you’d been friends, he still felt bad asking favors. He disappears down the hall with something that sounds like ‘you’re an angel, Y/N’, and you close the door as quietly as possible. when you turn back around, Bucky has shifted, legs stretched into your previously-empty seat on the couch. Cassie scrunches up her nose in her sleep but doesn’t wake as you pull a blanket over them, pressing a kiss to each of their foreheads. In your tired, love-struck haze, your mind wanders to a place it hadn’t ever been. Tucking them in just so, you catch yourself thinking, maybe that’ll be Bucky with our kid someday. 

And while an alarmed look at Cassie drooling on Bucky’s neck has your brain saying ‘seriously, are you crazy?’, a glimpse of him the next morning settles the matter. You’d made pancakes for breakfast. While you cleaned up the kitchen, Bucky leads Cassie to the bathroom to clean up her face. One look at your big, strong boyfriend crouched by the toilet with a wash cloth, carefully wiping syrup from Cassie’s cheek quells any doubts. Your brain helpfully supplies you with only one thought.

I hope that’s Bucky and our kid someday. 

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes fic #bucky barnes oneshot #smut #bucky barnes smut #mine #au #i know nothing ab heating systems or fixing them #would you guys want more in this universe orrr

[bokunoheroanalysisforthefuture]

With the second half of chapter 11, I am ready for people thoughts / questions / comments on the opening arcs. Were there favorite parts of it? Parts you wish had had a little more to them? Who’s your favorite / least favorite of the characters as shown so far? Anything you found particularly interesting about certain scenes / panels / etc. that you want to share? Have at it! 

I’ll probably be doing some of that myself as I go back through for any little moments I liked, and sort of summarize my own thoughts on the opening arcs. Then, of course, we get to get into the USJ, and see some real action! <3

[No. 11 - Bakugou’s Starting Line]

We come back to the nurse’s office, where Toshinori is awkwardly hovering by Izuku’s bed while Recovery Girl tears into him for Izuku’s third time in her office despite the school year only just starting, and why he hasn’t prevented that damage from happening. Toshinori apologizes to her, and she tells him it’s not her he needs to apologize to. 

(Also, man he’s swimming in his hero costume - really gives a sense of the size difference between the two forms to be honest.)

She notes that Izuku’s come to her both that day and the day before completely fatigued, and that this sort of damage isn’t so easily healed. He’s on an IV drip and has gotten emergency first aid, but all that can be done now is wait for him to recover on his own. 

Which brings me back to chapter 4 with her managing to heal him while he’s completely unconscious and in way worse shape - I really do believe at this point that she CAN use her own stamina to help a patient in critical condition who doesn’t have the energy to heal themselves, but it’s not as effective and, well, drains HER to the point where she won’t be able to help others who might be in need. Ergo, in situations like this, she sticks to hoarding her stamina and letting kids heal their own reckless behavior. (She probably could do a lot more in her prime, but alas.)

She states that she knows Toshinori gave Izuku his power, but regardless of favoritism, Toshinori has to stop indulging Izuku. Toshinori scratches under his ear in embarrassment and says she’s right - he was sympathizing too much, so he hesitated. He then goes on to hesitantly ask her to keep it down while at least discussing One For All. 

She huffs and turns away, mocking him with his ‘natural born hero’ and ‘symbol of piece’ titles. He goes on to explain (for audience benefit alone tbh) that while the staff of UA know about his true form and injury, only Recovery Girl, the principal, an old friend of his (who will later be revealed as Detective Tsukauchi), and Izuku know about his quirk. To everyone else, it’s a secret.

(We know from later on that this isn’t quite true - there are a few others who know - but I suppose that this is the ring of people who he interacts with at this point in time, which is… really fucking depressing. 

Of course, Horikoshi might not have come up with either character beyond vague thoughts and outlines at this point, so I suppose he didn’t want to box himself in on a character design before he was sure they fit his needs. Gran probably was outlined vaguely at this point? But I think Nighteye might not have been created until around Kamino.)

Recovery Girl asks rhetorically whether that talk is just him resting on his laurels, then a bit more seriously asks whether it’s really that important that he be a natural born hero and the Symbol of Peace. We get another up-close shot of Toshinori’s intensity as he states that without him, superhuman society would fall to evil.

(A bit egotistical there, much? But I think it’s also a bit of the toxic mindset he’s had build up over the ages - that he’s alone in being able to hold things together, that there’s no one to fall back on, that he can’t afford to be ‘helped’ even as he keeps falling apart.)

Toshinori then goes on to explain that this is the responsibility that wielders of One For All must bear. Recovery Girl contemplates this quietly for a moment, then says that it’s then all the more important for Toshinori to learn how to guide Izuku properly. 

We transition to after school… which does end up leaving me to wonder whether I was off about heroics being the last class of the day, but at the same time, I don’t see how the teachers expect the kids to be able to focus on academics after two hours of heroics training, not to mention that the kids do need time to digest lunch, so,,, eh. I’m going to presume that here it’s more that with the battle trials ending a bit early, there was time afterwards for discussion before the school day ended.

Anyways, Izuku is just trudging back to class, still in his damaged costume and wearing a sling for his right arm. He’s slouched over, thinking about how Aizawa-sensei is ‘really gonna let him have it’ - which says a lot about his expectations for teachers at this point. He opens the door to the classroom, and is surprised when Kirishima notices him and announces his return, as well as welcomes him back. 

Izuku is quickly surrounded by several classmates (Kirishima, Mina, and Sato), all of whom are excited to talk to him, much to his confusion. Kirishima says that even without knowing what was being said, the battle was wild. Mina complements Izuku’s dodging (which makes sense now that I think about it - she does a lot of dance and incorporates it into her fighting, so she might have thought Izuku was similar? Maybe?) Sato says that everyone was pumped after the crazy first round.

Kirishima, Mina, Tsuyu, and Sato all then introduce themselves in order, with Kirishima saying that they were discussing battle training, Mina restating her admiration for Izuku’s dodging skills, Tsuyu that she just prefers to be called Tsuyu. Izuku is a bit overwhelmed. To the side, Tokoyami grumbles about them being noisy while sitting on the desk - much to Tenya’s concern as he demands Tokoyami get off of it. Someone else tells Tenya to not get bent out of shape. 

The true crack ship - KamiChako. Which is immediately ruined when Ochako makes her way over to Izuku, noticing and worrying over his arm and whether he’d gotten it healed. Izuku says it wasn’t quite healed, since he was so worn out, and then he apologizes and says he has something to do. That something being rushing after Katsuki.

(Literally, that boy walks in, looks around, sees Katsuki isn’t there, and immediately goes ‘sorry I have to go immediately’. Like, I know this is a shounen, but at the same time…)

Izuku catches up to Katsuki on the way to the gate out of the grounds, and is, uh...

Not looking that great, captain. Those bags under his eyes have really seen some cultivation in the time since the battle trial. 

Izuku’s internal thoughts note that where everyone else wanted to talk to him, Katsuki just clammed up and went home. Or maybe it’s Izuku’s memory of Toshinori recounting the aftermath of the class? But Toshinori left right at the end, so uh… I have no idea. 

Anyways, Izuku catches up and gets his attention, drawing Katsuki’s shadowed stare (it’s not quite a glare? So yeah.) Izuku is looking down a bit, narration noting that he hasn’t even told his mom his secret as he states that he can’t say much, but that Katsuki should know this. Izuku thinks about Katsuki’s comments during the battle trial about tricking him, and then…

Well that was a face adventure Katsuki went through. It’s a really good thing he was also too distracted by his own existential angst to really think about Izuku’s words.

But to dig more deeply into this, we can start from the top - literally. Starting at all that space at the top, and then the empty panel (asides from the two) where Izuku states he got his quirk from someone else. It really sort of gives a beat before such a weighty reveal, and more so how, in that moment, Izuku is only focused on Katsuki as he says it.

Izuku goes on to explain that he can’t say who it’s from, and that it’s a bit like a conversation out of a comic book, and that on top of that he can’t even really use it yet, so the borrowed power is pretty useless to him, which is why he tried to beat Katsuki without it… only to fail and be forced to rely on it. While this is happening, Katsuki’s expression goes from confusion/what the fuck towards outright pissed as Izuku rambles on, seemingly nonsensically from his point of view. Izuku states that he has a way to go, and then looks up and meets Katsuki’s gaze as he states that he’s going to make that power his own someday, and then overcome Katsuki with his own power. 

This seems to derail Katsuki’s anger for a moment back towards shock - possibly for the sheer boldness and earnestness of the statement. Izuku’s a bit embarrassed at his rambling reveal, thinking that he’d just meant to tell Katsuki he hadn’t been tricking him, but, well. 

Katsuki wobbles a bit in place, likely to keep himself from instinctively going after Izuku for being, well, Izuku. He repeats Izuku’s comment about borrowed power, then says he has no idea what Izuku’s talking about, but that Izuku is clearly determined to keep making a fool out of him. His anger boils back up as he grits out another swear, and then gets into how he lost to Izuku, and then if that weren’t enough, there was another student - Shouto - who he knows he can’t measure up to. He slaps a hand to his face, nails digging into his hair as he swears again and notes how ‘ponytail girl said it all’. He snaps his arms back down, swearing more, and demands a mostly rhetorical why from Izuku - likely in response to his fear of being able ot measure up to someone he had until then looked down on. Katsuki then declares through tears - and some repetition for emphasis - that from there on out he’s gonna beat everyone. 

He then spins back around and starts to walk off, rubbing at the tears while telling Izuku to enjoy his win, since it won’t happen ever again. Izuku holds himself firm a bit longer, then sighs and seems to lose whatever energy he’d dredged up for that conversation - methinks it’s also a bit exasperated with Katsuki? I mean, I have to admit trying to have a serious convo with the kid has to be a struggle sometimes.

Incredible. Thanks, All Might. And I can’t help but cackle at Izuku swaying in the wind created with All Might rushing right past him to get to Katsuki, as well as that ‘ow!’ from Katsuki. All Might is latched onto Katsuki’s shoulder as he kind of greets the kid, with Katsuki looking about five seconds from turning around and biting the man in the arm like a semi-feral cat.

All Might is wheezing a bit in holding this form while rushing to catch up, starting to offer some advice - that Katsuki’s self-respect is important, and that he definitely has the makings of a pro, just so long as he-

Katsuki cuts him off by telling him to get off, since he can’t walk. He then goes on to say that it’s without question that he’ll be a hero who surpasses even All Might. All Might is surprised at that rebound, taking his hand off while thinking that the usual egomaniac is back. All Might mutters about how being a teacher is tough while watching Katsuki stalk off.

Izuku’s narration notes that Katsuki’s fuse had been lit, but his own goals hadn’t changed - that he would keep chasing after him. While he’s staring dramatically after his childhood friend, All Might starts asking what he said to Katsuki.

We have a last transition to a few days later, the narration noting that the class learned an important lesson that All Might had warned them about - about how they should fear the cleverest of villains. The scene is set in a different area, with the frontmost building being a bar. Someone is shown reading a newspaper article about All Might teaching at UA, as well as his temporary leave from his hero agency. 

The person sets the newspaper down folded neatly, noting how All Might is a teacher now. The voice then goes a bit raspy (or maybe it’s a different speaker) as they wonder out loud about what would happen if villains killed the symbol of peace. 

Whoo boy, what a first introduction to the main antagonist of the series.

It seems like he has all five fingers on the newspaper in those panels? But it might just be the weird angle that keeps us from seeing how careful he is to not do so, which might have given away his quirk before it gets shown in the next arc. 

Also, hello misty character who definitely doesn’t have some deeper, tragic backstory we eventually learn about. 

About those hands… you know, I know what the ‘official’ story behind them ends up being, but like, they all look the same, so I wonder if those are just… random hands from his victims over the years. ...while the design is suitably disconcerning, it also makes sense that Hori would eventually chuck them aside thanks to how much extra drawing and detail they all need. 

Anyways, that closes out the chapter and the opening arcs, so again, open for any sort of thoughts/questions all of you have. I should have my own out in the next few days, I think.

#readthrough #chapter 11 #opening arcs #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #midoriya izuku #bakugou katsuki #yagi toshinori #recovery girl #shigaraki tomura #kirishima eijirou #ashido mina #uraraka ochako #izuku really be like 'sorry i have to go immediate' when his fated rival wasn't there for him to talk to #what a legend #what a way to end an arc and get into a new one #what tonal whiplashes all around #damn these were interesting chapters to introduce the series with

[doctorreids]

folklore - spencer reid x reader

CHAPTER EIGHT - august 

previous chapter | next chapter 

word count - 1.7k 

a/n - see @ the end ! 

warnings: slight sexual content, nothing explicit though. 

“i never needed anything more, whispers of ‘are you sure?’ ‘never have i ever before.’”

The glare of headlights filtered through his car as he drove down the main street, few cars passed. Red and green lights mixed together as he reached each stoplight.

The reality of what he was about to do hit him, just 20 minutes from her apartment he thought about turning back.

The ‘what if’s’ swirled around in his head. What if he wasn’t good enough? What if he truly hadn’t changed and he was just kidding himself? What if she was better off without him?

He would be lying if that last thought didn’t make tears pool in his eyes.

The late-night drive, however, did remind him of August's past. When he pulled up outside her apartment when they had the rare week off and told her to get in. Alex Blake had kindly given them the use of her beach-side Hampton’s summer home. The five-hour drive stretched well into the night.

He could remember her laughter in the passenger seat and her soft snores as they travelled down the highway. Talking nonsense and playing ‘I spy’ to pass the time before the sun began to set, the sky turning from blue into a purple-pink sky with red hues.

Before she drifted to sleep she turned towards him and whispered, “Red sky at night shepherd’s delight, red sky in the morning shepherd’s warning.”

The memory made him smile.

It also made him wonder if this was worth it. If he was too late.

…

“So you’re telling me you’ve never played ‘Never Have I Ever’?” She giggled.

“Nope.” Popping the ‘p’, he shrugged.

Pulling herself onto his lap, she peered up at him.

“Well then,” she sighed comically, “guess I’m just going to have to take your Never Have I Ever virginity! Pass me the wine.”

Tipsy and thinking nothing of it, he passed her the wine.

Hours passed and the questions got dirtier and dirtier. No longer did he blush or feel awkward at her suggestive comments, he made them himself.

They were both slurring, roaring with laughter at times. He had never felt more whole.

“Awk, Spencer, pick your jaw up from the floor.” She straddled him, her finger traced along his jawline.

He smiled up at her before pressing his lips to hers. His hands rested on her hips, she was fully pressed into his chest. She toyed with the buttons on his shirts as he kissed her neck.

He could not describe the utter state of bliss he was in; all he could feel, see, and hear was her. Her soft whimpers at his touch, her soft butterfly kisses on his chest, her bright eyes staring back at him, so full of love and adoration. He never wanted that feeling to end. He had never felt braver as he slipped off her top, placing kisses down her stomach and her thighs, watching her body react to his touch and the soft gasps that escaped her lips. He was on a high that he believed would never end, her touch was like ecstasy, he was filled with complete euphoria.

Whispered ‘I love you’s’ passed between them, he finally knew how it felt to be a teenager falling in love for the first time. She was his true first love. She was the kiss under the bleachers that he never got. She was the prom date he had waited for. He felt 13 years younger with her - shy, bashful and unsure.

The universe and all its questions had all its answers when he was with her.

“august slipped away into a moment in time, cause it was never mine, and I can see us twisted in bedsheets, august sipped away like a bottle of wine.”

The memory of the past August made him smile. They spent the day on the beach, reading and Y/N pulling him into the water despite his protests of it being too cold. They cooked together, showered together, and spent every other moment with each other. If he thought hard enough he could still remember the smells of the local Italian restaurant, the smell of each bottle of red, white and rose wine they drank. He could recall every word that was said.

“I love you.”

“The earth has rotated roughly 212.9 times in the seven months we’ve been together.”

“Not a more accurate figure, no?”

“I’m not a calculator, my love.”

He laughs audibly at the memory. He took so much for granted; how she would listen to his ramblings about everything and anything, especially things she didn’t understand. She would listen so intently, her eyes following his every word and gesture, and she would try her best to talk about astrophysics or whatever his chosen topic was in her own vocabulary, in a way she could understand.

She thought his mind was amazing, he thought her mind was too.

She was patient. She was kind. She was kind.

The memories don’t feel like they are his. They are only a slippery slope into madness. Tempting him back to the days of curling up on his sofa clutching some novel that reminds him of her.

His copy of Pride and Prejudice is now completely worn as he finds himself reading it over and over, remembering the sound of her voice of one summer afternoon in which she read it to him.

He had it memorised cover to cover but he couldn’t bring himself to read it aloud, only her voice could gently relay one of the greatest love stories of all time. A story he had hoped they would rival.

Maybe it was too big of fantasy to maintain hope but without hope, he was lost.

He didn’t feel as though he owned the memory of the past August. Almost as though he was out of his own body, watching it happen. Watching things be so perfect and then watching them fall apart. It was a vicious cycle.

“your back beneath the sun, wishin’ I could write my name on it.”

The morning sun flooded the room as he rolled over to face her. The thin white curtains did little to keep the light out. He couldn’t figure out what time it was and he couldn’t be bothered to look at the small alarm clock beside him.

Her back faced away from him, soft snores came from her mouth. He traced his finger all so gently along the lace of her nightdress to the base of her neck, along the straps and soft cotton material. The sun illuminated her skin, an angelic halo encircling her.

Not even Michelangelo could paint something so heavenly.

Each time he looked at her he felt winded. He was not one to dwell on luck, he focused rather on what was guaranteed and soundproof, but he knew he was so lucky to call her ‘his’. To be able to hold her, to watch each sunrise and sunset with her, was everything to him.  

It was at this moment he decided on their future - the girl before him was the woman he knew he was going to marry. Someday, he promised himself.

“I can practically feel you burning holes into my back, Spence.’ Her laugh cracked with sleep as she turned to face him.

They lay there for a few moments holding each other’s gaze, irises swimming with love. He grabbed her waist, a soft muffled hum as she rested her hand on his chest.

“I can also hear you thinking. Penny for your thoughts?” Her voice was gentle.

He hummed.

“I think you can hear my aching head rather than my thoughts, sweetheart.”

“Aw, does poor Doctor Reid have a sore head?” She teased.

Lifting her head with his index finger, he said, “Now, what did I say about calling me Doctor Reid.”

“Ah, yes. How could I possibly forget! At least one of us can remember last night with some degree of clarity.”

He laughed, “I just have a hangover, I remember everything. Not like you on some of your girl’s nights with Garcia.”

Pulling her pillow from underneath her, she hit him with it.

“You promised you wouldn’t speak of that!” She groaned.

“And you promised you wouldn’t call me unless…” He trailed off.

He wished he could stay there forever as their laughter mixed together.

…

There are moments after laughing, those deep belly laughs, where silence fell upon them both and she would look at him with that mischievous look in her eye and he would fall over and over again.  It was pure, unadulterated joy as they caught their breath.

These are the moments he wishes more than anything that he could live once more.

The empty passenger seat reminds him of the silence of their apartments as they grew further apart. It reminds him when she would sit there and stare out the window without as much of a glance towards him. It also reminds him of the drive home from their august trip. She was glowing, happily chewing on a piece of candy or eating the Cheetos they’d specifically bought for JJ and claiming she would buy more packs when they got back. (She never did.)

Time seemed to slow as each stop light turned red. The drive extended by a few extra minutes. More time to psych himself out. To tell himself to turn around. To remind himself that she wasn’t his to lose.

She was her own person, it was the reason he loved her so. She couldn’t be owned by anyone. In another way, neither could he. Maybe it’s why they clicked together like missing pieces of a puzzle. It’s a possibility why they fell apart so quickly, those pieces must have gotten lost somewhere along the way.

He no longer felt the anxiousness of before, determination surged through his veins. Each red light he stopped at reminded him of each mistake, each time he missed the cracks and signs. This time, he promises himself, he would be better.

He took the next right, knowing that she was 10 minutes away.

He was 10 minutes away from either making the best or worst decision of his life.

600 seconds away from his heart’s home.

799.

798…

--

a/n: hi guys!! sorry for the long wait - results week was very weird for me, and i had to get my grades reassessed and that was another week before i found them out too (which i went up to 2A*s and an A which was way more than what i originally got) which was amazing! i’ve just been going through a rough patch mentally and i’ve been busy sorting out university etc. i feel as though i owe you all an apology for not updating as often - this chapter just took it out of me but i’m looking to update at least weekly or maybe twice a week!! thank u for all the support it means so much <3

taglist: @itsfangirlmendes @toosassy2handle @supernatural-strangerthings-1980 @rexorangecouny @myheartbelongsintz @toizerdecker @baddestbau​ @haylaansmi​ @hess016 @blameitonthenight21​

#spencer #reid #dr spencer reid #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid x you #spencer reid/reader #spencer reid/you #spencer reid fanfic #spencer reid fluff #spencer reid angst #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid imagine #spencer reid series #criminal minds #criminal minds fanfiction #reidxfolklore

[rpf-bat]

Underground, Getting Down

Pairing: Gerard Way x Reader

Genre: Fluff

Summary: Written for Gothtober 2020, Day 14. Prompt: “Symphony”. 

You’re a flutist, playing in the New York subway for tips. Gerard watches one of your performances, and decides that his next single, needs a mad flute solo. 

Beneath the streets of New York, the subway station bustled, filled with people. Some moved up the stairs, towards the streets, and others down the steps, towards the trains. Everyone in the crowd was rushing on to their next destination. At the base of the staircase, you stood, playing your flute. 

Your flute case sat propped open on the tiles in front of you. A few bills already lined the inside. A young woman dropped another fiver in, as you played Bach’s ‘Flute Sonata in A Minor’. 

You lifted your face from the instrument for a moment, to call out, “Thank you!” 

The woman had already turned away from you, rushing down the corridor to catch the E train. You shrugged, returning your lips to the flute’s embouchure hole. Even the best buskers, rarely made someone stop in their tracks. The song ended. 

I think I’ll mix it up, you decided, do something more pop for the next song. 

You picked the Bach sheet music up off your stand, placing it back in your bag. Then, you pulled out the sheet music for Jethro Tull’s ‘No Lullaby’.  This one was usually more impressive-sounding, when you had your friend, who played guitar, with you to do the intro. But, he was busy today, at his day job at Starbucks. You would just have to launch right into your solo. 

Your fingers danced over the keys, as the music echoed off the walls of the tunnel. You found your mind wandering, as you played. 

I really thought, when I graduated, that I was gonna play for the New York Philharmonic, you recalled wistfully. But, the auditions for first chair ended up being competitive as hell. Instead of playing high society symphonies, I just play out here, for the commuters and hobos. 

It wasn’t what you had dreamed of - but it was a living. 

As you continued your song, you felt a pair of eyes watching you. You glanced up from your songbook, and realized that a man was sitting, eerily still, on the steps. Hurried people were practically tripping over him, but he didn’t move, to get out of their way.  He stayed exactly where he was. He didn’t look homeless, you considered. His face was hidden by thick aviator sunglasses, but his clothes suggested wealth. He was staring at you, with rapt attention, as if your flute, was the only sound in the world. 

You found yourself blushing under his steady gaze, as the song concluded. You lowered your flute-holding arm to your side, and looked at the stranger again, curiously. 

“Bravo!” he cried, clapping, and jumping up. “You were amazing!” 

He walked over, and dropped a handful of bills, into your case. 

Wait, what? All of those are hundreds!, you realized, eyes widening. Who the hell is this guy?

He pulled the sunglasses off his face, shaking his long, dark hair out of his eyes as he did so. Your jaw dropped, when you realized you recognized him. 

“Hi,” he said casually, “my name’s Gerard Way.” 

“I….I know who you are,” you stammered, scarcely believing this was real. Your inner emo kid was screaming. “What are you doing in New York?” 

“Visiting family,” Gerard shrugged. “Well, technically, they live on the Jersey side of the river. But, I always have to stop by Forbidden Planet, when I’m in town.” 

“Oh, you mean the comic shop, on Broadway?” you nodded. “Yeah, they’re pretty cool. I….I’m Y/N, by the way.”

“Nice to meet you, Y/N,” Gerard grinned. “I really enjoyed that song, that you just did.” 

“I….uh, really enjoy your music, too,” you said awkwardly. You didn’t want to sound like a fangirl.

“I’m actually working on some new music right now,” Gerard revealed. 

“What?” you blinked. “Really? Wasn’t your last album in like…..2014?” 

“Yeah, Hesitant Alien was four years ago, already!” Gerard chuckled. “I think I’m definitely overdue for something new!” 

“Oh, wow,” your heart hammered excitedly. “I can’t wait to hear the new record, when it comes out!”

“I don’t know if I’m gonna do a whole second album,” Gerard confessed. “I think I’m just gonna put a couple singles out, and see how it goes.”

“I….I see,” you mumbled. This was crazy. Why was he telling all this, to a random busker, that he just met? 

“I wanted to thank you,  Y/N,” Gerard went on. “There’s this song I’ve been working on, for a couple months now. it’s just not sounding right to me, quite yet. You helped me realize what it’s missing.”

“And, what is that?” you wondered, still feeling bewildered. 

“A flute solo,” Gerard grinned. 

“Huh?” you gasped. “Who uses flute music, in a rock n roll song? I mean, besides Jethro Tull?” 

“I love Jethro Tull,” Gerard laughed. “But, for real, it’s not that weird. Billy Corgan had some flutes on ‘Drum + Fife’, on the album Monuments To An Elegy.”

“Oh, true,” you remembered. “Didn’t that drop in 2014, too?” 

“Yeah, I actually got to open for him, on that tour!” Gerard said excitedly. “That was when I decided that I wanted to bring a flute into one of my own songs, someday.” 

“Wow,” you realized, “You’re serious about this.” 

“I am,” Gerard said, looking you in the eyes. “But….can we talk about this somewhere else? I’m worried if I stay in one place much longer, somebody is gonna spot me, and start asking for pictures.” 

“Oh, uh, sure!” you nodded. 

“I think if we go up to the street level, there’s a coffee shop, like, right outside,” Gerard suggested. 

“You’re…..asking me to get a cup of coffee with you?” you grasped. Was this a date?

“Yeah,” Gerard said, turning red, as he awkwardly combed his fingers through his hair. “Is, uh, is that okay with you?”

“......Absolutely,” you smiled. “Just let me put my flute away!”

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Gerard had insisted on carrying your flute case for you, despite the short walk. He was such a gentleman. You did not, however, allow him to buy your cup of coffee for you. He’d already given you that absurd tip, when he first strolled over to your busking spot. 

You stared at him across the table, as he sipped his latte. This still felt entirely unreal. 

“So, the song I’m working on,” Gerard explained, “It’s called ‘Getting Down The Germs.’”

“...Germs?” you repeated, confused. 

“The lyrics are still a work in progress,” Gerard admitted. He dug into the pocket of his green coat, and pulled out a small, tattered-looking notebook. He opened it to a page near the back, and pushed it towards you. “This is what I have so far.”

You took the book gingerly, feeling as if you’d been handed a holy text. The words on the page, were written in a surprisingly untidy scrawl:

It's never the same and the nights always glow

There's nothing to see and nowhere to go

It's easy to say you're happier when you're disturbed

The green lights in your head

Getting down the germs

I'm lazy and tame and the chimes always blow

A glimmering sound on the breeze when you go

It's never a shame and I've learned to live with the worms

Underground

Getting down the germs

“That sounds really good so far,” you complimented. “I’m guessing that’s supposed to be the chorus?” 

“Yeah,” Gerard nodded. “I usually write the choruses first. The verses, I’m still figuring out.” 

“Makes sense,” you replied, as you sipped your drink. “What about the melody?” 

“Oh, the melody’s pretty much completely done,” Gerard clarified. “But….I don’t know. There’s this bridge that comes before the second verse. I originally planned for that to be a guitar solo, but it just doesn’t sound right.”

“You think the solo would sound better, played on a flute?” you surmised. 

“Yeah, exactly!” Gerard said enthusiastically. You wondered if the caffeine was getting to him. 

“....Do you even know how to play the flute?” you asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“No,” Gerard shook his head. “But, you do.”

“....What are you saying?” you blinked. 

“That’s why I asked you to come up here with me,” Gerard explained. “Y/N…..would you be willing to go into the studio with me, and record a flute solo, for the track?” 

You choked on your drink. 

“Wh….What?” you wheezed, coughing from the coffee that had gone down the wrong way. “A-Are you serious?” 

“....Can you breathe?” Gerard asked, putting a concerned hand on your shoulder. 

“Yeah, I can breathe,” you managed, trying not to hyperventilate even more.  

“Good,” Gerard smiled, “because I am serious, Y/N. Your flute playing really impressed me. I won’t drag you all the way out to LA, of course. But, if I find a studio space, here in New York, will you work with me?”

“Yes!” you cried. “Oh my god, yes!” 

This wasn’t what you had dreamed of - it was more. 

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A few days later, you found yourself in a recording studio, in Lower Manhattan. You’d never seen so much professional equipment like this before. You’d always just performed for live audiences.

Can I really do this?, you asked yourself, hit with a wave of uncertainty. 

“Y/N, thank you so much for coming out here, and joining us today,” Gerard greeted you. His smile, somehow instantly put you at ease. 

“This is Doug McKean,” he introduced, indicating a man in the corner. “He’s my producer.” 

“Nice to meet you, Doug,” you said politely, shaking hands. 

“And this is Ian Fowles,” Gerard said, indicating a second guy, with longer hair. “He was my touring guitarist, when I went on the road with Hesitant Alien.” 

“Oh, I remember seeing him, when you guys played Irving Plaza,” you recalled. 

“You were at that little gig we did, in Union Square?” Ian smiled. 

“Yeah, of course I bought a ticket!” you smiled back. “You guys were amazing!” 

“Aw, you really think so?” Gerard reddened, looking flattered. 

“I really do,” you replied. My Chemical Romance had been your favorite band, since your teens. When they had broken up, five years ago, you had been heartbroken. But, you’d found Gerard’s solo work, to be equally amazing - just in a different way. 

“Well, thank you, Y/N,” Ian said quietly. “Has Gerard explained to you, what we’re going to be doing today?” 

“Yeah, he said he wants me to do a flute solo for you guys,” you said, almost not believing your own words. 

“Let’s start from the beginning of the song,” Doug directed. “Ian, can you take us from the top, please? I know we got a great take of your part yesterday, but I feel like we can still do better.” 

“Definitely,” Ian agreed. He shrugged his guitar strap over his head, and stepped into the recording booth. You listened intently, as he played the opening notes. The tune was definitely different from anything MCR had done. But, it didn’t sound quite like Hesitant Alien, either. You were intrigued by the new musical direction that Gerard seemed to be heading in. 

“Alright, cut,” Doug called, pressing a button, to stop recording. “Ian, that was good. Gerard, it’s your turn to get in there. I want to hear that verse you were working on the other day.”

“Alright,” Gerard nodded. You watched him put his headphones over his ears, and timidly approach the microphone. A blush crept into his cheeks. Did it make him nervous, to have you, as an audience? 

“The answer’s always no,” Gerard sang, “to questions of a private nature…...the lights are always low, in settings of a conversation…..” 

He seemed to grow more confident, as the song continued. By the time he got to the chorus, he was belting it out. He sounded incredible. 

“....How was that?” he asked finally. 

“Amazing,” you breathed. 

Gerard’s cheeks reddened at your compliment. He stayed quiet, as he watched Doug take the vocal track, and mix it with Ian’s guitar playing. He played back the clip, of the two spliced together. The parts formed an even more impressive whole. 

“Alright, Y/N, it’s your turn,” Doug commanded. “Show us what you can do.” 

You gulped. You weren’t sure that you could do anything, that was on the same level, as what you just heard. 

“You can do it,” Gerard encouraged. “You played an amazing solo, in front of a whole station worth of people yesterday. Playing for three dudes like us, should be nothing.” 

That’s different, you thought to yourself. I don’t have a huge crush on everyone in the station.

“Here’s the sheet music,” Ian said, handing you a piece of paper. “I really like what Gerard’s composed here. But, I think he’s right. It’s going to sound better on your instrument, than mine.”

You took the sheet, and grabbed the flute case, out of your backpack. Taking a deep breath, you walked into the booth. Your fingers trembled on the middle joint of the flute. You glanced up at Gerard, who was sitting on the other side, of the pane of glass. 

He gave you a friendly smile, and a dorky-looking thumbs-up. You chuckled, your nerves dissipating. 

Alright, you told yourself. I got this. You brought your lips to the head joint, and began to play. 

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

“I don’t know,” you said, as you stepped back out of the booth. “Do you think that was okay?”

“That was incredible,” Gerard gushed, pulling you into an impulsive hug. His arms were so soft and warm. 

“Like, wow, what are you?” Ian gaped. “The secret lovechild of Ian Anderson, or something?” 

“Ha, I wish,” you laughed. “I’m just your average band kid.” 

“I wouldn’t call that average,” Gerard insisted, staring into your eyes, as he still held you close. “I was right….the flute just fits perfectly in with the song. And you’re the perfect person to play it.”

“Y/N, I can show you what the guitar and the flute will sound like together,” Doug offered, “If you could, uh, let go of her for a moment, Gee.”

“O-oh, right,” Gerard stammered, releasing you quickly. You blushed, and turned away. 

Doug began to play the edited-together track for you. You couldn’t believe it - your flute, Ian’s guitar, and Gerard’s vocals, blended together, into something incredibly beautiful. 

“I wasn’t sure if the flute was going to go well, with your style of music,” you confessed. “My background is the symphony orchestra. Most of the time, you only really see the flute, used in classical music, like that. I wasn’t sure if you could make it sound rock n’ roll. But...it works! Somehow.” 

“It does,” Gerard agreed. “Y/N…..I’m so, so glad that I met you.”

His eyes sparkled as he looked at you. It made your heart pound, for reasons you couldn’t articulate. 

“Y/N,” Doug said, bringing you back to reality, “that first take was great, but I’d like you to try it again for me, please.”

“Of course,” you acquiesced. “I’ll give it as many takes as it needs.” 

“I feel like we could all use some coffee first, though,” Ian decided. “Doug? You want to run down the street with  me, to get it?”

“Yeah, I guess it’s our turn, since Gerard ran and got the last round,” Doug agreed. “Y/N - what can we get you?”

“Oh, just a vanilla latte, I guess,” you decided. 

“Coming right up,” Ian smiled. “We’ll be right back.” 

The guitarist and producer got up and left. Your pulse quickened again, as you realized, that you were now alone in the room with Gerard. It felt different, than it had at the station, or the coffeeshop. Both of those times, there were plenty of other people around. But now…..?

“It’s just you and me,” Gerard said softly. He was still staring at you. 

“Y-Yeah,” you said nervously. “I guess we got quite a day ahead of us, huh?”

“Yup,” Gerard said awkwardly. “Doug’s not gonna let you leave, until you get your part just right.” 

“.....Gerard,” you asked, “why did you pick me for this job? You could have gotten anyone to play flute for you. I’m nobody.” 

“I told you, your performance got my attention,” Gerard reminded you. “I was just passing through the station, minding my own business. But, when I heard the sound of your flute…..I stopped still. I was like, oh my god, this is the sound that I’ve been looking for.” 

“Was it really that great?” you asked, feeling unsure of yourself. 

“Yes!” Gerard insisted. “Y/N, I swear to god, it was like I was hypnotized. By that incredible sound….and by the beauty, of the person making it……” 

“Beauty?” you repeated, your face going hot. Did he mean…..?

“I won’t lie to you,” Gerard said softly. “The moment I laid eyes on you, in that subway tunnel, I was so attracted to you.” 

“You think I’m attractive?” you realized, eyes going wide. 

“Yes,” Gerard whispered, looking you up and down, with evident desire. “I’m sorry…..you probably think I’m just a creepy, older dude….” 

“You’re not creepy!” you shook your head. “Gerard, I’ve always thought that you were extremely good-looking.” 

“You’re…..attracted to me, too?” Gerard put two and two together. 

You weren’t sure which of you took a step towards the other first, but, before you knew it, you were in his arms. He kissed you gently, but your body quickly responded to him, and the kiss rapidly turned more passionate.

He pressed you against the studio wall, his hands trailing down your body, as the kiss continued. 

“.....G-Gerard,” you gasped. “The others could walk back in, at any minute.” 

“If they interrupt us,” Gerard said, his voice husky, “we could always continue this, at my hotel, after the recording session is over.” 

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah,” Gerard panted, as your lips found his neck. “Oh, fuck, yeah…..I got a room at a five star hotel in Times Square, that I would love to show you.”

“When do you have to go back to LA?” you asked, gasping for breath, as he kissed you again. 

“I’m supposed to go home on Saturday,” Gerard confessed. “But, if you keep kissing me like that….I might just miss the flight.” 

#gerard way x reader #gerard way imagine #gothtober #i gotta stop posting these at 2 am

[harmonytre]

Random DP Dream

I had a dream about Danny Phantom. Keep in mind I know very little about it, so please no spoilers. It was supposed to take place in the “first episode” and was a POV dream, meaning I shared a body with Danny. Our thoughts were split into mine, his, and ours. He couldn’t hear my thoughts unless they were close to his and he’d consider it his subconscious or something. This will be in first person. Danny’s thoughts will be in italics and mine in bold. Both will be in both and thoughts after the story will be in (parentheses).

Anyway, it started off in my house, arguing with my older and younger sister. They were both daring me to dye my hair white. I lost a bet at some point, so I HAD to, but we were deciding what type of white.

Our dad and some of the scientists came in and said it was time. We rushed to get ready to go to the lab in the basement, and our mom was late. While we were waiting, my dad lectured me on types of ghosts, from yokai, phantoms, banshees, etc. I looked at the diagram in my hands as he said something about “the ones in the middle are like snake people.” They were sorted by height and included whether they could interact with living beings.

I spotted Doraemon closer to the right and on the left were taller ghosts called Guardians. Dad explained about them being rare legends who protect other ghosts. I recognized one as one of the scientists in the room, based on “previews” of the show. At least, in the dream. There was also something to the left of the snake people that would prove important. I think they were called Thaglamites? Oh cool.

Our mom finally arrived, so I got ready. They strapped me to a chair. Everyone including my siblings would simply watch. I volunteered for this. Based on a comic on tumblr, I also expected to try fixing a broken panel and meeting the Grim Reaper, but neither of those happened.

The chair entered the machine on a conveyor belt. I waited a few seconds, then screamed out in pain with a bright light. The next part was pretty trippy. There were lots of flashing lights and images and sounds. Why would they put that in a kids show? Reminds me of the banned Porygon episode of Pokemon. At one point, there were people that looked like a photo turned on Difference and Divide, or similar to the “still a piece of garbage” meme. (Also, the song “Seasons of Love” got stuck in my head during this scene and by the time I woke up.)

Eventually, we stopped in a hallway like thing, with quartz columns and a red carpet. We were blocked off by things you see in banks, but more regal with golden stands and red material. (Yes, I mean we. This was the one part of the dream I saw Danny separate from I. Almost as if it was an out-of-body experience eyyyyyyy. I don’t know if Danny also experienced it. I did.)

All of the people in the line, including Danny were brightly glowing. Some were sad, some angry, some content. I started shouting. “I’m not supposed to be here! It’s not my time! I can’t be dead!”

“Why, kid?” Says a middle-aged man. “Because you’re younger? Grow up. You’re dead, deal with it.”

“No, because I still have things to do.” (Danny then listed things I would not know, as they are part of HIS life, but I will try to remember.) Besides, I knew it was not true, because there wouldn’t be a show if Danny straight up died in the first episode. “I have to go to school. I have to take care of my little sister. I have to be there for my family!” Suddenly, he popped out of view. Just simply gone.

I stayed behind a little longer and saw some people’s reactions. “So, we just say important stuff we still have to do?” And they started shouting. None were successful.

I finally joined Danny’s POV again. I was outside the school. My family was unpacking from the  SUV. My parents were teachers and it was the first day of school for the others. They were all sad. I knew why, but Danny had yet to figure it out. I was happy I was alive again. I tried to speak with them, but they never heard. They spoke softly about Danny, but they needed to go to school. (Either they weren’t allowed enough time to grieve the loss of a family member, or this was at least a few weeks later. But school was supposed to start a few days after I left. Ah, the first then. Or they want to make sure they get signed up for classes early. My family’s like that. Oh, okay.)

I was sad and cried against a neighboring car. My appearance was the same in the car mirror? Yet, I was nonexistent. I followed my family inside, hoping to find something somewhere to help. Our school consisted mostly of humans, but had the occasional monster too. (Including other fandoms apparently.) Still, no one could see me.

But, someone did. Or at least I thought so. And it was the one group of people I DIDN’T want seeing me. My bullies. They chased me through the school, to the confused faces of others. A flower popped out of the floor. “Hi, I’m Flowey the flower-AUGH!” One of the bullies nearly trampled him. (This is what I meant by other fandoms, but it’s the only one I recognized. What about the yokai one? Shush! I saw an episode of that years ago.)

I tripped and it hurt. I hopped on a table, then realized. They couldn’t actually see me, just things I move or affect. Although no one could feel me, I could move objects. They didn’t even know it was me! Yeah, they’re the type to randomly fight air. Yet, somehow, their punches still stung. I hung to the ceiling and stayed still. They slowly went away, huffing. I sighed and dropped to the ground. I couldn’t even pass through objects. Lame. (And your puny strength was still the same. That hurt our arms. Shut up.) I leaned against the table, contemplative.

A teacher called out names from the doorway to the gym. One name caught my attention. “Danny Fenton?” My head flew up. He was staring directly at me. I looked around me, as if he was calling someone else. “Yes, you Danny. Come on in.” I walked in, extremely confused, yet a little excited that someone saw me! But is it dangerous? I’ll find out, I guess.

There was a rectangle table set up on one side of the gym. There were six people already seated. One of my friends, Sam, gestured to me to sit in between her and another girl. (I had to look up Sam’s name. Yeah, because you haven’t even watched the show. You’re probably writing me out of character too. Yeah probably.) Sam looked smug. The teacher spoke up as he stood on the opposite side of the table.

“Welcome, fellow Thaglamites.” I thought back to the diagram before. They were invisible to the human eye, but could interact with objects. Yep, fit the description. But why was Sam here? I saw her often, so I could definitely see her? Did she die recently?

As I was on the edge of waking up, the rest blurred. So all I can remember is the other girl flirting with me which I was uncomfortable with, the Guardian scientist I knew being a guest speaker, finding out there were multiple ways to become a Thaglamite (so Sam DIDN’T die), and learning Thaglamites COULD be seen after some practice (Sam was one for years).

Anyway, this was fun to write and probably very far off from the actual episode. I should get around to watching it someday asdfghjkl. (Also, I now realize Doraemon is not a yokai. He’s a time travelling cat.)

#dream #writing #Danny Phantom #Flowey #Doraemon? #this was fun to write lol #HarmonyTRE

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #380

“so tear me open, but beware: there’s things inside without a care”

What do you want more than anything else? Good health, on both fronts. Have you ever tried coconut water? No, but I've heard it's gross. Who was your first love? My first "real" boyfriend, Jason. Have you ever been to a convention? (comic, YouTube, etc.) I've been to a reptile convention. Have you ever done a first aid course? No. What internet browser do you use? Well, I typically use Google Chrome, but because it hasn't been loading webpages for me, I've been using Microsoft Edge lately. Are you addicted to any energy drinks? No; I don't like energy drinks. How often do you see your mother? Every day, because I live with her. Do you like croutons in your salad? No. Are you the one who vacuums your house? Mom and I both do it. When was the last time your living room furniture was rearranged? It hasn't been rearranged in this house, but arranged when we moved in. What company do you get your internet through? Suddenlink. When you were little, did you like watching Cartoon Network, Disney, or Nickelodeon more? Disney tops 'em. I didn't watch very much Cartoon Network. If you have siblings, when was the last time you saw them? I see Nicole usually every Wednesday because she eats dinner with us. I haven't seen Ash in a little while. Misty and Katie both visited the house pretty recently, and I haven't seen Bobby for a few years. I really miss him and his son. How many cars does your household own? One. What’s your favourite meat? Chicken or pork. What’s the best amusement park you’ve ever visited? Disney World. How old were you when you got your first car? I've never had my own car. What colour is your shampoo? White. Are you listening to music right now? If so, what’s the theme of the lyrics? "Pet" by A Perfect Circle. Manipulation of a child would be my guess. What was the last thing you had to eat? I had cookies 'n cream yogurt. Are you picky about brand name for anything? Probably for some things, but nothing's coming to me right now. Do elevators freak you out? Yes. The idea of getting stuck freaks me out. Are you still in touch with your best friend from high school? No. Have you ever visited any celebrity gravesites? No. How do you feel about archaeology? I think it's very fascinating. How do you find new music to listen to when you want it? YouTube recommendations, usually. What is your favorite thing to do on The Sims? I only played the animals one, in which case I loved breeding them to see the babies, haha. Do you have any tattoos? Ye boiiiii If yes, is there any meaning behind them? All of them. If no, do you want any? What would you like? N/A Have you dyed your hair more than once (and different colors)? Oh yeah. Which hair color you’ve had has been your favorite? Red. Your favorite place to be aside from your home? Sara's house, haha. If you were stupid-rich, would you ever actually want a mansion? Nah, I don't need that much space. And I'm not really into hiring a maid or something to clean the place. Did you ever sit alone at lunch in school? Yes. I was usually too shy to "force" (as I saw it) my way into other's space, so I really only sat down with friends or acquaintances if I was asked. What is your least favorite beverage? Probably cranberry juice. Do you shave up past your knees (if you shave your legs)? If I shave, yes. Any old home remedies you use when you’re sick? Just sipping ginger ale. Do you like fruits or vegetables more? Fruit, definitely. Who was your last text message from? Sara. What was your first job? Sales associate at GameStop. Do you live near any volcanoes? Nope. Where does your best friend live? Illinois. How many people have you truly fallen IN love with? Two. Has anybody ever called you a tease? Yes, but only by my then-boyfriend, and he only meant it playfully. What about kinky? No. What’s your favorite bird? Probably barn owls. Have you ever been high? No. Who did you last confide in? My mom. How many keys are on your keychain? One. Where was your mom born? New York. Do you know how to tap dance? I took many years of clogging classes, which is very, very similar; the shoes are just a bit different to create a unique sound. Have you ever seen your siblings naked? My little sister and I used to bathe and take showers together as little kids, plus she is literally shameless and has walked into the living room looking for a towel after a shower on many occasions, haha. I actually don't think I've seen my older sister naked. When eating string cheese, do you dive right in or just peel it? I don't like string cheese. Do you have your own personal water jug? If so, where did you buy it? No. Well, Mom bought me one, but... we did NOT realize it was HUGE. We returned it, so now I don't have one. How do you get rid of your hiccups? Just wait it out and suffer. I've tried every trick in the book, and none work for me. Do you know how to take screen shots on your computer? Yes. When you sneeze, do you sneeze into your hand or the inside of your elbow? Into the crook of my elbow. What’s your ultimate favorite bagel? I really just enjoy a plain 'ole bagel with cream cheese. When you have chocolate, do you eat it room temperature? Or are you like me and stick the bar into the fridge first? I like it at room temperature. Are there any constellations you recognize just by looking at them? Well, I know either the Little or Big Dipper when I see 'em, but idk which is which. I just know one's upside-down. Which insect do you find the most beautiful? Butterflies. Moths can be gorgeous, too. What was the last thing you got very excited about? Someone is FINALLY adopting the dog this weekend. Mom and I have lost every ounce of patience with her. The family that wants her though came to visit, and they all adore her. Which Disney villain is your favorite? Probably Scar. I think he was pretty sly, plus he had a bangin' song, lol. Have you ever had a bedroom with a specific theme? Not really. Just filled with stuff I like. If you had to design a room with a theme, what theme would you choose? I would love to make a like, woodsy sort of room, if that makes any sense. Maybe like pine green walls with wooden accents and realistic decor. It'd be SUPER cool if I could build like one of those catwalk things along the walls that look like branches for my cat to maneuver along. Have you ever given money to a homeless person? No, I'm too distrustful. Have you ever designed your own Facebook timeline cover? Yeah. What is one site that closed down that you wish would come back? I used to really enjoy Dragons of Atlantis on Kabam! or whatever it was called. It transferred to a phone app that I have, but it's just not as fun. The dragons were super cool, and the artwork in general was just dope. If you have a partner, have you ever had to sleep in separate beds? If you don’t, how would you feel if a future partner wanted separate beds? I sometimes worry my future partner and I will have to have separate beds because of my nightmares/terrors that frequently cause me to lash out and basically attack the air. Sleeping separately would feel weird to me, but I'd far rather not hurt my partner. Hopefully, getting a CPAP mask really will help me. Though I don't imagine cuddling with one is comfortable. ;-; Or does having a partner even matter to you? I mean I want a partner someday, so I wouldn't say it "doesn't matter" to me, but it's not something I'm currently pitching a fit over not having one. How many languages can you count to a hundred in? Two. What is something you are skeptical about? The government lmao. What is something you find absolutely unethical? The meat industry, honestly. You look into it and it's just... disgusting, what they do to animals. I wish I could go without meat, I really do. What is something unethical you would not mind doing? Uhhhh? Is there a murder case you find absolutely fascinating? Okay so have you ever heard about or seen that video of a woman acting all strange inside an elevator at some hotel? Well, she disappeared after leaving that elevator, and some time later, residents complained about the water quality. They found her fucking body in one of the water tanks (I think that's what they're called?), and no one could explain how someone could have 1.) gotten up there and 2.) gotten the tank open to put her corpse inside. It's fuckin weird and creepy. What is an unusual item somebody you know owns? No idea. What’s the oldest TV-show you like? When was it made? Uhhh I don't know which is older, but I love I Love Lucy and The Munsters. Have you ever won a trophy for something? If so, what was it for? Yeah, sports and academic stuff. Have you ever been interviewed to a newspaper? If so, what was it about? No. Do you have a mug with your name/initials on it? No. Have you ever designed your own mug? No. Have you ever gone mud riding? No, that is not my definition of fun. I don't like being dirty. Have you met somebody that you want to spend the rest of your life with? Yes. Who was the last male you talked to? Does he have facial hair? My psychiatrist, and he does. Have you ever dressed up as a Disney character? Which one? Not to my recollection. Have you ever played chess? If so, are you good at it? No. If I wanted to buy you a chocolate bar, what kind should I NOT get? Don't get anything with coconut.

#survey #surveys #questions #lyrics: ''until it sleeps'' by metallica

[lilacmoon83]

Finding You Always

Also on Fanfiction.net and A03

Chapter 234: Final Reckoning

Jekyll smirked, as he looked at the photo of a necklace with a ruby pendant in the book he had swiped from Rose Red's library some time ago. It was a copy of the long and true history of Aphrodite. He had taken it to see if he could glean any weaknesses in the lore of the Chalice and use it to defeat them. And now, after days of skimming through the tome, it looked as though he just might know exactly what he needed to turn the tables against them and defeat Charming once and for all.

~*~

Though it was small, the library of Cibola was magnificent in its own right. The books looked to be very old, but well kept, and rested on golden book shelves.

"We need to bring Rose and Belle here. These books look like some of the oldest in existence," Snow mentioned, as she looked at her eldest.

"Can you use a little magic to translate some of these titles?" Snow asked. Emma nodded and waved her hand, causing the lettering on the bindings of the books to change to English.

"Can you read any of this language?" Bobby asked curiously, but she shook her head.

"It's a dead language...maybe even older than Latin," Zia replied.

"Let me guess...Lunarian?" he asked and her eyes widened.

"You know about the Lunarians?" she asked.

"A little. The first truest loves were Serenity and Endymion. I guess she was Lunarian and in one of my visions, I met their daughter," he explained.

"That's amazing!" she exclaimed and he blushed.

"Yeah...so were the Lunarians really from the moon?" he asked. She giggled.

"No...that part isn't true. They just worshipped the Moon Goddess Selene. The most noble bloodline and first Queen of the Lunarians were named Serenity and thus why all first born daughters in the royal line were named such," Zia explained.

"I guess that makes more sense than living on the moon," he agreed.

"You sound sad about that," she mentioned. He smirked.

"Well, I read a lot of comics and it would be so cool if they really did live on the moon and there was some kind of moon base or something," he said. She giggled.

"I don't think I've read any comics," she mentioned.

"Oh you have to! They're great and Fandral can tell you about some of them that are actually real with all his adventures with Thor," Bobby gushed

"I have heard of the Norse God, Thor. But I'm guessing what I know is not what he's like at all," she mentioned.

"Yeah, the Thor that Fandral knows is a bit different from the one in Mythology," he said.

"Maybe you can tell me about it," she replied. He nodded.

"I've love to," he said.

"Someone is crushing hard," Emma muttered to her mother.

"I know...it's so cute..." Snow gushed, as she looked at her youngest and put a hand to her heart. Emma chuckled and shook her head, as she saw a book that said Maui.

"Hey...wasn't Maui a demi-God?" Emma asked.

"You found a book on Maui?" Zia asked. She nodded and pulled it out. When she did, both the pounamu stone and the book glowed.

"Whoa…I think we found it," David said, as Emma opened the book, while Zia peered over it.

"Lunarian again," she said, as she used her magic to translate it, before handing it to the dark haired girl, who skimmed it. After several minutes, she gasped and started reading.

"Listen to this," she said.

"And though he was fatally wounded by the Void, Maui gave explicit instructions to his younger brother Tao so that his coveted fish hook be protected from those who would exploit it, especially the Void," she read.

"The Void? Is it really talking about Runeard?" David asked.

"How could it be? Runeard wasn't born during Tao's lifetime," Snow replied.

"No...but his powers came from somewhere. He didn't have them when he was banished," Killian reminded them.

"He's right...he picked them up in the Netherworld somehow and we don't really know how or why," Bobby said.

"Before he died, Maui disguised his fish hook as Pounamu stone and told his younger brother that he must guard it from the Void. And so Tao sailed to the island of Mu, aboard his family's luxury vessel, the Solaris, and consulted with the High Priest of Cibola to help him create something to protect the stone. But the High Priest, Atanos told him that only the children of the sun could help him craft something to protect the fish hook of Maui," she read.

"Atanos sent him east to find his son, Esteban, insisting that he was one of these children. Esteban accepted Tao into his Kingdom once he learned he was sent by his father, Atanos. But Tao was much less trusting and it took him time to trust Esteban. Even then, Tao never revealed what the stone actually was. Only that he must conceal it from the world," she continued.

"Does it say what the stone does?" Bobby asked. She nodded.

"Once Esteban met Zia and they were declared the truest love in all the realms by Venus did Tao realize that it was the Chalice of Venus that could craft what he needed," she continued.

"But Tao's mistrust of Zia did not serve him well and he was not happy when he discovered that she knew what the fish hook could do. He accused her of being a witch at first and thought she wanted the fish hook for herself. When she revealed that she knew the fish hook could…" Zia said, as her eyes widened and trailed off.

"What? What does it do?" Emma asked impatiently. Zia swallowed thickly.

"When she revealed that she knew the fish hook could capture all the natural elements, including the sun and the moon, she convinced Tao that she knew what they needed to craft to protect the stone," she revealed.

"Capture the elements?" Emma asked.

"If that's true, it can control the weather, including the phases of the sun and moon. That could be devastating," Snow realized.

"Do you think Aphrodite knows?" David asked.

"I don't think so…" Zia said, as she continued.

"Tao was grateful for her help when she used the Chalice to create a golden jar. In her possession were two golden bars from Cibola, the last in her possession. She used the chalice to melt them down and pour them into a mold of Tao's choosing. The jar mold was one from his home and thus the fish hook was sealed inside so only the children of the sun could open it," she read.

"Tao begged Zia not to tell Esteban what the pounamu stone really was and what it could do. He feared the information could be revealed inadvertently to Esteban's advisors, whom he did not trust," she continued.

"Mendoza," David surmised.

"Most likely," she agreed.

"Zia was very reluctant to keep information from her husband, but agreed and told him only that the jar could never be opened, for the purpose of the stone inside could never be revealed, as it could fall into the wrong hands, particularly, the Void's," she finished, as they looked at each other and then at the stone hanging around Bobby's neck.

"Okay...so this thing probably should go back in the jar," he said, as he took it off.

"Yes…if Runeard sees this, he'll know what it is if he is the Void now and I want you no where near something like that," Snow said, as she took the stone.

"So we seal it back in the jar...but we need to put the jar somewhere that it can't be accessed," David agreed.

"In the tallest tower of Cibola," Nubia chimed in.

"Why there?" Snow asked.

"Yeah...a bunch of steps will hardly deter someone like Runeard," Emma warned. Nubia smiled thinly.

"No...but there are fail safes. There is a place for the jar built into the highest temple by Atanos himself. You'll know it when you see it," Nubia said, as they ventured through the gates and saw the tallest tower gleaming in the distance.

"Okay…we can just teleport ourselves up there," David said.

"I'm sorry, but the journey to the tallest tower must be traversed by foot and by the children of the sun," Nubia said.

"Truest loves," Snow corrected.

"Yeah, sounds like the children of the sun had too many secrets between them. Snow and I don't keep anything from each other," he added.

"Of course...it was their flaw. I do not believe they ever told the Goddess about the stone," Nubia said. David sighed.

"That is a lot of stairs," he said. She smirked.

"Is Prince Charming going soft on me," she teased.

"Do I look like I've gone soft," he teased back, as he towered over her.

"Oh no...and I know where every muscle is," she gushed, as her hands swept over his torso.

"Yeah...you guys have fun with Stairmeggedon," Emma quipped.

"Those that are of their bloodline can accompany them," Nubia chimed in.

"Yeah, hard pass. I'll wait here," Emma said.

"Chicken," David teased.

"Could that mean me? I'm only his half sister," Natalie mentioned.

"I'm sorry...only the children can accompany them, being that they are of both of them," Nubia answered.

"Damn…" she muttered and then looked at her brother.

"Tell me all about it?" she asked. He smiled.

"I'll take pictures for you," he promised.

"I'll go...but I guess Zia can't come?" Bobby asked.

"Actually, she can, because she is training to become the High Priestess of Cibola, she is permitted to enter the sacred temple," Nubia replied. Zia smiled.

"I wouldn't miss this for the world," she said, as she and Bobby followed his parents.

"Uh so...if she's going to be the High Priestess, does that mean she can't get married someday?" Emma asked curiously.

"Stars no...where would you get that idea?" Nubia asked.

"Just the whole Priest thing. In some other religions, it has some restrictions," Emma replied.

"Denying a person of love sounds like it would cause many problems," Nubia observed.

"Oh it does, which is why I asked and I'm glad this has no restriction of that kind," Emma said. Nubia smiled.

"You are good to look after your brother's feelings," she complimented.

"He's a great kid...and I hate it, but he's probably going to end up saving us all from Void," she mentioned. Killian put his arm around her.

"He'll be okay, love...there's no evil that can defeat this family. I've seen it try and fail," he assured her. She smiled and leaned her head against his shoulder, while they waited for them to return.

~*~

"Oh Dark One...your magical protections are no match for science," Jekyll said, as he used his demon powers to burn through the magical protections on the shop door. The cameras weren't picking up anything, since he was using his nano technology to disguise his presence. Therefore, no alarms went off in the shop. He proceeded to the safe behind the counter and then a device he had created to crack the combination. The door opened and he extracted the ruby necklace.

"The necklace of Harmonia...misfortune to any who wear it," he said, as he disappeared in a fiery display.

~*~

"Thanks for bringing this to me...I'll definitely get it added to the Master copy right away," Henry said, as he skimmed through the hidden history of Arendelle that they had recently uncovered.

"Thanks...it's an uncomfortable history. I'm still trying to accept that Arendelle has such a bloody past," Elsa said.

"That's not your fault. Many Kingdoms have committed atrocities in the past. It shouldn't be up to the ancestors of those Kingdoms to pay for those misdeeds," Leo replied.

"He's right...you're doing exactly what you should be. You're informing your people of their true history, which means that they can learn from the past mistakes of their people. Then history hopefully won't repeat," Henry agreed. Elsa smiled and nodded, as they noticed a copy of a tabloid from the Land Without Magic.

"You've got to be kidding. Grimm got someone to publish his dreck?" Leo asked.

"Well...it's a tabloid so I doubt too many are taking it seriously. He and Goldie are doing their best between this and their dumb podcast to make people fearful of magic," Henry said uncomfortably.

"The podcast is getting a lot of hits lately...too many," Eva agreed.

"Are you worried that it might be working?" Paul asked.

"To be honest...yes. They're sowing a narrative of fear and anxiety toward magic and magical people that makes what the Home Office did look like nothing," Henry replied.

"That's why I've been doing my best to keep new chapters of the book up and I've even talked to a few contacts I have at reputable publications in the journalism world to make sure the true story is out there. But you know how people love gossip," Henry replied.

"Yeah...Grimm is even live streaming Goldie's stupid show on the Internet so people in the Land Without Magic get all the happenings going on here in the United Realms, from her skewed point of view, of course," Eva complained.

"Is ENN live streaming any of their broadcasts? Now that we have honest journalists running that show...they should be doing the same," Elsa said.

"She has a point," Leo agreed, as Henry smiled.

"You know, that's a great idea. I'll head over there later and talk to Mr. Boots' replacement. He'll love the idea," Henry said.

"Who is running it now?" Eva asked curiously.

"August," Henry answered. Her eyes widened.

"August left the Storybrooke Mirror?" Leo asked. Henry shrugged.

"A bigger and better opportunity and they came to me and asked me to run it, which I don't have time for. So I recommended the next best journalist I know," he replied.

"That's great! I still wish we could do something to counter their podcast though," Eva said. Paul smiled.

"Maybe we can," he said.

"Like what?" she asked.

"You love podcasts...you listen to them all the time, no matter the subject, because it's an easy way to learn while you're working. So...why don't you do your own," Paul replied.

"You think I should do my own podcast?" Eva asked.

"Now that is an incredible idea," Henry replied.

"Yeah...you could counter their narrative and get all the guests. No one worthwhile would go on their two bit broadcast, but you could get all the good guests. All of us, Mom and Dad, and anyone in our family," Leo said.

"He's right and it will blow theirs out of the water," Henry agreed.

"I'm not even sure I know how to do a podcast though," Eva said.

"I do though and I know August can set us up with all the best equipment. We can go over there now if you want," Henry said.

"That sounds great...I would really love to get the real message out through the airwaves," she agreed. Paul kissed her cheek.

"You're going to be great," he said.

"Will you be my co-host?" she asked.

"Me?" he asked.

"Who better? You were born in the Land Without Magic and you can attest to what it's like having lived in both worlds," Eva said.

"She has a good point," Leo agreed. He smiled.

"Okay...two doctors doing a podcast I guess," he agreed, as they proceeded to head over to the Enchanted News Network studio.

~*~

Jekyll looked at the model on his laptop with satisfaction. He had created the computer model of his plan and with his demon magic, it would all become a reality in a matter of moments.

"Yes...this will be quite perfect," he said, as he made the final modification to the virtual model on his screen.

"You know, I do not take kindly to being summoned, doctor," Rodmilla said, as she arrived.

"I am the reason you're luxuriating in your new castle now. You are at my beck and call, Rodmilla. Make no mistake...I can end you with a flick of my wrist," he warned, as he produced a tiny flame in his palm. She stilled and swallowed her pride.

"What can I do for you, doctor?" she asked.

"You can create this in the ocean at these coordinates," he replied, showing her the model.

"What is all this?" she asked. He smirked.

"My very own nightmare and the place where Prince Charming will perish at my hand," he replied. She didn't question him and did as he asked. She hardly thought he would be successful. No one had managed to defeat Snow and Charming yet and they were more powerful than ever. Honestly, if he did, it would destroy Snow White and cause her eternal misery. If he didn't and Charming finally rid them of the doctor, she'd be free of his insanity and being under his thumb. It was a win-win situation for her.

"There…" she said, as it was complete.

"Good luck doctor...I think you'll need it," she surmised.

"I don't need your luck...my power will overcome him this time," he insisted, as he walked out of his lab. It was time.

~*~

David looked at his wife in amusement, as she groaned during their climb to the top of the tallest tower.

"Okay...you were right, these stairs are a nightmare," she whined, as she lagged slightly behind him with her hand in his.

"Yeah...you'd have to really want whatever is up here to make this climb," he agreed.

"Would you like me to carry you the rest of the way?" he asked.

"No...that would be very unfair to you," she replied.

"But I could," he said. She smirked.

"I know you could...I'm well acquainted with all your muscles," she replied coyly. He smirked back.

Behind them, Bobby closed his eyes and put his hand over his face in embarrassment, as Zia giggled.

"They are so embarrassing sometimes," he said.

"I think they're adorable," she replied.

"Yeah...just wait until you're eating dinner with them and they're feeding each other and start making out. It gets less adorable really fast," he said.

"We can hear you," Snow admonished.

"I know...it'd be nice if you and dad didn't make out during dessert," Bobby replied.

"Yeah...your chances of that aren't good," David said and he rolled his eyes.

"We just got the Emma eye roll," Snow snickered to him.

"Of course...she taught it to them all," he said, as they finally reached the top.

"Finally," Snow said.

"At least going down won't be so bad," David replied, as they went inside and found golden walls except the one in the center. The center wall was stone, with hieroglyphics on each square.

"They just look like symbols," Snow asked. Zia nodded.

"This is the Temple of the Sun...so they use the language of the Chalice. Lunarian," she replied.

"David…" Snow uttered, as she pointed to the square with the depiction of a split heart.

"Wow...and here's one of the chalice," he said.

"Look…" Bobby pointed at five squares in sequence below the split heart.

"Fire, lightning, wind, water, and earth," he said, pointing at the flame, lightning bolt, gust of wind, wave, and a leaf. They looked at each other in amazement.

"This is depicting the seven of us," David said.

"Your love is written in the stars," Zia replied.

"What's this one?" Bobby asked, as it showed a figure surrounded by many objects.

"The Collector…" Snow realized.

"Clayton's bloodline...it's always been a threat, even back to Serenity and Endymion," David said.

"What is this one?" Snow asked, as it depicted another figure shrouded in what seemed like darkness.

"The Void…" Zia said gravely.

"There's the hook," Bobby said, pointing out Maui's fish hook.

"How do we seal the jar away?" David asked.

"The Chalice…that's all I know," Zia replied. Snow and David willed it into its cup form between them and the wall immediately reacted by lighting up in a variety of colors. The squares slowly receded away from the center of the wall, as a compartment revealed itself.

"I guess that's a good place," David said, as they placed the jar inside the compartment. The squares glowed and returned to their place.

"All secure I guess?" she asked.

"Yeah...seemed too easy," he replied.

"I think we're just used to everything we have to do being a pain in the ass," Bobby quipped.

"Language," she chided, as David took pictures for Natalie, before they started back down the stairs.

"You know how we said that going down would be better?" Snow asked.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"It's not any better," she replied, making him chuckle.

"Hey...we got out of there without something or someone trying to kill us. That's a win for us," he reminded her.

"So true," she agreed.

"So...is it safe?" Emma asked. They nodded.

"These pics you just sent me are fascinating. It's practically your story in hieroglyphs," Natalie said, as she swiped through the photos.

"Yeah…I guess we shouldn't be too surprised by now. The texts that King Arthur was once studying back before we met him depicted the chalice and our split heart," David recalled.

"Do you remember whatever happened to those texts?" Natalie asked curiously.

"I assume they're still somewhere in Camelot. I'm sure Lancelot and Guinevere would be happy to let you check them out," Snow replied.

"I'd love to build a display out of these pics and anything they have for the museum," Natalie said. Snow and David smiled. She was really finding her niche as curator of the Atlantis museum.

"So...I guess we're done here," Emma said.

"Yeah...let's head back to Mu," Snow replied, as a portal suddenly opened and they could see Dr. Jekyll through the portal, on an island that seemed to be besieged by molten lava.

"What the hell…" David said.

"Greetings…" he said.

"Not even man enough to face me now? You have to do it through a portal?" David challenged. Jekyll smirked.

"Oh on the contrary...the lovely scenery behind me was created with just you in mind, Charming. It is where you will perish at my hand," he claimed.

"No...you leave my husband and my family alone!" Snow shouted.

"Alas, dear Snow...I could do just that if you would submit yourself to me," he offered.

"No way in hell psychopath…" Bobby said.

"You're not taking her, especially not into some fiery hellhole," David added. The doctor smirked again.

"Like I said, Charming...this fiery hellhole, as you put it, is for you," Jekyll said, as his arms became fiery chains that shot through the portal. They wrapped around him and pulled him through it. Snow cried out in alarm, as it closed and she looked around frantically.

"I'll get a bean," Emma said, as she prepared to transport herself to Anton's field, but Jekyll's voice cut her off.

"Do not bother, Savior...for there is no way you can get to this island via portal now," Jekyll said, as a hologram appeared before them in the sky.

"Charming!" Snow cried, as she saw her husband behind the doctor and on a piece of rock surrounded by a lake of lava.

"As you can see, he is in quite a state of peril and without the help of the Chalice, he will perish at my hand," Jekyll said.

"And the demise of the legendary Prince Charming is being broadcast to the entire United Realms and beyond! It is time for everyone to witness the fiery end to the truest love!" he added.

"Why isn't Dad calling the Chalice sword?" Emma asked. Snow willed the chalice into sight and saw that she had both halves. She tried to will it to her husband...but nothing was happening.

"I see that you have found that your husband is completely cut off from the power of your Chalice," Jekyll said.

"You Son of Bitch!" Snow cried, as she broke down in tears and Emma held her mother, hugging her tightly.

"How the hell is that possible?" Bobby asked, as Regina and Rumple appeared at their location.

"Because he stole the necklace of Harmonia from my shop and placed it around your father's neck upon his arrival in his demonic realm," Rumple answered, just as the twins appeared with Summer and JJ in tow.

"The necklace of Harmonia...how does that cut him off from the Chalice?" Leo asked.

"It's a long story...but in short, from my restored memories, it was a necklace created by Hera and meant for me," Aphrodite replied.

"It curses the wearer with misfortune. Hera meant it for me, but a man named Cadmus found it where Hera left it for me first. He presented it to his bride, Harmonia, and she was killed in a horrible accident on their wedding day. It's been an object avoided like the plague since," Aphrodite explained, as she and James appeared.

"Then why did you have it in your shop!?" Emma cried.

"Because I'm already cursed and immune to its charms. As the Dark One, I was entrusted to keep it away from humanity by Zeus himself. Centuries ago...but the damned psychopath found it. It's quite likely he has been browsing through Rose Red's books without her knowledge," Rumple said.

"We have to do something! We have to get the chalice to Dad somehow!" Summer cried.

~*~

David looked around and hissed from the burns on his arms, thanks to Jekyll's fiery whips. He saw the peculiar necklace around his neck and took in his surroundings. It was definitely an island, but the erupting volcano in the distance had turned it into a nightmare. Acrid smoke filled the air, as embers and ash rained down. Molten magma flowed around the remaining land like a river and the heat was so sweltering that it was hard to breathe.

"Welcome to your demise, Prince Charming," Jekyll said. David extended his hand and attempted to call on the Chalice sword, but found that nothing happened. Jekyll smirked.

"I'm afraid that necklace around your neck will cause you quite a bit of misfortune. Whatever light magic you are able to wield is thwarted by the cursed necklace of Harmonia," he announced. David tried to take it off, but found that he couldn't.

"So this is it...you're so afraid to face me on an even ground that you have to take away my weapon and give me a serious disadvantage?" he challenged.

"Fairness is for heroes. I am a villain, as you so eagerly point out time and again. So I decided to stack the deck in my favor, so to speak," Jekyll said, as an ordinary sword appeared in his hand.

"But I will give you a weapon...not that it will matter much," he added.

"Fine…I'll fight you at a disadvantage and still win," David said confidently. Jekyll chuckled, as his own fiery sword appeared in his hand.

"Oh, your hubris will see that you fail miserably," the doctor said, as he charged with a fierce battle cry and David moved to defend himself.

~*~

Snow screamed, as she saw David narrowly escape falling into the river of lava, as he dueled the psychotic doctor.

"I have to get to him…" Snow sniffed, as she tried to use the Chalice again, but became frustrated when it didn't work again.

"Why isn't it working!?" she screamed.

"It's the necklace...it won't let us portal there with magic," Aphrodite said regrettably. That thought struck Eva.

"But we could with science!" she realized. Snow looked at her daughter with a tearstained face.

"Honey...what do you mean?" she asked.

"That's how he's doing all of this. He got around Mr. Gold's magical protections in the shop with science. We have to use science to get to Daddy," Eva replied.

"She's right...he would have never got through my protections in the shop using magic. He found another way," Gold confirmed.

"Then how do we do it?" Snow asked.

"Hyde...I'll go and see what he and Mr. Flaversham can do," Emma said, as she hugged her mother quickly.

"I'll go with you," Bobby said, as he disappeared with her. Leo and Eva sandwiched Snow between them and held her, as she cried and they witnessed their father try to stay alive.

~*~

"And if you're just joining us...it seems that everyone's favorite Prince is under siege by none other than Dr. Jekyll himself. It would see that the good doctor has found a way to isolate him from his precious Snow White and their magical chalice," Goldie reported, as those at Grimm's tavern all seemed glued to the fight.

"You think he'll do it?" one patron asked.

"If he does...he'll be a legend," another answered.

"And if he does...we will capitalize on the grief of his family and wage attacks on their Kingdoms," Rodmilla said, as she entered with Runeard. A few of them looked uneasy by this plan, but they did not protest. The last protester had been swiftly dealt with and none of them wished for that fate.

~*~

"Hyde!" Emma cried, as they burst into his lab and saw they were watching the spectacle on one of the computer screens in the lab.

"I guess he's beaming the frequency to every screen," Bobby realized.

"I'm afraid so...the doctor has gone too far again," Hyde said.

"He's blocking us off with magic and made it so my Dad has no access to the Chalice," Emma replied.

"And you hope there is a scientific solution," he replied. They nodded.

"We have been working on something...a teleportation device, but it is in no way ready for human trials," Hyde said.

"Yes...at this point, it would likely kill a person in transit. We're still working on the human application," Hiram added and their hearts sank.

"But we have had success in teleporting objects," Hyde said, as he showed them what looked like a silver pad.

"You think you can teleport the chalice to our Dad?" Bobby asked.

"If I can triangulate his location within a few yards. That will take a few moments, but we're ready if you can take us closer," Hiram said, as they picked up their equipment. Emma smiled and nodded, as the four of them disappeared.

~*~

David breathed heavily, but coughed since the air was so filled with heat and ash that it was overwhelming.

"You are so fragile without the power of your chalice sword…" Jekyll goaded.

"Then stop dodging me and actually fight. I may not have my Chalice sword, but I am a master swordsman and even with all your powers...you're not. I think I'll fare better than you think," David challenged. Jekyll smirked.

"I will so enjoy slowly killing you while the lovely Snow watches," he said, as he looked up.

"Pay close attention, my dear Snow! I want you to see the life leave his eyes when I crush him!" he called. David charged him at that and their blades clashed in a fury of strikes, parries, and slashes.

"You're tiring, Charming...I can see it. But I do not tire anymore," Jekyll warned, as they exchanged blows.

"You are fragile...and can barely breathe here. But I am in my element," he continued to boast.

"Doesn't matter," David said, though his words sounded labored.

"True love always wins," he insisted, as the doctor elbowed him in the gut and sent him to the ground. He slid painfully across the ground on his back and could feel the burns already. The pain was excruciating, even as he tried to pull himself to his feet. His shirt was in tatters now, as embers had burned holes in it. But he pressed on and got to his feet, only to have to block Jekyll's blade again.

"Time to die, Charming...and it will be slow and agonizing," he promised. David swept his legs out from under him, but the demon shot a fire blast at him, forcing him to dodge. He rolled to the ground and stared up at the blackened sky. He coughed, as the ash filled his lungs and he tried to move, despite the multiple burns covering his body.

"Snow…" he croaked, as he could feel her presence and love enveloping him.

"Not sure I'm going to make it out of this one, my love…" he whispered, as the doctor's shadow loomed over him…

~*~

Snow cried out, as she saw her husband roll to the ground and she reached out toward his image.

"I have to get to him...this can't be happening!" she cried in anguish, just as Emma reappeared with Bobby, Hyde, and Mr. Flaversham.

"Can you help?" Eva asked.

"We have a solution, but it's not yet ready for human testing. However, we believe it can get the Chalice to him," Hyde replied.

"No…I have to go to him. Please…" Snow cried.

"Mom...this will work, but you getting ripped apart in a teleporter does not help Dad," Emma soothed, as she put her hands on her shoulders. Reluctantly, Snow nodded and watched them set up their equipment.

"Not to pressure you...but you need to hurry!" Leo called, as they watched the dire position their father was in.

"Can you get a fix on his location fairly quickly?" Emma asked.

"Got it...fortunately, the doctor is sending up smoke signals into the atmosphere so to speak," Hyde replied, as he nodded to Snow. She placed the Chalice on the flat device and stepped back, as her children huddled around her.

"Initiate," Hyde said, as Hiram operated the controls and the Chalice disappeared. A few seconds later, the image before them and all the screens where it was being broadcast were filled with a blinding white light, resulting in no one being able to see what was happening.

"Charming!" Snow cried.

~*~

"Do you think she'll feel it? When I drive my fiery sword through your half heart?" Jekyll asked, as he looked down on his nemesis with a smug smirk. He was going to savor and enjoy the Prince's demise immensely.

"She will...but my children will avenge me and protect her," David rasped, as he coughed again.

"So...you're finally admitting defeat?" Jekyll asked with glee.

"I may die at your hand...but our love won't. That will never die," he replied.

"Yet you will be able to do nothing from the afterlife to stop me from making her mine," Jekyll said, he saw a beam of light penetrate his shield around the island.

"Impossible," he uttered, as the light faded and he saw the Chalice resting about a hundred feet away.

"No…" he said. It should have been impossible and he saw Charming's hand twitch.

"Not this time…" he seethed, as he prepared to thrust the blade through his chest. The Prince could barely move, but managed to lift one leg enough to kick Jekyll off balance. The doctor stumbled briefly, but it was enough and the Chalice flew into his hand.

"Noooo!" Jekyll screamed in rage, as light exploded around David and blinded him, as well as blowing him back several feet.

He growled, as he rolled over and tossed his cracked glasses away, before pulling himself to his feet. But what he saw when the light started to fade gave him pause.

David stood tall, as the light faded in his familiar leather jerkin, pants, and boots; the very outfit he had fought many battles in before. His wounds were healed and the Chalice sword gleamed brightly in his hand. The necklace of Harmonia fell off in pieces and burned to ash.

Jekyll seethed and cursed, as he decided to find a way out of this botched plan to fight another day, but the Prince anticipated his next move. David tapped the tip of his sword on the ground, sending a lightwave of power throughout the entire island and the sky.

"What is that?" he asked, as he saw the shimmering shield around the island.

"You promised there was no escape for me from this island, so I'm promising the same for you," David replied.

"You think you can really end me?" Jekyll challenged. David smirked.

"Oh…I know I can," he replied, as he charged, almost catching the doctor off guard. His sword became alive with fire and he parried the Prince's blade. But he was shocked when his sword shattered into a million pieces upon contact with the Prince's. Jekyll screamed in rage and blasted him at point blank with fire. But David slapped the flames away with his blade in expert precision.

"Damn you!" Jekyll screeched, as he slashed at him with his fiery whips, but David evaded his fire and Jekyll made a run for it in an attempt to somehow escape the island. He cackled maniacally, as he ran toward the river of lava that had burst up between the land mass.

"Once I disappear into the fire...you'll never catch me! And then, I'll pop up again when you least expect! Just like Mephisto did!" Jekyll warned, as he saw the river within reach. He laughed, preparing for his escape, as he jumped toward it.

~*~

"Damn him…" David cursed, as he chased the psychotic doctor. If he slipped into the fire, he'd disappear and come back to haunt them again. He couldn't let that happen again. He knew of only one move that could stop him now. He stopped in his tracks and thrust his sword into the air, sending it sailing toward the monster.

~*~

The fire could be seen reflecting in Jekyll's eyes, as he was just a few feet from escape, but he lurched and looked down to find Charming's blade protruding from his chest. He landed on his feet, just at the edge and turned around, looking at him in shock. He saw the blackness slowly spider webbing from his wound and started to see the ash flaking from his body.

"No...this can't be! You can't defeat me!" Jekyll cried, as he lurched again and the blade returned to David's hand.

"I just did," the Prince stated.

"You're done...and you're never going to hurt my wife again, let alone haunt her," David assured him.

"The Chalice absorbed the Olympian crystal long ago. No Underworld, no afterlife, nothing...you just stop existing and we rest easy, knowing that not even your soul can cause harm to anyone ever again," he continued. Jekyll tried to charge at the Prince again, but the white fire from the Chalice sword consumed him in a brilliant flash. He screamed briefly, as he was destroyed and his cries were swiftly squelched, as was his existence.

Charming sighed in relief, as he used the Chalice sword to create a portal out of the hellish island and he returned to Cibola.

The moment his feet hit the sand, Snow was in his arms. He smiled, as she kissed his lips and then buried her face in his neck, as she wrapped her around around his neck. He smiled and held her, as she quietly sobbed in relief.

"It's okay...I'm okay and he's dead, Snow...for real this time," he said, as he pulled back and cupped her beautiful face in his hands.

"He's dead, my love...he's never coming back," he promised. She sniffed and cried happy tears, before their lips crashed together and her feet dangled off the ground, as he picked her up and spun her around while kissing her passionately. Their lips finally parted and their kids gathered around them with hugs as well.

~*~

"And...it appears that the battle is over. Dr. Jekyll, who quite possibly was Charming's greatest challenger ever, is dead. It would appear that no one can defeat the Charmings," Goldie stated gravely.

"Most will celebrate this, I'm sure...but those of us that have made mistakes and refuse to play by their set of rules, life will not improve at all," she added.

"Snow and Charming will continue their reign, unchallenged it seems. Their children will continue to make all others fail to measure up, and Henry Nolan Charming's narrative will continue to be the only acceptable version of the story, while other talented writers like those in the Grimm line will be ignored," she continued.

The patrons in Grimm's bar went back to their normal business and Elias tossed his rag down on the counter in frustration. Charming's heroics would once again be the highlight of any articles and it almost seemed pointless for them to even do a podcast.

He noticed Runeard leaving and Rodmilla followed. Curiously, he followed as well. After all, this mysterious former King was likely the only real challenger to the Charmings that they had now.

"What are you doing?" Rodmilla asked, as she followed him into Jekyll's lab. Runeard was silent, as he picked up the staff that Jekyll had recreated from Hiram Flaversham's blueprint of the original design.

"They will soon come...emboldened by the fact that there is no real challenge here, even without magic. Except me, of course," he said.

"I have magic...synthetic magic that works here where theirs might not," Rodmilla replied. He smirked.

"Oh my dear...I think we both know that whatever you can muster up can easily be quashed by Charming now...or his Asgardian doppelganger for that matter. He just killed a demon with powers derived from hell itself," he reminded her.

"But you can challenge him!" she insisted.

"Oh not yet...not without this staff filled with the star gems I cannot...it's too risky. He knows what I can do with a touch...he'll anticipate my every move. I am not a master swordsman. Jekyll's arrogance is partially why he's dead now. He had no business fighting a warrior of Charming's caliber, even with all his demonic power," Runeard said.

"So...what, you're just going to disappear and leave me to fend for myself?" Rodmilla questioned.

"I must go into hiding for now. I do not have a plan ready to take on all the elements at once. I must take them by surprise and now is not the time. Good luck to you," he said, as he faded away with the staff and the doctor's gloves.

"There must be something in all this junk that we can use!" she cried desperately.

"The only way we still win any of this is to get their mixed blood and write ourselves a new narrative," Grimm said.

"Which is impossible!" she shouted.

"Then you better find a place to lay low...because this will be the first place Charming and his brats come for," Grimm replied, as he left the lab and started back to his tavern.

"There you are…" Goldie said, as she joined him.

"You're a wanted woman...this place isn't going to stop them from coming for you now that Jekyll is gone," he warned.

"You too...that's why we need to escape," Goldie said.

"Where? Pleasure Island was the one place that gave them pause," Grimm replied.

"The Land Without Magic...we can escape there and still do our podcast, you can write…" she said. He sighed.

"I guess it's all we have. We better go now though or we'll never make it. As it is, it will take us all night to go around the checkpoints again," he replied.

"Without the tavern...we'll be broke in no time," he warned.

"We still have a pretty good following with the podcast and that brings in some money. We'll have to supplement in other ways. It's that or prison," she replied, as they started packing what they could.

"We'll manage, I guess...now to figure out where to go," he said.

"The nearest bus stop is Misty Falls. We'll figure it out on the way to Boston," she replied, as they headed to the Harbor to make their escape.

~*~

After celebrating at Granny's with a mountain of food and all their family and friends, they had come home with their kids and retired for the evening. Except with them, there was no sleeping yet and the celebration had continued, in a much more intimate manner.

She rested her head against his chest and relished his arm around her.

"You did it...you freed us from his insanity," she purred, as she looked up at him. He gently kissed her.

"I said I wouldn't rest until he could no longer haunt you...I'm just glad I was able to keep that promise," he replied.

"I never doubted you...but I came very close to losing you," she said, as her eyes misted.

"Shh...no, you could never lose me. He never had a chance...not when it's you and our children that I'm fighting for. Not with a true love as powerful as ours," he replied, as she kissed him passionately and then pressed her forehead against his once their lips parted. He gently wiped a tear away from her cheek and green eyes stared into blue.

"I feel so free with his shadow finally gone," she admitted. He smiled.

"We are free, my darling. There are still battles ahead, but he was the worst one and he's gone forever," he promised. Their lips met again in a searing kiss and their passion consumed them once more. Once again, they had faced certain doom head on and their true love had prevailed, as it always would.

In the next chapter, one year has passed...

#Snowing #SnowxCharming #Charming family #OC Charmings #AU #original season 9 storyline #romance #adventure #family #drama #Finding You Always #the epic continues

[musubiblog]

It all started in Qingqing city, China.

An illuminating baby was born

Since then, powers have been discovered.

Before we knew it, paranormal became normal and dreams became reality.

Now with 80% of the world's population having a special trait, it's a superhuman society. In this chaotic world, the job that everyone dreamed of came into light.

•••••••••••••••

Somewhere in Miyagi Japan, near the coastal area. Four kids playing tags in the park while using their own quirks.The passers-by stared at the scene with interest when they saw how beautiful these generation quirks are. One girl has Fairy like wings, glitters fall from her body as she floats, she look like she came out from a fairytale book with a quirk like hers. A boy placed both hands in the ground and seeds started sprouting from his area.

(E/c) hues watch in awe at the scene in front of her, eyes wide open with dilated pupils and lips slightly parted when she saw another kid's hand glowed. Even watching from a far, their quirks are indeed beautiful. As she kept staring longer, she felt something inside of her. Envy, she wondered what its like having a quirk of her own, maybe she'll join the fun instead of watching,she'll have more friends and people would praise her.

Mouth corners turned down looking at the kids her age with a sad expression. She felt like tearing up but before it could fell in her cheeks, a bright voice called out her name.

"(y/n)!" She turned to the right to see her older brother by 3 years running towards her. "I was looking all over for you! Mom will kick me in the butt if she found out I lost you-" The older boy said while catching his breathe. From the looks of it, he went to check the whole park to find her. "What are you doing here?"

The 4 year old didn't respond, instead she turned back to where she was looking at a second ago. The older boy's eyebrow furrowed in confusion and turned to check whats gotten his sister's interest. His gaze then travels back to the girl beside her, he knew that her sister felt sad about this, He knew just by looking at her eyes.

"Geez why are they using their quirks here, they're not suppose to use it in public anyway" he sigh, closing his eyes and scratching the back of his neck. "What a show off" he scoff. He then grab his sisters attention by grabbing her hands gently, smiling he said "lets get out of here, okay?" The little girl only nods before walking besides him.

The 7 year old took her to a none occupied place in the park, (y/n) observe that it's an abandoned playground surrounded by old trees, the slides and seesaw is slightly rusted and ivy plants surrounds it. She look at her brother with confusion, demanding him to tell her why of all place.

"Don't give me that look sis, this place will help take your mind off things" he said while walking towards the sand box, sitting on it without hesitation "Join me, it's safe, no insects are gonna crawl on you" he reassures her.

(Y/n) only nods and sat beside her brother. The place was peaceful, the sound of nature surrounds them and the air was cooling, tall trees shielding them from the sunlight. Turning to her brother and ask "Is this you're favorite part of the park?"

"Hmm? Oh this, nah. I just found it today while I was looking for you" he said, the girl only let out a soft 'oh' and start looking around. There's another silent, it's not awkward but she's eager to have a conversation with her brother.

"Did you want to have a quirk Toru nii-san?" Toru smiled at her question, as if he knew that she'll ask him that. "Well, I mean...every kids have dreamed about it" he started. "So I would say my answer is yes, but I'm pass my quirk manifesting age already and I'm not depress about it" He said. Being quirkless isn't a big deal for Toru, he knew that being born in a quirkless family has a 95% percent of not getting a quirk.

"I'm at the age of 4 nii-san, and I haven't gotten my quirk yet..." The girl look down and grip her the hem of her skirt tightly "What if I'm quirkless?"

Toru didn't want to say something that could possibly hurt her feelings like 'Yes, your going to be quirkless forever like me' but he didn't want to sugar coat as well. He doesnt give false hope, knowing that its impossible for their genes to manifest one.

Instead he asked "Hey, what makes you want to own a quirk (y/n)?"

"Well, I think they make people look cool and powerful and strong! They are treated different from the quirkless, they get praise and have lots of friends! Also, they can be a real hero like from the comic books and save peoples life!" She excitedly exclaimed, Toru can see her eyes sparkling as she rambling cutely aboyt whats great about having quirk.

"And what's makes you the quirkless people is any different?" This question got (y/n) off guard. "Umm...it's because they're the opposite of that?" She said unsure of how she'll respond.

"No silly, quirkless people can be those things to" This cause (y/n) to tilt her head. Toru smiled because of her cuteness and gave her head pats.

"Just because we're quirkless doesnt mean we're powerless, we can be just as cool as them, we dont need quirks to impress them and we can definitely make many friends. Those who thinks being quirkless suck and should be treated wrongly are the low minded person who thinks highly of themselves. Also, you don't need capes and costume to be a hero, you just need to care" He explained.

"Didn't you say you wanted to be a hero as well?" Toru blinked twice at the question. "Ha!? I never said that. I said I want to be more than that" smiling widely with pride. "I want to be someone who help the hero instead, just like dad!"

(Y/n) tilted her head "like dad?" Toru nods spreading his arms "Yup! I want to be a scientist slash inventor like him, he makes really good weapon and gadgets that helps the hero with their mission!"

Toru's mood always change when he talks about his interest, he likes talking about machines and experimenting, he's also obsess with aliens and would like to meet one someday and experiment it.

"And if its possible, I can make an iron suit built for battle that can turn quirkless people into heroes" Toru said. The little girl smiled widely, imaginary glitters surrounds her as she looked at him with astonishment.

"That's cool Toru nii-san! You're going to be an amazing scientist when you grow up!" Her soft voice said with excitement, head pushed forward. The brother blushed a little from the praise, smiling shyly and scratching his nape.

The little girl suddenly stood from the ground, one arm placed on her hips and the other one is raised in the raise, looking down at his brother. "If you're going to follow Dad's footstep then I'll follow Mom's. I can be a doctor that saves patience life like a hero without a cape would do!

"That's great (y/n), mom will be so happy when she hears this." Toru smiled at the sight of her happy sister. He loves seeing her this happy since he deeply cares for her and doesnt want to see her sad"See, you don't need a quirk to save and help other people, just do you and you'll be great. Now, always smile more okay? You're fifth birthday is coming closer" He said standing up, patting the dirt away from his body.

"Mm! And I want (f/f) ( = Favorite flavor) cake! And Pizza and Pasta for my birthday please! Ooh and (f/f) Ice cream too!" The 4 year old girl started listing various of foods that she wanted for her birthday. Toru held out a hand "sure, lets go home and tell Mom, I bet their looking for us now"

The girl held his brothers hand and continued their conversation while walking.

•••••••••••••

(y/n)'s special day had finally come, her eyes shining with excitement seeing her favorite foods placed on the table. Standing in the chair because she's too short for the tall table, mouth watering at the sight of the beautiful decorated(f/f) cake with five candles above it.

She extend her little fingers about to ruin the icing, hoping to get a little taste but was stopped by her mother holding a lighter. "Now now, we have to wait for your father to arrive, birthday girl"

She pouted at the older female, she then received a gentle pinch in her cheek, "you're so cute sweetie, I cant believe my little (y/n) is growing up" Her mother Akari said sweetly almost tearing up at the thought of her daughter growing up.

More guest continued to come inside their house, greeting the birthday girl and giving their presents. The girl didn't recognize half of the guest, since they're only a co-workers of her parents. Her other relatives also came and cousins that she have never met before. She invited her classmates but only five to seven came, she didn't really care who attended. She only cares about the foods and the gift.

She continued observing the guest who we're being entertained by her mother until a hand covered her eyes, The one who's covering her eyes didn't spoke a word but guessing by their action,they wanted her to guess who it is.

She smiled because she already knew who it was from the beginning "Toru nii-san I know it's you!" Finally, the hand covering her eyes was remove.

"Aww, how did you know?"

"Of all the guest here, you're the only one who would do that" She said.

"Hehe" Toru only let out a short laugh before remembering something "Oh yeah, here is my present for you" he pick up the well wrapped birthday present from the ground and hand it to the birthday girl who gladly accept it.

"I sacrificed my money from not buying tools to buy you a present, it's not that special I guess- you have a lot of it in your room so-" He stop when he saw (y/n) already tearing up the perfectly wrapped present.

"Wha-what are you doing! You're not suppose to open that yet, a-a-atleast do it somewhere without me" He panicked but quickly calm down at the girl's face.

She stared at the present with sparkling eyes, smiling happily at her brothers gift. "It's the latest Crimson riot action figure and its a limited addition! Omg, and it have a holographic projector too!" She pressed on the button and showed a hologram of one of Crimson riot's interview.

The two siblings watched the interviewer asking the hero a question about experiencing fear as a hero, The girl listened attentively as Crimson reveals that he isn't a hero that simply never experiences fear, noting that when he enters into a battle against super villains, he does fear for his life.

"Woah, He's so cool! Crimson Riot is so cool! His word can inspire a lot of people who's having trouble facing their fears" She continued praising her all time favorite hero, she would have easily chosen All might the number one hero like everyone does but her heart is set on another, and likes manly people like Crimson Riot.

"Thank you so much nii-san! I'll treasure this!" She jump on her brother and wrapped her arms around the boys waist tightly, the boy wasn't prepared for a surprise hug, almost falling out of balance, but was supported by stepping one foot backward.

"You're welcome (y/n)" His smiled sweetly hugging back his sister. They stayed like this for a while before releasing when they heard a familiar deep voice from the door.

"Where's my birthday girl!?" The two siblings faces lit up when they saw their dad. He just came back from work after 2 months just to attend his daughters birthday.

The girl ran towards the older male and Toru followed. Their father, Kozu kneeled down his daughter's level and hug her tightly but make sure she can breathe. "I miss you sweetie" he kiss her forehead. "Hehe, I miss you too Dad" (y/n) giggled.

Kozu look up to see his son standing next to them, he ruffled his hair too hard causing the boy to complaint "Ah Dad! Stop it, you're ruining my hair" Kozu only laugh at his son's reaction. "Sorry sorry, I miss you too much, I cant help my self" he said standing up.

"Honey you're late" The older male perks up to see his lovely wife walking towards them. "Better late than never" he said, while grabbing his wife's waist and kissing her all over her face and whispering sweet nothings to her ear.

The two siblings only watch in disgust. "Ew! Stop it Daddy, Im the birthday girl, I'm the one who should get all the affection"

"We have guests here, you should be ashame of yourself!" The boy crossed his arms and looks away from the couple.

Their parents laugh at their reaction, the kids aren't use to them being all cuddly but like to tease them to see their cute reactions.

The (L/n) family, A family of four. Their parents is known at their town for having a successful job. Kozu who works at the I-island as a scientist and inventor and Akari who's a professional doctor, a surgeon in fact. Have two kids named (y/n) and an inspiring scientist named Toru, despite being quirkless they are happy without it.

The family lives in a coastal area, the beach is only a 5 minute walk from their house. They're like living in their own private forest because their surrounded by large trees and small hills. They prefer living with the nature than the other neighborhoods.

"Lets light up the candles so we can start eating" Akari said pulling out the lighter from her pocket. The four went to the table and guest gathered around it.

(Y/n) who is now five years old stood at the chair once again. As soon as her mother lit up the candle, they all sang the birthday song.

She bobs her head up and down waiting patiently for the song to finish.

"Happy birthday to you~" Her family and the guest cheers once the song finished.

"C'mon sis, make a wish and blow your candle" Toru whispered.

A wish? She haven't thought about that. She close her eyes and thought carefully, Opening her eyes she wished silently in her head

'Even if I'm quirkless, I wish to experience exciting adventures and be like Crimson Riot, no matter how scary the situation he's in. He'll face it!

••••••••••••••••

2 years later, In Miyagi Japan. A six- year-old female and a nine-year-old male is having trouble getting home because of a heavy rain. The sky is covered in black clouds making the area dark enough troubling the two from seeing the path to their home, the rain falls in crazy chaotic drop, their whole body soak in water making the umbrella useless at this point.

"Toru nii-san, I'm cold" (Y/n) said, hugging her shivering form with one arm while the other hand is holding the umbrella with struggle. Toru quickly held his sister close to him as they walk.

"We are almost there (y/n). Hold on" he tried to comfort her, clicking his tongue he said "Tch, No one said anything about rain storm" The weather reporter said it himself that today is going to be a sunny day, but somehow his report gave a false information.

But this isn't the first time it happened. There's no sign of rain coming but suddenly water started pouring down, strong winds came from nowhere. Somehow the weather became fuck up.

"Ah! The umbrella's broken" Toru look at the broken umbrella in frustration. The downside of living in a forest like area.

They decided to stop and stood under a large trees, it has a lot strong branches and leaves so it shielded them from the rain. "Why did we only decided to stop now?" (y/n) deadpanned waiting for her brother to respond.

After a minute of silence, they laugh at each other. "I dont know, you're the one who's eager to go home" He said out loud.

"Cause I dont want to get stuck in the rain! I want to go home and shower and eat Mom's hot delicious soup" She said while imagining herself eating the soup in her pajama, watching the rain pour down on their window. This only cause her stomach to growl hungrily. "Yep I want to go home~" She whined. "What do you think is happening with our weather system here, it happened 3 times all ready"

"I don't know, but I'm sure the researcher and hero's is dealing with it" Toru said, while fixing his umbrella.

"It must be someone with a weather quirk or something" she muttered and Toru only hum in respond. He was too busy fixing the umbrella he didnt bother replying with words.

"Or the world is about to end because the weather is all mess up" She said.

"The world isn't going to end (y/n) dont think that far ahead, I still have to achieved my dream of becoming a scientist and marry a beautiful woman" He said. Few moments later of being drenched in water, shivering. A voice yelled out their names.

"Toru! (Y/n) where are you?!" The voice of their Dad was heard in the distance. This cause them to yell as well. "Dad,Were over here! Come get us!"

••••••••••••••••••

Akari walked back and forth, worriedly thinking if her children is safe out in the rain, The rain poured down without any warnings. She send her husband to look for them in the woods, her mother instinct said that they're stuck out there.

She stopped walking when hearing a familiar tune on the TV, She walk closer to the television seeing the commercial is over, the news was on the screen again.

"This just in, there have been reports about strange looking creatures across the whole world-"

"What?"

The door opened and Kazu and two kids stepped inside the room soaking wet, leaving the wet umbrella outside and taking the kids bag from their back, he went and grab two large towels and wrapped it around the kids.

"Go find your Mom, she'll warm you up" He said. The two nod before walking down the halls to the livingroom to find their mother. Getting closer to the living room, she heard the sound of the tv and saw her mothers figure watching the Tv.

Running towards her she said "Mom! Mom! Can I have chicken soup for dinner-" she stop in her track when she saw her mothers unreadable expression, her eyes was focus in the screen. Standing on her spot like she had seen something frightening.

"Mom, what happened?" Toru asked beside her. Akari came back to reality when she heard his son's voice. She let out a relief sigh and ran closer to the both of them, "Thank goodness you're both safe, BUT your all wet! Quick go take a shower before you catch a cold" she said, rubbing (y/n)'s hair with her towel.

"What did the news say Mom?" Toru asked with curiosity. "Well its-" she was interrupted by the Tv.

"These Monsters like creatures are spotted roaming in all places, in the water, land and air. It had said to be attacking humans and eating crops, it appears these strange looking creatures have quirks. Many believe it's a doing of a villains, The scientists and pro heroes are still finding out more plausible excuse for such sightings. For now, these creatures are believe to be a threat to humans"

In the screen, they showed pictures of the creatures some are blurred and not taken properly. She look closely to see a dark purple creature with roundish body is standing in between the trees, its eyes glowed red and its appear it has a wide creepy smile.

Another photo was shown. A picture of a narrowed street with more monsters standing in the corner, Bunch of photos is shown in the screen and (Y/n) notice that they're in different shape and sizes. Their backs facing the camera, staring in disbelief she saw a walking blue turtle.

The last photo, is located in a farm with pumpkins that was being eaten by a bunch of rat however if you look closely it doesn't look like a normal rat.

"If they're going to show pics, they should have given us a more clear picture than a blurred one, who knows it might be photoshopped or

An illusion from someones quirk" Her brother complained. Only to be shushed by their mother "This is serious Toru! These creatures might be real and...dangerous!"

"If I wasn't in a short break from work, I would have get to the bottom of this" Her father said.

(Y/n) watched with interest when a video footage is played. A video of a thunderstorm, and something was flying above it. She cant distinguish what its look like but base on it's silhouette of a bird like creature, its wings and tail are a mass of spiky feathers and A large crest of spiked feathers surrounds its head.

What happened in the video was something unexpected, the creature flaps it wings and releases electricity that cause thunderstorm. "W-woah It did that?! Scary" Her brother exclaimed.

Scary? She didn't feel frightened at all, in fact she watch the video in awe. Her hearts beating with excitement when she saw a bird surround by sparks and the thunderstorm makes it even more cooler. She felt like she was watching her favorite hero except it's different. She felt interested in this monster like creatures.

'Creatures with quirks....sugoi!"

She was about to tell her brother what she feels but then a female news caster stop her from doing so.

"The Pro heroes is going to deal with these monster like creatures for now we all advise everyone to stay indoors specially childrens and be alert of your surroundings until further notice, I repeat stay indoors specially childrens and be alert of your surroundings until further no-"

The Tv suddenly black out, the light and other electronics as well. There was a power outage due to the raging storm.

I decided to post only ONE chapter of my Bnha x Reader x Pokemon crossover, I will let you know that this story is only available at Wattpad, but I dont mind sharing one of the chapter here.

MY POKEHERO written by HenceVy

#bnhaxpokemon #bnha x reader #pokemon x reader #bnha fanfiction #todoroki #midoroya #xreader #anime x reader