#same approach as I took with [REDACTED]. oh you think this is bad? just wait | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

this-file-has-been-redacted · 3 years

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ok ok ok ok ok i got a request idea

imagine, ok

lasko after hearing about what kody did ok

he seemed pretty mad pretty angry

what do u think would happen if he confronted kody?

CW: Kody. That pretty much sums it up. In other words, manipulation, gaslighting(?), general unpleasantness

If you asked everyone who knew Lasko to describe him in as many words as they liked, neither angry nor confrontational would be on a single one of those lists. Anger came about as naturally to him as flying. Rarely did he have occasion to get truly mad, but now? What he was feeling right now was the closest to furious he’d ever been. The feeling surged in him with renewed intensity each time he remembered the way the freelancer had looked, small and anxious and ashamed as they told him what the water elemental had done to them. It was the shame in the set of their shoulders and the way they refused to meet his eyes that broke his heart and boiled his blood, like they’d somehow convinced themself that this was on them. He wanted to reach out and wrap his arms around them, offer them all the reassurances he could muster, promise them he’d fix it for them, but that wasn’t his place. He wasn’t even sure they considered him a friend. He hoped they did, wanted to be that for them, but he couldn’t control how they saw him. What he could control, however, was what he did next. The proper thing would be to follow protocol. Talk to his supervisor, report it to the administration, then let them decide on the disciplinary action that would be meted out against the person that had done this. But Lasko wasn’t stupid. He knew the system. He knew what was going to happen-- absolutely nothing. The freelancer was human-born, new to the magical world, and that meant the administration wasn’t going to give two fucks about what happened to them, and this water elemental freak was most likely going to get off with just a minor slap on the wrist and a tiny mark on his record. It wasn’t fair. Lasko wasn’t the type to get angry on his own behalf. Most of the time he just ignored the flaws in the system, pretended he didn’t notice the occasional careless remarks during lectures or the teachers that either over- or underestimated his knowledge and abilities, pretended he had the same shot as anyone else at becoming a professor one day, and the constant need for perfection was his way of trying to live up to his own personal standards instead of trying to prove his worth. But this was different. This was them, and this was important. He couldn’t just ignore it this time. Following proper procedure would’ve been the right thing to do. But, fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you looked at it, Lasko had a name. Kody. He didn’t have a last name, but he did know Kody’s magical race, and that was enough. If anyone found out he was using his access to the student database for his personal benefit he would surely be chewed out by his supervisors and most likely fired from being a counsellor, but as he typed Kody’s name and specialty into the appropriate fields and waited. The page loaded and Lasko clicked on the file titled Kody [redacted].

Twenty minutes later, Lasko was glaring across the quad at a dark-haired head bowed a the phone, trying to get up the nerve to approach him. This had seemed like a good idea back in the safety of his office, but following through was an entirely different story, not helped in any way by the fact that he hadn’t actually thought of what he was going to say. What was he going to do, just walk up to Kody and say, “Hey, you bridged with my friend without asking and that was kind of a dick move, so kindly go fuck yourself?” He winced at the thought of how that would play out. He couldn’t do this. This was such a bad idea. He stopped himself before he could turn tail and run, taking a breath and reminding himself of why he was here. The image of the Freelancer’s face flashed in his mind and that was enough to spur him into action, striding determinedly toward the water elemental perched on the picnic table a short distance away. When Lasko stopped in front of him, Kody glanced up at him, raising an eyebrow in a mixture of confusion and annoyance. “Can I help you?” Lasko took a breath. His voice when he spoke came out shaky but sure. “W-what you did...it was wrong.” An abrupt start, but a start nonetheless. He paused, waiting for Kody to reply. Kody’s brows furrowed in momentary confusion before a look of realization spread across his face. He’d seen the freelancer with the man in front of him before, and he could guess what this was about. He shut off his phone, sliding it into his pocket and leaning back, resting an elbow on the table behind him. "‘What I did?’ Oh, is helping someone practise their magic against some academy rule that I wasn’t aware of?” There was the barest hint of a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth as he stared coolly up at Lasko, who was trying his best to maintain eye contact. “You- you know what I’m t-talking about. You bridged with them and you knew they d-didn’t know what that meant. You don’t get to- to just pretend that’s okay.” Kody’s eyes narrowed. “That doesn’t matter. The fact that they didn’t know what it meant doesn’t change the fact that they experienced it. They felt it happen, without all the ideas about its “significance” clouding their judgement, and they were fine with it. If they didn’t have a problem with it, why should you?” “But they did have a problem with it! That’s why they reported it! If they were really “fine” with it, they wouldn’t have felt the need to, but they did.” Anger flared in Lasko’s chest. He knew this was wrong, and so did Kody, but he couldn’t find the words to explain why. "No. No. Don’t try that. We both know they only went crying foul to you because someone else told them they should. And here you are, putting the same idea in their head, like what I did was some crime, instead of the friendly gesture it was. Don’t pretend this is about them.” At Lasko’s bewildered look and lack of response, Kody kept going, talking faster, more forcefully with each word. “They’re the only one that will put up with your incessant babbling, so when I start getting close to them, you help shove this false narrative down their throat that I’m some kind of monster, all so you can keep them to yourself.” Lasko’s eyes widened and he started firing off rapid denials, but Kody continued on like he hadn’t said anything. “You’re manipulating them into turning against me, and they’re too weak-minded and pathetic to even realize it. They’d rather let themself be led along like a mindless sheep than form opinions of their own.” Finally, Lasko had had enough. “Stop it!” he shouted, cutting off Kody’s rant. “If anyone here is being manipulative, it’s you. And for the record? The freelancer is a far stronger, smarter, and better person than you will ever be.” With that he turned on his heel and stalked off, unable to stay there for a second longer. He only hoped that Kody couldn’t see how badly he was shaking as he walked away.

As Lasko rounded the corner of the building, he ran directly into someone else and stumbled backwards, apologies already spilling from his lips. When he looked up at the person, though, he was met with a familiar concerned face. “Lasko? Are you alright?” The freelancer put a hand on his arm to steady him, their eyes filled with worry. “You’re shaking. What happened?” He hesitated for just a moment before the story flooded out in one long breath. He didn’t give them an exact recounting, more of a long summary, but by the time he was finished their eyes were glistening with unshed tears. Before he could say anything else their arms were around him, their face buried in his shoulder. “Thank you, Lasko.” He hugged them tightly in return, his chin resting on their head. As nerve-wracking as the encounter had been, it was worth it. They were worth it. just realized I should probably have a taglist, so uh. tagging a few mutuals. lmk if you wanna be added or un-added!! @daviah @1small-frogs @planticusp @starstruck-strawberry @salad-bar-but-better @teddybasmanov @bug-likes-monsters

#redacted asmr #fanfiction #redacted asmr lasko #redacted asmr kody #asked and answered #mars #i am so so sorry this took forever #and also it's. mediocre at best #but hey it's finally done!!#so that's something

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the-terminal-archive · 3 years

Text

The beast wouldn’t stop approaching, getting a scoff from this new one before Ametrine before they went after it. The small gem didn’t dare look at what followed… Seeing so much blood be spilled, even from a monster, it...Huh! It terrified them more than it should have! They hugged themself, sitting against a wall of the tunnel as the splitting headache finally came back to them. Once this happened, they thankfully couldn’t hear the noise of the fight anymore, but it was replaced by loud ringing instead. Not much of an improvement, they’ll give it that, but… It was better than hearing the screams from before.

It was as if they were taken and put into a vast emptiness, only comforted by a single pitch. They liked to think it was Tsavorite communicating to them, even if it was far from the truth of the matter. It made them feel a little better, as they tried to think in their deafening mind of what the other would possibly say!

…

...oh. Oh, that’s right!!! A specimen!!! Ah, it seemed that the scientist really was right about these mines all along. That’s funny! So funny, they didn’t realize that the other being was dragging them along, past the beast and deeper into the mines as it roared in agony. They heard faint calls from the new one, none of which was replied to.

Tsavorite...How silly, that they knew someone else was here! But...why weren’t they active for decades? Why weren’t these monsters here all that time ago?

The emptiness kept expanding around them, and soon enough they forgot where they were.

...Please, stop driving yourself into me. It hurts. It all hurts, as bad as you are feeling now!

The sentence wasn’t said by someone else around them, but...it was a familiar voice.

Mmm, Gymp...something or another. There was a reason Tsavorite did what they did!! There was a reason Ametrine was here now!!

...But, at the same time, without a preset personality...who even were th-

“Ametrine!”

“H-HUH?! ...Oh! Hi!!! Hello! Good morning!!!” The small quartz giggled, coming out of quite the daze.

“Goodness, if you had stayed like that a moment longer, I would have called you petrified and left! Even if it’s only jewelers who can do that.”

“OH!!! JEWELERS!!!”

“Uh….”

“Um!!! So, I was going to ask Savvy about all of that!!! But I didn’t get the chance! What are they?”

“You don’t even ask my name…? Ehm, well, jewelers are those who [REDACTED] out of fellow gems. They… aren’t the nicest of people.” The explanation of it was brief (It was longer, but cut down so they would not see you), but it didn’t stop the other from shivering. There was something watching.

“You feel it too, yes? That’s their gaze. Thank goodness the seeing stone isn’t the one looking right now…”

“How can you tell?”

“It rarely watches people, but when that one’s sights are laid upon you? It is the most horrifying feeling one can have. For that, I simply say not to have further thought of them. The jewelers don’t like being recognized.” The newcomer sighed, and in the moment they closed their eye to let this all pass in thought, they could feel the bi-colored gem poke at their face.

“...What’s with all the weird growth on your face?” The unnamed one wouldn’t reply for a moment when the cluster of crystal was mentioned, gazing just a little too far above to meet the other’s eyes.

…

Actually, they weren’t replying at all.

“Do you have to stay here to keep all of these weird things away from the world?”

“...Look, I should probably go. I have things to look for.”

“W-Wait!!! Let me come with you!”

“So long as you don’t try to bother me about this any further, I’ll allow it.”

“Can...Can I ask one thing?”

“...Fine.”

“What...was that?”

“It was a messed up attempt at forming a new gem. This happens all the time in these mines, yet all of the ones I’ve seen so far were made of quartz.”

“And...you just...fought it off?”

“All of them have weak points. We have the same strength as them, and all, so the beasts aren’t as scary as they first come off to be. I normally chop off all the various limbs, then go for whatever seems to make them keep thriving. Could be the head, the heart, or some other remaining piece of them.” Such talk was so morbid, yet this one spoke as if it was commonplace. “Perhaps you should get this ‘Savvy’ of yours to find a means to give you something to defend yourself with. ...Ah, but… I can understand why they didn’t.”

“Huh?”

“...You’re plated, aren’t you? With silver.”

“Uh...I’m in front of you, aren’t I?”

“I know. Forgive me if I was slow to realize. You may never get a weapon, I’m afraid...you poor thing.” They seemed...solemn, almost? “Why would the person that did this ever let you outside…? You could get scuffed…”

“Well!! It was just to this place! I’m sure they thought nothing would get me.”

“And how deep do you travel here?”

“Just to the first sight of magma!”

“Ah… you really know nothing of this place, then.” Standing up, they’d offer their hand to the other. “I could show you what the deepest reaches of this place has. And...let’s just say I’ve been fighting for a sizable amount of time.”

“Oooh, you wanna show me??? Woah!!! It’s gonna be so warm there!!” They didn’t even take the taller one’s hand, jumping up and bouncing a little. “How long of a walk is it gonna be?”

“Well, with the fastest route...definitely not long. I happen to know a shortcut or two to get down there. I will have to do some general things there, checking the gems that have started forming, you know, the usual.” They turned away, starting to lead ametrine along.

“Shortcuts… did you find all of them fighting those monsters?”

“Indeed I did. It’s naught but a blessing amid thousands of curses.”

A silence ran through them both, Ametrine’s visor flickering every so often as they took in new information. This place was surprisingly massive, yet whoever this was went through it as water ran through a river.

Eventually, they’d drop onto a narrow bridge, a pitfall on either side straight to molten rock.

“It’s so cozy here!!”

“Mhm...we’re almost there. I haven’t carved out much in a long while, but I did enough to expose three forming gems within these mines. Should any of them form properly, the archivist will add them to the roster…”

“Roster?”

“There are so few gems that exist right now… Having another is something they will not overlook.”

“...Oh! That’s neat!!!”

“Not really, as all of the others that used to be in this deposit have turned out to be...Atrocities. They keep multiplying, too, and it’s odd. It’s as if every time I kill one, another forms. And...letting them free is something I must never do, yet… This stalemate has gone on for so long. I feel as if my efforts will simply be futile in due time.”

“Why? Isn’t everyone here made of quartz or something?”

“Do you know what forms in kimberlite?” The cyborg shook their head, prompting a sad smile from the one who couldn’t seem to properly look at them.

“Diamonds. Given enough time, the beasts will take form as one of them, and I won’t be able to stop whatever it does. I...I don’t wish for this, so I’ve attempted to force inclusions into myself. It’s not the same as reforming myself into someone entirely different, but...at this point, I don’t have much time...and I don’t have many options.”

“What will they do when they get out there?”

“They will tear this world to shreds...if that wasn’t obvious enough.”

“Then, I need to get a weapon! I wanna pew-pew at people!! Violence is something that usually makes me spacey, but if it’s to save a lotta people, then!! I don’t mind doing it!!”

“...You’re quite brave...What can you do, then?”

“Mmmm, just lift magnets and metal...basic things!”

“You exhibit something green gems have… Hm.”

“Well, I live with one! They’re very nice, and I’m sure they’d love to meet you!”

“Ah, well, I’m not too keen on meeting people...my hands are a little full, but… You do seem like the fighting type. Perhaps you could stay a little while, and I could teach you some basics.”

“Woah!!! Really?” There was a nod from them, causing Ametrine to grin and hug this new friend. “Thank you so much!!! Uh...Uh...hm...your name is….oh! I never asked for it!”

“Call me Phantom Quartz. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

#Cookie run #Cookie run au #cookie run ovenbreak #crob #Ametrine #Phantom Quartz #prologue : the kimberlite mines

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spaceskam · 4 years

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our fainted thrill carries on (4/13)

another part of my season 2 fix it! warnings: referenced child abuse

ao3

“What does a girl have to do to get a drink around here?”

Alex and Kyle both gave their attention to the girl who strolled in with unmatched confidence, catching the sight of every woman in Planet 7 with ease. But how could you blame them? Jenna Cameron was a force to be reckoned with and it was impossible to hide. She sat between them.

“Looks like you don’t have to do anything,” Alex said as she sat beside them, handing her his drink with ease. She nodded his way in thanks. “What are you doing back here?”

Cameron let out a long sigh and looked at him like he already knew. Which, he guessed he did, because what bullshit didn’t lead right back to his fucking asshole of a father?

After a shitty night, Alex had woken up early to Michael still in his bed and sound asleep. He felt more hungover than tired which he knew was a result of him panicking the night before, but he’d pushed through and got ready for the day. He covered Michael up, left him a pot of coffee, and headed to the hospital. It took two long hours to get Jesse to wake up and, when he finally did, he was too incoherent to even question. It ended up being a total waste of time and it meant Alex had to get up the next morning on his only other day off and go through that shit again.

“I drove all the way up to where Chief told me my sister was and guess what? Not there,” she said. Alex rolled his eyes.

“Figures.”

“I’m sorry,” Kyle told her. She shrugged.

“I’m still looking for her though. Came down to talk to him, maybe get my job back. If he’s going to lie, might as well fuck him over with you two in the meantime,” she said, shooting them a wink as she tilted back Alex’s drink. He shook his head.

“And how’d you know we were gonna be here, exactly?” Alex asked. Cameron raised an eyebrow and gave a little smirk.

“Well, Cap, your little sidekick,” she paused, taking a moment to kick Kyle’s leg beneath the table hard enough for him to jump, “Doesn’t know how to shut off his location.”

“What?” Alex demanded, glaring his way, “Have you lost your damn mind? Give me your phone.”

“Ow, why am I getting tortured?” Kyle asked, but he forked over his phone. Alex unlocked it far too easy which just earned him another disapproving headshake. He got to work at making sure it wasn’t trackable.

“But catch me up. What’ve I missed in the two weeks of the Max and Liz show?” Cameron asked, taking a longer swig.

Alex zoned in and out as Kyle filled her in. Max’s death, their plans to try and revive him, the strange resurrection of Rosa, and the wall they’d hit with much discovery from Project Shepard. They had files upon files, but that’s where it stopped. Their funding and their crew were damn near untraceable, all of them having aliases and scattered across the state in redacted locations. It was making it impossible to stop anything and that meant they had to wait until Jesse was coherent.

“Well, fuck,” Cameron sighed as Alex slid Kyle’s phone back to him.

“Yeah,” Alex agreed, “You still want in?”

“I only want to help kick his ass more,” Cameron said, flagging one of the bartenders down. She ordered another round of drinks for them. He shook his head at how shamelessly she flirted with her. Alex envied her confidence sometimes even though he knew he had his own. Hers was just… palpable.

“That is something I can get behind,” Kyle said, tapping their beers together in solidarity before downing the rest of their bottles. Alex’s phone buzzed in his pocket before he could feel left out and their cheers to his father’s demise.

Michael: you good? You’re not home

Alex: went out for drinks with kyle

Michael: got it

Alex: take a shower before you get in my bed

Michael: washing your sheets before i do

Alex: thanks

Michael: i can’t find finger guns emoji

Alex: i hate you

Michael: never

“Oh, that’s Alex thinking he’s subtle,” Kyle said, breaking Alex’s attention away from his phone. Their new set of beers had already arrived. “He’s texting a boy.”

“Shut the fuck up, no, I’m not,” Alex laughed, putting his phone away, “Well, it is a guy, but not that kind of guy. He’s just a friend.”

“I too stare at my friend’s texts like they’re the secrets to the universe,” Cameron said casually, that smirk never leaving her face as she took a sip of her drink. Alex just shook his head. “No worries. Your love life is not my priority.”

“Okay, well it is mine,” Kyle said, leaning forward, “Please be careful. I know you’re a little too willing to sacrifice yourself for Guerin, but this is bigger than him.”

“Oh, Guerin still? Fuck him,” Cameron butted in, “Literally and figuratively.”

“No,” Kyle jumped back in, “Not literally.”

Alex shook his head and let out a little helpless laugh. It was funny that they thought either of those were options. While he wasn’t 100% sure of Michael’s feelings, he did know that neither of them had the time to work at a relationship. It was friendship and that was it.

“Relax,” Alex said, “He’s not going to distract me from what needs to be done. Besides, he wants this shit taken care of as much as we do. I promise.”

“Moving on from the topic of that side of the aliens, let’s move onto something worth talking about,” Cameron said and Alex wanted to thank her for it, “Do we have a list of shit to ask Chief Manes about?”

They strategized for a few more hours until they came up with a solid plan for the next morning and how they were going to approach everything. That and it gave them a bit of time to sober up before driving. Alex took the time on the drive home to focus on unwinding, trying to make sure his mind would be clear enough to actually get a good night’s sleep for once. He wasn’t sure it actually worked, but he tried.

The inside of his cabin was dark already by the time he pulled up beside Michael’s truck, only the porch light being left on to illuminate the fact he was coming home to someone. A giddy feeling pulsed in his stomach, demolishing any lasting regret from the night before, and he walked inside. It looked the same, but it felt different. He locked the door behind him.

Alex went to his bedroom like always, but the door was already opened and a quick peek inside showed a shirtless Michael under the covers in bed already and scrolling through his phone. It was something so average, but it had Alex feeling like his mind was going to explode. In the years and years they’d been orbiting each other, never had he come home to someone waiting for him in his bed. Go figure that the only thing that got him that was fear and paranoia.

“Hey,” Michael said, dropping his phone once he saw him. Something stirred in Alex and he had to just walk in further and pretend he was fine. Because Kyle was right. This was bigger than him.

“Hey,” Alex said nonetheless, sitting on his side of the bed to take his shoes off. Michael didn’t come closer though part of Alex wished he had.

“How’d it go with your dad this morning?” he asked. Alex took a deep breath in and let out a heavy sigh. “That bad?”

“He wasn’t really coherent when we woke him up. He was too disoriented to actually get anything out of him, so we have to go back tomorrow and do that shit again,” Alex told him, pushing off the bed carefully.

“That sucks,” Michael said simply. Alex huffed a laugh.

“Yeah, it does.”

Alex grabbed a pair of boxers and t-shirt to change into before heading into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. He tried not to think too much about anything as he got ready for bed quickly. He brushed his teeth and changed, deciding to take a shower in the morning.

Michael was still staring his way when he came back out. Alex sat on the edge of the bed again and started to remove his prosthetic, ignoring the eyes on his back. They were friends who were dealing with some fucked up shit. That’s the only reason this wasn’t weird and it was the main reason it wouldn’t turn into anything else. Sleeping in the same bed helped everyone’s brains.

“How were you feeling today? Better?” Alex asked as he laid down. Michael shrugged, moving his hand beneath the pillow. It didn’t move fast enough and Alex saw that he still had the bandana tied around it. He decided not to comment.

“I’m okay,” Michael answered, “How are you?” Alex gave him a small smile.

“I’m okay,” Alex repeated, taking a deep breath. He stared at him for a few more seconds before his eyes scanned the darkroom, making sure no one was there that shouldn’t be. Michael didn’t judge him for that either.

“Goodnight, Alex.”

Alex smiled in response, trying to relax into bed to get some form of rest before the morning came and reared its ugly fucking head.

Michael woke up the next morning to an empty bed and literally nothing to do.

Okay, perhaps not nothing, but he didn’t have to be at the lab for a few more hours. He was struggling to be there or anywhere near Max by himself still, the guilt was too high and he would start spiraling. He was doing good. Good as he could be.

He rolled over Alex’s side of the bed, the sheets gone cold which left him feeling a little more empty than it should’ve. Michael got to his feet nonetheless. He dragged himself to the kitchen and poured a cup of coffee, drinking it despite the fact that it was lukewarm at best. Alex didn’t have a microwave for some reason so he settled for mediocre coffee.

There was something very relaxing about being so welcome in Alex’s home. The front door was locked, including the complicated ones, as if Alex had made a point to lock them all-knowing Michael was still inside. He was allowed to be there, wanted there, kept safe there. That was something he wasn’t quite sure how to process. It was easier not to process and simply exist, take up the space and enjoy it.

He started wandering, looking at all the old pictures and books that had been there since before Jim Valenti had died. There was a picture on the mantle of little Alex and Kyle holding up dead deer, both of them smiling despite leaning as far away from it as possible. When he walked down the hall, there was another picture of the two of them, couldn’t be any older than seven, decked out in camo and holding rifles that were too big for them and grinning. Alex looked adorable, all happy and unburdened and missing a couple of teeth. Michael couldn’t help but smile.

There was another picture though, that felt weird and out of place. It was across from the hall closet and it was wallet-sized, but a closer look at it made it clear that it was indeed a young Jesse Manes and Jim Valenti. Both were smiling, showing off the wedding bands on their fingers. If he didn’t know any better, he would’ve assumed they were a newlywed couple. Seeing Jesse Manes look so happy and free felt jarring, but here it was. They were grinning and proud and happy to be married to women they loved. Michael sipped his coffee as he tried to make sense of a world like that.

After he finished his coffee and got lost in an idealistic world where Alex’s father actually supported him, Michael decided that he should probably get dressed for the day. He bypassed the stack of his own clothing on the couch and instead went to Alex’s closet, far more eager to find something that was ill-fitting but distinctly Alex than his own clothing.

Alex’s closet (and entire cabin, honestly) was to a military-degree of organization. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it always made Michael laugh a little when he looked at it. Everything was hung in a precise order and all his shoes were on a pristine rack and his underwear was folded and color-coded. How cute was that?

At the top of the closet, there was a backpack, a duffle bag, and a box. Curiosity got the better of him and he reached for the box, secretly hoping for more pictures of young Alex. As he was pulling it down, his arm brushed the backpack and it was unexpectedly hard. He furrowed his eyebrows as he stared at it, noticing the weird shape whatever was inside caused the bag to be. He knew that he shouldn’t look in it, it was Alex’s things, but…

Before he could convince himself otherwise, he moved his attention to the bag and pulled it down. It wasn’t as heavy as he was anticipating, but it was still solid. He brought it over to the bed and debated on whether he should open it or not. It was Alex’s. However, if he hadn’t shown him, it probably wasn’t anything important. They’d agreed to share everything, right? And, if it was important, there was no way it’d just be at the top of his closet.

Surely, it was nothing. And yet, no matter how successful he was at convincing himself it was nothing, he couldn’t seem to convince himself not to look. Just… unzip and look.

So he did. Unzipped it and looked.

He wasn’t sure what he expected, but when he saw that shiny glass in a large piece that he’d ever seen, he forgot how to breathe. The bag dropped to the floor as he pulled it out, flipping it over in his hands as he tried to make sense of it. Alex had this and didn’t tell him? How long had he had it? How long had it been up there? Maybe he didn’t know. But that was bullshit because this was his bag. Why didn’t he tell him?

Michael stared at it for a few more seconds, marveling at the piece before he scrambled over to get his phone. He pulled up Alex’s contact and started typing out a message, started to ask him what the fuck this was doing in his closet. But he stopped himself. If Alex hadn’t told him, there had to be a reason. He just had to trust that it was a good one. And he trusted Alex.

Without too much more questioning, Michael erased the message and put the piece back in the bag and the bag back where he’d found it. His hands were shaky and his heart was thudding, but Alex must’ve had a reason. He had to. Because Alex said honesty.

He stole a pair of Alex’s jeans and grabbed a bottle of whiskey on his way out.

“Good morning, Dad.”

Alex managed a smile as he stood at the foot at his father’s hospital bed. Despite the fact that it was his day off, he wore his uniform and stood tall. It made things a bit easier. The uniform came with respect that even his father had to uphold.

Jesse Manes said nothing, gazing up in the direction of his son. Kyle stood in the doorway and played guardian angel, waiting to swoop in and save the day. Somewhere else, Jenna Cameron was sweet-talking Michelle Valenti in hopes that she’d have a reason to both stay and access to even more files.

A cop, an Airman, and a doctor walk into a bar‒is there anything they can’t do?

“I think it’s time we have a little chat,” Alex said. Jesse’s eyes followed him as he went to stand by the side of his bed. Alex considered sitting at the foot of it, but decided it against it at the last minute. He could play that card a little later. “You see, I’ve been doing a lot of research.”

“You always have.”

“True,” Alex nodded, smiling, “But I do think I understand things a bit better now. That being said, it should be known that I’m no longer speaking to Michael Guerin. You were right about him.”

“I don’t want to hear about that.” Jesse eyed him, clutching the trigger of his morphine drip and yet never pushing it. Alex smiled and tilted his head back.

“I just thought you’d want to know. I may have gotten a little carried away, but his kind have shown their true colors.”

“Your manipulation isn’t going to work on me,” Jesse said, shifting just a little. His thumb grazed the trigger, but never quite pushed. Alex nodded.

“I know. Sadly, I wish it was manipulation. It took me far too many years to realize that my weakness was an embarrassment,” Alex sighed. That was honest enough that he didn’t even have to force a lie. Jesse clocked that which he seemed to find even more sketchy. Alex shook the statement off and rolled his shoulders back. “That being said, I’ve been trying to see what I can do to help the, well, the family business.”

“Good luck with that.”

“Yeah, I’m not having much luck which is why I came to you. I’m not trying to hide that, Dad,” Alex told him, “I’m on your side. As much as I can be, anyway.”

“And you really expect me to believe that?”

“You don’t have to, but it’s the truth. Honestly, I feel a little left out. I understand why I was left out, but the feeling still stands. You never even tried to recruit me and now that I want to help, I can’t,” Alex said. He stepped closer, sitting on the bed now. Jesse watched him in a whole new level of confusion. Alex felt successful. “I even tried to talk to Flint and he told me not to even bother. I re-enlisted after losing my leg, finally learned my place, and I’m still not good enough, Dad? Really?”

Alex stared at him and he stared back. It was a long stare and Alex truly didn’t mean for it to happen, but there was a moment where it started getting under his skin. No matter how hard he tried, he would always be less. He felt like a kid again, twelve and trying to figure out why his dad didn’t like him. He was no longer looking down at a weak man in a hospital bed, but looking up from the kitchen floor after being backhanded so hard he couldn’t stand, kneeling on rice with his nose to the wall after asking to have a male friend spend the night, crying into his pillows as quiet as he could so he wouldn’t hear, pleading to this man he looked up to why don’t you like me, and he had to look away.

“M.V.C.”

“Sir?” Alex said, risking it all to turn his attention back to his father. He looked hesitant to speak, but maybe he was dulled by the morphine or maybe he bought into Alex’s truth-infused lies.

“M.V.C.”

“What does that mean?” Alex asked. Jesse sighed, shaking his head.

“You expect me to be proud of you? You expect me to believe you’ve never been caught with your little hacking if you haven’t come across something so simple? Find your priorities, son,” he lectured. Alex blinked and nodded easily.

“Yes, sir.”

“I need to sleep.”

“Yes, sir.”

Alex got to his feet and made his way to the door, schooling his features as best he could as he walked past Kyle. He needed to go look through everything again, needed to find out what he was talking about, needed to not feel like he was fucking chosen to be wrong.

“Alex,” Kyle said as he followed him closely, “Are you gonna be okay?”

Alex kept walking, his mind focused on everything he’d ever read before. M.C.V.

“Yes, sir.”

“So, the theory is, if I insert this into the pod, it could start regenerating his cells at a faster pace and then he’ll actually be making progress and we’ll have something to work with.”

“Will that age him?”

“Uh… I have no idea, guess we’ll find out.”

Michael put the goggles over his eyes again and Isobel and Liz stepped back, giving him space. He’d made more progress in that one day than he’d made in weeks. Turns out getting fucked up and trying to forget what Alex might be hiding meant he could do a lot of shit he hadn’t done otherwise.

“Okay, well, I hope not. Not really looking forward to having an elderly boyfriend,” Liz said.

“Oh, c’mon, I bet it has some perks,” Isobel chimed in.

“Not without money,” Michael told her, flashing a grin their way, “I would know.”

They both made disgusted looking faces and he snorted a laugh. His smile faded as he flicked on the torch, melding the last little piece together so he could hook it to the car battery. Try as he might, focusing on happiness was difficult to do. How long had Alex had that piece?

“Thank you, Michael, for helping. Seriously, we couldn’t have done this without you,” Liz told him as he checked over his work. He shrugged.

“No big deal,” he said, “It’s about time I actually help out for once.”

“Damn right,” Isobel scoffed, “Do you know how hard it’s been with you sulking?”

Michael didn’t answer, focusing back on the battery. He hooked the wires to it that’d be going into the pod and then started the motor, giving it one last check to make sure it would actually work. And it did, things started moving and he smiled at his work. Would Alex be proud of him?

They cheered a bit, clearly proud of him, and he tried to soak that up. He promised he would go by Max’s pod and set everything up and one of them could go check on him in the morning before work to make sure it was still working right. It felt like a solid agreement and it was a step forward.

Isobel kissed him goodbye and headed to go practice more on her powers. That left Michael alone with Liz. Which usually wasn’t a problem, but she had that look in her eye that told him she was about to project all of her negative feelings straight onto him.

“So,” Liz said as they started loading it into his truck so he could bring it there, “You and Maria.”

“What about me and Maria?” he asked. She gave him a knowing look which was genuinely batshit because she didn’t know anything. There was no way she knew anything. If she got her information from Maria, then it was probably false because apparently everyone thought he was gay.

“Well, she told me you guys talked the other day and it didn’t go too well,” Liz said. Michael rolled his eyes. “I know you like her and I know she really likes you. I’m not sure what’s going on with you and Alex, but I think you should be honest with everyone about those feelings, okay? If you keep them inside, my friends are going to get hurt.”

Michael let out a deep breath, turning to face her. Alex preached honesty, right?

“What exactly do you think is going on?” he asked. She looked at him pitifully. “No, honestly, I’m confused. What do you and Maria think about me? Genuinely.”

Liz crossed her arms over her chest and gave him that distinct adult look that he honestly didn’t think she should be able to give considering the batshit science she’d been doing the last couple weeks. And, yes, it was groundbreaking, but it was also insane.

“Well, we think you’re leading both of them on because you’re confused. And I think it might have something to do about losing Max and what happened at that prison,” Liz said. He stared at her for a moment and started trying to think of who he could call to get weed on a short notice. “You need to talk to someone.”

“I am talking to someone. Alex.”

Liz pursed her lips. “So you’re just okay with him thinking he has a chance by being there all the time?”

“You know I don’t technically owe you an explanation about my love life, right?”

“I know, but I’m just saying. I think you’re hurting more than you’re helping,” Liz told him. He swallowed hard.

“Tell Maria that if she’s confused about something that she can talk to me in a way that isn’t just accusing me of being a piece of shit,” he told her, “Because if there’s one thing on this entire fucking planet that I’m not confused about, it’s my really pointless love life.”

“So you don’t want either of them?”

“Yes, Liz,” he said, opening the driver’s side door, “Right now, I don’t want either of them.”

“Tell them that, Michael,” Liz told him, “Because the last thing I need is a shitty fucking love triangle making you all useless.”

He slammed the door closed. He didn’t know how to tell her he thought he already had. Clearly, he wasn’t making any sense anymore.

“I’m going to go rig this up to Max,” Michael said, “I’ll see you when I see you.”

“Alex wants us to have a get together soon,” she said, grabbing ahold of the door, “To talk about his dad. So I’ll see you there and I would like it if you made it clear that you aren’t interested in either of them before then.”

“You say that like Maria will even be there.”

“Alex will be.”

How exactly did he tell her that Alex would also be right beside him in bed in a few hours' time, too?

“Right. See you then.”

He drove a little recklessly towards the cave where Max was, waiting until he was on the road alone before he dug under the seat to find the bottle of whiskey he’d stashed there before he got to the lab. He kept an eye on the road as he downed the rest of it. He threw the empty bottle in the back, shaking his head as he tried to make it settle in his bloodstream faster. Of course, that didn’t work, but a man could dream.

Michael walked into the cave with his mindset to get in and out as fast as he could. Staring at Max made him feel like he was going to fucking lose it all over again. Did that make him a bad person? He couldn’t even look at his brother without wanting to get the fuck out of there?

“You know what, you’re a lucky bastard,” Michael scoffed, starting to put the battery rig up, “If I could check out for a few weeks or months, I’d do that shit in a heartbeat.”

He turned to Max with the silver end in hand, sighing slowly. This was okay. This was fine.

“You know Alex has a piece of the ship and he didn’t tell me about it. Why do you think he’d do that? Because I can’t think of a reason why.”

Slowly, he pushed the end into the pod and made sure it was secure before turning back to the battery. He double-checked that everything was on right before he turned it on. A quick look to Max showed that it wasn’t doing anything bad on sight, so it felt like a win.

“I thought, uh, I thought maybe he was hiding it from me on purpose. Maybe he knows more about it than I do and it’ll make me, like, power-hungry and he’s protecting me. But that’s bullshit, huh?”

He put his hand on the pod, feeling that normal low vibration hum a bit stronger. He nodded and refused to let himself feel too prideful.

“He’s not gonna protect me like that,” Michael said, “Right?”

It wasn’t long before Michael was sure it would hold and he decided to get back home. Alex was probably already there and then he could feel him out, see if he could decipher why on earth he’d be keeping that from him when he promised honesty. Was it selective honesty? Still, he told Max goodnight and got back to his truck.

He drained the rest of his acetone stash before he got to the cabin.

Michael let himself into the cabin, the strange mix of confusion and comfort filling him to the brim as he did so. He wanted Alex more than anything and the agreement to make that happen was unbridled honesty. So why was he hiding that piece?

He stumbled over his feet a little bit as he reached the bedroom, bracing himself in the doorway. Alex sat up in surprise, the bedroom light already on. It was a cold night, apparently, and Alex was wearing a long-sleeved shirt that was a little baggy on him and looked so comfy it hurt. Despite the secret-keeping, Michael smiled at him.

“You look cozy.”

“You look fucked,” Alex said, shaking his head in disappointment. Michael shrugged his shoulders and moved further into the room, trying his best not to stumble as he kicked off his shoes and took off his shirt at the same time. “How much have you had to drink?”

“Hmm, a fifth of whiskey, a couple of bottles of acetone, it’s all good,” he promised. Alex pressed his lips in a thin line.

“Why? What happened?”

“Oh, nothing,” Michael said, unbuckling his jeans. Alex really did look comfy, but that didn’t mean he could say anything. If Alex was keeping a secret, there was a reason for it. Liar, liar, world on fire. Or something. “Oh! Your dad. How’d that go?”

“Good,” Alex said hesitantly. He held out his hand out to Michael, ushering him closer. Michael couldn’t help but smile at that invitation, crawling onto the bed and straight on top of him. Alex wrapped his arm around his neck, pulling him down and keeping in the safe space against his bicep. So this was heaven. “Why’d you get so drunk?”

“People are annoying,” Michael grumbled, breathing in the scent of him as he nuzzled his nose in the crook of his armpit. Alex squirmed a bit, but didn’t push him away.

“That’s it?”

“Went to talk to Liz and Isobel about what I could do to help. Isobel’s already getting really good at telekinesis,” Michael told him, “Is it bad if I’m kind of annoyed about it? Like, I’m happy for her, but I just feel like… I don’t know, I feel like I need to show her up or something. It’s stupid.”

“No, not stupid. That was your thing for so long and now someone else is good at it too. It’s normal to feel like that,” Alex assured him, voice soft as he went along with the subject change, “Just don’t act like a dick about it.”

“I’m trying. She broke a vase today and my first reaction was ‘oh yeah, I bet I could throw your car across the desert,” he grumbled. Alex huffed a laugh.

“Please tell me you didn’t.”

“No, but now I want to.” Alex shook his head. Michael nudged his nose deeper into his armpit which caused Alex to jump and laugh a little bit. Michael smiled and tried to navigate his arms to wrap around him. “And… speaking of things I want…”

Things fell silent for a moment as Michael tried to articulate himself. It was a bit hard when his mind was still stuck on what aren’t you telling me. But, there was more than that.

“I want to learn more about my mom,” Michael said, keeping his face buried in his armpit. Not like he could get up if he wanted to. Alex’s bicep was a force to be reckoned with. “I know we talked about it and stuff, but I am feeling a little better now and so… If you wanna keep digging, I’d appreciate it a lot.”

“I never stopped digging. I have a file of the information I found on her and I’m still going through some of the other stuff, but I want to try to find out what happened to her in that year between the crash and her being captured,” Alex explained softly, “Maybe we should talk about this when you’re sober.”

“Maybe, um… Maybe I can look her up or something? At the library,” Micahel said instead of stopping. Alex nodded slowly, his fingers combing through his hair. It was the best thing he’d ever felt. Honestly, he could handle all the lies in the world if he got this. Drinking was good.

But then Alex went still.

“Holy shit, I just realized I never told you her name.”

Michael fought against his hold enough to lift his head, eyes wide. “They documented her name?”

“Yes,” Alex breathed, his hand smacking against his forehead, “I’m so fucking sorry, I just got so caught up in all the other bullshit that I totally forgot.”

“Well, what is it?” Michael asked, smiling slightly as that eagerness bubbled up to the surface. Drinking was definitely good.

“Nora Truman,” Alex said.

“Nora Truman,” he repeated. Alex grinned helplessly at the way the words fit in his mouth and it made his heart feel so full. “That’s so… normal.”

“I know. I don’t know if it was a human alias or… But that’s what she went by at least,” Alex told him, “But that’s your mom.”

Michael swallowed hard and stared at him, his eyes drifting to his lips in all of that excitement. They were right there. In perfect reach. Gravity pulled him down a little bit, hovering over him and wondering if he could. If he should. Before he could make a decision, though, Alex’s nose nudged his cheek to move him and efficiently knocked the thought out of his mind. He dropped his head back against his bicep and got comfortable.

“Nora Truman.”

“Yeah,” Alex said, “Nora Truman.”

It was easy to forget the lie when he had this and that one little truth.

“Excuse me?”

“Alex’s brothers are in town!”

“Where are you at? What are you doing? What the fuck, it’s three in the morning.”

Kyle ducked further behind the bush he’d found himself in. He was driving home from work when he’d spotted a car that just looked too familiar and he couldn’t help himself but follow. He was glad he did too.

Now, he was in the bush outside Alex’s childhood home and trying not to feel like a total creep as he looked through the window.

“We need to talk,” Kyle whispered to Cam, watching as Flint took his shirt off. He really was a creep. “Where are you staying?”

“Uh, I’ll text you the address,” she said hesitantly, “Please tell me you’re not doing anything illegal.”

“Text me the address and I’ll see you soon,” Kyle said, hanging up quickly and continuing to watch. He had a theory and he just needed it to be proved.

And sure enough, when Flint removed his pants, that same symbol was tattooed on his hip.

Kyle was outside Cam’s motel in 10 minutes flat.

#malex #malex fic #michael guerin #alex manes #roswell new mexico #my fic #our fainted thrill carries on

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geo-winchester · 4 years

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DEAR BROTHER (15)

Summary: after they were suck from the sand Yn and her friends found something they were looking for.

A/N: hello everyone, I know I promised this a few weeks ago but it’s been really hard weeks and I didn’t got the chances to write, I hope you like this and I’m sorry if there’s a lot of mistake but I’m on the hospital and I didn’t have the chance to check it, so sorry about that, I also have a few other ideas for Poe, that I hope I got the chance to write.

Tag list: @thescarletknight2014 @chloe-skywalker @reading--mermaid

Last chapter

Series masterlist

Masterlist

——————

When Poe wake up on a tunnel he quickly get up looking for the others, he screamed his name but the only one who answered him was Threepio, after a few seconds he hear the groans of someone coming from the sealing, when he look up he saw Rey falling down, he catches her before she could get hurt, the next one to fall was Chewie.

-Finn? Yn?- he screamed.

-We’re over here- Finn said as they come from one of the other tunnels, Poe go straight to Yn and hug her.

-I thought I lost you...

-You think you’re going to free yorseyourself that easy?- he laughed, she bite her lip -Is this a bad moment to tell you that you look really hot back there- she said making him smirk before he kissed her, they only stop when they hear Finn clearing his throat.

-You remember that we had a mission right?- he said and both of them nod.

They start to made their way through the tunnels, Poe took Yn’s hand as they walked behind Rey and Finn.

-What were you going to tell me?- Rey asked.

-when?

-when you were sucking in the sand you said “I never told you”- Rey told him as she look at him curious.

-I... I tell you later- he said.

-You mean when I’m not here?- Poe asked as he pass between them acting like he was angry.

-Yeah, when Poe’s not here- Finn said.

-Great we’re gonna die in sand burrows and we’re all keeping secrets?- Poe said.

-Poe...- Yn said.

-I had a better idea, I’ll tell you when you tell us about all the shifty stuff you do- Finn said, but Poe ignore him and leave them behind, Yn was the only one who go over him.

-So, you haven’t told finn uh?

-He didn’t need to know, it’s not important- he said.

-I thought you were best friends...

-That doesn’t mean I told him everything, I didn’t tell him how I know that you have a scar on your waist- he wink.

-Maybe because it was your fault?- she said but he ignores her and keep walking.

-Come on sweetheart, stay close, I don’t want to know what made this tunnels...

-Judging by the circumference of the tunnels walls there are..

-I said I don’t wanna know- Poe said to Threepio- Not...

-Hey guys- Yn said as she saw the speeder -What’s that?

-is that a speeder?- Finn asked as everyone get close to the speeder.

-An old one- Rey said.

-Perhaps we will find the driver- threepio said, BB-8 beep in respond.

-Yep, BB-8, I think dead too- Poe said as keep looking at the cave.

-Oh my- Threepio said -a hex Cham...

-A what?- Poe asked.

-Is the symbol of the sith loyalist- Yn said -This could be Ochi’s speeder.

-Luke sensed it- Rey said -Ochi never left this place.

-And he end up down here- Finn said.

-He was headed for his ship- Poe said -same thing happened to us, happened to him.

-So if he get out, we could get out, no?- Yn asked.

-But, how did he did it?- Finn said.

-He didn’t- Rey said as she keep looking something, when everyone look at what she was looking.

-Bones...- Poe said looking away -I don’t like bones.

-Bones?- Threepio said -Never a good sign.

Everyone look at the droid as if it was crazy and as usual Poe start to argue with the droid, everyone start to look over the tunnel as they tried to found a way out or something that they can give them a clue about the sith Tracker, BB-8 beep when he saw something on the sand.

-What’s that buddy?- Yn asked kneeling in front of the droid and it beep again, when she took a dagger in her hands -Yeah I think you found something important...

-There’s something writing on it- Poe said.

-Perhaps I can translate- Threepio said as he took the dagger from Yn -This is the location of the wayfinder, has been inscribed upon this dagger, it’s the clue that master Luke was looking for.

-And where is it?- Yn asked.

-I’m afraid I can’t tell you...

-Your telling me that you understand 20.3 fazillion languages and you can’t read that?- Poe asked.

-Oh I can read it, I know exactly where is it...

-That’s great! Where is it?-Yn said.

-Unfortunately it is written in the runic language of the sith- Threepio said and Yn sighed, everyone look at her.

-He can’t translate it...

-Why?- Poe asked.

-My programming forbids me from translating it...

-So you’re saying that when we finally need you to talk, you can’t?

-Irony, sir...- Poe start to fight with Threepio but Yn stop listen to them as she start to think in a way to make Threepio talk.

-I think there’s a way- she said, everyone look at her -we could hack him...

-Master Solo, I don’t recommend that...

-We didn’t have to do it if you told us- Yn told him.

-I love to help you but, I am mechanically incapable of speaking translations from Sith.

But everyone stop to paying attention when they saw something moving behind Threepio, Poe step in front of Yn as he try to protect her but she step beside him and turn on her lightsaber as he point the serpent with his blaster just as Finn and Chewie, when Threepio saw the creature he run behind the group, everyone were about to attack at the serpent but Rey stop them, she slowly walk to it, but the creature start to growl with every step she take. Rey ignored everyone around her and when she saw the wound on the serpent and slowly approached to it, when she touch it everyone lowed their weapons as they saw how the wound disappear.

-How did she do it?- Poe asked to Yn as they walked out of the cave and made their way to the ship.

-She give it part of her energy.

-Can you do that?- she shook her head.

-There’s only a few Jedis that can do it...

-Have you try it?- she shook her head again.

-I...

-We cannot possibly fly in that old wreck- Threepio interrupted them when they were close to the Ochi’s ship.

-We gotta keep moving- Poe said -We have to find someone useful who can translate that dagger...

-I suggest we return to the millennium falcon at once- Threepio said.

-They’ll be waiting for us at the Falcon.

-Yeah, they throw us in he pits of Griq- Finn said.

-Yeah and used you as a target droid- Poe agreed scaring Threepio.

-You think the ship would work?- Yn asked Poe.

-I can turn on everything darling- he said with a wink before take Finn’s hand and climb the rocks.

Finn and Yn notice that Rey got distracted by something on the desert, Finn asked her about it but when Rey look at Yn she knew it, her brother was here and he was coming to them, Rey told them to keep going, Yn try to stay with her but Finn took her by the arm making her follow him. They run to the ship and Poe start to work on it, thankfully the ship had enough energy to power up.

-Where is she?- Finn asked when Rey didn’t get to the ship.

-I’ll go for here- Yn said knowing that maybe she would need help.

-No, she’ll be fine, she’s always fine- Poe said.

-It’s ok, I’ll be right back- Yn said at him as she cupped his cheek and smile -Make sure this thing is ready for when we get back- she said and she got close to his ear -By the way have I told you how hot you look when you’re working on a ship?- she whisper him, making him smiled, before she get out of the ship chewie growl at her.

-Yeah take Chewie with you- Finn said -we’re going to keep fixing the ship.

Both of them start to run to Rey but before they could even get close someone took Yn’s arm and punch her to the rock, the creature in front of her had a similar mask as the one who Ben used and he raise her weapon, she was able to avoid it and she barely turn her lightsaber and stop his other attack, they keep fighting until she knock him down, she look at Rey who was in front of her brother, before she could take a step someone hit her from behind knocking her down. Chewie growl at the knights of Ren but one of the other knights hit him on the knees making him fall, one of the stormtroopers handcuff him before he could do something. Finn was getting down from Ochi’s ship when he saw how Chewie was getting in to a transporter with Yn on his arms and when the transporter start to take off he scream to Rey.

-Rey!- he scream -Chewie and Yn...- Rey try to hold the transporter with the force just as Ben try the same thing, Poe got out of the ship on the same moment when the transporter explode.

-What have you done?!- Kylo scream at Rey, who was still in shock.

-Rey we need to go- Poe scream at her -Everyone lets go- he said.

When Poe thought that everyone was on the ship he took off, Finn and Rey step out of the cockpit, Finn didn’t had the strength of telling Poe what happen and Rey was still trying to figure it out what happen back there.

-I think we lost them, where’s Yn and Chewie?- he said looking around.

-Poe...- Finn said as he try to find the right words

-Where’s Yn?- he asked again when he remember the explosion -Guy this ain’t funny... Yn come on, you can get out know...- but when everyone didn’t say anything he panic and start to run to the cockpit.

-Poe what are you doing?

-she’s out there, and I’m going to found her...

-Poe we saw it, the transporter explode- Fin said holding him, but Poe try everything in his power to free until he couldn’t fight anymore and he fell in to the grown.

-She can’t be death...

-I’m sorry Poe...- Rey said but he didn’t hear it, the only thing it was on his mind was Yn, they let it grieve for a moment until he get up.

-Threepio, you had to tell us what is in that dagger...

-I’m sorry but I can’t...

-Threepio I swear to the maker...

-only a redact memory bypass can help- Threepio said.

-a what?- Finn asked.

-it’s a terrible and sinful act that only criminals know how to do it- Poe think for a moment.

-I know a black market droidsmith...

-A what?- Threepio asked.

-But he’s on Kijimi- he said thinking in his past.

-What’s wring with it?- Finn asked.

-I had some troubles on that place- he said but he knew he couldn’t give up -Let’s go, we’ll found a way to scape from them.

-Poe are you sure?- Rey asked and he nod.

-I can’t let her die in vain- he said -We need to finish this mission, for Yn and for chewie- both of them nod.

-For Yn and Chewie.

-Ok lets go to Kijimi- Poe start to act like the commander Dameron and try his best of not break down.

#poe dameron x reader #poe dameron imagine #poe x reader #poe dameron x solo!reader #kylo ren x sister!reader #ben solo x sister!reader #star wars imagine

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qyu-inactive · 4 years

Text

MY THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS ABOUT OUTTAKES 16-18.5 BECAUSE I HAVE SO MANY

We have been blessed with 3.5 glorious new parts to the wonderful Losty Aone/ Mountain Man Series by the wonderful, amazing, awe-inspiring @shhhlikeme and i am emotional and have many many feelings about it all.

Outtake 16

I love that we got to see this from the reeader’s point of view, it was nice to see our losty y/n and see how their feeling. It was a nice break from feeling sad about Aone’s broken heart.

This part made me laugh ahaha

After dating and breaking up with him, Aone had females constantly approaching him. A/N: Not constantly but it felt that way for you ofc lol

the jealously😂, the Author’s note too like “it wasnt like that at all” 😂 this emotional person (y/n) is just blowing up the situation.

and then this:

In other words: They want what you had.

i mean of course they would, Aone is the sweetest boy but only to someone he loves. Aone’s heart is too strong to let waver to someone knew so quick

This whole outtake all i could think about was that Y/n really needs to get back with her mountain man, first they want to break up so Aone finds someone new but then doesnt want him to find someone new. Like cleary y/n is not being honest with herself or Aone.

When they went to the library, ahhh y/n really just imagining the worst scnenarios in their head😂

“Oh,” your stomach flipped. “He looks so cute.” You put on a 🥺 face when you noticed how utterly adorable a standing Takanobu looked

🥺🥺🥺 Aone is always such a cutie, and y/n really broke this man’s heart😭 I know it was insecurites but still. These two are so in love but just wont get back together.

The outfit y/n is wearing😍 you always pick these really cute and sexy outfits and I appreciate y/ns confidence and style but it is not me 😂😂 but Aone thirsting over his girl tho, i would dress up like that if it meant getting looked by Aone like that 😂

I love Aone’s plan, like he is such a sweetheart and he’s making me all soft at all his effort to win his girl back🥺🥺

This outtake really gave up all the feels y/n is feeling with breaking up with Aone and I am enjoing it 😂. At the same time though I just want these to love birds to get back together ahhhhh.

One of the things I really love about this story is how strong the friendship is and how we see the outside characters really show how much they care. A lot of stories (like shojou, oh man you dont know how much shoujo manga ive read haha) just sideline their friends after the start talking to their love interest or they dont even have friends at all in the whole story. I really enjoyed seeing Katana be a voice of reason in our losty’s life. And of course the K_nji’s being our boy Aone’s best friends.

Outtake 17

okay we starting with the real friends the K_nji’s warning our boy Aone about the situation. I love them and how much they care 😂. They can be dumbasses but still, I appreciate their effort.

The University—our University— sent her a uniform that’s a size or two too small.

Does this mean they’re going to the same university? or am I reading too much into it? It might have been mentioned before but I cant remember off the top of my head. Also Aone really living his best life and his worst life rn 😂😂 like he gets to see his girl in a super tight cheer leading uniform and spend one on one time with her but he cant do anything about his desires. His confidence tho haha “I’ve seen Y/N in a cheerleading uniform before” not like this you havent😏

Aone Takanobu can truly say—if he could speak—that he will never even question Futakuchi again.

Again I just really love their friendship, parts like this really get me 😂😂😂

When y/n took out Aone’s jacket automatically🥺🥺 my hearttttt, and how long Aone’s jacket is on them🥺🥺 this whole part made me so softtt. Like imagine wearing his jacket🥺🥺 it would be so comfy and warm.

There are so many golden lines I loved from this part, but Aone’s spank bank is just a phrase I wasnt expectng to read but it is gold. Im sure his bank is full and loaded😂

Then some random gross guy comes up to y/n, like the audacity of this guy.

He had such a disgusting grin on his face

🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮 this guy can back offfff.

I really love when Aone comes in to protect the reader🥺🥺 he’s not the iron wall for nothing too.

Your knight has arrived. Your ex-knight. ☹️

and then you go and hurt me again😭😭

I really wanted Aone to just kick a dude in the chest, like step the fuck off 😂😂.

“Take one more step toward her.” Aone growled in the smoothest voice.

“I dare you.” Aone added, for good measure.

Im absolutely swooning, Aoneeeeee🥺🥺🥺. And the fact that he wanted the reader to come with him so she wouldnt get anyone bothering her😭😭 he’s such a gentlemen. No one bothers Aone’s girl whose not his girl at the moment, especially guys who arent wanted

now onto the fun part of this outtake😏 I wasn’t expecting to see texts but it was definitely a nice addtion!! Our poor Aone soo horny and sweet, I dont know if the dead squirrels worked hahaha.

but he couldn’t help but wonder how he was going to edit all of this together in the time frame he promised he would with only one hand.

this went over my head when i read it the first time omg😂😂😂 Im sure Aone can do it, he’s a very capable man. This whole section had me laughing but also feeling slightly bad for Aone, again his poor horny heart right now is conflicted but very much fed. Im glad he was able to get a break, I dont think his length could wait (im not used to using subtle language hahaha) anyway this whole part was fun to read.

Aone bit his juicy bottom lip,

I legit bit my lip just before reading this part😂

Outtake 18 & 18.5

Now we’re hitting the climax!! (after Aone just hit his climax and is about to hit again😗)

—who imo really should return to their own homes now but would rather not—

I mean do these two even have their own homes anymore😂, theyre basically apart of the Aone family now. Family who also understand when to leave their horny pal alone for time being.

OKAY ONTO THE IMPORTANT PART!!! AHHHHHHHH.

“Aone-senpai, do you even have snapchat?!”

“Obviously not.” Kenji answered for his friend, being snappy.

“WELL HE SHOULD GET IT BECAUSE I SAW—“

Did Kanji see Y/N and Takeru?????? I also cant believe I learnt Takeru was a third year from this series, I always thought he was a second year for some reason. I think cos he was ennoshita’s rival. not important rn lmao

“—because Aone-senpai is jacking off again. It makes you feel lighter, and happier—so that’s why,”

this boy, there are some things you just shouldnt say out loud. Some things can be left unsaid (not like im blunt with my friends sometimes haha but still)

When Kenji had found out about why y/n dumped Aone😭😭😭😭 I’m glad he found out earlier then Aone, I wouldnt have wanted him to yell at the reader again.

Anyone that can do that, be so selfless—is good enough for his best friend.

🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

“I can tell its her because that’s your sweater she’s wearing. Right? It says Takanobu on the back, and I remember seeing Y/N steal it out of your bag after practice once.”

🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺these parts really just made me soft. like the fact that y/n still had the jacket and wanted to wear it out. and the absolute coincedence that they were in the same cinema as Aone.

“Y/N.—Sh-She-She is wearing my attire. What does that mean?”

Yeah, big guy.

Yeah, you have a chance.

Y/N still has a little….tiny bit of feelings for you

YES YES YES FINALLY , I wanted to cry here😭😭 AND THEN KENJI CONFIRMED IT ALL AND AONE THE MAN WENT AND TRIED TO GET HIS GIRL. THIS REALLY IS THE DRAMATIC PART IN THE MOVIE. AND THEN THIS [redacted] TAKERU CAME AND AHHHHH

(Aone would know that face, he only saw it everyday he’s looked in the mirror for the past 3 years)

Absolutely dead. All hope—gone.

You make me happy and then just rip out my heart like 2 minutes later. I was going from crying happy tears to sad tears in like a heartbeat.

ALSO YOU DONT KNOW HOW UPSET I WAS WHEN I GOT TO THE END OF PART 18 I DIDNT REALISE THERE WAS 18.5 AND WAS AFRAID THAT THIS WAS IT AHHHHHH. I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO PLAY WITH MY FEELINGS THEN JUST LEAVE.

“I’m worried about you.” She finished, looking more serious than you’ve ever seen her.

y/n really has some good friends with her🥺

uhhh then Takeru comes in, I dont really hate him but no one stands in between our losties love, they deserve each other and no one can stand between them.

“But, tonight, if you need a shoulder to cry on, I’m just one theatre over… Okay? I have a pretty comfortable shoulder, so just text me.”

Okay this was pretty nice of Takeru, like cheesy but at least he cares and isnt staring at y/n like a peace of meat he wants to devour...

You sent it. Received a response within seconds saying he was on his way.

This boy, hes got a good heart but this isn’t your story bud, im sorry.

There! Kenji-san and Koganagewa-san, two males who were looking at you and Takeru as if you two were the villains in the movie that just popped out of the screen.

if this doesnt go well these two seem like they’re going to fight y/n outside the cinema😭😂 I couldnt imagine getting death stares from the K_njis especially after hurting Aone basically twice now.

Finding HIM was all that mattered.

OKAY THIS WHOLE PART, LIKE YES GO GET YOUR MAN PLEASE. LIKE Y/N CANT JUST LEAVE THIS RIGHT HERE LIKE THIS.

white hair visible only because his head was down, forehead kissing the steering wheel, his shoulders vibrating slightly because he is crying. It’s him.

I cant take anymore sad Aone😭😭 He needs the biggest hug and his girl to be his girl again. He has gone through so much.

“Kenji-san, please leave me—““Not Justin Bieber look-alike!”

I cant with the Justin Bieber look-alike. 😂😂

Im just going to talk about my feelings for this part, but the whole confesson. I felt like crying, i feel like crying now reading it😭 it was just so beautiful. Like y/n explaing everything and saying Aone is the only man she’ll ever love. Throughout the series we really go to understand Aone’s feelings so deeply and how passionate he is but we didnt really get to see how y/n felt as much so reading this made me happy for Aone for the fact that his girl loves him as much as he loves her. They really were lost for each other, lost with out each other, but together they were

Found.

okay maybe im tearing up now😭😭

One more marathon to go and our happy couple can live happily. The fact that this story is nearly over is a little sad but I’m happy our losties found each other. Im thinking since the next parts will be the last I’ll talk about overall themes I liked and my favourite moments as well.

#shhhlikeme #Losty Aone #Losty mountain man series #this took longer then i expected but i can finally post it!!!!

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hisan-miren · 3 years

Text

Redacted File

The Love Letter Pt 4

The sun met the day with both teens groaning into their pillows in agony, both equally afraid and unnerved of the holes they’d dug themselves into and the inevitable reckoning that had to come about that day. Mina reluctantly pulled herself out of bed and got herself dressed, her mood a notable difference from how it’d been on the day she started all this nonsense. She sighed and looked in the mirror on her desk. Arceus, she looked awful. She definitely didn’t want Raios to ask her out looking like this. Mina took a deep breath, slapped her cheeks a few times for good measure, and darted into her parents’ bedroom.

“Okaa-san, I need to borrow some makeup!”

Her mother and father stared at her somewhat wide-eyed for a moment before her mother smiled eagerly and went to fetch a few things for her daughter to use while her father made a face that strongly resembled the one she was oh so used to seeing on Raios.

“Can I ask if there’s any particular reason you need it? A date perhaps?” her mother cheekily asked as she returned with a small box.

“That’s the goal!” Mina replied, trying to force out an eager attitude from somewhere in her gut. “I’m going to all this effort, so this better pay off!”

In the end, however, she was very late getting to leave. Mina hoped and prayed that Raios would be there to pick her up like he had the previous day, dreading the idea that he had gone to school without her. She took a deep breath, slid open her front door, and looked around to find Raios standing next to it. He’d regained a bit more of his grumpy demeanor, but now he looked more serious than angry.

“Took you long enough.”

“Sorry,” Mina giggled, trying to contain her relief. “There was something I just had to do today no matter what.” She saw his eyes scan over her face and recognition pass through them. Already she could tell he’d misinterpreted the reason for her makeup, and she wasn’t sure how to correct him without letting out the whole plan. “Let’s get to school, okay? We’re gonna be late if we don’t hurry.” She did her best to put on a smile to cover the anxiety running through her chest. Was this going to go well? It had to go well. If it didn’t go well then what had all this pain she’d caused him been for?

“Yeah… hey, Mina?”

“Yes?” Was it going to happen now? Was he seriously going to do it first thing in the morning? Well she’d take that. She’d take just about anything at this point.

“Before you go down to the docks today, can we… can we talk?” He was nervous again, one geta kicking at the dirt.

“Yes!” Mina replied, grasping both of his hands. “Definitely!” She couldn’t have restrained herself if she’d tried. It was happening! This was going to be it! He was definitely going to ask her out! That had to be it! It definitely wasn’t going to be him giving her his blessing or telling her he’d back off or anything… right? It couldn’t backfire that badly, could it? Before she could think herself into a spiral, Mina grabbed onto one of Raios’ hands and started moving towards the school. Now she definitely couldn’t wait for school to be over. Then these three hellish days would be over with! Oh why oh why had she decided on three days? She should have just made it one day and then neither she nor Raios would have had to be like this. Lessons for next time: when trying to trick Raios into doing something for the greater good, don’t make him stew because it feels like kicking a Growlithe.

Mina jabbered away the entire walk to school, trying to fill the awkward atmosphere with the usual small talk of ‘Chise said her brother did- and then their father-’ and so on and so forth, but Raios remained just as pensive as he had the previous day and Mina genuinely felt like she was just making things worse. She already felt guilty enough that this plan of hers had turned so sour. She'd expected it to be innocent and fun, or at least more respectful than trying to make Raios jealous with a fake boyfriend, but it had, instead, possibly just made him even more miserable. At least if she'd gone with the first one he'd have good reason to get angry at her and scold her, but with this she felt like she was just racking up guilt with nowhere for it to go. They both got to the classroom and put their faces onto their desks, completely oblivious to the actions of the other while those in the know just filtered by with deadpan expressions, but by the time class was about to start, Mina had resolved herself. Fuck it. If he didn't end up asking her out, she was just going to drop the whole dumb farce and do it herself. She'd beg and plead on her knees if she had to in order for him to believe her, and he could yell and get mad and punish her all he wanted after too. As long as he took her confession seriously, she didn't care anymore! She deserved whatever she got, as long as he didn't reject her. She still wasn't sure she could handle that. Raios, on the other hand, had resumed a proper scowl by the end of 1st period and some classmates were giving him as wide a girth as they could. Whispers ran around the classroom- those who weren't privy to the ongoing situation being filled in when they asked why the ‘couple' was in such dour spirits and some making bets on how it'd turn out, none of which managed to reach the duo's ears, although they both knew they were the topic of discussion. Mina was honestly surprised that Raios hadn't started a fight by the end of their lunch period he was getting so agitated. He'd started loudly tapping a single tanned finger against his desk, unnerving even the teachers. Normally they would have gone after him, threatening him with his father if necessary, but none of them seemed interested in trying to confront him today. In their defense, if Mina hadn't known what this was about, she wouldn't have wanted to approach him either. Although he looked angry enough to fight a Tentacruel, Mina was positive that it was just the nerves getting to him. She'd never seen him so anxious before. Well, she could kind of understand. She was pretty anxious too, after all. But, hopefully, they'd be able to look back on today and laugh after it was over. She couldn't even bear the thought of any other outcome.

It felt like the whole day passed excruciatingly slowly and terrifyingly quickly all at once. Before they realized it, the end of day bell was sounding, and both teenagers found themselves at least 10× more anxious now than they had been that morning. Both eyed the other warily before standing up and gathering their things, but not a single one of the other students left before them. In fact, a few students from other grades had poked their heads in after hearing of the possible spectacle during lunch. Oh if Raios had his yumi he would have shot every single one of them. The last thing he wanted was for this to be the whole island's dinner-time gossip. He and Mina both walked towards the entrance to swap their shoes. While they (and subsequently the entire school) worked off their indoor shoes, he whispered to Mina.

“Get ready to run.” He locked eyes with her, and she gave the widest grin he'd seen on her in days. She'd clearly been thinking the same things he had. “3...” They both shoved their shoes in their cubbies and pulled their outdoor shoes out. “2...” They scrambled to slip them on and look for an opening. “1...” Once the door looked clear they dug in their heels and- “Go!” The two bolted out the doors to the school, leaving well over three-quarters of the other students scrambling to finish swapping their shoes to follow after them only to be met with an empty road. Raios couldn't help but chuckle looking back at the few who'd managed to keep up slowly falling back and out of sight as they made turn after turn. Mina outright cackled. They didn't stop until they were well into the forest, and then they both plopped straight to the ground, heaving and laughing and trying to catch their breaths.

“That was great,” Mina laughed.

“Yeah,” Raios replied, still trying to catch his breath. “That’ll teach the nosy bastards.” The two took another few minutes to calm down and then another few minutes of awkward silence to try and figure out how to even start the conversation they both knew they needed to have.

“So-…” Both of them started at once, but immediately pulled back when it seemed that the other had prepared themselves too.

“You first,” Raios said, motioning for Mina to continue.

“No no no!” Mina shook her head violently and crossed her arms in the shape of an ‘X’. “You go first. Please. I insist. Seriously.” Raios clicked his tongue and scratched the back of his head trying to regain a bit of nerve.

“So… I really suck at this sort of thing. I’m shit with words, and all I can do is get angry.” Mina waited quietly, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them to settle in and listen. She’d never thought he’d be quick about it. She knew how bad he was at expressing himself. If she’d expected any differently, then she wouldn’t have deserved to be his best friend. “But… I mean… how do I put it?” Raios’ tone turned into an angry growl as he scratched at his head even more and tried to work out the problem he’d literally spent three days mulling over. “… You’re the only person who gets it… You don’t get offended or scared when I get angry, and if I overstep you aren’t afraid to sock me in the face to make your point. I… I really like being around you. I’m not sure I can work up the nerve to say it often, so don’t expect me to repeat it, but I love you… As more than best friends… For a while now… I know I’m a downright ornery asshole most of the time, but I’d still like to be with you. I really can’t imagine being with anyone but you. I know you plan on going down to the docks to see this guy, but-” Raios cut off when he glanced over at Mina for her reaction, the blush that had been growing on his face ebbing into skepticism and irritation. Mina had her hands up covering her mouth and her eyes were downright sparkly as she stared at him. And were her ears freaking red? “What’s with that look?”

“Best. Day. Ever,” Mina squeaked out. This had gone perfectly! Well, except for the part where she’d made both of them absolutely miserable for three days and made Raios get into a fight with his dad, but aside from that it had worked out exactly as she’d hoped. Aside from that. Still wouldn’t do that again though.

“What?” Now Raios just looked confused. He looked like someone had shown him an image of the bottom of the sea and asked him to find a tree.

“I’m not going to the docks,” Mina replied quickly, now literally bouncing in her seat.

“What?”

“I’m not going to the docks,” she repeated. “I was never going to go.”

“But the makeup-”

“I looked like an absolute mess this morning, and there was no way I was going to let this happen looking like a zombie,” Mina replied quickly.

Raios’ brow furrowed more, clearly catching onto something.

“Wait a minute… so you knew I was going to ask you out today?”

“I’d hoped,” she replied. “Just a teensy bit.” She pulled one hand away from her face to make a pinching motion, and he could see that, underneath, she was grinning like a child who’d just been given a year’s supply of candy. “So… uh… here’s the part where you get suuuuper mad at me and yell until the sun goes down, but the letter was fake…” Although she was now so nervous that she thought her heart was going to break out of her chest, she still couldn’t stop grinning. Raios had asked her out. Yeah, not the most romantic confession ever, but she hadn’t expected that from him either. Rather, for him, that was probably the most romantic thing he could have done, admitting that he needed it to be her. She was over the moon. So much so that she didn’t even care what happened next. As long as he was still okay with going out with her, she’d take anything. If he smacked her upside the head with his yumi, that’d be okay too. She had it coming.

“It was fake?” he growled.

“I wanted you to ask me out. I didn’t know any other way to do it!” she explained nervously, starting to come down from her giddy high, finally. “I didn’t think you’d take it seriously if I was the one that asked you, so I came up with this dumb idea to make you jealous and get you to confess to me…” Mina waited anxiously, twiddling her thumbs and sneaking upward glances at him as she waited for him to respond. He was silent for a lot longer than she’d expected, and it actually made her stomach drop. Was he not interested anymore? Did he not want to be with a girl who was so manipulative? (She’d never do it again, she promises! At least not that covertly.) Finally, he pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a deep, frustrated sigh.

“You will be making this up to me,” he replied. “But it’s also partially my fault for thinking I had all the time in the world. I was waiting until I… could get my behavior to be less… aggressive I guess. Didn’t think you’d want to deal with having a boyfriend who flies off the handle at the drop of a hat.”

“I have zero problems with your behavior though,” Mina replied seriously. “It makes the moments you’re kind all that much more amazing.”

“You have a very strange switch, you know that?”

“I’m fine with that. As long as you don’t think it’s a turn off.”

“No… No I don’t,” he sighed. If that helped her stay into him and made his behavior tolerable, then whatever floats her boat he guesses.

“So… we’re dating now… right? Finally?”

Raios turned away, a notable blush coming to his cheeks.

“Yeah… I mean… if you’re fine with that…”

“HOORAY!” Mina gave the loudest cheer he’d ever heard and outright launched herself into him for a hug. “DEFINITELY THE BEST DAY EVER!” She quickly devolved into a long series of happy giggles as she buried her face in his chest.

“Oi! Mina! GET OFF!” Raios yelled, trying to pry her off him, his entire face now very red.

“Don’t wanna!”

“You idiot! Get off me or Lugia so help me-!”

“Nope! You asked me out! You’re stuck with me now! No take backsies!”

Don’t be violent. Don’t be violent. Raios repeated the mantra over and over, but it didn’t do anything to calm him down. Mina’s giggle fit didn’t seem to show any signs of calming down, so Raios was eventually forced to realize that he was just going to be stuck with her on top of him and relent. Once the giggling began to subside though, he did reach up and start petting her head. This was going to take some getting used to. A lot of getting used to, at least on his end. He’d always figured Mina was the type to be very physical since, whenever they’d hang out, she was practically glued to him. He had zero problems with this. His problem was now making sure he controlled himself.

Raios was eventually able to pry Mina off, but only when the sky had started to turn orange and the alternative included not getting any dinner. Mina was humming to herself the whole way home in-between bits of conversation. They were both relieved when they found that they were able to talk to the other the same way they had before. It was like nothing and everything had changed at the same time. Raios did at least see her home, partially out of courtesy and partially because of not really wanting to part.

“Keep it up and you might be lucky enough to get a kiss,” Mina giggled when they finally reached her house.

“Mina,” Raios growled.

“Being shy is cute too! See you tomorrow~”

“MINA!” Raios’ yell widely went ignored however and he was left ruminating in frustration and embarrassment. If this kept up, he was going to have to get his attitude in check for a whole new reason. It took him the entire walk back to his house to reach a level that could even remotely be considered ‘calm’. It was enough that, at dinner, his sister thought it’d be acceptable to poke the Beedrill nest and ask how his day had gone, clearly full-well knowing what had happened.

“You know full damn well,” he ground out.

“Oh~ Do I~ So did Mina take it well?” his sister asked in an obviously teasing tone. Raios glared at her. Obviously it had gone well if he wasn’t sulking anymore, and she knew that.

“She accepted,” Raios growled. “We’re dating. Ask any more and I will go and get my yumi.” Then he turned to his father. “So those marriage talks better be off the table. I’m not meeting any daughters from other islands.”

“I’ll respect your decision as long as Mina stays with you,” his father replied, casually sipping his tea. “But, f you do anything to make her leave you, talks will immediately resume.” Not that he believed she ever would. Mina was nuts about Raios, and the whole island knew it. Raios snorted, clearly not intending to entertain the idea, and went back to picking off his fish.

The next day, it was clear from Raios’ demeanor that no one was going to get a thing out of him. He’d brought his yumi and had it by his desk, damn the amount of space it took up. Anyone who tried to approach him saw his hand go for the wood and immediately backpedaled, face going pale and turning their ass right around. Mina, on the other hand, was happily bragging to anyone and everyone that would listen from the seat next to him. She absolutely refused to give details because ‘that moment was her precious secret’ (and every time Raios heard that the furrow between his eyebrows only deepened as he tried to repress his embarrassment) but made it clear to everyone that she and Raios were now 1,000% a thing, and she was sooooo lucky, and if any girl touched him she might have to start a fist fight (a fight that everyone knew Mina would win.) Raios eventually went with gripping his yumi as hard as he could for stability to the point that not even the teachers attempted to remove it from the room (although that definitely would have changed if he had whacked anyone with it.)

#Redacted File

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evalinkatrineberg · 4 years

Text

Leana

A/N: A little interlude, including an RP with @leanarg , who is so sweet and lovely and amazing!! We love to see it.

I read the email over again, just to be sure that I really hadn’t missed anything. Maybe there had been some phrasing that I had misinterpreted the previous four times I had read it, or maybe something had gotten mixed up when I had been carbon copied on the email - either way, there had to be a mistake somewhere. This couldn’t be it. This couldn’t be my only option.

Dr. Hammond,

I’d be more than happy to allow Miss Evalin Berg to use the lab work she has done for me over the course of her time at this university to count for her biochemistry lab credits. In fact, I’ll CC her on this email, to make sure she sees this as well. My only stipulation is that if she does decide to use the lab work she did for me as her biochemistry lab credits, I will have to have her name redacted in the publications she contributed to. It’s simply department policy; you know how it goes.

This stipulation would not apply, of course, should she return and complete her biochemistry lab in person. The decision is ultimately hers to make.

Yours truly,

Dr. Janine Proctor

Evalin,

Please notify me of your decision on this matter at your earliest convenience.

Dr. Fiona Hammond

No. Nothing had changed, no words had miraculously rearranged themselves to shed new light on the meaning of this email. Neither of my options were good. Either risk taking an incomplete for my first of two semesters of biochemistry, and possibly delay my graduation because of it, or lose the shred of credit given to my name for helping Proctor with her experiments, and for conducting an experiment of my own creation under her careful guidance. Both options left me with a bleak vision of the future.

With a sigh, I closed out my email, clicking my phone locked and placing it on my desk. I leaned back in my chair, my head facing towards the ceiling as I rubbed at my temples with the heels of my hands. Which of these options was the lesser of two evils? I had never felt so unsure of something in my life, and that was saying a lot, considering the last conversation I had had with Idalia, after Arin and I had kissed in the library. How had it come to this? I had gone from kissing Arin and feeling flustered, yet on top of the world, to showing him the work I had accomplished and promptly making a fool of myself in front of him, only to likely have the work I had shown him ripped out from under me. To say that these past few weeks had been a roller coaster would be inaccurate. These past few weeks had been a race down a double black diamond, and I was an inexperienced skier who should probably still be on the bunny hill.

Maybe these weren’t my only options, though. Idalia had somehow pulled some strings to attend fencing practices outside of the palace - perhaps I could similarly find a way to complete my biochemistry lab at Angeles University.

I immediately shook the idea out of my head. There simply wasn’t enough time in the day for me to do that, and besides, I’d probably already missed the deadline to get into such a class there. Even if they made an exception, given my situation, it likely wouldn’t last. Once Proctor caught wind of what I was doing - and I had no doubt that she would - she’d put in a bad word against me, and I’d likely be kicked to the curb again.

It can’t hurt to at least ask, can it?

Yes, it could hurt. That was a lesson I definitely should have learned by now, given my last conversation with Arin. I couldn’t afford to get my hopes up, only to be let down once again. There was only so much I could take.

Besides, there was so much else to do. Wylan’s birthday party was fast approaching, and I hadn’t even begun to work on my costume. I quite enjoyed the theme, if I was being honest. Star Wars had been one of the movie series that all of my siblings and I could agree upon as being fun to watch. My father used to gather all of us up on rainy days during the late spring, when the Tennessee River had flooded the main roads and we couldn’t get anywhere that wasn’t in our own neighborhood. He would make a large bowl of popcorn and let us marathon one of the trilogies. It was likely just a ploy to keep us kids out of our mother’s hair, but we all looked forward to it regardless. Something about Star Wars had encaptured all of our young minds, and brought us all a little closer together.

Now, the question remained - who was I going to go as? On top of that, what was I going to get Wylan for his birthday? I had only met him once, and those circumstances had been rather unfortunate, in terms of making a first impression. Safiya had said that we didn’t have to get him anything, but it went against the manners I had been taught growing up to arrive empty-handed. Besides, I should at least thank him for not ratting me and Idalia out. Maybe I’d simply get him a card, to do just that.

My first question, however, was something I could actively work on, and something that took far less emotional energy to figure out. I pushed myself to my feet, grabbing my phone and striding across the floor to my door in a matter of seconds, not waiting to hear it close behind me as I made my way down to the room I had heard a lot of the other girls mention when talking about costumes for the party. Perhaps I could find some inspiration there.

It took me a while to find it, but I couldn’t keep my eyes from going wide once I did. The entire room was just filled to the brim with different fabrics - on mannequins, in baskets, on tables. It was like nothing I’d ever seen before! I bet Missy would really enjoy this. The corners of my lips twitched upwards briefly as I recalled my encounter with the sweet girl from Midston in the kitchens a week or so ago. I was willing to bet she was rather familiar with this kind of environment, given her line of work.

A flurry of motion caught my eye, dragging my attention away from the sheer, salmon-colored fabric I had been studying up until that moment. At one of the big tables in the center of the room sat Leana, who was now smiling and waving at me. I had only really spoken to Leana once, and that had been more in passing than anything else. It also hadn’t been one of my shining moments, to say the least.

I offered her a small smile in return, walking over towards the table she was seated at with another woman, who I assumed was one of her maids. There was a chance that Leana wouldn’t even remember our brief encounter, after all. I might as well be polite. “Hello! Leana, right?”

She immediately nodded. “Hello! I know you are Evalin, the one with the basket gifts,” she replied with a chuckle. So she did remember the one time we had conversed prior to this, then. Already, this conversation was going worse than I had hoped it would be. That had to be a new record, even for me.

I felt the blood rushing to my cheeks as I responded, “Right, that.” I dropped my eye contact with her, looking first to the side, and then back to the table I now stood in front of. There had to be something else to talk about, a different topic of conversation that didn’t make me want to crawl back to my room as I remembered all the mistakes I had made over the past few months. “What are you working on?”

Leana looked down, biting her lip. “Oh, I’m not really doing anything. She’s the talented one here” - her eyes darted to the side, towards where her maid sat - “It’s about the costume for the party.” At the mention of the upcoming function, her voice dropped to little more than a whisper. It was smart, I realized. You never knew who might be listening, after all. We wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise for Wylan, especially not after Safiya had put so much effort into planning it.

“Don’t worry,” I reassured her with a small smile. “I’m here for the same reason, though I’ll admit I haven’t given a ton of thought to who I’m going to go as yet.” That much was the whole truth. I had already been running through an exhaustive list of female characters from Star Wars movies, but every time I settled on one, I’d think up a reason as to why it wouldn’t work. It was getting more frustrating than it was worth, if I was being honest with myself. Perhaps I just wouldn’t dress up. That’d certainly be easier.

Leana hummed thoughtfully, tilting her head towards the left. “Which are your options?”

“I was thinking about going as Jyn Erso, but dressing as her would feel so different from what we normally wear here,” was the response I finally settled on, laughing ever so slightly, though the sound was hollow and tinny to my ears. I really liked the character of Jyn Erso - found her rather relatable in some aspects, in fact - but I just knew that some of the other girls would be showing up in beautifully designed dresses, having given this facet of the party a good deal of thought. If I showed up as Jyn Erso, how out of place was I going to feel? Plus, there was the fact that I looked nothing like Jyn to begin with.

“Well, I think that’s pretty much the point,” Leana replied with a laugh. “Space warriors in a palace - it will be fun!” Her tone was unfailingly positive and upbeat. She was likely an optimist, then. Interesting, considering the dark sides of reality than many people in her field of study tended to uncover. Her demeanor reminded me a bit of my younger brother Randall’s personality, namely the manner in which she held onto the hope that the world was innately good.

You’re analyzing this with way too much depth.

“True.” I inclined my head to the right, biting the inside of my cheek before looking at Leana again. With a small laugh, I attempted to explain myself. “Something about wearing cargo pants in the palace just feels so odd, though.”

“Better than a hairy chewy costume,” she shot back without hesitation, snickering. “I will be going as Rey, so it’s an easy, comfortable one.” At least I wasn’t going to be the only one not in a super fancy gown, then. The thought was reassuring. The way Leana’s smile faltered once she finished speaking, however, was not comforting in the slightest.

I felt my own smile soften as I looked at her. She must have a memory tied to the character of Rey, then. Did it make her homesick, or was there something more to her reaction? I didn’t want to pry, but out of anybody here, I was sure she would be the most likely to understand my own curiosity. “Have you dressed up for themed parties like this before?”

“Yes, college parties could be wild.” With a smile and a sideways glance in my direction, she continued, “What about you? You are still in college too, right?”

“Yes,” I replied instantly, weekends spent with June and Lukas flashing before my eyes like a PowerPoint slideshow on double speed, “and the parties can indeed be pretty crazy.”

I had never been a big party person in high school. I knew that they were happening, but I didn’t know where, or any of the specifics, for that matter. Parties were June’s thing. I was never invited. It hadn’t been until college that I had finally let June drag me out a few times, and I had definitely allowed myself to loosen up a bit in those scenarios. Many games of spin the bottle, stack cup, and chicken in the pool littered my memory, tinged with a slight alcohol induced haze. The one event June would never let me live down, though, had occurred at the beginning of the fall semester my sophomore year, when I had gotten into a shot contest with a couple of fraternity boys at a darty. I remembered taking eight shots, but I had blacked out immediately after that. According to June, though, that hadn’t stopped me from continuing, and ultimately winning the competition, only to promptly ask her to drive me back to her house, where I had for all intents and purposes passed out in her bed.

That experience had definitely been a mistake, and I was still unsure how I hadn’t died of alcohol poisoning that night, but I found myself grinning nonetheless. Yet, there was one common trend that set these college parties apart from the ones Leana had apparently been to. My grin quickly turned to a frown. “Though I didn’t go to many, and the ones I did go to weren’t really themed like this is.”

“Yeah, I was practically dragged by my friend to them.” She shrugged as I marveled at how similar our experiences could have been, if that was true. As my frown turned back into a smile, her smile turned into a frown. “You’re still in college, right? Biology?”

What about my major had her frowning? Had she heard something about my situation with Proctor through the grapevine? I was sure she had an exhaustive list of sources who would somehow be privy to such information. The thought didn’t sit well with me, but I did my best to push it aside. I’d deal with it another time.

“My best friend was the same way. She was the only reason I really ever got out of the lab.” The thought of June brought a smile to my face, but the expression didn’t linger long as my thoughts turned back to my work under Proctor - or rather, just Proctor’s work, now, I supposed. “I’m a biology major, though, yes. You study journalism, right?”

Leana nodded along, interjecting with a chuckle every now and then until I finished speaking. At that point, she pressed her lips together, almost apprehensive as she began to answer my own question to her. “Yes, I do. I’m also working for a newspaper.” A smile briefly flitted across her face, but it sputtered out as quickly as it had been lit into existence.

“That’s awesome!” She was working, doing something she enjoyed, and making a name for herself. It was quite respectable, in my opinion. “What kind of articles do you write, if you don’t mind my asking?”

She blinked, but then answered, “I’m currently writing for the digital blog covering events, concerts and interviewing famous people.” Her smile didn’t reach her eyes, as if she wasn't exactly enthusiastic about any of the work she was doing. Why would she be doing it then? Surely it was time consuming. If it wasn’t what she wanted to do, why didn’t she focus on another pursuit that made her happier? She was younger than me, if I remembered correctly, so it shouldn’t be too late for her to change her major, or her career, if she wanted to.

Leana took a trick out of my book then, and quickly changed the topic of conversation. “What about you? What are you working on in the lab?”

Currently, nothing. “My professor and I were working on cancer research using genetics, but,” I paused, pondering whether or not it was worth it to attempt to explain the whole situation to Leana. If anybody already knew about it, or was going to find out about it at some point, it would be her. She might as well hear it from the horse’s mouth, I supposed. “I’m sure she’s continued it without me there, even though it was my idea. It’s not like I would’ve gotten any of the credit anyway, though.” I finished with a sigh, shrugging. There was simply nothing I could do about it, at this point. I had made my bed. Now, I had to lie in it.

She raised her eyebrows, and then frowned. “What do you mean? If it was your idea there must be a way to take the credit you deserve.”

If only she knew. I simply shook my head, giving Leana a small close lipped smile. “She’s in charge, and she’s in the lab right now, and I’m not, nor do I think I’ll ever be in her lab again, no matter how this ends.” I waved my hand through the air dismissively, hoping that the gesture in and of itself would bring an end to the conversation

I should’ve known better than that. Leana blinked a few times, pursing her lips for a while before speaking. “Okay, wait, I just have to ask,” she paused, her voice softer when she continued, “why did you leave her with the project in the first place?”

As if I had a choice! What was I going to do, fly a whole lab with me from Carolina to Angeles? I frowned. “Well, it was done in her lab, which she’s in charge of, so I didn’t have much of a say in the matter.”

“But why can’t you come back to it?” She bobbed her head, at the same time that I came to the realization that I really hadn’t explained that portion of it well. “Well if things turn out that way.”

I winced, knowing I would have to try to explain further, while still being as vague as possible, so as not to incriminate myself in any way. “We had a falling out of sorts before I left to come here, and I don’t think there’s any coming back from it,” I began, shaking my head, “but there’s other jobs out there, right?”

Leana opened her mouth, but then closed it again, pursing her lips slightly. “Um, yes I guess there are.”

Change the subject, now! “So, you’re still writing, even with being here, and all?”

She sighed, shaking her head dismissively. “I have been writing things about all the work that’s done here. Learning a little bit about everything, but I don’t have a purpose for it yet.” Despite the end of her last sentence, she was grinning. She definitely liked writing the. So why had she seemed so unhappy with her job earlier?

I decided to focus on her project instead, narrowing my eyes as I attempted to conceptualize what she was describing. “Like a little memoir, of sorts?”

She nodded. “Yeah, or a little behind the scenes.” She shrugged, pausing to smile before adding, “I like to write about the things no one really sees, but now I have been considering including some good life stories I have learned as well.” Her eyes darted to and from the various people working around us. The palace staff did indeed have interesting life stories, from what I had heard from the ones I had interacted with. I was certain whatever Leana was writing would do them justice, and make an good read.

I had to smile. “I like it. I think there’s a lot to be learned from the lives of others.”

“You think?” One of her eyebrows shot up her forehead. Is it really so surprising to hear me say something like that? I supposed it must be, which didn’t leave me with a great taste in my mouth. “Would you read something like it?”

I nodded enthusiastically, intent on making sure Leana understood the truth of the matter. “For sure! I think it’d be really interesting to learn more about the lives of the people here.”

For a moment, we sat in silence, me attempting to smile, and Leana biting her lip. You could’ve heard a pin drop, which was odd for the palace, to say the least. I had grown so accustomed to the flurry of activity and words casually being tossed around that the absence of that energy almost had me on edge.

Thankfully, Leana spoke up, her voice quiet as she offered me a small smile. “I would like to write a story where the nice biologist comes back to the lab and fights for some rights.”

Her intentions were good, I was sure, and yet the statement had me reeling. The thought of facing Proctor again seemed so improbable, so unlikely, that it was hard to even imagine. Even if I was eliminated, which I was sure was likely, given the odds, I couldn’t picture myself simply returning to life as it had used to be. I wanted to continue my studies, of course, but maybe it was time to branch out a bit, and consider other universities. Proctor might have a big reach nationally, but what about abroad? That might be an option I’d have to look into.

Another daydream tantalized me from the periphery of my mind, flitting in and out of focus. The image of me, returning to Knoxville as the winner of the Selection, and taking back what Proctor was attempting to take from me was undeniably desirable. I radiated a certain level of power in that scenario, like I knew I was successful and wasn’t about to let anybody give me grief about it. It was the impression I had always wanted to have on others, I realized. Did I really need to win this to become that, though? I’d already gained so much from being here for this long. Maybe Leana had a point.

I flashed her a smile, though it was forced and tense. “Believe me, if I had my professor’s reputation and respect in the field, I would argue my case. Thank you, though.”

“Yes, I get that, it’s just scary to think about a plan B after you put all the effort in the plan A.” A look of worry flashed across her face as she sighed, dropping her gaze back down towards the table.

I couldn’t stop myself, exhaling through my nose as I nodded in agreement. “I can understand you on that one. Do you have a plan B?” The words flew out of my mouth before I even had the chance to consider that her worry was likely about just that. “You don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to!”

Leana just let out a sad chuckle, her eyes flicking back up to mine. “I’m at the point where I don’t know which is which. What about you?”

I had to consider that for a moment. Plan A had always been the same for me - go to college, get my degree, get a research job, move out, get a dog, get married, maybe have a child or two - “the American dream,” I believed my grandfather had referred to it as. Being Selected had thrown a bit of a wrench in that, though. There had been moments of clarity, for sure - like after that first date with Arin, when I had been sure he was about to send me home. My old plan A had stood out in my mind then. After the kiss, though, I wasn’t so sure. Maybe I was simply a naive fool, sure, but I couldn’t deny that I felt something for Arin. Yet, I wasn’t entirely certain that that set a new plan A, in which I won Arin’s heart and in turn this Selection, and figured the rest out from there, in stone. Once again, the odds weren’t in my favor.

“I’m pretty much in the same boat, I’m afraid,” I answered with a sigh. “I never pictured it’d come to this.” I really hadn’t thought I’d make it this far.

“I’m sorry.”

I almost laughed as the words left Leana’s mouth. That was my line! On top of that, she had no reason to be sorry. It wasn’t her fault that I had gotten myself into this mess.

Was this what I sounded like to everybody else?

“I hope you figure things out,” she continued. “Maybe Prince Arin could help.” Her voice went up a few notes at the end of her sentence, making it sound more like a question than a piece of advice.

Could he? The concept of Arin doing anything for me felt so foreign that I couldn’t even picture him in the same room as Proctor. The more I had thought about it after my conversation with Idalia, the more I had realized how little of a give-and-take there was between Arin and I. I was left with a lot of questions that he wouldn’t answer, and even if he had questions for me, he wouldn’t ask them, and depending on what they were, I also probably wouldn’t answer. Maybe we were really just that bad for each other.

You know he doesn’t love you, right?

Lukas’s voice echoed through my head, rattling against the walls of my mind like an angry bee caught under a plastic cup. I didn’t know whether or not Arin even liked me, and despite Idalia’s advice, I was much too afraid to ever ask him as much outright. There was a kind side to Arin, I was still sure of that. He had helped me with my nosebleed, and he had been willing to recommend me books, and possibly even read my own research, but thinking that over, it all seemed so lackluster. Noncommittal. Not that I could blame him for not committing to any of us, at this point. Not when the entire nation was watching him attempt to date thirty-five girls with the goal of making one of them his wife. After all, I myself had even told him that ending the Selection now would make him look hasty and rash.

I had really played myself in saying that, hadn’t I?

I let out a breathy laugh, dragging myself out of the recesses of my own mind. “Maybe, but I’m not counting on it.” I couldn’t count on it, truly.

“We never know,” Leana replied with a chuckle, shrugging ever so slightly.

I shook my head, relating to that statement more than she could possibly know, I was sure. “Does anyone ever know what to expect from him?”

“I know.” She frowned for a moment, but it quickly turned into a small smile, laced with something akin to sympathy. “He's a bit complicated.”

“Yeah.” I nodded, making a mental note to nominate that sentence for Understatement of the Year. I remembered a previous conversation with Arin, spoken over two cups of bourbon in an alcove. With a wry laugh, I finished, “He’s working on it, though.”

“True, I noticed that too.” As she spoke, Leana began fidgeting with the ends of her hair, twisting and rubbing them this way and that between her fingertips. Did her hair not knot when she did that? I had never thought I would be so jealous of the protein structure of somebody else’s hair, and yet here I was.

Leana continued, unfazed by my staring. “Just the mixed messages have me confused at times.”

I could get behind that statement - I had had multiple conversations about as much, recently. With an enthusiastic nod, I replied, “Agreed. Some days, I feel like we might genuinely have a connection, and others, I can’t figure out why he hasn’t sent me home yet.”

She snickered, the sound almost out of place in the otherwise silent room. “Sorry,” she said again, “it's just that I have that last thought a lot.”

Well, I was glad it wasn’t just me, then, but I still couldn’t help but feel bad that he was putting all of us through this. I could understand him leaving me baffled - I was book smart, but not people smart in the slightest. I got confused by almost anyone who I hadn’t known for a good while. For someone like Leana, though, who was in a line of work where interpersonal communication must be one of her strong suits, to be so confused by Arin, spoke volumes.

Leana forged on yet again. “But a connection huh? That sounds good!”

“No worries!” I laughed along, though I was beginning to wonder if I should have phrased my words differently. My smile began to fall before I could stop myself, and reign in my emotions. “Yeah, sometimes we get along very well. I’m sorry he has you feeling so confused, though. It’s frustrating.” And relatable.

She waved her hand through the air, the dismissive gesture one that I often caught myself making. “No, it's not really! I just think too much.” She must have noticed how surprised her words have left me this time, because after a moment, she decided to ask, “Something bad happened?”

“Oh, no!” I shook my head, forcing a smile to return to my face. I didn’t need Leana worrying about me, on top of Clemence and Idalia already having that job more than covered, apparently. Besides, Leana was beginning to remind me a lot of myself, which meant she probably had enough on her mind as it was. “I was asking more about you. Sorry for the confusion!”

“You are sweet,” she responded with a laugh. “Don't worry, I will be fine.”

I smiled, feeling something start to buzz in my pocket. My phone. That was odd. Normally my family called on the weekends, unless it was an emergency.

I needed to leave, and quickly.

“Noted,” I said to Leana, taking a few slow steps backwards towards the door. “If you ever do need anything though, you know where to find me!”

I could only hope she knew that I meant it.

Her responding smile did much to assuage that concern. “Thank you, Evalin. I hope to see you at the party!”

“Likewise,” I replied, smiling as I turned on my heel and made my way towards the door.

As soon as I knew I was out of sight of the door, I fished around in my pocket for my phone, squinting as the light of the screen hit my eyes. The number was familiar, but not one of my family members. I practically sighed with relief before more questions began churning in my mind.

The number belonged to the corded phone in Proctor’s lab. That machine was so old that half of the time the other college students and I ripped into her for even keeping it in the lab after her lab had been renovated the year before I began my freshman year at university. Was she calling to gloat, then? It wouldn’t be entirely out of character for her to do so, and yet, it was late back in Carolina. She shouldn’t even be awake around this time.

With a sigh, and one last glance at the number, I picked up the call. “Hello?”

My blood turned to ice at the voice on the other end of the line. “Oh, Evalin! Thank God!”

Not Proctor. Not my father. My mouth was almost too dry to form words. “Lukas.”

“It’s good to hear your voice.” How he sounded so cheerful, like nothing had ever happened between the two of us, like we had never even fought, was beyond me. He had to be wilfully ignoring it. There was no other explanation.

“I can’t say the same,” I replied, swallowing. I had been spending more of my mental energy thinking about Lukas than I would have liked to after the kiss with Arin. It wasn’t that I felt the same for Lukas that I felt for Arin - quite the opposite, in fact. Something about kissing Arin, however, had brought back the memory of the last time I had been kissed.

Lukas. Under the mistletoe. In the lab.

Ever since then, I had been reevaluating my friendship with him. Or rather, what I had thought had been a friendship. I had never assumed it was anything more. I had never felt that way for him, and I definitely didn’t now. However, it was beginning to seem more and more likely that he had felt that way for me. Maybe he had even thought we were something more.

I wasn’t going to be the one to suck up my pride and ask him.

“Why are you calling?” I kept walking as I talked, letting my feet lead me down hallways and around corners, no destination in mind. I barely even knew where I was, if I was being honest. Every now and then, I’d pass someone from the palace staff, inevitably carrying half a million things in their arms, who’d shoot me a perplexed look, but move on without questioning me further.

On the other end of the line, Lukas sighed. “Well, you wouldn’t pick up my calls.”

“I know,” I replied, turning another corner. “I blocked you.”

He was silent, save for his breathing. Then, “Things are getting bad here.”

My eyebrows rose, unamused. “How so?”

“Your father had an argument with Proctor the other day. I don’t know if he even realized that I was there.”

“Well,” I began, attempting to suppress the laugh I had almost barked out, “Can you blame him? Or has she not told you any of the shit she’s done to mess up my life?”

“You could have prevented this.” His voice was softer, which somehow grated my nerves. Did he expect me to feel sorry for him? He and I had been put in the same position by Proctor, we had just chosen different answers. Yes, I was suffering for it now, but I would survive. The world was more than just Proctor’s lab. I knew that now.

“Could I have?”

His voice cracked. “You could have come home.”

Just like that, I was thrown back into the memory of when I had first met Lukas. It had been our physics lab, freshman year. Paired together because our last names were close together alphabetically, I hadn’t thought much of him at first. He hadn’t smiled the entire fifty minutes we had been in class that day - not that I had cared much, seeing as someone who took the class seriously was more likely to get a good grade. It wasn’t until I had thrust my phone in his direction and prompted him to enter his number that I had seen any flicker of emotion on his face. A flash of surprise. Then he had entered his number.

After that, our friendship had started to take form. First, it had been a common major, and a shared interest in biology at the cellular level. Then he had offered to run with me and June, framing it as an added layer of safety for the two of us. Later, we had realized that we both had Swendish grandparents. His still lived in Swendway, in fact. He had said he wasn’t very close with them, but he had still learned bits and pieces of the language when his father had lived with him and his mother.

From what I could gather, his father had been in and out of Lukas’s life for quite a few years, and he had been raised mostly by his mother, on her own. I didn’t know the full story, nor did I want to press him for details. He could tell me when he was ready, or at this point, he could tell me never. As selfish as I felt about thinking it, it really wasn’t my problem. We all faced challenges in our lives, and we all handled them differently. I was of the opinion that he hadn’t handled them well. Perhaps that made me the asshole. I really couldn’t bring myself to care.

“Arin hasn’t seen fit to send me home yet,” I responded, my face neutral as I continued walking, staring straight down an empty hallway.

“Arin.” He practically spat out the name, his tone harder now. “You’re on a first-name basis now?”

I blinked. “Yes. I would hope to be on a first name basis with the man I might end up marrying one day, if that's the decision we come to at the end of this.”

“Oh,” he laughed. “So, you haven’t listened to a single word I’ve said, then?”

You know he doesn’t love you, right?

I had heard him loud and clear.

“Why are you calling?” I hated how tight my voice sounded. Water. I needed water. Water would help. There would be water in the kitchen. How did I get there from here, wherever here was?

“I heard Proctor tell your father that she looked forward to seeing his ghost wandering the halls of the biology building, at the end of their argument.” He cleared his throat, the sound so familiar it almost hurt. “I just thought you should know.”

I felt the color drain from my face, even as I replied, “Oh, good, so if he shows up dead somewhere, you can testify against Proctor in court.” Or do you not have the balls to do that, either?

I shouldn’t be this mad at him. A few months ago, I wouldn’t have been able to stand up to her either. I still wasn’t entirely sure what had compelled me to stand my ground the day before I had left for Angeles.

“I wouldn’t have to if you’d just come home, and forget this stupid fairytale fantasy of yours. You’ve done it! You’ve proven that you’re invaluable to us, easily likeable, and a face the world will be watching for the rest of the century.” His breathing was heavy on the other end of the line.

The door to the kitchen came into view. How had I even ended up here? I had been looking for this room, yes, but I hadn’t known where I was before. Maybe some higher power was looking out for me after all.

“That’s besides the point,” I argued, rolling my eyes as I walked into the kitchen. “Look -”

“Shit.” Silence. Then, “I’ve got to go.”

I opened my mouth to say something more, but the line had already gone dead. Just like that, he was gone, a phantom left in my memory only once more.

You know he doesn’t love you, right?

I had no idea.

#selectionoc

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talatomaz · 5 years

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legends of yesterday | team flash x fem!reader | part viii

a/n: i had the biggest writer’s block with this episode which is why it’s not as detailed as the others. this takes place around season 2 episode 8 and this story is mostly canon with a few things changed

warnings: mentions of blood

word count: 1.6k

masterlist | request list | request rules

i do not give you permission to repost or translate my fics on any platform - likes/reblogs are okay and are much appreciated

(Read Healed Scars before reading the rest of this story since it actually fits in so well with the end of part 7)

You jumped out of the SUV alongside Caitlin and Laurel and grabbed your bags from the trunk.

“Remind me what was wrong with S.T.A.R Labs again?” You asked, slamming the trunk door closed.

“Well, I mean, absolutely nothing, if you forget about the revolving door you guys installed so the bad guys could come and go as they please.”

Oliver said, mocking your lack of security which you were about to protest against but Caitlin beat you to it.

“Remind me again what happened to your old lair? Or the one before that?” Caitlin said sarcastically, making you and Laurel smirk.

“Well, lair number one was compromised by the police, and I will stop helping.” Felicity added when she saw all of you looking at her.

You all walked into the old farmhouse when Barry and Cisco entered with the equipment and the latter began complaining about the lack of data and service.

After discussing what Oliver so aptly named Savage’s ‘magic stick thing’, you all decided to divide and conquer.

Felicity, Cisco and Caitlin were going to work on a gauntlet that would allow you to touch the staff.

Diggle said he’d check if ARGUS had any information on Savage whilst you, Laurel and Thea checked police records to try and get a location on Savage.

“Is this even gonna work?”

Thea asked as the three of you walked into the relatively empty police station.

“Yeah, of course. I’m a detective and Laurel’s an ADA, so us working together on a case is plausible.”

“No, I meant all of our plans. Savage is some supposed time-travelling dude who’s been around for thousands of years and he now has even more magic. How are we gonna beat him?”

Thea worried but Laurel reassured her.

“We will, Speedy. We’re all working together on this so he doesn’t stand a chance.”

You all approached the desk, “Hi, I’m Detective Davis, this is ADA Lance and Miss Queen, we were wondering if we could have a look at some files.”

“Can I take your badge number, please, Detective Davis?”

“Of course.”

You rattled off your badge number and once she confirmed your identity, she allowed the three of you access to their file room.

Every file from the 1990s had since been digitalised so it meant that you, Laurel and Thea had to do some grunt work and search through a whole lot of paper files and it was a few hours into that that you found your first solid lead.

“Guys, I think I found something,”

Thea shouted from the other side of the room so you and Laurel joined her.

“It says that there was some sort of conspiracy group who were really interested in a guy who matches Savage’s description.” Thea explained as she showed you the file.

You leaned over her shoulder and read the rest, “Wait, it says here that there’s another file. Give me a minute.”

You said, climbing the ladder and using your powers to rummage through the dusty boxes.

“Got it,” you said, jumping down from the top rung of the ladder.

You blew the dust off the folder, “Shit, this talks about the Pentagon.”

“We gotta call John.”

Laurel said, putting the file in her bag whilst you and Thea put the boxes of files away.

After leaving the station, the three of you got back in the car and were on your way to meet John and Lyla outside of ARGUS HQ and you were a bit nervous to be honest.

“You good, y/n?” Laurel asked, as she drove.

“Yeah, just haven’t been this close to ARGUS since…”

You trailed off but both Thea and Laurel understood.

“Are you sure you’re okay? You can always stay in the car while we talk to Dig-”

Thea suggested but you shook your head.

“I’ll be fine. It just brings up some sore memories but I’m sure I’ll be okay. Thanks for asking though, Thea.”

“Seriously though, y/n, we’re here for you if you need it.”

Laurel said, placing a comforting hand on your arm.

***

“What do you guys have?”

Felicity asked when you, Laurel, John and Thea walked into the farmhouse. Laurel handed the tape to Felicity.

“Beta Max. Aww, what, did you guys get this off of eBay?” She said sarcastically.

“Lyla hooked us up.”

You had finally met Lyla and after an in-depth conversation with the former, your thoughts about ARGUS were confirmed.

There definitely were people who wouldn’t agree with what ARGUS would become like in the future.

Lyla being one of them.

“The tape came from a conspiracy theory group that's interested in Savage.” Laurel explained.

“Pentagon had a file on Savage back in '86, but it's all been heavily redacted.” You continued as Felicity managed to get the tape playing.

You all watched as a Dr. Boardman theorised that Savage was an immortal who, if not stopped, could destroy the world.

He then went on to propose that the only thing that might stop him is an object, any object which was present at the ‘calamity’ that gave Savage his immortality.

When Oliver and Barry arrived a little while later, you filled them in on the tape and what you had found and Oliver began to devise a plan.

“We're going to put Kendra and Carter up against Savage; you guys attack with the element of surprise. Y/n and I will lay down the cover fire. Barry, you speed in, and-”

“Snatch the staff, I got it.” Barry finished as Oliver nodded in agreement.

“Where do you need us?” Diggle asked but Oliver shook his head,

“This is me, Barry, y/n, Kendra and Carter.”

Thea tried to protest but Oliver remained adamant and told you all to suit up.

***

“It’s wonderful to see you again, my love.”

The five of you were now standing face-to-face with Vandal Savage in some abandoned warehouse.

“I will never be your love.” Kendra spat out.

“I know. This always makes this easier.” Savage replied as he took a knife out of his holster.

He walked threateningly closer towards Kendra, “Chay-Ara. Parting is such sweet sorrow.”

He raised the knife to stab her but before he could, Oliver grabbed his arm and stopped him, causing a full blown-out fight between all of you and Savage.

You used powers to try and draw the Staff of Horus to you but Savage used it to blast you and Barry to the ground.

Oliver was able to disarm Savage but Kendra was unable to “grow her wings” as it were.

And whilst you were able to quickly recover, Barry still seemed affected by the blast.

You saw Savage get the upper hand on Oliver so you used your powers to pull Oliver towards you and away from Savage’s assault but Savage then threw two knives into Carter, shocking you all.

Then he threw one towards you that got lodged in your arm and you winced in pain, blood coating your hands.

Before you fell unconscious from the loss of blood, you saw Savage murder Kendra and Barry fail to try and use the Staff of Horus to attack Savage.

You blacked out as the energy from the Staff created an explosion.

***

“Seriously though, y/n, we’re here for you if you need it.” Laurel said, placing a comforting hand on your arm.

“Thanks, Laurel.”

You paused and furrowed your brows.

Woah, major deja vu.

“Y/n? What’s up?”

“Nothing. I just had the biggest feeling of deja vu.” You shook your head, almost trying to physically get rid of your thoughts.

After meeting with Lyla, you all went back to the farmhouse and played the tape and when Barry and Oliver returned, you explained the situation to them.

You paused again when you finished explaining the tape to them, “What is with this deja vu?”

You murmured to yourself but when you looked up, you caught a knowing glance between Oliver and Barry.

Your eyes widened with realisation.

Oh, Barry, you didn’t.

“Barry, can I speak with you for a moment?”

You both went into the other room where you confronted him and he confessed to travelling back in time.

“He killed Kendra and Carter. You were unconscious from blood loss and then you and Oliver both died in the explosion. I couldn’t just let that happen.”

Barry whispered harshly, trying to make sure no one else could hear the two of you.

“Fine. So what do we do differently?” You conceded.

You were all suited up and ready to fight Vandal Savage at the abandoned warehouse where you had previously died.

At the moment, it was just you, Barry, Oliver, Kendra and Carter but after the latter grew their wings, the rest of Team Arrow joined you in fighting Savage.

You, Laurel and Kendra kept Savage’s attention on you three whilst Barry and Oliver worked the Staff and were able to effectively turn Savage into a pile of dust.

After defeating Savage, you all breathed a sigh of relief and Kendra revealed that she and Carter were going to move on with their lives, away from Central City.

She expressed her thanks to you all and said goodbye before leaving to do the same with Cisco.

When you and the rest of Team Flash said your goodbyes to Team Arrow and returned to S.T.A.R Labs, you pulled Barry to the side.

“Do we tell them?”

He shook his head,

“No, let’s just keep this between us.”

<- Previous Part Next Part ->

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pigeoncentric · 4 years

Text

i did an A:TLA rewatch and took notes because that’s just what i do, and here’s the notes if anyone wants to see my thoughts

i haven't watched atla since about a year before korra started airing, so like, around 2011. i should also mention that i never watched korra through to the end, but i guess i'll do that after this. if i feel like it. i do know that the biggest bottles were never popped

i have such a clear memory of the first episode. it must've been on nickelodeon pretty often, even though when it was airing, i only watched it occasionally. i remember they also aired the library episode super often.

aang's voice is so tiny and sweet

i gotta turn off my dumb adult brain and put my dumb kid brain back on so i can better appreciate the nickelodeonness of it all

sokka and zuko's first interaction.......

zuko's intimidating approach and then his tiny teen voice

SOKKA AND ZUKO'S SECOND INTERACTION............

zuko's like "i'm going home." with aang. he must be feeling an incredible mixture of feelings, thinking he has the avatar and can reclaim his Honor. but he also must be terrified to go back, and in disbelief... fortunately he's not going home like he said and there are even more confused feelings in between

i just remembered that iroh's voice actor dies between seasons :(

thinking a lot about dante basco... no thoughts in particular, just a lot of them... and how he shipped zutara lmao

"my troubles cannot be soaked away!"

hei bai looks like a ben 10

mounts list (added to as i progressed through the series): zuko's rhinos. earth armored ostriches. metal noshing mole. north pole goatyak. azula and friends' fur geckos. sabertooth moose lion if you're not a wimp. appa-sized beetle. moose with aquatic features. Eel Hound.

you can't out-mom-friend katara. even when she's yelling and being reckless

it's true... airbenders are weak to nets.

the n*tfli* captions are making several mistakes. eat my ass ne*f*ix and hire me to do flawless captioning instead you dumb fucks

YEAH! even by episode 13 in season 1 we already know zuko is a good boy! well also by episode 12. and earlier. well i've seen the series before.

i've just learned that zach tyler eisen is the voice of aang and i have to give him huge props for having the perfect voice. i pay a lot of attention to voice acting, usually in a nitpicky way, and i've never heard an english voice actor whose voice is perfect on the level of ikue ohtani... and when he was like 12 years old. incredible. i'm not being remotely sarcastic

i gotta be 100% honest. i had completely forgotten the existence of zhao and that he's actually a pretty important character, at least in season 1. also his voice actor is pretty good. generally the voice acting is good in this show, and i'm picky.

god the animation where aang makes one catapult catapult the other is so good. also appa just picked up and grabbed a guy. with his fist. wait how many toes does appa have? is that 18 in total? also appa has scutes on his ventrum. anyway i love that appa can pick up and grab a guy but generally chooses not to. gives it more weight when he does choose to

zuko tells turtle seals to be quiet and then touches them unkindly :(

zuko busted out of katara's ice orb instead of melting it :\

zuko put his hood up like iroh told him to but aang just has his naked bald head in the snowy cold :(

seeing zhao grab and bag the moon spirit fish made me feel sick. such a foul act

god. the quality rope. i noticed sokka mention it and was like, "was this a chekhov's gun or a red herring" and then a few minutes later there was a pointed pan over to the quality rope.

anyway examining the quality of the voice acting here leads me to a thesis i might gather evidence to prove: american english voice acting for cartoons is far higher quality than american english voice acting for anime dubs. or is that just something obvious that everyone already agrees on

anyway anyway, the episode ended without the quality rope being put to use. unless i missed it, which is entirely possible.

jesus i heard azula's first lines and got an instant flashback to all the tumblr drama about grey delisle and her tumblr account and how she pretended it wasn't hers or something let's just erase all of this from my brain right now

this is kind of out of nowhere and borderline inappropriate but i'm glad characters in avatar are illustrated with nipples when they're shirtless... it always disturbs me a tiny bit when shirtless characters are depicted with zero nipple, not even a hint of nipple. (Aladdin.) not just because it implicitly stigmatizes something everyone has, but also because this scenario always plays in my head where it's like, a little kid sees a cartoon character without nipples and they think, "so i'm not supposed to have these..." and they start feeling weird and bad about themself... all you need to depict a nipple is a single unobtrusive dot. nothing visually offensive or explicit about it.

even to an audience who doesn't understand any cultural context, you can't not see the significance of zuko and iroh cutting off their topknots...

fandom seems to see sokka as the silliest one when in fact at least 40% of his entire role as a character is to be the tsukkomi

underrated moment: "you've got an elbow leech." "WHERE?! WHERE?!"

zuko should be a good boy and only steal if it's from pirates

stealy zuko stealing money and buying iroh a teapot !

god i forgot what a tiny baby voice toph has... so tiny

zuko trying really really hard but doing a bad job hammering (tears)

azula set up zuko and mai for a lucky sukebe...

when zuko's mom told him not to forget who he is, she didn't mean to remember that he's a prince and an heir as he revealed to the unsuspecting earth kingdom village. she meant to remember that he's someone with at least the base level of empathy and compassion, unlike most of his immediate family...

i still think aang's voice actor did a great job but i bet it sucks to be a young boy doing an excellent young boy voice and then when you grow up a little and presumably experience some puberty you just Cannot do the young boy voice anymore. hopefully in most cases where that happens, it's at least not abrupt

placing a bet that the writer for episode s2:e10 (the library) is different than most of the other episodes. i don't like it very much, at least in the first several minutes. if it's a name i recognize from the credits of several other episodes, i might be a bit disappointed in them. seriously, there's one stinker after another. and with such a great concept of an episode...

i didn't recognize the name of the guy who wrote this episode so i thought i was right but no, he wrote a bunch of episodes. must have been off his game for this one... either that or i'm in a very unforgiving mood and don't realize it... also when i went on wikipedia to look at who wrote which atla episodes, i learned that the animation for the show was split between two animation studios, and they're both korean. ah, i guess that doesn't mean all the animation took place overseas, as DM movie has a headquarters in the US. according to wikipedia.

oh, they're BUZZards... i get it... i gotcha.

aang with a vengeance is both scary and sad to see. but he does understand that property damage is nothing compared to a life

people who love azula are the exact same as people who love vriska: [comment redacted]

they have american birds in the avatar world. i keep hearing an eastern wood-peewee going "pee-pee-uwee" in the background :3

the serpent's pass seems geologically implausible.

sokka should really get face paint all over his face when he kisses suki. or like, the cartoonish image of when someone is covered in lipstick lip smacks, but it should be suki's makeup color

appa's been through so much and now he has to meet a boarcupine?!?! fortunately he still knows how to pick up and grab... but still :(

he touched appa's scutes and read them like a palm...

longshot translated his meaningful stares into out-loud words for katara and friends

zuko forgot that azula always lies :(

zuko should know that being redeemed in his father's eyes is the opposite of what he wants...

i LOVE aang's passionate tsungi horn dance

there are spring peepers in the fire nation

god the dripping of the rotten clams is so excessive

you know how ultrasonic humidifiers can create water vapor without heating it into steam, by vibrating it super fast? let's try that with waterbending, it'll be cool

two different bad guys have been skipped across the water like a rock

i love the fake time lapse of cleaning the river... and it showed how with pollution in real life, stopping the source of the pollution is not enough. it needs to be removed as well

sokka deserves LOTS of credit just for being able to handle a boomerang.

GOD THE SLOW PAN OVER THE BEAUTIFUL SWORD (in 3:4)

sokka also deserves LOTS of credit for being able to admit he doesn't know everything.

i managed to forget that zuko turns his back on iroh, while remembering that at some point, iroh gets buff

the voice of sokka's master is the voice of the boulder. right? right? no? are you kidding me? i suck at this

seems like kissing azula would have immediate consequences, like something melting

zuko is poorly socialized

zuko still forgot that azula always lies. even when she's being somewhat humanized in an episode like this.

so avatar roku had earthly attachments he did not let go of, presumably. such as his wife. did he have unfettered access to the avatar state? that's what i would ask him during this expositionfest if i was aang.

so sozin could do heatbending... that's amazing. i think i missed that the first time around.

that's right, zuko came back and his hair is long enough, but he hasn't recreated his topknot.

hawky is the only atla animal that poops on camera.

if you're gonna bend sweat, you might as well bend spit, and it's a little easier to obtain

wait so... is combustion man also a heatbender? i'll have to look into it later. [looked into it later: the avatar wiki has termed it "combustionbending?" are you shitting me?]

ooh it's the bloodbending episode! i'm pumped.

someone made a post about how when they watched this show and they were a kid they were thinking about how the characters are hot, and now they're watching as an adult and the characters are all tiny children... that's how i've been feeling. also season 3 episode 8 aang's voice sounds a little bit pubertous.

anyway damn this bloodbending episode is outright traumatic. good shit

oh, now zuko's topknot is back.

appa's armor covers each individual toe <:3c

i seriously misremembered the course of zuko's character development. and the timeline of the invasion in general. but now i understand that zuko has to tell his dad to eat shit face to face.

watching zuko's "zuko here" practice speech hurts 100% as much as it did the first time i saw it. and when he's delivering it to the gaang it's impossible to watch. i didn't put my hands on my head-- they just went there unbidden.

i kinda can't help picturing dante basco's face every time i hear zuko talk. the whole time. it's sometimes not optimal to know the faces of voice actors. especially when you're like me and you're not good at pushing out unwanted mental images.

what the fuck, combustion man? he just loves assassination so much you can't take back any orders. also i can't help but imagine that if you put a slice across his third eye his combustion would be fully inhibited. well i guess that's not a problem anymore.

i like that the gaang are a variety of heights, and that they're all noticeably shorter than most of the adults they meet. it just makes it feel realistic

if it was a US max security prison and prisoners were escaping they'd probably just fucking murder them

i love how when mai starts up the gondola again and azula is like "what is she DOING!" and ty lee just makes an "iunno" noise

tfw your best friend abandons you because you wouldn't let her murder her own brother

chit seng didn't get to free his girlfriend and best buddy :(

funny how azula seems almost docile when she's getting everything she wants. typical narcissist. well ok not the least bit typical.

sokka ate the rose. i remembered this scene Too clearly. but i didn't remember that.

um... was that the full moon? when katara bloodbent that guy? i should've looked at the sky... i went back and looked and still didn't see if it was the full moon. maybe the wiki knows. i don't care enough to look it up properly.

i was wondering when the melon lord would show up

none of the teens understand the obvious solution of defeating the fire lord by beating him INTO SUBMISSION (or oblivion) instead of killing him. just like in every anime fight ever. it's over when you acknowledge you've lost or you can't fight anymore, not when you die. (for the #1 best example of ending a fight the right way, see the way luffy defeats crocodile.)

so i know aang's gonna defeat the fire lord by essentially hitting him with a forced purification beam to the face and make him realize the errors of his ways or something. the fun part is how we get there

bumi bending entire houses through the air

aw i forgot the turtle island didn't have a cute face.

jyong jyong firebent a jet platform to fly around on?!

i guess the firelord can fly around like bakugou katsuki

i forgot that aang took away his firebending... and sokka hops up to him like "well, look at you, buster"

i'm glad i decided to watch this again. even if i didn't do a great job paying attention tbh. well i did spend a bit of time carving a little wooden spoon while i was watching. anyway i was thinking i wouldn't move right on to korra but rather read some of the atla comics that i know exist but have never read whatsoever. i wonder if i can find them in some kind of library...

i found the comics illegally on the internet and read a whole bunch (up until the end of the "zuko finds his mom" arc). i didn't write my thoughts down as i was reading, so i don't remember them. that's how my worthless brain works. i do remember that i found the comics satisfactory as an accurate extension of the show, and that i feel ambivalent about how azula is written/treated in the comics.

i don’t know if i feel like rewatching korra yet.

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bakudekugf · 5 years

Text

Chapter 2:That halloween night part 2

Katsuki,Deku,Kirishima,Ashido,Sero and Kaminari followed Yaomomo out of her bedroom."Where are we going?"Asked Kaminari.

"Like i said,to suit you up."Yaomomo awnsered,smiling over her shoulder.They ended up in the basement.Katsuki did a double take.On the walls were stacked weapons and there was a a table full of coloresd liquid.Potions,was the logical conclusion.

"Here."Yaomomo handed Ashido a mace and their hands lingered.Katsuki placed his hands over Kirishima and Kaminari's mouths before they could ruin the moment.Yaomomo made a face that said that had blood pumping through her veins,she would have been blushing strawberry red.Next,she handed Ashido a utility belt of potions."Use these carefully."She lifted a finger to emphasize her point,causing Ashido's eyes to focus on her lips.

"What about us?"Sero asked.Yaomomo snapped out of her Ashido trance.

"Right!The rest of you,pick whichever weapons you please."

"We don't get potions?"Deku asked in confusion.

"They only work in the hands of a wixen."

"Oh.OH."Deku's and the rest of their gazes snapped to Ashido,who wore a shocked expression.

"I'm a wizard?!Wait-how do you know that?!"

"Monsters can sense eachother."

Ashido's expression slowly changed from shocked to excited,"I'm a wixen."She whispered excitedly,"I have magical powers."

Yaomomo smiled lovingly at her and Katsuki stifled a smile at the lovestruck look in her eyes.

"Oh my god,will you two just make out already?!"Deku said in exasperation.

"W-what?!"Yaomomo sputtered and Ashido gawked at Deku.

"I'm dick and tired of you guys pining over eachother!You're practically dating!Just kiss!"

"Deku-san,that is very inapproprite-"

"No.She's right.Let's do It."

Yaomomo snapped her head towards her,"M-mina!"

"Only if you want to."She added quickly.

"...Yes.I want to."She redacted her fangs and walked up to a blushing Ashido.She leaned down and Ashido leaned up.Their lips met.Kirishima made a heart with his fingers,grinning happily,Kaminari 'woo'd,Deku nodded in approval and Sero and Katsuki clapped.

"Two kisses down!One to go!"Said Kaminari,looking directly at Katsuki and Deku,who had wandered off to pick her weapon.

Before Katsuki could get pissed off,he sensed...something.He let out an wolf-like growl.Kaminari leaned back,lifting his hands in defense."Woah,i was just teasing,no need to wolf out on me."

Deku came back with a sword,looking alert.Yaomomo suddenly pulled back from her turned making out session with Ashido,looking afraid."They're here!"Ashido had a dreamy look on her face and Yaomomo's red lipgloss on her lips."Quick,grab your weapons!"

Kaminari picked up a spiked bat,Sero grabbed an axe and Kirishimachode a butterfly knife.Katsuki stared down at his hands,trying to pull out his claws.He smiled slightly when it worked."Let's do this!"

Dabi stared at the doors of the Yaoyorozu household.He hadn't been here in years.Not since he was Touya.

"Dabi."Tomura placed a hand on his shoulder,walking up next to him."Are you alright?"

"Yes.It's just...this place used to be a second home for me.Now it just brings back memories of him."

Tomura hugged him and he returned the gesture.He felt Himiko,Jin and Kenji hugging him from the back.This was his pack.His family.He would do anything for them.

"It's time.Let's go."

Mina hid underneath the couch in Yaomomo's,her girlfriend(she resisted a grin)'s,room,waiting for Dabi.Someone showed up but they didn't fit the description Yaomomo had given.Instead,they were blue-haired and red-eyed and appeared to have some sort of skin condition.They had fearl werewolf features though.She held her breath.They looked around,sniffing,nose twitching.They looked into the closet and bathroom.They left the room.Mina sighed in relief,getting up-only to scream as they were suddenly in her face,grinning.

"A wixen!How delicious!"She jumped back as they licked their lips.She grabbed a blue potion from her utility belt and threw it at them.It exploded into ice.They used their werewolf strength to break through as she readied her mace.

"Stay back,i-i'm warning you!"

They laughed cruelly,"Do you even know how to use that-"They were cut off by Mina smacking them across the face with it."OW!You-"

They dodged the second time.Mina threw a green potion at them at them and their eyes watered and she threw around one.This time,they ran away.

Mina cheered,hopping in place.

Denki and Kirishima stood back to back as the blonde girl approached them."She dosen't have feral werewolf parts like Yaomomo said!"Said a confused Kirishima.She giggled.

"That's because i'm a vampire,silly!"

"What's a vampire doing in a werewolf pack?"Denki asked outloud.

"I asked myself the same thing!But my pack is wonderful!"She beamed at them.

"THEY EAT PEOPLE!"Kirishima pointed out.She shrugged.

"What can i say?They're yummy."

Denki's stomach churned in disgust and fear."Enough talking! Kirishima!"His best friend nodded and launched an attack.She dodged.

"I like it when my food picks fight!"

"I'm not your anything!"

They fought some more,still back to back.Eventually,she just went and swiped at Kirishima's neck with her knife.Denki jumped in front of him and got his cheek cut.He swung his bat at her and she deflected it with her knife.Kirishima joined in.Denki all of sudden thought of the obvious solution.

"Kirishima,hold her off!I'll be right back!"

"Hurry!"

Eijirou did his best to hold the vampire girl back."What's your name?"She asked as if she wasn't planning to eat him.He made a face,"I'm Toga Himiko!"

"Toga Himiko,meet Garlic Bat!"Kaminari popped up from behind him,garlic stuck on the spikes of his bad,and hit her with it.She shrieked in pain and ran out of the room.They high-fived but before Kaminari could drop his hand back at his side,Eijirou held it.

"Listen,man,thanks for saving me."He said softly.Kaminari blushed,which made him unbelievably happy for some reason.

"Hey,bro,no problem.What are friends for?"

Hanta stood his ground as the blonde werewolf man entered the kitchen."Listen,kid,i don't wanna have to hurt you.How about you just hand over your friend and i'll be on my way."

"As if i'd ever give up Bakugou to you."Hanta growled out.The man sighed.

"Alright,since you're forcing my hand,"He took out his claws,"Let's dance,kid."

Momo dodged yet another attempted hit from the werewolf woman."You seem awfully attached to these humans."She commented.Momo didn't respond."And the same seems to be true for them.My humans and i were awfully attached to eachother too,you know."Momo blinked in surprise and nearly let her hit her,blocking at the last second,"That changed when i told them about my true gender."Momo's eyes widened."The way they talked about...it was like they never loved me in the first place."She smiled sadly.

"You're like me!"Momo exclaimed and it was her turn to be superised.She pointed at trans flag pin on her chest and her eyes watered.She flinched.

She stumbled over to her,drapping her arms in a hug."Don't live life like i did."She chocked out,pulling back to look at her,smiling widely,"Live happily."

Momo slowly nodded,crying a bit now too,and hugged back."I will.I promise."

Katsuki and Deku ran up the second floor stairs to hide somewhere but Dabi was already waiting for them,leaning against a door."Hello,snack.Snack's friend."He sniffed the air and quirked an eyebrow,"And possible mate."

"Listen,you little shit,you can be on your way and we can pretend none of this ever happened.Or you can stay and get your ass kicked by me."Katsuki said,getting into a fighting position and out of the corner of his eye,he saw Deku doing the same.

Dabi threw his head back and laughed,"You're really trying to scare me?A pup like you to an Alpha like me?"

"Don't call him that!"Snapped Deku,readying her sword.Dabi chuckled.

"You want to protect him?How sweet.But futile."Suddenly,he was in front of her and she just barely blocked his punch with her sword.He looked surprised for a second before chuckling,"Stronger than i expected.This could be fun after all."

"Don't touch her!"Katsuki said in an inhuman growl and punched him across the face.Dabi touched the blood coming out of his nose as Deku grabbed Katsuki's hand and put distance between them.

"You really want to do this,huh?"

"It's me you want."Katsuki said,stepping in front of Deku protectively,reluctantly letting go of her hand,"Fight me,not my best friend."

"Kacchan!Are you sure?"

"Yes.Please,Deku,-"He gave her a pleading look,"-I got us into this mess.Let me get us out-"

Deku blocked another punch with her sword,this time aimed at him."Last time."She backed away.

"Thank you for protecting me.Let me protect you now."

Katsuki and Dabi fought.It was crazy.Katsuki couldn't help but think that they should have run out of stamina by now.He guessed it was a werewolf thing.

"Aren't you getting tired,little pup?"Dabi taunted him.

"Aren't you dying,old man?"Dabi's smirk faltered causing Katsuki's to grow.

Dabi suddenly turned to Deku and Katsuki's eyes widened."HEY-"

Deku didn't manage to block the punch this time.She groaned in pain and Katsuki saw red.

"GET.AWAY.FROM.MY MATE!"

Izuku's eyes snapped open at Kacchan's yell and she looked to him.He was growing feral werewolf features!

"KACCHAN!"She exclaimed and his gaze went towards her.

"Deku...stay safe."She nodded slowly,staying in her spot on the floor.Kacchan turned to Dabi,who's eyes were wide with shock,growling.This time,the fight was one-sided.Kacchan won by a landslide.Dabi panted before jumping out the nearest window.Kacchan ran over to her,a worried look on his face,as he went back to normal.He lifted her up with his right arm and grabbed her waist with his left.She placed her hands gently on his shoulders,smiling."Are you okay?"He asked,smiling as well,looking at her in the eye.There was love in those eyes of fire.

"Yes, i am.Thank you,Kacchan."

Their friends came running in."Oh my god!"Yaomomo ran up to the shattered window,"My parents are going to kill me!"

"Good thing you're already dead."Kaminari joked.Yaomomo gave him a flat look."What?It's funny!"

"It's really not."Said Sero.A blonde man,presumably a part of Dabi's pack,ran out of the kitchen,holding his bleeding side,and pointed at him.

"This kid dug a fuckin' axe in my side!He's even more of a blood thristy than Himiko!"

"YOU EAT PEOPLE!"Sero yelled in return as the man ran out the door."I'm not blood thristy,right,guys?"

"You're not blood thristy,Sero-kun."Izuku reassured him.

"THANK.YOU!"

"Are they all gone?"Mina asked Yaomomo,holding her hand.Yaomomo made the face of blushing person.

"Yes.For now.They might come back."

"We'll be ready."Said Izuku,determination coursing through her.

"Yeah!"Seconded Kirishima,lifting up his knife like a sword.

Yaomomo smiled,"Let's get you guys home."

"WHERE THE FUCK WHERE YOU?"Mom hit him and yelled at him literally the second he stepped through the door."I WAS WORRIED SICK!'"

"I was helping Yaomomo."Not a lie.

"With what?!"

"After party cleaning."A lie.

"Oh."Mom suddenly changed tune because of course she did,"I'm so proud of you!"

"Sure you are."He muttered.She went back to normal.

"What was that?!"

"I said i love you,Mom."

"You better."

Katsuki flopped down on his bed and took off his shirt and binder.Tommorow was going to be one hell of a day.

#violence tw #tw:transmisogyny #blood mention #tw:child abuse #anti mitsuki #capslock #swearing #minamomo #kirikami #bakudeku #safebakudeku #of monsters and friends #fic tag

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magicianapprenticelyra · 5 years

Text

Found Wanting of the Bittersweet

Prompt Origin: “so you know how mc got to see a little asra in the magical realms what if asra was the one to stumble on a younger version of mc?? How would that meeting go?”

Usually when one heard a child's laughter coming from out of nowhere, it would be the start of some horrible tale of caution.

This is not one of those stories.

"...Asra. I don't remember any of this."

The white haired magician winced, unseen by Lyra's peripheral vision.

Of course she wouldn't have remembered.

Lyra and Asra had wanted to try and see if they could stir up any of her old memories by going to The Fool's—or was it now...her—realm.

When they had first arrived here, it was so similar to the starry road between all the realms of the Arcana that they almost missed it. What kept them there was Scout. She blocked them every which way until they settled down on two chairs that sat atop a cracked stone foundation.

After Scout took off, Asra and Lyra exchanged a look when the laughter started. It brought goosebumps to the both of them, but the white-haired magician could feel a surge of magic in the air.

“Asra...” Lyra whispered. Her dark brown eyes were aglow, her hair lazily floating upwards.

The both felt it, a massive rush of magic that immediately collided into them. It was enough to rattle their bones, their teeth clenched from the force.

After the initial shock was over, they jumped to their feet. Hand in hand they practically spun 'round and 'round as the realm began to shift and change.

Their starry surroundings melted away to bountiful trees Lyra wasn’t familiar with, but she got the notion the lot of them were from a tropical region. The air was humid, but the rising—setting?—sun helped cool the uncomfortable heat.

Eventually, the sounds and noises of a village waking up was heard. From a variety of huts, people began to walk out and greet each other in a language Lyra didn’t remember, and one Asra just had the bare basics of.

“Good morning <REDACTED>, how are you?“

“I’m fine Mrs. <REDACTED>. How’s your baby?“

And so on and so forth. Asra was confused on why he couldn’t hear what the names of all the individuals were. Before he could voice this to Lyra, he found that her gaze was stuck somewhere else.

Asra followed her line of sight until he landed on someone he hadn’t seen in a little over four years.

“Asra, is that my uncle?” Lyra whispered.

“Any headache?” Asra inquired, looking down between their intertwined fingers. Lyra was squeezing his hand, not too hard, but still...

“No, but I feel like something is pulling on my brain...it’s nothing like the headaches from a long time ago, though.”

There was a beat and a wild array of emotions on her face before she quietly murmured, “You didn’t answer my question.”

“I dunno. We’re a bit far away. Want to take a closer look?”

And so they did.

The man they followed to a small street food vendor was stocky in build. His hair was black, and there was a mischievous angle to his mouth despite the fact it was so early in the day. It appeared he was having a plain breakfast-time conversation with a small child.

It was then that Asra and Lyra knew who it was.

“Oh my god-”

“Oh my gods-!”

Bảo hadn’t been exiled from the village yet. She couldn’t have been more than four or five years old at the time.

When the tiny version of Lyra spoke, the child’s voice was very inquisitive. Whatever this version of her asked, Bảo answered it cheekily, earning an annoyed stamp of her foot and a laugh from him. Bảo reached over and ruffled the young girl’s hair, the latter batting away his hand to fix it.

The food he ordered was a giant bowl of warm, hearty broth. The contents within a bowl were some thin, white noodles, various meats, and fried onion toppings, from what Asra could smell.

Bảo expertly balanced it on a wooden tray. Satisfied, he and his little niece walked back in the direction from whence came from.

"...Asra. I don't remember any of this."

The white haired magician winced, unseen by Lyra's hyper-focused gaze on the retreating forms of an uncle she can’t remember, and the little version of herself.

Asra asked the same thing she did when he saw the visage of his childhood self: “Are you okay?”

His answer came in the form of the realm rearranging itself yet again, their surroundings melting back to the starry void.

Lyra released his hand, slightly curling in on herself, arms wrapped around herself in a hug.

“Hey, hey,” Asra soothed, reaching out to brush a stray strand of hair away from her face. Her eyes were glassy behind her spectacles, fingertips white from how her nails dug into her upper arms.

“...this was a bad idea,” she croaked. “Can we go home?”

Asra couldn’t say no to that.

They woke up in Muriel’s hut, the man himself off to the corner and whittling. The pair of them were closer to the fire, leaning against Inanna’s side.

Once Lyra had all control of her limbs, she stalked outside without a word.

Muriel stopped his whittling, perplexed. “What happened?”

“...That’s a long story,” Asra murmured. He grabbed his scarf, quietly greeting Faust, comfortably tucked in the red fabric.

“Friend?“

“Yeah. Have one of your hugs ready, Faust, she needs it.”

“Will squeeze friend!“

“We’ll be back Muri,” Asra turned to the other. He was acknowledged with a grunt and a small “...be careful“

***

Asra found her quite a ways away from the hut. She was sitting on a massive flat rock in the middle of the forest, knees to her chest and her spectacles set off to the side.

As he quietly approached, he noticed the dried blotches on the glass.

“Lyra?” he tried gently, carefully reaching out to touch her shoulder.

From the startled gasp that escaped her, he must’ve roused her from a surface-level nap.

Lyra had been ready to cast a heavy-duty deflect spell, but hearing Faust yell “FRIEND!” stopped her immediately.

“Asra?” Lyra asked, returning her glasses to her face. “W-what’re you doing here?”

“I’m worried about you. Faust is too.” On cue, Faust launched herself from Asra’s neck and into Lyra’s lap. The morph quickly slithered her way up Lyra’s back, tickling her, and wrapped around her shoulders.

“Squeeze!" Faust’s little tongue flickered against Lyra’s ear, wrangling a few gasps and snickers from the young woman.

Asra took his place beside his love, watching her with a strained smile. When she turned to him finally, a soft sigh of resignation escaped her.

“I thought I was over it.”

“Over what?”

“Over...over the fact I can’t remember,” Lyra sniffed. She reached behind her glasses, wiping away the tears that resurfaced.

She doubled over, her upper half sprawled over Asra’s lap. She was practically on her knees in defeat, hands gripping the sides of her head in frustration.

Asra smoothed his hand up and down her upper back as she sobbed. He hoped a combination of the motions and Faust’s warm, squeezy hugs would help soothe her...someway, somehow.

***

Eventually, Lyra became upright, wincing as several pops emanated from her back.

“Better?” Asra murmured softly. He offered her his hand, which she gently took.

The white-haired magician pulled her hand closer to his lips, gently placing one kiss on her knuckles. And then another, and another, and another.

Lyra’s sigh was soft at the gentle contact. She leaned forward. Asra took his cue to situate his bag behind his head, lie back with her lying atop him, and gently run his hands through her short hair.

Lyra had cut it after the Masquerade; the last time she did was before...

Asra swallowed, his hand stilling.

“What’s wrong?” Lyra murmured, eyes closed as she listened to his heartbeat.

“I think I like your hair like this,” Asra admitted, giving her a reassuring smile when she twisted herself to give him a skeptical look.

“I miss it long,” Lyra sighed. “I loved how your hands combed through it.”

“Pfthaha,” Asra leaned up to deliver a soft peck to her forehead. “It’ll grow back. We’ve got time.”

“Mmm...”

After a bit, the pair of magicians decided to get up and head back, lest Muriel would send Inanna after them. Faust had slithered back into the comfort of Asra’s clothes, poking out of his scarf.

“Oh, hold on!” Asra reached into his bag, earning a look of confusion from Lyra. With a flourish, he pulled his hat from his messenger bag.

When Asra held it out to the other magician. Lyra gasped, eyes lighting up.

“...wait, what?! C-can I? Really?”

“At least let me have the honor of putting it on your head.”

Lyra bowed her head, giddy when he adjusted the brim of the hat. Asra couldn’t help but marvel at her when she stood tall with it. The hat was a bit big; it was made with his fluffy hair in mind after all...

“Remind me to find you a hat,” Asra murmured, “one that fits you better.” His lips curled up mischievously, imagining all sorts of hats she could try. There was a new vendor in the marketplace after all...

“You bet your boots I will,” Lyra chuckled, pressing a smooch on each side of his face.

Asra felt his head swim a bit, the rush of delight making him heady. Seeing his flushed face, coupled with a sheepish grin, made Lyra laugh.

Good...

They wouldn’t be able to solve this dilemma, and maybe it would never be solved...

At the moment though, he was happy to get her to laugh.

Hand in hand, Asra led her the way back, the forest warm with friendly whispers and hums.

#The Arcana #Asra #fan apprentice #asra x apprentice #magicianapprenticelyra #the scribe writes #about this apprentice

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h0neywheat · 5 years

Note

#squad and lovenote! (i was actually meaning to ask you about a rundown on their dynamics for a while so im glad you reblogged that lmao)

#squad:who's friends with who? what are the squad dynamics like?

Since I only ever talk about the the main four, I’ll kinda break down the kids’ dynamics since they all sort of come to see Ramona from the point of view (a mentor/older sister figure), just a different points throughout the story.

So, Wheatley, Micah, and Esther, or as I like to call them, the MEW crew are all high schoolers who somehow all ended up landing a part-time gigs as a magical kids because some weird mystical agency thought they were outstanding enough in various leadership skills to be gifted various powers and the ability to transform and travel between the human realm and the realm of the Echoes. Echoes are essentially physical manifestations of fears people have and are currently polluting the world by trying to corrupt the human race to fall into an everlasting state of anxiety. Only magical kids are able to see Echoes, so it is up to them to essentially conquer the world’s fears.

Lore aside, these three are a pretty goofy group.

(Jeez, I ended up typing way more than I thought I would so I’m just going to put this all under a read more ah)

Wheatley is the president of his school’s culinary arts club. He’s fairly shy, but has enough drive (and a intense enough special interest in baking) to reboot a club that was long dead. It’s an awkward start since he doesn’t have a lot authority in him, but it doesn’t take long to learn who’s in the club just to dick around and who’s really in there learn and have a good time.

Micah has recently transferred to the same high school as Wheats and impulsively took up the role as robotics team captain as a way too meet new people, He did robotics at his previous school but it’s not a big enough interest of his to further pursue it. He just thinks it’s neat. Too bad, being the associated with robotics also pretty much makes you the go-to tech support/appliance repair guy when the school can’t afford an actual IT team.

Wheatley and Micah end up meeting after a blender breaks down in the home ec room and it don’t know how else to put it other than, the immediately find each other charming and start pining immediately for each other because teen love is just like that. It doesn’t help that they’re both magical kids end up crossing paths while both transformed and they do the whole “you’re just like me” ala Spiderverse and Wheats is like “doesn’t this suck?!” and Micah is like “no this is actually really cool, what are you talking about? we’re literally superheroes” and Wheats is like “ugh fine, tell me what you know” while secretly being jealous but the type of jealous that’s really like “god, how dare he know what he’s doing, be kind, and know how to talk to other people, I hate him and his stupid glasses on his stupid cute face.” Whereas Micah is kinda like, “oh sweet that cute baker kid is also a magic kid too.” Except they are both in denial and won’t admit they have a crush on each other while also being super obvious.

An thus begins a duo that’s full of friendly banter and teasing (because they are gay) and trying to learn how the hell to deal with they’re newfound powers and the Echoes they are up against. The both approach their powers differently so a lot of antics seem to ensue between the two of them.

Esther is the president of the art club and Wheatley and Micah’s rival school. She is also the head photographer for the school’s newspaper so she ends up getting an assignment to photograph the football game between the two schools. Wheatley is only there because a huge game like this equals a big crowd and a big crowd means lots of funding for a club centered around food. It wasn’t his idea, but the club advisor’s so he’s stuck running a bake sale in an environment he hates. Micah is there due to a robotics club meeting ending right before the game and he decided to stick around.

Turns out big social events are a good place for Echoes to gather. Man it sure is a good thing both Wheatley and Micah are here, oh wait, who’s that? It’s Esther! The boys are surprised to discover there's another kid just like them...way more agile too, like she was doing like back flips and shit and kicking major ass while they just sort stood their and beat up the smaller Echoes because wow, she really looked like she knew what she's doing.

Micah is the one to introduce himself and Wheatley, but Esther is the one that pesters and pries because she thought she was alone in all of this mess and it's really amazing that they are all close to each other in terms of location. Like neighboring towns and whatnot.

Esther’s the one to suggest they all team up since there's more power in numbers. Micah thinks it’s a great idea while Wheatley is a little apprehensive since they literally just met her, but she assures she knows what she’s doing and promises that together they’ll be a great team.

Except Esther pretty much self-appoints herself as leader and thinks she is best suited to manage the three of them as a team. Wheats doesn’t really mind since he believes he has a lot to still learn and actually enjoys the perfectionism Esther has because he himself is a perfectionist in his own ways, but the whole “in charge” thing doesn’t sit well with Micah. He would rather they all work together on the same level. Micah and Esther butt heads a lot at first because their ways of approaching responsibility, although they are both hard working and social kids, differ intensely. Esther’s frustrated at Micah’s lack of having a set plan or being indecisive and Micah is bothered by Esther’s constant need to insist her ideas are the best ideas out of all three of them.

They don’t actually fight each other, but there’s a lot of bickering that eventually gets on Wheatley’s nerves to the point he has to remind them they are all a team and it was those two that wanted to work together in the first place. But since the three of them end up around each other so much, they eventually learn what works between everyone and have really great synergy.

Micah and Esther now know how to poke fun at each other without actually crossing any lines because it turns out they have a lot more in common then they would like to think and come to behave more like close and caring siblings as time goes on.

They are all really good kids that form their own close knit friend group and I love them so much.

love note: who likes who? crushes? relationships? are they mutual or unrequited?

Well, I already talked about Wheatley and Micah. And I really can’t give the details on Rome’s love life because that involves [redacted] and there’s a whole bunch of spoilers that I don’t want to reveal just yet. Also Esther is gay and doesn’t know it yet, let her figure it out.

#oh my god i really just dumped all this info didn't i whoops #thank you for the question though it was really fun to write all that backstory #also 'meaning to ask' anon you flatter me #my ocs #wheatley baxter #micah maizel #esther anand #Anonymous

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thefandomlesbian · 5 years

Note

Cordelia/Misty prompt (if you’re still taking them, of course!): Cordelia’s plants suffer when she’s blinded the first time and one of the ways Misty and Cordelia bond is when misty “shows” Cordelia how she’s brought all her plants in the greeenhouse back to full health.

Read on AO3 for the best experience!

"I’m old, not broken

leaning heavy on hope and I’m hoping

I can always close my eyes to see.” -Down Like Silver, “Any Day”

…

Heavy brown leaves draped from the many plants in the greenhouse. The building had the scent of rot attached to it. Misty strode through it with her tongue pinched between her teeth as she considered it, hands on her hips, drinking in the sight of the dead and the dying. Plants didn’t have souls. They couldn’t cry out to her. But it still hurt. She frowned and slid a tape into the player. Stevie sang to her, and she felt a little bit warmer.

This place wasn’t her home. But she could make it better while she was here.

“Misty?” Zoe pushed through the door of the greenhouse, a pursed frown on her lips. “Hey. I thought I saw you head this way.” Misty swung back to face her with a smile. “Nobody uses this place, you know. Cordelia was the only one, and now… well, obviously.” Obviously? Misty wanted to ask, but she held her tongue. It wasn’t any of her business what had happened to Cordelia, or when it had happened.

“Will anybody care if I fix it up?”

Zoe’s eyebrows quirked together. “You just came out of the jungle. Don’t you want to spend some time in civilization? We have, like, a whole TV here.”

“Nah, I never cared for TV. My mama always called it the stupid box.”

An awkward laugh coughed out of Zoe’s lungs. “Well… I mean, I guess nobody will care if you want to hang out here. Maybe ask Cordelia first, though, before you get rid of anything. She really liked it out here, until--until everything.”

She had mentioned it twice. Misty had to ask. “What happened to her?”

To her surprise, Zoe shrugged, like the whole thing was nonchalant. “Somebody threw acid in her face.” Misty ogled at her, half-expecting her to deliver some punchline on the very sick joke, but Zoe didn’t redact her statement, and instead, she pressed, “They said Myrtle did it--that was why they killed her--but Cordelia doesn’t believe it was her.” Myrtle? Misty had never considered that Myrtle had the potential to be danger. She isn’t. Cordelia knows best.

“What do you think?”

Zoe’s vacant expression made Misty wonder if she cared. “I think Fiona killed Madison, and she’s done worse than frame an innocent person for a crime.”

“Do you think Fiona did it?”

“I don’t know. Ask Cordelia.”

Yeah, I’m definitely not going to ask Cordelia if her mama was the one who threw acid in her face. Misty knew she didn’t always know the boundaries of propriety, but she knew that would cross a big line. “Right,” she hedged. Cordelia hadn’t asked her any invasive questions, and she planned to respond in kind.

“Are you coming in for dinner? We just finished cooking. You don’t have to hang out here by yourself.”

“Nah. I’m good. I’ll warm up some leftovers later.”

“Alright.” Zoe left the greenhouse, abandoning Misty in her solitude--just the way she preferred it.

…

Several days passed. Misty took the liberty of reviving the plants she recognized and bringing back their colors. She thumbed through the botany books Cordelia kept on a dusty shelf in the greenhouse and sorted the poisonous ones from the safe ones. She had no intention of messing with anything that could kill her--nothing sounded quite as embarrassing as accidentally killing herself through herbal poison.

She approached Cordelia one afternoon in the living room where Cordelia rested on the sofa with a book in her lap. Maybe I shouldn’t. She’s reading. Cordelia worshiped the pages of the book with her fingertips, smelling it, the paper and the ink scent rising up from it. But it was just that--ink. She’s not reading. She can’t see. Misty cleared her throat. “Miss Cordelia?”

The house was quiet. Everyone had left about their business, Fiona to chemotherapy, Myrtle finding the council, all of the other girls enjoying themselves. It was just them. Cordelia lifted her head. “Misty? I thought you went with Zoe.”

“Er--nah. Not my type of thing.” Misty didn’t know where Zoe had gone, but she didn’t think an afternoon of listening to Madison and Zoe and Nan all badger each other sounded much fun. Cordelia patted the cushion of the couch beside her, and Misty hesitantly took the invitation, sinking down beside her. Cordelia started to open her hand for Misty’s, but her forehead wrinkled as she reconsidered. Misty’s eyes widened, and she took Cordelia’s hand. She didn’t have anything to hide from Cordelia’s Sight. “Are you okay?”

She blurted the question. It wasn’t what she had come to talk about, but Cordelia seemed lonely. Even her touch pressed melancholy into Misty’s skin. She squeezed Misty’s hand just a little too tight, like too long had passed since someone touched her. “Yes--of course. I’m fine.” Cordelia swallowed hard. “Are you? Zoe tells me you’ve been missing meals.”

“Zoe tells me you’ve been missing meals.”

Cordelia stifled a chuckle, but her lips curled upward at the corners, and Misty celebrated the small success. “Dinner goes more smoothly if everyone doesn’t witness me stabbing myself with a fork.” The light passed over her sunglasses in a reflection, so Misty gazed back at herself. She wondered what emotion she would have seen on Cordelia’s face if she could have. Her words were wry and rueful. “What’s your excuse?”

Misty traced her thumb over the smooth back of Cordelia’s hand, feeling the way the bones and veins shifted under her skin. “I don’t like being around so many people,” she confessed. The crowd of the coven tended to drive her back out to the privacy of the greenhouse where she didn’t need to worry about anyone seeing her or mocking her. “I eat after everybody goes to bed. I ain’t starving.” She smiled as Cordelia’s hand moved against hers. The unique sensation of skin on her skin warmed her soul.

The space between their palms grew warm. Misty didn’t want to let go. “Do you like it here?”

Misty sucked her lower lip. She couldn’t lie to Cordelia, but she didn’t know the truth. “It’s better than being butchered, I figure.” It seemed a lot better, sitting here next to Cordelia, than it did when she tried to sleep in the same room with Nan. “It’s not bad. Just not what I’m used to. You know, a bunch of catty girls. I’ve seen less drama in families of squirrels.” Cordelia laughed, and this one didn’t have any dark ties to it. It was genuine. “It’s true!”

“I believe it.” Cordelia’s brow quirked in the middle of her forehead. Misty admired the wrinkle forming there. “Thank you for taking care of my plants.”

The morose tone to her words brought down Misty’s high. “I like them a lot. It’s peaceful.” Cordelia’s hand wrapped around Misty’s, giving a squeeze of appreciation. “I just--the poisonous ones, can you show me how to fix them? I want to help, but I don’t want to accidentally make myself sick.”

Inclining her eyebrows, Cordelia slid her hand away from Misty’s and closed the book in her lap, putting it off to the side. Her other hand was wrapped around the handle of her cane. “I--I’m not sure I can help you. I think it might be too much for me.”

“There’s nobody here but me,” Misty enticed. “I promise I won’t tell anyone.” Who did she have to tell? Except Zoe, hardly anyone talked to her.

Cordelia considered it before she nodded. “Alright.” Misty grinned, and she popped up from the couch. Cordelia was a little slower to stand. She fumbled to take Misty’s arm for guidance. She gave it a little squeeze. Misty led the way from the house, careful to take things slowly; she realized Cordelia had hardly left the house since her accident. She took the steps one at a time. The cracked sidewalk caught her cane on every bump, but Misty didn’t rush her. She had nothing but time.

The floral scents of the greenhouse washed over them. Cordelia took a long, audible breath through her nose, drinking in the essence of the room. Her silence lingered. She spoke when she was ready. “You’ll need gloves.” She unwrapped her hand from around Misty’s arm. Misty fetched the gloves and garden shears like she was instructed. “Which one are you using now?”

“I was starting with the belladonna.”

Misty loomed over the pretty plant, resisting the urge to bend over and breathe in the scent of the pretty bluish flowers. “You can smell it. The spores won’t hurt you.” She settled her hand on Misty’s elbow, like she feared letting her stray too far. “All of the plant is toxic, though. Always make sure you wash up after you handle it.” Her aura at Misty’s side was warm and welcoming. Misty liked having her there. “And try not to touch it with your bare skin.”

“Wasn’t planning on it. Once I got poison ivy in places you do not want poison ivy, and that really makes a person rethink botany as a practice.” She had made the horrible mistake of peeing in an unfamiliar bush far downstream from her shack, and she had had the rash for days all over her ass and more intimate parts. Cordelia snorted, trying to restrain her laugh, but she failed at it. “Oh, you laugh now. Wait til you’re scratching your ass from here to Timbuktu ‘cause you forgot how many leaves a poison ivy plant has. And things that aren’t your ass!”

Cordelia put up a valiant battle to maintain her composure, but Misty was trying to make her laugh, and she knew it. Her face flushed bright red as she giggled, stifling it behind her hand, but she couldn’t bottle it up. Things kept escaping through her pinched lips. Misty’s own laugh burbled in her chest as she joined Cordelia in joy. She relished in the sound of Cordelia’s freedom. She had never heard Cordelia express herself so freely before, so joyously, and she celebrated it.

It took Cordelia a moment to collect herself. “How many leaves are on poison ivy?”

“I dunno, three or five.”

She laughed again in a short burst, placing her hand on the small of Misty’s back. Oh, boy, I like that a lot. “It’s three.”

“There you go, it’s three. I don’t need to know anything as long as I’ve got you around, right?” Misty asked cheekily. Cordelia chuckled. “Where do I start with this thing?” she asked about the belladonna.

Cordelia cleared her throat. “Just trim off all of the parts that are unkempt and do what you did with the others. Don’t leave the trimmings out where any animals can get to them.”

“Gotcha.”

Cordelia’s instructions were easy to follow, and she did exactly as she was directed until the pretty blue flowers perked up again and the brown leaves greened to their former hue. “Wow. It turned all pretty again.”

The other woman smiled back at her. “This one is my favorite.” Her expression had a certain sadness to it.

“Wanna see?”

“What?”

“The flowers. Do you wanna see ‘em? I’ll look at ‘em for you.”

It struck her, the absolutely oddness of the conversation--how absolutely crazy her words would have sounded to anyone who didn’t understand them. But Misty stripped off the gardening gloves and touched the inside of Cordelia’s wrist in offering. Cordelia put her cane aside, took her hands, and folded their fingers together like pieces of paper forming origami configurations. Misty grounded herself in the moment. Then she focused on the task before her, starting with the bright asters and traveling around the greenhouse with her eyes.

The hues were like all the seasons at once. Orange and red bled into green and yellow, and blue and violet flashed with the bluebells and cornflowers. And when she finished, her eyes landed back on Cordelia’s face, admiring the blush to her cheeks and the awestruck smile upon her lips.

The silence stretched before them, a canvas untouched by brush. Cordelia said, “Now you’re just looking at me.”

“You are the prettiest flower in here.” Cordelia ducked her head in embarrassment. Misty reached across the table beside her and picked an innocent violet off of its stem, and she tucked it under the earpiece on Cordelia’s sunglasses. “There. Represent.”

Her face flamed. “You’re silly.” Cordelia tiptoed closer to her, and she pulled Misty into a hesitant hug. “Thank you, Misty.”

The petals of the violet brushed Misty’s cheek. “Thank you.” She rested her chin on Cordelia’s shoulder. I’d really like to kiss her right now. Shame rose to her own cheeks, and she struggled to ignore it.

However, Cordelia did not ignore it. “Then do it,” she whispered right to Misty’s ear.

Misty withdrew for second, fearing she had misheard, and she found equal apprehension on Cordelia’s face, fearing she had spoken out of hand. She cupped Cordelia’s cheek in one hand and kissed her once on the mouth, a timid peck. “Like that?”

There was no darkness to Cordelia’s final smile. “Just like that.”

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auburnfamilynews · 4 years

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Wait, when do we play Arkansas State? Oh...

So, in this ultra-weird time (a new normal, I guess), we’re looking for ways to distract ourselves from what’s going on. Thankfully, we’ll have actual real live football coming back in just three short weeks (and one week for some non-SEC Power Five conferences), but since we’re exactly ten years removed from Auburn’s sizzling national championship behind the Heisman heroics of Cam Newton, we figure that it’s time for a bit of a throwback. Therefore, we’re going to look each week at each ensuing game as if it’s somewhat live.

Friday was actually the true ten-year anniversary of the season opener, when we first saw what Cam Newton was going to do and how the team would begin to work together. However, we’ll still be running things on Saturdays to mimic a true in-season preview series, and we’ll even be throwing in game picks as we try to recall how we actually felt about each game as they approached.

Enjoy a little throwback as you relive some of the calm before the storm that ended up being 2010!

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Here we are, the start of the 2010 season. The Tigers are in a good mid-range spot in the rankings, and we have a Sun Belt opponent to help cut our teeth and find out what Cam Newton can really do in this offense. To the picks!

Auburn (-31.5) vs. Arkansas State

Man alive that’s a monster line to cover with a brand new QB. I know ASU is breaking in a new quarterback as well, but I actually think Aplin might be pretty decent. I think Auburn leans on the running game quite a bit early just to ease the pressure on Newton. I would assume that’s mostly Mario Fannin, but I’m hoping we get to see Michael Dyer get a few carries as well. The number is just too big to cover in an opener with a new QB. Auburn 45, Arkansas State 17

Rest of the Staff

Josh Dub

I got pretty excited when JUCO QB Cam Newton committed to Auburn back in late December. I’ve heard nothing but positive things about the young man since. If he can get it going and Ted Roof can be the genius we all know he is, I don’t think Auburn struggles at all Saturday. The first game of the year is always a wild card, so we’ll have to keep an eye out for anyone that surged ahead during fall practice. Auburn 35, Arkansas State 3

Ryan S. Sterritt

Honestly I’m not sure what to think of Cam Newton at quarterback. He’s certainly got all the physical gifts, but his A-Day performance left a lot to be desired. Then again, Gus Malzahn worked pure magic with Chris Todd last year, and the additions of Mike Dyer and Trovon Reed should bolster an offense that returns everyone except Todd and Ben Tate. Defensively, we return just about everyone outside of Antonio Coleman, and while they took their lumps at times last year, I think this group will look significantly improved in year two. Oh, and Arkansas State? They haven’t had an above 0.500 season since they joined the FBS in the 90’s, so I’m not terribly worried. I don’t think the playbook opens much, so I’ll say 31-10 Auburn.

Drew Mac

[prediction redacted due to potential conflict of interest]

Crow

Gosh that song “Tik Tok” by ke$ha sure is catchy. Would be a cool name for an app or something, oh well who knows how to make apps? Anyway, I feel like this auburn team is super hard to predict just like every Auburn team. I still think they beat Arkansas State though. Auburn 52 Arkansas State 26

Jack

I still have some bad memories from watching lanky awkward white dudes destroy our secondary in the bowl game, but I think they’ll make some strides this year defensively with a bunch of the front seven back. As for the offense, I really don’t know what to expect but Cam Newton looks big and fun and was the top rated JUCO player last year. I think our receivers should be able to help him out, especially since Darvin Adams returns to lead a solid group. Am I excited about Mike Dyer? Uh, yes. If only we could’ve him and Marcus Lattimore at the same time. Auburn wins but it’s close for a half while we get some stuff figured out. Tigers 42-20.

Will

I’m really intrigued to see how this new JUCO QB turns out. Auburn 38 Arkansas State 14

Chief

Based one the performance of Chris Todd under His Malzahn last year, my hopes for this season are sky high. Auburn returns nearly everyone, save Ben Tate, and we now have a QB that is 6’6” 250 in the backfield along with one of the nation’s top rated freshmen running backs, it all adds up to good results for the Tigers. We get our first win in what I believe will be a championship season against the Red Wolves. Auburn 46-14

Josh Black

It’ll be interesting to see if Cam Newton can live up to the hype. A lot has been made of what the dual threat QB brings to the table with his legs, but Florida people swear his struggles throwing the ball are why John Brantley unseated him as Tebow’s backup. Auburn 38 Arkansas St. 3

from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2020/9/5/21423196/throwback-week-1-picks-arkansas-state

#IFTTT #Blogger #auburn #auburn fast #wareagle #AuburnFamilyNews #war eagle #sec #football news #aubu

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idealisticrealism · 7 years

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Blindspot 2x13 recap

(Aka the one with Shepherd’s real name)

So much going on in this ep! Weller gets his Boss Pants on to stop some terrorist farmers, and then ends up kidnapped by the creepiest terrorist with the most boring name, our very own Shepherd AKA Ellen Briggs. Meanwhile Roman is barely present (sadly), Jane is adorable, Tasha is an awesome friend, Reade is a mess, and Patterson needs to be swaddled in blankets and protected at all costs.

A very delayed and slightly shorter review this week, but lbr I’m gonna have so many thoughts about the Rich ep that it’ll more than make up for it haha.

Lol I was wondering why I had no memory of this opening scene and then I remembered that my crappy livestream was having issues the other day and I didn't see anything before when Shepherd says goodbye to Kurt on the couch. Oh man I can't believe how much I missed? I'm LOVING this young rebel Kurt (we knew he snuck out to see Sarah, but dude he literally punched a guard for it?? And ughhh he's all angsty and has those intense blue eyes and okay legit who is this actor because I am getting young Wentworth Miller vibes from him and it is WORKING FOR ME. Aaaand then Shepherd shows up and ruins my buzz, bc of course she does. Also she is either a really old-looking 30yr old here or a very young looking 50yr old in present day haha. "To really protect people, you need power. This place is the first step in getting it" yeaaaahhhh mm-hmmm this place is totally a Sandstorm recruitment spot. I just know it. And aaaahhhhh that whole scene was a memory that he was recounting to Jane as they approached the school, I’m so happy about it. Also lol remember earlier in the season when like half a scene could go by before you even realised Jane was in the room? That's now happening to Nas instead (literally it seemed like Weller and Jane were alone given how focused they were on each other). Also damn, Archie is so tiny! What a lil munchkin. Also I love how much more positively he responds to things that Jane says vs things that Nas says? I appreciate that subtle difference there writers, thank you

Sigh Reade what is with this endless string of bad decisions? You clearly do not want this woman in your apartment right now, and you weren't planning on getting her number either. Dude. And you missed your daily morning workout with Zapata! Which I, for one, am delighted to learn is a thing that they do. And then awww Patterson calling them 'the three amigos'. She is too cute. I need this team to be together forever okay?? Like for their whole careers and then when they retire they can all go on cruises together and hang out and stuff. But anyway then she shows them the tattoo they'll be following-- some fake Genesis quote (the bible passage, not the band) that some farmer posted about, and when they ask how she found out about it, she hedges and says she doesn't want to bore them with the details. And Reade totally speaks my mind when he asks, "Since when???" haha. And then she says it's ‘too much math’?? Nope, uh-uh, something is wrong here. Patterson never misses an opportunity to get her math on. Is she deliberately being evasive or is she having difficulties with mental calculations etc? Seriously c’mon Tasha and Reade, don't just let that slide. But they head off, both saying 'let's move' at the same time because they're two lame-o’s that are just super lame and I love them

Lol the secretary lady gushing over Weller. And then Jane corrects her that he's the Assistant Director rather than an agent and hmmm who’s gushing now?? Aaaaahhhh Wifey is so proud of her man. Like just genuinely proud and amazed by him and ugh save me. And then hahaa "you both work for the FBI too?"-- *ex-terrorist/unpaid FBI asset and shady NSA agent look at each other*-- "Sure" haha. But wait a sec, is this the same boss guy? He kept that job for twenty years? Nice. And then omg 'Ellen Briggs'. I'm sorry, I think you just named a florist who lives in the suburbs with her husband and four kids and who crochets in her spare time, not a psychotic terrorist leader. I just... Ellen. It’s so... harmless-sounding?? And then the boss guy talks about how this army lady that occasionally came to give talks convinced him to keep one random student and then even paid that student's fees? Like how did that not see weird to him??? And then the moment the three of them leave the friendly reception lady calls Sandstorm??? Geez. It’s like I’ve always said, never trust people who smile too much. All those gleaming teeth gotta be hiding something. Also lol I feel like Nas (and even Jane) didn't really need to be there for that but I appreciate that Weller brought Jane with him at least. lbr Nas probably invited herself along bc being the unwanted third party is kinda her specialty

So now the team has a name to go on, but still don't seem to be having much luck. Damn military firewalls. But wait she was a Major General, and the Deputy Director (seems like the deputies are the important ones in this show) of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency? Is that a thing? I'mma google it. Huh it actually is a thing; the DTRA is "the official Combat Support Agency for countering weapons of mass destruction." So basically she was once part of the jedi order but then turned to the dark side. Well, I guess fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and we all know where hate leads... on a completely unrelated note, though, I am going to have "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General" stuck in my head for approximately the next 600 years. Thanks, show. But anyhow totally unsurpirsingly most of the info about Shepherd is redacted or missing so they still don't really know much more than they did before. But they do figure out that she's paying for the care of an old colleague/friend of hers so at least that gives them a place to start looking. And lol for the second time this morning someone has said let's go' and everyone immediately leaves.... except Patterson, who just chills and enjoys the cushy desk chair and climate control in her lab haha.

Lol Zapata trying to suggest that Reade sees a psychologist. That's actually a really good idea, Reade. Though I will admit your last experience with a psych wasn't a great one...

Weller you recognised that game SO FAST. How old were you even in ‘88? Six? Though apparently this game was a super big deal, like it was a miracle win for them somehow? Idk enough about baseball history but could this game and the Dodgers be an allusion to something that happened with Shepherd/Sandstorm in 88? And then when Jane introduces herself as Remi (which must be weird for her) he says she's not on the Dodgers. Does it actually mean something?? And then after Nas is all "give up he's got dementia" Jane is the one that comes up with an idea, suggesting that Weller talk to him about baseball to maybe get through to him. She also totally unnecessarily touches his arm as she suggests it which I am appreciative of. I am so Jeller-starved that I’ll take whatever I can get lol. And then ughh the way she watches him as he talks to the old man. Nas sees it, she knows what's up... and ugh Jane looks so sad for him when the guy just says the line about Kurt playing for the mets (and that he was supposed to be a national but 'they would never allow that".) She wanted so badly for Weller to get some answers bc she knows how awful it is to not know something so huge about your life and ughhhhh my babies

So the team has reunited and Jeller are up to speed about the farmer with the plans for a big kaboom. And then suddenly they find him with facial recognition... in their own building. And loolll I love that the whole team immediately starts running-- except for Patterson, who is like "Running? Nah thanks. You guys got this" haha. Also seriously like did the team take the stairs? Or did they just sprint into the elevator and then all stand there awkwardly shuffling their feet while the elevator took them to the correct floor? Because this is a detail that is very important to me and I must know it. And then they catch the guy who is *gasp* an informant, but my main interest is that the team managed to gain two random agents on the way?? Like how did they get them? Were they in the elevator and just ran out with the crowd?? "Hey guys what's going on oh okay we’re running now??". And then wtf this dude is working for them??? Oh wait, no, he's working for Mr DoucheyFace, who is literally having him entrap private citizens, which both Weller and myself are pretty sure is a no-no. And which Weller yells at him about (mysteriously suddenly sans jacket) and takes over because he is the MAN IN CHARGE. And I dig it.

So anyway aaaahhhh Jane/Roman is everything and ugh Roman is having confusing ~feels~ about Shepherd and I don’t like it. And come on lbr they would totally give the files on Shepherd to Roman. They need to know what he remembers and that would be one of the best ways to do it. But ugh of course Jane is scared that he's gonna remember the Zipping and ugh my babies

Speaking of babies, ugh Patterson is still not looking good (health-wise, not appearance-wise, because she always looks gorgeous). The now-jacketed Weller is picking up on it too, and ugh he's concerned about her and also knows she's keeping something from him. And then bam she drops the bomb that she used the info from Omaha and omg Weller's face is like sTOP BREAKING THE RULES EVERYBODY and then omg he strides angrily back to where Doucheyface is and the guy calls him 'sir' which pleases me bc he da boss and also bc the team doesn't have to call him sir bc they’re his squad hehe. And then Weller is really doing his taking charge thing (update: the jacket is gone again lol) and oooooh he's let the douche convince him to send the informant guy out into the field against his better judgement and oooohhhh he's gonna regret thiiiiisssss. Aaaaaand yep he does, bc psycho farmer lady sees right through the informant’s shit (never try to fool a pissed off woman) and dude they couldn’t have given him a vest?? I have a hard time believing Weller allowed him out there without a vest. And oooh now we’re having a bike chase kinda reminiscent of 2x01 while RUDE FARMER PEOPLE ARE SHOOTING AT MY BABIES. But natch our super squad take care of them, though meanwhile doucheyface ruins Weller’s mojo and the crazy lady gets away. Bummer.

So Nas clearly has no problem giving Roman all Shepherd’s files, contrary to what Jane was saying. And I love this spinning camera effect that captures Roman's confusing feelings as he looks at the photos and ugh he wants to know if Briggs is his last name too (thank god it’s not) and why she didn't legally adopt them and then ughhh he has 'warm' feelings towards the pictures of Shepherd and maybe THIS is what Jane was afraid of? Him forming an attachment to Shepherd?? But in any case ugh I just wanna hug my baby boy

Mmmm more Shouty Boss Weller. I love when he shouts at people I don't like. And I love that he has the power to fire this guy. But man things don't look great, the team can't find the lady anywhere..... and then their system reports a robbery which proves that Crazy farmer lady has a whole ton of explosive stuff (not a literal tonne. But a lot. idk) to blow something sky high. And so naturally Jeller, the A team and the perfect combination of Strong Trustworthy Justice Man and Caring Compassionate Understanding Lady, are the ones to go talk to the farmer guy they captured to try and learn what the target is. I mean who wouldn't want to spill their guts to these two. I'd say anything just in the hope that they’d think well of me. And clearly Farmer Joe feels the same, because he tells them where the target is, and they all race there-- Weller naturally again choosing Jane to stick with him. #Lifepartners. But then Patterson radios in--- a Big Truck is racing towards the building and is almost certainly carrying the explosives. So what does Weller do? Why, stand in the middle of the road, of course! Because you know he just hasn't been almost-killed in an explosion for like a couple of days and the poor dude's going through withrdawals. But of course he’s such a badass that even a speeding truck ain't gonna dare mess with him, so it ends up crashing instead (okay, the bullets he expertly put into its tyres might have had something to do with that) but tbh rn all I can think about is Jane watching this situation??? Like she must be so scared for Weller standing there unprotected (no one can convince me she wasn't going to try and tackle him out of the way if the truck had gotten any closer) but she would also trust in his judgement and his abilities and let's not lie here, she totally found that whole moment as hot as we did. But anyway fantasies aside, crazy lady jumps out of the truck with a detonator in hand and is immediately surrounded by the team. And then ugh everything that both Jane and Weller say to her reflects so much of the FBI vs Sandstorm/ good vs bad theme of this season and ughhh he walks right up to her and takes the detonator from her hand and dude you're not making it easy for me to focus on the Serious Life-Threatening Business rn bc I'm already back to thinking about how much Jane probably wants to shove you against a wall rn and gawd this is just a lot for me to handle rn

Oh but here's a proverbial bucket of cold water, in the form of Nas, coming into Weller's office and instantly killing the mood. Geez, lady, you're like that visitor that overstays their welcome and misses all the cues to leave. She’s also again playing the unwanted stand-in for Jane in this scene (legit this would have been a great scene between Jeller but instead is completely uninteresting and feels insincere, despite it being meant to be deep). Also she mentions something about Sandstorm and personal stuff causing him to lose sight of the ‘bigger picture’ and I am so sure that this is foreshadowing for when she's revealed to be some kind of sneaky traitor who was using them this whole time for her own shady gains. It's coming, I know it.

Ah, thankfully here's a much better duo. Weller is making Patterson stop using Omaha because using it is crossing the line into Bad Guy Zone and compromising themselves. And she gives in, but has a last bomb to drop-- Mayfair had spoken to the old guy in the nursing home back when he was in charge of the DC office, suggesting Weller be promoted/transferred to DC the year before. But Shepherd blocked it, ensuring that Weller was still with the NYO when Jane was found. Ooooooohhhh Weller, how deep in this web are you tangled? And why?? Dramaaaaa. Also as a sidenote, Patterson's voice has sounded off throughout this entire episode and I am so interested to know if Ashley just like has a cold atm or if she's deliberately altering her pitch as a subtle sign that ~something is amiss~. I mean she's a voice actor so this is literally her jam...

Naw and another pair that I enjoy so much more than any that includes Nas! Tasha gives Reade some gentle ribbing about their gym date, but in true Zapata fashion, is genuinely caring beneath the jokey exterior. And she tries to support him with his possible 'new relationship' and tells him not to get in his own way. Which we all know he's not going to listen to bc he's Reade and he's a freakin disaster

Weller in the nursing home is actually super cute. And then he's trying to get info from the old guy about why Shepherd (I can’t call her Ellen, it's too weird) wanted him to stay in NYC. And the guy says "You're the face of the franchise, her star player", but okay WHY. Why is he their Chosen One???? And what the hell is the Truman Protocol?? Is it a nod to the movie The Truman Show, where the guy has been watched his whole life, playing a role his whole life, without even knowing?? And then shit, they go to his room to talk privately (bad idea) and BAM a wild Shepherd appears?? Plus a dude who must be wearing super bulky coat to have been able to sneak that GIANT GUN into a nursing home???

Aaaaaahhhh Jane shows up at Roman's cell and is taking about what they'll have for dinner and it sounds like they do this all the time which is THE CUTEST THING. But then Roman's too focused on Shepherd and her light terrorism so it kinda puts a dampener on things. Just like when he questions her about whether she's being used by the FBI, and ughhhh I love that she is so sure when she says she helps them because she wants to (because they're her faaaamily ughh). But ugh I hope his anti-FBI-ness and insistence that they control her doesn't make her waver in her belief of her place in the team.... though lbr she already made her choice about where her loyalties lie and I can't see her ever turning away from the team. Not from them, and definitely not from Weller. Maybe not even if Roman's life depended on it, though I really hope we never have to find out for sure.

Sigh okay I have to say I just really don't like Nikki. They've given us nothing likable about her, and instead have her not only insult Reade's good qualities but also encourage his bad ones. He was already starting to spiral and she's just puling him down faster and ughhhh it’s frustatinggggg

And okay I have such conflicting feelings about Oliver. On one hand he's a bit of a cutie pie and he's genuinely sweet to Jane (ngl I 'aawwwed' a lil bit at the handholding scene), but on the other hand I know that he would just never be able to be able to accept Jane's true self and her past in the way that Weller does, so it's clear they have no real future. Plus, given my ridiculous prejudice against my own accent (and the cousin-accent of New Zealanders) every time he speaks it legit drives me insaaaane. I just need him to not talk, ever. Sigh but anyhow definite points to him for making Jane smile. Shame that his comeback basically means he's probably gonna die or at least meet with some unpleasant circumstances in the near future....

Naw Zapata showing up in Patterson's lab to make sure she's okay and that she's eating and ughhhhhh Tasha Zapata is SUCH A GOOD FRIEND. And ugh I love her so much for trying, even though it's only making Patterson flip out more. And seriously the voice thing is getting even more obvious and actually I just noticed Patterson also looks like she's wearing less eye makeup than usual and I feel like this is about to--- aaaaaaand she's on the floor. Noooooo. Sigh my baby, I hate seeing bad things happening to youuuu

And nooo my other baby. I'm sorry Weller honey I actually kinda forgot that Shepherd had you lol. And uuhhhh wtf is this 'powerful medicine' she used to get the old demented guy lucid? Bc lbr lady if you have something that can reverse Alzheimers, then seriously give up on the Sandstorm crusade and just patent that shit, you'll be a billionaire in no time! But anyhows Shepherd is being her usual super creepy self and is gushing over Weller, who is apparently 'saving the country' with her. Somehow. And so we know that she and Remi came up with the tattoo plan together, but she was the one that involved Weller in it. And she seems to fully expect that he'll help 'when the time comes' which definitely indicates that she knows something that we don’t. And wooooowwww she's kneeling in front of him legit stroking his thighs and GAWD WOMAN YOU CREEP ME OUT. Why must she be SO STROKEY all the time??? And then she cuddles with the old dude (who she apparently cared about) while she stabs him in the chest, before telling Weller that he'll have no choice but to join her, and that in another life, they could have been family. WHAT. THE. FUCK. Does she mean literally, like she was somehow connected to someone in his family-- ie, had been with his dad or something? Or is she being more poetic?? I literally cannot get a read on her, mostly bc she's all over the freakin place!!! She's a mess. But ugh anyhow Weller's gonna cut himself free soon and ugh I just wanna know who he calls first bc I obviously want for him to call Jane bc she's his ~person~ and ugh I need her to race to where he is and be so relieved when he's okay and ugh I just need some more Jeller huggin' alright???

Anyway sorry for the short(er) review-- tbh I really enjoyed this ep as I was watching it live, but I realised later that a big part of the enjoyment was the anticipation for another great Jeller moment... which never happened. I mean I get why, bc the ep had to reintroduce Oliver and also have Weller abducted, so there was hardly a chance to end this ep with another awesome Jeller moment like we got last time. But STILL. We all know I rate ep quality by the quality of the Jeller it contains, so to me this ended up just being a ‘good’ ep rather than an amazing one. But hey, Rich makes any ep and instant fave, so bring on ep 14!!!

#Blindspot #Jeller #Blindspot recap #I was SO close to not getting this one done lol #hope it's mildly interesting #but god I am so excited for the new ep give it to me now

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