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#plus then all monsters would be voiced by people whos names start with J
unfinishedslurs · 1 year
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gay bar (steddie)
“Well, well, well,” says a voice from behind. “Steeeeeeve Harrington. I must be dreaming.”
Steve turns around to see a guy, dressed in black and chains. Rings decorating his fingers, studs in his ears, curly hair pulled back in a ponytail. He’s hot, yeah, but something about him has Steve squinting, trying to figure out why he looks so familiar. 
“I know you from somewhere,” he says, pointing out the obvious. The guy knows his name.
The not-a-stranger snorts. “Of course you don’t remember me. Why would the likes of King Steve stoop to—“
As soon as the nickname leaves his mouth, Steve’s brain lights up. “Munson!” He exclaims, snapping his fingers. “You used to climb on the lunch tables to give speeches.”
It was so obnoxious, too. The kind of thing that had him and Robin reminiscing late at night, celebrating some of the weirder shit about Hawkins that didn’t come from monsters, or Russians, or government conspiracy. Remember that one asshole? Yeah, he stepped on my lunch one time!
Condolences to Robin’s pb&j. She never sat at that table again.
Munson’s whole face turns pink. “Seriously? That’s what you remember?”
“It was pretty fucking memorable, dude. Like, gross, doesn’t this guy know not to put his feet where people eat? Dustin thought you were so cool for it too. I had to nip that in the bud before he started imitating you or some shit.”
“Oh,” he says, voice gone flat. “Because God forbid some poor kid try to immolate the freak.”
Steve gives him his bitchiest, most deadpan stare. “Feet,” he says slowly. “Nasty, fifteen year old boy feet. On my kitchen table. He almost slipped and cracked his skull, and I would have sent you the hospital bill.”
He had to get creative to make him stop, too. Stood there, hands on his hips, and made Dustin tell him exactly how many germs he thought were on his shoes. Then when he tried to do it barefoot, decided the only course of action was to stuff Dustin’s abandoned sock in his mouth and ask if he wanted that shit with every meal. Erica still has the photos. 
Munson has the decency to look embarrassed, face flooding an even brighter red that wouldn’t be out of place in a tomato patch. “What are you even doing here, Harrington?”
What does he think Steve’s doing here? It’s a fucking gay bar, it’s pretty self explanatory. “My friend is here somewhere,” he says, waving out at the crowd of people. “She’s going through a dry spell, so…”
“Right,” Munson says. Steve squints at him. Does he look disappointed?
Eh. Doesn’t matter. 
“You gave my kids the best freshman year of their nerdy little lives,” he tells him, because he knows Dustin would want him to. Plus, the guy was Mike’s gay awakening. He should probably get some credit. “So thanks for that.”
He lights up. “Yeah! How was Hellfire in my absence?”
“I had to hear them bitch and moan for months about how it ‘wasn’t the same,’ but it’s doing pretty all right. Erica Sinclair is running it now.”
“Erica Sinclair…” Munson mutters, snapping his fingers. “Lucas Sinclair’s little sister? Lady Applejack?” He beams when Steve nods. “She kicked ass. Best finish to a campaign my entire high school career. How’s Lucas, anyway? And the rest of the runts.”
“He’s doing great,” Steve says. “College basketball at Yale. Pretty sure he’s dying under the workload, but that’s what you get for majoring in physics. Dustin’s at MIT, and Mike’s taking a gap year.”
He whistles lowly. “Yeesh, I don’t blame him. How about Byers?”
“Which one?”
“Zombie boy.” Steve’s hackles raise, but Munson just grins. “God, that nickname was badass.”
“How do you even know about that?”
Munson taps the side of his nose. “A magician never reveals his secrets. Besides, all it took for you to remember me was calling you by your high school nickname.”
“That wasn’t my nickname.” Steve rolls his eyes. “Literally three people ever actually called me that, and you were one of them.”
He has a feeling it was Tommy who started it, bitter and vicious. Told himself Steve was self possessed, high and mighty, above it all. That’s why he left his old friends behind. Not because he was in love, or because he wanted to be better. No, King Steve just sits alone in his castle, looking down on the peasants with contempt. 
Billy must have taken his angry ramblings and run with them. After all, what better way to get a start in a new town than declaring yourself royalty? Never mind that Steve hadn’t cared about anything like that for almost a year by then. 
Munson had just been a drama-loving asshole. 
“That can’t be right.”
“I stopped being popular in junior year. Why the hell would anyone call a sophomore King?” Steve points out. 
“You were Prom King.”
“Again, in junior year. Pickings were slim. Who else would it have been? Tommy?” He has to laugh. 
Luckily, Munson takes the hint and swerves the conversation into new territory. “You know, I always figured you’d be homophobic.”
Steve snorts. “What, and get kicked out for nothing?”
Munson stares at him, and Steve furrows his brow, looking into his glass like it will have the answer to why the hell he said that to this guy he barely knows. He just decided he wasn’t going to spill all his daddy issues to a near-stranger in a dingy bar, dammit. Is he already on his fifth drink?
Actually, this might be his sixth. That tracks. 
“What?”
“My dad caught me kissing a boy,” he says. If he’s going to give Munson his life story, he might as well commit. “Can you believe that boy ruined my life in three different ways? Two of them didn’t even have anything to do with the gay thing.” 
Maybe four ways, if you accounted for the way he broke his goddamn heart, but everyone and their mother saw that coming a mile away. Even Steve. Especially Steve. 
No offense to Jonathan. None of those things were really his fault. Or actually life ruining, but it sure fucking felt like it at the time. 
He should give him a call soon, actually, see how he and Argyle are doing. He misses the guy. Maybe he and Robin should save up for a visit to Cali. Get Nancy on it. They could see San Francisco while they were there, that’d be cool. Apparently it was the queer capital of the country. 
He’s thinking about asking the bartender for a napkin and a pen to write down the plans he’s forming when Munson speaks up again. Steve honestly forgot he was here. 
“I thought you said you were here for a friend.”
What?” Steve blinks, confused, and then catches on. “Yeah, to get her laid. I’m not in the mood right now.”
Munson cocks an eyebrow. “Wearing that? Could’ve fooled me.”
Steve looks down at his Springsteen T-Shirt that Robin cropped, and picks at the frayed hem of his shorts. Okay, yeah, they’re on the skimpy side, but in his defense it’s summer and even if he’s not cruising Steve likes being looked at. “Yeah, yeah. What about you? Here for anything in particular?”
“Just to talk to some pretty boys,” Munson says, leaning on the bar to flag down the bartender. Steve smirks, reaching out a hand to tug at the hanky in his back pocket. Pinned, damn. 
Munson whirls around, a flush starting to crawl onto his ears. 
“Wearing that?” Steve echos snarkily. “Could’ve fooled me.”
He swears that for a minute Munson’s eyes darken. 
He’s almost tempted to follow through, high school reputation be damned, when someone crashes into his side and nearly sends him careening. 
“Steeeeeve,” Robin yells happily into his ear. “This is Bernie, she’s gonna take me home, see you la—oh, hi!” She says, noticing Munson. “I know you from somewhere.”
“Eddie Munson,” Munson greets. “Steve and I went to high school together.”
“Munson! That’s it, you climbed on tables and had shit music. I’m Robin. Okay, I’ll call the apartment and leave a message when we get there. Bernie’s waiting on me, it’s-nice-to-meet-you-bye!” Just like that, she’s gone. 
Munson’s mouth has dropped open. “You told her I had shit music?” He demands. “Wait, you talked about me?”
“She went to school with us, dumbass,” he says, as if he can talk. He still barely remembers her as more than a vague, glowering figure in his peripheral. “It’s not my fault you blasted your screamy music for everyone in the parking lot. Such a fucking headache, God.”
Munson turns his nose up. “Sorry for having offended your jock sensibilities.”
“Oh, I don’t play anymore,” he says, and knocks on his head. “Concussions, yanno. Apparently brain damage will fuck you up. Who knew?”
“What, like the fight you had with Byers? He did you that bad?”
“He did me just fine,” Steve blurts out, before he can stop himself. Munson chokes. “Shit, sorry, I’m kind of a horny drunk.” Weird thing to say, Steve. “Also, I cannot stress enough how much I needed to be punched in the face. It was a monumental moment for me, you know. Started me on the path for changing my entire worldview. Plus, he was my first guy crush.” He swirls his empty glass, lost in thought, before brightening up. “I should call him!”
Munson is staring at him, mouth opening and closing like a fish. 
“What?”
“You’re drunk.”
“Well, yeah. Duh.”
“I should probably stop you from booty-calling the guy who punched you in the face.”
Steve wrinkles his nose. “It wouldn’t be a booty-call,” he says. “He and Argyle are happy together, man. I’m not gonna ruin that.”
“Oh, so you’d call him because…”
“I call him all the time,” Steve says, confused as to why this is such a big deal. “We’re friends.”
“Jonathan!” He yells happily into the pay phone. Munson is standing to the side, looking on in annoyance. Whatever, it’s not like Steve asked him to do this. “Jonathan, man, how are you?”
“…Steve?”
“Yeah!”
“It’s like…” he hears something clatter in the background, like Jonathan is looking for something, “two in the morning there. You okay?”
“I’m doing great!” He exclaims. “How about you? It’s been ages, man, I miss you.”
“This is so fucking weird,” Munson whispers behind him. Steve ignores him. 
“Are you drunk?”
“No,” he says. “Well, maybe a little. Do you not miss me too?” He pouts, and Jonathan sighs loud enough he hears it over the phone. 
“I just talked to you yesterday.”
Steve frowns. “Yesterday? That can’t be right, it’s been, like, forever. Oh, hey, have you heard from Nance lately? How’s your mom? I love your mom, she’s so fucking cool. Does she know I think she’s cool? How’s Will? It’s been so long, is he taller than me yet? How’s Argyle doing with his degree? I miss you guys.”
“We miss you too, Steve.”
“Awww, Byers, getting soppy on me? Gross, man.”
“You literally just—yeah, okay. Are you alone?”
“Nah, I’ve got this guy with me, he’s walking me home. Oh! Dude, do you remember Munson?”
“Munson?”
“Yeah, Eddie Munson! From high school! The one who used to climb on tables and shit, remember him?”
“Jesus Christ,” Munson groans. “Please let that die.”
“No one is dying,” Steve informs him seriously, and turns back to the phone. Munson sighs. 
“Wasn’t he a drug dealer?”
“Yes! Yeah, drug dealer Munson! Did you ever buy from him?” He turns to where Munson is looking around furtively. “Did Jonathan ever buy from you?”
“How about we not talk about this here,” Munson says through gritted teeth. Steve sighs and turns back to the phone. 
“Never mind, he says he doesn’t want to talk about that. Not like we can judge him, but whatever. Maybe the guy’s turned into a prude—“
“Okay, give me that.” Munson wrestles the phone out of his hand, and Steve whines at him. “Hey, Byers,” Munson says. “Yeah, it’s Eddie. Or Munson. Whatever. Listen, I’m getting kind of sick of standing here watching Harrington slobber all over the receiver, can he call you tomorrow? What? No, I don’t sell anymore—yeah, total bummer, whatever. Listen, I’ll get him home safe—no, I’m not going to serial murder him. He’s gonna be fine, he’ll call you tomorrow—Nancy Wheeler? Like that girl he dated? Didn’t you—shoot me? Jesus, okay! I’m not gonna kill the guy, Christ. He’s gonna be fine, oh my God. He’ll call you tomorrow. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Yeah, okay. Bye.” He slams the phone into its holder with more than a little contempt. 
“Hey!” Steve protests. “You didn’t let me say bye.”
“You can call him tomorrow and apologize,” Munson says. “Now c’mon, Harrington. I’ve been tasked with getting you home safe, and if I fail, apparently Nancy fucking Wheeler is going to shoot me in the balls.”
“Oh, yeah, she’s really hot when she does that,” Steve says fondly, and Munson splutters. 
“What, does Wheeler just go around shooting people? Does she even have a gun?”
“Of course Nancy has a gun.” Steve frowns. It was one of the sure things in the universe at this point. The sky is blue, Hawkins is fucked up, and Nancy Wheeler has a gun. “And she doesn’t shoot people, stupid. Well, she shot at Billy, but he deserved it.”
“Billy?” Munson mutters, starting to usher Steve in the direction of home. “Who the fuck is Billy?”
“He was trying to kill her first!” Steve defends. “I hit him with a car before he could, so she was okay.”
“Okay, yeah, sure. Why wouldn’t you hit some guy with a car? 
“It wasn’t some guy,” Steve says. “It was Billy. He was, like, possessed or some shit. Oh, and he beat me up. Total psycho.  And that was before the melted flesh monster.”
Munson stops and stares at him. “You know what, sure. Demonic possession. Yeah, okay. Some guy named Billy kicked your ass—wait, are you talking about Billy Hargrove?”
Steve lights up. “Yeah! You remember that? That’s one of the concussions I was talking about. I gotta wear glasses 'cuza that shit. Man, fuck that guy.”
“Didn’t he die?”
“Oh, yeah,” Steve frowns down at the ground. “Shit, I’m, like, speaking ill of the dead, aren’t I? Max wouldn't like that. Unfuck him, or whatever.”
“You wanna come up?” He asks. “For old times sake?”
Munson stares at him like it’s the craziest thing he’s said all evening. “‘Old times’ was your asshole friends calling me a satan worshiper and pushing me around in hallways, Harrington.”
“I know.” He grins. If he was sober he’d definitely feel worse about that, but as it is he’s pretty single minded. “Don't you kind of want to make me cry about it?”
Deer in headlights isn’t usually a good look, but Munson’s got the eyes to make it work. Or Steve is drunk. Either way, it’s kinda cute. 
“You’re drunk,” he finally says, stumbling over the words a little. If Steve pays close attention and ignores most of reality, it almost sounds like he’s trying to convince both of them. “You’re so incredibly drunk.”
“I’m not that drunk.” He totally is. 
“I just had to supervise you calling Jonathan Byers so you didn’t say something you’d regret in the morning.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Steve asks, offended. “I love Jonathan! I tell him all the time. Just because I said he ruined my life—“
“That was him?”
“Did I not say that? Huh. Whatever. Point is, I’m not that drunk.”
“You’re definitely drunk,” Munson says. “I’m not—yeah, no. I’m not coming up.”
“Damn.” Steve shrugs, not too put out about it. It’s a bummer, sure, but he handles rejection like a champ. Just ask Robin. “Worth a shot. See you ‘round, Munson.”
“Don’t kill me,” Steve says. 
“Oh, god, did you punch him?”
“No, I, uh.” Steve rubs the bridge of his nose. “I think I tried to fuck him.”
He has to hold the phone away from his face so Dustin’s screeching doesn’t break his eardrums. 
“Your exes are weirdly protective of you,” Munson says blandly. “Also, didn’t they date?”
“Yeah,” Steve shrugs, not exactly eager to start spilling his life story again now that he’s sober. Munson doesn’t need to know more about his dating history than he already does. “We’re all a little weird about each other, sorry.”
“Weird about your exes,” he hums. “No wonder you’re single.”
“Oh, fuck you. It’s not like that.”
He raises an eyebrow. “No?”
“Are you always this nosy?” Steve asks, a little waspish. 
“Absolutely,” Munson replies without hesitation. “I’d say sorry, but I’m not. When did you even date him?”
“Dude.”
Munson just cocks an expectant eyebrow, hip resting against the bar. He can’t imagine why someone would be so interested in the romantic lives of their old high school classmates. It’s not like Steve is about to ask what was going on between him and Chrissy Cunningham. 
“Well, Harrington?”
“First grade,” Steve answers, deadpan. He grins when Munson chokes. “Nah, it was actually after he and Nancy broke up. Fall of ‘86.”
Arms squeeze him from behind, and Robin slides into view, leaving one hand wrapped pointedly around Steve’s waist. She gets clingy when she thinks someone is bothering him, or when she’s just on the side of drunk that she gets possessive. She told him, embarrassed and hungover, that it’s because she registers someone he’s getting along with as infringing on “her Steve time.” Steve thinks it’s hilarious and kind of sweet, an obvious lesbian trying to pretend he’s her date. Especially because he gets the same way when he’s tipsy and feels like he doesn’t have enough of her attention, so she can't yell at him for being a cockblock. Cuntblock. Whatever the lesbians call it.
He wonders what category she thinks Eddie is. Of guy, that is. Not block-anything.
He'd actually be pretty damn happy if the guy miraculously changed his mind and decided to sit on his cock instead.
“What’s going on here?” She asks, almost cattily. He loves when Robin gets bitchy. It brings him back to their Scoops days, except he gets to see it turned on someone else. 
“I’m telling Eddie my life story,” Steve says blithely.
“Ugh. Who would want that?”
Eddie grins. “I’m curious about the adventures of a former king.” He dips his head in a bow, waving his hand in a flourish. “I don’t know if you remember me from last time, I’m Eddie—“
“Munson, I know. You stepped on my lunch in junior year.”
Eddie turns beet red in record time. 
“Aww, Robbie,” Steve almost coos. “Leave him alone. I wanted to be the one who made him blush like that.”
“It’s not my fault your boy’s easy.”
“Not my boy, clearly,” he mutters under his breath. “And if he were easy, I’d have gotten fucked by now.”
Eddie’s mouth drops open with a choked little sound. Whoops. Steve forgot volume control again. 
Robin takes one look at Eddie’s face and bursts into cackles. 
“He was asking about,” he waved a hand in the air, “the whole Nancy-Jonathan thing.”
Her eyebrows jut up. “You told him about the threesome?”
“The what?”
Steve sighs. “No, Robin. I did not tell him about the threesome.”
“…oops.”
“When?” Eddie demands. 
Robin gives him the evil eye. “Why are you being weird about this? It’s not gonna make him fuck you.”
Steve wisely keeps his mouth shut. 
Eddie does not. “Your boy here already asked,” he smirks, leaning closer. “I said no.”
Then, as an added punch to his ego, he twirls a strand of Steve’s hair around his finger and tugs slightly. Steve’s too stunned to protest. 
Robin watches the exchange. “Oh, no thank you,” she says. “Nope. I’m out. I don’t want to see whatever this is. Ugh, stop making me hear about your sex life.”
Hypocrite. “We have thin walls, Buckley,” Steve reminds her. He turns to Eddie and stage whispers, “She likes her girls loud.”
“Steve!”
“You do!”
“Oh, because you’re so quiet,” she snaps, smacking him. “How many times have I had to bang on the wall because you couldn’t keep it down? You wanna talk about loud? I know more about you than I ever wanted to.”
His mouth drops open in mortification. “You know it’s rude to be mean to the man who told you how to eat out,” he hisses. 
“I’m not dying without fucking Eddie Munson,” he declares. “I mean, his high school nickname was literally ‘The Freak.’ He’s got to be good in bed, right?”
“I think that was mostly because everyone thought he was communing with the Devil or something.”
“Maybe the Devil gave him sex magic.”
“Of course he thinks I’m cute.”
“I do?”
“Do you not?” Steve turns to him, widening his eyes in the same pout that always has Robin throwing something at his face, or the kids reluctantly agreeing to do what he wants. He’s found it’s useful for guys too, especially if he ducks his head to seem smaller and looks through his eyelashes. Makes them imagine him looking like that on his knees. 
Munson is no exception. He melts faster than Steve can say gotcha. “You’re very cute, Harrington,” he purrs, and Robin snorts into her drink. 
“You’re a weak, weak man, Eddie Munson,” she tells a blushing Eddie. Then she kicks Steve. “Stop bringing out the ‘fuck me’ eyes when I’m around, I’ll gag.”
“You could leave.”
She gasps, affronted, and kicks him harder.
“So you would fuck me if I wasn’t drunk?”
“Uh…” he looks everywhere but Steve’s face, which is just rude. He has a very nice face. He’s been called dreamy before. 
Which made Robin laugh so hard she fell off the couch when he told her, but he’ll take the lesbian’s opinion with a grain of salt. 
He makes his way onto the dance floor. He’s not a particularly good dancer, but he shakes his ass like he means it. Gets up close with a guy, stares at Eddie the whole time. Keeping eye contact as the guy puts his hands on his hips. 
Look, he means to say. This could be you. You could lose your chance if you’re not careful. 
From the burning in Eddie’s eyes, he gets the message. 
The message is a bunch of bullshit. It’s been over four months, he’s in too deep to go fuck off with someone else now. Still, he enjoys the way Eddie’s hands flex on his thighs, like he had to stop himself from reaching out. 
The thing is, Steve’s not an asshole. He can take a hint. No means no, and all that jazz. If Eddie really didn’t want him, he’d fuck right off and find someone who did. He even started to.
Except Eddie pouted up a storm when he flirted with someone else. Got even clingier when Steve tried to back off. At this point, he’s accepted that Eddie does want to fuck him, and maybe even be more (no one flirts with someone as long as they’ve been doing without wanting something like a relationship out of it. At least, he hopes there’s something more on the horizon), but has some weird hang up about Steve being even a little bit buzzed when it happens. Even though they only ever see each other at this fucking bar.
The problem is Steve has no idea when Eddie will be at the bar. He’ll stay sober one night, hoping to see him, and then go home alone only for next time to be when he sees telltale curls and a wide smile. It’s driving him up the wall. 
Robin has been similarly affected.
“It’s been six months,” she growls as Steve looks eagerly around. “Six fucking months of you two dancing around in the worlds most annoying mating ritual. I’m going to kill both of you.”
“We’re not that bad,” he says absently. 
“You don’t even have his phone number. It’s pathetic. I swear to God, if you see him again and don’t get laid I’m reviving the scoops board. I will go out and buy a whiteboard to keep track of all the times you strike out with a man who used to walk on tables. He stepped on my lunch, Steve. Do I need to keep bringing up the fact he stepped on my delicious, nutritious PB&J? I can’t believe that’s the guy you decide to be obsessed with, that’s so fucking embarrassing for you.”
“Embarrassing? You mean like your crush on my ex girlfriend?”
She screeches wordlessly, pulling her keychain off her belt loop and attacking him with it. 
Naturally, that’s how Eddie finds them. 
“I swear you guys get weirder every time I see you.”
Steve grins guilelessly at him, holding a flailing Robin in a headlock. 
“Eddie! Hey! It’s been a minute.” He hasn’t been able to come in a month, and it’s been longer since he’s seen him. It’s honestly one of the deciding factors on whether it’s a passing fancy or a full blown crush. He still went to sleep every night thinking about Eddie. It didn’t even have to be about sex. 
Although maybe not sleeping with anyone else for half a year should have tipped him off sooner. 
“Sure has, big boy. I was starting to think you were getting sick of me.” It’s a joke, but Steve catches an undercurrent of insecurity. 
“That’d make my life easier,” Robin snorts. She finally wiggles her way out of his hold. “I saw Arty somewhere around here, I’m gonna see if I can crash at her place tonight.” She levels Eddie with a look. “He hasn’t had anything to drink. If you don’t put him out of his misery, I will. And it won’t be the good kind. It will be the bad kind. With bad screams. Lots of screaming, and someone will call the pigs, and I’ll be arrested and jailed for life. Do you want me to go to jail, Munson?”
Eddie shakes his head dumbly. 
“Good! Then do something about it.” She slaps Steve’s back, a mocking echo of his jock days. “Go get ‘em, slugger!” 
With that, she’s gone, disappearing into the crowd. 
“She is,” Steve remarks with amusement, “the worst wingman on planet Earth. Mars too, probably.”
“I dunno, I think it might be working.”
“I’m not doing anything without a condom,” he says, eyes narrowed like he’s waiting for an argument. 
“Me neither,” Steve agrees. “Robin has, like, this big fear of diseases. Totally got me with it. She pulled out the library books, those pictures were fucking disgusting. Shit showed up in my dreams, man. Neither of us do anything without protection.”
“I’m going to be totally honest with you, because I haven’t been and it’s starting to eat at me,” Eddie says, hovering above Steve. 
Steve wrinkles his nose. “What is it? Are you a spy or something? Are you Russian? Do you have superpowers? Is your name not actually Eddie?” He pauses. “Oh, God, you’re not even Eddie Munson, are you? I’m just some asshole who’s been calling you by my old classmates name and you were too embarrassed to correct me. Shit, we made so much fun of you for walking on tables too—“
“What?” Eddie covers his mouth, expression hovering between amused and baffled. “What the fuck, why would I go along with that? No, Jesus, I’m Eddie Munson. Moved to Hawkins when I was eleven, took senior year three times, walked on the fucking tables, could you let that go?” He moves the hand covering Steve’s mouth to play with his hair, looking annoyed for a minute before it smoothes to trepidation. “No, I, uh, I just felt like I needed to tell you that I used to have a hate-boner for you in high school. Like, I used to jack it to the thought of kicking your ass and making a mess outta you. In more ways than one.”
Steve stares. 
“Also, that’s kind of why I approached you in the bar in the first place,” Eddie blabbers on. “And then you said you were just there for a friend, and I was disappointed but it’s whatever, yanno? And then then you told me about your dad, and threw my expectations to the fucking wolves, and then you asked me to come up to your apartment except you were drunk and you probably didn’t mean it. But then the next time I saw you, you kept flirting with me, which you were not supposed to do, and I kept pretending that wasn’t the reason I even talked to you in the first place, and, uh, yeah.” He smiles nervously. “Surprise?”
“I mean, not really.”
“You’re such an asshole, fuck off. At least pretend to be shocked.”
“It’s not my fault you stare at my legs all the time,” Steve says, affronted. “I know I didn’t do too good in school, but I’m not dumb enough to miss that. Like, hello, my eyes are up here.”
Eddie lets his arms give out, flopping on top of Steve heavily. Steve wheezes. “Am I really that obvious?” He whines into his shoulder. 
“You got sad and pouty when I even looked at another guy.”
“You could’ve fucked him,” he mumbles. “The guy you were dancing with. It wasn’t any of my business. I’m a big boy, I can deal.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t want to fuck him,” Steve says. “I wanted to fuck you. Can we go back to that please?”
“Thought I was fucking you.”
“Someone’s getting fucked or Robin will kill both of us. I’d like to live tomorrow morning. And not have to deal with any more of her teasing for having no game.”
“You have unfortunate amounts of game,” Eddie sighs, tracing the side of Steve’s neck. It tickles. “It’s kind of embarrassing for me.”
“Yeah, yeah, are we using those condoms or not, Moodkiller?”
“Oh, I’m the mood killer?”
“Yes,” Steve says matter of factly, and pulls him in for a kiss before he can protest.
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summertimemusician · 6 months
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Linktober Shadow Day 8
Majora('s Mask)
*throws bouquet of roses* For the Time lovers.
Also my bias is probably coming through really strongly right now, but I'm not well rested enough to care plus I've been playing Majora's Mask a lot again this month, it's as important to me as Twilight Princess so this is kind of my love letter to it and Time and my excuse to explore the concept of Majora and the Fierce Deity and divinity in LoZ, though that's an essay for another day lol (/j)
As always can be read as romantic or platonic depending on your preferences, Reader is gender neutral and this is definitely self indulgent so it can be read in or outside of an LU context, most of the references to the LU names are for simplicity and to give a rough idea of why Reader has some stuff they do. Makes it easier to clarify lol, though as I've been hit by yet another storm the Linktober prompt will be for tomorrow, I'm basically picking a god and praying this actually posts X_X
TW(?):
Don't think there's any warnings besides MJM's typical body horror really, and very graphic descriptions and Majora in general.
Even after so, so long, so much so it feels like a lifetime ago, Termina still stuck with you and Time.
The thing about being in a timeloop that went on for who knows how long and whose failure to reset it would be total destruction to so many good different people, is that you quickly learn some habits to try and maximize as many successes as possible, how Time (Mask, then, after the living nightmare of Termina, during the War of Ages, still Link though) quickly learned the location of each enemy he could, how you learned to call out the best way to quickly assess and take down an enemy as quickly as possible, how you both learned to watch each other’s backs and to care for the people and Termina to the point Link went from just a warrior to a healer, granted the trust of holding the crystalization of the hopes and dreams of the people of Termina that, even if they couldn’t remember it, wanted the cycle to end, wanted to hunt the threat to reality itself and purge it from the world. To bite down onto it’s neck and feel the thrill and glee and cutting down such an opponent.
Most importantly, after bleeding, crying, sweating and toiling against the unrelenting flow of time and insanity all brought upon by a lonely child being left alone and manipulated to commit heinous acts as ‘pranks’. It taught you and Time the importance of contingency plans, and about always, always being prepared for any and all situations, unlikely as they could be. Of taking through note of even the smallest detail that caught your eyes at a glance.
‘To defeat an abomination, you need one of two things: A deity, or a monster.’, you think cynically to yourself, stepping over Time’s fallen form as Warriors bolted over with blizzard forged fury in his cold, calculated movements to defend him in your stead as you called Hyrule over, the young man quickly starting to heal your Hero as you glare down at the disgusting stain on reality engaging Twilight and Wild all at once, gleeful at having watched the person you adored the most fall, bringing out the ultimate contingency from your cloak, you hadn’t even told him about it, because you prayed you’d never need to resort to this, ‘… Forgive me, Link. The first option isn’t doable here.’
Time was your everything, you knew how his story ended, with so much grief until he finally met Twilight again. You tried, you really did, to not allow yourself to love him but it was impossible because he was Link, the man who longed for adventure ever since he was young, embodying the freedom of the forest of life and death that made up the whole of Faron Woods and the Lost Woods and as steady as it’s moors, voice quiet and calm like a stream in the woods and with and with a smile to rival the warm sun and so, so heartbreakingly kind. Who protected and saved and healed people while slowly healing his own soul and who attempted to soothe his descendant’s pain the second he could even from beyond the grave.
And you’d be darned if you allowed anything to take him from you or the boys before his time without a fight. You couldn’t care less if he would eventually die as he was destined to in every timeline, it didn’t matter if it was futile, because he mattered, you loved him, and you’d keep him safe and happy for as long as you could.
It didn’t matter if one day tragedy will catch up to him, it mattered that he was loved while alive.
Even if you had to step on fire to make sure of it.
“Twilight, Wild. Step away.”, the edges of the spikes of the purple and crimson mask that haunted your nightmares as much as it did Time’s, it leered at you with it’s arsenic and pus eyes, picking apart at your weaknesses as it’s spikes dug into your hand as you tightened your grip to keep if from shaking. Tone falsely confident as you called to the Hero of Twilight and Wild to retreat.
(‘To defeat an abomination, you need a deity or a monster.’
The definition is awfully interchangeable, if you look at it.
You had found it, abandoned and in a dungeon Wind’s Era, not quite awake, but not asleep either. The eldritch hunger almost chocking you with it’s voracity, the darkness assessing, stalking, prowling and starving, it prodded at you but didn’t dig yet. It knew how to play the long game in it’s quest to stop feeling empty.
Funny thing is, so did you. You were a lot harder to break than the Skull Kid, would not break.
Majora wanted to cease, like how it had ceased before the Terminan Tribe ripped it from it’s slumber, taught it hunger, taught it cruelty, taught it how to manipulate and take amusement in consuming the wishes of mortals and their very souls only to never be satisfied. Had fueled it with wrath from being ripped from a lovely, endless dream of beautiful songs and a kind soul. To be torn from it’s fantasy and then left to rot.
You offered to grant it a proper rest. And so a deal was struck. Your one contingency if the situation was truly dire, in case you couldn’t get the Fierce Deity Mask instead -because you knew how Link was, he’d burn himself out until there was naught but ash. You refused to let it ever come to that, after his excruciating screams of pain had clawed an aching, hurtful place into your very soul-, and Majora was starving and desperate, a dangerous combination for any being but something you could use.
So be it, if to protect divinity you needed to become a monstrosity, a monster was what you’d be.
You’d keep him safe. And you knew that if the Fierce Deity put him down once, he could do it again in case you slipped. Between him and Sky you weren’t afraid at all of the risk.
Even if Time never forgave you for taking it.)
You smile bitterly, tearing up in spite of yourself as you see the second Time spots you and the cursed artifact in hand, eye wide, voice ripping from his throat in desperation, “I’m quite selfish, I’m sorry.”
His haunted expression cuts you deeper than any knife, as you knew it was an image that featured in many of your nightmares and his own. But you’re insatiable for his happiness, so you take the plunge.
“NO NO NO NO DON’T-“
You put on the mask, and you scream.
It’s like stepping on fire, a twisted, desperate tune, a note of discord, a belt of harmony and fury and most importantly, the mighty need to consume the one who had tried to take the one you loved away from you.
Defy death, defy entropy, defy chaos, defy flame and voracity.
You cling to your self control with a snarl, howling in defiance. Sinking your nails into the abyss’ throat and biting, tearing, holding, tasting rot and withered flowers and the writhing of shadows and the blood of distorted gluttonousdivinity on your tongue with savagery equal to the way the demon sinks it's spikes onto you. Chew on it’s tender, rotting flesh, quaff down the lukewarm pus of it’s heart and the rust of blood as it bites off your skin, stripping your mind into chunks as it nests into your ribs like the spikes of wild, dead roses when it finds your mind tougher to break and you BURN YOU ARE LIFE YOU ARE CHAOS AND YOU ARE DROWNING AND YOU ARE FLAME-
You move, and Majora’s laugh sounds like a scream and a song as reality howls.
Your bones, sinew, muscles, nerves, veins and teeth are reformed, the being pounces, dancing, swerving, whipping, cleaving, ripping and feeding into the monsters with putrid, revolting gusto. Whenever it’s attention even tries to waver towards the Heroes you sink your hold in harder, stubborn, you’re sure there’s blood dripping from your mouth beneath the mask, your eyes, your ears, as it reaches a crescendo of glee and pain. A human body isn’t meant to hold so much divinity at once, much less as wretched and horrific as Majora’s, but you don’t care, can’t care, when you’re holding onto yourself like a vice, refusing to give it even a single inch.
It doesn’t kill Dark Link, the bastard (the one who’d hurt Time, the one who would have finished him off if not for you and Warriors). But the screech the Shadow releases as it gets ripped to shreds and the ripple of it’s retreating form is enough to make you partially agree with Majora’s vicious, amused glee that it was satisfying. Even if the feeling of you allowing it to utilize your skin temporarily felt revolting and disgusting in a way it made you wish you were actually on fire, not just in so much pain in a metaphysical level that it sure rivaled being set on fire, frost burned and lightning struck all in one go.
All is still now, all is silent.
Now comes the difficult part.
'Are you quite sure?', whispers Majora, crooning like nails on chalkboards, and it’s spikes sink into you tighter when you grip the sides of it, teeth gritted as you start prying it out of your face, amused by your defiance, but no longer as hungry. You did allow it quite the meal, you bet nothing like fellow divinity tastes better to the being, like the taste of a forbidden fruit you were going to be unfortunately acquainted given you’re sure Dark Link’s blood is on your teeth.
'Yes.' comes your faint response, as your sanity frays in fragile threads, you think someone calls your name, but you are drowning, you are burning, and you know that if you don’t focus it will break you. And you’d be fully dead before you let that happen. If you’re going to die you’re going to die as a human.
'Tou are so, so cold… So cruel.' It drawls, the demon’s voice like the gnawing of rats, like maggots under you skin, you convulse, falling to your knees with a wounded keen and pull harder, you barely noticed someone falling by your side, frantically calling your name, but the mask’s eyes dim to an outsider’s perspective, resigned as it hums dreamily, 'I suppose that’s why The Divine Hunter cares for you so, why it’s vessel’s claim is so strong.'
Good, you were banking on it being sleepy, after gorging yourself on the enemy of your boys, Hylia’s gash and Din’s assets your mouth is going to taste putrid for months isn’t it?
Majora hisses, growls, howls and screeches, a brush against your essence as it retreats. Unwinding from every single cell of your body, distorting your atoms back to their proper shape. It still hurts, buy it’s more bearable, although you quickly notice you’re chocking on a different form of Divinity, more possessive, more wild but just as old and ferocious as it snaps at the retreating heels of the twisted, chaotic thorns. Making reality remember your own shape quicker at the cost of filling every crack consumed by the demon.
You swear that thing is smiling smugly at something else, teeth bared and very entertained, taking the suffering of the people of Termina and the cold revulsion in your veins with it as it retreats with it's cacaphony of voices to the shade, 'A shame. Feasting more would be delightful, but very well. We trust that though you hurt today, tomorrow you’ll make sure we head on our way.'
You don’t have the mind or heart to say anything else to it, for it grows silent as the spikes rip from the sides of your face, you bite of a tortured yell as the spikes rip off chunks of skin and flesh, clawing at the ground with, thankfully, soothing, perfectly regular fingers and nails, albeit cracked, you feel someone take their hand in yours, and you crack open an eye, carefully aware of the blood dripping down your face from the half removal of the heart shaped mask and the thrum of thunder replacing the cold in your veins with boiling, protective warmth.
Time.
“You shouldn’t be up already.”, you rasp, looking over his wounded form, healed by Hyrule, you shakily take your left hand to keep prying at the Majora’s Mask, only for him to take it gently in yours, you taste blood, the petrichor of the Lost Woods mist and pine on the back of your mouth, chasing the rot of Majora away.
“It’s nothing, we both know I’ve had worse.” He says, firmly shaking his head. His scarred eye is open, ivory like bone, the markings more vibrant and prominent with the ferocity of a god, he looks tired, and you attempt to speak, to apologize, to voice your worry because you knew channeling the deity without a conduit was a bad idea, before coughing, shaking from the aftermath of your reckless, reckless plan.
(You unfortunately can’t say you regret it much, though, when you silently bear the combined brunt of Time and Fierce Deity’s care once you reach camp and the protective way they act towards you. Even though Majora is long gone much to your resigned exasperation, and the rest of your boys amusement, but that is for much, much later.)
Time gently hums, it rings through you like thunder as he holds you close, tapping your neck in a rhythm you could recognize in your sleep for when he was about to pull arrows, blades or shrapnel from your skin, or was ready to have it done to himself, you immediately loosen yourself as much as possible, gripping his hand tightly as he rips the rest of the Majora’s Mask off, inert and lifeless as when you’ve both woke up from a new day, he holds you close as you try to breathe, reassuring himself you’re still here, “Don’t you ever scare me like that again. Please.” He pleads, begs, prays. He can't lose you too.
And you can’t help it, you smile as you cry crimson and russet tones from your eyes, holding him back as close as you dare to. He doesn’t hate you, you’re sure you’re going to soon participate in the argument of a lifetime. But Link doesn’t hate you, doesn’t see you as a monster any more than you could ever see him as anything but the kind companion you always knew.
So you let yourself nod, helpless to say no to him for anything really. And allow yourself to breathe, you’re both going to be alright.
#linked universe x reader#linked universe time x reader#lu time x reader#also know as Reader Going All in on their Feral Arc on my docs lol#this makes reference to Majora's story in fhe manga before it became a mask.#and basically has some of my many many thoughts about why it evolved the way it did and it's effects#even though all the original version of it as a demon was basically one long nap lol#The Majora's Mask adapts depending on who's wearing it and in this essay I will-#Majora: So what's in it for me if I indulge your little mortal whims?#Reader who us willing to do anything for the Links and Time: Free food entertainment and a nap?#Majora after seeing it can annoy Fierce Deity in one go too: Deal#They're both analogue and aspects to each other and are so mad about it. Majora wasn't gonna to pass that up lol#Mortals holding divinity when they aren't vessels explicitly created for it has consequences in LoZ and that's reflected here#kind of#Fierce Deity x Reader#? albeit very mildly and through Time's care#Fierce Deity doesn't like sharing his vessel or the rest of the Chain with other deities and that extends to Reader#They basically gave them the metaphysical equivalent of a hose down in a lab to avoid contamination#and replaced all of the energy it put in there with his own to make a point and to help with the strain#I have so many thoughts about Time and about this stuff lol#Majora. Appreciating Reader's unhinged defiance: I like this one. FD growling: Back off my vessel has had dibs for years#summer writes linktober shadow 2023#summer writes#and now I crash lol#Also friendly reminder that the Majora's Mask is MIA in Wind Waker and was never exorcised in the Downfall line#just throwing that out there
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cloudyrica · 3 years
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Manifesting it into reality:
Jaime Lyn Beatty as Webby
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xginata · 3 years
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Goodnight Moon
Prompt: After accepting to babysit your best friends kids, Keigo comes to terms with his feelings about someday becoming a dad.
Rating: Pure & wholesome fluff.
Wordcount: short drabble, 1.5k words.
Notes: Wrote this at 1am because I couldn’t stop picturing Keigo overcoming his fears. Keigo would be such a great dad, even if he struggled he would do anything for y/n and his kids. Also tried to keep this as non-binary, as possible because I do want many people to feel included in my writings. I used the term “titi,” when it came to y/n because at least how I used it growing up, it was meant for both uncle & aunt. I hope everyone gets to enjoy this little piece!
(*´꒳`*)
Hawks was uncomfortable, as two little kids ran around him, poking and prodding at his wings, one even grabbing a fist full and pulling them out, making Hawks grow irritated.
Hawks had been expecting for you to be slumped up on the couch, drifting into a nap. He planned to surprise you this afternoon since he was able to come home earlier than expected.
He did not expect to see you and two little toddlers whose sentences always seem to start with, “why, what, where, when, and how?”
He most certainly did not expect to get jumped and tackled by the two little monsters either.
You were in the kitchen, making snacks for the two little toddlers as you heard him call out your name. Not completely yelling for you but also his calmness wavered.
You came out from the kitchen holding matching pb&j’s and two sticks of gogurts.
“What is is baby?” You asked and your eyes widened, letting out a small laugh.
The twins somehow managed to tackle him to the floor, Hawks sprawled out, unable to get up thanks to the twins quirk. They could increase the weight, almost harden, any part of a persons body and unfortunately for Keigo, it was the wings.
“Uncle Keigo!” They shouted in sync, laughing and giggling at his uncomfortableness. They had seen him on TV but never in real life and when they found out that their parent’s best friend, was in a relationship with Keigo, they begged to see him.
Your best friend asked you to watch them so they and their partner could go out for a date, you didn’t hesitate to say yes and you both knew the chances of Keigo actually being there. You wouldn’t force him and neither would your friend but it was probably a rare moment for your best friend that the twins wanted to be away from their parents, at least for now.
“A little help please?” He huffed as the twins ran circles around him.
“Come on,” you called for the twins, “I have snacks!” You set their food on the small table and turned on paw patrol, their gazes instantly fixed on the screen and their yelling subsided.
Hawks was still laying on the floor.
“Undo your quirk please.” You said to the twins who in turn touched their pointer fingers together, undoing their quirk.
Hawks let out a puff of air, finally felt like he was able to breathe. He cursed underneath his breath, “little monsters.” He said, you giggled and kissed him softly on the cheek.
“No, where’s my real kiss?” He pulled you back and you pecked him on the lips. He groaned, “Kids always get in the way.”
Hawks wouldn’t be much help that night but it wasn’t something you were mad about, you were happy that he was spending time with you, even as the twins asked him a million and one questions.
You knew about his past and you assumed why he felt the way he did about children, having a hard time as one himself and his upbringing, it was a sensitive topic. The baby talk wasn’t something either of you spoke about, you were happy with him and if it happened then great, and if it didn’t you were still happy.
He returned from showering, entering with a smaller set of wings, probably because he didn’t want the twins to keep messing with him, either way it didn’t stop them from asking him how his wings worked, and, “if you only grow your wing on one side, it would be like a mohawk on your back. A backhawk!” Hawks snorted at the failed joke attempt from one of the twins.
“Sure, kid.” He said laughing it off.
The twins turned back to you, rubbing their eyes.
“Titi, can you read us a bedtime story, please?” They synced up their please at the end, warming your heart, and the nickname they gave you making you smile.
“Of course!” Your soft smile diverted Hawks gaze from the TV to you. He hadn’t seen you smile like that in a long time, your eyes beamed with happiness and his own heart swelled.
He saw as you handed them their sippy cups with warm milk and led them to the guest room. He stayed on the couch for a minute, blankly staring at the TV and telling himself he didn’t want to see you with the twins. He huffed, giving up and got up from his spot. The guest door was slightly ajar, a nightlight was plugged in next to the bed, displaying beautiful shadows of stars and planets dancing together.
The twins were underneath their blanket, the one your best friend had packed along with the nightlight, “nightlight plus blankie, plus milk equals night night.” You remember your best friend saying as she left.
Keigo rested his shoulder on the doorway, as he watched you flipped through the pages of “Goodnight Moon.” He listened along with them, your tone was delicate with every word. Your eyes were soft as you’d look up from each page, checking as the twins started to drift off into sleep. He knew how you felt about kids, having it mentioned it once he knew that you would be happy either way.
For a moment he imagined it be him sitting in that chair, reading them the bedtime story as you laid down on the bed with them. Images of little toddlers with his wings and your hair, and your smile and your laugh, with your beautiful eyes filled his thoughts.
He imagined you and your full belly carrying his baby or if you didn’t want that or you couldn’t have that, then checking up on a surrogate with you, or adoption. Regardless, whatever you chose, in that moment he knew that what he wanted was to have children with you.
Your children didn’t have to grow up like him, they didn’t have to feel the pain of growing up alone and confused, because even if they might not have him all the time, they still had you. He knew, as you closed the book, and tucked them in, that you would be the best parent to his children. He wanted to be a dad, deep down he knew it was something he wanted to do, especially if it was with you.
He hadn’t realized he was crying until you walked up to him, worried.
“Are you okay, love?” You asked as you wiped his tears.
“I love you,” he whispered your name as he wrapped his arms around you. You let your confusion subside and hugged him back harder.
Keigo let go of you, looking at the twins who were still sound asleep and closed the door slightly. He pulled you back into the living room, and sat you down on the couch, he laid on the L-couch with his legs extended and opened providing you space to sit between them.
His arms wrapped over your shoulder, hugging you to his chest.
“I want..” his voice softened, remembering the twins, “I want to have babies with you.” He said, and your heart jumped.
“I know what you said that either way you were happy and it’s your body and I’ll be happy with whatever you decide but I want you to know that I was selfish back then, in closing off the possibility to see you as a parent because I know you would be an amazing fucking parent.” He rambled, “I want to see a mini version of you running around, or adopting a kid. I want to be there for you and them and provide a better childhood for them. I want to be a dad.” He confessed.
You turned your neck slightly, looking up at him with teary eyes, it must’ve taken a lot for him to say that to you. “I want that too.” You said.
Tears rolled down his cheeks as you turned around and kissed him, “I love you and I know you’d be an amazing fucking dad.” You repeated his words with the same emotion he had. You felt it, you knew he would be an amazing dad.
“Uncle Kiego?” The twins cried from the room. Keigo jumped from the couch, as did you but he got to the room faster.
“Whats wrong, kid?” He asked as he entered, the twins were crying.
“Nightmare?” He asked them and they nodded tearfully. You choked up, seeing him interact with them so differently since this afternoon. You didn’t know what made him change his mind but you were happy that he would give himself a chance to be a parent.
“Don’t worry about it. You’re safe, Hawks will look over you both so you don’t have anymore nightmares.”
“Can you read us the story again?” One of the twins asked, to which he nodded. He tucked them both back in bed and opened the book, reading them to sleep once more with Goodnight Moon.
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idontblushsrry · 3 years
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Yusuke Urameshi||SFW Alphabet
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A/N: Writing for one of my favorite protagonists of all time? Don’t mind if I do. Slightest hint of spoilers for the end of the series and s3 but they’re really minor and and mostly non-specific.
Word Count: 1929
A: Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)
Yusuke is affectionate in a kinda subtle way, like he’ll put his hand in your pocket (in your back pocket if you let him) or vice versa, he just likes touching you and being close to you. The clingiest he’ll get is wrapping his arm around your shoulder or waist and pulling you closer so he can kiss you. Aside from that, Yusuke’s go to with affection is teasing, like if he isn’t messing with you or yall aren’t bickering, he’s probably really upset.
B: Best Friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)
As a best friend, Yusuke is super rowdy. He’s always getting into some form of trouble or antics, and while this does calm down after the demon world tournament, he’s still always got that mischievous air about him. Your friendship probably started with you and Yusuke bumming around the same spots, namely the arcade, and you showing him how to beat one of the games.
C: Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)
Yusuke’s cuddles are very lax, he tends to just throw an arm around your waist and call it a day. He prefers being the big spoon but he doesn’t really like spooning all that much to begin with.
D: Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)
Yusuke is actually pretty good at cooking and cleaning. Atsuko left him home alone a lot with nothing more than a will and a way (maybe a microwave meal when he was younger). So while Yusuke isn’t the best cook, he won’t go hungry, and he’s more than content to empty the cabinet before going back to the store. As for cleaning, he’s pretty good at that once he has a direction to go in. He doesn’t always know what all needs to be taken care of but give him something to do and he’ll do it.
E: Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)
Yusuke definitely breaks up with you in person. No matters the conditions of your break up, you mean a lot to him; even in breaking up, he feels it’s best that he tell you face to face.
F: Fiance(e) (How would they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)
Yusuke is a committed person who’s very casual about marriage. He’s not pushy when it comes to getting married, he already knows he wants to be with you as long as possible. It’s all really up to what you’d want, maybe he’d get married for the sake of being able to say he’s married but otherwise, he doesn’t feel one way or the other.
G: Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)
Yusuke isn’t really gentle, at least that’s the way he wants to come off, but he really has a heart of gold. Yusuke is gentle with you in a way that he is with no one else. He speaks to you in such a gentle tone of voice, one that sets all your nerves at ease. The way he holds isn’t gentle, but firm, like he’s giving you the promise of safety and security without even using words.
H: Hugs( Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?
Yusuke doesn’t hug all that often. When he does hug you, it’s usually out of excitement, like he’s so overjoyed that he can’t help hugging you.
I: I love you (How fast do they say the L-word)
Yusuke just says it one day randomly and late as all hell. Like you and him could be together for a year before he just randomly goes “you know I love you, right?”
J: Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous)
You can’t take jealous Yusuke anywhere. He will act a damn fool and try and puff his chest out to try and intimidate the person he’s jealous of. The worst part is if Puu’s there, he’ll be copying Yusuke but trying to get your attention onto him instead. Together, the both of them are menaces.
K: Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)
Yusuke’s kisses are like a burst of sun after being inside all day, invigorating, exciting, and warm. The both of you have smiled into your fair share of kisses and often times Yusuke’s kisses leave you giddy and walking on air.
L: Little ones (How are they around children)
Yusuke is actually surprisingly good with kids. He knows how to look out for them since he’s used to taking care of others, plus his whole tough guy with a heart of gold shtick really endears him to little kids.
M: Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)
Mornings with Yusuke kind of depend; if he wants to open his ramen cart early, and you’re awake, it’s mostly the two of you getting ready and prepping food for the ramen cart. If he wants to open a little later, Yusuke buries his head into your neck, leaving lazy kisses along your neck and jaw while the both of you just hold each other sleepily.
N: Night (How are nights spent with them?)
Yusuke usually cooks dinner for the both of you, he makes a whole show of it too. He says he does it selflessly but he always wears his kiss the cook apron “coincidentally” whenever he makes dinner. Afterwards, when the both of you head to bed, you’ll both spend the night giving each other slow kisses until the both of you fall asleep.
O: Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)
Admittedly, it does take Yusuke some time to truly open up to you. All his life pretty much, he’s been told he was useless and that he’d never achieve anything beyond being a delinquent monster, so it takes him some time to be vulnerable with you due to fear of rejection. He’s especially slow to reveal information about his true heritage. But once Yusuke trusts you enough to reveal his insecurities, he’s in love with you. 
P: Patience (How easily angered are they?)
Yusuke, while having absolutely zero patience with anyone, is very patient with you. Sure you go back and forth with him but even then, he never raises his voice.
Q: Quizzes (How much would they remember about you?  Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)
Yusuke comes off as not caring or remembering details about you, but if anyone knows you, it’s Yusuke. He knows you better than you know yourself, and it’s mainly because of his attention to minor details, ones that you might not even notice about yourself.
R: Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)
His favorite part in your relationship was when you went to the beach with the gang and you and him teamed up to prank Kuwabara. It was honestly the most fun he’d had in a while up to that point and the delight in your expression from being so devious made his heart skip a metaphorical beat or two.
S: Security (How protective are they? How would they like to be protected?)
Yusuke’s super protective of you, the boy’s got a lot of enemies. While he doesn’t really think any of his demon ones would step out of line, he’s got plenty of human ones who’d be willing to mess with you to get to him. Not to mention you could just plain get robbed or attacked in general, Yusuke trusts you but he definitely shields you from any danger. As observant as he strangely is though, he is still a bit dumb when it comes to the fact that you’re looking out for him just as much as he’s looking out for you
T: Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)
Yusuke puts a decent amount of effort into your dates, it wasn’t always this way. Initially, Yusuke and you would just have dates that consisted of going to malls/arcades/bowling/etc. and it was all good, neither of you had a problem with it. However for the first birthday of yours that you’d both be spending together, he was just planning for the both of you to go to a park, something small, when Kuwabara and Keiko found out, they gave him an earful. Now, he still does “simple” dates, but he always tries to do something fun or unexpected for your anniversaries or special events 
U: Ugly (What are some bad habits of theirs? (I’m gonna add arguments here because they aren’t on the prompt list I found))
Yusuke doesn’t have bad habits as he has gross habits. Like this man will probably burp in your face at least once (on accident) and it’s kinda just up to you to deal with that. As for fights, post-end of the series, you don’t really argue about much, you and Yusuke just bicker, but hey it works for you. During the series though, your heavy fights consist of you getting upset at the way Yusuke is always so ready to sacrifice his life (he does this a looooot)
V: Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)
Not to be fooled, Yusuke is extremely concerned with his looks. No one who purposefully slicks their hair back with gel almost everyday from the age of 14 isn’t. He tries not to take too long, but if he can’t get the coif right, you’re going to be waiting for a long time.
W: Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)
It isn’t so much as he feels incomplete without you, he just doesn’t feel worthy of being with you. He spends as much time as you’ll allow proving you didn’t waste your time on him (despite the fact that he literally doesn’t need to do that)
X: (E)xes (Any previous relationship experience. How does that factor into your current relationship?)
The closest he has to prior relationship experience is Keiko. The whole thig with Keiko was initially something of a hurdle due to the fact that they were kind of each other’s first love and they’re still friends, however, you got through it together and now Keiko is a source of advice for you, along with Kurama and Genkai.
Y: Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner)
In general, he doesn’t really like underhanded people. He sees the validity of the strategy, in the sense of outwitting an opponent larger or more powerful than you, but even then the thought of losing to someone or defeating someone in an underhanded way is disgusting to him (see the entirety of dark tournament arc to see why he hates underhandedness)
Z: Zzz (What is a sleep habit of theirs?)
Yusuke snores. Not all the time, but when he’s really tired, the man sounds like an old car engine. He is LOUD and if you aren’t a heavy sleeper or already asleep, good luck getting any sleep because just when you lay your head down to relax, he snores loud enough to shake the whole of your apartment complex.
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dontcare77ghj · 4 years
Text
Breaking the News
Natasha x reader x Bucky
Note: Direct sequel to Witches. Honestly want to start a series in this universe and the Parenting universe. Requested by anon.
"There you are. I was just about to get Clint to check if you were dead." Tony said, raising a mug in your direction.
"Like I would go up there without warning them." Clint snorted. "I don't need to be permanently scarred."
"Didn't Tony you walk in on a naked, drunk Tony once?" Wanda asked the archer.
"How did you know about that?" Clint spluttered as Tony turned his attention to his drink.
"Telepath, remember?" She reminded him. "The only person's thoughts I can't hear are Y/N's."
"I think Occlumency could help you with that." You hummed. "Guess you already know the news?"
"I do." She grinned, moving over to hug you. "I'm so happy for you. All of you."
"You feel left out, Barton?" Tony asked the archer, watching as Wanda hugged Bucky and Natasha too.
"Can we join the party, or are Tony and me just going to sit here wondering?" Clint asked, watching the four of you intently.
"You're going to be an uncle, Barton." Natasha shrugged, struggling to keep her expression blank and the smirk off her face.
"Nat, you better not be joking," Clint said, looking between the three of you suspiciously. "I've already been fooled once."
"That was your fault for eavesdropping." Bucky shook his head. "But it's not a joke."
"We're pregnant." You grinned, gaining matching grins from the men.
"That's fantastic, Y/N!" Clint cheered, moving forward and pulling you into an enthusiastic hug. "Remember, Clint is a fantastic name." He said, pulling back and nodding at you.
"Nowhere near as good as Anthony." Tony scoffed, stepping towards you. "Can even be changed to Antonia."
"What makes you think we're naming our kid after any of you?" Natasha scoffed. 
"Clint is a great name! And one of my kids is named after you!" 
"You could convince me to have it as a middle name, depending on what you've made for lunch," Natasha smirked, leading you over to the kitchen table.
"That is considered bribery, Romanoff." Tony scoffed as he and the others joined you at the table. "I could be extorted for much more."
"The only thing I want is for James and I to be relieved of duty for the next year minimum," Natasha said, taking yours and Bucky's hand as she stared the billionaire down.
"You don't need to give me the assassin stare," Tony said, raising his hands in innocence. "Honestly, you could say you're out entirely, and I wouldn't say a word."
"I would like to add as a request, Wanda comes to visit at least once a month." You said as Clint placed a plate in front of you. "Even after the baby's born. They'll need to get to know their big sister."
"Big sister?" Wanda asked, eyes going wide.
"If you want the job, that is. No pressure." You told her with a smile.
"No, I'd love to. If that's okay with you all?" She said, looking between the three of you.
"Wanda, Y/N already wants to adopt you. And at this point, I'm inclined to agree. We'd love for you to be apart of the baby's life." Bucky assured the girl.
"Y/N, I want joint custody," Clint said, sitting down. "I already promised Laura that she could meet Wanda, and I refuse to anger her." 
"Wanda lives with me. That means you need to include me in this custody agreement." Tony announced. "Give me your lawyer's name, and I'll have my people contact them. We can have the papers drawn up within minutes."
"Are either of you idiots going to ask Wanda's opinion?" Natasha raised a brow. 
"No, because they know she likes it here best," Bucky smirked.
"Says who?" Clint and Tony exclaimed in unison.
As the four continued their playful banter, you snuck a look over to Wanda. The girl was watching the exchange with a wide grin and slightly misted eyes.
'You alright?' You mouthed as you caught her eye.
'Never better.' She assured you with a bright smile.
"Okay, I think that we've practiced enough for today." You said as Wanda finished her spell. "I think we might have to get you another year level's books." You smiled.
"Really?" Wanda questioned you. "You really think I'm ready?"
"I think you're as ready as a house-elf is to clean." You told her. "And I want to talk with you anyway."
"What's up?" Wanda asked.
"I wanted to see how you really feel about what we talked about yesterday." You began. "I wanted to see if you were actually okay with being apart of this child's life."
"I wasn't lying when I said I want to be around," Wanda told you. "I lost my entire family. I thought I was alone, and then I got the team. And I was so happy because they were becoming my family, I was getting control of my powers, and I thought everything was finally working out. But then my inner witch was spiraling, and I thought everything was going to disappear. I thought they'd all hate me, and I'd end up alone again.
But they didn't, and instead, Bucky and Nat invited me to your home. Introduced me to you, and you have not once acted like I'm, like I'm a monster. You've taught me I'm a witch, you taught me what it means to be a witch. That I don't have to be scared of any of my powers, or who I am. I want to help pass that along to others." Wanda explained with a soft smile. "I want to be around and help you teach your child that message."
"I don't know if I've said this before, but you are too sweet for this shitty, shitty world." You said, making the girl giggle. "You remind me of someone I knew long ago."
"Is that a good thing?"
"The best thing." You said, moving next to her. "And Wanda? You're never going to be alone again. I swear to you. You have so many people in your corner, and we might not be your biological family, but we'll be your family as long as you want us to." You told her, wrapping your arms around the girl.
"Thank you."
"Are you sure it's okay if I come?" Wanda asked, chewing her lip nervously as she looked at the three of you.
It had been three weeks since you'd announced your pregnancy to your partner's family, and now it was time to tell yours.
The war had left you an orphan, but you still had family you wanted to tell. 
It was time to tell the Potter's and the Weasley's.
"Of course it is, Wand." Natasha smiled as Bucky handed her her coat. 
"I've been talking everyone's ear off about you, and I think Hermione will wack me if I don't bring you along." You said, causing Bucky to chuckle.
"That woman is terrifying." He shook his head. "I'll never forget the donkey incident."
"To be fair, she was pregnant at the time." You defended your friend. "And Ron was kind of asking for it."
"Do I even want to know?" Wanda asked with a smirk.
"No." Natasha shook her head. "You really don't. Now put your coat on, it's cold."
"And it's going to be colder at the Burrow," Bucky added.
"Where exactly are we going again?" Wanda questioned as she did what Natasha asked.
"England." You told her. "Molly and Arthur still live in the Burrow and have invited us all there."
"But they don't know me. What makes you think they will be okay with me coming?" Wanda insisted.
"Hon, Y/N has been talking everyone's ear off about a little witch who is the brightest, sweetest, and the kindest person she's met. Everyone wants to meet you." Bucky said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.
"Plus, Molly loves having new people to smother and feed." You smirked.
"Expect a jumper come Christmas," Natasha told her. "All right, is everyone ready to go?"
"How are we getting there? Plane?" Wanda asked as you and Bucky nodded.
"We're witches, Wanda." You reminded her. "We have a better way." You said, holding a hand out to her and Bucky as Natasha took your hand. "Hold my hand tightly, keep your eyes closed, and don't let go." You instructed as Wanda took your hand, and Bucky placed his on your shoulder.
"I hate apparating," Bucky whined.
"Do you want to try the floo again?" You raised a brow.
"Just apparate already." He shuddered, causing Natasha to snicker.
Closing your eyes, you let out a deep breath, and within seconds you were all in front of the Weasley family home.
The tall, spindly, home, which was only held up by magic, was still standing as tall and proud as it had been in your childhood.
The land had not changed much, despite the tragedy of your sixth year, and it brought you a feeling of nostalgia.
"Aunty Y/N! Aunty Nat! Uncle J!" An excited voice squealed and was followed by pounding footfalls.
“Lilly-petal!” You grinned, kneeling to hug the red head. “Look how big you’ve gotten.”
“I missed you, Aunty Y/N.” She said, squeezing your neck.
“What no hug for your favorite uncle?” Bucky asked, drawing her attention to him. Lilly giggled and moved to hug him.
“Y/N!” A male voice called as you stood. You grinned widely at the sight of the man before you.
“Hiya Harry.” You chirped as he brought you into an embrace.
“You know you’re late, right? You’re just lucky Molly knows you’re always late.” Harry smirked, causing you to wack him in the head. “Blimey Y/N!”
“He’s not wrong, dorogoy.” Natasha said. “You’re always late.”
“Nat.” You groaned, watching as she hugged her niece. “You’re supposed to defend my honor.”
“He’s still right.” Bucky agreed. “You’re rarely on time to anything.”
“I will divorce the two of you.” You deadpanned.
“No you won’t.” Natasha and Bucky replied in unison, causing Wanda to giggle and you to sigh.
“Harry, this is Wanda Maximoff.” You said, pulling Wanda to your side. “Wanda, this is Harry Potter and this is his daughter Lily.”
“It’s very nice to meet you, Mr. Potter.” Wanda stuck her hand out.
“Nope, none of that.” Harry said, pulling her into a quick hug. “It’s Harry, and if Y/N considers you family, then you’re my family too. Okay?”
“Okay.” Wanda smiled.
“Great. Let’s get the four of you inside, everyone’s waiting to see you.” He said, taking Lily’s hand.
“Look what the Hippogriff dragged in.” Ron smirked, holding an eight year old Hugo in his arms. “Is this the brilliant witch you’ve got ‘Mione so excited to meet?”
“Yep, Ron this Wanda Maximoff.”
“Nice to meet to meet you, Wanda. We’ve heard a lot about you.” Ron smiled at her.
“Y/N has told a lot of stories about you all too.” Wanda told him.
“Oh God, you’ve heard some shit then.” Ron chuckled.
“Ronald, you better not be swearing in front of Hugo.” Hermione scolded, entering the hall with her hands on her hips.
“No, never. I would never swear in front of our son.” Ron stammered as Harry laughed. “Uh Hermione, Y/N has someone for you to meet.”
“Oh Y/N, is this Wanda? You must be Wanda! Oh it’s so nice to meet you, I have so many questions for you.” Hermione said almost in one breath as she launched forward and embraced Wanda.
“Nice to see you too, Hermione.” You shook your head.
“Oh, it’s good to see you three too.” Hermione said, pulling back. “Now, Wanda, would you like to sit so I can ask you some questions? Is that okay with you? Y/N?”
“Breathe, Hermione, you’re going to scare her away.” Harry laughed.
“Oh I’m sorry, it’s just so nice to meet you.” Hermione sighed. “Y/N has told me so many things about you, your magic, and your other powers. I just would love to talk to you. If you want, no pressure.”
“I’ll sit with you if you want.” Natasha said as she took Hugo into her arms. “Just in case.”
“I’d like that.” Wanda smiled.
“Excellent! I have a whole list of questions for you. Oh Y/N! Molly’s in the kitchen and wants to see you.” Hermione said, before pulling Wanda and Natasha away.
“Your wife is a tornado.” Bucky said to Ron.
“Don’t I bloody know it.” Ron smiled. “You better get going, mum’ll throw a pan at you.” 
“She loves me.” You shrugged. “You want to come see nanna, miss Lily? Maybe we can find chocolate frogs somewhere.”
“Chocolate frogs!” Lily exclaimed, latching onto your hand and began pulling you towards the door.
“Have fun boys.” You laughed, following the little girl. “Hi, Molly.” 
“Oh, Y/N! It’s so nice to see you.” The short woman said, giving you a hug as Lily searched for sweets, having no interest in the conversation. “How’s my newest grandbaby?” Molly asked, placing a hand on your stomach.
When you first suspected you were pregnant there was only one person you could think to ask for help. Molly had been the first to know you were expecting and promised to keep your secret until you were ready.
“They’re doing really well.” You promised. 
“Have you told Natasha and James? And how’s my other grandchild?”
“Tash and Buck both know along with their family. And Wanda’s amazing. I would’ve brought her in with me, but ‘Mione snatched her up.” You told her.
“I’ll get to meet her at lunch.” Molly waved you off. “Sit! You’re carrying precious cargo.”
“I’m not an invalid, Molly.” You said, still taking the seat.
“Have you thought about how you’re going to tell everyone else?” Molly asked as she returned to making lunch.
“I have. I’m going to say during lunch. Gives everyone a chance to settle and I have the perfect way to say it.” You told her.
“Am I going to be included with everyone or can I know before?” She raised a brow.
“I want you to be surprised.”
“I’m not a fan of surprises, dear, but I suppose I can wait.” She sighed. “Go join everyone else, lunch will be ready in ten.” She said, shooing you out of the kitchen. “Lily, go with Y/N. No sweets before lunch.”
“Okay, nana.” 
You led Lily into the living room where everyone, bar Arthur, was sitting.
“Have they scared you away yet?” You asked as Lily ran to her mother and you took a seat next to Wanda.
“We’re not scary, Y/N.” Hermione rolled her eyes.
“Well you have your moments.” Ron smiled, receiving a thump to the arm from his sister. “Bloody hell, Gin.”
“Everyone’s been very nice.” Wanda assured you. “Hermione says she has some books she wants to send me.”
“Of course she does.” You grinned. The fourteen of you were continuing your light conversation when you were summoned into the kitchen where Molly and Arthur were waiting.
You all served yourself lunch and continued with your conversations.
“How is the Avengers?” Ginny asked Natasha. “Driving you up the wall?”
“Always.” Natasha chuckled, sipping her wine. “It’s like being stuck with a group of children.”
“You must be itching for a vacation.” Ginny smiled.
“They’re about to take one.” You told her.
“Y/N bully you into it?” Harry asked Bucky with a smirk.
“Harry James Potter, you take that back. I am not a bully.” You gasped.
“You hit me in the back of the head not even an hour ago.” He pointed out.
“You were being a bloody git that’s why.” You grumbled. “But I did not bully them into taking a vacation.”
“Did you miss aunty Y/N too much?” Lily asked as Ginny cut her meat.
“We always miss aunty Y/N.” Bucky smiled at her.
“Actually they’re taking a vacation for other reasons.” You told your niece. “They want to be around when the baby’s born.” You casually said, drinking your water.
The room went silent for several seconds before cheers rang out.
“Congratulations!”
“How wonderful!”
“Bloody hell you three!”
“The kids absolutely love her.” Ginny said to you. Lunch had turned into dinner. The four of you had made no want to return to your home and decided to stay with everyone else. 
It was currently almost dusk and you had all made your way outside. The kids had dragged Harry, Bucky, Ron, Arthur, and Wanda to play while the rest of you sat watching.
“Everyone loves her.” Hermione corrected, smiling at her children. “She’s incredibly sweet.”
“Clint’s wife said the same thing.” Natasha said, squeezing your hand. 
“She’s so smart. For someone who never attended a school, and has only been learning a couple weeks, her progress is incredible.” Hermione added.
“Hopefully this ones the same.” Natasha commented. “Otherwise we might need to stock up on fire extinguishers.”
“They could come out muggle.” You reminded her.
“At least you’ll have plenty of help with the baby, magic or no magic.” Molly said. “For this one and any of kids in the future.”
“Definitely in the future. We’ve already got two.” You said, watching Wanda and Bucky laugh as Natasha kissed your cheek.
None of your family was actually related to you. None of your family shared your last name, but they were still your family.
It didn’t matter you were a L/N, and they were Weasley’s, or Potter’s, Maximoff’s, Barton’s, Stark’s, or whoever. It didn’t matter weather they were muggle, witch or wizard.
Your family was your family. And they always would be.
Taglist
@rvgrsbrns @smilexcaptainx @hopingforbarnes @starlingelliot @piper-koko-barnes-rogers @jelly-fishy-babie @skeletoresinthebasement @agent-barnes40 @reann-loves-sebstan @skadikh @summergeezburr @buckybarton03 @sunshinepower17 @bindythedemon @natasharomanoffismywife @keenmarvellover @alissaginger
Natasha Romanoff Taglist
@natasha-danvers @5aftermidnight @ohfuckno
209 notes · View notes
girls-scenarios · 4 years
Text
A Light in the Dark
Idol: Lee Sem (9Muses)
Prompt: can i please request a scenario with lee sem from 9muses and fem reader where they are in a bird box type au where they can’t see each other but end up falling for each other ? u can make the end angsty if u want 🥺 thank u in advance !
Writer: Admin Kiwi
A/N: I always love when I get to write for groups I don’t usually get to write for, and this is a super interesting prompt on top of that! I doubt it’ll get many notes because people tend to skip idols they don’t know, but I worked really hard on it and I hope those of you who read enjoy!😊 P.S I’m using her real name Hyunjoo for this!
Warnings: This is a Bird Box au, so obviously there’s going to be mentions of death and suicide. I tried not to write anything too graphic, but it’s an integral part of the story so it’s there.
♡ Tip Jar♡
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Time passed differently when the whole world was dark and dead. Hyunjoo wasn’t sure exactly how long it had been since she put that black blindfold on, locking herself into a endless sea of darkness, but it had been long enough that she’d all but forgotten how light or the blue sky looked. All she knew was black cotton. But maybe that was a good thing. Nothing in the world was worth looking at anymore. She didn’t have to see the corpses littering the streets or the bloody scabs on her throbbing feet from miles upon miles of endless walking. It was hard enough to feel those things: not seeing saved her from the pain of reality, just a little bit. It kept her safe in more ways than one.
Plus, she had her own light.
It wasn’t long after she joined up with a group of survivors that they found you. Had it not been for Sehun’s dog Vivi, they might have missed you completely. You were cowering in the corner of a local grocery store in a recently-afflicted town, shaking with your hands pressed tightly over your eyes, not making a sound until Vivi ran to your side and began to bark.
At the loud sound, you’d started to cry, body weakly slumping against one of the shelves. Sera, the leader of the group, slowly made her way over as Sehun picked Vivi up, listening closely. Your sobs were much louder than the crunch of glass under their feet.
“Is that... a person?” Sera asked softly, her hand brushing against the shelves. “If you’re there.... You can talk to us. I know it’s been scary. But we can help.”
You cried a moment longer, and the sound broke Hyunjoo’s heart as she crept up behind Sera. She’d gotten used to being blind by now, and could tell about how far away you were from the sound of your cries, although she could not see you. “What’s your name?” She asked gently, not wanting to startle you any more.
“I-I’m (Y/N),” you said finally, your voice hoarse. Hyunjoo guessed that you’d probably been hiding in the store for days without food or water, too afraid to move your hands away from your eyes. “How did you all get away? F-from that thing?”
“Luck,” Sera said bluntly. “We managed to cover our eyes in time and find each other. Are you covering your eyes?”
“Yes. But I can’t do anything or I’ll have to bring my hands away from my eyes.”
“I have an extra blindfold,” offered Seolhyun, another member of the group, shuffling through her bag. “Just give me a second to get over there and find you.” She was new to not seeing the world, and immediately tripped as she got close to the corner, barely catching herself on another shelf.
“I’ll take it,” Hyunjoo offered, finding her easy enough with her stick. Seolhyun quickly handed it over. The trick to seeing with your senses, Hyunjoo had learned, was concentration. She moved forward slowly, her hand running along the shelf she knew you were sitting by until your breathing became loud. Then she crouched down and moved her hand in front of her until it hit your shoulder, causing you to jump. “It’s just me,” she said, palming the blindfold and running her hand up your neck to your face. “Bring your hands down but keep your eyes closed, okay?”
“Okay,” you whispered, and obeyed. After finding your eyes, she quickly tied the blindfold tight around your head.
“Does that feel right?” She asked, moving back. She could hear fabric moving in front of her, and figured that it must be you fixing the cloth.
“Yeah. Now it does. Can I open my eyes?”
“Yeah.”
You inhaled a deep breath as Hyunjoo stood up, listening closely. Then you let out a sigh, broken by a half-sob. “It’s just darkness. It’s awful.”
“You’ll get used to it,” she said, and reached down to grab your hand. “I’ll help you up. How long is it since you had water or food?”
Your grasp was weak, and it worried her as she helped you to your unsteady feet. “I-I don’t know. I had a soda that I was drinking with my eyes closed, but it ran out and I was too scared too move. I had a granola bar, too, after it first happened.”
“How long ago did it happen?” Sera asked. Hyunjoo knew why she was asking: they were trying to outrace the monsters to figure out a pattern. There never seemed to be any pattern or any sliver of hope, but they tried.
“I think three or four days ago? I’m not sure.... I think I passed out at some point, honestly.” You shuddered in Hyunjoo’s arms and she bit her lip, worried. You were cold and weak. You wouldn’t survive long like this.
“We’ll get some food and water in you. That’s why we’re here anyway. Once we have all the supplies we can find, we’ll move on.” She wasn’t sure she liked the idea of you walking such long distances in the state you were in, but they had no choice but to move on. Staying in one space for too long was dangerous. Especially a place already attacked. “Do you know if anyone else is alive?”
Immediately, you began to cry again, leaning into Hyunjoo’s shoulder. She held you a bit tighter as the sobs wrecked your body, her heart hurting. The room stayed silent as you cried: they all knew the pain you were feeling. “J-just me,” you finally managed to get out, hiccuping and sucking in breath. “M-my family, they all....”
Hyunjoo was so glad that you couldn’t see. Just from moving through the store, she knew the damage. Her stomach twisted as she rubbed your back, trying to comfort you even though she knew nothing she could do would really help. “You don’t have to say it,” she assured you. “Come on, let’s get something for you to eat.” She helped you out of your hiding spot, guiding you the best she could while being blind herself. No matter how many times your legs gave out or you tripped, she held you up, and made a promise to herself.
She was going to take care of you, no matter what. She wanted you to live.
-
It was a while before you learned how to walk blind. For the first few weeks, Hyunjoo helped you walk, supporting most of your weight with your arm around her shoulders. You stumbled often, both from weakness and from not being able to see. Hyunjoo tried her best to warn you of anything in front of you, swinging her stick an extra length in your path, but you usually ended up tripping anyway. When the group was resting, you got around by crawling on your hands and knees. But you didn’t leave her side very often.
She shared everything with you: her food, her water, her blanket, and even her jacket, wrapping her arms around you as the temperatures dropped until they were able to salvage more coats. She often slept by your side, waiting until you drifted off despite the threat to her life. She’d given you her earplugs, leaving herself open to hear the voices that often came with nightfall. The voices were nothing new to her, though, and she’d learned to block them out. You had needed them more.
One night, she awoke to your voice. At first, she thought it was the creature, and stayed silent, not moving. But then you softly called her name again, and tugged at her sleeve. “Hyunjoo?”
“Yes, (Y/N)?”
“I’m cold. And scared.” The group had camped up against the mouth of a cave for the night. It was shelter from the nightly rains, but the ground was still cold, and your clothes were still wet from the previous day. It was a miserable night. Shivering, Hyunjoo rolled over and wrapped her arms around you, holding you tight.
“I know,” she said, whispering so that she wouldn’t wake the others or attract attention. “I’m right here.”
You snuggled into her, burying your face into her shoulder. It had become almost a habit for you, ever since you’d left the store in her arms. “Do you think it’ll warm up soon?”
“I hope so. But I don’t know. We’re heading south so we should be hitting a warmer climate soon.”
“I hope so.” You paused for a moment and your breathing evened. For a moment, she thought you might have fallen asleep. Then you shifted in her arms. “Why are you so nice to me?”
The question struck her in the heart. Your voice was broken, raspy from your new cold, and she held you closer, willing the chill to go away. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You don’t know me. Not really. We’ve never even seen each other.”
“You don’t have to see someone to know them, (Y/N).” She ran her fingers through your hair slowly. “But I guess to answer your question, I’m nice to you because I care about you. I’ve been drawn to you ever since I met you in that store.”
“Is it because you pity me?”
“Maybe back then. But it’s also because I see myself in you.”
You paused. “You do?”
“Yep. I also lost everything and everyone I loved. I sat in my house for days on end with my eyes covered, shaking and lost, until I had to leave for my own survival. I had to learn how to survive even though it was hard. When I saw you there, I understood what you were going through. I wanted to help you, because I wanted to make things a litter easier for you. The more I get to know you, though, the more I like you. You’re a good person, (Y/N). I think you’re the first person to make me smile in a long time.”
“Oh.” You were silent for another long moment. “I like you too, Hyunjoo. Thank you. For everything.” You snuggled in closer, getting comfortable, and she took a deep breath, closing her eyes.
You helped her a lot more than you knew. You gave her a purpose again.
-
Eventually, you got used to living on the run. You still cried often, curling into Hyunjoo’s side, but you tripped less and learned how to navigate this new world. Still, the moment they found a safe house, Hyunjoo was relieved.
Abandoned houses were nothing new. Almost every house was now abandoned or boarded up with no hope of anyone allowing anyone else inside. She didn’t blame those people: she’d heard about the followers of the creature too. This house, though.... It was different. It had been abandoned long before the creature, but most importantly, Vivi liked it.
Typically, the growing would start as soon as a door was opened, signalling that the place was unsafe. But with this house, Vivi did not growl. She didn’t even bark. Instead, as the group slowly explored with their hands, she wagged her tail, hitting Sehun’s leg.
“There’s no creatures here,” he said, confident, sitting down against one of the walls and petting Vivi’s head. “Just us.”
“How can we be so sure?” Sera’s voice rang through the large empty space.
“Because Vivi is never wrong. She knows what she sees. And she doesn’t see anything but the people she trusts here.”
The group shuffled towards Sehun, gathering together. With a sigh, Sera ran her thin fingers through her hair. “We do need somewhere to stay. But I’m not very keen on the idea of taking our blindfolds off.”
“Why?” You asked, and Hyunjoo flinched. She knew what was coming.
“Because you never know when that thing will get in.” Sera’s tone of voice changed, bitterness seeping through with every word. “Or who might get in with that thing behind them. I trusted a place enough to take off my blindfold once, only to watch my entire group be murdered by a maniac who had pretended to be one of us. He forced their eyes open and laughed at our panic. Some of us escaped, but we were forced to leave our blindfolds behind.” Her voice lowered. “I was the only one who made it. I got to cradle the dead body of my girlfriend in my arms after she accidentally opened her eyes, then used her own weapon to kill herself. That’s why I don’t like the idea of taking our blindfolds off.”
The room was silent, and Hyunjoo put her arm around you for support. She could feel you shaking.
“S-sorry,” you said, your head hanging. “I didn’t know.”
“Well, now you do.” Sera placed her bag on the ground with a loud “thud” and sighed once more. “I will say that I trust Vivi, though. I think we can stay here for a while. At least until the cold front ends. But no taking your blindfolds off. Is that clear?”
A chorus of yes’s answered her question. Minho, a large military man who had been the one to find Sera, cleared his throat. “We should find something to board the windows up with. The back windows are already boarded but it looks like the boards from the front windows fell away. I think I found some wood over in the corner where the kitchen is. The water still works, surprisingly, so we have a source of water now.”
“And there’s a fireplace,” Seolhyun added. “I tripped over it.”
“Great. Let’s get to work making this place warm and livable. Don’t get too comfortable, though. We could have to move at any moment.”
-
Hyunjoo had forgotten how nice it felt to be warm. Her new cough rattled her body, but sitting by the fire helped ward off the feeling of death in her lugs, so she stayed as close as she could without getting set on fire. You often joined her there, even as your own cold got better with the heat and drinking water, cuddling with her and helping her keep dry and hydrated. After all the time she spent looking after you, you were now looking after her.
“I wish we had medicine,” you said once, shaking your head as you leaned against her. “But we can’t read the labels, so we don’t know what they are.”
“You’re right. This has really made me realize how little the world cares about blindness. Almost everything requires sight.”
It was rare that the two of you were left alone. But one day, She awoke in front of the fire to you combing her hair, her head on your lap, and no other sounds in the house.
“Where did everyone go,” she asked with a rasp, listening closely for any sign of life. There was no one, other than you.
“They said not to wake you, but a lot of them went out to try and find supplies. They took Vivi with them. I think Seolhyun is still sleeping in the kitchen.”
“Oh. So it’s pretty much just us?”
“Yep.”
She laid there for a while, half asleep, letting you comb through her hair, before turning over to wrap her arm around your torso, nuzzling her nose into your stomach. You were warm now, cold gone, and she appreciated the quiet intimacy, happy to lay there forever and fight with the occasional cough as you took care of her.
“Hyunjoo?” Your voice was soft and affectionate, and she loved the sound of it.
“Hm?”
“I like you.”
She smiled a bit. “I would hope so.”
“No, not like that. Well, like that too, but also... I think I’m in love with you.”
Back in her normal life, a confession like that would have rocked her. But now, it just seemed right. As soon as you said it, she knew it was true, and she knew that the feelings she’d had for you had been love for a while now. Smiling widely, she reached up to touch your cheek, proud when you leaned into her touch instead of flinching away.
“I love you too, (Y/N).”
“Really?” She felt your cheek move under her hand, signalling that you were smiling. It made her heart swell with affection in her chest.
“Really.” She sat up slowly, ignoring the pain in her lungs, and positioned herself in front of you. Her other hand now came up to roam your face, taking in your features with her sensitive fingers. She ran them over your nose, over your cheekbones and your jaw, over your ears and your forehead, and pressed them against your blindfold, running her thumbs along the outline of your eyes. “I think your incredible,” she said, making you laugh.
“Was that your way of seeing me?” You sounded a little breathless, your face now much closer to hers.
“Yes. Why don’t you try?”
At her suggestion, you brought your hands up, tentatively touching her face and exploring her features. You moved slow, taking every part of her in and stopping over the scar on her cheek, touch even more gentle as you ran your finger over it. “What’s this from?”
“I fell,” she said, smiling at the memory. It hadn’t been funny then, but it was amusing looking back. She’d come so far since she first started out. “I was just as clumsy as you when I first escaped too.”
“Somehow I can’t imagine that.” You pressed your forehead against hers. “You’re just so perfect.”
“I’m not, but thank you.” She could feel your breath on her lips. “Can I kiss you?”
You let out a giggle, your hands landing on her shoulders as you pulled her in. “Please do.”
It felt good to kiss someone. To feel intimate with someone again. Her body had so craved that human interaction, and your lips brought light back into her life. More even than you had on your own. She kissed you until her lungs burned and her lips tingled and she had to pull away to cough, making you laugh.
“Lay down,” you said, lowering her back down into your lap. “You need to sleep.”
When she woke up again, it was to the sound of the group coming back into the house, and to the warmth of you laid down beside her, your head in her crook of her shoulder.
-
In the dead of the night months later, Hyunjoo awoke with a jolt. She lay still, controlling her breathing as she listened. What had woken her up? Everyone in the group was there. She could hear them breathing, some snoring, and you were by her side as you always were. Nothing had changed since she went to sleep. So what was it? Had it been some sound? An animal, maybe?
Somewhere near the door, Vivi shifted. She heard her nails scraping on the wood floor as something woke the dog. So she wasn’t alone. Something was happening.
Vivi had hardly gotten in a bark when something slammed into the door hard enough to splinter the hinges. Hyunjoo sat up, bringing you up with her as everyone else came awake as well, shuffling in their blankets and grabbing for their weapons. Vivi barked and growled and the door shuddered under some weight one again. Sera let out a gasp as Hyunjoo got to her feet, helping you up as well.
“That’s a human, we have to get out of here, we can’t-.”
The door splintered and broke open with a sickening crack, making you scream as both of you stumbled backwards. Laughter came from outside the door and Hyunjoo’s heart sank. That wasn’t the sound of one person. That was a group.
“We found you!” Said a man’s booming voice, and a woman laughed behind him.
“Don’t be scared! We’re only here to help you see!”
“Run!” At Sera’s words, the group scattered. Hyunjoo couldn’t see, but she knew where she’d been sleeping, and she knew how to get to the back door. With her own knife in hand, she grabbed you and pulled you away, running towards the door. Behind her, Seolhyun screamed and then the man screamed. Vivi let out a wail as she was kicked into the wall, and Sehun cursed. Hyunjoo didn’t look back.
She found the door just as it was flung open by someone outside.
“Hello. We have another door!” A woman, a different woman, said in a sing-song voice. Hyunjoo stepped back, moving you behind her as she tried to listen. The screams and chaos behind her make her stomach sick, but she had to listen in order to escape. Three people she did not know where now in the house, leaving one in front of her. With the door open, she could hear the sounds from outside, and yet she heard to footsteps. There was only one woman at this door.
“Hyunjoo,” you said, voice shaking, but Hyunjoo stood firm. The woman’s hands grabbed her shoulders and she pulled out the knife, stabbing forward with all her strength.
Her blade made impact and the woman gurgled, stumbling back. With a jerk, Hyunjoo withdrew her blade and shoved the woman to the side, pulling you out the door with her. The two of you ran a couple paced before she stopped and turned around, listening. The struggle inside had gotten worse, and she couldn’t hear anyone else outside. Usually she trusted her friends to fend for themselves, but panic boiled up in her throat and she gripped her knife.
“I need to go back in there and help.” Her heart was pounding, her entire body racing with adrenaline as she stepped forward, but you grabbed her arm, holding her back.
“You can’t go back in there, you might die!”
“But everyone else, I don’t think they’ll-!”
She didn’t get to finish her sentence. A blast of unbearable hot air shoved the two of you forward, sending you tumbling into the dead grass and dirt. The boom came seconds later, rocking the earth underneath your hands and feet. Then it was silent.
For a moment, she lay still in shock, trying to process what had happened. Nothing moved. Nothing made noise. The only sound was your hitched breathing, the crackle of a fire, and the pounding of her heart in her ears. Tears pricked at her eyes as she slowly pushed herself up from the ground, reality crashing down around her.
“T-they-.” She cut herself off, turning over so that she was facing the house. She still couldn’t see, but she could feel the heat of a huge fire dancing across her skin. “They’re all dead.” The tears began to stream down her face now as she sat in the dirt, the back of her neck burned and blood on her hands. The only family that she’d known for so long... gone. Everything was over in the matter of minutes. A sob wrecked her sore lungs and shook her entire body. Her friends. The people who had fought for so long to survive. It had all been for nothing.
“Oh, Hyunjoo.” You wrapped your arms around her as she sobbed, leaning her body forward into yours. The fire was so warm, yet she felt so cold. The world felt empty. You were crying too, your body shivering against hers and your tears dripping down onto her shoulders. As much as she wanted to hold you, she couldn’t. Her body wouldn’t move as she sobbed more than she had in what felt like an eternity, letting out everything that she’d bottled up for so long.
“I-I could have saved them,” she sobbed, still clutching at the knife that now seemed useless. “I could have woken them up sooner, I could have fought back, I could-.”
“Hyunjoo!” You interrupted her, clearing your throat and holding back your tears for the moment. “It’s not your fault.”
“But I woke up before everyone else, I should have warned them then. Or I should have stayed behind to help them fight.”
“It’s not your fault,” you repeated. “You couldn’t have known. And had you stayed behind, we both would be dead right now. You saved our lives.”
“But I couldn’t save them.”
“You can’t save everyone, Hyunjoo.... Not in this world.”
She shuddered, leaning her entire weight into you and letting you support her. “I hate this world,” she whispered, heartbroken. For a moment, you were silent, but then you brought your hand up to run in through her hair, soothing the pain with your gentle hand.
“So do I,” you admitted, whispering in return. “But I don’t hate that I’m here with you.” You took a deep breath. “We need to start walking. This place isn’t safe anymore.”
“But what’s the point?” For the first time in her life, she didn’t have the energy. She wanted to lay down and give up. To succumb to the heat of the fire that had taken away those so precious to her. Her life was over. But you shook her by the shoulders, pulling away ever so slightly and jolting her back to reality. Shocked, she tilted her head up as you spoke.
“No, don’t say that! There’s a point to living! There’s always a point! Hyunjoo, I love you. I want to live on with you. When I wanted to give up, you came in and gave me a reason to live. You supported me through my worst times. You helped me become strong. You gave me a will to keep fighting even though I had lost everything.” Your voice wavered and you stopped to contain yourself before continuing. “You helped me, so now I’ll help you. I’ll support you. I’ll help you move forward when you’re too tired or hurt to continue. I’ll carry you if I have to. But please. My love. Keep living.”
Another tear ran down her face as she sat up. For a moment, she imagined that she could see your face. That she could see her light, with your smile she loved to run her fingers over. What did you look like now? Was there determination shining in your eyes? She took a deep breath and it rattled her lungs. She was sick, her gear had just been destroyed, and almost everyone she cared about was gone. You were still there, holding her up in her weakest moment, but she was scared.
“What if we just die, and it’s all for nothing?”
You paused for a long moment, just holding her, before standing to your feet and helping her up as well. When she was standing, you took her arm and cupped her cheek with your hand. Somehow, the fire had started to die down, and somewhere, the sun was rising.
“Well, if we die, then we die. I guess that’s fate and we can’t run from it forever. But if there is a way to live in this world, it’ll be worth living. I want to grow old with you, and I’m willing to fight for the chance to do that.”
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atopearth · 4 years
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Tales of Crestoria Part 1 - Transgressors and Vision Orbs (Ch 1-2)
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I haven't played a Tales game in soo long! I'm super hyped for this though, because seeing Luke and others in one game is so nice! Anyway, since it's a gacha mobile game, my bro and I legit rerolled for like a day to get 4 SSRs lmao. I also helped reroll for my other bro so that took agess loll. I ended up getting Kanata, Luke, Lloyd and Leon! Pretty okay hahaa. Time for the story! Honestly, when the villagers were accusing Nash for being the guy who pushed the old lady that ended up dying, I thought Nash was some troublemaker adult, but no, he's a kid loll! Like, uhh, just because he causes trouble every now and then doesn't mean he would do such a thing to an old lady, like what evidence do these crazy villagers have??? Lmao at Misella pretending to be weak so that Kanata will protect her. Aww, it's so cool how Milla and Velvet help you out! That's fun! I guess the game kinda integrates the other Tales game characters into the story minus the idea that they come from another world and instead kinda put them inside the story itself as if they all belong in this world? The idea of the enforcers is such a scary concept. The fact that all you need is lots of people to condemn someone and you could be "punished" to death is pretty nuts. Not to mention that most of these people that condemn others just see one-sided “evidence” through vision orbs (recordings) and then when enough people think you’re evil, enforcers will come and kill you? Like, what if they're innocent or something? No wonder why people call this Tales of Cancel Culture hahahha.
Awww, the CG of Kanata and Misella around flowers was so pretty! Loved it! Well, I knew Kanata's father was dodgy, but I actually find it funny he thinks that Kanata should understand and follow as his successor of human slave and organ trading lol. Like, um, do you never see your son? He's like the personification of naivety and justice, yeah right he would succeed your human trafficking business. It's not like he just sells them either, he sells all these orphan children's body parts and organs! Ridiculous that he thinks Kanata would be like sure, of course, please continue. I'm more surprised that Kanata rashly decided to kill his father like that though. Like, he just found out the truth and killed him! Not saying he didn't deserve it, but considering he admired his father for his whole life, I'm surprised he held no thoughts and feelings towards wanting him to be condemned instead of killing him like that. I guess he felt that he needed to in order to save Misella? Still rash though. Omg, Misella is even more rash and crazy, didn't think she'd burn down the whole shelter just to save Kanata who was being imprisoned by the conspirators of his dad who didn't want him going around telling people. Like, yes, she brought most people out but what if she missed someone or they got injured?? Anyway, the enforcers were surprisingly weak, now I guess if Cress (Kanata's teacher) kills someone, he could probably run too lol. Not gonna lie, all those anime scenes are so cool!! Wow, this game is pretty high quality! Loved it when Kanata got his blood sin (his sword that kinda represents his sin). Vicious is cool though, I love how whatever his attitude is, nice for him to have Kanata as a fellow transgressor friend. Anyway, um, I forgot to say that I'm surprised Misella just ditched Kanata when he told her to run away without him. Like, after all the she can't live without him blah blah and stuff, she just leaves him?? I guess at least she realised and changed her mind to look for him, but she hasn't found him yet so lolll.
It's kinda funny how Vicious is like Kanata's bandit teacher haha. Aegis and Leon seem pretty cool, I can understand them for wanting to catch Vicious and Kanata and how they would prioritise the innocent over capturing them. Anyway, wow, Nash is such a little shit. Honestly an ungrateful kid. I know he's grieving because his little sister died in the fire that everyone thinks Kanata lit when it was actually Misella (so I guess she's a murderer now too huh?), but it's honestly crazy bitter and petty for him to not tell anyone that Kanata killing his father was actually "understandable" because of the monster he was for selling kids and their organs. And like wth man, so Cody (Kanata's father) selling his orphanage friends isn't as bad as Kanata supposedly "killing" his sister? Seriously? Were they even your friends, Nash? You do realise that most if not all your friends that were sold probably died right? It's ridiculous that he wants everyone (enforcers and knights etc) to condemn and kill Kanata now when he never even tried to do that for his monster of a father even though he knew about his wrongdoings all this time. Ridiculous man. And like seriously, he just assumed like all the other villagers that Kanata lit the fire to cover up his murder, he didn't even ask him or anything. He just assumed it and accused him. It's like seriously kid, Kanata defended you in the beginning and believed in you, yet what do you do to repay him? Not even listen to his side of the story when he did that for you! Kids these days!
Wow, like I doubt Vicious could die so easily, but Misella is crazy, she just stabbed him through the heart to "save" Kanata from following down his evil path? Umm, I'm pretty sure you're not any better, Misella. Is there anyone around Kanata that isn't toxic?? Not that Kanata is any better since he's overly righteous in a silly way, but at least he's not crazy? Lol. Vicious is bad, but he never said he was a good person at least. Um, why does Misella think that by saying she manipulated Kanata into killing his father, it would make him not a criminal anymore? I think the fact he listened to some girl and killed his own father is even worse lol. And seriously, Kanata is a transgressor already, I doubt it's something you can revert, especially since he went against enforcers and even got the Stain of Guilt and the blood sin. There's honestly no point of her becoming a transgressor as well. And seriously, these villagers!! Do they believe anything and everything that people say? Use your own judgement seriously! Anyway, I honestly think that it's ironic how Misella wants to protect Kanata but causes so much trouble for him instead, sigh. Well, yep, Nash is pretty nuts to relish the fact that Misella is getting burned to death. Is there anyone in this game that isn't crazy?😔 I guess everything was for Misella to get a blood sin too~ Anyway, I guess now the true adventure begins? I love the ending scene to the first chapter, it really feels like the journey is just starting~
I think it's pretty nice how they addressed the idea of Kanata and them being happy whilst carrying the sins of killing people through Misella thinking that she needed to punish herself eating grass and stuff instead of the meat she likes because she "deserves" that. Obviously they shouldn't be complacent and think it's fine to kill people, but I agree with Vicious, they've already chosen to continue to live despite how painful it may be and despite how much others want them to die, so there isn't any harm in them living "normally" because that's the path they've chosen to follow now. Lmao at Misella being traumatised by Kanata's food though haha. Vicious is so funny and cool, such a silly but fun guy. Reid is a great guy, I love how he thinks that one's own impressions are worth more than what other people think. I think it's important to make your own judgement about what kind of person someone is rather than relying on stuff like rumours and stuff, although it's understandable if you do follow others, since really, they are criminals. Btw, an extra plus is that Reid is voiced by Ishida Akira!! Yes, I love Athrun Zala (Gundam Seed) and Kent (Amnesia:Memories) to name a few hahaha. HAHAHA, I love how Vicious just trashed Misella's hopes that she was special to Kanata when she asked him if he would risk his life like Veigue to get a bloodstone to save her if she was ill like Veigue's friend, and he says of course, and then Vicious asks Kanata the same thing and he says he'll save him too loll. Misella using Vicious as a scapegoat to take all the blame for injuring a kid was lol, but seriously, these adults are so childish and reliant on the vision crystals to solve all their problems. It's like wow, Veigue looks like a mean and bad person so yep it must have been him is just ridiculous, I'm so glad Reid isn't insane like them. At this point, I’m just glad there are sensible people in this story like Reid and Veigue lol.
Overall, my impression for now is pretty positive. The story isn’t great, but I do enjoy the dubiousness of everything including the main characters. The animated scenes are awesome though and the design and everything is so pretty! Aside from the bugs that are rampant (random crashing etc) throughout the game, I’ve still been quite obsessed with it that I’m playing everyday hahaha. Now if only the gleamstone draws could guarantee an SSR instead of an SR lolll. Not that I’m complaining too much I guess since I got all the summer SSRs (because Veigue and Yuri were hot, so I needed them LOL) . The game can get rather grindy though with the different materials you need and how low the drop rates can be, but it’s not too bad to get to level 80 for your characters at least. Just wanted to say, I’m happy to finally have 3-4 level 100s yay! It’s nice to see a turn-based Tales game that still relies on combos to do the best damage haha. Otherwise, if you’re wanting to try this game, this is probably a great time to do it since you get an extra 2500 gleamstones with the 1 million downloads reward right now, so you now have 4 chances to draw SSRs! (One guaranteed SSR draw, one normal gleamstones draw, the SR+ tickets draw and the normal summon tickets draw) Just keep in mind that gacha is gacha and sometimes RNG is just not on your side. For example, my bro used 15k gleamstones and got 0 SSRs, so yes, the game can get painful and depressing, but I’m here for the story so at least I’m all good haha!
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Session 7
We have a session tomorrow at 8:45 CST so I’m getting the summary of our last session together!
We had a lot of eventful happenings this session, along with quite a few awesome highlights!
(Read more.)
We started off following Tony as he wanders into a blacksmith’s forge at 5 in the morning and leaves a pile of gold before he starts working.
@the-grey-hunt (DM) as Blacksmith: What are you doing? Why did you leave a stack of gold pieces at the end of my forge?
Tony: Oh, uh, hi.
Blacksmith: Yeah, hi.
On learning the gold is for the blacksmith they’re happy enough to let Tony continue doing...whatever he’s doing.
Switch back to DJ and Zira after the night out they had... (nah, they just emptied the manor’s wine cellars.)
Dox: DJ isn't getting out of bed until someone makes him.
@heliocentricgeometric: ...Zira drags herself over to him and starts bothering him
Helio: So YOU'RE super terrible AND no help.
Zira doesn’t remember what happened last night because alcohol and something pretty important happened (like picking out a last name!!!)
Zira: I drank to forget my troubles, and I think I asked a very important question, and DJ isn't being very helpful, and.... things.
Rhodey is able to answer Zira’s question about the forgotten events of last night... And that her name is now Zira J. Stark Rhodes!
Rhodey ( @rebaobsessions): Zira, I would really like to hug you right now.
Zira: A hug would be acceptable.
The group discusses Tony’s absence.
Zira: He (Tony) left a note about having fun, and that's a little worrying.
DJ: But the sun is out there. Light is bad.
DJ and Zira are still bemoaning their life choices.
Zira: That is tactically unsound but my head hurts very badly right now.
DJ: The universe hurts
Dox: DJ canonically has a waterskin of an empty mason jar.
Rhodey takes pity on them and clears their hangover and the group is now able to venture out.
Helio: I start combing the town. (for Tony)
DM: The town doesn't need to be combed. (because it’s a tiny town)
There are some eventful happenings with the townmaster! Tony and Bob were busy, okay.
Zira: Hey hey hey!
DM: The townmaster ignores you
Zira: Whatever. He can be a bitch in his own town or whatever. I don’t care.
Zira and DJ get into a discussion on moms and what they’re like and about the secrecy behind DJ’s last name.
DJ: We are related to half of the halflings in Othanzia. EVERYONE knows our name. and if it gets out, they will get all up in our business, and somehow my mother will find out. I wasn't supposed to get into hijinks!
DJ tells Zira moms can kill you with kindness.
Zira: So Tony's the killing and you're the kindness?
DJ: .................eh
(more accurate than you would think)
Zira: Thank you, DJ, for your name and your...motherly...advice?
Meanwhile, with Rhodey... It’s time for his paladin oath. This is a big thing, and reba and Alatar came up with something absolutely fantastic with a super long monologue and a series of visions for Rhodey to determine what path is the best for him...
It’s far too long for here, but it was super cool and amazing and Rhodey picks the last oath: The Oath of the Guardian.
Zira gets more info from Rhodey about how moms act!
Zira: (long stream of consciousness) and also how to mothers act? DJ says you're like a mom.
Rhodey: They guilt trip you to make you not do dangerous things.
Zira: Oh, like Ms. Payne! Except with her it was usually in the other direction--
Rhodey: NO 
The gang finds Luna doing “Luna things.”
Zira: Are you eating dirt?
Luna ( @imagine1117​): ...no.
Once everyone (sans Bob since he’s on laundry duty for the morning because he has no sense of smell) wanders back to Tony, Tony’s finished with what he was making!
It’s...JARVIS!!
Tony’s super manic on lack of sleep and is just rambling and introducing JARVIS to everyone.
Tony: This is Zira, She's not my kid 'cause i'm not responsible enough for that. Maybe a little sister, idk.
Tony scribbles a smiley face just like Bob’s on DJ’s hand.
Zira excitedly tells Tony about her new name, which Tony was already aware of since he was not drunk.
Zira: My name is now Zira J Stark Rhodes!
Also Zira asking Tony about moms...
Zira: How are moms supposed to act? Like i know your dad's a huge bastard but--
Tony squints off into the distance, clearly not willing to voice his actual thoughts on the matter.
Tony: Uhh...warm and...loving?
Zira: Everything I’ve learned about moms is that they’re awesome and amazing!
Tony: Yeeeeaaahhh...let’s go with that.
Finished with laundry duty (and because his player is now able to play), Bob rejoins the party! He meets JARVIS.
Bob ( @thechaoticwave​) tries to send JARVIS hi, question mark: Hi?
DM: Unfortunately JARVIS is a machine.
Tony on drinking.
Tony: I hope we learned a valuable lesson to not drink?
Zira, quietly: Yeeees.
Zira, for some reason...
Zira (enthusiastically): I was gardening!
The group meets the new townmaster after the old one was unceremoniously ousted from his position. Alas, the office door is nailed shut. No, it wasn’t Tony, what do you think
Leanne: Do you have a hammer? 
Tony: I have 3 hammers. 
Leanne: ...that's a lot of hammers.
Leanne is concerned about the paperwork.
Leanne: I have to worry about taxes now.
DJ: Sorry?
We meet up with Clint and Natasha now!
Zira: Guess who has 3 last names right now!!
Natasha: uh, you?
Zira: ME!!
The town we have to head to so we can find information on Cragmaw Castle was destroyed by a volcano in olden days.
Zira: The thing about an ash cloud is, it can choke you until you die.
Zira: Also, there will be a lot of dead things there, and it will be... I don't know. A lot of you seem squeamish about dead thing.
We make it to the town and find lots of warnings about plant monsters! Tony is not amused.
Zira: Not to be defeatist, but lots of plants plus warnings about plant monsters usually equals horrible planty death.
We talk to the druid whose our contact via Clint and Natasha and we get info on the plant monsters. And a dragon. But the plant monsters take priority since apparently they can’t lie except when they’re evil; and when they’re evil of course they’re going to lie and say they’re good plants?!
Tony: (focused on the plants)
DJ: Tony, Tony, Tony! Did you miss the dragon?!
Tony: I was more focused on the lying plants! 
DJ: It's a dragon! 
Zira: Dragon!
No one’s happy about the dragon.
Tony: Here’s the upside, dragons are so big we won't be able to miss it.
Zira: Counterpoint! Dragons are very big and good at killing people!
We defeat the dragon and the 3 Horned Crown cultists trying to capture it with a net and some sticks. Natasha gets the final blow in.
Natasha to Clint: I'm never going anywhere with you again.
Clint: You say that every time.
Aaaaand...that was it for the session! But we have a shit-ton of RPs after this session because someone decided to wake up and heal a wyrmling and...uh...arms got chopped off.
Next session tentatively titled (courtesy of Dox) “It’s All Fun and Games Until Someone’s Disarmed.”
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Fools
Peter's Prov
May was in the hospital and only a few more days to live. I was happy though. She lived and she was happy. Before anyone starts thinking that my life will become a fairy tale and becomes better it will but not the way you think. Tony won't adopt me and I be a Stark so get it out of your head!
Once May goes I'm moving in with my mother's younger brother. He lives in London and got married but lost his wife, who was seven months, to a car accident. He called to ask if my mother was alright. That was a week after she died. I only met him once which was at the graveyard.
"Parker!" I heard Flash yell from behind me. Sighing I turned around to face him. "Have you ever realized how much you sound Draco Malfoy?" I asked not thinking. He scowled and grabbed my shirt ready to punch me. His face instantly fell when he looked into my eyes. Letting go he looked almost sad for me. I hated it and pushed passed him.
"Peter I'm sorry about May!" he said. I stopped and just looked at him. "Don't fucking give me that shit right now Eugene!" He looked shocked at the sudden outburst from the kid who was meant to be shy and easy prey.
Reaching out to try and calm the younger person I slapped his hand away. "I hate sympathy Eugene and I don't need more, especially from you!" I said through my teeth.
He backed away and I thought I went too far until a hand grabbed my shoulder and turned me around. A wicked smile fell down upon me and the face to whom it belonged had unforgiving eyes of torture and hate.
"U-uncle John. I didn't think you would be here this early." I said cussing myself for stuttering. His smile turned to a scowl and I knew what was coming. He wouldn't! Not in front of all these people.
Grabbing my arms I winced at the pain trying to get out of his grasp but nothing I did worked. Taking me into an empty room he threw me against the desks. Walking over to me I tried to crawl away but he grabbed my wrist twisting it. Screaming out in pain I curled up as he repeatedly kicking me in the stomach causing me to cough up blood.
No ones Prov
"Get the hell up and put on a smile! We're leaving. Then we can play a little game. Remember our game, Pete?!"  John said grabbing his nephew by the hair. "Y-yes Uncle J-John," Peter said. John growled and slammed the boys face into the desk. "Dumb shit! What did I say about stuttering?!" He screamed in the boys face.
Tears streamed down his face as he was dragged out of the room children gathering after hearing the screams. "Peter!" Ned yelled running up to his friend. "He's fine. Just upset about leaving." John said patting the boys back as though he cared.
~time Skip~
"Please don't. I don't wanna play!" ( who knows the creepypasta this is based on?) Nothing Peter said stopped the man who pushed the boy onto the bed touching him and licking his neck going down to his stomach then further down. "S-stop! I-I don't wanna p-play anymore!" Peter moaned struggling to get out of the man's grasp.
"Now now Pete what have I said about stuttering?" he asked evil running in his voice. "It makes me seem weak and not like a man." Peter chocked out through tears. A crooked smile fell on Johns' face. "Good boy. Very good. I'll let you rest for the night. Tomorrow you go back to school and if anyone hears about this you will regret it." Peters uncle growled before leaving the room.
Peter's Prov
I don't know what to do. This wasn't the first time he has done this. He did it when I was 6 years old. Just like now I was terrified to tell anyone about it.
Maybe I should tell Mr Stark? But he could go too far as well! I don't hate my uncle. Maybe it's my fault that all this happens to me. "Peter, you have an incoming call from Tony would you like new to answer?" Karen asked. I sighed and agreed.
"Kid I heard about school. So you're leaving for London when?" He asked. I winced at the thought of living the rest of my life with him. Thinking Mr Stark didn't notice I smiled. "Hey, Pete you alright? You seem down. Wanna stop but the tower!" He asked.
The truth was I did but I knew I had to get back. Who knew what would happen if I got back late. "Alright kid. See you soon." He said then hung up. I went home terrified of what the future had in store for Monte with muy Parker Luck and all.
Tony's Prov
He didn't seem like himself. Something was off. "Friday! Get Karen to record everything that's happening around Peter for the next twenty-four hours!"
"Of course sir! I have contacted Karen and told her without mister Parkers knowledge." My AI said. I nodded and went to eat.
The next morning people crowded around me telling me there was something I had to see. School was halfway over for Peter yet Natasha said that someone called him out to talk and he hasn't been seen since.
"FRIDAY! Show me the footage from last night to right now fast!" I said. She didn't answer but a video appeared of Peter cowering in a corner begging his uncle not to play just to go to school. He walked to school jumpy and on the edge and I started to worry about what was going on.
At school, he seemed off. Just walking around terrified of the adults. Not talking seems to be thinking of something else. A few minutes of this as I look for Peter in the school kids and teachers looking at me I have to ignore the comments and stares and need to focus.
A man in the video grabs Peter. Takes him outside the school. He sees the robot. The screen is black. "Mr Stark that man is Peters Uncle. Uncle John. Peter seems generally scared of him. He wasn't really smiling today and I asked what was wrong. He started crying saying he couldn't tell but he was reliving what happened when he was 6. I thought about what he told me and when we were six he said someone made him play a game and touched him." Ned said from behind me.
I clenched my teeth hearing this and asked what happened. "I-I don't know. I was in class with MJ." Ned said. I could hear the guilt in his voice and patted his shoulder. People started the crowd and someone yelled. "That man! John! He came into class saying he needed to talk to Peter outside." The boy named Flash said.
I didn't care to scold him for all the times he brought hell to my kid's life. Walking out of the building I saw John walking away from the school. I tackled him to the floor. "Where is Peter?!" I yelled. I shook his head and I yelled it again. "O-over there! He told! I heard he told his friend! I punished him!" He screamed. I threw him into the arms of two adults telling them not to let him out of their sight.
Walking around the building with MJ, Ned, and Flash following me we a horror. Peter was lying on the floor wounds on his head in which blood dripped down his face which pained me for it looked as though it was going into his eyes.
Picking him up I bandaged up his wounds and let him rest for the next few days. When he woke up he smiled when he saw me. "When your ready tell me what happened."
He nodded and sat up. "Right now?" I asked. "Yea," he said looking down.
"Uncle John found out I told Ned what he did to me. He came to school saying he needed me out back. Leaving the classroom he grabbed me and dragged me outside of the school. He said that I didn't play the game correctly. That I needed to be punished. I tried to get away but he was too strong and he threw me against the wall and picked up a stone-throwing it at my head knocking me out." Peter cried.
My jaw tightened as he told the story. "T-tony. Don't hurt him. I wanna talk to him first." Peter said. I hesitated but agreed.
Peters Prov Next day at school (is a thunderstorm outside and my little cousin is scared. I told her not to worry Jess just her uncle Thor making sure she's alright )
I'm glad Tony agreed to let me handle this. A smile on my face as I waited for my uncle inn the empty classroom. Muy spider senses were telling me two things; h-he was close and many people were watching from the hallway and windows. But I could see that anyway.
The door opened and in walked that man. "P-peter listen I lost a lot-" he began but I cut him off. "You lost a lot? I lost more than you and because of YOU!" I yelled. He stepped back and nodded. I sighed. "Don't you remember, uncle John? I played your game. You hurt me!" I growled. " P-peter you're meant to be dead!" He managed to say. "I know. You made sure of that. But Mr Stark saved me." I said now sitting on the desk ready to walk over to the man.
"Hey hey now! I just wanted to be sure you played the game right I never meant to to hurt yeh!" He said quickly. I got up and walked over to him smiling knowing everyone in my class was watching plus Tony. They could hear as well.
"Well I wanna play my game now. Do you wanna play with me?" I asked. His back its against the wall. "That boy told me you never stand up for yourself. This is all in my head!"
"That boy it's watching right now. And if it's all in your head than you won't feel this!" I said grabbing his arm and twisting it and breaking it. He fell to the ground in pain holding his now broken arm.
"You little shit! How the hell did you do that?!" He screamed. E want the only to scream. Outside I heard a few firms scream and MJ shout go Peter! I chuckled. "Funny you mention hell. You'll be going there soon." I hummed.
"What are you?" He asked. I knealed down and lifted his head. "I was Spiderman but then you happened. Now I am a monster of shadows. I am what you made me!" I yelled picking him up off the floor. Throwing him against a few desks I looked at his pocket knife.
"You know. I've always hated what you kept around you uncle John. Sup many sharp objects." I chuckled throwing it at him. Tony ran through the door trying to stop my madness but that man was going to pay! He ran out of three room slamming against the lockers and hitting the ground.
I don't care how many people are watching I webbed him to the locker only by the door so he couldn't got away. He was crying. "P-peter. Star dust! Please. I'm sorry." He cried. I o inn his eyes to see no truth behind what he was saying.
"Not yet you aren't!" I searched twisting his other arm. Screaming out in pain his bleeding body fell limp to the floor as he only shook with a sobbing noise. "But your about to be!" I said calmly as I raised the knife uncle Loki once gave me.
Great and pain were now in the man's eyes as I stabbed the dagger through his heart. "P-peter?" He cocked out one last time before closing his eyes. I laughed. "You lost uncle John. You weren't playing the game right. Now! You know how it felt when I lost your game.
My clothes now dripped with blood along with the sound on my face that he caused! Feeling my heart I no longer felt the pump. Was... Was I dead? I looked around and there was no proof of me only John and his peculiar death. I guess we were both fool's.
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MDZS Chapter 86. “Core” Part 8
You gotta bring your boyfriend to the place where you grew up
Wei WuXian, “Is there any evidence for everything you’ve said?”
After a pause, Sisi replied, “No. But if I’ve spoken even one line of falsehood, then let my body rot and be buried without a full corpse!”
Sect Leader Yao interjected immediately, “Her story is too detailed to be a lie!”
Frowning, Lan QiRen turned to the other woman, “I believe I’ve seen you before.”
The woman seemed alarmed, “P-perhaps we’ve met.”
Some people were startled by this admission, ‘Sisi is a prostitute. Is this woman a prostitute as well? How could Lan QiRen have known her?’
The woman continued, “During the LaolingQin Sect’s discussion conference, I had accompanied my madam.”
A female cultivator with sharp eyes named her, “You are……Bi Cao, Madam Qin’s handmaid Bi Cao! Is that right?”
The Madam Qin she was referring to was the wife of Qin CangYe, the mother of Jin GuangYao’s late wife Qin Su. The woman nodded, “But I am no longer with the Qin Sect.”
Sect Leader Yao exclaimed with vigor, “Do you have something to tell us as well?”
With red-rimmed eyes, Bi Cao replied, “What I’m about to tell takes place a bit earlier, around twelve to thirteen years ago.”
“I had served Madam Qin for many years and had watched Maiden A-Su grew up. Madam loved A-Su dearly and always looked out for her. But around the time of Young Madam Su’s wedding, the Madam’s mood was always down. She had nightmares almost every night, and wept a lot during the day. At the time, I’d thought it was because her daughter was getting married and that she was sad to see her leave, so I’d comfort her and tell her that Young Madam’s husband was a nice young man with a good position and a good temperament. He was an earnest, loyal man who would make the Young Madam happy. But everytime I said these things, Madam would become even sadder.”
“A few days before the wedding, Madam suddenly told me one evening that she needed to go see Young Madam Su’s future husband. And that she needed to go see him immediately, and asked me to accompany her. I said, “If you want to see him you can summon him, Madam. Why would we go to a young man’s place in secret in the middle of the night and draw suspicion on ourselves if someone hears about it?” But Madam insisted, and so in the end I went with her. Once we were there, she asked me to stay outside, didn’t let me in, so I had no idea what she and Jin GuangYao talked about. I only know that a few days later when the day of the wedding ceremony was finally decided upon, Madam fainted the moment she saw the official invitations. She continued to be miserable long after Young Madam Su’s wedding. It was a sickness of the heart that only grew worse as the days went by. Right before she passed away, she finally couldn’t keep things to herself any longer, and told me everything.”
Tears streamed down Bi Cabo’s face as she continued, “LianFang-Zun Jin GuangYao and our Maiden Su aren’t husband and wife at all. They are brother and sister……”
“What?!”
It was as if a bolt of lightning had struck over the Training Hall. Everyone was flabbergasted. Wei WuXian could see Qin Su’s pale face in his mind’s eyes. Bi Cao continued, “Fate couldn’t be crueler to my Madam…… The late Sect Leader Jin was a monster. He fancied my Madam’s beauty. One time, while he was drunk, he forced himself on her…… How could my Madam resist him? And afterwards she didn’t dare to speak of it to anyone. My Master was loyal to Jin GuangShan and held him at a high place. Madam was terrified. Jin GuangShan couldn’t remember whose daughter Young Madam Su was, but my Madam could never forget. She didn’t dare to confront Jin GuangShan directly and knew that the Young Madam truly loved Jin GuangYao. After struggling for a long time, she still decided to go find Jin GuangYao in secret before the wedding so she could tell him the truth and plead for him to think of some ways to lift the engagement and avoid this atrocity. Little had she expected, Jin GuangYao would still marry her even after knowing that she was his sister!”
What was scarier was that not only did he marry her, the two even went on to have a child!
What a colossal atrocity!
People’s comments were becoming more and more heated, “How many years had Sect Leader Qin followed after Jin GuangShan? How could he be so low as to lay hands on a loyal subordinate’s wife? Jin GuangShan is too much!”
“No secrets can stay hidden forever……”
“If Jin GuangYao wanted a solid footing in the Lanling Jin Sect, then he needed a powerful ally like Qin CangYe to be his father-in-law. How could he let this opportunity go?”
“He must be a madman amongst madmen.”
Wei WuXian turned to Lan WangJi in a low voice, “No wonder he told her, “A-Song must die” back in the secret room.”
Others inside the Training Hall had thought of A-Song as well. Sect Leader Yao said, “Judging from this, I may be so bold to guess that his son wasn’t assassinated, but killed by Jin GuangYao himself.”
“What do you mean?”
Sect Leader Yao reasoned, “Children born of incest will most likely be mentally handicapped. Jin RuSong was only a few years old when he’d died, just around the time when a child’s intelligence starts to flourish. His developmental problems wouldn’t be very obvious to anyone when he was a toddler, but as soon as he was a little older, it’d be impossible to hide them. Even if no one traced his issues to the possibility of incest, he’d still be mentally handicapped all his life. People would no doubt point their fingers at Jin GuangYao then, saying things about his upbringing…such as how only the son of a prostitute could ever father children like this or the likes……”
Many saw the logic in this reasoning, “Such a sharp mind, Sect Leader Yao!”
Sect Leader Yao continued, “Plus, the one who supposedly murdered Jin RuSong also just so happened to be the sect leader in opposition of Jin GuangYao building the lookout towers. Isn’t that too much of a coincidence?” He smirked, “Either way, there was very little reason for Jin GuangYao to keep a stunted offspring. He’d be much better off having Jin RuSong killed and framing it on an opposing sect leader. That way he could use justice and revenge as excuse to prosecute the sect that he could not tame. It’s a cruel yet very efficient method, getting rid of two birds with one stone. LianFang-Zun is a brilliant manipulator!”
Suddenly, Wei WuXian turned to Bi Cao, “During the discussion conference at Koi Tower a few days ago, you went to see Qin Su, didn’t you?”
Bi Cao was surprised. Wei WuXian, “That night, Qin Su and Jin GuangYao had an argument inside the Fragrant Palace. She said she saw someone who had told her something and given her a letter, and that the person would never lie to her. She was referring to you, wasn’t she?”
Bi Cao, “Yes.”
Wei WuXian, “You’ve held this secret for so many years, why did you suddenly decide to tell her the truth then? And why did you suddenly decide to tell everyone this now?”
Bi Cao, “Because……I needed Young Madam Su to know what kind of a person her husband really was. Originally, I didn’t intend to tell this to everyone, but after the Young Madam mysteriously took her own life at Koi Tower, I decided to reveal the truth about that monster and bring Madam Su some justice.”
Wei WuXian smiled, “So it has never occurred to you how big of a blow it would be for her to know the truth? Unless you really don’t know? It’s precisely because you had told her first that Qin Su took her own life.”
Bi Cao, “I……”
Sect Leader Yao was indignant, “I disagree. Are you saying that hiding the truth would have been the right thing to do?”
Another person immediately interjected, “You can’t blame the messenger. Aye, Madam J-……Qin Su was too delicate.”
A few older female cultivators commented, “Qin Su… What a poor woman.”
“I used to admire her. What fortune she had. Brought up well, married well. The Madam of Koi Tower with a loyal, loving husband. Aye, who knew……”
One woman sounded not at all surprised, “What’s pretty on the surface is often ugly on the inside. There’s nothing to admire.”
Wei WuXian pondered in silence, ‘Maybe this was why Qin Su had chosen to end her life. She probably didn’t want to withstand other people’s pity and gossip.’
Lowering his gaze, he saw a gold bracelet embellished in jade around Bi Cao’s wrist. It was of the utmost craftsmanship and definitely not something that a handmaid could afford to wear. Smiling, he commented, “Nice bracelet.”
Bi Cao immediately tugged her sleeve lower and lowered her head without a word.
Nie HuaiSang blurted out with confusion in his voice, “But…But what’s the real purpose behind these two coming here today? What exactly is this for?”
Sect Leader Yao, “What’s the point of pining over these details? No matter who’s sent them here, there’s one thing we know for sure: He’s a man of justice who’s definitely on our side.”
Many people agreed, “That’s right!”
Yet Wei WuXian challenged it, “The one who’d save Maiden Sisi cannot be an average man. He must have a lot of time and wealth on his hands. But a man of justice? Not necessarily.”
Lan WangJi, “Too many uncertainties.”
Had Wei WuXian been the one to have said this, everyone would probably just ignore him. But since it was Lan WangJi who had spoken, silence immediately fell upon the room. Lan QiRen asked, “Which parts?”
Wei WuXian, “Oh, many, many parts. For example, if Jin GuangYao is truly completely cruel and remorseless, then why would he kill two dozen women only to keep Sisi alive? Now that we have a witness, where’s the evidence?”
All this time, he had been challenging the norm, singing a different tone than the crowd. Some people were beginning to feel annoyed. Sect Leader Yao shouted, “Then this is exactly what they mean when they say ‘the net of Heaven’s has large meshes, but lets nothing through’[1].”
Wei WuXian smiled and had nothing left to say.
He knew no one would listen to him right now. No one would seriously consider his questions. If he kept going, the blades might turn towards him instead. Had he been a decade younger, he wouldn’t have cared what other people would say or think of him. He’d have spoken to his heart’s content even if no one wanted to listen. Now, however, Wei WuXian was no longer interested in being in the spotlight.
Thus, wave after waves of heated discussion started inside the hall:
“How could he be so ungrateful[2]?! What a madman[3]!”
For a decade, in the public’s discussions, “ungrateful” and “madman” were two words that had become nearly interchangeable with Wei WuXian’s name. And so for a split moment, he’d thought that the crowd was cursing his name again before realizing that they weren’t directed at him. Same crowd. Same words. Yet the one being cursed had changed. It would take some time for him to get used to it.
Immediately, another voice spoke up, “The connection he had with ChiFeng-Zun and ZeWu-Jun was the only reason why Jin GuangYao even managed to climb to where he is now. Otherwise how could the son of a prostitute ever land himself in such a high position? To think that he would stab ChiFeng-Zun in the back! ZeWu-Jun is still with him right now. I can only pray that nothing bad has happened to him yet!”
Originally, none of them had believed that the death of Nie MingJue, the mutilation of his corpse, and the fierce corpses that tried to lay siege on them on Burial Mound had anything to do with Jin GuangYao. Now, however, they all decided to change their minds.
“Not only his sworn brother, even blood brothers couldn’t escape his betrayal. In the years following Jin GuangShan’s death, he took no delays in getting rid of his father’s other bastards, worried that someone would come take his birthright from him. Mo XuanYu was one of the luckier ones. Had he not been driven out for his madness, he might have disappeared like all his other brothers, who all went missing for various reasons.”
“He probably played a hand in the death of Jin ZiXuan as well!”
“Anyone still remember Xiao XingChen from years ago? Xiao XingChen of ‘the bright moon and the gentle breeze’? And the case of the Yueyang Chang Clan. LianFang-Zun even greatly exerted his influence just to protect the man who was involved in that case, Xue Yang.”
“Didn’t a lot of sect wanted to take Xiao XingChen in as a guest cultivator when he first came down the mountain? The Lanling Jin Sect had filed an invitation too but was rejected. At the time, the Jin Sect had been really full of themselves. To be rejected by some small cultivator must have been terribly embarrassing for them. Later, when they protected Xue Yang, it must have been about this earlier grudge. Either way, they probably didn’t want things to end well for Xiao XingChen.”
“Tsk, who did they think they are?! To destroy someone just because they rejected their invitation?”
“Aye, it’s too bad. I was fortunate enough to have witnessed the splendor of Daozhang Xiao XingChen’s night hunt for myself once. His Shaunghua was a sight to behold.”
“Jin GuangYao eventually took care of Xue Yang as well, like mad dogs turning on one another.”
“I heard that back when Jin GuangYao was undercover in the Qishan Wen Sect years ago, he wasn’t loyal to the cause at all. What he’d really had in mind was this: If the Sunshot Campaign were to fail, then he’d continue following the Wen Sect and smooch up to Wen Ruohan. And if the Wen Sect were to fall, then he’d stab them in the back and make a hero of himself.”
“Wen RuoHan must be turning in his grave right now. He’d trusted him like a family and invested in him greatly. Even the sword technique that Jin GuangYao uses today was mostly taught to him by Wen RuoHan himself!”
“That’s nothing. I heard that the reason behind ChiFeng-Zun’s failed ambush at the time was because Jin GuangYao’s had given him false information!”
“Let me share a secret as well then. The money and resources needed to build those lookout towers of his were all gathered from other sects, right? Each sec would receive the portions they’ve contributed, but I’ve heard that he’d actually retain for himself…… this much.”
“Oh Heavens…… that much? How shameless! And here I thought he was honestly trying to do things with them. We’ve been feeding our devotions to the dogs!”
Wei WuXian found this all to be quite amusing. He mused in his heart, ‘If you know it’s only rumors, then why believe it without question? If it’s really a secret, then how did you come to know about it?’
None of these rumors were fresh or new. While the tides had favoured Jin GuangYao, they were effectively contained, and no one really believed them to be true. Yet, in the span of one night, it was as if all the rumors had suddenly become solid evidence, and one by one they became the cornerstone foundation to Jin GuangYao’s tower of sins; proof of his madness.
“So it appears that not only has he murdered his father, his brother, his wife, his son, his master, his friend… But he also committed incest. What a scary man!”
“The Lanling Jin Sect is unapologetically tyrannical, and Jin GuangYao never liked to listen to anyone else. The Jin Sect had always been full of themselves, and under Jin GuangYao’s influence, they’ve been stomping all over us and doing whatever they want. Did he really think we’d keep tolerating him and allow such evil to persist?!”
“He must be growing wary of how far and wide the other sect’s influences have been spreading. Afraid of being overthrown just like the QiShan Wen Sect. So he decided to go all out without worrying of consequences, getting rid of us once and for all.”
Sect Leader Yao smirked, “If that’s what it is, then so be it. We’ll turn his worst fear into reality.” He slammed the table hard, “We’ll lay siege on Koi Tower!”
Cheers of agreement erupted all around them. Wei WuXian thought to himself, ‘Just yesterday, this “scary man” was still the respectable LianFang-Zun. Within a day, they’d already started screaming for his blood.’
Suddenly, someone turned to him, “Mister Wei, Jin GuangYao has the Tiger Seal in his hands. We’d have to rely on you for that.”
Wei WuXian, “Ah?”
Never had he expected anyone to voluntarily talk to him, not to mention with so much passion and respect, and even addressing him as “Mister” and not “thief” or “dog” or some other similar derogatories. Wei WuXian paused slightly. Immediately, another sect leader turned to him as well, “That’s right! No one’s a greater expert than the Yiling Patriarch in this matter!”
“Now, Jin GuangYao’s hit something larger than he can handle, hahahaha…”
Wei WuXian was momentarily speechless. The last time anyone had praised and schmoozed to him like this had been back during the Sunshot Campaign over a decade ago. Although someone else had finally replaced him on this throne reserved for the cultivation world’s public enemy, nothing about this felt sweet or rewarding. Neither was there the feeling of gratitude for finally being accepted by the rest of the world. The only thing he felt was suspicion, ‘Is this also what happened then? A bunch of people gathering at some random place, spontaneously had some secret discussion, spat curses all over the sky the whole night, and then just all decided to go lay siege at Burial Mound?’
The discussion ended just as preparations for the YumengJiang Sect’s banquet hall were complete. But when the banquet commenced, two figures had disappeared from the crowd. A Sect Leader wondered, “How come we are missing Wei-……the Yiling Patriarch and HanGuang-Jun?”
Sitting in the head seat, Jiang Cheng asked the guest cultivator beside him, “Where are they?”
The guest cultivator replied, “After leaving the inner hall, they went to get a change of clothes. They said they won’t be joining us for the banquet, and would be taking a walk instead. They also said they’ll be back later.”
Jiang Cheng smirked, “Rude as always.”
His words seemed to imply that Lan WangJi was impolite as well, and it made Lan QiRen displeased. If Lan WangJi could be considered rude, then there would be no such thing as politeness in this world. The thought made Lan QiRen clench his jaw at Wei WuXian again. Meanwhile, Jiang Cheng had adjusted his expression back to normal and politely announced, “Please, let us eat. I will invite the two of them back later.”
Beyond the front gate of Lotus Pier, Lan WangJi wordlessly let Wei WuXian guide them near the docks, strolling leisurely and aimlessly.
There were a couple of food vendors by the docks. Walking up to them, Wei WuXian smiled and said, “Skipping the banquet was a great decision. Lan Zhan, come here, come here, this pancake is delicious. I’ll treat you! Excuse me, I’ll take two of these.”
Smiling, the vendor wrapped up two pancakes in oil paper[4]. Just as Wei WuXian was about to receive them, he suddenly remembered that he was penniless. How could this be his treat? Meanwhile, Lan WangJi had already received the food for them with one hand, and paid with the other. Wei WuXian, “Ayah, I’m so sorry, why is it always like this? It seems that every time I plan to treat you to food, I end up treating you nothing.”
Lan WangJi, “It’s fine.”
Wei WuXian lowered his head for a bite, “Back in the days, I never had to pay for street food. I just grabbed what I wanted, whenever I wanted. I’d eat as I walked or just grab one and run. At the end of every month, the street vendors would go directly to Uncle Jiang with the bills.”
Lan WangJi left a delicate, crescent-shaped mark on the otherwise very round pancake in his hand, “You still don’t have to pay.”
Wei WuXian, “Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!”
Wei WuXian finished his pancake in just a few bites. Bunching up the oil paper into a ball, he played with it in his hands. Eyes darting about, he said, “There aren’t a lot of other vendors left. Back in the days, these docks were always filled with street vendors no matter how late it was, selling all kinds of food. A lot of people from Lotus Pier used to have very late suppers. There’d be quite a few boats around too, not any less than the Textile Town near your sect.”
He continued, “There’s a lot less now. Lan Zhan, you’re here too late. You didn’t get to see when this place was at its best and most interesting.”
Lan WangJi, “Not too late.”
Wei WuXian smiled, “Back when I was studying at the Cloud Recesses, I’d told you so many times that I’d take you to Yunmeng to play. You’d always ignore me. I should have been more bold and daring and just dragged you over. Why are you eating so slow? You don’t like it?”
Lan WangJi, “Eat silently.”
Lan WangJi was always a careful and meticulous eater. He always chewed before he swallowed. If he were to speak, he’d always make sure that there was no food in his mouth. Wei WuXian said, “Alright, then I will stop talking to you while you eat. I thought you didn’t like it. And I was even going to offer finishing the rest for you.”
Lan WangJi turned to the vendor owner, “Another one, please.”
By the time Wei WuXian was done finishing his third, Lan WangJi was still slowly working through his first, and they had already strolled very far away from the docks of Lotus Pier. Still leading the way, Wei WuXian pointed left and right for Lan WangJi to look at as they wandered about the streets.
He very much wanted to show Lan WangJi all the places he’d been to while growing up —where he’d played at, fought at, rolled at— and tell him about all the funny, terrible, mischievous things he’d done —the people he’d fought, the things he’d nabbed, the pheasants he’d chased. He would then watch for the slightest variation of expression on Lan WangJi’s face, anticipating his every reaction.
Wei WuXian, “Lan Zhan! Look at me, look at this tree.”
Finally finishing his pancake, Lan WangJi folded the oil paper into a neat little square and held it in his hand as he looked towards where Wei WuXian was pointing. It was just an average tree, straight, lush, and looked to be around more than a decade old. Wei WuXian walked up to the tree, circled around it twice, then slapped its trunk, “I’ve climbed this tree before.”
Lan WangJi, “You have climbed most trees we’ve seen on the way over.”
Wei WuXian, “This one is special! This is the first tree I’ve climbed when I first came to Lotus Pier. I climbed it in the middle of the night. My shijie came to find me with a lantern, and tried to catch me from below in case I fell. But how could she catch me with those thin arms of hers? So I still ended up breaking my leg.”
Staring at his leg, Lan WangJi asked him, “Why were you climbing a tree in the middle of the night?”
Bending at the waist, Wei WuXian smiled, “No particular reason. You know me, I love to fool around outside late at night. Haha.”
-
Footnotes:
[1]: ‘The net of Heaven has large meshes, but lets nothing through’: a Chinese proverb that essentially means that all evil will be prosecuted and punished eventually, even though the net of Heaven (aka justice) isn’t always thorough and meticulous all the way.
[2]: “Ungrateful”: Ungrateful doesn’t actually fully convey the gravity of the term “忘恩负义” used in the novel. Essentially it’s used to describe a lack of integrity, of turning against those who did you favours in the past. A bit similar to the English term “bite the hand that feeds you”.
[3]: “Madman”: The original term used in the novel by people to describe Jin GuangYao is actually “丧心病狂”, which implies both a lack of sanity and morals.
[4]: Oil paper: Kind of like wax paper but with oil applied to paper for water-resistance instead of wax.
Lastly:
A special note of thank you to my betas @clockworkspider and anon gremlin for this chapter. Thank you guys. SO much.
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imagine-loki · 6 years
Text
Monsters and Magic
TITLE: Monsters and Magic CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: 14/? AUTHOR: nekoamamori ORIGINAL IMAGINE: Imagine you’re a vampire who helps the Avengers defeat an evil seethe of other vampires, and Loki befriends you after you end up in their custody RATING: T (so far) NOTES/WARNINGS:  Also on AO3 click here
      “Soldier, get the weapon back to the jet and knock it out,” Schneider ordered, breaking through your haze of horror and grief.
    Footsteps approached and hands were on your arms, hauling you to your feet. “On your feet, Natal’ka,” Bucky told you firmly, gruffly. He risked the different nickname, reminding you to be strong like Nat. Hydra would just think his brain had glitched again, though he gave you the message. You managed to stand and keep your feet under you. “Push it down, Natal’ka,” Bucky hissed when you stiffened at walking past the carnage you had created. “Lock the emotions away. You can rage and cry and deal with them later. We have to get out of here right now,”
    “It still needs some work, but you can see for yourselves how effective the weapon is,” Schneider was telling the other Hydra agents. They were all throwing themselves at him to try to bid for your use. It made you want to puke again.
    You tried to think past the pain and grief, past the despair over what you’d been forced to do and walk with Bucky. You had to get out of here. He was right on that point. You looked past the agents to a nearby car that somehow wasn’t on fire, though everything else in the village seemed to be burning. There were two ravens perched on it, shimmering with magic as they watched the scenes.
    You knew at once from the Norse Mythology book Loki had given you to read when he first met you, from the words they had used to trigger whatever the hell you did here today.
    Odin’s ravens.
    To speak the name is to summon the man, or birds in this case. Hydra was so afraid to even speak Loki’s name, for fear of summoning him. They must not realize that the ravens were magic too, or real. Morons. The ravens were Odin’s spies, you knew, and had probably been curious why someone on Midgard was using their names.
    But would Odin help?
    Not directly.
    He wouldn’t interfere directly on Midgard.
    But…
    You couldn’t get closer to the ravens, but they took off to fly past you, to fly out of the village, to uselessly fly away. You hoped they were as good of spies as the stories said. “Odin. Allfather. Please. If you have any love for your sons, please help them. They’re both looking for me and trying to save me. Please, Allfather. Please help your sons.” Your words were a whisper, your face turned to the agents couldn’t see your lips move. The ravens cawed and continued on their way. You had no idea if they even heard you, much less if Odin would care, or deign to help.
    “What are you talking about?” Bucky hissed, scared you were risking blowing his cover. You were his only hope for escape too. Plus he actually liked you. You shook your head. It was too dangerous to discuss out here. He nodded, understanding, and while he might not know all the mythology, almost everyone knew at least of Odin and Thor.
    He got you back on the jet and in your seat as fast as he could. He didn’t trust your mental health after what you’d been forced to do. Wise man. You were barely holding it together. He ignored all of the blood you were covered in, which was very polite of him. “I’m sorry I couldn’t stop them. I had no idea they were going to do this. I’m sorry about this too,” you had a moment to look up at him before he continued “Tinkerbell”
    *
    Loki was watching to footage of you causing the carnage in horror when your unconscious mind latched onto his. You’d been so covered in blood, and probably had consumed quite a lot of it, that your powers were boosted enough to reach him. He turned his attention away from the screen when he felt your presence in his mind.
    “They had to have forced her somehow. You all know her. She wouldn’t have done this,” Stark was saying, desperately trying to defend you somehow, despite the evidence in front of their eyes. “Plus, Hydra sent us this footage to antagonize us. Jarvis, get rid of every trace of this footage besides what we have here,” he ordered quickly. No one wanted the news to have any evidence of this. 
    “Y/N!” Loki exclaimed, drawing everyone’s attention away from arguing over your actions. He was so obviously relieved to be hearing from you. The room shut up in an instant. “What did they do to you?” he asked, glancing at the screen currently showing you standing in the middle of the pile of bodies.
    /Can you hear?/ you didn’t know how strong the connection was this time.
    “I can,” he replied. Everyone watched him talking to himself confused, and a little concerned, though they knew he was talking to you. It was still disturbing to those not used to magic. Thor didn’t seem concerned.
    /Trigger words. They used trigger words. I don’t remember a damn thing after they said the first one, until they said the reversal. I don’t remember doing any of that. I wasn’t in control/ your voice was a heartbroken wail, begging him to believe that this wasn’t your fault, so he could convince you.
    “What are trigger words, love? I don’t understand,” Loki’s voice was pained, heartbroken, tortured that he couldn’t help, that he didn’t understand what you were trying to tell him. That he didn’t know how to help your grief.
    “It’s mind control. We’ll explain it later, I know she can’t hold the connection long,” Nat explained quickly. Her voice sounded relieved. You could see the relief in the rest of the team as well. The explanation of trigger words reassured everyone that you were in no way responsible for your actions. Well, everyone but you. Nat caught on to things extremely quickly and you were grateful for it now when she caught on to how magic worked. “Ask her what the words are that they used. We need to be prepared for when we rescue her,”
    /The names of your father’s ravens/ you replied quickly. You could hear Nat’s question, though she couldn’t hear your answer.
    “Father’s ravens?” Loki’s attention went back to the screen, thinking over something. He was obviously distracted when he automatically referred to Odin as ‘father’, even if you had done it first. You had done it since you didn’t know what other words they may have used, what other orders they got into your mind.
    “Hugi-” Thor started. 
    Nat’s hand clapped over his mouth and she glared at Thor. “Don’t say them!” she hissed, nearly frantic while the rest of the team looked on confused. “We don’t want Loki going into a rampage like that,” she gestured at the screen, “because her mind is connected to his right now. You know damn well he’s been getting bleedthrough of the shit they’re doing to her because of her telepathic connection to him. We do not want to find out that they can make him go ballistic when she’s in his mind like this,”
    “How do you know that much about magic?” Cap asked her incredulously. She was a spy. She shouldn’t know anything about magic.
    Nat shrugged. “I know things, it’s what I do,” she reminded him as she removed her hand from Thor’s mouth.
    Loki’s attention was still on the screen, his mind working too quickly for you to follow to try to figure something out. “There,” he announced, pointing at the screen. “Stark, tell your Jarvis thing to make that bigger,” Loki jabbed urgently at the screen again.
    “J-” Tony started, but the image was already zooming in. Loki’s mind was racing when he saw the ravens on the screen. Loki was a tactician and a damn brilliant one that that. You felt his mind racing as he worked on a plan. “Are those-?”
    “Father’s,” Thor confirmed, staring at the birds on the screen. He looked over at Loki. “I know that look. What are you planning?” Thor asked, excited that Loki had a plan, that they would finally be making progress.
    “Give me a second,” Loki growled impatiently while he concentrated on his plan. “To speak the name is to summon the god. They are too afraid to speak my name, right, love?”
    /Right, it’s forbidden to be said in the compound. They’re terrified of you/
    “As well they should be,” he replied somewhat distractedly. He was still working through his plan, working through the implications of what he knew. “And everyone talks about Hammer-brain here all the time. Also I’ve seen rocks with more magical ability…”
    “Hey!”
    “I have,” Loki replied with a shrug. Thor huffed and grumbled. “But no one on Midgard speaks of or usually remembers the ravens. They’ll go spy if someone speaks of them, especially here. Spying is what they do,” Loki lit up as his plan solidified. He turned to Thor. “Brother, contact Father. Make him let us borrow the ravens. Whatever you have to do to convince him,” Thor nodded, but waited for the rest of the plan. “This is what we are going to do. Darling, pay attention, you’re have a part to play in this as well…”
    *
You came to slowly, your brain didn’t want to focus on reality. You wanted to hide. You wanted to die. You never ever wanted to think of all the people your hands had killed ever again, and yet, it was all you could think about.
    Your attention focused on the water. Why were you sitting in water? You were sitting in the bathtub in Bucky’s bathroom. Naked, as one usually is when one is in the bathtub. Bucky was scrubbing one of your arms roughly. You shrieked and scrambled to cover yourself with your hands.
    He sighed. “You couldn’t wake up before I had to put you in the bath, or after I got you out and to bed, now could you?” he grumbled, teasing, joking, trying to reassure that everything was ok. You were still freaking out and trying uselessly to cover yourself. “Calm down, Striga. I am perfectly well aware what a female body looks like. I have absolutely no interest in yours, except that it is currently covered in quite a lot of blood which I’d appreciate not having all over my blanket,” he grumbled at you.
    “You don’t- Nothing-” shit, you couldn’t find words.
    “Nothing happened. Steve can strike me down if that boyfriend of yours says I’m lying. If boyfriend doesn’t do it himself,” he couldn’t say Loki’s name either. It was forbidden, but he knew who Loki was. “You were still unconscious when we got off the jet. I was told to bring you here. I wasn’t putting you in the clean bed when you’re dripping blood. So, bath. But since you’re awake, you can damn well clean yourself,” he set the washcloth and bar of soap where you could reach them.
    “Bucky… I… Those people…” there were tears in your eyes already. He touched the top of your head, ruffled your hair, trying for comfort in his somewhat awkward way.
    “I know, Striga. Believe me, I know,” he would understand. They’d made him do at least equally bad things. “Get cleaned up. I left something on the counter for you to wear. You can talk about it when you’re dressed,” he told you and left before he had to stay in the room with a naked girl he wasn’t interested in and didn’t want to offend, you, Steve, Nat, or Loki with his presence while you were naked.
    You scrubbed hard at the blood on your skin, in your hair, on nearly every inch of you. Having a task kept your mind focused on things other than what you had done, on the scene of the bodies around you that had been burned into your brain.
    When you were finally clean, you stepped out of the bath, managed to pull the drain, and dressed in the simple sweats Bucky had left for you. You stepped into the other room and Bucky got up from where he was sitting on the bed. He was still awkward and shy, but he wrapped his big strong arms around you and let you weep into his chest as he held you.
    “I-I killed them,” you wailed, the image of the carnage reappearing in your mind.
    “No, Doll. You didn’t. Hydra did. Hydra has made us both do awful things. It’s not either of our faults for it.” He held you while you sobbed, tried to reassure you that it wasn’t your fault. That you weren’t a monster because of what you were made to do when you had no control over your actions. You sagged against him, emotionally and physically exhausted when your tears ran out. He settled you both in the bed. You managed to stay awake long enough to tell him about Loki and the team, about the upcoming plans and his part in them. “Doll, do me a favor? Keep that boyfriend of yours from killing me for seeing you naked and sleeping with you on the same day?”
    “He won’t kill you for taking care of me in his stead,” you told him exhaustedly, laying your head on his warm chest.
    “Sure he won’t…” Bucky said dryly, obviously not beliving you. He then began to distract you by telling you about Cap before the serum, old stories from when they were kids and Cap kept picking fights with bullies and getting his ass handed to him.
    *
    “Come on Striga, we only have an hour,” Bucky told you firmly, but his voice wasn’t gruff. It was kind, and worried as you both trudged through the snow. You’d left the Hydra agents behind and had an hour to complete your spy mission and return to them. You were already shivering less than ten minutes from where you’d left your babysitters behind. It was so cold you could barely move. All you wanted to do was lie down in the snow and go to sleep.
    “It’s so cold,” you told him through chattering teeth, your arms wrapped around yourself to try to keep warm. Bucky looked at you, saw how slowly you were moving, like a reptile in the cold. You were sluggish, barely able to keep trudging after him.
    He cursed and rushed back to you, stripping off his coat as he did and bundling it over you, overtop of the leather jacket over your stupid red dress. “You can’t regulate your own body temperature,” he said, remembering. You nodded and your teeth chattered. Your eyes were starting to close. “No, you can’t go to sleep. You can’t sit down. We have to keep moving,” he told you firmly. You looked up at him confused.
    “Can’t,” you told him and started to sit down. You just needed to rest for a minute.
    He cursed again. “We don’t have time. I’m sorry, Striga,” he told you and somehow swung you up onto his back so he was carrying you piggyback. Your arms around his neck. “Good thing you’re so little,” he teased, but you already felt better, pressed against his warm back. Whatever they did to make him strong like Cap made him warm like Thor too. He started moving while you laid your head on his shoulder, recharging with his warmth.
    He set you down awhile later at the location where you were supposed to be spying. “Stay here, make a fire to keep warm,” you hissed at that and he glared at you. “Make the damn fire. I’ll go do the mission and then we’ll call boyfriend’s birds here,” he told you. You nodded and gathered some wood from the nearby forest. It didn’t matter that the stuff was wet and covered in snow. You were lighting it with magic anyway. You sat dangerously close to the fire, trying to keep warm, keep functional. This was the first time you and Bucky were being sent on a mission without handlers, mostly because they didn’t want to trek through the snow and they trusted him, and more importantly the obedience disk in your neck to keep you in line.
    Loki and the team had a plan. You just had to wait a little longer.
    It wasn’t long before Bucky came back. He actually smiled when he saw you sitting by the fire. “I’m going to have to carry you all the way back,” he teased.
    “Good thing I’m so little,” you teased right back.
    “Ready?” he asked. You hesitated, but had to trust in Loki’s plan, and finally nodded. “Hugin, Munin,” Bucky said quickly before you could chicken out, before you could let fear of hurting him get the best of you. His words nearly ran together, but it was enough. You felt the trigger, though you’d been placing shields around that section of your mind at Loki’s instruction, been doing everything you could to keep the word from affecting you. Since the words were said so quickly, nothing bad happened.
    You heard the flapping of wings a short time later and looked up as the raven flew down and landed next to you. It cawed once and hopped up on your shoulder. “Hello, love,” it said with Loki’s voice, though it wasn’t a shapeshifted Loki. It was one of the ravens, though you didn’t know which one. It didn’t much matter. You’d told Bucky of the plan, so he wasn’t surprised by the talking raven, besides the usual mortal surprise that magic was in fact real. It always took a minute for non magic users to remember that magic was real and a thing.
    “Loki~” your voice was a loving sigh of relief, of such hope at finally being even this close. It was almost real, almost over. Just a little longer.
    “Soon, sweetheart. We’ll be there soon,” Loki’s voice promised from the raven’s beak.
    “Striga, we have to get going,” Bucky told you, his voice worried and urgent. “They’re expecting us back anytime now,”
    “We have to go back to the compound. Bucky can’t break his orders and they’ll hurt both of us if we don’t make it back in time. Will you be able to stay with us, or find us again?” you asked the raven, worried the plan was going to fall apart. You’d planned on having more time alone so the team could swoop in and rescue you without having to face down Hydra to do it.
    “No one will see the raven, not with my magic around it. It will come with you. Do what you must to stay safe. We’ll find you at the compound,” Loki reassured you through the raven. You sighed in relief and stood.
    “C’mon, Doll, let’s go,” Bucky told you. You threw snow over the fire and followed him, the raven still perched on your shoulder. You were shivering in minutes of the walk back to the agents. Bucky was wisely not carrying you without Loki seeing that it was actually necessary. He didn’t want to die.
    “Darling, make a little ball flame to keep you warm,” Loki told you.
    “I’m a vampire. I can’t play with that much fire,” you reminded him sourly.
    “You’re a pyrokinetic mage. You can control the flame. You just need a small ball of it. Put it in a shield if you’re concerned,” he reminded you patiently. He was such a patient teacher when it came to magic. You did as he suggested and cuddled the little shielded flame to your chest. The whole shield ball was warm because of the flame inside.
    “I love you,” you told Loki through the raven on your shoulder.
    “I love you as well, sweetheart. Just a little longer and we’ll have you home,”
    Home
    With your Loki
    You wanted nothing more in the whole world.
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wo-the-wolf · 6 years
Text
The Revenant’s Shield and Sword, Part 2
Legends and Fables always have a center mass at which some truth lies. How we spin these tales over the ages can say a lot about our civilizations. But one thing crossed my mind at some point. A grand tale of cat and mouse, of lies and deceit, for as we all wear masks in public, those in darker corners of the world wear masks to decide the fates of millions. Sometimes when our masks are cracked, people see what we are truly capable of in the face of adversity. What if humans were the only ones that held hatred so strong, or love so deep; what if we were the only species to willingly butcher a hated foe? What if we were the only ones willing to even attempt defy our very natural laws? What if, what we called passion and loyalty, made us into monsters in the galaxy? Monsters that were feared for their dedication, and respected for the same? All characters have an origin story. This will tell the tale of their meeting. A pure heart turned sour and an honorable heart turned murderer deciding to make their own future, their own choices. But at what cost is it deemed too great? This is the meeting of Emma and Derrick. Enjoy! (Also prepare for a throwback to RvB, one of my favorite shows on the internet XD) ———————————————- A Response, to Director Veiz, head of the Overseer Committee, from the Director of Black Monarch and Project Sentinel. Dear Director, Our projects were made in that, of the preapproved notions by all manner of boards and dull committees, to be in the name of defense and freedom for that of the People hereof the Terran Republic. My resources, and where they come from, are of no concern as duly noted by the Chairman, so long as the defense of the Republic’s people, and therefore all manner of citizen under their just law, is adhered to. I hereby do state that there is absolutely nothing of which you have to receive from your requests.  Do note, Director, that we understand the incident that has transpired at Base 22-F, was that of a simple bubble in the security protocols we have. While Agent Derrick “King” and Private Emma Taures are currently MIA, we have our methods of which we will insure the capture and incarceration of our Agents. Do note the Committee for Military Investment has, in it’s own report, saw fit to claim we are within our very right to continue handling this matter as we see fit.  Director W. -Message from Director Wolf, to Director Paul Veiz, Regarding the whereabouts of Agent 01, Derrick J. Ishmael, and Private Emma Taures, and the operations known as Project Black Monarch and Project Sentinel,of which they were a part of respectively. Investigation 01, run by the committee for Terran Republic Galactic Security.  --------------------------------------------------------------------- The Fourth Day.  Derrick and Emma sat in the training room, covered in sweat and toweling off. The rest of the team seemed to be avoiding them, as the Sentinels were bonding well with the Monarchs of their teams. However Derrick and Emma were less than successful. Both set of eyes saw to the leader board the Director had set up, in order to track their project. There they sat, dead last and far beneath the rest.  “Hey’ it’s all good Emma, I’m sure you’ll get luckier, the guy just needs to chill,” Kyle patted her shoulder before wandering off with his Monarch partner in tow. “Chill indeed.” Emma grunted upon finishing re-equipping her armor, just as Derrick wandered towards her. Kyle pushed past Derrick, smirking as he shrugged and went along his way.  “Well . . . I do my best to be loved,”  Derrick shrugged. 
“Can you just fuck off and leave me be to pick up the pieces of what was supposed to be an advancement in my role as a soldier of the Terran Republic? For fucks sake, you’re supposed to be my Monarch, you have to follow my orders!” Emma stood towering above him, glaring down at Derrick. Despite her combat records, despite her efficiency, and the ease of the task that would be the killing of Derrick if needed, Derrick, aware of all of this, stood staring at her without fear nor tension. “Say something!” She growled at him.  Derrick looked back at the door, his eyes glowed for a brief moment, “We should go to the War Room.”
“We’re not done yet!” She reached forward for his throat before suddenly stopping. She struggled, and Derrick’s eyes seemed to glitch momentarily. “What the?” Emma struggled more before Derrick began walking. 
“Thanks for the head start,” Derrick smirked ever so slightly without looking back at her.  After he was long gone, she could suddenly move again, her armor felt finally out of whatever lock it was in, yet she herself had so many questions. “What the fuck was all that?” She grumbled before looking around in surprise. “Security shut down her armor maybe? Locked her in place?” She thought to herself. 
With no answer in mind, Emma finally trudged to the war room. Upon entering she saw the rest of them. Her team and their Monarchs. “Funny,” she thought quietly as she made her way to her seat. “They look more like servants, rather than some kind of royalty.” She sighed and took a seat near the middle right, Derrick at her side quietly watching the front of the war room.  Director Wolf, along with his assistant, stood at the front of the class. The Assistant stepped forward, “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My name as most of you know, is Doctor Henrietta, I’ve called you all over for a very special meeting.” To those who would first hear her voice, look at her face, the good doctor with the snow colored hair sounded sweet and innocent. She seemed like someone that you could trust your secrets with, your problems, everything. To those among the Monarch Program, the Good Doctor was to be feared. Her icy blue eyes were void of light, but her smile was so genuine it sent shivers down even Derrick’s spine.  “Why were we called?” Asked one of the other agents. He was a young yet gruff looking man with blood colored eyes, heavily scarred and grim looking. The doctor kept her smile and nodded, “Why for a briefing of course. . . As you all know, eventually you will be sent on missions for the betterment of the Terran Republic. Until then, it falls upon me to regulate your vitals and mental status. I send you to dangerous places, you complete objectives, missions, etc, and ultimately work together, Sentinel and Monarch. Once you achieve a certain level of experience, you are to be shipped back out to the regular military, and better serve your people and all her colonies. Tomorrow you will be sent to a secret facility controlled by a rogue group of Oba’shen and humans. They’ve occupied an independent medical station that was conducting vital research for your. . . Enhancements,” she grinned, “You will be going here.” 
The Doctor tapped away at her data-pad, then a large cylindrical like structure appeared before them all. “It’s a pretty big station,” stated one of the Sentinels.
“Very observant,” Doctor Henrietta smiled, clearly being sarcastic. “As you can see this facility is cutting edge, and well defended. It will be your jobs to secure it at once tomorrow. The Director shall take over from her.” She bowed her head ever so slightly.
Director Wolf stepped forward, “Thank you, Doctor,” he nodded, “I know your training is being cut short. But there are assets aboard that facility that will be moved by the end of the week, i.e. two days. We have to hit them hard, and we have to hit this traitors fast. Once you board, Agent Eredin will keep the operation running.” He gestured to a young man near the front of the room. The Sentinel nodded, sitting up proud and strong as accepted his task. 
“That cunt is the leader?” Derrick scoffed ever so slightly. 
“Is there a problem, Agent King?” Director Wolf gazed at Derrick. 
“No, of course not, no,” Derrick shrugged, “Just looking for trouble is all.” 
“At ease, Agents . . . The plans will be forwarded to your HUDs, study them. Agent Eredin will inform you all of your assigned tasks and what is to come. I recommend you all get some rest tonight . . . Your first mission is expecting absolute success.” He stated before nodding for them to leave. “Dismissed.
Derrick smiled as everyone got up to leave, Emma grabbing his room and practically dragging him out of his seat. Director Wolf, frowned back, looking at Derrick with a cold hatred. “Insure the operation is a success, Agent Eredin,” he looked to the Sentinel who nodded again. “Every objective . . . Must be complete.”
“Yes sir, Director.” Eredin nodded before rising, his female Monarch following quietly. 
TO BE CONTINUED ——————————————————————————- HEY YOU! How’s it going? It was a pleasure to work on this arch of the short stories I’m doing this to pass time during my last year of university. Once again don’t forget, if you have any prompts you want me to work on just send me them, tag me in them, anything at all! I will put them in the que if I like em! All my stories are connected so never fear, old characters will always come back! Until next time, Fly safe fellow Explorer’s of the unknown. On an extra note, your comments, messages, and asks are always appreciated and read, plus most likely answered ^w^ thanks again! 
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tocinephile · 3 years
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The Morning After... 2021 Oscars Edition
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Whether you liked it or hated it, at least last night's Oscars are worth talking about, which is more than I can say for any other award show this season. But there's no way to hate on Glenn Close doing "Da Butt" after telling Daniel Kaluuya he was too young to know Donna Summer trivia, now that's the mark you want to leave on Oscars history!
This year's award began in a beautiful garden party and then moved inside a train station for a cavernous yet intimate small audience feel. Largely live with overseas presenters (including the Brits gathered at BFI) broadcast with a quality signal with pros on site to make sure everyone was unmuted when they should be, and a few pre-recorded segments thrown in.
Hats off to Regina King for her stylish entrance during the classic movie opening credits, give her an award for walking all the way through Union Station in heels no less! Some people missed the comedic opening, but for all the years that those same skits/monologues incited criticisms and yawns, I think it was fine to skip the comedy for one year. Apparently it's also fine to skip the musical performances and film clips when announcing the nominees. Perhaps many will disagree, but I often take bio breaks leave the room during the song performances anyway, coupled with none of the songs making an impression on me this year, it made no difference to me.
Awards were also presented in a different order this year. By the middle of the show I was already seeing commentary about this in my Twitter but I actually thought things were going well until out of nowhere they start announcing the Best Picture nominees and I started to wonder if I'd left the room by mistake during the Best Actor/Actress awards. I haven't found any sources yet that confirm the reason for the change-up, I can only assume they were saving the Best Actor for last so we could all have an emotional cry over the tragic loss of Chadwick Boseman. It turned out both the Best Actress and Best Actor awards were a bit of a surprise, we can now reconfirm our trust in PWC that NOBODY knows the winners ahead of time.
The Best Actress category hasn't had a clear frontrunner but I was personally rooting for Andra Day. I thought Viola Davis also had a good shot of winning. While Carey Mulligan's film was my favourite, I was really blown away by Day's performance. Plus I really wanted to see a BIPOC sweep in the acting categories and I think this was the year for the Oscars to do this right. Frances McDormand is always a force, but I think it was in Three Billboards that she outdid herself, and she was awarded for that. In Nomadland, she was merely 'great'.
Then came the final category of the night and we prepared for them to announce the Best Actor. I'm just going to be presumptuous and say most people were expecting Chadwick Boseman to win posthumously, but not only did they announce Anthony Hopkins name, he wasn't even in attendance/available on video conference to make a speech. The biggest night in Hollywood ended with "we accept this award on his behalf. Thank you and goodnight". I really don't think this is what Steven Soderbergh (and Stacey Sher and Jesse Collins) had in mind. I would have to agree that Hopkins really nailed his performance in The Father, and the film in general is quite an achievement (not only in acting, but in writing, editing, and set design) but I think had the producers known what would hapen, they would have stuck with the classic formula and ended things with Nomadland taking Best Picture. Sure, it would have been playing it safe, but hey, ain't nothing wrong with a classic Hollywood ending.
The acting categories were strong as always. I remarked to a friend prior to the awards, out of the films of the Actor nominees I saw Mank first and thought there was no way Gary Oldman could lose, but after seeing the rest of the films, I had changed my opinion to he didn't stand a chance. And of course there were my BIPOC (ok, every time I type this I think there should have been an Indigenous person nominated... Oscars 2022 are you listening??) acting sweep fantasies. If not Boseman, then maybe Riz Ahmed? Or Steven Yuen? To be up there with a statue alongside Youn Yuh Jung and Chloe Zhao cause "#OscarsSoAsian" has a nice ring to it.
Let's look a little closer at the winners by category:
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal”)
Chadwick Boseman (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”)
Anthony Hopkins (“The Father”) (WINNER)
Gary Oldman (“Mank”)
Steven Yeun (“Minari”)
Since this was the last award, it’s forever remembered as “ruining” the Oscars. While it was not the ending we wanted (maybe it was the ending we deserved? j/k…) it’s important to note Sir Anthony Hopkins didn’t ruin the Oscars, the producers betting an entire award show finale on what they thought was a sure thing is what derailed the evening. What Hopkins did was give a phenomenal performance and subsequently became the oldest actor to be recognized in the category.
I did want Chadwick Boseman to win. I did want a teary emotional finish. I did want a person of colour to win the Oscar. But I also want millions of dollars and the ability to travel around the world right now, so, let’s keep our desires in check.
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Viola Davis (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”)
Andra Day (“The United States v. Billie Holiday”)
Vanessa Kirby (“Pieces of a Woman”)
Frances McDormand (“Nomadland”) (WINNER)
Carey Mulligan (“Promising Young Woman”)
Oh how badly did I want Andra Day to win? How amazing did I think Viola Davis was? How much did I love Carey Mulligan’s film? (and sidenote: Does Vanessa Kirby know how to smile? Forget smiling, I don’t think I saw her expression change once during the show last night?) But you gotta respect Frances McDormand who didn’t care if she won, who doesn’t need to explain herself, and advocates for Karaoke Bars at award shows.
Best Picture
“The Father”
“Judas and the Black Messiah”
“Mank”
“Minari”
“Nomadland” (WINNER)
“Promising Young Woman”
“Sound of Metal”
“The Trial of the Chicago 7”
Someone on Twitter rightly pointed out… Best Picture is a good choice to hand out last because there’s always someone there to accept it. I’m all for Nomadland winning this, but wouldn’t it have been awesome if Promising Young Woman took it for the upset of the season?
Best Original Song
“Fight for You,” (“Judas and the Black Messiah”). Music by H.E.R. and Dernst Emile II; Lyric by H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas (WINNER)
“Hear My Voice,” (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”). Music by Daniel Pemberton; Lyric by Daniel Pemberton and Celeste Waite
“Húsavík,” (“Eurovision Song Contest”). Music and Lyric by Savan Kotecha, Fat Max Gsus and Rickard Göransson
“Io Si (Seen),” (“The Life Ahead”). Music by Diane Warren; Lyric by Diane Warren and Laura Pausini
“Speak Now,” (“One Night in Miami”). Music and Lyric by Leslie Odom, Jr. and Sam Ashworth
Best Original Score
“Da 5 Bloods,” Terence Blanchard
“Mank,” Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
“Minari,” Emile Mosseri
“News of the World,” James Newton Howard
“Soul,” Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste (WINNER)
I’ll never get used to seeing Trent Reznor as a multiple Oscar Winner/Nominee. (Spoken like a true Gen X-er)
Best Film Editing
“The Father,” Yorgos Lamprinos
“Nomadland,” Chloé Zhao
“Promising Young Woman,” Frédéric Thoraval
“Sound of Metal,” Mikkel E.G. Nielsen (WINNER)
“The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Alan Baumgarten
I’d read in some articles that whoever gets Editing also typically wins Sound and vice versa. Is that true? Has it always been true or is that recent? Wasn’t there recognition in Sound Editing and Sound Mixing until recent years? While Sound of Metal immediately stood out to me in Sound (I mean, would it have been truly successful if it didn’t?) I’m still not sure how it’s outstanding for its editing. The Father on the other hand, and even The Trial of the Chicago 7. I’d also like to note that David Fincher films also typically feature great editing, and so my impressions of Mank are correct and reconfirmed by its absence in this category.
Best Cinematography
“Judas and the Black Messiah,” Sean Bobbitt
“Mank,” Erik Messerschmidt (WINNER)
“News of the World,” Dariusz Wolski
“Nomadland,” Joshua James Richards
“The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Phedon Papamichael
I’m hearing from both the Oscar Pools I was part of, that I was in the minority for calling this one correctly.
Best Production Design
“The Father.” Production Design: Peter Francis; Set Decoration: Cathy Featherstone
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Production Design: Mark Ricker; Set Decoration: Karen O’Hara and Diana Stoughton
“Mank.” Production Design: Donald Graham Burt; Set Decoration: Jan Pascale (WINNER)
“News of the World.” Production Design: David Crank; Set Decoration: Elizabeth Keenan
“Tenet.” Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Kathy Lucas
There’s just something about old Hollywood isn’t there? I mean most creative should definitely be The Father, and outstanding is Ma Rainey, but this is Hollywood’s night, not unusual for them to celebrate themselves. For what it’s worth, I loved the Production Design in Mank. Also in all the personal tidbits they tried to share about the nominees, the only one I remember a day later is winner Jan Pascale's dream career trajectory for me... from puppeteer for Mr Rogers to set decorating for David Fincher! Talk about living your best life!
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Maria Bakalova (‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”)
Glenn Close (“Hillbilly Elegy”)
Olivia Colman (“The Father”)
Amanda Seyfried (“Mank”)
Yuh-Jung Youn (“Minari”) (WINNER)
This is going to come off unkind, but I never understood how Maria Bakalova made the cut once we stopped separating out Comedy and Drama categories. What can I say, I just didn’t get the appeal of the Borat sequel (I was lukewarm to first one too truth be told, but at least it was funnier)
Best Visual Effects
“Love and Monsters,” Matt Sloan, Genevieve Camilleri, Matt Everitt and Brian Cox
“The Midnight Sky,” Matthew Kasmir, Christopher Lawrence, Max Solomon and David Watkins
“Mulan,” Sean Faden, Anders Langlands, Seth Maury and Steve Ingram
“The One and Only Ivan,” Nick Davis, Greg Fisher, Ben Jones and Santiago Colomo Martinez
“Tenet,” Andrew Jackson, David Lee, Andrew Lockley and Scott Fisher (WINNER)
I haven’t looked too carefully at other smaller awards, but I feel there is a world of technical awards out there that Tenet deserves to win. I wonder if Tenet shouldn’t have gotten some recognition for Sound as well, alongside the sets, stunts, etc etc.
Best Documentary Feature
“Collective,” Alexander Nanau and Bianca Oana
“Crip Camp,” Nicole Newnham, Jim LeBrecht and Sara Bolder
“The Mole Agent,” Maite Alberdi and Marcela Santibáñez
“My Octopus Teacher,” Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed and Craig Foster (WINNER)
“Time,” Garrett Bradley, Lauren Domino and Kellen Quinn
Best Documentary Short Subject
“Colette,” Anthony Giacchino and Alice Doyard (WINNER)
“A Concerto Is a Conversation,” Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers
“Do Not Split,” Anders Hammer and Charlotte Cook
“Hunger Ward,” Skye Fitzgerald and Michael Scheuerman
“A Love Song for Latasha,” Sophia Nahli Allison and Janice Duncan
Best Animated Feature Film
“Onward” (Pixar)
“Over the Moon” (Netflix)
“A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon” (Netflix)
“Soul” (Pixar) (WINNER)
“Wolfwalkers” (Apple TV Plus/GKIDS)
Best Animated Short Film
“Burrow” (Disney Plus/Pixar)
“Genius Loci” (Kazak Productions)
“If Anything Happens I Love You” (Netflix) (WINNER)
“Opera” (Beasts and Natives Alike)
“Yes-People” (CAOZ hf. Hólamói)
Best Live-Action Short Film
“Feeling Through”
“The Letter Room”
“The Present”
“Two Distant Strangers” (WINNER)
“White Eye”
Best Sound
“Greyhound,” Warren Shaw, Michael Minkler, Beau Borders and David Wyman
“Mank,” Ren Klyce, Jeremy Molod, David Parker, Nathan Nance and Drew Kunin
“News of the World,” Oliver Tarney, Mike Prestwood Smith, William Miller and John Pritchett
“Soul,” Ren Klyce, Coya Elliott and David Parker
“Sound of Metal,” Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés and Phillip Bladh (WINNER)
Best Director
Thomas Vinterberg (“Another Round”)
David Fincher (“Mank”)
Lee Isaac Chung (“Minari”)
Chloé Zhao (“Nomadland”) (WINNER)
Emerald Fennell (“Promising Young Woman”)
This has been said, but it needs to be said again (and again)… Oscar Winner Chloe Zhao is the 2nd woman in the history of the Oscars (which is nearing close to a century) to win in this category and the first woman of Asian descent. Her award announced by last year’s – also Asian – winner Bong Joon Ho. THIS is what I want to be hearing in the news about Asians. Seeing all the side by side photo comparisons of them each posing with their two Oscars is sparking so much joy in my social media feeds.
Best Costume Design
“Emma,” Alexandra Byrne
“Mank,” Trish Summerville
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” Ann Roth (WINNER)
“Mulan,” Bina Daigeler
“Pinocchio,” Massimo Cantini Parrini
When you take a step back and consider Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom as a whole, the look of the entire film really does grab you doesn’t it? Well deserved win.
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
“Emma,” Marese Langan, Laura Allen, Claudia Stolze
“Hillbilly Elegy,” Eryn Krueger Mekash, Patricia Dehaney, Matthew Mungle
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal, Jamika Wilson (WINNER)
“Mank,” Kimberley Spiteri, Gigi Williams, Colleen LaBaff
“Pinocchio,” Mark Coulier, Dalia Colli, Francesco Pegoretti
I said this in my twitter best... in recent years it’s finally dawned on the Academy to stop simply awarding the period films in these categories. I fully support this, I just need to remember this when I’m making Oscar Pool picks in attempts to win money.
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Sacha Baron Cohen (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”)
Daniel Kaluuya (“Judas and the Black Messiah”) (WINNER)
Leslie Odom Jr. (“One Night in Miami”)
Paul Raci (“Sound of Metal”)
Lakeith Stanfield (“Judas and the Black Messiah”)
I’d like to thank Daniel Kaluuya’s mom and dad for having sex too.
Best International Feature Film
“Another Round” (Denmark) (WINNER)
“Better Days” (Hong Kong)
“Collective” (Romania)
“The Man Who Sold His Skin” (Tunisia)
“Quo Vadis, Aida?” (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Another Round was an early favourite among audiences, I saw it back in the fall myself. I’m almost positive it’s the style of the film and a general lack of enthusiasm I have for cinema of Northern Europe (no offence, there are many exceptions but I don’t really jump out of my seat when I hear there’s a Scandinavian film festival in town) but I wouldn’t rave about this film. It’s decent but I was much more moved by Better Days (which is a Mandarin-spoken film, so I was entirely reliant on the subtitles despite it originating from HK) and much more interested in seeing Quo Vadis, Aida?
Best Adapted Screenplay
“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.” Screenplay by Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Dan Swimer, Peter Baynham, Erica Rivinoja, Dan Mazer, Jena Friedman, Lee Kern; Story by Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Dan Swimer, Nina Pedrad
“The Father,” Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller (WINNER)
“Nomadland,” Chloé Zhao
“One Night in Miami,” Kemp Powers
“The White Tiger,” Ramin Bahrani
Looking at this list, I’m reminded that Regina King should have gotten a nomination for directing. Good script but her direction brought it to life.
Best Original Screenplay
“Judas and the Black Messiah.” Screenplay by Will Berson, Shaka King; Story by Will Berson, Shaka King, Kenny Lucas, Keith Lucas
“Minari,” Lee Isaac Chung
“Promising Young Woman,” Emerald Fennell (WINNER)
“Sound of Metal.” Screenplay by Darius Marder, Abraham Marder; Story by Darius Marder, Derek Cianfrance
“The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Aaron Sorkin
I’m so happy Emerald Fennell won, over Aaron Sorkin, who’s got enough awards he can live without this one despite Trial of the Chicago 7 being some good writing. There’s something to be said about a story so triggering, wracks many with guilt (I know it did that for me, and it better have done the same for many others that I know, because we all know the things we turned a blind eye to growing up in the years that we did. We remember the things that we cannot even bare to talk to each other about now.), and we still can’t help but be in awe and consider it the best damn story of the year.
Also tipping my hat to Minari (which Chef/Restuaranteur/TV celeb David Chang so accurately describes as the real “Marriage Story”) and Judas and the Black Messiah. And the absence of Da 5 Bloods needs to be pointed out, it should’ve been nominated for Screenplay.
Sound of Metal is many things, its performances, technical achievements, and even directing are superior, but script-wise… I liked It’s All Gone Pete Tong (2004) better.
My post-Oscar ramble seems a little longer than usual (I mean, I do have a LOT more time than usual) so I won't recap my tweets of varying relevance and intelligence, you can find them all on my Twitter at https://twitter.com/palindr0me
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aion-rsa · 3 years
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Upcoming Must-See Movies in 2021
https://ift.tt/2LtrBLV
It’s 2021. Finally. If you’re reading this, it means you’ve hopefully gotten through the wreckage of last year unscathed and are ready for a brighter future. And if you’re also a movie lover, this certainly includes a trip (or 20) back to the cinemas. Although a month into the new year, and our hope for a better tomorrow has faded a bit–especially with new COVID variants spreading. Yet there is reason to remain warily optimistic. Yes, including about theaters
For nearly a year now cinemas have remained largely dormant, and given the already shuffling 2021 film calendar, that will continue for the foreseeable future. However, studios (with one notable exception) remain mostly committed to getting new films to the theater this year, and the current 2021 film slate gives reasons to be hopeful.
Indeed, 2021 promises many of the most anticipated films from last year, plus new surprises. From the superhero variety like Black Widow to the art house with Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch, 2021 could be a much needed respite. So below is just a sampling of what to expect from the year to come…
Judas and the Black Messiah
February 12
It’s kind of hard to wrap one’s head around the annual “Oscar race” in a year when little trophies don’t seem so damn important, but Warner Bros. feels strongly enough about this movie that it’s getting it into theaters and on HBO Max right in the thick of the pandemic-delayed awards season. And judging by the marketing, it’s bringing heat with it.
Shaka King directs and co-writes the story of Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya), who became the chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party in the late 1960s and was murdered in cold blood by police in 1969. LaKeith Stanfield plays William O’Neal, a petty criminal who agreed to help the FBI take Hampton down. This promises to be incendiary, relevant material — and it’s almost here.
Minari
February 12
Lee Isaac Chung directs Steven Yeun–now fully shaking off his years as Glenn on The Walking Dead–in this semi-autobiographical film about a South Korean family struggling to settle down in rural America in the 1980s. Premiering nearly a year ago at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won both the U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize and the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award, Minari had a quick one-week virtual release in December, with a number of critics placing it on their Top 10 lists for 2020.
Its story of immigration and assimilation currently has a perfect 100 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics lauding its heart, grace, and sensitivity. A few of ours also considered it among 2020’s best.
Nomadland
February 19
Utilizing both actors and real people, director Chloé Zhao (The Rider, Marvel’s upcoming Eternals) chronicles the lives of America’s “forgotten people” as they travel the West searching for work, companionship and community. A brilliant Frances McDormand stars as Fern, a woman in her mid-60s who lost her husband, her house, and her entire previous existence when her town literally vanished following the closure of its sole factory.
Zhao’s film quietly flows from despair to optimism and back to despair again, the hardscrabble lives of its itinerant cast (many of them actual nomads) foregrounded against often stunning–if lonely–vistas of the vast, empty American countryside.
I Care a Lot
February 19
A solid cast, led by Rosamund Pike, Peter Dinklage, Chris Messina, and Dianne Wiest, star in this satirical crime drama from director J. Blakeson (The Disappearance of Alice Creed). Pike plays Marla, a con artist whose scam is getting herself named legal guardian of her elderly marks and then draining their assets while sticking them in nursing homes. She’s ruthless and efficient at it, until she meets a woman (Wiest) whose ties to a crime boss (Dinklage) may prove too much of a challenge for the wily Marla. It was one of our favorites out of Toronto last year.
The Father
February 26
Anthony Hopkins gives a mesmerizing, and deeply tragic, performance as Anthony, an elderly British man whose descent into dementia is reflected by the film itself, which plays with time, setting, and continuity until both Anthony and the viewer can no longer tell what is real and what is not. Olivia Colman is equally moving as his daughter, who wants to get on with her own life even as she watches her father’s disintegrate in front of her.
We saw The Father last year at the AFI Fest and it ended up being a favorite of 2020; Hopkins is unforgettable in this bracing, heartbreaking work, which is stunningly adapted by first-time director Florian Zeller from his own award-winning play.
Chaos Walking
March 5
This constantly postponed sci-fi project has become one of those “we’ll believe it when we see it” films until it actually comes out. Shot nearly three and a half years ago by director Doug Liman, Chaos Walking has undergone extensive reshoots and was at one point reportedly deemed unreleasable.
Based on the book The Knife of Letting Go, it places Tom Holland (Spider-Man: Far From Home) and Daisy Ridley (The Rise of Skywalker) on a distant planet where Ridley, the only woman, can hear the thoughts of all the men due to a mysterious force called the Noise.
Raya and the Last Dragon
March 5
Longtime Walt Disney Animation Studios head of story, Paul Briggs (Frozen), will make his directorial debut on this original Disney animated fantasy, which draws upon Eastern traditions to tell the tale of a young warrior who goes searching for the world’s last dragon in the mysterious land of Kumandra. Cassie Steele will voice Raya while Awkwafina (The Farewell) will portray Sisu the dragon.
Read more
Movies
How Raya and the Last Dragon Became the First Disney Movie Made at Home
By David Crow
Movies
Warner Bros. and HBO Max 2021 Film Slate Destroys Theatrical Window
By David Crow
Disney Animation has been nearly invincible in recent years with other hits like Moana and Zootopia, so watch for this one to be another major hit for the Mouse.
Coming 2 America
March 5
The notion of whether nostalgia-based properties are still viable has cropped up repeatedly in the last few years. However, streaming, which is where Coming 2 America finds itself headed post-COVID, makes golden oldies much safer. This sequel—based on a 32-year-old comedy that was one of Eddie Murphy’s most financially successful hits—sees Murphy back as Prince Akeem, of course, along with Arsenio Hall returning as his loyal friend Semmi.
The plot revolves around Akeem’s discovery, just as he is about to be crowned king, that he has a long-lost son living in the States (we’re not sure how that happened, but let’s just go with it). That, of course, necessitates another visit to our shores—that is, if Akeem and Semmi presumably don’t get stopped at the border. The film reunites Murphy with Dolemite is My Name director Craig Brewer, so perhaps they can make some cutting-edge social comedy out of this?
Godzilla vs. Kong
March 26
Here we are, at last at the big punch up between Godzilla and King Kong. They both wear a crown, but in the film that Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures have been building toward since 2014, only one can walk away with the title of the king of all the monsters.
Admittedly, not everyone loved the last American Godzilla movie, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, but we sure did. Still, Godzilla vs. Kong should be a different animal with Adam Wingard (You’re Next, The Guest) taking over directorial duties. It also has a stacked cast with some familiar faces (Kyle Chandler, Millie Bobby Brown, and Ziyi Zhang) and plenty of new ones (Alexander Skarsgård, Eiza González, Danai Gurira, Lance Reddick, and more).
It’ll probably be better than the original, right? And hey with its HBO Max rollout, questions of a poor box office run sure are conveniently mooted!
Mortal Kombat
April 16
Not to be deterred by the relative failure of Sony’s Monster Hunter in theaters at the tail end of 2020, Warner Bros. is giving this venerable video game franchise another shot at live-action cinematic glory after two previous tries in the 1990s. Director Simon McQuoid makes his feature debut while the script comes from Dave Callaham (Wonder Woman 1984, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) and the cast includes a number of actors you’ve seen in other films but can’t quite place.
The plot? Who knows! But we’re guessing it will feature gods, demons, and warriors battling for control of the 18 realms in various fighting tournaments. What else do you want?
Black Widow
May 7
Some would charitably say it arrives a decade late, but Black Widow is finally getting her own movie. This is fairly remarkable considering she became street pizza in Avengers: Endgame, but this movie fits snugly between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. It also promises to be the most pared down Marvel Studios movie since 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and that’s a good thing.
In the film, Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff is on the run after burning her bridges with the U.S. government and UN. This brings her back to the spy games she thought she’d escaped from her youth, and back in the orbit of her “sister” Yelena (Florence Pugh). Old wounds are ripped open, old Soviet foes, including David Harbour as the Red Guardian and Rachel Weisz as Nat and Yelena’s girlhood instructor, are revealed, and many a fight sequence with minimal CGI will be executed.
How’s that for a real start to Phase 4? Of course that’s still assuming this comes out before The Eternals after it was delayed, again, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Those Who Wish Me Dead
May 14
Taylor Sheridan is among the best writers in moviemaking right now. Having all but cornered the niche around modern Westerns, he’s responsible for the scripts for Hell or High Water, both Sicarios, and Wind River, the latter of which he also directed. He’s back in the director’s chair again for Those Who Wish Me Dead, which has been described as a “female-driven neo-Western” set in the Montana wilderness. It is there a teenager witnesses a murder, and he finds himself on the run from twin assassins, and in need of protection from a likely paranoid survivalist. The film stars Angelina Jolie, Jon Bernthal, Nicholas Hoult, Tyler Perry, Aidan Gillen, Jake Weber, and Finn Little.
Spiral
May 21
Chris Rock has co-written the story for a new take on the Saw franchise. Never thought we’d write those words! The fact that it also stars Rock, as well as Samuel L. Jackson, is likewise head-turning. It looks like they’re going for legitimate horror with Darren Lynn Bousman attached to direct after helming three of the Saw sequels, and its grisly pre-COVID trailer from last year.
Hopefully this will be better than most of the franchise that came before, and given the heavily David Fincher-influenced tone of the first trailer, we’re willing to cross our fingers and play this game.
Free Guy
May 21
What would you do if you discovered that you were just a background character in an open world video game—and that the game was soon about to go offline? That’s the premise of this existential sci-fi comedy from director Shawn Levy, best known for the Night at the Museum series and as an executive producer and director on Stranger Things. Ryan Reynolds stars as Guy, a bank teller who discovers that his life is not what he thought it was, and in fact isn’t even real—or is it? We’ve seen a preview of footage, so we’d suggest you think Truman Show, if Truman was trapped in Grand Theft Auto.
F9
May 28
Just when you thought this never-say-die franchise had shown us everything it could possibly dream up, it ups the stakes one more time: the ninth entry in the Fast and Furious saga (excluding 2019’s Hobbs and Shaw) will reportedly take Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his cohorts into space as they battle Dom’s long-lost brother Jakob (John Cena, making a long-overdue debut in this series). Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Helen Mirren, and Charlize Theron all also return, as does director Justin Lin, who took a two-film break from his signature series. Expect to see the required physics-defying stunts, logic-defying action and even more talk about “family” than usual.
Cruella
May 28
Since Disney has already made an animated 101 Dalmatians in 1961 and a live-action remake in 1996, it is apparently time to tell the story again Maleficent-style. Hence we now focus on the viewpoint of iconic villainess Cruella de Vil, played this time by Emma Stone. She’s joined in the movie by Emma Thompson, Paul Walter Hauser, and Mark Strong, with direction handled by Craig Gillespie (sort of a step down from 2017’s I, Tonya, if you ask us).
The story has been updated to the 1970s, but Cruella–now a fashion designer–still covets the fur of dogs for her creations. This is a Mouse House joint, so don’t expect it to get too dark, and don’t be completely surprised if it ends up as a premium on Disney+ in lieu of its already delayed theatrical release.
Infinite
May 28
This sci-fi yarn from director Antoine Fuqua (The Equalizer) stars Mark Wahlberg as a man experiencing what he thinks are hallucinations, but which turn out to be memories from past lives. He soon learns that there is a secret society of people just like him, except that they have total recall of their past identities and have acted to change the course of history throughout the centuries.
Based on the novel The Reincarnationist Papers by D. Eric Maikranz, this was originally a post-Marvel vehicle for Chris Evans. He dropped out, and the combination of Fuqua and Wahlberg hints at something more action-oriented than the rather cerebral premise suggests. The film also stars Sophie Cookson, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Dylan O’Brien.
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
June 4
James Wan is already directing a new horror film this year so he’s stepping away from the directorial duties on the third film based on the paranormal investigations of Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga). That task has fallen to Michael Chaves (The Curse of La Llorona), so expect plenty of the same Wan Universe touches: heavy atmosphere, superb use of sound, and shocking, eerie visuals.
Details are scarce, but the plot—like the other two Conjuring films—is taken from the true-life case of a man who went on trial for murder and said as his defense that he was possessed by a demon when he committed his crimes. That’s all we know for now, except that, intriguingly, Mitchell Hoog and Megan Ashley Brown have been cast as younger versions of the Warrens.
In the Heights
June 18
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first Broadway hit musical gets the big screen treatment (by way of HBO Max) from director Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians). Set in Washington Heights over the course of a three-day heat wave, the plot and ensemble cast carry echoes of both Rent and Do the Right Thing. While a success on the stage—if not quite the cultural phenomenon that Miranda’s next show, Hamilton—it remains to be seen whether In the Heights can strike a chord with streaming audiences.
Luca
June 18
Continuing its current run of all-new, non-sequel original films started in 2020 with Onward and Soul, Pixar will unveil Luca this summer. Directed by Enrico Casarosa–making his feature debut after 18 years with the animation powerhouse–the film tells the story of a friendship between a human being and a sea monster (disguised as another human child) on the Italian Riviera. That’s about all we have on it for now, except that the cast includes Drake Bell and John Ratzenberger.
Pixar’s recent track record has included masterpieces like Inside Out, solid sequels like Toy Story 4, and shakier propositions like The Incredibles 2, but we don’t have any indication yet of what to expect from Luca.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage
June 25
Can anyone honestly say that 2018’s Venom was a “good” movie? A batshit insane movie, yes, and perhaps even an entertaining one in its own nutty way, but good or not, it made nearly a billion bucks at the box office so here we are.
Tom Hardy will return to peel more scenery down with his teeth as both Eddie Brock and his fanged, towering alien symbiote while Woody Harrelson will fulfill his destiny and play Cletus Kasady, aka Carnage, the perfected hybrid of psychopathic serial killer and red pile of vicious alien goo. Let the carnage begin!
Top Gun: Maverick
July 2
It’s been 34 years since Tom Cruise first soared through the skies as hotshot pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, and he’ll take to the air once more in a sequel that also features Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Miles Teller, Jon Hamm, and more. The flying and action sequences from director Joseph Kosinski (who worked with Cruise on Oblivion) will undoubtedly be first-rate, but the studio (Paramount) has to be nervous after seeing one nostalgia-based franchise after another (Blade Runner, Charlie’s Angels, Terminator, The Shining) crash and burn recently.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
July 10
With Shang-Chi, Marvel Studios hopes to do for Asian culture what the company did with the groundbreaking Black Panther nearly three years ago: create another superhero epic with a non-white lead and a mythology steeped in a non-Western culture. Simu Liu stars in the title role as the “master of kung fu,” who must do battle with the nefarious Ten Rings organization and its leader, the Mandarin (the “real” one, not the imposter from Iron Man 3, played here by the legendary Tony Leung). Director Destin Daniel Cretton (Just Mercy) will open up a whole new corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with this story and character, whose origins stretch back to 1973.
The Forever Purge
July 9
One day nearly eight years ago, you went to see a low-budget dystopian sci-fi/horror flick called The Purge, and the next thing you know, it’s 2021 and you’re getting ready to see the fifth and allegedly final entry in the series (which has also spawned a TV show). Written by creator James DeMonaco and directed by Everardo Gout, the film will once again focus on the title event, an annual 12-hour national bacchanal in which all crime, even murder, is legal. How this ends the story, and where and when it falls into the context of the rest of the films, remains a secret for now. Filming was completed back in February 2020, with the film’s release delayed from last summer by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Space Jam: A New Legacy
July 16
There are two types of folks when it comes to the original Space Jam of 1996: those who were between the ages of three and 11 when it came out, and everyone else. In one camp it is an unsightly relic of ‘90s cross-promotional cheese; in the other, it’s a sports movie classic. Luckily for kids today, NBA star LeBron James was 11 for most of ’96, and he’s bringing back the hoops and the Looney Tunes in Space Jam: A New Legacy.
The film will be among the many Warner Bros. pics premieres on HBO Max and in theaters this year, and it will see King James share above-the-title credits with Bugs Bunny. All is as it should be.
The Tomorrow War
July 23
An original IP attempting to be a summer blockbuster? As we live and breathe. The Tomorrow War marks director Chris McKay’s first foray into live-action after helming The Lego Batman Movie. The film stars Chris Pratt as a soldier from the past who’s been “drafted by scientists” to the present in order to fight off an alien invasion overwhelming our future’s military. One might ask why said scientists didn’t use their fancy-schmancy time traveling shenanigans to warn about the impending aliens, but here we are.
Jungle Cruise
July 30
Disney dips into its theme park rides again as a source for a movie, hoping that the Pirates of the Caribbean lightning will strike once more. This time it’s the famous Adventureland riverboat ride, which is free enough of a real narrative that one has to wonder why some five screenwriters (at least) worked on the movie’s script.
Jaume Collet-Serra (The Shallows) directs stars Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt down this particular river, as they battle wild animals and a competing expedition in their search for a tree with miraculous healing powers. The comic chemistry between Johnson and Blunt is key here, especially if they really can mimic Bogie and Hepburn in the similarly plotted The African Queen. If they can sell that, Disney might just have a new water-based franchise to replace their sinking Pirates ship.
The Green Knight
July 30
David Lowery, the singular director behind A Ghost Story and The Old Man & the Gun, helmed a fantasy adaptation of the Arthurian legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. And his take on the material was apparently strong enough to entice A24 to produce it. Not much else is yet known about the film other than its cast, which includes Dev Patel, Alicia Vikander, Ralph Ineson, and Kate Dickie–and that it’s another casualty of COVID, with its 2020 release date being delayed last year. So this is one we’re definitely going to keep an eye on.
The Suicide Squad
August 6
Arguably the most high-profile of the WB films being transitioned to HBO Max, The Suicide Squad is James Gunn’s soft-reboot of the previous one-film franchise. It’s kind of funny WB went in that direction when the first movie generated more than $740 million, but when the reviews and word of mouth were that toxic… well, you get the guy who did Guardians of the Galaxy to fix things.
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The Suicide Squad Trailer Promises James Gunn’s “1970s War Movie”
By David Crow
Elements from the original movie are still here, most notably Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn and Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller, but the film promises to be weirder, meaner, and also sillier. The first points are proven by its expected R-rating, and the latter is underscored by its giant talking Great White Shark. Okay, we’ll bite.
Deep Water
August 13
Seedy erotic thrillers and neo noirs bathed in shadows and sex are largely considered a thing of the past—specifically 1980s and ‘90s Hollywood cinema. Maybe that’s why Deep Water hooked Adrian Lyne (Fatal Attraction, Indecent Proposal) to direct. The throwback is based on a 1957 novel by the legendary Patricia Highsmith (The Talented Mr. Ripley), and it pits a disenchanted married couple against each other, with the bored pair playing mind games that leave friends and acquaintances dead. That the couple in question is played by Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas, who’ve since become a real life item, will probably get plenty of attention close to release.
Respect
August 13
Respect is the long-awaited biopic of the legendary Aretha Franklin, with the Queen of Soul herself involved in its development for years until her death in August 2018. Authorized biopics always make one wonder how accurate the film will be, but then again, Aretha had nothing to be ashamed of. Hers was a life well-lived, her voice almost beyond human comprehension, and the only thing now is to see whether star Jennifer Hudson (Franklin’s personal choice) and director Liesl Tommy (making her feature debut) can do the Queen justice.
The King’s Man
August 20
This might be a weird thing to say: but has World War I ever seemed so stylish? It is with Matthew Vaughn at the helm.
An origin story of sorts for the organization that gave us Colin Firth and the umbrella, The King’s Man is a father and son yarn where Ralph Fiennes’ Duke of Oxford is reluctant about his son Conrad (Harris Dickinson) joining the war effort. But they’ll both be up to it as the Duke launches an intelligence gathering agency independent from any government. It also includes Gemma Arterton, Matthew Goode, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson as charter members.
Oh, and did we mention they fight Rasputin?
Candyman
August 27
In some ways it’s surprising that it’s taken this long—28 years, notwithstanding a couple of sequels—to seriously revisit the original Candyman. Director Bernard Rose’s original adaptation of the Clive Baker story, “The Forbidden,” is still relevant and effective today. Back then, the film touched on urban legends, poverty, and segregation: themes that are still ripe for exploration through a genre touchstone today.
After her breathtaking feature directorial debut, Little Woods, Nia DaCosta helmed this bloody reboot while working from a screenplay co-written by Jordan Peele (Get Out). That’s a powerful combination, even before news came down DaCosta was helming Captain Marvel 2. And with an actor on-the-cusp of mega-stardom, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, picking up Tony Todd’s gnarly hook, this is one to watch out for.
The Beatles: Get Back
August 27
Peter Jackson seems to enjoy making films about what inspired him in his youth: The Lord of the Rings, King Kong, his grandfather’s World War I service informing They Shall Not Grow Old. So perhaps it was inevitable he’d make a film about the greatest youth icon of his generation, the Beatles. In truth, The Beatles: Get Back is a challenge to a previous documentary named Let It Be, and the general pop culture image it painted.
That 1970 doc by Michael Lindsay-Hogg zeroed in on the band’s final released album, Let It Be (although it was recorded before Abbey Road). Now, using previously unseen footage, Jackson seeks to challenge the narrative that the album was created entirely from a place of animosity among the bandmates, or that the Beatles had long lost their camaraderie by the end of road. Embracing the original title of the album, “Get Back,” Jackson wants to get back to where he thinks the band’s image once belonged.
Resident Evil
September 3
Let’s try that again. As one of the most popular video game franchises of all-time, the original handful of Resident Evil games appeared ready made for adaptation. Visibly inspired by cult classic zombie movies from George Romero, Resident Evil once even had Romero attached. Instead we got the deafeningly dull Paul W.S. Anderson franchise starring Milla Jovovich. And those decade-spanning monstrosities lacked something any self-respecting zombie film needs: brains.
Now Resident Evil is back in a reboot helmed by writer-director Johannes Roberts. And he’s off to a promising start by apparently focusing on the plots of the first several video games in the series. The cast includes Hannah John-Kamen as Jill Valentine, Robbie Amell as Chris Redfield, Kaya Scodelario as Claire Redfield, Avan Jogia as Leon S. Kennedy, and Tom Hopper as Albert Wesker. So far so good. Fingers crossed.
A Quiet Place Part II
September 17
The sequel to one of 2018’s biggest surprises, A Quiet Place Part II comes with major expectations. And few may hold it to a higher standard than writer-director John Krasinski. Despite (spoiler) the death of his character in the first film, Krasinski returns behind the camera for the sequel after saying he wouldn’t. The story he came up with apparently was too good to pass up.
The film again stars Emily Blunt as the often silenced mother of a vulnerable family, which includes son Marcus (Noah Jupe) and deaf daughter Regan (Millicent Simmonds). However, now that they know how to kill the eagle-eared alien monsters who’ve taken over their planet, the cast has grown to include Cillian Murphy and Djimon Hounsou. While the film has been delayed due to the coronavirus outbreak, trust us that it’ll be worth the wait. Is it finally time for… resistance?
Death on the Nile
September 17
Murder on the Orient Express (2017) became a surprise hit for director and star Kenneth Branagh. Who knew that audiences would still be interested in an 83-year-old mystery novel about an eccentric Belgian detective with one hell of a mustache? Luckily, Agatha Christie featured Poirot in some 32 other novels, of which Death on the Nile is one of the most famous, so here we are.
Branagh once again directs and stars as Poirot, this time investigating a murder aboard a steamer sailing down Egypt’s famous river. The cast includes Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Letitia Wright, Tom Bateman, Ali Fazal, Annette Bening, Rose Leslie, and Russell Brand. Expect more lavish locales, scandalous revelations, the firing of a pistol or two, and, yes, more shots of that stunning Poirot facial hair.
The Many Saints of Newark
September 24
The idea of a prequel to anything always fills us with trepidation, and re-opening a nearly perfect property like The Sopranos makes the prospect even less appetizing. But Sopranos creator David Chase has apparently wanted to explore the back history of his iconic crime family for some time, and there certainly seems to be a rich tapestry of characters and events that have only been hinted at in the series.
Directed by series veteran Alan Taylor (Thor: The Dark World), The Many Saints of Newark stars Alessandro Nivola as Dickie Moltisanti (Christopher’s father), along with Jon Bernthal, Vera Farmiga, Corey Stoll, Ray Liotta, and others. But the most fascinating casting is that of Michael Gandolfini—James’ son—as the younger version of the character with which his late dad made pop culture history. For that alone, we’ll be there on opening night… even if that just means HBO Max!
Dune
October 1
Could third time be the charm for Frank Herbert’s complex novel of the far future, long acknowledged as one of the greatest—if most difficult to read—milestones in all of science fiction? David Lynch’s 1984 version was, to be charitable, an honorable mess, while the 2000 Sci-Fi Channel miniseries was decent and faithful, but limited in scope. Now director Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049, Arrival) is pulling out all the stops—even breaking the story into two movies to give the proper space.
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Dune Trailer Breakdown and Analysis
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What Alejandro Jodorowsky Thinks of the New Dune Trailer
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On the surface, the plot is simple: as galactic powers vie for control of the only planet that produces a substance capable of allowing interstellar flight, a young messiah emerges to lead that planet’s people to freedom. But this tale is dense with multiple layers of politics, metaphysics, mysticism, and hard science.
Villeneuve has assembled a jaw-dropping cast, including Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Zendaya, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem, and if he pulls this off, just hand him every sci-fi novel ever written. Particularly, if relations between the director and WB remain strained…
No Time to Die
October 8
Nothing lasts forever, and the Daniel Craig era of James Bond is coming to an end… hopefully in 2021. In fact, delays notwithstanding, it’s a bit of a surprise Craig is getting an official swan song with this movie after the star said he’d rather “slash his wrists” before doing another one. Well, we’re glad he didn’t, just as we’re hopeful for his final installment in the tuxedo.
Director Cary Joji Fukunaga is a newcomer to the franchise, but that might be a good thing after how tired Spectre felt, and Fukunaga has done sterling work in the past on True Detective and Maniac. He also looks to bring the curtain down on the whole Craig oeuvre by picking up on the last movie’s lingering threads, such as 007 driving off into the sunset with Léa Seydoux’s Madeleine Swann, while introducing new ones that include Rami Malek as Bond villain Safin and Ana de Armas as new Bond girl Paloma. Yay for the Knives Out reunion!
Halloween Kills
October 15
2018’s outstanding reboot of the long-running horror franchise—which saw David Gordon Green (Stronger) direct Jamie Lee Curtis in a reprise of her most famous role—was a tremendous hit. So in classic Halloween fashion, two more sequels were put into production (the second, Halloween Ends, will be out in 2022… hopefully).
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Halloween: A Legacy Unmasked
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How Jason Blum Changed Horror Movies
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Curtis is back as Laurie Strode, along with Judy Greer as her daughter, Andi Matichak as her granddaughter, and Nick Castle sharing Michael Myers duties with James Jude Courtney. Kyle Richards and Charles Cyphers, meanwhile, will reprise their roles as Lindsey Wallace and former sheriff Leigh Brackett from the original 1978 Halloween (Anthony Michael Hall will play the adult version of Tommy Doyle). The plot remains a mystery, but we’re pretty sure it will involve yet another confrontation between Laurie and a rampaging Myers.
The Last Duel
October 15
What was once among the most anticipated films of 2020, The Last Duel is the historical epic prestige project marked by reunions: Ridley Scott returns to his passion for period drama and violence; Matt Damon and Ben Affleck work together for the first time in ages as both actors and writers; and the film also unites each with themes that were just as potent in the medieval world as today: One knight (Damon) in King Charles VI’s court accuses another who’s his best friend (Adam Driver) of raping his wife (Jodie Comer). Oh, and Affleck plays the King of France.
With obviously harrowing—and uncomfortable—themes that resonate today, The Last Duel is based on an actual trial by combat from the 14th century, and is a film Affleck and Damon co-wrote with Nicole Holofcener (Can You Ever Forgive Me?). It’s strong material, and could prove to be one of the year’s most riveting or misjudged films. Until then, it has our full attention.
Last Night in Soho
October 22
Fresh off the success of 2017’s Baby Driver (his biggest commercial hit to date), iconoclastic British director Edgar Wright returns with what is described as a psychological and possibly time-bending horror thriller set in London. Whether this features Wright’s trademark self-aware humor remains to be seen, but since the film is said to be inspired by dread-inducing genre classics like Repulsion and Don’t Look Now, he might be going for a different effect this time.
The cast, of course, is outstanding: upstarts Anya Taylor-Joy (Queen’s Gambit) and Thomasin McKenzie (Jojo Rabbit) will face off with Matt Smith (Doctor Who), and British legends Diana Rigg and Terence Stamp. And the truth is we’re never going to miss one of Wright’s movies. Taylor-Joy talked to us here about finding her 1960s lounge singer voice for the film.
Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins
October 22
While the idea of a Hasbro Movie Universe seems to be kind of idling at the moment, corners of that hypothetical cinematic empire remain active. One such brand is G.I. Joe, which will launch its first spin-off in this origin story of one of the team’s most popular characters. Much of his early background remains mysterious, so there’s room to create a fairly original story while incorporating lore and characters already established in the G.I. Joe mythos.
Neither of the previous G.I. Joe features (The Rise of Cobra and Retaliation) have been much good, so we can probably expect the same level of quality from this one. Director Robert Schwentke (the last two Divergent movies) doesn’t inspire much excitement either. On the other hand, Henry Golding (Crazy Rich Asians) will star in the title role, and having Iko Uwais (The Raid) and Samara Weaving (Ready or Not) on board isn’t too bad either.
Antlers
October 29
Dramatic director Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart, Hostiles) is doing a horror movie. As we live and breathe. And he’s doing it with a huge boost of confidence from Guillermo del Toro, who has opted to produce the movie. Antlers is the tale of two adult brothers, one a teacher and the other a sheriff, getting wrapped up in a supernatural quagmire that involves a young student and a “dangerous secret.” And with a cast that includes Jesse Plemons, Keri Russell, and Graham Greene, we are very intrigued… even if we must wait once again due to a coronavirus delay.
Eternals
November 5
Based on a Marvel Comics series by the legendary Jack Kirby, the now long-forthcoming Eternals centers around an ancient race of powerful beings who must protect the Earth against their destructive counterparts (and genetic cousins), the Deviants. Director Chloe Zhao (fresh off the awards season buzzy Nomadland) takes her first swing at epic studio filmmaking, working with a cast that includes Angelina Jolie, Gemma Chan, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, Richard Madden, Brian Tyree Henry, and more.
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The Incredible Hulk’s Diminished Legacy in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
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In many ways, Eternals represents another huge creative risk for Marvel Studios: It’s a big, cosmic ensemble film introducing an ensemble that the vast majority of the public has never heard of. But then, it’s sort of in the same position as Guardians of the Galaxy from way back in 2014, and we all know what happened there.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
November 11
With the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot criticized (fairly) for its lack of imagination and castigated (unfairly as hell) for its all-female ghost-hunting crew, director Jason Reitman–finally cashing in on the family name by returning to the brand his dad Ivan directed to glory in 1984–has crafted a direct sequel to the original films.
Set 30 years later, Afterlife follows a family who move to a small town only to discover that they have a long-secret connection to the OG Ghostbusters. Carrie Coon (The Leftovers), Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things) and Paul Rudd (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania) star alongside charter cast members Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, Annie Potts, and, yes, Bill Murray.
King Richard
November 19
Will Smith’s King Richard promises to be a different kind of biographical film coming down the pipe. Rather than being told from the vantage of professional tennis playing stars Venus and Serena Williams, King Richard centers on their father and coach, Richard Williams. It’s an interesting choice to focus on the male father instead of the game-changing Black daughters, but we’ll see if there’s a strong creative reason for the approach soon enough. The film is directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green (Monsters and Men, Joe Bell).
Mission: Impossible 7
November 19
Once upon a time, the appeal of the Mission: Impossible movies was to see different directors offer their own take on Tom Cruise running through death-defying stunts. But then Christopher McQuarrie had to come along and make the best one in franchise history (twice). First there was Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation and then Mission: Impossible – Fallout. Now McQuarrie and company have set up their own separate quartet of films with recurring original characters like new franchise MVP Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) across four films.
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Audio Surfaces of Tom Cruise Raging on the Set of Mission: Impossible 7
By Kirsten Howard
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Mission: Impossible 7 – What’s Next for the Franchise?
By David Crow
Thus enters M:I7, the third McQuarrie joint in the series and first half of a pair of incoming sequels filmed together. The first-half of this two-parter sees the whole crew back together, including Cruise’s Ethan Hunt, Ilsa, Benji (Simon Pegg), Luther (Ving Rhames), and CIA Director Erika Sloane (Angela Bassett). They’re also being joined by Hayley Atwell and Pom Klementieff, but really we’re all just eager to see what kind of insane stunts they can do to top the HALO jump in the last one.
Nightmare Alley
December 3
Director Guillermo del Toro is finally back with a film which was originally intended for release in 2020. But like so many others, Nightmare Alley saw its production frozen due to the coronavirus. Del Toro’s first film since winning the Best Picture Oscar for The Shape of Water, Nightmare adapts William Lindsay Gresham’s novel of the same name. With a script by Kim Morgan and del Toro, it tracks a mid-20th century carny played by Bradley Cooper who is also a silver-tongued grifter. But his con meets its match (and is then outclassed) by his chance encounter with a psychiatrist (Cate Blanchett). They’ll make a hell of a team.
West Side Story
December 10
Steven Spielberg has just two remakes on his directorial resume: Always (1989) and War of the Worlds (2005). While the former is mostly forgotten and the latter was an adaptation of a story that has been filmed many times, his upcoming reimagining of West Side Story will undoubtedly be directly compared to Robert Wise’s iconic 1961 screen version of this classic musical.
A few numbers in previous films aside, Spielberg has never directed a full-blown musical before, let alone one associated with such powerhouse songs and dance numbers. His version, with a script by Tony Kushner, is said to stay closer to the original Broadway show than the 1961 film—but with its themes of love struggling to cross divides created by hate and bigotry, don’t be surprised if it’s just as hard-hitting in 2021. Certainly would’ve devastated last year….
Spider-Man 3
December 17
Sony has finally gotten to a “Spider-Man 3” again in their oft-rebooted franchise crown jewel (technically though this film is still untitled). That proved to be a stumbling block the first time it occurred with Tobey Maguire in the red and blues, but the company seems undaunted since Tom Holland’s third outing is expected to bring Maguire back—him and just about everyone else too.
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Spider-Man 3: Charlie Cox Daredevil Return Would Redeem the Marvel Netflix Universe
By Joseph Baxter
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Spider-Man 3 Adds Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange
By Joseph Baxter
With a multiverse plot ripped straight from the arguably best Spidey movie ever, 2018’s Into the Spider-Verse, Holland’s third outing is bringing back Maguire, Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man, Alfred Molina as Doc Ock, Jamie Foxx as Electro (eh), and probably more. It’s a Spidey crossover extravaganza that’s only missing a Spider-Ham. But just you wait…
The Matrix 4
December 22
Rebooting or continuing The Matrix series has always been a tough proposition. While the original Matrix film is one of the landmark achievements in science fiction and early digital effects filmmaking in the 1990s, its sequels were… less celebrated. In fact, directors Lily and Lana Wachowski were publicly wary about the idea of ever going back to the series. And yet, here we are with Lana (alone) helming a project that’s been a longtime priority for Warner Bros.
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The Matrix 4: Laurence Fishburne “Wasn’t Invited” to Reprise Morpheus Role
By John Saavedra
Movies
The Matrix 4 Already Happened: Revisiting The Matrix Online
By John Saavedra
The Matrix 4 also brings back Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Jada Pinkett Smith. This is curious since Reeves and Moss’ characters died at the end of the Matrix trilogy—and also because Laurence Fishburne’s Morpheus did not, yet he wasn’t asked back. We cannot say we’re thrilled about the prospect of more adventures in Zion after the disappointment of the first two sequels, but we’d be lying if we didn’t admit we’re still curious to see the story that brought Lana back to this future.
The French Dispatch
TBA
Wes Anderson has a new film coming out. Better still, it is another live-action film. While Anderson’s use of animation is singular, it’s been seven years since The Grand Budapest Hotel, which we maintain is one of the best movies of the last decade. Anderson  is working with Timothée Chalamet and Cristoph Waltz for the first time with this film, as well as several familiar faces including Saoirse Ronan, Willem Dafoe, Tilda Swinton, Léa Seydoux, Adrien Brody, Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, and, of course, Bill Murray.
The French Dispatch is set deep in the 20th century during the peak of modern journalism, it brings to life a series of fictional stories in a fictional magazine, published in a fictional French city. We suspect though, if Anderson’s last two live-action movies are any indication, it’ll have more than fiction on its mind–especially since it’s inspired by actual New Yorker stories, and the journalists who wrote them! We missed it in 2020, so here’s hoping it really does go to print in 2021!
Other interesting movies that may come out in 2021 but do not yet have release dates: Next Goal Wins, Don’t Worry Darling, Blonde, The Northman, Resident Evil, Red Notice, Army of the Dead.
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impendingexodus · 6 years
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Leave Your Number on a Candy Wrapper
Sheith, 2.6k
Here’s my gift for @j-ranked as part of the @vldexchange! It’s trick-or-treating shenanigans packed with fluff and so. many. puns. I hope you like it!!
Read it on Ao3 here!
Thunder growled in menace over the darkened streets, prompting a varied crowd of demons, superheroes, and fairytale princesses to look up anxiously. The night had been going well for Shiro, at least in terms of his haul, so he wasn’t as upset as he might have been at the threat of rain. Thanks to his and Matt’s dorm backing up against a wealthy neighborhood, they’d been some of the first ones to make the rounds and had gotten all the best candy.
That had lasted until Matt had somehow succeeded in making himself scarce. The streets around here were lit only intermittently by flickering streetlights decked out in fake spiderwebs and skeletons. It added to the spooky atmosphere but made visibility a slight problem.
Shiro reached up and flipped his eyepatch to the top of his head so he could see better. At least his pirate costume was easy to move in -– no more complicated than a white shirt, red sash, the eyepatch, and a stuffed parrot safety pinned to his shoulder. Not the most original, maybe, but it was simple and easily affordable by a college student whose sole motivation was to put himself in a sugar coma for the rest of the night.
Which made it all the more aggravating that Matt had disappeared, since Shiro was ready to head home now. He had been walking the twilit streets for a while, going against the flow in search of a crappy homemade ghost. Seriously, what was Matt thinking? If he went to the same houses again, someone was sure to recognize him. There weren’t many ghosts out on the streets tonight, and the few that were certainly weren’t wearing ill-fitting sheets that lacked proper eye holes.
Therefore it came as something of a relief and something of an annoyance when Shiro came around the corner of a house and saw a lost-looking sheeted figure standing by the porch. From the look of it, he’d had a good haul, his pillowcase sagging heavily, and it was time to go home.
“I’m beat,” Shiro said, coming close enough to tug on a cloth-covered shoulder. “Plus a storm’s coming.”
The ghost shrugged away from his hand and muttered something rebellious, but another clap of thunder muted his words. Shiro shifted his grip down to close around a wrist.
“C’mon.”
The ghost reached up with his free hand to pull at the sheet, trying in vain to align the holes so he could see out.
“I won’t lead you into traffic or anything. Let’s go.”
A squad of Avengers came around the corner, football players in logoed t-shirts and masks, and muscled their way past. Keeping a firm grip on the ghost’s wrist, Shiro made the most of his broad shoulders and pushed his way through the crowd.
Behind him, the ghost trailed like a lost comet. At some point he’d wriggled his wrist free of Shiro’s grasp and now they were holding hands with no sign of letting go even after the crowd had passed. It wasn’t like Matt to be this clingy but Shiro found that he didn’t really mind; at least this way it was easier to keep track of him.
Lightning arced overhead, throwing vivid shadows across the landscape just long enough to create spots in Shiro’s vision. Thunder followed, making people pause in the streets and glance upward before scurrying for cover.
Slowing down, the ghost tugged at his hand and said something, quiet enough to be drowned out by the ambience of late night college parties. Shiro frowned at the delay and pulled him along. No way he was going to let Matt talk him into something stupid at this hour. All he wanted was to get back to their dorm, safe and sound and dry.
They were just crossing the parking lot to the dorm when the skies opened. Sheets of rain fell, nearly blinding them, plastering Shiro’s dark bangs to his forehead. The ghost stumbled along and let Shiro guide him as his sheet became heavy and clung to his legs, making walking difficult.
Shivering from the sleety rain, they finally made it into the building. The ghost stayed close to Shiro, cold fingers almost frozen in his grasp, as they left a trail of puddles on the way down the hall.
It wasn’t until they were back in their shared bedroom, the door shut against the storm and Shiro grimacing as he peeled off his soaked sneakers and socks, that the ghost’s behavior struck him as a little off.
“Hey,” Shiro said, coming closer to where the ghost, shivering and dripping, had stopped just inside the door. “You maybe wanna get out of that sheet?”
The ghost pulled the cloth off over his head and dropped it in a wet, heavy heap on the floor. “I’m... sorry.” He ran a hand through damp black hair and looked ashamedly up through his bangs at Shiro. “I kept trying to tell you you’d got the wrong guy, but...”
The boy was wearing a thin t-shirt, testament to how warm the evening had started out, but it was now completely soaked and sticking to him, showing off his lean frame. Crossing his arms over his chest, he tried to disguise how much he was trembling.
“It’s my fault,” Shiro said. He took a step back and hoped it wasn’t obvious that he was staring. “I’m sorry. I was in such a hurry to get back. But I can offer you a shower and a change of clothes if you want?”
“Sure. My dorm’s all the way on the other side of campus.”
“Freshman?” That would make sense. Shiro would have noticed such a pretty face immediately if he’d ever shared a class with this boy.
“Yeah. My name’s Keith, by the way.” He held out a hand.
“Shiro. Nice to meet you.”
They shook hands and Keith glanced down selfconsciously at the puddle pooling at his feet. “I think I’m gonna take you up on that shower.” He sneezed, and Shiro was aware of just how chilled the rain was. His own clothes clung like an arctic embrace, and the boy was looking miserable.
“Good idea,” Shiro said. “I’ll have some clean clothes laid out when you’re done.”
-–
While Keith was showering, Shiro grabbed a towel and rubbed at his hair, drying it off as best he could. He changed into a clean shirt and sweatpants, and although he was still a bit cold, he wasn’t in any danger from pneumonia (he hoped). His own shower would have to wait until later.
Shiro’s cell rang and he picked it up, grumpily noting that it was from Matt.
“Got lost?”
“Got invited to a sleepover. Just wanted to let you know I won’t be back till morning.”
“Have fun.” Shiro snorted. “I’m making new friends too.”
“Good for you!” There were other voices in the background and Matt sounded distracted.
“Go have your fun. See you in class tomorrow.”
Shiro hung up just as Keith stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in a NASA shirt that was slipping off one shoulder, and a pair of sweats that was barely clinging to his hips and threatening to ride down at every step.
“Sorry about the clothes. I figured I’d lend you my stuff instead of digging through the dark recesses of my roommate’s closet.”
“Ah, it’s fine,” Keith said, sitting down crosslegged with his back against Matt’s bed. He looked much better now that he wasn’t shivering and color had returned to his cheeks. Glancing out at where rain was still pelting the window, he frowned. “Guess I’m not getting home any time soon.”
Shiro opened his mouth, about to apologize again for dragging Keith into this, but the younger boy smiled. “Can’t say I’m too upset about it though,” Keith commented. He nodded toward the candy-filled pillowcases dumped on the foot of Shiro’s bed. “Want to sort through and trade for the good stuff?”
“Depends on your definition of good,” Shiro said. He grabbed a large bowl and set it on the ground as he took a seat opposite from Keith. “Let’s see what we’ve got.”
Their combined hauls were predominantly chocolate. Keith immediately claimed any and all candy corn, and he sat there munching on that as Shiro organized the candy bars into categories based on his own personal opinions.
“There’s no way Snickers are better than Kit Kats,” Keith argued. He reached out and rearranged the messy piles.
“Says who?”
“I mean, peanuts and chocolate? That’s just gross.”
Shiro knocked his hand out of the way. “My dorm, my rules.”
With an exaggerated groan, Keith back off, sneaking a pack of cherry gumdrops. Shiro finally had the candy sorted out to his liking, and gestured to it like a king showing off his treasury. “Half is yours.”
“That’s awfully generous of you,” Keith replied around a mouthful. “I’m surprised you’re not charging me ten pieces just for use of your shower and clean clothes.”
“Just what kind of person do you think I am?”
Keith chuckled and started to reply, then paused and gave Shiro a calculating glance. “You’re a pirate,” he proclaimed at last. “You’re only after my booty.”
“No!” Shiro’s response was automatic. “No, I --” Then it registered on him that Keith was grinning, teeth candy-corn-orange, and a chuckle rumbled in Shiro’s throat. “That was terrible!”
“Arrr,” Keith replied, flinging a Milky Way at the other man’s face.
Shiro caught it effortlessly but set it aside instead of tearing into the wrapper. “So then if you’re a ghost, that means you’re boo-tiful.”
This time it was Keith’s turn to blush and stammer openmouthed. “Okay, enough,” he mumbled. “Go eat candy to stop that big mouth of yours.”
“A lollipop, maybe?” Shiro raised an eyebrow as Keith facepalmed.
“Why are you doing this to me?”
“Because you’re one of the nicest ghosts I’ve ever met. No, honestly -– I... kinda like you.”
Keith drew his knees up to his chin and wrapped his arms around himself. “What exactly am I to make of that? You thought I was your roommate up until twenty minutes ago.”
Sighing, Shiro gave a small shrug. “I’m not really sure myself. I mean, you’re welcome to leave whenever, I’m just thinking that I’d like to get to know you. It’s still raining and we’ve got plenty of candy in here; there are a bunch of monster movies on my computer if you’re into scary stuff.”
“Movies and a sleepover on the first date? Isn’t that kinda desperate?”
“It’s not every day that a cute boy shows up on my doorstep dressed in a sheet and little else. I can’t help it that I’m...um...”
“Interested?” Keith scooted closer on hands and knees. “Attracted? Because I think I might have something for dollar-store pirate costumes.”
Suddenly Shiro was very much aware that he was no longer the instigator of this situation. Keith’s lost expression and passivity had given the initial impression of naiveté, but it was becoming clear that he knew what he was doing. First, cheesy pickup lines that Shiro would never have dreamed of using. Then, Keith had kept goading him on, teasing him with the possibility of something, and now... Now the ex-ghost was six inches from Shiro’s face, an impish smile on his lips, his gaze warm and clear as he leaned closer.
“So, Captain, do you have room on your crew for one more?”
Shiro licked his lips. He couldn’t help the way he glanced down at Keith’s mouth, or the way his own mouth turned up in a grin. “I am in need of a first mate.”
Keith stared at him for a beat before he cracked completely. Throwing his head back in laughter, he all but collapsed into Shiro’s lap, arms shaking too hard to hold himself up. Shiro put an arm around Keith’s chest for support, but the touch quickly morphed into greedily pulling the smaller boy closer to him.
Keith ended up in Shiro’s lap, hands braced on his shoulders and surprised faces so close they were almost touching. Lowering his head, Keith leaned in until they bumped noses.
“Is this okay?”
Shiro nudged him back. “More than okay.”
Keith pressed even closer, one hand slipping up to cradle the back of Shiro’s head, as he touched their lips together. Shiro couldn’t help the way he was still half-smiling and he nibbled along Keith’s lower lip, tasting sugar and artificial cherry.
The smaller boy pressed into the kiss eagerly, chasing Shiro’s mouth when he tried to draw away.
“Don’t you think this is going a little fast?” Shiro managed to say at last. Keith’s mouth frowned where it was pressed against his cheek and he draw back far enough to make eye contact.
“No?” Keith tilted his head in confusion. “We both like each other, right? I’m not... Oh. I’m not suggesting anything more than what we’re doing now. I didn’t mean to lead you on, but I’m not interested in...” His nose wrinkled and his whole body got tense before he could finish the thought.
“No booty. Gotcha.” Shiro gave him a wink that had them both laughing again, and it felt good to have Keith’s body relax in his arms.
“And here my friends were warning me away from upperclassmen,” Keith mumbled. His breath was warm against Shiro’s collarbone.
“There’s no reason that pirates can’t be gentlemen too.” Shiro shifted so Keith’s weight was propped mainly on one shoulder, freeing his other arm to grab the laptop off of his bed. “Now, any preference of what to watch?”
“Wolfman is pretty good. The original, not the remakes.” Shifting around to see the screen better, Keith wrapped his arms around Shiro’s middle and rested his head on the bigger man’s shoulder. “I used to watch it every Halloween.”
“One wolfman, coming right up.” Shiro slung an arm around Keith’s back, as much for warmth as for friendly touch, and tapped on the keyboard.
They snuggled into each other as the storm continued outside and the room got darker and colder. Shiro dragged the blanket down off his bed and wrapped it around them. Keith yawned and lay down, head in Shiro’s lap, blinking tired eyes at the screen. By the time the movie was half over, both of them were asleep, side by side as monster music played quietly from the flickering black and white screen.
-–
In the morning, Shiro woke to the shrill buzzing of his alarm clock. It was disorienting to wake up on the floor, but he wasn’t sore thanks to a pillow wedged under his head and the blanket pulled up to his chin. He sat up in a bit of a panic, but there was no sign of Keith.
“Too good to be true,” Shiro muttered, leaving the warm cocoon of the blanket and forcing himself to his feet.
His laptop was closed on his desk, with a folded piece of paper propped up on top of it.
Had to get to class early and didn’t want to disturb you. Want to catch dinner? I’ll be in front of the library at 6.
 P.S. Thanks for everything! You’re really cute when you’re asleep btw.
Shiro smiled to himself, good mood already returning. That lasted until he turned around and caught sight of the candy bowl from last night, from which significantly more than half was missing. Narrowing his eyes at it, he groaned. No way he was letting all that hard work vanish. Luckily he knew exactly where to be, and when, to get all the sweetness he needed.
And maybe a boyfriend to boot.
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