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screamin-abt-haikyuu · 3 years

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A Comedy of Errors. Chapter 3: The Way of the Aces.

Please read the previous chapters before proceeding!!

Click here to read Chapter 1: Negotiations.

Click here to read Chapter 2: Suga the Setter.

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Background: Y/N is a transfer student who joined Karasuno High in her second year because her family shifted to Miyagi. She is a volleyball player and plays as a wing spiker (ace) in the Girl’s Volleyball team.

Pairing: Karasuno x fem reader || Romantic Pairing: Asahi x fem reader

NOTE: Y/N plays volleyball in this. I am not familiar with all the rules of the game so pls 2 forgive if I get any of the technicalities wrong.

Genre: Fluff and comfort with sprinkles of comedy this time! || SFW

A/N: At last, the final chapter. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. I really poured my entire soul into this. --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Say, since you guys are already here. Why don’t you stay and watch us practice?" Asahi's lifespan is being shortened with every word as Suga invites Y/N and Michimiya to watch them practice. Asahi waits with bated breath. Even though he is extremely nervous, a part of him does want you to stay. So, when you do say yes, he doesn't know whether to feel happy or run out of the gym screaming. As they walk off to warm up, Suga whispers to him, "I know you're probably thinking about how you're going to fuck up your play and embarrass yourself in front of her. But while you're at it, maybe you should also think about what will happen if you actually play well." Asahi nods. "Suga." "Hmm?" "Thank you. For everything you just did. I really do appreciate it." "Of course! I'm just glad it worked out well." "And you are right, I do like her. I don't know her much but I would like to." "Aha, finally some truth around here! Well, then we just gotta make sure you give her a show worth remembering!" Suga says, winking.

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

Michimiya had been watching the game intently, as was evident by her gasps and comments on everything. But you? You hadn't been able to keep your eyes off of Asahi the entire game. So much so, that you had barely given a second thought to the first years' amazing quick attack or Nishinoya's outstanding libero skills.

Asahi's spikes, his serves, his receives, his posture, his spirit, and his determination had you just...rapt with attention.

"In case you are wondering, yes, he is single." Michimiya's whisper startles you.

"W-what?" you start to blush. "I'm just taking notes!"

"But I didn't even specify who I was talking about."

You turn redder.

"He's really nice too, you know. A very genuine and kind person. I think you two would make a cute couple."

Your face is so hot now that you're sure you'll hear a sizzle any moment. You turn your head back towards the game to avoid Michimiya's gaze.

"I- I don't know who you are talking about."

Michimiya chuckles. "Of course you don't."

Even though you can feel Michimiya's gaze on you, you can't help but smile as you watch Asahi land another beautiful spike in the opponent's court.

You didn't know, of course, that you being around and watching him had been a huge boost of motivation for him to perform at his peak. You didn't know how he had been wondering what you were thinking about him the entire game. You didn't know how hard it had been for him to not glance at you after every move he made, just to see your reaction.

But he didn't know how you had felt either. He didn't know how your heart rate sped up every time he came on to serve. He didn't know you had also felt frustrated whenever his spike got shut down, feeling as though you had been shut down. He didn't know how you had wanted to shout and cheer him on but you hadn't because you didn't want to come off as a weirdo.

Truly, you would make a good couple.

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

Practice is now over. Asahi's team won both the practice matches (of course they did, Suga would not have had it any other way). You and Michimiya walk over to the third years. As Michimiya starts gushing to Daichi about their game, you turn to Asahi.

"You were really - glorious, brilliant, like a God, I wish you were spiking me instead - amazing out there," you say, your eyes full of admiration.

Asahi instantly turns a deep shade of red.

"Th-thank you." He says with a smile.

"See, I told you he is great!" Suga says with a proud smile on his face.

"You were right. Karasuno really has a very talented ace."

"No, it has two of them," Asahi says, looking at you with a smile.

Now it is your turn to blush.

"Aah, I wish. I'm not quite there yet. I'm definitely nowhere close to your level," you say.

"I would love to help you any way I can."

"I would be honoured to learn from you," you say with a bow.

Suga piped up, "It's Saturday tomorrow! The boys' gym will be free till 10AM. If you want, we can practice here early morning. Say, around 7? Asahi can teach you the techniques and I can set for you both. We'll ask Daichi and Michimiya too if they want to join." and before you can answer, Suga is off to ask Daichi and Michimiya.

Wow, he really doesn't wait for an answer, huh.

Asahi looks at you and he can see you're a little unsure. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, it's just... I really don't want to bother you guys so early in the morning like that."

"It's no problem at all, we usually practice early on the weekends anyway." Asahi says with a reassuring smile. That seems to melt your doubts away.

Suga walks back to you. "I've spoken to the two of them, they will join us but a little later."

"It's sorted, then." you say, smiling.

Of course, Asahi was the one who ended up walking you home that night.

Of course, Suga was "late" for the morning practice the next day, giving you and Asahi a lot of time to get comfortable around each other get nervous and DIE.

Of course, situations like these happened more than a few times.

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

Before you know it, two months have passed. With Asahi and Michimiya's help, you improved tremendously and the Karasuno Girls Volleyball team cleared the first set of qualifying rounds for the Spring Interhigh. And so did the boys.

During this time, you and Asahi have become really good friends. Since you two live in the same area, you often end up going to school and walking home together, giving you a lot of time to talk about every topic under the sun. It took a while but you are now very comfortable around each other. In fact, Asahi himself wonders how he is able to tell you things so easily.

Both of your friend groups (and your entire school, also the neighbouring schools, random passersby, street dogs, birds flying past - you know, basically anyone with eyes) can see that you two are absolutely head-over-heels for each other. The only two people who don't know it are you two.

The way Asahi had gone out of his way to teach you everything he knew; how patiently he had walked you through every technique, every mistake; how he had sweetly asked you for permission every time before correcting your posture and showing you the right finger placement (mind outta the gutter fellas, we talking about volleyball here); how every time he did that, you felt a jolt of electricity whenever his fingers touched you (I promise it is still about volleyball); how he cares about even the littlest things regarding you; how every time he smiles reassuringly at you, the world feels all right again; how supportive and encouraging he has been through it all: You have fallen for him harder than you have ever fallen in your entire life.

And you just keep falling harder and harder every moment you spend with him. He has become your comfort now. No matter how stressed or nervous you are, just having Asahi around makes you feel much calmer and confident.

Asahi, on the other hand, has smiled more in these last two months than he has ever smiled. He can't help it, being around you just makes him feel like he is floating. He was blown away by how talented and hard working you are and is so proud of the progress you have made.

The way you are so kind to him. The way you always speak up whenever someone makes fun of him. The way you always hype him up and believe in him. The way the world seems to stop every time you smile at him. The way your laugh has become his favourite sound in the world. Asahi could not be more enamoured by you even if he tried. You too, are his comfort now. He knows he can talk to you about every "sentimental" topic on earth without being made fun of.

The only problem is: You both are afraid that this comfort you find in each other will be ruined if either of you confesses and the other does not reciprocate your feelings. It is now a waiting game to see who spikes their ball into the other's court first, if at all.

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

You are shaking. Partly with excitement, partly with nerves. After defeating Tohoku High, only one school remains between you and the nationals: Niiyama Joshi, one of the most powerful schools that always makes it to nationals when it comes to the Miyagi prefecture.

The boys' game had ended earlier than yours and they had already left the stadium. You were absolutely delighted to hear that they beat Seijoh. Now, they have to face Shiratorizawa, another powerhouse school that always makes it to the nationals.

You and Asahi both have your own mountains to climb tomorrow.

As you are walking out of the stadium with your teammates, you spot something.

"Hey, you guys go ahead, I will be right there." you say and turn back.

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

It's been a very long day but you cannot sit still at all. You cannot stop thinking about the match tomorrow. Your hands are sweaty knees weak, arms are heavy because you keep clenching your fists open and shut as you pace around your bedroom. You had hoped to be able to meet Asahi and maybe feel a little better but by the time you had reached school, the boys had already left. You know how big a day it is for him tomorrow too so you don't want to bother him by asking him to meet. However, you should at least text him and congratulate him on his victory. You open your phone and see you already have a message from him:

Asahi: Hey, I heard you guys beat Tohoku! Congratulations! I knew you could do it.

You smile.

You: Thanks, I still can't believe we did that!!! Congratulations on beating Seijoh!! I heard it was a close match.

Asahi: Thanks! Yeah, it was anyone's game by the end. It was really intense. But we managed to win. Also, I had full faith that you would make it!

You: Damn, wish I could have seen it. Sooo, Shiratorizawa next. How are you feeling?

Asahi: Really, really nervous. They're really strong and I don't think anyone believes we can beat them.

You: Well, you just gotta prove them wrong, then! I truly believe that you guys can do it.

Asahi: I really hope so. Anyway, what about you? How are you feeling about going up against Niiyama tomorrow?

You: Honestly, I cannot stop shaking and thinking about tomorrow. We are so close and I just don't want to screw up and let my team down.

Asahi: Can you get out of your house?

You stare at your phone for a moment before replying.

You: Yeah, I can sneak out the backdoor. Why?

Asahi: Sneak out after 5 minutes. I'll be there.

You: You sure about this? It's late and you need to rest for tomorrow too.

Asahi: I'm sure and I'm already on my way.

You grab your schoolbag and quietly make your way out the backdoor. You see Asahi standing outside your house. He's wearing a purple t-shirt and is carrying a bag in his hand. He smiles and waves at you as you make your way towards him. The knots in your stomach are already starting to loosen.

"Hey, Asahi!"

"Hey, Y/N, I'm sorry for making you sneak out like this but... I couldn't help myself when I read your messages."

"No, it's completely alright. Actually, to be honest, I was kind of hoping to meet you too. I-I always feel calmer after talking to you."

Asahi blushes.

"R-really?"

"Yeah."

"I always feel better after talking to you too."

You can feel the heat starting to build in your face as you smile at him in response.

Asahi continues, "I-I know I am not good with words. But I want to tell you that I know exactly how you feel. You won't let anyone down. I have seen you play and really, you have nothing to worry about. You have made it this far and you are strong enough to take it further."

His words make you want to cry. He has always shown so much faith in you. You look at the ground and don't say anything as you try to hold back your tears.

"-And I - uh - got you something that I thought might make you feel better."

You look up in surprise and you see him reaching his hand into the bag he brought with him. As you watch, he pulls out a light blue cloth. It's a t-shirt.

You gasp as you recognize what it is.

He holds the t-shirt open by the sleeves so that you can read what's written.

It's a "The Way of the Ace" T-shirt.

"Oh my God!!" you say loudly.

He is completely thrown off by your reaction as you throw your head back and laugh.

Oh no. Does she think this is lame? Asahi starts to panic.

You reach into your own bag and pull out a similar looking light blue cloth. Asahi's eyes widen.

"I bought this today at the stadium for you. I know how important tomorrow's match is for you and I knew you'd be nervous so I wanted to give you this as a motivational sort of good luck thing." you say as you hold out a larger sized "The Way of the Ace" T-shirt.

All of your tension and nerves melt away as you both stand there laughing and holding the T-shirts.

"I hope I got the right size," Asahi says as you exchange the t-shirts.

"Same."

"It's perfect!" You both say at the same time and erupt into a hearty laugh again.

"Thank you, Asahi. I feel a lot better now. Really, thank you for everything. We wouldn't have made it this far if not for your help."

"It was all you, Y/N. All I did was show you the way. You walked it on your own."

"Yeah, you showed me the way of the Ace." you say, smiling.

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

The score is 30-31 and it is match point for Karasuno Girls' High School against Niiyama Joshi for what seems to be like the 100th time. It has just been ties after ties after ties and every set has stretched well into the 30s. Somewhere at the beginning of the fifth set, you looked up to see the Karasuno boys piling into the stands to cheer your team on. From the looks of it, they won their match against Shiratorizawa.

Playing such intense 5 sets back to back has taken a massive toll and the players on both sides of the court are at their limit. However, it is now your turn to serve and if you manage to get this point, you will be through to the nationals.

"Y/N, GIVE US A NICE SERVE!!" the boys cheer for you from the audience.

Your knees are quaking and you feel like you can barely stand, much less run or jump. You are so out of breath that you feel like you are going to pass out any minute. As you somehow force yourself to walk into position, you can feel your knees buckling under you.

As you stand there, waiting for the referee to blow the whistle, your eyes instinctively search for Asahi. Even though he is far, you can easily spot him due to his height and the familiar light blue t-shirt he has changed into after his match.

As your eyes meet, Asahi cups his hands around his mouth and BELLOWS.

"JUST ONE MORE. YOU GOT THIS!"

The whistle blows.

BAM.

You barely have time to realize what happened as you are tackled to the ground by your teammates. There's a lot of hugging and crying and shouting.

As you recover from your shock, it finally registers. It was a service ace. Niiyama's libero had tried to dig the ball but it had bounced out of bounds.

You've won.

Tears of exhaustion and exhilaration start to flow from your eyes as you hug your teammates.

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

Your feet are killing you as you walk out of the locker room towards the bus, wearing your own WotA t-shirt. It's late and the corridor is silent and empty as you're one of the very last few people to leave.

"I told you you could do it."

You look up and see Asahi standing a little further ahead, smiling at you.

You don't say anything, you just walk up to him and hug him. He seems taken aback but only for a bit as, barely a second later, you feel his large arms wrap around you tightly.

You both stand there for a while, both too exhausted to speak but finding comfort in each other's arms. It just feels so...right. Like this is exactly where and how you are meant to be.

When you finally break apart, you can see that Asahi is looking a little nervous.

"S-say, Y/N. I was wondering... i-if you would maybe want to go on a- on a date with me?"

Your eyes widen in surprise.

"It is completely okay if you don't! I'm sorry I shouldn't have said anythi-"

"Yes, yes, YES! I will go on a date with you."

"Really? You really want to go out with me?"

"Yes. Honestly, Asahi, I fell for you a long time ago. I was just afraid of freaking you out and ruining our friendship. So, I didn't say anything."

Asahi let out a little laugh. "It's freaky how we think so similarly because same." He takes your hand in his. "I fell for you the day I met you. And I just kept falling harder and harder the more I got to know you. I just never imagined you would feel the same way for me too."

"I do, I do, I so do! I always have!"

Both of you have the biggest smiles on your faces as you stand there holding hands and looking into each other's eyes.

You suddenly start to blush furiously.

"So...um...since we usually seem to be thinking the same thing. Um, would you like to kiss me?"

Asahi's eyes open so wide that you're worried they'll pop out of their sockets any minute. He is blushing furiously as he simply nods and leans in.

Your heart is thundering as your lips meet. But, it's Asahi. He kisses you with such tenderness and affection that you just melt into him.

The two aces of Karasuno walk out of the stadium hand-in-hand, wearing their matching WotA T-shirts. You're going to nationals, you've found some really great friends and you have found each other. Life is good.

FIN.

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Finally, I am so happy with how this turned out. I was stuck for a while trying to decide where to go with this story and I was panicking a little about not updating sooner. But I am glad I did not hurry this up because I really LOVE the turn this took in my head which it wouldn't have if I hadn't let the ideas stew in my mind for a while.

I know this was a long read but I really hope you guys enjoyed it and it was worth the read and the wait.

Likes, comments, reblogs and follows are always appreciated. Please DO NOT repost

Buy me a Kofi! <3

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amyscascadingtabs · 3 years

Text

don’t want to keep secrets just to keep you [chapter 1]

“Actually, I want to add one more rule.” “Yeah?” Jake leans back in his chair, crossing his arms behind his head and flexing his biceps through the green shirt with a smug grin. “You’re not allowed to fall in love with me.” "Won't be a problem."

Amy Santiago doesn't date cops. Jake Peralta's sworn never to date a lawyer again. When a couple of drinks and the returning of a borrowed shirt ends with the two of them in bed together, Amy decides to take control of the situation the best way she knows how: a comprehensive set of rules. There's just one little thing she hadn't anticipated – Jake Peralta is full of surprises.

Written for the B99 Summer 2021 Fic Exchange.

AO3 link // playlist

My contribution to this year’s fic exchange, for @fezzle! @b99fandomevents 💛

1. i never saw you coming (and i’ll never be the same)

He gets out of the car, and before Amy can gather the courage to shout after him, he’s disappeared from her sight.

She leans her forehead against the steering wheel, squeezing her fist and punching it in frustration. It doesn’t feel better, just makes her hand hurt. Amy pretends that’s what’s making her eyes tear up, and not the thought that she just screwed up her chances of ever seeing Jake Peralta again.

five months earlier.

The cop is five minutes late entering the courtroom, and Amy vows to dislike him from that point onward.

What's worse is that he doesn't seem ashamed. He simply gives Judge Stewart an apologetic grin, runs a hand through his already messy hair, and sits down on the bench next to the sergeant Amy recognizes as Terry Jeffords. Amy gives him a polite faked smile to tell him she's noted this presence and she's going to win this case, but the cop doesn't seem to notice the toxicity in her facial expression, because she gets another wide grin back. Judging from the colorful marks on his teeth, it looks like he had candy for breakfast – could it be gummy bears? Either way, Amy's respect for the man sinks even lower.

At least she won't have to worry about him, she tells herself. She already knows this case is about to be a win.

That is until it turns out this man has a reply for everything. She’d been certain the evidence against her client was circumstantial at best, nowhere near enough to get him convicted on, and the notes she’d gone through from the initial police questioning had lacked significant information. It had been nothing short of sloppy, and she’d entered the courthouse this morning filled with glowing confidence. That same confidence is now seeping away, dripping onto the polished floors of the courtroom in exchange for heated frustration as it turns out the detective – Jake Peralta, she learns – was present at the scene earlier than Amy had gathered, and from the vantage point he had, saw her client running from the corner store at full speed.

“Would you say it’s possible my client was running for a different reason?” She asks, staring coldly into the detective’s eyes as she speaks. “Such as exercising, perhaps?”

“Well, he was carrying a huge green backpack, identical to the one he was wearing when my partner Charles caught him ten minutes later. So, no,” he says, meeting her look with a smug smile of his own. “I would say that’s unlikely.”

“But not impossible?”

“Considering we also found the stolen goods in that same backpack, I’d say the chance is pretty solid it was him.”

“The bags couldn’t have been switched? Or, as my client claims, the goods couldn’t have been dropped in there by someone who wanted to get rid of them?”

“With all due respect,” says Jake Peralta, and the self-assuredness in his voice is enough for her to know the case is lost. “The streets were more crowded than a Taylor Swift concert, your honor. Someone would have seen something.”

It’s late Friday afternoon by the time Amy returns to the office of Newsom & Associates, but there’s still plenty of her coworkers left to watch as she throws her briefcase on top of the chair before closing the door to her office and digging out her pack of shame cigarettes from the bottom drawer of her desk. The only window in the room opens out to a back alley with trash cans and forgotten bikes, which is a drab view most of the time but comes in handy for secret shame-smoking. She closes her eyes and leans back against the wall, trying to savor the first inhale. She hates the habit and always tells herself she’s going to quit soon, but at times when work stresses her out like this, there’s no better fix. It’s all Jake Peralta’s fault, anyway. He’d waved at her when they’d left the courtroom, looking genuinely pleased to see her, and that had only worsened her frustration. It’s one thing being defeated – it’s worse when the winner acts like it wasn’t even a big deal.

“You should stop that.” The sound of Rosa’s voice appearing in the doorway to Amy’s office causes her to inhale too much smoke, coughing and tearing up as she hurries to extinguish the cigarette butt on the windowsill. “It’s gross.”

“I needed it,” Amy coughs again before drying her eyes with the sleeve of her blazer. “You should’ve been there. That fucking detective ruined my defense.”

“So? It happens. Doesn’t make you a bad lawyer. Stop pitying yourself.”

“You’re just saying that because you win nearly all your cases,” Amy mumbles. “And everyone’s terrified of you.”

Rosa does a little shrug, but Amy thinks she can spot the hint of a smile on her lips. She can’t be certain, though. Rosa almost never smiles, but that’s not nearly the most terrifying thing about her. She also rides her motorcycle to court and wears leather jackets and skin-tight black jeans to trials, and somehow no one's ever dared to police her on it. Amy once asked her out of curiosity if putting on a blazer would really hurt that much, and the stare she got back told her she’d be a fool to make that mistake again.

“Either way, it's not that. It was that cop who ruined everything. I mean, he showed up late, for god’s sake, with candy in his teeth and a wrinkled suit! But he somehow had an answer and explanation for everything,” Amy snorts. “And he smiled the whole time like he’d already won. And he referenced Taylor Swift! During the trial! Who does that?”

Rosa lets out a laugh. “You're a Swift hater? God, please don't tell me you took Kanye’s side too.”

“I didn't – that's beside the point!”

“Which is?”

“That he has zero respect for the sacred rules of a courtroom, and gets away with it all because of that super-charm smile.”

“Yeah, you mentioned the smile. Twice.”

“It was just so…” She clenches her fist until her red nails press into her palm to the point of pain, then releases it. “It's fine. I’ll win my next case, and there are lots of cops in New York. I probably won't ever see him again.”

Amy can barely hide her frustration in court the next week when she hears the doors open and looks up from the papers she was sorting, only to see Jake Peralta for the second time in her life. He’s on time today, which she supposes is progress, but there are stains on his shirt that seem to be coming from the can of orange soda he’s holding in his hand. She wonders if it's his breakfast. If that's his diet, he looks surprisingly fit in a grey suit for it.

He grins again when he sees her, raising his hand in a lazy wave. Amy gives him a forced smile, then returns to her papers. She’ll have to make sure to win this time.

But despite her confidence and very best efforts, she loses to Jake Peralta yet another time.

And another.

It's not that she's suddenly magically unlucky, because she still manages to win several other cases, but every time Jake Peralta shows up to testify, without fault, Amy loses.

It infuriates her.

The worst part is that Jake seems oblivious to her anger. He smiles at her every time they leave the courtroom, even though she returns them with little to no genuineness at all. She once spots him doing a childish victory gesture outside the courthouse, but he never once takes the opportunity to brag about his win to her face.

Aside from his surprisingly good manners when it comes to bragging, though, he's a mess. There's always some kind of stain on his shirt or his cheek that he seems unaware of, his ways of describing things involve one too many pop culture references for Amy’s liking, and she starts preparing to meet him every time a detective is five minutes late. She wonders if no one's ever told him how one is supposed to behave in a courtroom, but he’s usually accompanied by the precinct’s sergeant, so that seems unlikely. The more likely option, Amy figures, is that he just doesn't seem to find it that important; especially considering he seems to get away with it every single time.

She swears it's all because of that stupid infectious smile.

It pleases Amy to no end when she learns that Jake Peralta is going to be the witness in one of the strongest cases she’s had in a long while. The client was clearly acting in self-defense, she has a witness of her own who can testify to that, and although she knows that nothing is for certain until the verdict falls, she’s got a good feeling about this one. Finally, the day has come for Jake Peralta to watch her win.

At first, the state attorney’s case seems solid. Jake is assisted by a short, round-faced man with dark brown hair and an expression that looks like he’s seconds away from apologizing for taking up everyone’s time, but his suit is matched and perfectly straight and he gets right to the point without any odd references, so Amy still earns a fair amount of respect for detective Charles Boyle. He and Jake had entered the subway car after hearing about a fight taking place, and stepped on just in time to watch her client aim a closed-fist punch at the face of the man on top of him. It’s clear and convincing, but Amy knows that after the recess, it will be her time to shine. She loves these moments, when it’s obvious the other side thinks they have it in the bag but she knows something they don’t, and they have no idea what’s coming. She knows trials are about justice and not personal victories – but she’s only human. Winning is always a thrill.

She’s thinking about how she’s going to be celebrating her win later this evening when Jake Peralta bumps into her at the coffee shop neighboring the courthouse. As in, literally bumps into her, with his elbow when he hurries forward to grab a plastic cup with whipped cream and so much caramel syrup on top of the coffee that Amy pities his dentist.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry… wait, it's you!” He shines up as if he’d just seen a past good friend, and Amy’s once more taken aback by how polite he is. A lot of cops she meets during trials either tend to make fun of her profession or glare bitterly at her from a distance, but Jake's doing neither. He even reaches out his free hand to shake hers, so she accepts. “Jake Peralta – wow, you have a very firm handshake.”

“I took a seminar. Amy Santiago.”

“Where?” He asks, but she ignores him and moves forward in line to order her coffee with milk.

“Nothing for your client? Wow. I’d expected you to have better manners than that, Santiago.”

“I offered, but he wanted to spend recess with his partner for moral support. See?” She raises a brow at him. “I do have manners.”

There's that smile again, up close this time, and Amy's relieved when the barista hands her the coffee so she can hide the involuntary blush in her cheeks. She never noticed he had dimples before.

“So, how are you feeling about the rest of the trial, then? Ready to go defend the guilty guy?”

“Innocent until proven guilty, Peralta. Famously one of the most sacred principles in the American justice system. And I was born ready.”

“And lose. The whole question was, are you ready to go defend the guilty guy and lose, and you said you were born that way.” Jake grins in a way that makes him look like an overgrown mischievous school kid. Maybe not that far off, Amy thinks.

“Twist my words all you want, I am winning this case.” She hesitates for a moment, noticing Jake's detective partner looking at the two of them from a table in the corner of the room. Not normally something she'd be that creeped out by, if it hadn't been for the fact that the man isn’t tearing his eyes away from them, and he looks weirdly overjoyed. “Uhm, is detective Boyle okay? He's staring at us pretty intensely.”

“Huh? Oh yeah, he has… an eye condition.” Jake turns around and mouths something that looks to be BOYLE, and the man rolls his eyes before stalking away. “Ignore him. Anyway… so what do you think about the judge?”

Amy's about to launch into a description of her good experience with judge Myers when someone brushes past her with their iced coffee in a hurry, losing control of the plastic cup. The unsecured lid wobbles, and before Amy realizes what’s about to happen, cold coffee splashes onto her earlier pristine white blouse. “Fuck!” She reaches for a bunch of paper napkins and tries to dab the worst away with them, but the milky coffee is already seeping through the fabric and leaving an obvious stain that her blazer can’t hide.

“What a jerk,” Jake mutters, glaring in the direction of where the stranger disappeared.

“Never mind that! I don’t have another shirt! I can’t go into a courtroom looking like this! Unlike you, I actually care about whether my clothes have giant stains on them!”

“First of all, rude, and second of all, they’re not giant.”

“I don’t care. I’m screwed. Fuck, I don’t have time to run back home before the trial starts – I guess I could call Rosa –”

“Hey, hey.” Jake holds up his hands as if trying to calm her down, which only makes Amy more frustrated. “I know this is kind of crazy, but, I have a shirt in my car that I was planning to return to my ex. But emphasis on ex, so…” He shrugs. “You could borrow it?”

Amy considers her options. On the one hand, she figures there’s about an eighty percent chance that whatever Jake has in his car also has some kind of mysterious stain on it, but on the other hand, she took the subway today and there's no way she’ll make it to her apartment and back before the court is back in session. Asking for a longer recess is an option, but making everyone wait simply because she needs a change of clothes makes her too uncomfortable to even consider.

“Fine,” she relents. “Where's your car?”

Jake's car turns out to be an old Mustang, which Amy can tell even from her strictly limited car-knowledge is pretty impressive, but she doesn't understand how he can find anything in there. The backseat is a mess of empty orange soda bottles, a couple of frisbees, candy wrappers, what looks to be cartoons and old CDs, and the cup holders have shaving foam next to another can of orange soda. She's equally surprised and impressed when he pulls out a clean, dark blue charmeuse blouse. Whoever Jake's ex-girlfriend was, she seems to have both taste and money.

“You're totally saving my day today,” she says as he gives it to her. “You really didn't have to.”

“Prove that cops aren't all bad?” Amy rolls her eyes, and Jake laughs. “Just kidding. You have to give it back, though.”

“As soon as I’ve washed it. Wait, we have to be able to get in touch.” She digs in the inside pocket of her briefcase and pulls out two of her business cards. “I’m assuming you don't have any, so write your number on the back of that one.”

“Rude, but correct.” He scribbles down something on one of the cards before giving it back. “I’ll see you up there, then… Amy Santiago.”

Something about the way he says her name, slowly and with perfect pronunciation, makes her want to hear it again. She hurries back into the building and toward the bathrooms, hopefully before he can tell that she's blushing.

“The defense may call the next witness.”

“The defense calls Elinor Simons.” Amy can feel everyone's eyes on her as well as the witness as a young girl, no more than eighteen, walks up to the stand. She's pale, but she looks determined, and Amy gives her a comforting smile as she swears the oath.

Elinor’s voice trembles at her first words, but Amy keeps steady eye contact with her, and soon she’s speaking louder and less hesitant. She had been on her way to her friend’s house when she entered the same subway car as the two young men, and had overheard the two of them fighting over something. Sitting only a few seats away from them in the near-empty car, she’d noticed the defendant looking scared, and out of curiosity, had turned off her music. She’d heard the man who’d later gotten attacked – Mr. Lorentz – scream that the defendant was an asshole, and then she’d seen him push him to the floor, much unlike the way the prosecution had described a course of events in which both men had slipped. It had scared her, so she’d gotten up to walk away, but before she could move she’d seen Mr. Lorentz leaning down.

“It looked like he was about to hit the defendant,” she says without wavering, and Amy can see a few of the jury members nodding in understanding. “And even if they were about the same size, Mr. Lorentz looked really strong. The defendant tried, but it seemed to me like he was unable to get up. I remember thinking this wasn’t going to end well, so I headed for the end of the car before they noticed me.”

“And you’re sure of what you saw?”

“Completely sure. I only found out later that the defendant was a cousin of my sister’s boyfriend, which is how I learned about the trial.”

Amy nods and clasps her hands together, trying to assume a confident stance as she keeps her eyes focused on the witness stand. “Elinor, in the position he was in, do you believe that the defendant would have been scared?”

“I think anyone would have been.”

“So the punch witnesses watched the defendant throw, could it have been in self-defense?”

“Yes. Yes, I think so.”

Amy smiles. “Thank you. No further questions.”

The prosecution’s closing arguments are short and precise, sticking entirely to the part of the events that took part after the police walked in. The district attorney, a balding man in his fifties, as good as overlooks Elinor’s testimony in favor of focusing in on detailed descriptions of the headaches Mr. Lorentz had experienced after the event, and that alone is enough to make Amy’s blood boil; but instead she just sits there, waiting with a polite smile on her lips.

Finally, the other attorney sits down, and the judge nods at Amy to stand up. During her very first trials, this moment used to freak her out – everyone’s eyes on her and waiting expectantly – but with time she’s come to love this. It reminds her of the thrill of getting the last word in a heated fight with her siblings when she was younger, only now, she doesn’t have to shout to be heard. Everyone’s already listening.

“Your Honor, ladies and gentlemen of the jury: it’s correct that the defendant hit Mr. Lorentz on that train. He admits to doing so himself.” Amy nods to the young man sitting next to her, fidgeting nervously with the cuffs on his shirt. “But there is one key aspect which the prosecution has so conveniently chosen to ignore, and that is the events which led up to Mr. Petersen’s actions. A background which he not only has explained clearly himself, but which is also backed up by Ms. Simmons’ testimony.” She gestures with her hand to Elinor.

“You see, Mr. Petersen wasn’t acting unprovoked. When the incident happened, he had been pushed to the floor, and like both my client and the witness described, he was unable to get up. Mr. Lorentz himself admits to practicing weightlifting; he’s not a weak man, and in the moment, he was clearly upset with the defendant. As Ms. Simmons put it… “ She takes a break to gather the attention of everyone in the room. “Anyone in that position would have been terrified.”

“Under New York Law, Penal Law paragraph thirty-five point fifteen, a person is justified in using physical force against another, when that person is under the reasonable belief that the physical force is necessary to defend the person from what they reasonably believe to be the illegal imminent use of force or the illegal use of force. Mr. Petersen was stuck, and under the reasonable belief that Mr. Lorentz could hurt him unless he managed to free himself. He acted in self-defense, which I remind you that the prosecution has not been able to disprove. In fact, the case against Mr. Petersen cannot be proved against reasonable doubt, which means that you must find him… not guilty.”

From the other side of the room, she swears she can feel Jake’s eyes on her. When she looks up, she sees him mouthing nice job.

“What did you say he looked like, now again? Except for crazy hot and adorable?” Kylie takes another sip of her mojito, spying over the crowded bar.

“Okay, I said neither of those things.”

Kylie shrugs. “Didn’t have to.”

“Ugh. Whatever. Brown hair, brown eyes, medium height, I guess kind of a bigger nose… and I don’t know what he wears outside of court, but there was a leather jacket in the front seat of his car, so maybe that?” She strains her neck to try and see through the Friday night crowd. She’s never been to this particular Brooklyn bar before, but Jake had suggested it when Amy asked about a good place to give him back the shirt, and she’d figured after a long week, she might as well treat herself to a couple of after-work drinks with a friend. After being asked about the so-called mystery hottie five times, though, she’s starting to regret bringing Kylie along.

“Mm, that’s like, all the guys in here… oh, wait, that one’s waving to you!” Kylie points to a figure near the door, elbowing Amy in the side and causing her to nearly choke on her wine. She’s still coughing when Jake walks up to them, trying to offer him a smile while drying her eyes. Jake looks politely confused, but shakes Kylie’s hand in the meantime.

“I’ll leave you two alone,” she says with a meaning wink to Amy before sliding off the leather barstool, leaving it for Jake. “Have a good night!”

“Ignore her.” Amy sighs. “Sorry, I…”

“No, no worries,” Jake says, and the honest care in his expression makes her feel oddly warm. “You okay?”

“Yeah, sorry.” She waves a dismissive hand and picks up the dry-cleaning bag hanging on the back of her chair. “Well, here’s the shirt. Thank you for the loan. Or thank your ex, I suppose.”

“Dry-cleaned, really? You truly are type A.”

“What about it?”

“Nothing, it makes sense.” He nods to the glass in her hand. “Celebrating Tuesday’s win?”

“Something like that. It was Monday, though,” she can’t stop herself from correcting him. “I don’t get a lot of time off. Gotta make the best out of it.”

“Yeah, me neither. Do you mind if I join you for another drink? Or maybe you should do water, in case you choke again?”

Something about the way he poses it like a challenge makes her take the glass, put it to her lips, and swallow the rest of the wine in one gulp. “I think I can handle it.”

They pay for their own drinks, because whatever this meeting is, it’s definitely not a date, and it makes Amy relieved that Jake doesn’t seem to think so either.

“A toast,” he suggests. “To your win this week. I gotta give it to you, those closing statements were solid.”

“To justice,” Amy says, and they raise their beer bottles in unison. “And my win. Finally.”

“Yeah, what has it been, like, five wins for me?”

“Four, but dream on, Peralta.”

Jake laughs. The dimples in his cheeks become even more prominent when he laughs, Amy notes. “Have you always been this intense about winning cases, then? Or is it something that comes with law school? Like there’s a class in being petty about this stuff?”

You’re intense too, she thinks, but doesn’t say it out loud. “Maybe. I have seven brothers, and I was the only girl. I got pretty good at winning fights using other things than physical strength when I was a kid. Actually, sometimes physical strength, too.”

“I feel like you could beat someone up if you wanted to. You could surprise them.”

“Oh, I could most definitely beat someone up if I wanted to. But I stuck to arguing. I got good at it. And I always had good grades, so I ended up at Columbia, and I’ve never really regretted it.” She takes a swig of her beer. “Not even when cops call me the devil.”

“I wouldn’t call you the devil,” Jake says. “I mean, do I think you lack a bit of a moral compass? Probably. But each to their own.”

She leans her head a little bit to the side, eyeing him closely. “Why do you think that?”

“Well, you have to defend people that you know did awful things, right? Doesn’t that make you feel sick sometimes?”

“I don’t have to defend their actions. Most times, it’s not even about that. It’s about making sure the trial is fair, the evidence is sufficient and their rights are respected, so that if there’s a conviction, it’s actually beyond any reasonable doubt. I like to believe most people are better than their worst moments. I see it as my job to make sure they’re treated that way.”

“Huh.” Jake nods slowly. “Guess I never thought of it that way.”

“Plus,” she winks, “someone’s gotta hold you guys accountable, right?”

“Fine.” He shakes his head. “Hey, did you say you went to Columbia? My captain’s husband teaches law there. Did you ever have a Kevin Cozner?”

“No way! Your captain is Raymond Holt?” She’s speaking way too loudly, she can tell from the way other people are glancing at her, but Jake looks entertained. “Sorry, it’s just – Professor Cozner was my favorite constitutional law teacher. I still send him and Raymond Christmas cards every year!”

“That doesn’t surprise me in the slightest.” Jake grins. “But, how weird is that? Almost like the universe is bringing us together or something.”

Amy thinks that it’s not that weird, since Kevin must teach hundreds of students every year that g on to become lawyers, but she kind of wants to keep seeing that smile on Jake’s face forever, so she nods. “So weird.”

They order another drink, plus some chips and nuts when Jake realizes he forgot to eat dinner, and move to another table in the back of the room. Amy’s surprised how comfortable she feels in his presence. It’s like she can’t wipe the smile off her face but doesn’t want to, and with time and a little more alcohol, jokes that she barely would have noticed on any other day become laugh-out-loud funny. It feels natural, even though she’s not sure how, and she tries not to glance at the clock on the wall when he doesn’t either. She’s got work to do tomorrow and she can’t stay out forever, but she doesn’t want to be reminded that this evening has to end at some point.

“So what made you become a cop, then?” She asks when she realizes she’s the only one who’s shared her origin story tonight. “Childhood superhero dreams?”

Jake shines up like he’s been waiting for the question all night. “Oh, that’s easy. Die Hard.”

“Really?”

“For sure. Actually, my mom said I was always good at protecting people, so I ended up doing it for a job. But I think that’s bullshit. It was definitely Die Hard.”

“I’ve never seen it,” Amy confesses, and Jake stares at her like she just insulted his entire being. “But if you want a cop movie, my top three’s Training Day, Lethal Weapon, and Fargo.”

“Wrong, wrong, and wrong! How can you not have seen Die Hard? It’s classic, man!”

“I just never did! How many lawyer movies have you seen, then?”

“Uhm…” Jake squints. “Charles made me watch Legally Blonde once? It was pretty good, honestly.”

“Well, duh, that movie is a cinematic masterpiece and a feminist work of art. How feminist is Die Hard, from a scale of one to ten?”

“Hey! Holly Gennaro does plenty of cool stuff throughout the movies! You’re just going to have to watch them yourself.”

“I can almost guarantee you I won’t.”

“Fine, but you’re missing out.” He grabs a couple of peanuts from the jar between them, throwing them in the air and catching them in his mouth. “Cool trick, right?”

Amy raises an eyebrow. “Is this what you do at work all day?”

“I did teach myself that during stakeouts, but no. Whatever. Throw me another one.” She does, and he catches it again, this time almost sliding off the barstool in the process. She laughs a bubbling laugh as he does it another time. “Now you.”

“Fine. Try me.” The peanut flies through the air between them, and she tries to dive for it, but it just ends up landing at her feet. “Okay, another one.” She misses that one too. “Okay, there must be something wrong with these nuts.”

“Title of your sextape.”

“Title of my what?”

“Nevermind.” Jake laughs. “You just need some practice. Maybe at work? It could liven up a trial.”

“Nuh-uh, don’t need practice. Just need a better tactic.” Without thinking, she grabs a handful of them this time, throwing them in the air. This time, she catches a few of them in her mouth, while the rest end up spread over the couch and floor. “The key is volume!”

“Yeah, and the bartender is looking at you like he wants to kill you, so maybe don’t do it again or we’ll get thrown out.”

“It’s fine, I’m a lawyer.”

“That phrase works well to get out of trouble?”

“If you know what you’re doing. We could order more drinks to keep him happy?”

“Shots?”

“I’m down if you’re down.”

Jake orders a Kamikaze shot for each of them, and as she reaches forward to take the second glass, her hand brushes against the top of his for a moment longer than necessary, resting there. It’s warm, and it feels calloused but somehow soft at the same time. They look at each other, his light brown eyes staring into hers, and she feels instantly hyper-aware that they’re around far, far, too many people.

She lets go of his hand, taking the shot and swallowing it before anyone can notice what’s happening. It smells like sour hand sanitizer and burns going down, and she laughs at Jake’s grimace when he drinks his.

“God, every time.” He shakes his head and runs a hand through his hair. “Hey, I know this is crazy, but… do you maybe want to get out of here? We could have another drink at my place… watch Die Hard… whatever.”

“Mm, yeah. Maybe I should check that the shirt gets back to your place properly?”

“Shirt? What shirt? Oh, right, fuck, the shirt!” Jake spins in place, rushing back to the table where they were just sat. “Shit, I probably spilled beer on it, Sophia’s going to be pissed now...”

“It’s still in the bag, smartass.” Amy shows him. “Ta-da. Shirt’s still clean. Comes in handy being type A sometimes, huh?”

Jake sighs. “I know you're making fun of me, but I could seriously kiss you right now.”

Maybe it’s the four drinks, maybe it’s the thrill that comes with how rarely she does this, or maybe it’s just sheer and wild impulse, but Amy finds herself whispering,

“Maybe we should get out of here, then.”

Amy learns a lot of things that night.

She learns that Jake Peralta is a seriously good kisser, tasting faintly of orange soda beneath the alcohol and salt, and that being pressed against his front door with his hands protecting her head strikes the perfect balance between feeling adventurous and safe. She learns that he’s never really quiet, soft moans and sighs filling the room in the breaks between their kisses, but that the sound only makes her want more.

She learns that he wears even more layers than her. Beneath the leather jacket and hoodie is a checkered blue flannel that has way too many buttons for her liking right now, and she curses her slight tipsiness while working at them one by one. When she's finally done, Jake pulls the grey t-shirt over his head, and she barely has time to pause to admire how he somehow can look fit despite that catastrophic diet, or the curls on his chest that are begging for her to run her fingers through them, before he's asking “my turn?”. She learns that Jake Peralta is impatient, that his hands work fast on the buttons of her cerise shirt, and that he gets adorably confused when he can't find the button on her suit pants.

“It's on the side,” she tells him and shows him the zipper, and then they're both giggling until she kisses him like that and it's back on again.

She learns that his hands feel good, sliding slowly up the sides of her stomach and back and rubbing against her shoulder blades. She unclasps the white t-shirt bra for him, smiling to herself as he swallows quickly.

“God, you’re hot,” he whispers, and the soft bites he trails down her chest and stomach make her feel that way, too.

They move to his bed, leaving a trail of clothes behind them, and then she’s underneath him and breathing hard as his mouth moves lower, closer. The anticipation of it all is driving her mad, but then he looks up at her and asks “okay?” with the most sincere and caring expression, and Amy’s had very, very few one-night-stands in her life, but she’s certainly never had one like this.

“Okay,” she nods, and there’s that familiar grin again, but this time it makes her feel warm in a very specific place.

She learns that Jake Peralta can do a whole lot more with his mouth than talking people’s ears off. His breath ghosts over her through her underwear at first, warming her up even though it’s barely even necessary, and then he’s finally pulling down the black material and helping her kick them off. His tongue is careful at first, just tasting her as if to gauge her expression, but then she nods at him to continue and the next second, her head is thrown back as she lets out a gasp.

She learns that he likes it when she pulls his hair. At first, her hands are just lightly tangling in it for practicality, but then she holds on tighter as a means of control when her legs begin to tense up and the familiar pressure is starting to rise. She’s raising her hips slightly only to lower them again, helping him get her there, and the curls of his hair are just begging to be pulled.

“Do that again,” he pauses to say, so she tugs his hair harder and he straight-up moans.

She learns that he can make her scream, which she wasn’t expecting, and she rocks through the euphoric waves and pants and practically melts into the bed as she comes down from it.

“That good?” He winks, and she wants to roll her eyes, but he did just make her come harder than she remembers doing in a long time, so she kisses the smile off of him instead, tasting her arousal on his lips.

She learns that he's respectful and a gentleman, telling her that they can stop this here if she'd rather, but she doesn’t want to, and they don’t. He has to rifle through the drawer in his bedside table for a while before he finds a condom – maybe he doesn’t do this as often as she’d thought, maybe it’s another sign of his poor organization skills, but he finds one soon enough so she’s not sure she cares – and then it’s a little bit of a blur, but she rolls it on him with precise strokes and lowers herself on top of him and oh my god.

She learns that when he looks at her, when he touches her, it makes her feel powerful and special all at once. He plays with her boobs as she sets the pace, his thumbs rolling against her nipples in a way she didn’t realize she liked, and she picks up her rhythm, clenching around him and leaning back on his raised thighs.

She learns just how enjoyable it is to watch him fall apart underneath her. His pace stutters and he curses, groaning a confession of how close he is, and she could almost come again from watching him alone but she brings two fingers to her clit and touches herself anyway. He finishes before her, spilling out inside the condom with a moan that she can only imitate, collapsing against his chest as she brings herself to orgasm again right after him.

When they're done learning, they collapse together in his bed. For a moment, Amy considers turning around and calling a cab home, because that would be the most responsible thing to do, but then Jake throws an arm around her to pull her closer, and after all, she's still a little tipsy.

What harm could it possibly do, anyway?

Sharp, unforgiving morning light wakes Amy up before her alarm the next morning. She must have forgotten to close the blinds last night, she thinks, and rolls over on the other side so the light doesn't hurt her eyes. She expects the usual greeting of a sea of pillows, and has to stop herself from letting out a yelp of surprise when instead, she's hit with a wall of Jake sleeping with his back to her. A vague memory of them falling asleep like this hits her. He’d wanted to be the little spoon, she remembers.

At first, knowing that intimate fact about him makes her feel proud. Then it makes her panic.

She jumps out of bed, throwing off her part of the comforter in search of her clothes. She finds her underwear and bra together with her shirt, trying to dress as quietly as possible, quick before Jake wakes up and discovers that she's half-naked in his apartment and they have to have a very, very awkward talk –

“Amy? What are you doing?”

Too late.

She freezes on the spot, chewing on her lip as she fumbles for an explanation. Jake’s eyes rake over her with curiosity, which somehow feels a lot more exposing today than it did last night, and it's making her lose track of her words. His bed head curls and disoriented smile is decidedly not helping her focus.

“We slept together last night,” she manages.

Jake’s smile grows wider and prouder as he sits up fully in bed. Amy blushes as she notices the shadow of two hickeys way too close to his neck to be professional.

“Yeah, I was there.”

“Very funny.” She sees her pants thrown across the back of a massage chair and quickly reaches for them. “But this… You know this can’t be a thing, right? Just so we're on the same page about it.”

Jake frowns. “What do you mean with a thing?”

“This – us – we can't date, Jake. I know that. You know that.”

He’s silent for a moment before he fakes a shudder. “Yeah, yeah, no. I’ve dated lawyers before. Never ends well.”

“You have?” The reveal surprises her. “It doesn't matter. This can’t happen.”

“I know.”

“Good,” she exhales. “I’m just going to find my clothes, then, and then I’m going to leave.”

“Hey, wait.” He twists his hands together, bringing them to his chin with a smile. “This is going to sound weird, but… even if nothing can happen between us, I’m still glad we had sex last night.”

The confession takes her by surprise, and Amy wonders again if she just doesn't know anything about one-night-stands. Sleep together, have fun, sneak out in the morning before anything can go deeper – isn't that how it's supposed to go? If so, she's majorly failing, because she can't stop herself from giving him another shy smile in return.

“Me too. Just because, we were like… really good at it.”

“Stupid good!” Jake exclaims. “It makes no sense!”

“We still can't date, though,” she reminds him. “So how do we work this out?”

“Well, it sort of looked like you were planning to just leave, and I’m not going to stop you if that's your choice, but… there is one more option.”

“What are you thinking?”

“We could be friends with benefits,” he shrugs. “None of the commitment, none of the weird incompatibilities between a cop and a lawyer, just us and some stupid good sex.”

“Friends with benefits? Do the kids really say that, still?”

“I’m saying you could consider it.”

Amy's first instinct is to protest, to say absolutely not and leave on the spot. Her relationship history may not contain that many names, but at least they’ve all been fairly straightforward and conventional. She's never done something like this before, and the mere idea of jumping into something so unknown with someone like Jake scares her shitless.

Then again, she's also never been with someone like Jake. Yesterday hadn't been a date, but it had still been better than all the awkward dinners and half-hearted walks she's been at since she broke up with Teddy a year ago. And the sex – well, she'd be lying if she said she wasn't already thinking of doing that again.

“There would need to be rules,” she says.

“Sure, we can come up with some.”

“I’ll write a contract.”

“We need a contract?”

“Yeah,” she decides. “If this is going to work, we need a comprehensive set of rules, and they need to be written down, because I don't trust you not to adjust them in your head last minute.”

“How am I attracted to you? But, fine.”

Amy shakes her head, closing the last button on the shirt that had been left unbuttoned until now. “So… I’ll put together a draft and bring it over tonight? Your place?”

Jake gapes at her for a moment like he can't believe what he hears, but then he nods. “I’m free.”

“Cool. I’ll see you tonight, then.” With that, she pulls on her socks and shoes, leaving before she can freak out again.

“Cool, cool,” she hears just before closing the door. “Friends with benefits. Cool, cool, cool, cool… cool.”

#b99fandomevents #b99 summer 2021 fic exchange #my writing #b99 #peraltiago #jake x amy #b99 fic #b99 fanfiction #jake x amy fanfiction #peraltiago fanfiction #MY FIRST AU PLEASE ENJOY #three more parts to come hahah but i'm only going to post one before the deadline #read on ao3 if you want line breaks since tumblr has ruined those

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dodo-begone · 3 years

Note

*sees bouquets Royal ask* Dodo I know what I'm gonna do today.

Wilbur was watching the peasant that had ensnared his precious baby brothers heart with a scowl on his face. You were with Tommy in the court yard with Henry his brothers pet cow absently petting the creature, he saw you pause once your hand reached the nape of the cows neck looking down with a concerned look on you face. He thought nothing of it until he saw you counting the number of spider webs as you were escorted to your lessons (after all if you were a permanent feature best you not embarrass them) yes there were more than normal this time of year but it wasn't that note worthy. This strange behaviour continued as he saw you watching the pigs kept just outside the castle walls gather sticks, take note of the large number of acorns and squirrels gathering them a bit earlier than normal. It all came to ahead when he overheard you telling his brother that he may want to put Henry indoors since it would be winter soon, ridiculous he thought it was only mid autumn winter was still a couple months off there hadn't been an early winter since the time of his great-great grandfather. The next day he was greeted by blankets of snow covering the castle huh looks like that peasant might be more interesting than he thought he wondered what other strange things you knew.

Technoblade was not looking forward to this his twin had put forth the idea that if you were going to be a permanent fixture of Tommy's life then they could at least use you as a bodyguard for the young prince. Now don't get him wrong he was all for protecting little theseus but what he didn't like was the fact that he was assigned by his father to train the peasant at least on the bright side he wouldn't have to work on building up your physical strength since you were a farmer. He looked over to where you stood on the opposite side of the training field and he grew annoyed at the sight of your chosen weapon, really a pair of sickles chat began yelling at him to teach you a lesson, looking to get this over with as quick as possible he would admit he fought without much thought but he was immediately taken off guard by how quickly you repeatedly blocked his blows and how you returned them littering his enchanted armour with deep cuts and scratches you fought like you were fighting for your life. If his armour wasn't enchanted you might have removed one of his limbs his mind screamed over chats panicked yelling. He was brought out of it when a voice(theseus) called out for the fight to stop just as a sickle was about to bury itself into his shoulder. He looked over as you ran to his little brother, he had lost, he hadn't even landed a blow on you while his armours dents and cuts showed just how much you put him on the defensive, for the first time in prime knows how long excitement coursed threw his veins, he was so glad you had waltzed into their lives he now had a worthy opponent to fight, to spill the blood of (not kill never kill chat chanted). One thought entered his mind later as chat finally calmed down somewhat after rubbing his defeat in his face, you were a peasant, a farmer why did you know how to fight so well, what forced you to fight for your life?

Philza hadn't ruled as long as he had without being observant of those around him and despite his large wing span he could be quite sneaky when he wished. Its how he noticed the odditys of his youngest pet peasant like the fact that you had somehow charmed his other sons. Wilbur who had actively looked for a way to remove you without hurting Tommy instead spent the some of the time you were without Tommy chatting away about how to tell the next day's weather or even early winters from the behavior of animals and plants along side a multitude of things that Wilbur would never know things that only those scrounging out a living would know. The rest of you free time was taken by Techno and wasn't that a surprise the voices that once demanded your head on a pike now started screaming at his son whenever he landed more than a scratch, which was a rare occurrence even when he was in his enchanted neatherite armour wielding his trusty axe that had seen him victories in many a war yet even with that you danced around his son many a time he had seen you walk away with not a scratch while his sons was left bleeding from the iron sickles you used. Wanting to know just how you accomplished this he took to eavesdropping on you and his youngest who seemed to be as intrigued as he was. His curiosity turned to rage as you recounted the numinous bandit attack you have had to fend off over the years and how the guards wouldn't do anything since they were getting a part of the loot in return for their neutrality, apparently if you were to be believed this sort of corruption was wide spread and far worse in the more distant parts of the empire worse of all the people thought he was just allowing this to happen. Physically shaking in pure rage he stormed off to his bed chamber to think over the information that his empire had become a festering pile of corruption and that you a peasant who had lived a stones throw away from the castle had to fight for your life repeatedly from due to his own negligence the fact that his people believed that he had just abandoned no profited off of their suffering was atrocious. He was so mad he could hear his own chat cawing outside pecking at the windows, he was glad his son had brought you into their lives, who knows how long such corruption would have gone on if he hadn't overheard you, he and is family now owed you so much and he didn't even know your name, that along with your position in his family would be changing very soon he promised.

Ender-anon

Hope ya like it Dodo, bouquet.

god this is so good Ender- a damn mASTERPIECE!! I don't think i can add more to this!! Like!! :O

Like they thought that, because you were in a lower caste than them, that you wouldn't be nearly as skilled as them. Obviously that has been proven wrong. Socially you may not be on par with court standards but your fighting can easily defend that. Make it excusable... ish. You still needed some educating.

Imagine Philza just treating you like,, differently after he heard what happened. As a "thank you" without admitting he overheard what you said. The behavior was odd but welcomed. You didn't want to look a gifting horse in the mouth, after all. Who knows what it could entail. It could lead to more trouble than it was worth.

#ask #ender anon #royal au #tw: bleeding #tw: fighting #tw: injury #c: phil #c: techno #c: tommy #c: wilbur #long post #rambling with dodo

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lassieposting · 3 years

Note

Ok...u got my attention...💘 for skuldugery and cassandra

OH BOY I GOT ONE

send me 💘 + A SHIP and i’ll tell you—

where they first met and how

Okay so when they first meet, it's way back before he met Skugwife, when he was on-again-off-again with China and Ghastly and making his way up the ranks in the Sanctuary army.

A dashing young officer with an impressive inheritance and a string of victories under his belt would've been prime 1600s marriage real estate. They meet at some Sanctuary party, dance together a bit, get along very well. Skug was already arrogant and vain, but he was also charming and funny, which was a bonus, and they were social equals - she's from a wealthy, landed family herself. She was interested in him and they were in each other's social circle from around his mid-20s to when he met Wifey and fell disgustingly in love, at which point she conceded defeat and let him go.

It's actually Gordon who brings them back into each other's lives in the 1980s. They've both changed a lot since they last saw one another and she's not really sure what to make of him. He's colder, more serious, and she knows he's lost...pretty much everyone. When she tells him to come by anytime, he's polite but detached and basically says that's not a good idea, so she doesn't expect to see much of him in the future. But he comes back some months later with a difficult case to ask if she's seen anything, and from that point on they work together sporadically, if she has any visions that might be useful to him.

how long their ‘flirting’ phase was before feelings got involved

They rekindle their flirtation after he comes back in Dark Days. He's not okay, not in the slightest, and she can see it. He's faking being okay, but he's overselling it. She knew him through the period where his mother was killed, and he tried to play that off the same way. He ends up driving out to her cottage at some ungodly hour of the early morning because he's falling apart and he doesn't really have anywhere else to go. she takes him in, sits with him until long after the sun comes up and lets him talk it out until he's dozing off where he's sitting.

By the War of the Sanctuaries, they're Together.

who fell for who first ( if applicable )

She was rather taken with him when they first met. She liked to think of herself as the future Mrs Captain Pleasant. He was attracted to her, but also otherwise entangled and considerably less invested.

When they get back together, it's more. Falling in love at the same time.

where their first date was and what it was like

They've spent a lot of time together, usually at her cottage, already. But he gets it into his head he wants to take her on an actual date, and she's a homebody, so he decides to make her dinner. It's kind of a disaster because he hasn't had to cook anything in hundreds of years - he follows a recipe, but he still manages to burn it and get food absolutely everywhere with the electric whisk. He's pretty frustrated and upset that he ruined it, but she finds it hilarious, and they end up cuddling on the couch with takeout and a movie.

who asks who out and how ( with a sign? spelled out on a cake? just a simple ‘will you go out with me’? )

She gives him a key. She prefaces it with a big speech about how it doesn't have to mean anything, he just spends so much time there that he might as well be able to let himself in, and she wants him to have somewhere he really feels safe and comfortable and her place can be that for him if he wants, and -

He kisses her mid-speech, so she never gets to finish it.

who proposes first

He does. She'd never bring up marriage to him, when she knows how his first one ended. She can't be completely sure he's done grieving his first love, and she doesn't want to hurt him, so it's better not to bring it up.

if they keep / kept their relationship secret or let everyone know right away

It's not a secret at all. Valkyrie still goes nearly a decade without noticing.

where the proposal happens and how ( kiss cam at a baseball game? on a hillside surrounded by ducks? at a disney park? )

They're in bed together first thing in the morning. He doesn't remember the last time he was this relaxed and happy. He watches her wake up and she cuddles closer into him with the squinty morning-sun-in-your-face look and he never thought he'd love this much again and it just. Comes out.

who’s more dominant

Neither, really. They're very much a team. She tempers his recklessness, and he gives her a nudge out of her comfort zone. She has the same ability Wifey had, though, to wrangle him without ever letting on that she's doing it.

where their first kiss was and what it was like

He was totally drained after unloading a year's worth of torture on her post-Dark Days, and she was trying to comfort him. It doesn't lead anywhere - she puts him to bed on her couch and stays with him so he feels safe enough to switch off and sleep.

if they have any matching couples stuff ( mugs? sweaters? pillowcases? )

She buys him a hideous Christmas sweater the first year they're officially together, but has yet to successfully bully him into wearing it.

how into pda they are

They're your average couple. If she drops in on him at the Sanctuary, she'll kiss him goodbye. He'll put his arm around her when they're walking, or let her hold his hand. But neither of them is an exhibitionist.

who holds the umbrella when it rains

He does. He could easily just redirect the rain, but she likes nature stuff and that includes getting soaked through on occasion, kissing him in the rain, and splashing through puddles.

where their usual ‘date spot’ is ( if applicable )

Her cottage, more often than not. He'll happily take her out whenever she wants to, but she's a homebody at heart and she's more fond of going for long walks in the countryside near her home or cooking together, watching old movies, that sort of thing.

who’s more protective

Him, by a million miles. She doesn't necessarily like the amount of violence in his life, but to her he's very much the capable soldier who can look after himself. But she is a pacifist and very into the hippie ideology, so especially after the Night of Knives, she relies on him to protect her. He knows damn well that the only reason he didn't lose her the same night Finbar died is because he just happened to be sleeping over and the would-be assassin got more than he bargained for.

how long it is before they sleep together ( can be as in ‘had sex’ or as in ‘shared a bed’ )

Probably circa KOTW? It can't have been Death Bringer, or he'd have asked her to the Requiem Ball.

if they argue about anything

Not often. She's one of the most emotionally healthy people in this series, and she's the closest Skulduggery Pleasant has ever gotten to therapy. She's all about communication and talking it out.

who leaves more marks ( lipstick, hickeys, scratchmarks etc. )

Skug.

who steals whose clothes and how often

She steals his jackets and coats. She'll wear something just a little too light for the weather, so that he'll inevitably offer her his suit jacket. It's an old way of courting that she finds very endearing.

how they cuddle ( spooning? facing each other? )

what their favourite nonsexual activity is

They bring out the Old Person in each other. They like to go for long walks, and picnics, and dancing to old gramophone records. They read books and bicker about how much they did or didn't enjoy them. She likes to garden and paint, and he's not half bad at art either, so they'll paint each other and laugh about it.

how long they stay mad at each other

They don't. They argue very little in the first place, but Cassie is very communicative, so she usually manages to head off any potential arguments before they even start.

what their usual coffee / tea orders are

She has hot chocolate, and he has his black.

if they ever have any children together

No - but if he was ever going to have children with anyone else, it should probably be Cassie. She's sensible, level-headed and emotionally healthy, so he could be the same loving-but-irresponsible dad he was with Skugbab.

if they have any special pet names for each other

She's "Cassie" and he's usually "sweetheart" or "lovey".

what their shared living space is like ( messy? clean? what kind of decor? )

He "moves into"/spends most of his time at her little hippie hobbit hole, so nothing matches, tapestries everywhere, Interesting™ colour schemes, fuckin...crystals and tarot cards and witchy shit everywhere. They both have to make some compromises ("You don't bug me about making the bed and I won't play the banjo in the shower")

what their first christmas / hanukkah / etc as a couple was like

Very inappropriate to talk about at parties.

He's a Christmas grouch, but he did get two days off work, so they basically spent the entire time eating, fucking or fast asleep.

what their names are in each other’s phones

She's just "Cassie" but that makes her one of the few people in his phone not to be "Firstname Lastname". He's "SP".

if they have any ‘couple traditions’ ( buying a new mug for their collection every year? baking every friday evening? )

They can never really make plans for set days or times because of his incredibly erratic work schedule, but they make time every week to just spend time together. Unless the world is ending, which it usually does at least once a year.

who falls asleep first and who wakes up first

She falls asleep first at a sensible hour, and wakes up when he gets in. If she sleeps through him coming home, he'll stay up for an hour or two to work on a case, but if he wakes her, he'll go straight to bed and she'll go back to sleep with him holding her.

After the Night of Knives, she gets very anxious and stressed about being alone, especially when she hears the door open. So he'll call and wake her when he's leaving the Sanctuary, so that she knows to expect him home, and he's at the end of the phone any time she wants to get hold of him.

who’s the big spoon / little spoon

He's the big spoon like 70% of the time, but she's not opposed to letting him be the little spoon at all. Even the strongest general sometimes needs a good snuggle.

who hogs the bathroom

Cassie likes to take a book into the bath and spend hours in there. He'll come in and out as he pleases and sometimes do her hair for her or swipe bubbles on her nose.

who kills the spiders / takes them outside

Skug. This is, apparently, one of the greatest benefits to having him around all the time. He's glad she's comfortable enough with him to be honest that she's using him for his spider removal skills.

#skulduggery pleasant #sp headcanons #cassdug #long post

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ravenclaw-questions-gone-writing · 3 years

Text

Ven’s Idea Outline #1 (Maribat)

Remember that MariDamiJon fic that I mentioned I was going to do for the gift exchange? It’s still bouncing around in my head and Luka decided to join in so I’ve decided to at least make an outline in (assuredly vain) hopes that it will leave me alone for a bit.

Ao3

Part 1

Typical Daminette but Hanahaki style bc I can’t find any Maribat hanahaki fics and I need one and I can’t find any.

Dick and Damian sent to scope out Paris for Hawkmoth related reasons

Jon goes with bc he’s Damian’s emotional support kryptonian but he might arrive later This idea has been removed but I like it so I will share it.

Damian is getting familiar with the new battlegrounds taking a walk in the park when a girl falls from a tree and lands on top of him

The girl apologizes profusely before explaining that she’s really clumsy and she was just trying to help a kitten stuck in the tree

It’s not love at first sight but Damian appreciates an animal lover and is slightly less of an ass than he would usually be

Might mix this with my Blossom Soulmate AU that I never got around to finishing and posting, now that I think about it

Anyway, Damian helps her get the cat down from the tree

He latches onto this potential information source who is not as annoying as most other people and sticks with her

They become friends friendly acquaintances and he drops by her school to pick up her up after she agreed to show him around Paris.

Debating Lila salt...

Debating Class salt...

If yes: Damian walks into a scene where Marinette and sweeps Marinette away without a word to the rest of her class

If no: Damian arrives and proceeds to wait for her outside by his motorcycle

Either way, his appearance makes waves in Dupont’s rumor mills

They do not know he’s Damian Wayne, just that there’s a dude who attractive enough to be model with a motorcycle waiting for the schools (tragic, if salt) sunshine fashion princess.

Robin and Nightwing meet up with Ladybug and Chat Noir to offer their help in figuring out who Hawkmoth is, as well as fighting and training.

Full Miraculous court meeting with Ryuko, Viperion, Queen Bee, Carapace, Rena Rouge, Pegasus, Bunnyx, and Monkey king. (Rena Rouge is removed if Class salt. Replaced with Fox!Nath or Fox!Julieka)

Ladybug and Robin get along

About two weeks in Adrien starts officially dating Kagami.

Another week passes and Damian finds out Marinette has been coughing flower petals and her unrequited love is her classmate Adrien Agreste.

She refuses to remove the hanahaki - this version is the standard they can’t fall in love ever again if they remove it.

This revelation makes him oddly uneasy, it isn’t until his own Hanahaki shows up later that night that realizes he understands why.

Damian does a pretty good job of hiding it.

Dick knows something is up but he’s trying to give Damian more space so he doesn’t look into it and trusts Damian would ask him if it’s life threatening

Ladybug notices his discomfort on patrol and they talk

He is surprised to learn Ladybug also has it and Robin comes up with the brilliant idea that they should fall in love with each other.

There is precedent that if you fall out of love with the person, the Hanahaki will go away. But falling out of love is difficult and not easily done. There must be no lingering romantic feelings at all.

Ladybug encourages Robin to chase his crush first, because he at least has a chance if the girl he likes also has it.

Cue the debates

If Ladybug wins: Enter Damian going all out in flirty assassin seduction techniques from his mother - Good Talia that kills rapists, none of that she raped Bruce bs, she actually had a good relationship with Bruce and a mutual breakup because of differing views on killing people - that he’s barely used since his lessons on it in the league and romantic advice from Dick.

He goes full on Bitch-sensei from assassination classroom.

He’s commissioned a shirt from Marinette. She gets to design it however she wants.

It is a long sleeved button up, specifically made to accentuate his muscles without being too revealing.

That’s the shirt he wears when he asks her out with flowers and a stuffed kitten holding a stuffed wood board that says “please date me” He has his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, top button undone. Collar and hair ruffled up for maximum sensuality. He’s got a lot of references between all the people he knows (Bruce, Talia, Selina, Dick, and really his whole family is full of objectively attractive, seductive people he can reference. Just as long as he avoids mimicking their failing romantic habits, he should be fine.)

He tries to be suave about it but is a little too nervous to completely pull it off. It doesn’t matter because Marinette finds it endearing.

On the date, he’s more confident and is able to pull off suave bastard much better but only at the end. He’s a gentleman until the very end, when he leaves her in the bakery

He goes in, and twirls her admittedly short hair around his finger, maintaining eye contact as he presses his lips against her hair - it’s admittedly harder than he expected given how short it is but being so close made it more intimate and the blush on her face was definitely worth it

He leaves in the bakery slightly dazed and counts the date as a success.

Marinette’s mind shut down bc damn that boy is fine and smooth af is flustered and confused as heck but she’s willing to give him a shot

Alternatively: Marinette’s not sure about dating Damian because she feels like she’s just using him to get rid of her hanahaki bc of the idea that Robin had proposed.

Dick is ecstatic that Damian was acting weird because he had a crush and loved helping his brother out with this date planning in the city of love

He doesn’t report it back to the batfam yet because they had a small argument about it and Damian pulled away with the small victory of Dick has to wait until after the first date to tell them.

Damian is glad he Marinette’s willing to give him a chance but he’s worried about Ladybug

he wonders if he should set her up with Tim or Duke, it’d be a shame to lose a friend and hero like her.

Robin brings up his success to Ladybug and asks if there’s anything he can do to help her.

She notes that a friend had actually confessed to her and she’s giving them a chance.

They accidentally compare notes on their dates and that’s their reveal.

If Robin wins: An awkward start that smooths into moonlit dates on the Eiffel tower, dancing on rooftops, an increase in flirting but only after battles, never before it bc they have a professional reputation to keep, increasingly physical training routines, stolen kisses but not on lips until they’re more comfortable with each other.

Fast tracked mutual slow burn which kinda defeats the purpose of a slow burn but whatever

I have realized these ideas are not mutually exclusive.

Maybe Ladybug wins first but Damian fails to seduce Marinette because she has the doubts so they go with plan B and date each other. Ladybug is more comfortable with the idea of dating Robin because they both have Hanahaki and are knowingly using each other to get rid of it?

There is no identity reveal in this version

Complaint Break time: I was writing this to get it out but it keeps growing, wtf. This is so long and I haven’t even gotten to the main part.

It was supposed to be an established Daminette but I wanted to show how they got together, this was supposed to be like 5 bullet points, 10 tops.

At some point, I’m going to have to mention the rumor that people with Hanahaki are being kidnapped because the flowers that bloom after their death make great medicine but that cures most illnesses and are good potions ingredient whatever, something along those lines. It’s not the ones they cough up but the flowers that grow on the vines constricting their lungs after until they die and only blossom after death. Those flowers that spread the pollen into the air that makes the Hanahaki disease possible.

That’s why people keep it a secret unless they’re going to get the surgery as there’s not other way to treat it.

But that’s a plot point for part 2.

I feel like this is already longer than anything I’ve put out at this point in time.

Back to the story:

Even though they’re dating, the Hanahaki doesn’t go away immediately. It slows and becomes less frequent but there are times when they think of how their love doesn’t return their feelings and the flowers come back with a vengeance and they’re down for the day, possibly the entire week, hacking up flower petals and buds.

(Ladybug Wins version until otherwise stated) It’s during one of these fits that Dick finds out and is angry at this girl playing with his brother’s feelings.

Damian is too busy hacking up bloody flower petals to correct him

The entire batfam and subsequently Superfam now know the batfam’s youngest has hanahaki

Jon is called in and flies in to help keep an eye on his best friend

Bruce, Jason, Tim, and Duke are shocked but they pack up and are ready to go in guns blazing to have a talk with this girl bc the boys might not be on the best terms but that’s their baby brother. The girls stay behind to hold down the fort (because I need more time to get familiar with them before I can confidently write their characters. I’m not too confident about Duke either but I already mentioned him and it’s too late to back out now.)

So, Damian’s brothers and his father track her down to a different park in Paris where Marinette’s hanging out with her friends

They’re incised to find their brother’s girlfriend with another guy’s arm around her, leading her away from the main group of friends

It’s Luka, he’s helping her hide her hanahaki because she assures him that she has it under control and will go with him to the hospital if it becomes too much

They confront the couple

There’s a lot of intimidating posturing and accusations

Batfam is absolutely not prepared for the bloody flowers that spill from her lips - her hanahaki is even worse than Damian’s

Detective bats (correctly or incorrectly, depending on which version happens) put the pieces together and figure they’re dating to get rid of the hanahaki, that is something Damian would absolutely propose

and oh shit, this time it’s not just Bruce that’s adopting someone. They have a little sister now.

Luka explains what he knows about the situation and basically confirms what they’d deduced.

Welp, since they’re here, Hawkmoth has become top priority.

Hawkmoth takes one look at the Miraculous circle and the new set of bats and just- nopes out plus super boy and just nopes out.

Like, he tries but he has no expectation of winning and tries to run instead. It doesn’t work, they have all grounds covered.

I should probably make use of Mayura if I ever do write everything out but she didn’t really leave much of an impression on me tbh and I don’t have a lot of ideas. Maybe if I ever go back and watch it.

Celebratory, on-the-spot kiss between Robin and Ladybug where they do “oh“ and realize the pressure in their chest is finally gone and the Hanahaki is no more.

(Robin Wins) Dick is obliviously happy about little Robin leaving the nest and finding a mate until he finds out both the little heroes coughing up flower petals on their date

then he goes in and mother hens them both, before demanding answers

He’s also less happy about this whole dating thing

Dick can’t do much about Ladybug without revealing her identity but Damian isn’t getting out of it so easily

Dick figures out who Damian’s crushing on and goes to do a little investigating. He is very surprised to see it’s a bubbly, energetic designer girl and not someone... calmer. But then he thinks of Jon and it makes a little more sense

He talks to her, asks about what she thinks of Damian and is pleasantly surprised by her positive view of his brother. He asks if she would go out with him and she coughs up some petals

Now, Dick’s freaking out and why are there so many children with Hanahaki? This is the third one in two days!

fast forward because I’m finally out of ideas for this part

Ladybug knows she’s fallen for Robin, which was the entire point of them dating but she not sure he actually reciprocates or is still trying to forget that other girl.

Or if you went the other way, Robin’s still chasing Marinette but Ladybug now likes Robin and is aware that he’s trying to woo her. So, out of the frying pan and into another for her.

Robin is absolutely having regrets bc he is an emotional wreck and crushing on two girls and this was not supposed to happen, damnit.

A meta gets akumatized and takes out half the miraculous court but turns out the meta’s psychic ability can help track Hawkmoth so its all cool, now that they know what Hawkmoth feels like

Ladybug, Chat Noir, Ryuko, and Robin vs Hawkmoth and Mayura

Nightwing stayed behind to watch the other heroes are no longer brain dead from the battle but boy are they out of it and he has to make sure they get home safe

that does not mean he’s not extremely put out and worried about it since he knows half the team has hanahaki and it may interfere with the fight

Even if the Ladybug suit lessens the hanahaki attacks, they still happen from time to time

For two people who don’t show up to fight often Hawkmoth and Mayura put up a good fight

Ladybug has an hanahaki attack and Hawkmoth tried to take advantage of it, only to get knocked out by Chat Noir who’s still pissed at his dad for causing this whole thing

Chat Noir and Ryuko are pretty shocked Ladybug has hanahaki, even more her timer runs out and she choses to present it to Robin

Robin is shook

He gets it together and pulls her into a kiss that cures their hanahaki and makes their brains melt

Now Marinette’s kinda confused bc what the other girl

Damian, slightly shifting his mask so she can see who he is: That other girl was YOU

Now Marinette’s the one who’s shook

Note: Chat Noir and Ryuko have both de-transformed at this point and are watching with wide eyes but they do not see who is under that mask. Also, no cameras in this section of the manor bc that would be proof.

They have a lot to talk about but it works out in the end.

the outline above was written out of order bc I had to go back everytime a new idea hit and I cannot be bothered to go back and dodeca-check this thing again just to make sure everything makes sense.

Part 2 (that was supposed to be the main story- finally made it, the starting point. I cry.)

Ok, so, now that Daminette is established and the evil is defeated

Damian returns to Gotham with his girlfriend in tow to introduce her to the rest of his family, despite his better judgement

Jon is happy that Damian is in happy, loving relationship but he’s a bit sad that it’s not him and oop, sunshine kryptonian boy got hanahaki’d.

Same for Luka. (Yes, Jagged will be his dad and a Gothamite.)

Jagged and his kids join them in Gotham bc he has to be there to show his favorite designer niece around to all the best places of his hometown.

Luka finds out Jon has Hanahaki and they bond over the experience

They make a pact to cover each other and get the other to the hospital when it gets to that point

Pining/Simping meetings over their best friends that for some unknown reason seem to lessen the flower coughing over time even though these meetings probably make things worse but they also need vent before it increases again.

Luka and Jon beginning to fall for each other but they think the other is still in love with Marinette/Damian and it’s true that they still hold feelings for their best friends that aren’t diminishing in the sleightest and it’s all very confusing.

It’s even more confusing when we add the new hero in Gotham, Viperion who’s there to continue training with the bats since he’s visiting the area, rescues and lightly flirts with Jon who ended up developing a small crush and Jon realizes he has a type.

So, poor Jon’s now crushing on Damian, Luka, and Viperion

Viperion meets Superboy and the kryptonian doesn’t seem to like him?

Luka’s crushing on Marinette, Jon - still doesn’t know that Damian is Robin. And is kinda curious and a little hurt that the Robin’s oddly familiar kryptonian is actively and obviously avoiding him and that heart song is kind of familiar but different.

Viperion also gains a crush on Robin after watching him take down a thug in a very graceful way - the bird was showing off for his bug and decided to make it a little showier, he accidentally also caught a snake

Ladybug and Robin still flirt but the court - aside from Ryuko and Chat, depending on which version - think that’s just their dynamic, though they do pull Robin aside for a bit to tell him she has a boyfriend now. He assured them it’s fine and he knows, oddly amused at their attempt.

man, I am not original with this identity porn thing

It isn’t until Luka sees Jon again that he puts it together.

Marinette suspiciously notes Luka and Jon been hanging out an awful lot she’s making connections to the time she had hanahaki and Luka covered for her

The pains of befriending deductive genii.

Cue the panic and they accidentally claim they’re dating but it throws Marinette off for now, so it kinda worked?

Hanahaki fic with a fake dating AU. Oops.

Mari decides since she and Damian don’t know this, they must have been neglecting their best friends and double dates are the way to go.

Cue more panic

Unlike Marinette who is willing to trust their word, Damian’s a suspicious bastard who’s kind of dubious and a little salty that Jon didn’t tell him earlier if they’re telling the truth but Mari’s all gung ho about it so he lets it go for now

They go on the date and it is an emotional mess for everyone involved

It starts out fine

Jon and Luka act a bit weird because they have to cover for each other randomly coughing up petals, not to mention they’re on a date with their original crushes without actually dating their original crushes not even mentioning their new crushes and the secret identity reveal that Luka still hasn’t confronted Jon on and Jon’s guiltily thinking about Viperion half the time he thinks about Luka and shouldn’t it be the other way around?

Yeah, so they’re a mess

Damian’s watching them like he’s trying to figure them out and it is not helping but thank god Mari’s distracting him totally on accident

Marinette? She found a random lost kid in Gotham looking for their parents

So now the double date’s been temporarily derailed to help the lost kid

While Damian’s watching Marinette try pass the crying kid off to Jon for a moment so she can make a phone call to report a lost child but the kid’s clinging onto Marinette, and they exchange looks so Jon calls in the lost kid instead and he’s just struck with the idea of a family with the three of them and some kids

Cue panic time (again)

Ignoring the thought of children, why was Jon in his fantasy?

Luka’s just watching a smitten boy go into panic mode over the trio and while doesn’t quite know what’s going on in Damian’s head, but that was really cute and oh not again

They find the kid’s parents, and the date moves on

Jon’s more comfortable, Marinette wasn’t really bothered in the first place. Luka and Damian are now having crises

Luka makes a joke under his breath in an attempt to calm down before his Hanahaki acts up

It did not help bc Damian overhears and gives a small amused snort that made his heart stutter but hey positive interaction!

Both Marinette and Jon but end up having feelings very similar to the one Damian had earlier when they look over at Damian and Luka’s little interaction - Damian’s giving Luka a small smirk and Luka is entirely embarassed at being heard when he wasn’t hadn’t meant to be.

But then Luka gives Jon a small sign before he excuses himself to the restroom so Luka can run off and cough up his flower petals

You remember that whole thing about the kidnapping people with hanahaki so they die and medicine and things can be collected from the flowers springing up from their corpse thing? Yeah, the kids are in Gotham and there is definitely a group there that has dealings with the trade and someone saw Luka hacking up flowers

but they mark him and pull back to plan instead of kidnapping him then and there bc drama and Jon followed him to the restroom to check on him

Date ends ok and everyone’s kind of an emotional wreck

Damian has surprisingly learned his lesson on miscommunication and guiltily confides his fantasy to her like a parishioner to his priest

Marinette basically goes same and confesses about the moment she and Jon saw his interaction with Luka.

“So, We’re together, and they’re together...and I might be in love with Jon, you think you might be in love with Luka... What now?“ Damian asked, trying to make sense of it all

“We could...” Marinette swallows, “um, all four of us? together?“ she offered meekly. Seeing that Damian seemed to like the idea, she continued. “Y’know, feel out how receptive they are to the idea and then just seduce them?”

Ok, so the temporary communication skills were nice.

Because instead of talking it out with their best friends, they decide to seduce them but to be fair, there’s at least one version of this where Damian got where he did because of seduction.

Between both Damian and Marinette’s phsyical attractiveness, their combined determination and stubbornness, Damian’s assassin seduction knowledge, and Marinette’s fashion ability and tactical knowledge of where to accentuate what, Jon and Luka have no chance of leaving pining hell for the foreseeable future.

Marinette doubles down on the “double dates” aka, seduction plans in action and group hang outs, aka much more softer, subtle seduction plans

Marinette and Damian do not do much seeing how receptive they are and really just jump right into the seduction, except they adjust the plans so Luka and Jon don’t catch on so Daminette couple thinks it’s ok to go all out.

Cue seduction and pining hijinks, and a whole lot of bloodly flowers and plenty of internal screaming

Damian learns that Luka might not be too bad in the group and Jon is panicking because oh shit he’s got another crush and it’s his best friend’s girlfriend.

the quartet’s love issues are really full circle... or whatever this shape is supposed to be. Because there’s still the whole Viperion/superboy thing and - i just... I’m not going to keep analyzing this.

Somewhere during this, Jon confesses his feelings this particular friend group to Con, leaving out the whole Hanahaki thing. Con tells Tim for advice on being a big brother and things happen but I’m not sure what. I just want TimCon and the Superboys bonding

So a couple weeks pass by the Hanahaki’s getting pretty bad and Luka suddenly goes missing

Ladybug and the bats are on it as soon as they realize he’s gone

Except they are missing one, very important piece of information

Luka’s hanahaki

So, for the next few days, they don’t get anywhere until Jon slips up and ends up coughing up a shitton of bloody flowers which leads to panic, confusion and explanation, bc wtf Jon, you’re supposed to be dating Luka and that’s definitely not unrequited

So everyone gets the full explanation, the final piece of the puzzle snaps into place and the bats are on it.

Marinette and Damian have to put aside that whole revelation in order to track and save Luka before he dies of Hanahaki

They both make sure to kiss Jon first so he doesn’t get handicapped by his hanahaki like Ladybug did but he and Luka will be on thin ice once they get Luka back

So it’s pretty much a race against time bc they don’t know how bad Luka’s hanahaki is

Tracking, beat up bad guys, possible magic related villain(s) searching for potion ingredients that may take harm Superboy more than than if they weren’t there

They rescue Luka or Luka and Ssass break out as Viperion and meet them halfway.

Hey, the identity reveals!

Either way, at the end of it, Luka ends up with Ladybug and the unconscious and they have to wait until he wakes up to administer the kiss/cure bc it doesn’t work if one party is unconscious

which sparks an interesting idea of a sleeping beauty-cinderella style hanahaki fic where it would work if they’re unconscious, and the patient has to find go out to find who cured them and I’ll have to adjust some other rules of the hanahaki disease such as who can cure it but goddamn it

So while Luka’s out, Marinette and Damian confront the possibly injured but very much awake Jon

Once Luka wakes up and is brought up to speed, they take care of his hanahaki and work out the new boundaries of their new relationship

Part one is longer and I’m a bit put out by that. This made much more sense in my head but if you got this far, my rambling must have made some sort of sense.

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anomander-dragnipurake · 4 years

Text

Ghosts

I initially had the idea to do this fic a while ago, even before I started writing my first Super Mario fic. I finally got around to it for Halloween after being reminded of the idea via coming across a fanart piece that depicted a similar idea. I'd link it because it's sort of fic inspiration but it's buried deep in the Bowuigi tag on Tumblr and in the reblogs on my main blog.

Of course the hotel was haunted, why wouldn’t it be? Just when he thought he was finally free of having to deal with ghosts, this had to happen. Finding the Poltergust in the garage – indicating E. Gadd was here somewhere too, probably trapped in a portrait – was a sheer stroke of luck because Luigi had neglected to bring his own ghost hunting equipment. This one was the new model E. Gadd had been telling him about too which was neat expect for the fact that he now had to use it to deal with a hotel full of ghosts.

Before getting to that though, he glanced around the garage one last time to make sure he was alone before pulling out his phone. He needed to call Bowser, tell him not to come day after tomorrow after all. They’d been planning to have him show up at the hotel a couple days later and then finally reveal their relationship to Mario and Peach because away from home while on vacation when everyone was already in a good mood seemed like a good place to do that. But ghosts had happened instead so it’d have to wait.

Though it wasn’t super late into the night yet, hopefully Bowser would already be sleeping so Luigi could just leave a message. There was a very real chance Bowser would want to come anyway to punch the ghosts over their plans being ruined and only get himself in trouble. Luigi would rather not have to try to dissuade him from that so… He picked up on the third ring.

“Hey, what’s up?” he said. “Aren’t you normally in bed by now?”

“Uh… yeah but um… well turns out the hotel’s haunted, it was a trap from King Boo. He uh… yeah, stuff happened and I have to deal with it.” He needed to save Mario and Peach, the Toads too. “So, you probably shouldn’t come after all. We’ll have to tell them… later.” Both of them had kept finding reasons to put it off, figures after finally committing to a plan something would go wrong with it.

“He got Mario again, didn’t he?”

“Yep and Peach and the Toads and probably E. Gadd too, since his car is here but he’s not.”

Bowser grunted. “How does King Boo keep beating Mario when I never could?”

“Please not now.” Mario was in danger; Luigi didn’t want to hear about Bowser’s rivalry with him when that was a thing.

“Oh uh… all right, sorry. You okay?” All the gruff bravado was gone from Bowser’s voice now. Instead he sounded concerned which meant Luigi’s plea had been filled with more desperation than he’d intended.

“No, not really.” How could he be in this situation? What if he couldn’t beat King Boo this time? Or what if… King Boo took it further and killed Mario before Luigi could get there to even try to save him?

“Right, you’re afraid of ghosts, huh?”

“I know I probably shouldn’t be anymore.” He’d dealt with two full hauntings and captured King Boo twice as well so logically he shouldn’t be afraid anymore but alas, his fear had never been rooted in anything logical. “But… they’re still scary.” He leaned against E. Gadd’s car, holding back a grown. This ‘adventure’ had only just started and he was already tired.

“All righty then,” Bowser said as if reaching some kind of decision. “I’ll go over and beat the ghosts up for you. Except me in however long it takes my fastest air ship to get there.”

“What? No, no, no, you don’t need to come down here. I can handle it on my own.” It was too late though; the line was dead.

Luigi groaned as he flipped his phone closed to slip back into his pockets. Now he had to save his brother and friends and watch out for when Bowser arrived to hopefully make sure King Boo didn’t get him too. Could the night get any worse?

***

The hotel was rather drab looking in the dark of night, there wasn’t a light on anywhere inside it. It had looked much better in the brochures so it was a disappointment all around. Vacation wasn’t what Bowser was here for though so whatever. Maybe a dark hotel would serve as a good arena to beat up some ghosts and King Boo though.

Mario was going to be so shocked when he saw it was Bowser who’d save him this time. That would count as finally besting him too, right? Defeating the person who’d defeated him was basically a victory over both of them, right? So, this was going to be a fun outing after all.

With a signal from him, the ship flew in closer to hover over the roof. “Circle at a distance until I call you back,” he instructed the shy guy at the wheel before vaulting over the edge. In hindsight, even with how much it would’ve slowed down the ship, he probably should’ve brought in a troop of minions for backup but he’d been in such a hurry and hadn’t wanted to wait for an entire troop to get ready to broad it and now it was too late. Whatever though, he could handle King Boo and his tiny boos by himself.

He landed on the hotel’s roof with a thud, the tiles cracking beneath his weight. Glancing around he was disappointed to see that the roof was empty. What his exact plan was, he had no idea but he didn’t a plan, he’d just wing it like he normally did and it should be fine.

The roof was pretty barren and thus it didn’t take him long to locate a possible way down so he could enter in properly through a window or something. Before he could start to descend though…

“Why are you here?”

He snapped around to see King Boo had come out of seemingly nowhere. He was holding a portrait of Princess Peach, which knowing King Boo’s powerset, meant it probably was her. Bowser had given up courting her a long time ago and had only continued to kidnap her to lure Mario in for another rematch. He no longer even did that because Luigi had decided to convince him not to which had ultimately resulted in their current relationship. But it still made him mad because if anyone was going to capture her, it should’ve been him. He at least treated her right, the way a princess should be treated, not trapping her in a portrait. So…

“I’m here to kick your ass,” he said with a slight growl as he balled up his hands into fists. He would’ve preferred to start with a blast of fire but he wasn’t sure how flammable Peach’s portrait was and he wasn’t going to risk damaging it and possibly her.

King Boo raised an eyebrow and laughed. “You’ll make a nice portrait so sure, I won’t question my good fortune, let’s fight.”

Bowser lunged at him even before finished speaking, intending to grab and rip Peach’s portrait out of his hands. But King Boo floated higher, dodging with seemingly little effort. And he was out of Bowser’s range completely, such bullshit.

With a flash of light from King Boo’s crown, there was suddenly an empty portrait floating beside him. “Sorry this isn’t much of a fight, I got stuff to do,” he said as it starting glowing, pulling Bowser in.

Like hell was he gonna be turned into wall art. He’d blast the damn thing to bits with fire and then…

Next thing he knew, he was indoors and looking down at Luigi instead of up at King Boo. It felt kind of like waking up after a too long nap. He breathed out the breath he’d been taking, releasing a puff of smoke instead of the mighty blast of fire he’d intended it to be. He glanced around at the room, it seemed to be an office of some sort. “What happened? Where am I?” he said as he looked back down.

Luigi looked tired but otherwise mostly fine. He had the Poltergust on his back but a different model than the one he’d shown Bowser. This one had a clear tank with something green inside it. “You were captured by King Boo and turned into a portrait,” he said. “Why did you have come? I tried to tell you not to.”

“Because I wanted to.” Bowser always did whatever he wanted.

“Yeah but why?”

“You’re scared of ghosts, I wanted to beat them up for you.” And he still would, he just had to try a little harder. There were few problems that couldn’t be solved with a good punch and/or blast of fire.

“Oh uh… thanks for the thought.” The slight blush on Luigi’s face as he lifted his free hand to rub the back of his neck was cute and made look slightly less tired. “But I um… I’m fine. I can handle it by myself.”

Bowser sighed as he crossed his arms. He wasn’t too good at reading other people’s emotions but… “You don’t seem fine.”

Luigi deflated a little, letting out a heavy sigh. “It’s scary and I’m tired and… scared and stuff. Gotta save my bro though so…” he trialed off with a shrug. “You should probably go the garage but uh… I’m not sure how I’m going to explain your presence to E. Gadd and the Toads, that’s going to be awkward but I’m not sure where else would be safe.”

“Fuck that, it’s personal now, I’m going to beat up King Boo.” No way would Bowser ever stand for such a humiliating defeat. So he turned to march out the room.

Before he could take more a few steps though Luigi grabbed his arm pulling him back. Bowser could easily just drag him along or pick up and carry him with him or even just shake him off entirely but didn’t.

“You can’t,” Luigi said. “He’ll just turn you into a portrait again so… please don’t. I already have to save Mario and Peach, I don’t want to have to save you again too.” He sounded desperate and scared and… it made Bowser feel bad. “So just… let me do it.”

“You’re scared of ghosts though.” So he shouldn’t even want to do this.

“Yeah but… you need special equipment for hunting ghosts and… I’ve never lost to them so… I can handle it.” He was full on hugging Bower’s arm now, making it even harder to pull away.

Bowser could only sigh at that. “All right, fine, I’ll just help you then.” He could do that much at least. “I’m not letting that bastard get away with beating me so easily and I’m not letting you face the ghosts on your own when you’re so scared of them. And there’s nothing you can do to convince me to hide in some stupid safe place instead.”

Luigi looked like he wanted to protest but sighed instead as he rested the side of his face against Bowser’s upper arm. “Okay, that works, I guess. It’s… kind of nice to have some company anyway I suppose, it gets kind of lonely sometimes.”

Bowser grunted instead of trying to come up with a reply because he wasn’t sure how to. “Let’s go,” he said instead, gesturing towards the rooms exit. He wanted to see how Luigi fought ghosts, he’d been curios about what that was like ever since Luigi had told him about it. “I can’t wait to see the look on Mario’s face when I help save him.”

Luigi chuckled nervously. “That’s uh… certainly going to be an interesting meeting.”

#My writing #super mario bros #Luigi's Mansion #Bowuigi #canon divergence #established relationship #Luigi's mansion 3

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dsmplorehistory · 3 years

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(I sectioned all event into 3 'Seasons', so it wasn'tas much cramped together. This is part one to be clear.)

When Tommy joins the Smp, it is a very small server. Members are Dream, George, Sapnap, Alyssa and Ponk. Callahan and BadBoyHalo are also whitelisted, but don’t really play. That said, they’ve built the Community house, the nether area and a few other buildings and things and have had some scuffles with each other, such as burning down Ponk’s lemon tree.

Anyway, Tommy makes his humble home in the side of a hill as Tubbo, Fundy and Punz also join the server. Purpled joins too a couple days later. There’s some conflicts and things and Tommy finds two music discs, Mellohi and Cat.

=> So, you got the disc war, where Tommy (and Sapnap) was picking a fight with Dream, causing him to take the music discs from him as a punishment. Tommy was therefore trying to reacquire his music discs, Cat and Mellohi, back from Dream. This ended with them both safely inside his ender chest. During this little saga was also where Wilbur invited Dream to meet him in Brighton. Wilbur supposedly met up with both George and Dream though the promised Vlog never came out (and its since been revealed that he only met up with George).

=> Over the next little while, things were normal. Many towers and structures were built on the server. There were a few smaller conflicts, like Tommy accidentally killing Tubbo’s bee. I believe Eret joined the server over this time period. Jschlatt also got whitelisted onto the server, played for a few hours before being banned, likely due to the outcry on twitter (Dream claims it was unrelated but let’s not pretend that wasn’t a factor), Tommy loved the experience of playing with Jschlatt because he’s like his hero and highly values both the Cuck shed, which he built, and Blocks, the music disc he listened to with him.

=> Then Wilbur logged on again to play with Tommy. This time he wanted to do a Breaking Bad style drugs plot, building a caravan full of brewing stands. They then tried to acquire all the blaze rods from the other players. It ended up with them in Jail/on the run. Purpled, Punz and especially Sapnap were the ones who really interfered with them. Notably they all had Netherite armour while Wilbur and Tommy had much more basic gear.

=> This led to Wilbur’s greatest plan - to secede from the Dream SMP by creating a new server for all the European people. They soon came up with the name L’Manberg and began building the walls. Wilbur declared it a safe place with special server rules: no weapons or armour to be worn in L’Manberg. Tommy was keen to be his right-hand man (and he goes through a little arc during the L’Manberg war saga). They also all get new skins with revolutionary outfits and make a lot of Hamilton references. Tubbo and Eret both join the new nation. Dream declares war on them.

=> Fundy logs in inside the newly built walls of L’Manberg, beginning the story that he’s Wilbur’s son, the first citizen born in L’Manberg. There weren’t presently any women in their nation, so his mother is a Salmon from the river. It makes as much sense in context! Anyway, they build up the walls and late that night, Dream attacks, burning down trees, firing TNT cannons, creating an ugly cobblestone wall and burning down Tubbo’s old house. On Tommy’s next stream, Dream’s kind of busy with a serious stream at the same time but comes on to demand their surrender once more before blowing up Tommy’s base. No Mercy! War day comes, and it ends in defeat when Eret bought them to The Final Control room and betrays them. Tommy then demands a bow duel from Dream, betting a music disc for their independence. Tommy loses but offers both Cat and Mellohi in exchange for independence, which Dream accepts. Thus, despite their losses, they had a sort of victory as L’Manberg has been recognised as its own independent nation and they have peace.

=> In the Aftermath, some rebuilding is done. Niki and Jack Manifold both join the server and join L’Manberg - though Dream tries to tempt Jack away. Things begin to get back to normal though Tommy is still anxious to get his discs back. Quackity and later Karl Jacobs both join the server too. Oh, and Eret and Fundy engage in a bit of a prank war with each other, messing with each other’s builds in creative ways. Eret is now King of the Dream Smp - that was the price of his betrayal.

=> Then we get to a lot of interesting isolated incidents - a theatre where they performed some Hamilton and Macbeth, Dream trading away one of Tommy’s discs (Cat) to Skeppy, the railway war where Dream gets run over by a minecart on Tommy’s newly built railway and he takes Dream’s stuff and try to ransom a music disc back, Big Law (Tubbo) and the King’s court, Church Prime, where they build a holy land to ask for Twitch Primes, a conflict between Fundy and Punz - Fundy kidnapped his favourite bee. And, most critically, the Pet war.

=> The pet war is a bizarre conflict where everyone was rather hungry for another server war and a lot of shots got fired but things never quite escalated. Sapnap kills Nikki’s fox Fungi - (and one of Tommy’s cows) - Niki was furious. In retaliation, Tommy captured Beckerson and Mars from Sapnap’s house - two of the oldest pets in the server. Dream was ready to trade a disc for them back. It kinda ended with them scamming each other but Tommy got Mellohi back (and a fake) while keeping hold of Spirit (the remains of Dream’s old horse) while Dream got back his sword and both fish. Fundy was not done though. He wanted further revenge on Sapnap, so he and Niki killed one of his pets. Then Sapnap killed more animals and destroyed the grave they made for Fungi - it was quite a mess. Tommy was somehow in the position of playing mediator and trying to avert another war. Fundy eventually challenged Sapnap to a duel to settle things - he even builds an arena which referenced the Dream vs Technoblade duel.

=> Wilbur and Tommy come up with a new plan - they’re supposedly in charge of L’Manberg but they don’t have a lot of power as no one’s been listening to them while a Civil war’s been practically breaking out. Wilbur decides the problem is legitimacy and declares an election where he will run to become the elected President of L’Manberg - though he’s already incumbent. Their initial plan is to run as a single party, so victory is assured but Quackity declares this unfair and announces his own candidacy against them - Swag2020. George joins Quackity as his running mate. Wilbur and Tommy brand their campaign Pog2020. Wilbur explains that the viewers will get the chance to vote in this election. Fundy and Niki also decide to run as their own party, Coconut2020 - a twist given how Fundy was Wilbur’s son and yet he’s against them.

=> On the day voting begins, Tommy and Wilbur first get Vikkstar to endorse them and then Schlatt - who they got unbanned for the occasion - but Schlatt refuses to support them, declaring Democracy a fraud. He runs against them too - as Schlatt2020. Quackity and Schlatt also form a coalition, pooling their votes together. (Hbomb also joins the server). In the end, this coalition narrowly wins by 46% to 45% and Schlatt becomes President. His first act is to banish Wilbur and Tommy - and he orders Tubbo to hunt them down.

=> It’s chaos. The walls of L’Manberg get destroyed, as do various other builds. Schlatt speaks of expanding, taking over the entire SMP server and changes the name to Manburg. Out with the old! Niki opposes, Eret is keen to redeem himself and wants to help Wilbur and Tommy while Fundy burns down the L’Manberg flag. Deep in the woods, Wilbur and Tommy hide, having lost everything and not sure who they can trust. They accept help from Technoblade and the three of them form an underground resistance, Pogtopia, to overthrow the new Government, with Tubbo working as a spy for them.

=> The server is divided. Dream decides to support Tommy, at first quietly offering him tons of resources to help. When Sapnap kills yet another animal (how?!) Tommy’s precious cow Henry, Tommy is sad/enraged and does some grieving which leads him into a little war against Sapnap, BadboyHalo, Skeppy and Antfrost (who rather recently joined the server). So, Dream decides to more vocally help Tommy out as an ally of Pogtopia, fighting the others, along with Technoblade (and Punz too). Dream even gives Tommy an important fish - Mars. Tommy’s side wins the battle.

=> Schlatt decides to organise a festival in Manburg. Wilbur questions whether he and Tommy are doing the right thing and decides to embrace being a villain with some destruction. He plans to blow up Manburg, aided by Dream. Tommy intends to stop him.

=> At the festival, Tubbo is outed as a Pogtopia spy and Schlatt orders Technoblade to execute him. He does, albeit reluctantly, and then kills most of the audience too with his firework crossbow. Tommy is enraged, feeling like Techno’s betrayed him. Nikki’s furious with Schlatt’s actions and joins Pogtopia.

=> After the festival, Quackity also leaves Schlatt after an argument where he points out how messed up everything is and how little he’s respected. Tommy finds him and they ally. Wilbur goes to blow up Manburg but Tommy and Quackity come with him and carefully talk him down. Wilbur relents and agrees to follow Tommy as they all plan for a way to defeat Schlatt once and for all.

=> Quackity’s plan to oust Schlatt fails. So, Wilbur tries to blow up Manburg and this too fails as Schlatt has secretly removed the TNT he planted. They retreat to Pogtopia where Fundy reveals he’s secretly been a spy this whole time and has secretly recorded Schlatt’s weaknesses. Wilbur, suddenly realising that the rest of the server is on their side, regains confidence to take down Schlatt the right way.

=>Then Dream appears. He declares his support for Schlatt and reveals that there’s a traitor in Pogtopia’s ranks. The last person they’d expect. Another war is approaching. If things go badly, Wilbur intends to blow it up. Tommy wants to stop Wilbur and win everything back.

=>The war does not go well. Schlatt is cornered - but then he dies of a heart attack while everyone just watches. Wilbur declares it a victory and announces Tommy as President. Tommy refuses the honour. So, Wilbur appoints Tubbo, who accepts.

=>Techno is enraged at their formation of a new Governmentand shoots Tubbo. Wilbur, meanwhile, runs away and denotates the TNT in the presence of Philza - who just joined. Techno then sets off a pair of Withers, aided by Dream. The newly renamed L’Manberg is all blown up.

=>The withers are defeated. Philza kills Wilbur. Tommy affirms that Tubbo is still the president as they go listen to a music disc together, and they plan to rebuild everything despite Techno being out there - now their greatest adversary.

THIS INCLUDES ALL EVENTS UP TO THE 18th OF DECEMBER 2020

#dream smp #lore #dsmp lore #manburg war #manburg vs pogtopia #lmanberg #tommy and tubbo #techno mcyt

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kelyon · 3 years

Text

Golden Rings 11: A Doctor

The Storybrooke sequel to Golden Cuffs

Mrs. Gold seeks some medical advice

Read on AO3

Her horse thunders down the mountaintop. Cloak streaming behind her, her loose hair tangles in the wind. The leather satchel, in which she carries her most treasured possessions, bounces on her back. She kicks at her horse to make him go faster. Though unused to such urgency, the farm horse neighs and doubles his efforts. They go at a full gallop, bolting away from the castle, their home.

She has to look like she is afraid.

On the road in the forest, she comes upon a prince and his knights. They are travelling up the mountain she is coming down. She has seen this prince before, though he doesn’t know her. Her husband says she can trust the prince and his true love to always do what they think is good. This band of soldiers is armed to the teeth, but they are no threat to her.

Not if she does this right.

“Oh thank the gods!” she cries when she sees them. Her voice is pitched with fear and relief. “You found me!”

The prince slows his horse to stop and talk to her. “Who are you?” he asks. “Did you come from the castle on top of the mountain?”

“I did!” Tears choke her voice, but her eyes are dry. “I used to live there. The Dark One, he--”

“The Dark One can’t hurt you anymore,” the prince says. He is kinder than most men in his position. “That monster has been defeated. He will never hurt anyone again.”

Behind the prince, the knights nod and laugh in agreement.

Now tears fill her eyes. “Is he dead?”

“He’s captured.” The man who speaks is dressed as a knight, but he has the stature and features of a dwarf. Atop a horse, he is at the prince’s right hand. He seems to speak with authority. “Not even his magic can get him out.”

She shudders. Hopefully, these men will think that she is overcome with terror at what the Dark One has done, and not at what might be done to him.

“He kept me a prisoner.” She does not lie. “He did things to me, unspeakable things.”

Certainly unspeakable in polite company.

“Then don’t speak of it.” Again, the prince is kind. He could so easily dismiss her, be rude and condescending. But instead he is gentle, considerate. It is easy for a man to show compassion when a pretty girl presents herself as a victim. “You are safe now.”

“Are you going to the castle?” she asks.

“We are.” The prince straightens in his saddle. “We need to find out what other evils the Dark One might have brewing in his fortress.”

“You can’t!” This is far from the most crucial step of the plan, but it is the part she cares about the most. She does not want these men poking about in her husband’s things. “You will take your lives into your hands if you try to invade that place.”

“We have protections against dark magic,” the dwarf-knight says. “The Blue Fairy herself enchanted our weapons and armor.”

“Is she here with you?” She looks over the knights, wide-eyed in her show of innocence. “Surely such a powerful force for good would want to oversee this victory herself. And of course it would be as safe for her as it is for all of you!”

The prince gives her a careful look and does not answer her question. “How did you escape?”

“Once the Dark One left the castle, nothing stopped me from sneaking out through the stables.” Nothing would have stopped her from leaving the castle even when he was in residence. It was her home and he never forced her to do anything. “But it is much more dangerous to get in than to get out. There are traps and wards and all kinds of dangers to those he doesn’t want to be there.”

The prince furrows his brow. “I’ve come to that castle univintied before.”

“He wanted you there,” she answers grimly. “They say he knows everything, that nothing happens that he hasn’t already foreseen.”

“He didn’t see our trap coming,” the dwarf says.

She covers her mouth so the men can’t see her stern face falter. Her husband saw through their plan to capture him from the very beginning. He practically put the idea into their heads.

“You have no idea what he is capable of.” She says when she trusts herself to speak without smirking. “Please stay away from that place, for the sake of your own lives.” She looks at the prince. “I am already severed from my husband because of the Dark One’s devious machinations. I would not have any other bride lose the man she loves.”

He sits back at that. “You need to find your love?”

“I don’t know where he is!” Her voice breaks, and that is not a part of the act. “I would give anything to be with him again.”

“Do you know where he might be?”

Sitting on her horse, she is at eye level with the prince. Nevertheless, she makes an effort to look small and weak. Helpless. A damsel in need of rescuing. “He could be anywhere. He might be somewhere in the Queen’s kingdom. And the gods know what happens to people there.”

The prince’s mouth tightens into a hard line. “That woman is not a queen anymore,” he declares. “And that kingdom belongs to my wife.” He turns to his men. “Change of plans! We’re going to escort this young woman to safety. And then we’re going to remember who our real enemy is! We’ll redouble our efforts to take away the witch’s power so she can never hurt innocent people again!”

The knights cheer, all except for the gruff dwarf. “What about the Dark One’s castle? There could be some kind of weapon there that we could use to defeat her.”

“Yes, Grumpy, there might be,” the prince says. “But it could also blow up in our faces. Literally. I, for one, want to look upon my child before I die. We’re going back to Snow.”

On her farm horse, she rides along with the knights and the dwarf and the prince. Later, she is at a castle that is not her home. She is presented to the court. A pregnant woman dressed in white sits on a throne. Her hair is as black as ebony and her lips are as red as blood.

Her story is told, her plea for help heard. A talking cricket questions her. Nothing she tells him is a lie. Her husband is gone. She is afraid of the Evil Queen. The Dark One did things to her that none of them could ever imagine. She is good and she seeks a place in this haven they have created.

A light shines over her. Floating, sparkling, blue light. It threatens to blind her if she looks at it too long or too closely. Through squinting eyes, she can see that the light is really a tiny person.

No. Not a person. A fairy.

Her husband never had anything good to say about fairies.

The thing looks like a woman. It speaks with a woman’s voice. It flutters around her, examines her. It is trying to see into her soul, to judge whether she is worthy of kindness or trust.

“You have been touched by dark magic,” the fairy says as it looks her over. “Penetrated by it. Deeply… over and over… everywhere…”

The stakes are too high for her to laugh at what the fairy says. She maintains a stone face.

“But your heart is full of love!” the fairy announces joyfully. It addresses the crowd. “This is a pure soul, a good person. We must welcome her!”

The court claps and cheers. The woman in white stands to her feet. Holding her belly, she is assisted by the prince and a girl in a long red cloak.

She is embraced and greeted, welcomed to the fight against evil. Someone asks, “What is your name?”

Before she can answer, everything fades away.

****

It was still dark when Mrs. Gold woke up. Her dream had been filled with light and color and noise. Waking up to blackness and near-silence was a shock.

More shocking, Mr. Gold was in bed with her. She felt the warmth and the weight of him on the mattress. Heard the gentle steadiness of his breathing. It must be early enough that he hadn’t woken up yet.

They had never been the sort of couple who copied each other’s nighttime routines. The trial of two people crowding around a tiny sink to brush their teeth at the same time had never come up in their marriage. Mr. Gold had always kept his own hours, and he allowed her to sleep whenever she wanted to. If her husband wanted her, he had no qualms about waking her up and putting her to work.

But lately, the differences in their schedules had become more pronounced. Sometimes Mr. Gold would stay in his study until she was already asleep. Or sometimes he would have the light turned off before she even came upstairs. No matter what time he went to bed, he always got up earlier than she did.

Almost every morning, she woke up to an empty bed.

As her dream faded away, Mrs. Gold was left with a crucial memory: Her husband was gone from her. In the dream, the man she loved had been captured or kidnapped. Something terrible had happened to him. He was far away, but she would go to him and get him back. Now, in the real world, Mr. Gold was right next to her.

But she was running out of ways to reach him.

How long had it been? She didn’t like keeping track of the days. That would just make all the changes in her life more real, and she didn’t want them to be real. If she didn’t know how long it had been, it would be easier to convince herself that it hadn’t been that long. This was just a fluke, a dry spell. It wasn’t as bad as she thought.

She could convince herself of that, until she remembered that Rent Day was this Sunday. Then she knew exactly how long it had been since her husband had last touched her.

A month.

It had been a month without sex. A month without him. A month without punishments, lessons, or orgasms. A month since the last time she had gotten on her knees and kissed his shoes. A month since Mr. Gold had called her a good girl in that breathless, exhausted way he did when he was really satisfied, when he really meant it.

A month since he had last looked at her like she was beautiful--or pathetic. Something to be treasured and degraded all at once. Those were always the best times, when he gave her both. Pleasure and pain, affection and malice, hot lust and cold disdain all at once. Perfect whore, he would call her then. Filthy angel, delectable cockslut.

Mrs. Gold let out the faintest of moans. His voice could always bring her off. Now just thinking of it was enough to make her wet. His voice and his words and the way his lips curled back like a warning. It always made tension coil inside her, as she waited for those words to become actions.

Before she could do anything stupid, Mrs. Gold pulled her hands up from under the covers. She clasped them together over her stomach on top of the blanket. That was one of the biggest rules: She was not allowed to touch herself for her own pleasure.

She could tease herself, when Mr. Gold ordered her to. But she was never allowed to have an orgasm without him. Early in their marriage, it had taken her a while to remember all of Mr. Gold’s rules, and even longer to get into the habit of obeying him without question. He had been patient with her about many things, but he had no tolerance for her being self-centered with the body he had bought.

Even in the middle of this weird patch they were going through, she knew better than to disobey. It wasn’t that she was afraid that Mr. Gold would punish her--if anything, she was becoming afraid that he wouldn’t. But who you really are is who you are when no one else is looking. She wanted to be Mr. Gold’s good girl.

So she would follow the rules. Even if he wasn’t going to enforce them. She would do it because she wanted to.

She would do it because she loved him.

In the darkness, Mrs. Gold shut her eyes against the tears. She rolled over to her side, so she was facing her husband’s back. She wanted to reach out to him, to touch the soft silk of his pajamas. She wanted to curl up around him, throw her arm over her chest and let their legs get tangled up in each other. She wanted to cling to him and cry.

But she didn’t.

Pain sat heavy in her chest. It made it difficult to breathe. Mr. Gold didn’t like to be touched. And he hated her touching him without permission. Almost every time they had sex, he would make sure her hands were out of the way. Tied together, handcuffed to the furniture, tucked away under her body, or held under his own strong grasp. He could only relax when he knew she was under control.

Clenching her jaw, Mrs. Gold got on her back again. She wasn’t allowed to touch him any more than she could touch herself. She really should just try to sleep.

But all of her tossing and turning must have disturbed Mr. Gold. While she was on her back, he rolled over to his other side. Now he was facing her.

He wrapped his arm around her waist, as natural as breathing. Still asleep, he snuggled up to her body. His face buried into the nape of her neck. She felt his lips move against her skin as he murmured, “Sweetheart.”

Mrs. Gold let out a breath.

The sudden contact--more touch and more gently than she had gotten in ages--brought tears to her eyes. And the words! Had Mr. Gold ever called her sweetheart? Had he ever said anything so loving before? This was like a dream. But she knew she was awake.

She didn’t move. She didn’t dare. She didn’t know how long this embrace would last. She didn’t know how long it might be before her husband touched her again.

Staying as still as she could, Mrs. Gold kept awake until dawn, savoring every stolen moment of her husband’s love.

****

When she woke again, he was gone. Breakfast was normal. Mr. Gold acted with as much polite distance as he had for the past month. He didn’t seem to remember what he had done in the night. Or if he did, he wasn’t going to talk about it.

Mrs. Gold read the paper aloud, as always. There was a good write-up about the earthquake in the abandoned mines that had happened recently. The mayor’s kid had gotten stuck in a mine shaft and that blonde lady--she was Sheriff Graham’s deputy now--had gone in to rescue him.

In other news Marco the handyman had fallen off a ladder in front of the hardware store while he was replacing a burnt out lightbulb. He had broken a bone and sought treatment at Storybrooke General Hospital.

“Huh,” Mrs. Gold said after finishing that article. “I never thought of that.”

“What’s that?” Mr. Gold took up the last bite of his eggs and toast. As usual, he wasn’t really looking at her.

“Oh, it’s nothing important.” Nonchalance was as close to lying to him as she would ever dare. “I just… remembered that doctors exist.” She giggled. “It’s amazing the things you don’t think about. Or at least the things I don’t think about!”

Normally--or what she used to think of as normally--Mr. Gold would have ordered her to stop playing dumb and tell him what was going on. He would remind her that he knew exactly how stupid she was. She couldn’t fool him by putting on the bimbo act she did for other people.

But today he just made a noncommittal sound and stood up to clear the breakfast dishes. Mrs. Gold stayed seated and let him move around her. She bit her lip and twisted her wedding ring over her finger.

It had been a month. She couldn’t pretend any longer. Something was wrong with her husband. And she had to find out what.

****

The next day, she dressed to impress. Black silk thigh-highs with a line down the back, like old-time Hollywood bombshell. Shiny red heels that would match her red sunglasses. She even got out the black latex bra and garter belt she liked to wear on special occasions. With a tight black dress, cherry red lipstick, and a diamond bracelet, she was ready to go.

All she needed was a wide-brimmed hat and a cigarette and she’d look like a goddamned femme fatale.

Mr. Gold blinked when she came down for breakfast, but he didn’t mention her outfit. That only strengthened her resolve. She had to get answers, and soon.

They went their separate ways. Mr. Gold had taken some leftovers for his lunch at the shop. He gave her money and she assured him that she would go to Granny’s if she got hungry.

Her first stop was the drugstore to pick up her birth control. Not that she needed it, but you never knew when things could change. Unlike every other month for as long as she could remember, Mr. Gold hadn’t called in her prescription. When Tom Clark, the pharmacist, realized that she was going to wait in the store until he filled her prescription, he sneezed so hard he nearly blew his nose off. What a stupid little man.

She killed time until lunch was well under way at the diner. It was a cold day, so she had to spend more time in stores than out on the streets. Even if she didn’t have Mr. Gold’s attention, she could still get a thrill out of the stir she could cause just by walking around in a getup like this. The sunglasses helped disguise the fact that she was watching people stare at her.

The patio outside Granny’s was empty except for two pre-teen girls drinking hot chocolate. They were huddled up together, playing some sort of hand-held video game.

“How are we supposed to prove that this is the real sacred urn of Kurain? You know the prosecution is going to want evidence.”

“It’s gotta be fingerprints.”

“But whose?”

She stopped and cocked her head at them. What kind of video game required evidence for the prosecution? Mrs. Gold had an easier time recognizing the girls than she did understanding their game.

The blonde girl in the lime green puffy coat was Paige Lewis. She was the one holding the device that sounded out a stream of tension-filled music. Her parents owned a large house in New Town. Tim Lewis was an insurance salesman who had a debt with Mr. Gold that he paid extra to keep his wife from knowing about. Of course Paige didn’t have a clue about that. She was a kid, and rich enough to be carefree and happy.

The other girl was owl-eyed and sallow-skinned. Her brown hair was lank and lifeless. Instead of a real coat, she was wearing an oversized insulated hoodie--the kind a man would wear for hazardous outdoor work. Lexi. Wasn’t that her name? Lexi Paisan. Her father had died in an accident at the cannery a few years ago. The mother, Suzy Paisan, was a waitress and a housemaid here at Granny’s. The rent was never late from them, but Lexi never had new clothes. She always looked cold and hungry.

Today was no exception.

Both girls noticed her looking at them. Paige turned off the game, and Lexi’s mouth dropped open.

“Damn!” she said, with more energy than her sullen demeanor would have indicated possible. “You look like a million bucks!”

Mrs. Gold snorted and walked over to them. “Not that much, not in this outfit.”

Paige spoke next, “Wait, do you literally have a dress that costs a million dollars?”

“Not one dress, no. But I bet if you added up all my clothes and shoes and bags and jewelry together it would come pretty close.”

“That’s crazy.” Paige spoke like she was the complete authority on the subject.

She looks just like her mother.

Mrs. Gold blinked. Why had she thought that? Paige’s mother, Mia Lewis, was a thin, auburn-haired Realtor with hazel eyes. Paige had a mop of curly blonde hair, beautifully plump cheeks, and dark eyes that sparkled with a specific type of knowing mischief. She was a pretty girl, but she didn’t take after her mother at all.

Weird.

Lexi was still staring at Mrs. Gold. “How do you walk in shoes that tall?”

Smirking, she lifted one foot off the ground to give the girls a better look at her heels. “Practice. And your feet get numb after a while.”

“Is that healthy?” Paige asked.

“Nope.”

Lexi nodded her approval. “Badass.”

Mrs. Gold snorted again. “I’ve been called a lot of things, but never that.”

“How much did those shoes cost?” Lexi asked.

She didn’t answer. This pair of designer heels had been a gift from Mr. Gold. She had seen an ad for them in one of her magazines and pointed them out to him. He said that he would buy them for her, if she let him make her thighs as shiny and cherry-red as the shoes themselves. When she agreed, he took off his belt and had her lift up her skirt right then and there. Her legs were still bright red when he had finished fucking her, and the bruises had lasted for weeks.

That was how much these shoes had cost.

Instead of saying any of that, Mrs. Gold put on her widest smile. “Shouldn’t you guys be in school?”

Paige furrows her eyebrows. “It’s Thanksgiving break. We’re off until Monday.”

“Oh.”

Weird that the major holiday at the end of November could completely pass her by. But it checked out. Thanksgiving was tomorrow. And Rent Day was this Sunday. And it had been a month since Mr. Gold had fucked her.

“Well,” she kept smiling. “I guess that’s what happens when you don’t go to school anymore! I’ll let you girls get back to your game.”

****

Inside the diner, every table was full. Mrs. Gold took a moment to survey the scene. Leroy Miner and a few other rough-and-tumble working men lined the bar stools. Ruby Lucas was on the phone with orders for take out. Suzy Paisan walked past with a tray on each arm. And in a booth by the window, Doctors Hopper, Atwell, and Whale were lunching together and arguing.

Perfect.

Without missing a beat, Mrs. Gold walked up to the table with the best view of the booths. There was already a customer at the table. Keith Sherwood, who never had his rent in on time. He was a younger man, scruffy and unkempt--like almost every man in Storybrooke. He had oddly pursed lips and a chin that looked like a butt. She’d always hated him.

“I want to sit here,” she announced coldly. “Alone.”

And that was all she needed to say. Bug-eyed, Keith swallowed the bite he had been chewing. He nodded vigorously and stood up.

“Yes, Mrs. Gold.”

He held out the chair he had been sitting in, but she walked around to the other side of the table and took her place. Delicately, she pushed away the plate where he still had half a tuna melt and a few scattered fries.

“Let me clear that for you, Mrs. Gold.” Keith picked up his dishes and silverware and looked around frantically for a place to put them.

“Aren’t you going to tip your waitress?” She examined her fingernails, only slightly disappointed that she was missing the show of Keith trying to grab his wallet while still holding on to his garbage.

Somehow he managed. When she looked up, there were a few crumpled ones on the empty table and Keith was out of sight.

She barely had time to pull out her purse before Ruby came running out from behind the counter with a pad and pen at the ready.

“Hello, Mrs. Gold! What can I do for you today?”

God, was it only a month ago that she had been shaking down little Ruby for her grandmother’s rent? A lot had changed since then.

Mrs. Gold did not smile at Ruby. Instead, she placed one fifty dollar bill on the table. “I want a pumpkin spice latte, skim milk.” She set down another fifty. “Burgers and fries for those little girls on the patio.” Another bill. “And when Dr. Whale is done with his ‘meeting of the minds,’ you’ll let him know that his check has been taken care of.” Setting down the last fifty, Mrs. Gold looked up at the waitress’ bulging eyes. “And you will keep this all to yourself. Won’t you, Ruby?”

The cash was in Ruby’s apron pocket so fast it might have never been on the table at all. “Absolutely, Mrs. Gold.”

She rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses.

****

As she sipped her too-sweet latte, Mrs. Gold observed the doctors in the booth on the other side of the restaurant. Every Wednesday, the shining stars of the Storybrooke health community met for lunch. Lunch and a ritual re-hashing of the exact same argument every week.

Dr. Atwell was the shortest and oldest of the three men, with gray hair and reading glasses. He had a high-pitched, piercing voice that carried over the bustle of the diner.

“You can’t deny the truth, Archie, and this is the oldest saying in the book: You’re not a real doctor if you haven’t delivered a baby!”

Dr. Hopper shook his head and chuckled good-naturedly. “If that’s the case, then you’re more a doctor than Victor.”

Dr. Whale made a face like he was wounded. “Well, Roy has an unfair advantage! Puppies come out seven at a time!”

All three men laughed. It was eventually agreed, as it was every Wednesday, that they would invite Phillipa Sherman to start coming to these lunches. Then the vet, the shrink, and the medical practitioner could all band together and taunt her for being a lowly dentist.

Shockingly, Dr. Sherman never made an appearance.

Eventually, they gathered their coats, and Dr. Hopper’s umbrella, and went to the cash register to pay. Dr. Whale was last in line. After a moment of murmured conversation with Ruby, the good doctor looked over at Mrs. Gold.

He began to walk toward her, but before he got to her table she was already on her feet and out the door.

On the patio, Paige and Lexi were hunched over their game again. The plates on the table in front of them were empty except for smears of ketchup and honey mustard.

Without looking behind her, Mrs. Gold strutted around the corner to the alleyway between Granny’s Diner and the Atlantic Twine and Net store. She leaned against the brick wall across from the dumpster with one foot propped back at an angle behind her. Perfectly casual.

Dr. Whale didn’t keep her waiting long. He followed her into the alley, his usually purposeful stride fumbling a little in this new circumstance.

“Mrs. Gold.” He kept his hands in his coat pockets, maintained as respectful a distance as the cramped alley would allow. “I understand I owe you lunch.”

She lowered her sunglasses to meet his eyes. He wasn’t bad-looking, if you liked cocky young blondes. Evidence suggested that quite a few ladies around Storybrooke did.

“You’re doing me a favor just by talking to me, Doctor.” She tossed her hair to expose her neck, watched his genial smile falter into something more serious. How much did he like what he saw?

He cleared his throat. “Is there… something I can do for you?”

Mrs. Gold pushed off the wall and sauntered closer to him. She made her hips sway as she moved and watched his eyes follow the motion. Slowly, she brought her hand to her mouth, rubbed her thumb over her lower lip. Thank God this lipstick was smear-proof.

“There is something I want to ask you.” She kept her voice breathy, soft. Whale had to lean in to hear her. “But it’s… kind of naughty.”

The noise Whale made in the back of his throat sent a bolt of lightning through her. Not to her libido, but to her ego. Sex appeal was the only power she had, and it had been a solid month since she’d gotten a chance to really use it.

When Whale was able to speak, his voice was thick and heavy. “I can be naughty.”

Mrs. Gold giggled and reached out to finger the lapel of his coat. It wasn’t bad, a navy blue wool blend. Not as high quality as any of Mr. Gold’s coats, but respectable. And it fit him, which was half the work of looking good in clothes.

“See,” she said as she closed in the space between their bodies. “The thing I want…”

“Yeah?” They were too close for her to focus on all of Whale’s face, but she could see that his lips were twitching. He was getting excited, but he kept his hands in his pockets like a good boy.

“I want…” She ran her hand up his collar and stretched out her finger to brush against his ear lobe. “Mr. Gold’s medical records.”

“What?” Dr. Whale straightened up and jerked away. “You--you want what?”

She stood her ground, crossing her arms over her chest. “You’re his doctor. He’s my husband. I believe I have a right to know if there’s something wrong.”

Whale ran his fingers through his hair and blew out a long breath. “Oh, that was more effective than a cold shower,” he muttered. Then he looked at Mrs. Gold. “Was that what this was about the whole time?”

“Maybe,” she shrugged. “Depends on how well it worked.”

“Yeah, but just to be clear,” he said. “This is not a quid pro quo situation, is it? You were never going to deliver on any of that enticing body language.”

“Not unless Mr. Gold wanted me to.”

“And he doesn’t, does he?” Whale looked her over. For the first time since he entered the alley, he appeared to be using his brain. “He doesn’t know you’re talking to me.”

Mrs. Gold swallowed. Then she put on a smile. “It would be very nice of you not to mention it. I’d hate to give Mr. Gold a reason not to trust you!”

Whale opened his mouth, then closed it. He nodded, understanding the way she had set it up. The moment he had walked into an alley with another man’s wife, he had lost any moral high ground he might have ever had.

“So,” he said slowly. “Whatever happens here… it stays between us. Does that work out for you, Mrs. Gold?”

She stuck out her hand and he shook it. “Deal,” she said brightly.

Sighing, Whale stuck his hands back in his coat pockets. “I hope you know I can’t just pass out copies of my patient’s medical history.”

“That’s fine,” she said. “I don’t need a paper trail or anything. I just…” she trailed off. She had put so much effort into getting some answers, and now that she had the chance she didn’t even want to ask the questions.

She took a breath and dug her fingernails into her palms. She had to do this. Her marriage was in trouble and she had to know why.

“I just need to know if Mr. Gold is sick.” When Whale didn’t say anything, she kept going until everything came bubbling out. “I don’t know if it might be heart disease, or somehow his leg got worse or if it’s like a hormone problem or ca--” She choked over the last word, the greatest fear, the enemy that could never be defeated, the war that would never be won or even survived. “Or something worse. And he won’t talk to me about anything and he’s acting strange and we haven’t…” Again she stopped, this time in embarrassment instead of fear. She took off her sunglasses and looked up at Dr. Whale. For the first time in a while, she said something truly honest. “It’s just been really hard for us lately. And I want to know if there’s a medical reason for it.”

With a deep breath and a small nod, Dr. Whale seemed to come to a decision. He stepped a little closer to Mrs. Gold. Not as close as they had been, but a professional distance. Neutral--not attracted, not repulsed.

“Mrs. Gold, I need you to understand something,” he began. “The breach of doctor-patient confidentiality is a death sentence for my profession. I could lose my licence to practice and I’d never be able to work again. And I need to work.” His chuckle was tinged with bitterness. “I’ve been a doctor for as long as I can remember and I still haven’t paid off my student loans.”

“How terribly sad for you,” Mrs. Gold said through gritted teeth. She tried not to think about how lucky he was to have student loans. To have even gotten a chance at higher education. Some people’s life savings, including their kid’s college funds, got swallowed up in medical bills. “Are you going to help me or not?”

“That’s what I’m saying, I can’t,” he said. “I can’t tell you about anything that was mentioned in any appointment with your husband. Not without his permission.”

Mrs. Gold felt the pumpkin spice latte curdle in her stomach. “You mothe--”

“But!” Dr. Whale cut her off. “I can tell you if certain subjects were not mentioned. Do you get what I mean?”

“Think about who I’m married to before you ask me again if I understand loopholes.” Instead of any relief or gratitude, all Mrs. Gold could feel was irritation boiling into anger.

“Right.” He smiled, trying to diffuse the situation. Pathetic. “That being understood, I’m very happy to tell you that I have never spoken to Mr. Gold about heart disease. We’ve never had a reason to discuss hormone imbalances, urological problems, erectile dysfunction--”

“I never said that!”

“Neither did I,” he said with the calm of an ER surgeon. “This whole conversation is about conversations that didn’t happen.” He put one hand on her shoulder and looked her in the eye. “And I’ve never spoken to Mr. Gold about cancer.”

She tried to keep her face frozen. But that was hard to do when her legs were shaking. Mrs. Gold closed her eyes and let herself fall back against the bricks.

She breathed, for what felt like the first time in days.

He was safe. He wasn’t sick. She wasn’t going to lose him. Not like that, at least.

“Thanks,” she said softly. “I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear that.”

Dr. Whale grinned. “Best part of being a doctor is making people feel better. That and getting to play God.”

He laughed at his own joke, but Mrs. Gold didn’t react. She was still waiting for her heart rate to return to normal.

“Listen,” Whale said. “You mentioned that Mr. Gold wasn’t talking to you about things and you were worried. Now, I know we give Archie hell about not being a real doctor, but talking to him does help people.”

Mrs. Gold glared up at Dr. Whale. “I’m not crazy,” she said with determination.

“No, I don’t think you are,” he answered. “But you don’t have to be mentally ill to have problems in your marriage.”

She pushed off from the wall and rounded on him, brandishing her sunglasses under his chin like a switchblade. “Who said anything about problems with my marriage?”

Whale backed out of the alley. “N-no one, Mrs. Gold. But--But it is my job to offer you the best advice I can based on the information I’m presented with.”

“Well you did your job then. Good for you. Do you want a fucking lollipop?”

Before Whale could say anything more, Mayor Mills walked into the mouth of the alley. “What is going on here?” she demanded of them both. “Dr. Whale, did you forget that you have an appointment with my son today?”

Thrown from one infuriated woman to another, Whale had to think for a moment before he recovered himself. “Ye-yes of course, Madam Mayor. Henry’s appointment is at two.”

“And it’s almost one-thirty now.” The mayor had a fascinating way of speaking that turned facts into accusations. “I imagine you want to head back to the hospital so you can review his file before you examine him.”

“Uh, yes. Yes of course,” Whale shook his head. “I definitely don’t want to be here.” He nodded to Mrs. Gold before scurrying around the mayor and all but sprinting down the street.

“And you.”

Mayor Mills was the sort of person who was always in charge because it was just so obvious that she should be. She could pin someone to the wall just by using the right tone of voice or raising an eyebrow or putting her hands on her hips. Mrs. Gold knew she wasn’t exempt from that power.

But, when the mayor spoke again, her voice was gentler, almost sweet. It was like she cared. Mrs. Gold suddenly got the notion that the mayor had just as many carrots as she had sticks and that she knew very well how to use both.

“Are you alright, Mrs. Gold? You seem upset.” The furrow of her brow was practically sympathetic. “I hope there isn’t any trouble at home.”

She wanted to say something. Maybe Whale was right, maybe she needed to talk to someone about what was going on with Mr. Gold. And if you couldn’t trust the mayor, who could you trust? But in the back of her head, some voice insisted: No. Not Regina!

So she didn’t break. She didn’t say anything. Mrs. Gold put on her sunglasses, and for a hot second she felt the way Lexi Paisan had described her earlier. She felt badass.

“Nope,” she lied to Mayor Mills. “Everything’s fine.”

#golden rings #rumbelle #rumbelle fic #ouat #belle french

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wannacontribute · 3 years

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Thrilling, shocking reversal

Tonight, it is destined to be thrilling. Biden has overtaken in Michigan and is currently ahead of Trump. This means that Biden will have a high probability of winning 16 electoral votes. In addition to this evening Biden overtakes Wisconsin and leads. Trump’s 0.7 percentage point, which also means that Biden has a high probability of winning 10 electoral votes in Wisconsin, plus 6 electoral votes in Nevada, then Biden will have a high probability of 270 votes. The slight advantage of electoral votes won the US presidential election, which ushered in a shocking reversal.

However, it is still not finalized until the end. After all, although Biden is currently leading in these states, the voting results have not yet been announced at the end. It can only be said to be a high probability. Even Pennsylvania, where Trump is currently leading by a large margin, may usher in a shocking reversal, which shows the drama of this election.

The reason why Biden is able to win the electoral votes of these states with a high probability is that although Trump had a large lead in these states before, it was mainly because the voting was completed on the election day. , And this part is mainly Trump supporters, which means that on election day, Trump’s approval rate will be significantly higher than Biden.

However, because this year’s election in the United States is very different from the historical elections, and because the new crown pneumonia epidemic in the United States is very serious, many people in the United States chose to vote by mail this time, and the ballots were sent through the U.S. postal system because the postal system is less efficient , The counting and statistics of this part of the mailed ballots will be postponed. According to the data of the United States, the number of mailed ballots this year is as high as 60 million. This is a very large data because a large number of American voters are worried about the new crown pneumonia epidemic. When I went out to vote, I chose to vote by mail.

Since voters who vote by mail, the vast majority support Biden, Biden emphasized the severity of the new crown pneumonia epidemic and advocated a quarantine policy, hoping that voters can vote by mail to avoid contracting the new crown virus; Trump has always To play down the new crown pneumonia epidemic and call for voters to vote on the spot. Therefore, most of the people who voted on the spot were Trump supporters, and the vast majority of the mailed votes were Biden supporters. The votes of Trump supporters who voted on the spot were counted on the same day, while the votes of Biden's mailed ballot supporters were postponed to the next day or even later to complete the ballot count, so this made Biden's late comer and shocking. Great reversal.

Since Wisconsin turned the blue tonight, then any reversal is possible. The entire US election is a series of twists and turns, reversing, reversing, reversing, and climaxing. No one can predict this US election. With such twists and turns and full of surprises, everyone thought at the beginning that Biden's approval rate in the polls was greatly ahead, and Trump's approval rate in the polls was lagging behind, so the balance favored Biden.

With the start of the vote counting, Biden was indeed ahead for a while, but with the influx of voters on Trump's scene, Trump successively won some electoral votes in major states, such as Florida and Texas. , The win of these two big ticket positions, coupled with Trump's significant lead in several swing states, made everyone think that Biden is over and Trump's re-election is already in sight.

Trump, family members, and a group of Republicans even held parties at the White House to celebrate winning the U.S. election in advance. Trump even made public speeches saying that he has won the election. It is easy to win and difficult to lose, but The Democrats always want to steal his victory. He urges the U.S. Supreme Court to immediately stop the counting of votes and not recognize postal votes after November 3.

Obviously, this is a strategy of Trump, because on November 3rd, the votes cast on the spot were basically counted, and the people who voted on the spot basically supported Trump. At this time, Trump It must be ahead. If the time is up to this time, then Trump will definitely win the U.S. election; but a large number of mailed ballots will not be counted until November 3, because transportation takes time, and the counting of mailed ballots is more time-consuming, because Need to confirm whether it is effective, it will take time.

And of the 60 million mailed votes, the vast majority support Biden and the Democratic Party. Therefore, even if Biden lags behind Trump in the early stage of counting the votes, as the mailed votes begin to count, Biden is also very good. May gradually narrow the gap with Trump and overtake Trump. Judging from the situation tonight, Biden has achieved overtake, achieved overtake in Wisconsin and Nevada, and almost overtaken in Michigan. Even in Pennsylvania, it is possible to overtake, after all, there are still 2.5 million mailed votes in the state that have not yet been counted.

Therefore, regardless of whether Biden or Trump is elected, the final gap will not be too big, and there will be huge controversies, because no one will admit defeat, especially Trump has announced in advance that he has won the election. Even if Biden wins, Trump will not admit defeat. He must do it to the end, without turning back the arrow.

Trump will adopt two methods to continue to stabilize or regain the fruits of victory. One is to pass the U.S. Supreme Court litigation. The Supreme Court judges who will announce the victory. You must know that Trump has planned for this for a long time. Before the election, he appointed conservative justice Barrett, so that the ratio of conservative justices to liberal justices of the U.S. Supreme Court was 6 to 3. Therefore, as long as the conservative justices of the U.S. Supreme Court support Trump , Trump can win the US presidential election.

Of course, Trump may also take more extreme measures, which is to accuse the United States of fraud in the election. Trump supporters will flood the streets of the United States and use weapons to defend Trump. In this way, the United States will be wiped out. Blood shadow, in the end, Trump may declare emergency martial law in the United States, so as to realize his own stealing and fishing in troubled waters.

For the most complicated and dangerous election in the history of the United States, everyone may have guessed the beginning, but absolutely never guessed the middle, let alone the end. Tonight is only the beginning of the climax, and this American election is likely to be still Will be plunged into protracted litigation, the entire United States will also be plunged into chaos, and a more turbulent and dangerous United States will begin today.

#anti trump #policits #us policits #donald trump #trump #fuck trump #trump scandals #dump trump #covid19 #coronavirus #us supreme court #the washington post #the masque of the red death

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phylophe · 3 years

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Dragon Age Hell

Over the past couple of months I’ve played through the entire Dragon Age Series (I’ve started playing Dragon Age: Origins years ago but never completed the playthrough). While feeling a lot of feelings I thought I’d transcribe all my epilogues for my canon world state.

British English spelling so I can read more easily.

Dragon Age: Origins

Warden: Lear Cousland

In the months that followed in coronation, Alistair surprised many by studying the art of governance and doing his best to rule the kingdom with a fair and even hand. He proved quite popular with the people, his humour and easy grace wining them over as much as his willingness to sneak out of the castle and mingle in the lower-class taverns on occasion.

Lear, as Alistair’s chancellor, was a regular face at court - at least for a time. Alistair deferred to his advisor’s judgement on most matters, and when the king travelled away from the capital, as he did often, he was more than willing to leave the throne entirely in Lear’s hands.

Rumours that the Urn of Sacred Ashes had been found, and that it was used to heal Arl Eamon of his poisoning, circulated in Ferelden in the months following the darkspawn defeat... slowly, at first, and then with growing frequency as the grand cleric failed to deny them. Once the Chantry made several attempts to verify the rumours, however, there came an official decree that no resting place for the Ashes had been found. If the Urn of Sacred Ashes was in those ruins once, it was no longer.

Following months of effort, the tower of the Circle of Magi was finally cleansed of the last spirits to slip through the Veil. No further abominations were created, and First Enchanter Irving was pleased to declare the Circle safe. All that could be saved had been.

With the slavers shut down in the Alienage, the lot of the city-born elves improved for a time. The new king even named the local elder to his personal court - a scandal amongst the humans, but a sign of new hope to the elves. Shianni continued to be an outspoken member of the Alienage community, and in time became the new elder. That outspokenness earned her frequent trouble, but served her people well.

Arl Eamon returned to Redcliffe, beginning the long task of rebuilding. He found the village already bustling and eager to leave behind the memories of those terrible nights facing the undead. Connor was sent off the study at the Circle, and considering his earlier experiences, he excelled in his training and easily passed the Harrowing to become a full mage. At his father’s urging, Connor accepted a position in Tevinter to undertake formal study of the Fade.

Bevin, Kaitlyn’s young brother, eventually grew to become a famous adventurer in his own right. One of his favourite stories to tell companions was how, as a young lad, he met Lear, who used his father’s blade to save Redcliffe and then passed it back. The tavern in Redcliffe village, now run by Bella, was renamed “The Grey Warden’s Rest”. It echoes with tales of how the hero of Ferelden saved the village and healed Arl Eamon with the Sacred Ashes of Andraste. Few believed that such tall tales could possibly be true.

The Dalish elves prospered after the siege at Denerim, having earned much respect for their part in the battle. For once, human lands welcomed the wandering folk. The new keeper, Lanaya, was respected both amongst the Dalish as well as in the Ferelden court. She was a voice of reason, and other Dalish clans would turn to her to help resolve disputes with human folk. In time, many of the Dalish clans moved to the new land provided for them in the south near Ostagar. Wary of their human neighbours, however, tensions soon rose again... and only Keeper Lanaya’s leadership kept peace alive.

In Orzammar, King Harrowmont found himself in a protracted battle against Bhelen’s rebellion that left him unable to gain the stability he needed. The clan lords objected to many of his measures in the Assembly, and only his efforts to increase the dwarves’ isolation from the surface met with any success. In time, Harrowmont’s health began to fail. Some claimed it was poison, while others said it was a flagging spirit. Either way, after a protracted illness, the king finally passed away. The wrangling in the Assembly for a successor began almost immediately.

Brother Burkel’s new chantry in Orzammar drew a surprising number of converts among the dwarves. They quickly attracted a great deal of anger from more conservative quarters, and before long the Assembly severely restricted the Andrastians’ rights. Brother Burkel resisted, and was slain while being arrested during a peaceful demonstration in the Commons. The Assembly claimed this was an accident, but news of the resulting riots reached the Chantry on the surface, where the Divine even contemplated a new Exalted March.

The dwarven mage, Dagna, ultimately completed her studies at the rebuilt Circle Tower. Eventually, she published a comprehensive theory of how lyrium vapours relate to the supply of magic. It gained a great deal of attention.

Although the Anvil of the Void was destroyed, rumours about its location crept into Orzammar. Years later, thanks to the defeat of the darkspawn on the surface, a few determined smiths managed to locate the Anvil’s remains. They examined the ruins of the Anvil, and, upon returning to Orzammar with their findings, convinced the Shaperate to attempt to recreate Caridin’s research. A new golem was created, bound with a spirit taken from the Fade. The golem immediately went insane, killing several shapers before it was destroyed. The research was branded excessively dangerous and sealed away. Whispers of its existence circulated throughout Orzammar, however, and demand among the smith caste to reopen Caridin’s research refused to abate.

As good as her word, Morrigan disappeared once the archdemon was slain. Some of Morrigan’s description was seen travelling alone months later, heading west through the Frostback Mountains... and she may even have been with child. There was no word of her after that. Flemeth’s hut in the Korcari Wilds was likewise abandoned. Once cannot help but wonder: Where did they go? What were their plans? What became of the child? These questions must remain a mystery... for now.

The companions who had travelled with Lear eventually scattered to the four winds, drawn either by personal duty or the call to further adventure. The Grey Wardens welcomed their hero back into the fold - even if the suspicions of those who wondered how Lear managed to survive were sometimes given quiet voice.

As the blighted lands began to heal and the Grey Wardens slowly rebuilt the order in Amaranthine, they discovered that the fight against the darkspawn was not yet complete. Although the hoard was routed and had dissolved upon the archdemon’s death, many of the more powerful darkspawn survived to organise roving war bands that preyed both upon the land and upon each other. These war bands spread havoc, and some even journeyed west into Orlais or crossed the Shining Sea by the Deep Roads. They proved incredibly difficult to wipe out.

But these are tales yet to be told. This tale ended when Lear sank his blade in the archdemon’s head and destroyed it forever. It was not the last that Ferelden would hear of him, however...

Dragon Age: Awakening

After the deaths of both the Architect and the Mother, nearly all the remaining darkspawn fled back into the Deep Roads. The raids on Amaranthine came to an abrupt end. Although some of the Architect’s disciples likely escaped into the Deep Roads with the rest of their brethren, they have - so far - shown no inclination towards vengeance against the Grey Wardens who killed their saviour. Yet the Deep Roads remain plagued by the darkspawn, and it seems certain that in time, another Blight will begin. The danger may have passed for now, but the cycle of the Old Gods continue.

The destruction of Amaranthine did not endear the Grey Wardens to the people of Ferelden. Although much of the citizenry wanted to forget the terrible event and get on with life, a small segment pledged to exact revenge against the Wardens. People whispered that the Commander of the Grey was trying to influence Fereldan politics once again, and suggested the burning of Amaranthine was a part of a larger plot to gain power. The rumours grew until, inside a year, a mob appeared at the gates of Vigil’s Keep. Although most of the rioters were shown mercy and survived the bloody clash, public opinion of the Grey Wardens turned sour for years, until the Wardens led an effort to rebuild Amaranthine.

The war devastated the farmholds of the arling, and the land would never truly recover from their loss. Most of the arling lay fallow, becoming a breeding ground for bandits and worse. Only the roads and the few scattered settlements could provide any safety in that abandoned region.

The annals of the Grey Wardens hailed Commander Lear’s defence of Vigil’s Keep as a crucial victory. The order’s more clever recruits often spent days studying the account in an attempt to understand the commander’s tactics. The Vigil became a trading hub that would eventually eclipse the city of Amaranthine, with traders reassured by guards continually patrolling the Pilgrim’s Path. But prosperity bred scheming and treachery between merchants and nobles, testing the commander’s patience for years to come.

Peace allowed the Wardens to replenish their numbers. Soon, Vigil’s Keep bore a capable army with Wardens at its core. From their ranks emerged new heroes to challenge threats to Amaranthine and all of Ferelden. Through taxes and levies, the Vigil was rebuilt. Years later, Voldrik Glavonak stood on the battlements and pronounced that the defences were acceptable. He would never speak more highly of any human engineering.

Some nobles claimed the Grey Wardens were involved in Bann Esmerelle’s disappearance on the eve of the final battle against the darkspawn. Dark whispers hint that a conspiracy to oust the Wardens from Amaranthine is still afoot. The Vigil’s soldiers, wearing the distinctive silverite armour that Master Wade crafted, came to be known as the Silver Order. Under the tutelage of the Wardens, the Silver Order developed into one of Ferelden’s most revered military forces, a lasting memory of the Vigil’s famous commander.

With Velanna and the Architect gone from the region, the Pilgrim’s Path began to see traffic again. The massacre of the militiamen and the merchants, however, led to hostilities between the neighbouring human settlements and any Dalish clans that passed by. One human villager soon kidnapped and murdered a Dalish child. The clans reacted by giving the Wending Wood a wide berth, but both sides know that at some point the elves will return for revenge.

A few years after Kal’Hirol was emptied of darkspawn, Orzammar began sending expeditions to rediscover the knowledge of smithing that had been list within the thaig. Eventually house Helmi decided that Kal’Hirol was too important to be abandoned. At a tremendous cost of dwarven lives, they cleared the tunnels leading to Kal’Hirol of all darkspawn, making the road between Orzammar and the fortress safe again. Kal’Hirol was reclaimed for Orzammar, once and for all.

In time, the arling began to forget the tales of apparitions in the Blackmarsh, and ever so slowly, settlers drifted into the region. Scholars said the Veil was still thin and thus the area still dangerous, but the people only cared that there was no longer frightened whispers in the shadows. The village was slowly rebuilt. Twice the baroness’ mansion was rebuilt and occupied, once by a wealthy merchant and another time by an Orlesian mage. Both died mysteriously. Afterwards, the mansion was torn down completely and the site left untouched.

Anders remained with the Grey Wardens a few years longer, training the order’s next generation of mages. But when the Circle Tower called him to deliver a lecture on the nature of the Architect - much to the templars’ dismay - Anders told the Commander of the Grey that his time with the Wardens was over. Now that Anders was no longer a Warden, the templars declared him apostate and began a search. The closest they came to finding him was a rumour that he joined the crew of a merchant ship with a certain female captain.

Velanna never saw her clan again, but neither did she forsake her Dalish culture - nor her sharp tongue, nor her quick temper. After several years in the Grey Wardens, Velanna disappeared one day. Most surmise that she left for the Deep Roads to resume the search for her sister, but no one knows for sure.

Over the next years, Nathaniel dedicated himself to the order and to clearing the blemishes on his family’s name. After saving Teyrn Fergus Cousland from a bandit attack, a portion of Amaranthine was returned to the Howes. Nathaniel passed the holding to Delilah’s son, and when a new castle was eventually built there, a statue of Nathaniel was erected in its courtyard.

Once the darkspawn threat was ended, Justice left the Grey Wardens to pursue other injustices. Years later he appeared on the doorstep of Kristoff’s widow and, smiling, simply dropped dead. Aura finally had a body to mourn. If the spirit itself remains alive, it has not shown itself.

With the Mother dead, Sigrun seemed to lose her purpose. She withdrew from her friends in the order and spoke to them less and less each day. One morning, Sigrun was simply absent, her bed made and her trunk emptied. A young recruit who had been up in the night said she had left for her Calling, gone to finish what she started in Kal’Hirol.

Oghren continued to regale young Warden recruits with tales of his prowess in both battle and bed. His drinking games prompted at least one recruit to declare that she’d rather reattempt the Joining than lift another mug. Felsi returned to Vigil’s Keep several times to see Oghren, usually bringing their toddler as well. Oghren’s inability to act seriously wore on her, however, and her visits dwindled, then stopped altogether. If Oghren missed her, or his child, he never showed it.

As for the saviour of Ferelden, he did not remain as Commander for the Grey for long. The darkspawn were no longer a real concern, the Blight well and truly over. It was time for him to move on. Some years later, the saviour of Ferelden vanished entirely. Nobody knows for what purpose he departed, yet neither does anyone think his tale is complete...

Dragon Age 2

Champion: Giulle Hawke

Word of the slaughter spread quickly. The Champion’s name became a rallying cry, a reminder that the mighty templars could be defied. She had defended the mages against the brutal injustice, and many lived to tell the tale. The Circles rose up and set the world on fire.

More templars arrived at Kirkwall to restore order, but we were already long gone. We vanished into the hills, and circumstance eventually forced us all to leave the Champion’s side. Well... all of us except for Anders.

You still hear the stories of course. With each telling they grow, even if at the core remains the truth. A new legend had been born.

So that’s it. That’s the whole story.

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Inquisitor: Amur Trevelyan

‘Tis said that Corypheus woke after his long slumber and found the world gone awry. He fought to bring back those days of magic and shadow, to raise himself as a god, and set things right. Now we are left with a scar in the sky to remind us of what almost was. It tells us that a great victory against chaos was won, but left the world forever changed.

Consider the mighty Empire of Orlais, where Empress Celene remains on her golden throne. The civil war is ended, Gaspard is defeated, but it is said that Briala yet plots her return from exile. The empress now faces a war in the shadows. Elven daggers rule the night, and spies follow her every move. Fortunately for Celene, her gratitude towards the Inquisition has remained strong. Some claims she clings too tightly to the alliance - others know it is all that stands between her and defeat.

The Grey Wardens of the South slowly rebuild in the months following the events at Adamant. They declare it time for the Order to emerge from the shadows, to join the rest of humanity in fighting their ancient foes. Rumours abound that they severed ties with their leaders at Weisshaupt, and that a bitter war now rages between them. What becomes of Hawke is unknown - save that all news out of Weisshaupt soon ends. Does the sudden silence indicate a battle within... or something far worse?

One month after the defeat of Corypheus, the Chantry names Cassandra as successor to the Sunburst Throne. Given the name Divine Victoria, she immediately enacts reform: a new Templar Order, and a new Circle of Magi. The Seekers of Truth are rededicated to their purpose of protecting the innocent. A proclamation of support for the Inquisition is issued, recognising its service to all of Thedas. Despite her popularity, the new Divine’s reforms are seen by some as going too far.

The Inquisition’s mages - the former rebels led by Grand Enchanter Fiona - are left with a choice. In the end, they refuse Cassandra’s invitation to rejoin the Circle of Magi and instead reform the College of Enchanters as a new order. The College, they say, will allow mages of the South to gather in peace and seek new solutions to age-old problems. From the beginning, the College and the Circle have clashed - and some fear it will lead to a new war of the mages upon themselves.

And what of the Inquisition itself? Its military might has grown, now rivalling that of kingdoms. Fear of the Inquisition’s army has become the true source of its power. I leave Skyhold now, knowing that power will continue to grow. The Inquisitor is a symbol to many, a leader of the changing world order. To others, he has become a target. They linger in the shadows, waiting for their day to come. When it does, the Inquisition shall stand ready.

Dragon Age: Inquisition - Trespasser

Over the next several months, the Inquisition carefully gave over many of the duties it had held. As the Divine’s personal guard and peacekeeping force, the Inquisition shrank to a more manageable size. Many who had served went home, though the remaining force was still enough to give pause to any who might threaten the Divine’s plans. Those who served the new Inquisition were tested and checked thoroughly, in the hope of ferreting out any more spies within its ranks.

With the Dragon’s Breath disrupted and any hope of a swift victory dashed, the Qunari retreated back to the North. Few knew what debates were waged in Par Vollen, but not long after the Exalted Council, the Qunari launched new attacks against Tevinter. Their aggression caught the already unstable Imperium off guard. Tevinter was soon mired in a war many feared would spread across Thedas.

Cassandra continued her reign as Divine Victoria, rebuilding fractured alliances and settling the Inquisition into its new role as her personal guard. Her efforts were successful, and - for a time - southern Thedas saw peace. Cassandra also spent time in the Hunterhorn Mountains north of Orlais, where she worked to rebuild the Seekers. For a time, the new Seekers remained reclusive, showing no interest in worldly affairs and working to a purpose few outside their order would guess.

Some believed that the end of the Inquisition as it had been heralded the destruction of the fledgling College of Enchanters. Having clashed with the Circle, the College now found itself without support against the newly elected Grand Enchanter, Vivienne. Fortunately, Grand Enchanter Vivienne grudgingly agreed not to destroy its terrified leaders, as a personal favour to Divine Victoria. The two institutions settled into an uneasy coexistence across the South, vying for power.

Leliana continued to act as the Inquisition’s spymaster in its final months as an independent organisation. During this time, she shared many of her responsibilities with her most trusted agents, including Charter, Rector, and Harding. Many believed that Leliana feared what lay on the horizon and was grooming successors in anticipation of the challenges ahead.

Sera left the Inquisition with scarcely more ties than when she began, disappearing back into her confusing weave of favours and friends. After seeing the world brought to the brink by arrogance and pride, it was a blessing to return to normal - however strange a normal it might be. With frequent visits to her Widdle, of course. Perhaps most unnerving was Sera’s standing offer to the Divine: “When the nobs piss about with your left hand or right, call on Red Jenny to give them two fingers.”

Varric took up the role of Viscount and, with the help of his friend Hawke, rebuilt Kirkwall’s damaged infrastructure. Under his rule, the city-state finally resumed its place as the major trade hub of the Free Marches. He continued to ignore all mail from both the Merchants Guild and the Prince of Starkhaven.

With the Inquisition in its new role, the Bull’s Chargers returned to taking jobs throughout Orlais and Ferelden. Fighting demons and clearing out the remains of Venatori forces, the Iron Bull did his part to restore order to Thedas.

After the Inquisition transitioned into a peacekeeping role, Cullen continued to serve as commander of its forces. Under his leadership, the Inquisition protected the Divine’s interests while enforcing new standards of security. Cullen also expanded the Chantry’s treatment for templars whose minds were taken by lyrium, as well as those who wished to cease lyrium usage. And as chaos reigned in the North and threats to the Divine lurked in every shadow, Cullen remained ready to serve.

Dorian returned to Tevinter to take his father’s place in the Magisterium. As rumours flew about the Imperium’s infighting, Dorian was spoken of often as a voice of resistance against corruption. Along with Magister Maevaris Tilani, he formed a group called the Lucerni to restore and redeem Tevinter - a fight many thought hopeless. Those fighting by Magister Pavus’ side noted that he kept in constant communication with the Inquisitor via message crystal. Whether for vital information or for moral support, these talks seemed to give Dorian the strength to continue his fight.

After the Exalted Council, Thom Rainier bid farewell to his friends and went to Weisshaupt fortress to pledge himself to the Grey Wardens for good. While he was rarely seen in the years that followed, some said they encountered Rainier in far-flung lands, their accounts always similar. Rainier carried out the duty of the Wardens, but always found time to help others along the way. Sometimes he served as a shield for the defenceless. Other times, he spread simple cheer among children with gifts of small, carved toys.

After easing the Inquisition’s transition into the Chantry, Josephine returned to Antiva and her family. Thanks to the Inquisitor’s help, the Montilyets were once again permitted to trade in Orlais. The next few years were a busy time, as many ships with the Montilyet crest were built and set sail again from Antiva’s harbours. Soon, Rivaini pirate captains with an ancient feud against Josephine’s ancestors took to the seas, determined to rekindle the rivalry. Apart from Josephine’s sister, Yvette, nearly eloping with a dashing pirate prince on one occasion, Lady Montilyet took the development in stride.

Cole took to the road with Maryden to find a new life and a new way to be human. Wherever Maryden went to sing, people found old pains eased and hearts made happier... even if they don’t understand why.

After the events at the Winter Palace, elves left the Inquisition under mysterious circumstances, as did elven servants across Thedas. None could say where they went, but those who believed the Inquisitor’s story about Fen’Harel wondered just how large the Dread Wolf’s forces were... and what the ancient elven rebel had planned.

BONUS! Dragon Age: Inquisition - Trespasser Post-Epilogue Scene

“Maintaining the Inquisition, even as a peacekeeping force, leaves us vulnerable to agents of the Dread Wolf...”

“But also gives us the strength to respond.”

“We will need to be careful.”

“Solas knows everything about us. Who we are, how we work, our strengths and weaknesses...”

“Then we find people he doesn’t know. We will save our friend from himself... if we can.”

#dragon age #dragon age origins #dragon age 2 #dragon age inquisition #I pretty much marathoned the entire series #looking at all this together gives me more questions #what happened to the Silver Order #how's the deal with the anvil going in Orzammar #how are all my companions who survived doing #WHAT'S GOING ON FOR THE HERO OF FERELDEN #WHERE IN THE WORLD IS SOLAS #I have a problem with not hating Problematic Hobo Apostates™ as much as I maybe should #that and I guess Giulle was in love with her respective PHA #and Amur is just a fkin softie for anyone with the slightest shred of humanity #oh I guess I should tag #spoiler

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atopearth · 4 years

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Ikemen Sengoku Part 10 - Akechi Mitsuhide Route

I love how motivated the heroine was until Hideyoshi appeared and criticised everything about her appearance that made her feel motivated lmao. Aww it's so cute how Hideyoshi saw her in a new light after she saved Ranmaru. I love how Ranmaru said he'll make sure to remember the heroine to thank her, and Mitsuhide had to say that it'll only be useful if he'll still be alive after seeing Nobunaga (since Ranmaru abandoned Nobunaga and fled the fire at Honno-ji) lmaooo. Mitsuhide is so right though hahahaha. It's been a while since I last played Ikemen Sengoku so I kinda forgot how snarky the dialogue can be. Like lmao at Sasuke introducing Yukimura to the heroine as the guy who doesn't know how to speak to women (since he called her a boar woman LOL), and he introduced Yoshimoto as the guy who can hahahah, it's so true though lmao.

Loll at the heroine thinking being at the base camp will be the best when in fact, that's where Mitsuhide is haha. I love how Mitsuhide told her to act like a mouse and just hide behind him when the enemies attacked them, I mean, it is the only thing she can do, and as long as she focuses on protecting herself, she won't drag them down lol. I've never really thought about what weapon Mitsuhide might use, but I really didn't expect it to be a gun! It actually suits him so well though haha. I do feel sorry for the heroine though, seeing someone die right before your eyes is really scary, not to mention the fact that if Mitsuhide didn't shoot the guy, their lives would have been in danger instead. The fear of imminent death and the fear of seeing death, they're both things not many people can calmly handle, so I'm not surprised the heroine fainted. We should be glad that the battle practically ended there though, because if she fainted whilst the battle was going on, that could be a nightmare lol. When Mitsuhide told her not to thank him because she should never thank someone for taking another person's life, it really hit me because he's right. Obviously there's not much of a choice in war, but I think for Mitsuhide, he finds it important that we should never numb ourselves into thinking that these people don't have lives, that these people are nothing but enemies, because in reality, they're just the same as everyone else, just on a different side. Aww Mitsuhide is gonna be her teacher! Lmaoo at him being impressed that she got nothing right on the tests he gave her hahahaha.

I miss the banter between Ieyasu and Mitsunari, it's hilarious how much of a natural enemy Mitsunari is to Ieyasu hahaha. On the other hand, it's so sweet that everyone came to give the heroine snacks and ended up having a tea party lmaoo. It's kinda saddening to think that Mitsuhide is kinda right in that, the moment you feel good about aiming and being able to properly shoot a living thing, you've died in the sense that you've lost the emotions you lend to other beings. Man, if I was the heroine, I would run away from Mitsuhide's training too, not that it would help since he'll catch you loll, but it's so frightening!! It's nice that he finally properly taught her how to handle the horse (before she died lol). Loll at Mitsuhide the creep just staring at her eat hahaha, it was sweet of him to actually buy her some sweets and tea as a reward for getting through the lessons though! It's hard to hear about Mitsuhide being someone who would torture people and suggest battle plans where he can eradicate Nobunaga's enemies swiftly by sacrificing other "innocents" alongside them, but I'm glad the heroine chose to talk to Masamune about this, because I think he's right, instead of listening to others, she should weigh who Mitsuhide is to her from what she sees of him rather than building her impression on what she hears about him. Mitsuhide may be cruel for his job, but I'm sure his cruelty is what allowed for him and Nobunaga to survive to this day. Whether it will continue to stay that way is something to see later on, but for now, these are their methods and it works. HAHAHA, I love how the heroine went to Mitsuhide's place to cheer him up (because of the rumours that he colluded with Kennyo in trying to kill Nobunaga at Honno-ji), I think it's lovely how most people would avoid him or think that he can handle it because of the person that he is, but the heroine treats him like any other person and goes to comfort him, she's so cute! I found it endearing how he comforted her back (by hugging her!🥰) when he took his teasing too far.

I find it hilarious that Mitsuhide has a pet fox hahahahha, he got himself as a pet. Imagining Mitsuhide poking her cheek is so funny yet adorable hahaha. I guess even Mitsuhide gets flustered and troubled over handling the heroine when she's sad about his "betrayal" and adamant about outing him to others. I guess it's rather fascinating to see his distress through him being not up to par (as usual) when it comes to his blackmailing and threatening stuff lol. Trust Mitsuhide to be the guy to believe her time travel story, but omggg I love that she gets to have Mitsuhide as her lap pillow to sleep on hahaha. It's usually the other way around so it's nice we get this🤣 Lmao at Mitsuhide literally following her around 24/7 to keep an eye on her so she doesn't leak his secret (of communicating with an enemy). LMAO when the heroine was thinking "hi dad, hi mum, this is my new boyfriend" when Mitsuhide forcefully dragged her to the private meeting with Nobunaga and Hideoyshi to discuss their relationship lolll. It's hilarious how flamboyantly Mitsuhide tries to show off their "relationship". His sweet words are honestly full of teasing yet also smothered with interest in her lol. Hahaha, nice to know that their "lie" is just being spun into more and more craziness, I find it cute that they're pretending to be a married couple for a spy mission lol. The heroine got more emotional than I thought towards Mitsuhide, but I guess it's kinda understandable when she's obviously really seriously thinking about how much she likes him compared to how much she "hates" him, and it really doesn't help how playfully loving he is as her "husband". I guess I'm more surprised about her being so mad that she cried when Yoshiaki and those other daimyo etc treated her like a bug rather than a human being. Honestly, I'm just glad she's okay because they really could have done anything to her. It was nice to see Mitsuhide panicking and looking for her though. And yes, Mitsuhide! No one besides you is allowed to make the heroine cry, so make them pay! Loll.

It was really kind of Yoshimoto to approach the heroine and ask whether she's okay after he heard of the fiasco last night from some people. It's kinda saddening to see Yoshimoto so resigned to his fate. He can't go against his last few vassals and people in the Imagawa clan because they've lost everything, so it's natural for them to want to get everything back in whatever way possible even though they all know the clan is pretty much done for, but I guess they'd rather go out with a bang than just rot as a clan defeated by Nobunaga and couldn't stand back up. No sympathy for Yoshiaki though, he's a shit. I find it really adorable that the heroine's honesty and sincerity is really tearing off Mitsuhide's mask, it was so cute when he blushed because she said she really cared about him and that's why she cares about the things that are happening in this era. The play was such a smack in the face for Yoshiaki lol, but I don't care about him so whatever. On the other hand, I loved how Mitsuhide kissed her on the way home to Azuchi! It was so sweet how they could genuinely share their feelings under the pretence of the fake husband and wife relationship, I loved it. Guess it's kinda saddening that everything magical about the trip got shattered the moment they came back, since Mitsuhide is getting arrested for conspiring against Nobunaga. So terrible to see people taking revenge on Mitsuhide now that he's in jail, ripping his nails off is so cruel and disgusting. But it's probably true that they're not as cruel as him lol. It was really cute to see the heroine and Hideyoshi care so much for him though.

It's really sweet to see that the blue bellflower hairpin Mitsuhide gave the heroine before he escaped was that meaningful to his clan! It's basically their family crest after it allowed them to win an impossible battle, so it's kinda a blessing for victory. I think what was most touching was that he already bought this and planned to give it to her before they even went on that spy mission trip. He's been smitten with her for a whilee! I was happy to see the heroine's whole thought process about whether she was betrayed by Mitsuhide, whether he was lying to her etc, but then calmed herself down and remembered that she shouldn't focus on what seems right or wrong, but instead focus on making her own judgement of Mitsuhide's character, and as she said before she left, she believes in him and will continue to, but she will also go along with Nobunaga and them to ascertain his intentions kinda thing. I liked that.

It was expected that Mitsuhide wasn't loyal to Yoshiaki at all and did it to help Nobunaga get rid of Yoshiaki without garnering the dismay of the imperial court etc since Yoshiaki is a shogun. But dang, I loved how Nobunaga told the heroine to go along with Mitsuhide to deal with the escaping Yoshiaki, mainly because he knows how reckless Mitsuhide can be if he's by himself, but if the heroine is there, he'll make sure to stay safe and come back. I'm so glad the heroine got between Yoshimoto and Mitsuhide and didn't allow Yoshimoto to give himself to death just to relieve his vassals of the idea that they can live without finding glory in battling to death. Although I understand Yoshimoto's will, it's hard to not agree with the heroine. Yoshimoto only has one life and he should live it for himself instead of being burdened by all this responsibility that the vassals refuse to let go of. It's about time they all accepted reality and lived on for themselves rather than for the past Imagawa clan. Hideyoshi tying a rope around his and Mitsuhide's hands to make sure Mitsuhide can't escape again is so cute. I can understand though, Mitsuhide is always so reckless, always trying to do everything by himself, always trying to sully himself so that others like Hideyoshi can live in the light, but it must frustrate Hideyoshi so much that it has to be like this. Yay! They're going on another trip together! Well, it's not for fun since they're chasing after Yoshiaki, but that was expected since he escaped, so, still yay~

Okay, initially, it was all right to show how much Mitsuhide cares about the heroine by making it difficult for him to concentrate and make proper decisions when she comes into picture, but honestly, it's getting a bit crazy how much they need to shove this in our faces, like, isn't there any other way to show Mitsuhide cares for the heroine aside from this?! Honestly, I was about to say the dramatic route and the romantic route are about the same, but I think I'm liking the dramatic route more because we get to see Yoshimoto again, and we get to see his vassals apologise for being so disrespectful to him and better understand how kind and understanding of a lord he was to them. Otherwise, I feel like Mitsuhide's jealousy and protectiveness over the heroine is honestly a bit too much lol. But, I did really enjoy how the heroine chose to stay here with Mitsuhide (even if she were to die from poison) instead of going back to her era, I think her persistence in staying beside Mitsuhide no matter what kinda touched me. But, I do have to say, I feel like the heroine is...really childish in this route or something. I'm not sure if it's her or the translation script, but a lot of the things she says and the way she says it just sounds so... juvenile? I don't know, it was okay in the beginning but once they got together, the way she acts just felt more weird from usual and I couldn't really enjoy their "romantic scenes" because it felt like Mitsuhide was with someone quite immature and he kinda dumbs himself down to be with her LOL. Now I sound so mean hahahah. But really, I still don't think they match imo (even though the first half of the route was cute). Mitsuhide is a great guy, but not for this heroine. I also feel like the route tries to shine Mitsuhide in a great light too much, making him more like a kind misunderstood "evil guy", so it really makes the "darker" part of him kinda nonexistent now and it makes me kinda sad because I honestly thought this route would be more heavy and interesting in that aspect I guess.

Anyway, overall, it might be a silly complaint but Mitsuhide's just so...sweet to her that it actually makes me feel sad LOL. Not only is he too sweet, but he obviously liked the heroine so quickly in the beginning that most of the time he was already nice to her lol. I kinda thought it would be more of a break the ice kinda thing with Mitsuhide considering how cautious he usually is but yeah...lol, he practically opened himself up so much it was obvious he loved her the entire time. I'm not saying it's a bad route though, it was still nice! Just not my type tbh. I think it was all right in the beginning, but after they got together, it became really obvious how different the power balance(?) was between them, with Mitsuhide constantly trying to hide her from everything to protect her, and the heroine being the little lamb that just kinda listens to him because she thinks it's cute how jealous and overprotective he is, but to me, it felt so...boring? I knew that it would be difficult for the heroine to stand on the same level as Mitsuhide but I kinda thought she would support him in a different way (other than love), so it kinda disappointed me that in the end, what the heroine provides to him is really just the romance to melt his heart and the will to come back to his friends without sacrificing himself, since he needs to live for her kinda thing. Otherwise, I did enjoy how a lot of the time the heroine was trying to figure out what kind of person he was to her, and what kind of person he was to the people around him (since she wasn’t able to gauge whether he was “good”), so it was nice to see her treat him as any other normal person and talk to him to understand him, rather than make assumptions about him.

#ikemen sengoku

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julia-highstorms · 5 years

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Play My Game (Tom x F!MC)

Author’s note: after latest ILB chapter, I needed something light and fun, so here we are! I imagine Tom and Julia as the most competitive couple ever and these two goofs are constantly competing over the most stupid things lol

Disclaimer: Characters belong to Pixelberry Studios.

Song: Play My Game - The Donnas

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: Tom x F!MC (Julia Vance)

Word count: +2200

I almost broke my highest score

When you walked through that door

I lost my game and you're to blame

I could have been in the hall of fame

“Nooooo!”

“YES!”

Tom laughs maniacally as his Toad passes through a dizzy Yoshi, Julia’s avatar, after throwing a banana at her.

As soon as the green dinosaur stops spinning, the girl presses hard on the button, speeding up towards the finish line.

“Ugh I hate this fucking stupid rainbow road!”

Tom just keeps laughing beside her, his avatar easily gaining on the other competitors. Soon, Julia’s character shows up close to his.

It’s the final turn. The others are long behind. It’s only the two of them now.

She has to do something.

Suddenly, the girl throws the Wii control aside.

“What are you do—” - but Tom is interrupted when his girlfriend almost literally jumps on him, her hands in claws, ready to tickle him. - “STOP. I know what you’re trying to do!” - he says falling on his back, Julia landing on top of him, as he grabs her wrists with both of his hands, avoiding the tickling attack. - “I don’t fall for this anymore!”

“Are you sure?” - she smirks devilishly at him before showering his neck with kisses. Tom burst out in giggles, squirming beneath her. The girl’s fully aware how sensitive her boyfriend is, especially on his neck area.

Taking advantage of the situation, Julia pulls out and finishes the running while Tom still recovers from her attack.

“HA! First place!” - she makes a little dance of victory and Tom lets out a low curse.

“Hey, this wasn’t fair!” - his face still is all flushed.

“You’re such a sore loser, Sato.”

“How can I be a sore loser when you cheated?!”

“This is exactly what a sore loser would say!”

“Oh my God, you’re impossi—”

“I’m going out, kids.” - they are interrupted by Elliot as the boy crosses the living room and opens the front door of the old cabin, used to those two bantering.

“Where are you going?” - his sister promptly asks, forgetting the bickering.

“I’m going to meet Robbie. We’re going to the movies.”

“Okay, call me if you need anything! I can pick you up later—”

“Julia, it’s fine. Don’t worry about me. There are no more crazy cultists after my blood and mad grandma is gone. I’ll text you, don’t worry. You two have fun!” - and he leaves the house.

“When did he grow up so suddenly?” - she murmurs with tears in her eyes, but she soon recomposes herself. - “Anyway, where were we? Oh, right, I just defeated the unbeatable Tomoichi Sato on his favorite video game.”

“You won unfairly.” - he corrects her, but she just rolls her eyes and steps closer, throwing her arms around his neck.

“Well, what’s done is done.” - she states, her face now just inches from his. - “You know, we have the house all for ourselves—”

But before she can kiss him, Tom frees himself from her embrace and stays an arm long from her.

“I’m sorry, but cheaters aren’t allowed to get any of this.” - he points to himself and Julia groans in discontent. - “I claim for a rematch.” - and a devilishly smile spreads on his face.

Let's play ball we don't need a court

Just you and me baby full contact sport

And there's no ref to tell us to stop

So we can play until we drop

“Okay, this is unfair.”

“Why? You agreed on a rematch.” - Tom says, adjusting his glasses, that sly smirk still on his face.

“Yeah, because I thought we were going to play one of your video games again, like Street Fighter or whatever. Not that we were going to do this.” - his girlfriend explains, pointing to where they are and to the orange ball he holds. They’re standing in the middle of an empty basketball court in Swan Park. It’s a pretty sunny day and some people jog around and kids’ laughter can be heard from the playground area. - “You were part of a basketball team during your high school. This isn’t fair.”

“I just played it regularly for like, three years. And I spent one of it on the bleachers.”

“I spend my whole life on the bleachers, Tom.” - he chuckles.

“This will teach you to think twice before tickling or distracting me from my game.” - Julia grunts and they both start stretching out, their eyes locked on each other’s, defiant looks on their faces.

“So, who wins?”

“The one who gets more points, obviously. And just because you’re not used to playing it, don’t think I’m going to make it easy for you. Not after that betrayal.”

“Just shut up and let’s get this started already.”

“Guess you can defeat me?”

She smirks back at him.

“Oh, you’re on!”

After 15 minutes, they’re both panting, their eyes locked, carefully watching each other’s next movement. Tom’s winning, but Julia’s proven to be a great adversary, and she’s not too much far behind him.

“You’re not so bad like you said you are, Vance.” - he says, with the ball spinning on his point finger.

She gives him a sly smirk.

“Maybe beginner’s luck is by my side today.”

“Not for long!”

The game starts again. Tom races toward the basket, skilfully kicking the ball on the floor. She sprints closer, trying to grab the ball, but he’s dodges right on time. He flawlessly shoots the ball through the hoop.

“Damn your stupid... long arms!” - Julia curses, still a bit out of breath because of all that exercise, making her boyfriend giggle. They’ve never felt those 8 inches/20 centimetres height difference between them as much as now. - “What are you doing?!” - she asks as her boyfriend takes off his t-shirt.

“I am hot!”

“I hate you. I hate you so much.” - and mostly she hates how much she enjoys that view.

“Why? Am I too distracting to you, Vance?” - Tom smirks slyly, fully aware of what his bare chest does to her.

“You’re so dead, Sato.”

And without warning, she takes the ball and cross the court running. But soon Tom’s already hovering over her, trying to block her shoot. She can feel his chest bumping on her back as he tries to get the ball from hers.

“This was your plan all along, wasn’t it? Picking a full contact sport and taking off your shirt. Who’s playing dirty now, uh?”

“Well, now you know how I feel when you tickle me! Or when you start with all those damn kisses!”

“You love those kisses!”

“Oh, crap!” - Tom curses as Julia takes advantage of her short height, easily ducking underneath his arms and shooting the ball through the hoop. Another point. - “This was a good one.”

Tom’s about to go retrieve the ball, but Julia suddenly pulls him in. It’s all so fast and intense, and she’s far stronger than she looks, and the boy ends up losing his balance.

“Ouch.” - Tom complains when his back hits the floor, with Julia clinging onto him, showering his neck with those kisses that make his head spin.

The game is already forgotten and he kisses his demanding petite girlfriend back, his arms around her waist, flushing her closer to his chest.

“I’m not gonna apologise for this.” - she stops for a quick second, cupping his face between her hands.

“I know. ” - he grins back at her. And that’s true. He already was half expecting it. That she would in some way turn his game against him, again. And he would end up falling for it, again. He always did. And to be honest, he just pretended to be mad at her. He actually enjoyed it more than he should. - “Although this is the second time you attack me just today. And I hit my back.” - she lets out a mischievous giggle.

“Tom… No… more… games...” - Julia says between pecks on his lips, hovering over him.

“Okay, I guess that’s... enough for today.”

She grins mischievously and leans down, kissing him fully. The kiss gets heated in no time, his hands on her hips, hers on his hair, their hearts beating fast and their breaths quickening…

“Hey, this is a public area! Go find a room!” - they’re suddenly interrupted by a known voice nearby.

They immediately stop kissing and look over to where the sound of whistles and cheers come from, to find their friends there, on the other side of the court’s fence.

“Woo you go, you two!” - Imogen jumps up and down, while Parker chuckles and Danni shakes her head disapprovingly at them. Tom and Julia immediately pull apart, faces flushed.

“Parker, can’t you arrest them for, like, excess of PDA?” - Danni turns to the police officer standing beside her. - “I’m pretty sure this is indecent behavior.”

“Well, they haven’t done anything too explicit yet… and they’re just making out and are in love. Let them live, Danni.”

“I am a hundred percent sure I saw a boob grab.”

Imogen and Parker laugh loudly as the couple stands up and walks toward them.

“Uh, hey, guys! What are you doing here?” - Tom asks, his face burning with embarrassment. He’s already put his t-shirt back on.

“I was taking pictures as usual when these two showed up.”

“Today’s my day off and I like helping the Boy Scouts whenever I can.” - Parker smiles proudly.

“Well… I’ve met with a lawyer earlier today and my head was so full of everything that I needed a bit of fresh air.” - they all smile to Imogen. She surely was the one who suffered the most with all that hell that happened a few weeks ago, losing her best friend, her horse and her parents. Naturally, she inherited all her parents possessions and properties and was having to deal with the legal part of it. - “And today’s such a beautiful day, so I came in here and bumped into Parker and Danni. I was just telling them about this new restaurant that opened nearby when we heard your shouting.”

“That was a pretty intense game, guys. Well played. I didn’t know you played, Julia.”

“I don’t, but someone...” - Julia answers Parker, playfully bumping her shoulder with Tom’s. - “...is a sore loser so we were having a rematch.”

“I’m not a sore loser when you cheated to begin with!”

“So, will you come have lunch with us or what?” - Danni interrupts before they start bickering at each other again. - “I’m starving.”

They both immediately decide to go with them.

“Yay! Follow me!” - Imogen squeals and the group walks together in a relaxed pace, enjoying the shadow of the trees. - “The restaurant is right in front of the park entrance! You’ll love it! They have these killer fries and this pink lemonade—”

“Wait, wait, will we be able to pay it?”

“Of course you will! I don’t eat only on fancy restaurants, you know!” - Imogen chuckles. - “And I can pay your part if you don’t have enough money, Danni.”

“I wouldn’t accept it, but thanks, Genny.”

“Nonsense, we’re friends!”

“Anyway, my wallet thanks knowing that I can pay it.”

“Seconded.” - Parker agrees.

“Thirded.”

“Fourthed.” - Tom and Julia say. He looks down at his girlfriend with a grin, her hand interlacing with his, while he carries the ball on his other arm. They walk a bit behind. - “Guess we’ll have to put our rematch on hold.”

“‘On hold’? I clearly won. Again.” - she smirks. - “Just accept this, Sato: I won, you lost.”

"I guess you hit your head when we fell because I was winning. But what do you say we solve this next? This still isn’t over, Vance.”

“You’re insufferable. Lucky you that you’re so darn cute and I love you.” - and she kisses his cheek, whose grin widens. - “Hey… do you want any help packing up your things tomorrow?”

The boy feels his heart shattering a little. The summer is almost over and he’s moving out of Pine Springs the next day now that all that supernatural weird stuff is gone. And he wants to spend every moment he has with Julia. And this is why they’ve been hanging out daily with each other for the past weeks, because they already miss each other. And this is why he likes teasing her to keep with that stupid playful competition between them. Because they know they’ll be months apart until they can see each other again.

“Yeah, that’d be nice. Thanks.”

“No problem.” - she smiles warmly at him, squeezing his hand tighter as they enter the restaurant. - “...But I’ll pick what we’re going to play next.”

“Okay, and what will it be?”

“Strip poker.” - she whispers on his ear and watches with satisfaction her boyfriend’s face turning a shade pinker. She bit back a laugh. - “I’m joking. I don’t even know how to play poker.”

“Oh. Okay. Good.” - he immediately seems more relaxed. - “Can you imagine? What if Elliot came back home right in the middle of the game and found ourselves in our underwear there? I guess I would die of embarrassment.”

“Haha, Elliot would probably just ignore us but lock me out of our room.” - Julia laughs as Danni yells at them:

“Hey couple! If you don’t hurry up there’ll be no seats left for your pretty asses!”

“Jeez, so bossy! We’re coming!” - she yells back before turning to her boyfriend again: - “We’ll continue this later, Sato. And you’ll play my game.”

“I can’t wait.” - he kisses her temple and they join their friends.

Well you can play my game

But I’ll put you to shame

Tagging @littlecrookedheart @pixelburied @mysticgayralsei @breaumonts @christopher-powell @madhattterusagi @noahpologiste @samira-yazdi @mysteli @indiacater @indescribablechoices @emomoustache @choices-fanatic @edgydepressedchoicesthot @violarobics @withoutanyconfidence @tiz-rex @priya-trash @alicegma @thequeenchoices @srta-give-me-my-jax-rl

#tom sato #tomoichi sato #tom x mc #it lives beneath #ilb #playchoices #ilb fanfic #choices fanfic #playchoices fanfiction

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green-eyeddragonfanfiction · 5 years

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Two of a Kind: Chapter 5

Pairing: Loki Laufeyson x Dark Elf!Reader Summary: You left Svartalfheim before the first victory against your people and avoided the extinction by living in Sakaar, the home of all lost things like yourself. You lived there for a long time and built yourself a sort of home there… until a couple of Asgardians show up and ruin everything for you. .All hell breaks loose on Sakaar and you and Loki are left trying to pick up the pieces of your plans. Warnings: Swearing, space slavery Word Count: ~3,065 A/N: Is habbenings. I’m trying to work through my WIPs one by one.

Masterlist // Previous Chapter // Next Chapter

When you leaned back, Loki’s eyes were dark and heated, though a sharp edge of distrust glinted just below the surface. “What was that for?” he parroted your words from moments earlier.

You smiled genuinely at him and, with a deep breath, laid all your cards on the table knowing full well it might bite you in the ass. “Do I need a reason to kiss someone I find absolutely enchanting? I like you, Loki, and that is reason enough to want to kiss you.”

Loki swept into the guest room you’d been staring in and slammed the door behind him.

“He didn’t listen,” he spat.

“Hello to you, too,” you said dryly from your spot on the couch.

Loki spared you an eye roll before he began pacing in front of you. “He wants to go back to Asgard, but it’s absolute madness. Our sister has assuredly seized control by now. Going back would be to court death,” he seethed.

You tracked his dogged progress back and forth with your eyes. “You didn’t go to see him, did you?” you asked, eyes narrowed.

He froze and glared at you. “What? Of course I did!”

You tilted your head. “In person?”

His face twisted in disgust. “Do you take me for a fool? That place is disgusting.”

You groaned and slumped back onto the couch. “You are a fool.”

He bristled and took a step towards you. “And yet you still thought me capable of tricking the Grandmaster and helping you-”

You stood in a flash and clapped a hand over his mouth. “Careful what you say, Loki. I didn’t find any surveillance equipment, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t any,” you said, quiet and deadly. When it was clear he’d calmed you removed your hand from his mouth and gestured to the couch behind you. “Sit. Please.” He looked mildly mutinous but acquiesced after a beat.

“What are we going to do? He’s unwilling to help,” Loki said in a much more subdued tone.

“Did he say that?” you asked as you crawled on his lap. His arms were around your waist immediately and, as much as you wanted to, you didn’t relax into his arms.

He scowled at the mention of his brother. “All he cares for is returning home.”

You shrugged. “Then all we need to do is ensure his goals align with ours.”

Loki raised a brow. “I can hardly see how that’s possible.”

You grinned wickedly at Loki and rested your forehead against his. “He wants off Sakaar. The Grandmaster doesn’t want that. If he’s as capable as you say he is, his escape would be more than enough of a distraction to make our move.”

Loki stared at you a bit distantly, likely working through the logistics. “You wish to use him.”

“He gets what he wants and we get what we want.”

Loki’s green eyes are unusually tempestuous. “When?”

You studied his face carefully from behind your mask. “Not tonight. He’ll be heavily guarded until his match. Maybe in a few days, when things have calmed down a bit. If he lives, that is.”

Loki’s face darkened. “He won’t wait that long.”

You shrugged and rested your head on his shoulder. “He won’t have a choice.”

“I have to get off this planet.”

You’d seen Loki cocky, calculating, cunning, and even caring, but up until this exact moment, you’d never seen him absolutely terrified.

He moved to bolt for the door, but you grabbed him before he made it more than two feet and shoved him into the white couch. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?” you hissed as you sat down next to him.

He didn’t have time to answer because a second later the Grandmaster paraded into the room, broad grin on his face. He greeted a few others in his private box, but quickly sat down. It was time for the main event.

When the Lord of Thunder (Thor?) spoke, though, you almost wished you’d let Loki leave.

“Hey! Hey, we know each other! He’s a friend from work,” the blond belted from down in the arena.

The Grandmaster turned to look at Loki, but both of you stared straight ahead. Loki cleared his throat conspicuously and you jabbed him in the ribs with your elbow.

Thankfully, the Grandmaster became distracted the moment the fight started. You glanced at Loki out of the corner of your eye, but he too was so focused on the action that he nearly flinched when you hissed, “What the hell was that?”

Loki’s eyes stayed riveted to the action. “I know him.”

You glared at him. “He’s your brother. I’d hope you do.”

Loki shook his head and finally stared at you for more than a second. “The other one.”

You gaped at him, then at Hulk, and then back at him. We’re talking about this the moment we’re alone,” you whispered.

He nodded, but then Thor landed a blow on Hulk that sent the big green man flying and the entire arena went silent.

“What?” the Grandmaster murmured, aghast.

To his credit, Loki was sunk back in his seat, trying to look as unassuming as possible and failing spectacularly.

Apparently you didn’t have to worry about the Grandmaster’s champion being defeated, though, because a moment later Thor was being thrown about like a rag doll.

Except the sight made Loki stand up and screech, “Yes! That’s how it feels!” so loudly the entire room stared at him, including you and the Grandmaster. He seemed to realize he fucked up, though, because he covered the outburst with a half assed, “I’m just a huge fan of the sport.”

The Grandmaster was happy enough, though, that he didn’t question it.

You yanked Loki back down onto the couch and gave him A Look that he valiantly ignored by watching the action.

The two contenders traded blows back and forth. Eventually the Lord of Thunder got the upper hand. Just as he was about to make a winning blow, however, the Grandmaster activated his control disc and the blond went down like a puppet with the strings cut.

You’d been expecting it, but it still made you grimace as the Hulk leapt into the air and barreled straight for him.

“I hope he’s as tough as you claim,” you whispered to Loki, who was wincing.

“As do I,” he said faintly.

“Sakaar, hear ye. Attention please. I have some bad news. My beloved exalted champion has turned up missing. Take to the streets. Celebrate my champion...”

You turned your head slowly to stare at Loki, who was staring at the nearest speaker with a dumbstruck expression.

“It seems that that criminally seductive Lord of Thunder has stolen him away. Take to the streets...”

You’d stopped listening to the announcement and so had Loki if the look he gave you was anything to go by.

“It seems we’ve underestimated my brother,” he said faintly.

You grabbed his arm and immediately started marching him in the direction of the Grandmaster’s palace. “You need to go talk to the Grandmaster. Do some damage control. My people aren’t in place yet.”

He dug his heels in, bringing both of you to a stop. “You want me to go back in there? With that psychopath? He’ll kill me!”

You spun around and glared at him. “If you don’t go he’ll assuredly send people out to kill you. If you go in good faith and intrigue him in some way, he’ll give you a chance to bring your brother back. He likes you too much to kill you immediately.”

Loki narrowed his eyes at you and fell into step beside you as you continued your march towards the palace. “And where will you be?”

“Getting my people in order. We’re making our move today.”

He sent you a worried look. “You’re sure?”

You huffed out a sigh and glared at nothing in particular. “No, but we won’t get another chance like this again.”

The palace came into view and you stuttered to a halt and reached out for his hand, once more tugging him to a stop. Before he could even ask why you’d stopped him, you unhooked your mask and slipped if off your face. You pulled him in with your free hand and kissed him, hard and fierce. He recovered from the surprise in a heartbeat and kissed back with just as much passion. Your blood pounded in your veins but you reluctantly pulled away and slipped your mask back on.

“Don’t die, Loki,” you said sternly, fingertips ghosting over his cheek.

He looked confused and unused to such displays of affection, so he simply nodded and, with a last lingering look, turned and jogged away towards the palace.

You watched him until he disappeared into the crowd then pulled out your communication device and immediately rang Halu.

He picked up within seconds. “What’s up, boss? I’m hearing a lot of chatter coming from the capital. Something wrong?”

“Get the crew ready and over here now, Halu. It’s time.”

Halu’s normally affable exterior hardened and he nodded. “You got it, boss.”

He was late. He was supposed to check in a half hour ago, but there was only radio silence on his end.

Sakaar was in an uproar. It seemed like someone had powered down the control disc mainframe, and now the Grandmaster’s slaves were running the town. You’d already had to kill more than a few that knew you by sight and reputation; cretins eager to get back at you for being a successful scrapper.

It was by complete accident, then, that you happened upon Loki while waiting for Halu to arrive in the hangar.

He was convulsing violently on the ground and, even though you couldn’t see it, you knew he was being zapped by a control disc.

“Where is it?” you asked him, hoping he’d be able to hear you over the pain.

His eyes swiveled frantically to a spot on the other side of himself and you spotted it a few seconds later. You ran over to it and quickly pressed the button on top.

Immediately Loki let out a sigh of relief, reached behind himself, grabbed the control disk, and threw it over the walkway where it fell a long way to the bottom of the hangar.

“What the hell happened?” you asked as you rushed over to him, checking him over for any injuries. It was a show of how tired he was that he didn’t shoo you away.

“I’m afraid my brother got the drop on me,” he hissed as he rubbed at the tender spot on his back.

You raised an eyebrow at that and opened your mouth to give him shit, but, before you could, the elevator door opened and out stepped a small group of former contenders.

You and Loki froze and stared at them apprehensively.

“Hey, man. Elf Lady. We’re about to jump on that ginormous spaceship. You wanna come?” the Kronan in front asked.

You gave him a disgusted look. “What? Of course we don-” Your words died in your throat at the look on Loki’s face. “You want to go,” you whispered, seeing the truth on his face no matter how neutral he tried to keep his expression. If the Kronan cared about you unceremoniously ignoring him, he gave no sign as you turned your back on them and clasped Loki’s shoulders firmly. “Why? You would be great here. We’re so close, Loki. This close to making this whole planet ours.”

His eyes were distant. “You mean yours.”

The icyness of his stare stunned you momentarily and your arms dropped from his shoulders. “No, Loki. Ours.”

His face finally showed some tiny hint of emotion, but it was anger. “Save your prettied words for more gullible fools.”

You stumbled backwards as though struck. He seemed viscerally satisfied by that reaction, which hurt you almost as much as the coldness had in the first place.

“Will you not let yourself be happy for once?” you whispered, shoulder sagging. “Can you not believe that I care for you? Do you think me incapable of such a thing?”

He narrowed his eyes at you. “You’ve known me for barely a month.”

You gazed sadly at him from behind your mask. “And yet I care more for you than I have for any living creature in memory.”

“You lie,” he whispered.

Anything you could have said in return, though, was drowned out by the sound of dozens of engines as Halu and your crew flew into the hangar.

You looked away from the ships to Loki, who was staring at you. He seemed ready to bolt at the drop of a hat.

“You won’t change your mind, will you? You’re going after your brother?” you asked him over the hum of the engines.

Those wicked green eyes stayed trained on your face as he nodded.

You sighed heavily. “Shit...” you whispered so quietly you knew he couldn’t hear.

“Boss!”

Halu and your generals were exiting their ships and walking over, looking confused and a bit bloodthirsty. Things outside must have really picked up.

You turned away from the group of former contenders and Loki, and sauntered forward a few steps. Halu and the generals stopped, looking to you expectantly.

“Halu.”

“Yes, Boss?”

You slowly took your jacket off and your crew froze, confused. You hadn’t changed after taking over Gharui’s and the jacket you had on was a symbol of your authority; a mantle of power. To wear the jacket was to be the leader of your gang.

It dangled from your hand as you held it out between you and Halu and you took off the bottom of your mask with your other hand.

“Hear my words! From this day onward, Halu Savari shall be the leader of the South Sakaar Scrapper Gang! May he lead you as I have- to glory and wealth- and may you follow him as faithfully as he has followed me for thousands of years! Victory to the South Sakaar Scrappers!”

Your generals echoed your final words, but Halu stood frozen, hands tucked firmly at his sides.

“Boss?” he whispered, taken aback.

“No, Halu. That’s you... if you’ll just take the damn jacket,” you said quietly, smirking at the taller man.

Slowly, as if he couldn’t believe what was happening, Halu reached out and took the jacket from your outstretched hand. It was with a bittersweet smile that you watched him shrug the jacket on. It was a tight fit because of how much larger he was, but it had been big on you to begin with.

You clapped him on the shoulder and gave him one last smile. “Good luck, Halu. Kick the Grandmaster’s ass so I have a nice place to come visit, alright?”

Halu grinned widely, having realized that had really happened and he wasn’t on a bad trip of jast or something. “You got it... (Y/N).”

You turned from each other at the same moment. You could hear him giving directions to your- no, his- scrappers, but you only had eyes for one man.

Loki was staring at you with wide, distrusting eyes. “I don’t understand.”

You shrugged your shoulders, missing the familiar weight of your jacket but feeling oddly... free. “I’m coming with you.”

“You’re coming with me? To save my brother and what remains of Asgard from our evil sister, Hela?” he asked, disbelief clear in his voice.

You shrugged. “Is that what we’re doing? Do we have a plan?”

He gaped at you. “You can’t be serious. You just gave up... everything... to come on a suicide mission with me?”

You grinned wickedly at him. “It’s only a suicide mission if we die.”

Loki groaned and ran a hand down his face. “You sound like my brother.”

You laughed at that. “Well, if he got the better of you, I can’t say I take offense to that.”

Loki stared at you for a moment or two longer; long enough for you stop chuckling to yourself. “You’re serious.”

Your smile turned to something a little more vulnerable and you closed the distance between you. “About you? Always.” Before he had a chance to respond you stood on your toes and sealed your lips together in a kiss. It was brief but tender and when you pulled back he was staring at you with a spark of wonder his eyes. “I see you, Loki. Just you. And you will always be more than enough for me.”

His smile was tiny but his eyes shone bright with emotion and you smiled at the sight.

That was until a loud noise snapped you out of the moment.

The Kronan was blowing his nose into what seemed like an entire tablecloth, sand falling down from its folds. If you hadn’t seen him do it you would have assumed the sound came from a ship, as loud as it was.

“That was just... beautiful,” the Kronan said tearfully.

Loki groaned and you smiled as his head thunked heavily onto your shoulder. “They’re our ride, aren’t they?” you asked knowingly as you reached down and twined your fingers with his.

“I’m afraid so,” he said despairingly.

You smiled and kissed his temple. “Then we best be going. Destiny’s calling.”

He lifted his head up and stared down at you with such naked affection that your heart stopped for a second or two. “Yes, I suppose it is.”

The Statesman was larger than any craft you were used to piloting. It was, also, much slower than the ship Thor, Valkyrie, and the human Loki had called “Banner” escaped on.

“Ha, that’s the wreckage of Topaz’s ship,” you said as you flew over the surface of Sakaar on the way to the Devil’s Anus. “Maybe that nasty bitch finally kicked the bucket.”

Loki (who was sitting in the copilot’s seat) smiled at the thought. “Now that’s a nice thought, isn’t it?”

You grinned widely, even as the Devil’s Anus loomed closer and closer. “It really is.”

Loki shot you an amused look before he started preparing the ship for travel through the Anus. “Let’s go be big damn heroes, shall we?”

You smirked at him and urged the ship forward. “First time for everything.”

Loki’s smile turned more considering as he made the final preparations. “Yes, I suppose there is.”

Next Chapter (Coming Soon)

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