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titanicfreija · 2 months

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"Hey-hey, New Light!"

Freija dismissed the call, not recognizing the voice and not wanting to deal with anyone that could tell how young she was. It didn't help. The Hunter caught up to her and slapped her back with a clap of armor. "Hey, hey, hey, I saw the score, and I wanted you to know that I only did as good as I did because of you, okay?"

Freija blinked at the ground, eventually daring to lift her head when the Hunter didn't vanish.

"Are you new? Or returning after a long absence?" asked the Hunter, putting a hand on Freija's pauldron. "I'm Lin Po," he said then, and he took his helmet off to reveal a fair-skinned dark-haired human head. "Me and Delta over there are headed out for drinks, wanna come? We wanted to catch as many as we could on the way out, we've been in the same pool for a while now. Gives me a sense of camaraderie when we end up fighting with and against in the same runs, you know?"

Again, Freija blinked at him, not sure how to respond. Mostly she wanted to shower and ask Rise to remog all her armor so no one would recognize her on sight-- being reassured and invited out didn't feel real for some reason.

Lin Po saw someone behind Freija and she turned before he even moved. "Hey!"

"Oi," they replied, and Freija looked over to see a black-clad Hunter still in their Knucklehead. "Hey, it's you," they said to Freija, pointing. "How do you cap points like that? You came out on top every match, even when I was running with you."

"I died twice as often," Freija pointed out. "That's part of the trick," she sighed then and she buried her head under an arm. "I haven't recovered from the loss of an old piece of equipment. Shaxx said it was boring and unfair."

A sympathetic look crossed the bunch, and Freija felt much better about accepting the invitation.

"Hang on, I'll message the guys I was with," said the new Hunter.

The bar set a room aside for what they predicted would be a fairly big crowd, and the Guardians milled in to pay for a round each and hover around to discuss "business". Freija's misery led to an exchange of stories around rule changes, bans on devices and tools, and various other means by which Shaxx kept the Crucible from being unfair, and the fighters slowly learned names of their killers after recognizing the causes of death strapped to their back, and got to know them over discussions of the morning.

"You're the Warlock with that damn Igneous Hammer!"

"Getting shot really knocks your spatial awareness, I can't find the doors anymore."

"Wait, you're that Stasis Hunter with the void scout, aren't you? Green glowy Ghost?"

"Man, what happened? I felt kinda bad for shooting you that time."

"You! You're the one that ruined my twenty-streak!"

"Hell, I tried to tag along with you but you move like lightning! And I'm the Striker! You're... what, Void?"

"Yeah, you got me, but I got you back, tap for tap."

"Hey, you know you've got a gun, right? You kept trying to hit people instead of shooting them."

"Some dumbass kept storming the point by themselves, taking on like five of us at a time. Practically suicide. I wish Shaxx wouldn't do that to the Kinderguardians. Back in my day--"

"Back in our day, you spent a lot more time hungry and sober. Enjoy the luxury."

Freija enjoyed listening, even when someone was clearly talking shit about her or whining. Her comrades were pretty good about keeping talk about each other civil, and a few of them were stuck-up and proud of themselves (they were good but that didn't give them room to be assholes).

Except there'd been a Titan in blue circling the room, which was odd, until Freija spotted why he was circling-- Two other Titans following-- or chasing-- him.

Pretty obviously, he wanted to be here but couldn't find a way to escape the only reasons he apparently didn't want to be here. The other two Titans in matching steel armor followed and usually didn't directly interact, but he'd still get unsettled and move to the next group or next seat.

"Hey," she called to him as he passed. He let the helmet down out of manners, a purple Awoken with purple eyes and blue hair. She gestured at the seat next to her, so she'd be between him and his pursuers. "What's up?"

"Ah, nothin' much," he said airily, pretending nothing was wrong. If she hadn't just come from the crucible, she'd have missed his nervous glancing. "Had a big morning, this sounded like a nice, chill way to cool down. I don't recognize you, what's your guns?" He glanced at her hip at the Survivor's Epitaph. "Ah. I think I remember you."

She glanced over him and didn't recognize anything. "I'm running a hand cannon and grenade launcher right now, but I'm scooting kits. Name's Freija, I've been bottom of most of the scoreboards I'm on," she admitted.

The Titan flinched for her and laughed as he took the seat, turning it to face the room and keeping a nervous eye out. "I see. I spent a lot of time dead, pretty sure half the memories from this morning got blasted into Infinity's sands."

"That sounds a lot more poetic than it sounds," chuckled Freija. "We probably never ran together 'cos Shaxx was using us to weigh down our teams."

He reviewed a scoreboard projection on his datapad and frowned thoughtfully. "You're not bad-bad, though. You cap points. One time you got ten, that's nothing to slouch at." He smirked slightly and glanced up and relaxed. "Seemed directly inverse to your K/D, in fact," he added, scanning back through.

"I'll cap a point with my dying breath," Freija chuckled. "It's one of my favorite things to do, really, I'll sneak around back while everyone's fighting over B. Sometimes I just die, especially if they all die at once and come back around their point-- I'll get surrounded by five pissed off and freshly reloaded Guardians fast. But then that's leaving B and our point clear for those few seconds. And then if they don't, I have point C. Even if they claim it right back, they had to stop to do it." She grinned at the Titan and glanced around for the ones in gray, too, failing to find them. "You said you had a rough morning. How rough was it?"

The Titan slouched heavily and ran his hands through his hair to pretend he wasn't hiding his face. "I got a real zero."

Freija sucked air through her teeth and put a hand to her heart. "Ooof, ow. What'd happened that you got an ass-kicking like that?"

He didn't bother sitting up to gesture wildly with one arm. "It was just a bad game! First one of the morning, trying a new gun, called on the wrong grenade half the match 'cos I got into a habit in the field-- just a really bad match!"

"It happens," Freija laughed. She scraped at least three kills a match, today, but she would never forget her starting point.

"Ugh," he moaned in response, finally lifting his head. "I'm Tam. How long you been in the crucible?"

"A few years, off and on. Been on hiatus lately."

"That would be why you don't recognize this waste of Light," said a tenor behind Freija. She missed her helmet when she glanced at her "radar", and she turned to face the pair.

"What didn't he tell me?" she asked. They let their helmet down to reveal an Awoken with blue hair and green eyes that bore into Freija like bullets. He looked like he'd eaten something sour and was trying not to spit it out. The dark skinned blond human standing behind him seemed more easygoing but concerned nonetheless. Freija didn't pick up much hostility from the pair, not even from the grumpy one, but for some reason she still felt the urge to defend Tam. She wasn't sure she could, but she wanted to.

"He's been sabotaging matches for a week," the Awoken man stated, voice hard as steel.

"I'm changing my equipment," Tam objected under his breath.

"Yeah, actually," agreed the human casually. The Awoken shouldered between the human and the other Titans and he crossed his arms firmly, using his size to intimidate effectively.

"He's been sabotaging all week," he repeated, gaze on Freija.

Freija rose to her feet but it didn't help-- she might have stood as high as his chin. "Okay, so? If you know it's because he's trying something new, the fuck is your problem?" She set her feet and shoulders, but he had to be fifty pounds heavier-- it took effort to stand strong. No guns for sake of bystanders, plain old fist fighting was the rules, and Freija was embarrassingly bad at it.

"He sucks," the Titan declared.

Suddenly, Freija's capacity for fist fighting didn't matter-- Tam shot past her, fist raised and glowing with Arc Light sending sparks down his arm.

The other Titan caught his hand easily, twisted his arm until he bent off balance, then pulled and lifted so quickly that even Freija didn't see exactly how Tam hit the floor.

"So?" Freija asked, dismissing the mound of Titan writhing next to them.

"So he sucks," the Titan repeated. "I'm sick of it."

"Fuck you," griped Tam as he finally untangled himself from himself and got his feet under him.

Freija gave Tam a dry half-smile. "I won't say you deserved that. But you did ask for it."

Tam stopped brushing himself off and lunged at Freija, fist raised. "You shut up!"

Unlike the other guy, Freija wasn't good at this. Despite her lack of skill, Tam's armor was even clunkier than hers and while she couldn't block his punch, it didn't hurt much-- badly placed with poor form. Planting her heel and returning the blow to his chest sent him staggering into a table full of drinks.

"Hey!" shouted the tenders as the rest of the room turned to look.

"Fuck off, guy. We have to suck to get better," Freija told the new Titan. The human went to help clean up.

"I know." Tam got to his feet and tried to get away, but the big one grabbed the back of his armor to pick him an inch off the floor. "He's coming with me," the Titan rumbled. "Gonna get some practice. No more fucking up matches for himself and everyone else, he's gonna learn to shoot straight."

Tam, previously kicking and attempting to crush the forearm of his perceived attacker, stopped. "What...?"

The massive man lifted and twisted Tam in his grip to put them nose to nose "You. Me. Training grounds. Practice." He looked to Freija with the same hard scowl. "Coming? You need it, too."

"Go fuck yourself," Freija grumped, but she looked to the ceiling. "Sunny?"

@annieruok94

#destiny 2 #ocs #d2 #writing #scribble #freija #crucible

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gayhawkelatehomicide · 16 days

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Dog Post

So my noodle associate consumed one (1) full bottle of soju and started coming up with dog names, so here are my various Dragon Age protagonists' dogs.

Buppies under the cut for length

Wardens

Aridhel Mahariel (serious, stressed, blunt) - Titanius, the most adorable fuck-up of an animal. He has a dignified name because you call him and he trips over his own paws and flops on the floor in his enthusiasm to come receive scratchies. He's so big and so dumb and so sweet. Full blooded mabari but got more Big genes than smart ones.

Saffron Cousland (earnest, noble, cautiously optimistic) - Teryn, the only point of consistent stability in her world. Originally a gift from Rendon Howe, he saves Saffron's life on a couple of occasions, much to said asshole's distress.

Theo Amell (ambitious, daring, prickly) - Hammer, a difficult creature to control, who immediately rolls over and does whatever Morrigan wants, just like his master.

Renan Tabris (ruthless, suspicious, protective) - Teacup, the incredibly polite and well-trained war dog. Probably the only thing in Renan's life that she never has to fight.

Valda Aeducan (honorable, loyal, politically traumatized) - Small Chip, an unapologetically affectionate sweetheart who loves everyone and gives Valda the first uncomplicated physical touch in her whole life up to that point.

Emmaera Surana (strange, cerebral, difficult) - Arnold, the most relaxed dog in Ferelden. Truly, this fella is the only dog who can be within 15 feet of Mae without freaking out because there's Something Wrong With Her and animals can sense it. Hint: it's the 6+ spirits in her head.

Tery Mahariel (tough, laconic, safe) - On'dhar, literally "good dog" in Elvhen, the most tenacious boy in the world. He's the type of dog who gets An Idea in his head and will NOT be dissuaded. Sad thing, apology in advance: he's how Morrigan finds out Tery is dead, because he hunts Morrigan down and she knows he would never leave Tery.

Hawkes

Iris Hawke (kind, ruthless, cunning) - Couscous, the half-Mabari half-wolfhound. He's goofy and playful but also fuckin HUGE and has such a high prey drive it's not even funny. He needs to run and chase things, he NEEDS to. Luckily, you can take him basically everywhere. He enjoys biting the Arishok.

Ian Hawke (complicated, stubborn, self-justified) - also Couscous because look, Ian was originally a dude mage version of Iris because I wanted a mage to gay marry Fenris and then I had to change a bunch of stuff because Iris and Fen never got along. So they have the same dog.

Kiera Hawke (angry, sad, violent) - Mel, the sleepy old warhound who will still bring you dead burglars until his last day. I take everything from Kiera so Mel unfortunately dies towards the end of the game, but he has a long rich life in which he is loved fiercely up to that point.

Alice Hawke (trusting, outgoing, somewhat overbearing) - Pokshie, the overprotective mother hen. You know those dogs who adopt like, baby geese or whatever, and their owners just have to get used to it? That's Pokshie. He decides who he's going to take care of and that is that.

Delilah Hawke (snarky, positive, gleefully chaotic) - Tosus, the dignified gentleman. Man of the house for years (eat dirt, Carver) and straight man to a great many shenanigans, Tosus has one of those doggy faces that just looks like he's judging you most of the time. Kinda the droll butler archetype, but a dog.

Quinn Hawke (grouchy, unrelenting, burdened) - Schnuffles, the friendliest animal you ever did meet. Truly this one is just corgi software running on mabari hardware. Needs so much love and attention all the time, but will mirror it back to you threefold.

Andy Hawke (unique, funny, a bit prescient) - Wendy, the disappointed mom. As if Leandra wasn't enough, Wendy is the epitome of that "I just want you to know, you have disappointed all three of us" meme but it's a dog standing between the twins and everyone is giving Andy the same disapproving expression. It doesn't even slow them down, of course, because Andy doesn't have a lot of the losses that my other Hawkes have to cope with.

The inquisitors unfortunately do not get dogs, because a good hound would out Solas in seconds, but some of them have favorite mounts. Those get their own post tho.

#dragon age #dao #da2 #my ocs #dog post

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angie-j-kay · 2 months

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Working on Chapter 26 today. Here, meet the King of Giant City!

"You made it!" A man was jogging down the stairs from the meadhall towards them. He was wearing loose-fitting brown pants that looked to have been made of something woven by hand, with a plain white pocketed tee shirt. The man shot them a wide smile through a trimmed beard, opening his arms as he stalked towards them. "I was afraid that the landslide might have stopped you!"

Tracey saw Brook glance back in her direction, but Billy didn't. He hopped off of the driver's bench to give a small, courtly bow to the stranger. "Monarch Rionce, I'd like to formally request asylum," he said. "I bring refugees from the Human lands."

"Dude, come on, we haven't talked like that in years!" Rionce teased him. A pair of locals, relatively normal-looking, asked him something in a language Tracey couldn't identify. When Rionce turned slightly to answer in the same language, Tracey saw long, wavy brown hair that had been tucked up into a high bun. Returning his attentions to them, the man said, "Look, I'm sorry I can't do a formal greeting here, but I've got to go deal with that slide. Sounds like something took down half the mountainside, I've got to get over there!"

"It wasn't that big," Brook grumbled.

Tracey brought herself up to her knees in the back of the wagon and raised one hand, ignoring Gabe's warning to let the Elves handle this. "That, uh, that was me," she called over. Wait, had her voice cracked? Was this still leftover fear, or embarassment? Whatever it was, the shaking didn't help. "Sorry, A... a dude was chasing us, and I was trying to stop him."

Rionce seemed to notice the poeple in the back of the wagon for the first time, which didn't make sense to Tracey if he had sent Brook after them. The man who was, apparently, a king, gave Tracey the kind of look she usually saw people give at job interviews. He then turned back to Billy as if she hadn't spoken at all.

"You weren't sure she was enough of a Rutledge?" Rionce sounded as if he couldn't believe he had to ask that question. A small, sheepish chuckle escaped Billy, and her old family friend raised a hand to rub the back of his head a little.

"That was two days ago," he told Rionce. "Since then, she's discovered a ring of Floral-kidnapping Humans, disarmed a gunman using a claw hammer, and blown up a garage."

At that, Tracey decided it was time to sit back down.

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What You Cast Out: A Tale From Little Egypt (Novel Masterpost)

If you'd like to join the taglist, let me know!

The current taglist: @wedgie-of-destiny, @nightacquainted, @storminmywake, @brokenandlonelysouls, @tattur, @theamazingchickenman, @solstice-muse-collective, @axl-ul, @tucsonhorse, @dyrewrites

#what you cast out #indie author #horror #fantasy #romance #slow-burn... very slow burn...#writeblr #artblr #writers of tumblr #artists of tumblr #midwestern gothic #punk #zine #zines #zinester #serial novel #excerpt

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quarantineddreamer · 1 year

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Synchronous Scars (click for AO3)

A RebelCaptain centered Andor AU

The night the garrison on Ferrix is blown up, a strange girl arrives on the Andor's doorstep, and Cassian receives a strange, new mark -a scar in the shape of a star. ~~~ When Jyn awakes in an unfamiliar place, a strange boy sleeping by her side, she discovers a scar from a blaster wound she can't remember. ~~~ There's no time to think about any of this when you're always running -chasing after some semblance of peace, desperately searching for a lost fragment of home and a path forward.

Maybe one day.

I am nervous, crying, screaming, throwing up, and excited to start sharing this fic! It will be updating biweekly on Sundays (though if chapter 1 gets enough of a response I might be tempted to post chapter 2 sooner, because...Jyn ♡).

I am going to be fully cross-posting the fic here on top of posting on AO3 so people read on whatever platform they prefer. Hope you enjoy! 😱

Chapter 1

“She was all alone?”

“There were others –already running by the time I got there- they didn’t look back.”

“Who do you th-…with…”

Cassian scowled from his hiding place behind the living room wall as Maarva’s voice grew fainter. How was he supposed to know what was going on if Clem and Maarva insisted on speaking so quietly?

Nevermind that it was late and he was meant to be sleeping and that Maarva had swiftly locked his bedroom door the moment Clem had burst in from the cold, calling urgently for medical supplies. Whatever was happening the couple clearly did not want him involved.

Which, of course, only intensified the curiosity surging through his fifteen year-old mind.

As soon as Cassian was sure the entryway was clear, he had made quick work of the lock on his bedroom door –Maarva didn’t yet realize he’d picked up that trick- and crept quietly through the hallway to spy on the action.

But the brick wall he leaned against was thick and a pile of crates was obscuring his view of the cot Maarva had hurriedly laid out and whatever, whoever was resting on it.

Cassian knew he needed to get closer if he stood a chance at gleaming anything informative from the hushed conversation Maarva and Clem were having. He eyed the space between himself and the tower of crates, recalling faintly games of lost and found with Kerri back on Kenari. She had forced him to learn quickly how to move silently along the forest floor –she had always been the expert at the game, always craving a greater challenge. ‘Too easy, Kassa, too easy!’ she’d laugh, before dashing away to take her turn to hide.

Cassian shook his head to clear away the memory, swallowing against the choking sensation that always seemed to settle in his throat when he thought back to his old life. The life of a different person.

He slowly stepped forward, careful to keep his eyes on the shadows of Clem and Maarva in case they came his way. Several hammering heartbeats later he had made it safely to his new perch behind the crates and was fighting the urge to release a sigh of relief. He knew Clem might hear it. The man had ears like a scurrier.

“She doesn’t look much younger than Cass,” Maarva was saying.

Cassian wrinkled his nose at the nickname, but fought a small smile. He hated when Maarva and Clem used it in front of any of the other kids on Ferrix, but a small part of him appreciated the sign of affection, familiarity.

“She’s not,” Clem agreed, and Cassian thought he caught the posture of the man’s shadow crumple slightly.

Maarva sighed. “Then how did she get tied up in all of this?”.

“You’ve heard the stories, it’s becoming more common. Orphans with hatred for the Empire and nothing left to lose make perfect recruits…”

There was silence for a moment, and Cassian knew Maarva and Clem were probably having one of those strange wordless conversations they sometimes had, where nothing was said aloud, and yet Cassian sensed there was always an exchange of something between them.

“I’ll go get more bacta pads.” There was the sound of Maarva’s feet scraping the floor.

“We’re out,” Clem said grimly. “She’ll have to make do with the bandages we have.”

“I could go check with the Caleen’s-”

“No. Too far –the patrols are on edge tonight. They’ll take any excuse…”

“You think that has anything to do with her and her friends?”

“Maybe, I did find her by the wreckage, but I-”

“C-C-Cassian, what are you d-doing?”

Cassian swore and turned, without hope, to shush B2EMO –knowing it was already too late. The droid had not bothered to use any semblance of stealth. At least he did Cassian the courtesy of a low hum of apology as Maarva and Clem rushed over.

“Cass? How did you-”

Hoping Maarva might not think too much about the implications of a certain bedroom door mysteriously unlocked if he spoke first Cassian cut in, “I heard Clem come home and he sounded worried so I came to see if everything was okay.” Not a complete lie…

Crossed arms and a quirked eyebrow told Cassian that Clem bought none of this explanation. “Did you see much from down there?” he asked.

Cassian hurriedly came to his feet, brushing dust from the knees of his pants. “I had just…dropped something?” he offered.

Clem’s mouth twisted in a way that suggested his careful mask of stern disappointment might have had an amused rival. “You’re a terrible spy.”

“Everything’s fine, Cassian, it’s just been a long night. Back to bed you go.” Maarva always was the stricter of the two. Motherly in a way that was both familiar and distant to Cassian –a tickle of a memory that stretched even further back than his days playing lost and found with Kerri.

But as Maarva moved towards him, hands prepared to usher him away, Cassian stepped back and his eyes sought an ally in Clem. “Who is ‘she’?” he asked quietly.

Clem glanced at his wife, and there it was again, that silent discussion between them.

Cassian tried to be patient and not feel left out, but out of the corner of his eyes he could see a small, mud-crusted pair of boots curled at the end of the cot. Who did the boots belong to? And why were they here in the Andor household in the dead of night?

Something must have been decided between Clem and Maarva, because when Cassian pulled his eyes back to them, Clem was watching him. “We don’t know her name, and we’re not certain where she’s from,” he told the boy honestly. “But she needed our help, so I brought her here. Do you understand?”

Like you brought me here? Cassian wanted to say, a brief flash of resentment rising in his chest, that familiar desire to tug on the string of what if creeping into him –cold and fierce in such a way that it hurt to resist. What if I hadn’t gone on that ship? What if I had gotten away from Maarva? Would I still be alive? Would Kerri be with me? What if Maarva hadn’t decided to play ‘hero’ and left him alone like he’d wanted…

His eyes wandered back to the muddy boots. He wondered if the stranger had people waiting for her at home. If Clem’s ‘rescue’ of her had been consensual, or if she would be as confused as he had been to be ‘saved’. Lost and lonely and angry and afraid…

Clem was watching him, Maarva too. Cassian forced himself to set aside his own issues and focus again on the mystery in front of him. Now wasn’t the time for another fight. Besides, they’d all been getting along recently; Clem was even showing him how to refurbish old parts, teaching him the way a father would his own son. And truly, he had no one else.

When he’d managed to taper his bitterness somewhat, Cassian gave a brisk nod and waited for Clem or Maarva to speak again.

Clem placed a hand on his shoulder and offered a small, sad smile. “She’s hurt, and she won’t be awake for awhile,” he explained.

“And we’re out of bacta pads,” Cassian murmured regretfully.

Maarva shook her head and buried a hand in her curls with a chuckle. “You’ll listen when you should be sleeping, but when I ask you to tidy your room you’ve got dust in your ears, huh?”

Cassian shrugged.

Maarva rolled her eyes in mock exasperation, giving in. “I’m going to go get more supplies,” she declared, and B2EMO followed her as she made for the hallway and its storage closet.

To Cassian’s surprise, Clem also followed, leaving him alone in the room. The faint light of a lantern cast a halo of white onto the figure on the cot. It called to him like a beacon.

Dark splatters of blood marked the floor, Cassian followed them until he was standing beside the mysterious girl.

Maarva had been right. She looked to be about his age, maybe a year or so younger. Her dark hair was slipping free from a ponytail, errant strands laying across a too-pale face. Dry blood accompanied them, smudged on her cheek, but there was not enough light for Cassian to tell whether or not the blood belonged to her.

Maarva or Clem had placed a blanket over her, but it had slipped, revealing a bandage wrapped tightly around her torso. Blood was already beginning to seep through, a crimson flower blooming on the left side of her thin frame.

The girl’s face began to contort, her brows knitting together, a deep frown settling. She muttered something indistinct –maybe a name.

Cassian felt a pang of sympathy. When she began to tremble, he reached to reset the blanket.

A hand seized his wrist in a vice-like grip. Eyes, green as the trees of Kenari, caught his, wide and panicked. She was upright, panting as though caught mid-sprint, and her skin was clammy and feverish against his.

“You’re okay –it’s okay,” Cassian murmured, hoping she could understand him, trying to convey as much calm as possible –a challenge, considering his heart had nearly leapt out of his chest when she startled him.

“Where am I? What’s happened?” The emerald eyes were flicking about the room –assessing, preparing- settling anywhere but his face. Her fingernails had begun to dig into his arm.

Before Cassian could form a reply, the girl began to tug at his wrist. “Let go of me!” she demanded, spitting fury, an injured animal caught in a trap.

“Careful!” he said forcefully. Then, with more gentleness, “Careful…you’re hurt.” He tapped his fingers against her forearm. “And you’re holding onto me.”

The girl blinked at him, some of the wild confusion beginning to fade from her face, replaced by a deep, deep exhaustion. Her hand loosened somewhat on his wrist. “Who…” She blinked again, her eyes struggling to keep focus on him, stubborn, determined, even as she began to sway. “Can’t st…”

He could tell her instincts were waging war against the weight of the blood loss and using his free hand, he began to gently guide her backwards so she could rest her head on the cot’s pillow. He could see the helplessness on her face as she looked up at him, the fear. “You’re going to be okay,” he promised. “You’re safe... We’ll take care of you.”

She shook her head. “That’s a lie,” she muttered. “No one cares…”

“I do,” Cassian insisted, even though he wasn’t sure why he should, just knew that the girl’s hand was still at his wrist as though to anchor herself there, and that, whoever she was, whoever she had been until arriving in Ferrix, she was alone now. He knew what that felt like. To be alone and afraid and forced to put your trust in the hands of strangers.

She stared at him, and for a few seconds he thought she may hang on to consciousness, as she scanned his face for signs of dishonesty and seemed to decide, with some surprise, that there were none.

But then her head hit the pillow in earnest and she was gone again.

Her fingers dragged across his wrist as the last of her muscles relaxed.

Where her hand had been Cassian felt a sharp chill as night air settled against his skin.

Her arm dangled off the cot now in a limp, lifeless manner he found upsetting.

“Cass? How’s she doing?”

Maarva and Clem had returned, fresh bandages, an ancient-looking pharmpac, and sewing kit in hand.

Cassian glanced at his adoptive parents briefly before turning back to the girl, taking her elbow, and settling her arm in a more comfortable position. “We should hurry,” he murmured, feeling oddly tense.

He allowed himself to be nudged aside as Clem and Maarva sprung back into action, peeling away bandages and wiping away blood. Cassian watched from a distance, barely hearing Clem when he expressed concerns that the expired pharmpac would not be sufficient to hold the girl under; he caught himself flinching as Maarva set to work stitching the girl’s wound, his stomach twisting until he forced himself to look away.

When they had done everything they could for their patient, Maarva and Clem stepped away. They didn’t appear confident in their work, and Cassian felt a shiver run down his spine. His skin was prickling. Had been prickling since the moment the girl’s hand had left his skin.

“We should try and get some sleep. There’s nothing more to be done tonight… I’ll beg a bacta patch off of someone in the morning,” Clem said.

But what if that’s too late? Cassian shuffled his feet, feeling unsettled. Sleep seemed about as ridiculous an idea as inviting an Imperial officer over for dinner.

“What’s the matter, Cassian?” Maarva asked.

He itched at his wrist, feeling as though he had waved it through an electric current. “I want… Can I sleep out here? In case she needs m-us?”

Clem and Maarva shared a glance, confused, but to Cassian’s relief they seemed too tired to argue. “Fine. Grab a spare blanket from the storage closet so you don’t catch a cold,” Maarva instructed.

Cassian nodded mutely, but did not move. Clem squeezed his shoulder good night.

Minutes later, the room was silent, but for the gentle buzz of the lantern and the shallow breathing of the injured girl. Cassian was still rooted in place.

The problem was, for some strange, irrational, completely insane reason he did not think he could leave the room, could leave her, for even a second. The storage closet was just around the corner, but even that was too far.

So, instead of the comfort of a blanket, Cassian found his jacket in its usual place –flung over one of the crates. He pulled it over himself as he settled into Maarva’s armchair, directly by the girl on the cot.

He watched, and waited, and counted every breath.

Until eventually, sleep pulled him away…

#rebelcaptain #rebelcaptain fic #rebelcaptain fanfic #andor #jyn erso #cassian andor #jyn x cassian #slow burn #b writes #synchronous scars

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redskull-fanatic · 2 years

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Random collection of my headcanons bc I can’t have a cohesive thought and idk what to expand upon

Skull has a very complicated and confusing intimate history. At least.. Nowadays! He woke up from being an ice pop and suddenly all these new villains think he’s the hottest shit they’ve ever seen! He isn’t.. used to it, nor does he have any idea where it comes from. Some, he humors. Others, he ignores. Maybe it is to protect his empire.. Perhaps, it is to protect himself.. Like it or not, various villains chase his tail. He tolerates it. For now.

cOUGH COUGH HACK HACK— Okay so Imma rip off the bandage immediately.. Hawkeye and Red Skull would be very cute. hEAR ME OUT,, Just,, Snarky, Smartass Avengers Assemble Hawkeye getting wrapped up in Calculating, Cunning Skull’s plans? PEAK IDEA!! JUST P E A K!! I’m not one for Skull to venture far from Steve, however their history is.. complicated. Hawkeye.. He’s not Captain America, sure. He’s not the pinnacle of health (being deaf). He’s just a guy with arrows.. But.. that’s intriguing. Hawkeye is just a man with arrows, yet he’s an Avenger? Iron Man is a guy in a tin can, but he at least has money! Hawkeye.. is broke.. He’s snarky, he sasses Skull during most missions. He creates a back and forth with Johann only Steve really tries.. The other heroes? They don’t take things.. personally. Hawkeye does. Besides, he’s a blonde.. Skull is soft for blondes..

Red Skull and Captain America are each other’s comfort zones. They both woke in a changed world, one that shifts constantly. Sure, Skull is better at adapting than Steve. It’s his strong suit.. But, the world is still alien to him.. Steve feels this comfort more than Skull. The world changed, the one he knew is gone. His old friends? They all died.. The tech changed, the war is over, it’s all.. different. However, one thing remains the same. Red Skull. He’s the same Skull Cap remembers from the glory days. The accent remains, those piercing yellow eyes still glow, and his laugh is as evil as ever. Sure, Skull’s got a few new scars, but he’s still Cap’s same Skull. Steve is thankful for it.

Skull has various plots, sort of a plot A and plot B. Everyone sees plot A, rule the world, destroy the avengers, yadda yadda.. However, plot B is more.. selfish desires. Personal plans to satisfy a sense of.. longing in Skull. They’re more.. in tune with his heart, and he refuses to share them with most. Zola, Viper, and Night see the most of it. They’re his core support.. They’re granted access.. His B plans of course include his mother. He longs to bring her back, to at least meet her once.. Curiosity will always drive Johann and he longs to truly know.. Who she was. Does she like tea? Is her favorite color yellow? Can she sing? How will she feel about Hydra? So many questions he longs to answer.. Yet, his mother isn’t the only plan. He wants to create a daughter, one of science. He’d rather choke on his own blood then pursue a woman (as a gay man), so science will have to do. Though, he isn’t sure which candidate to use.. Him, definitely. Though, what other man is worthy to help create the new heir of Hydra?..

Skull gets bitches, okay. He’s got so many bitches trying to hit him up, it’s ridiculous. His army has grown beyond mere foot soldiers for this very reason. He has mechanical aid, thanks to his loyal lapdog Justin Hammer. He has technical aid, due to M.O.D.O.K’s.. strange devotion.. Vampires swarm Johann, thanks to the fact the Vampire King has set his eyes upon the Hydra leader.. At this point, Skull wouldn’t bat an eye if aliens become at his beck and call. Suppose he’s just that attractive..

Everyone agrees Skull is a fine piece of ass. Captain America will admit it, Hawkeye keeps pestering everyone about it, of course all of Hydra thinks so— Even Tony has to agree just so people stop bringing it up. The only one who’s too stubborn to address it is Widow, for she’s an aro/ace!!

Black Widow ACTUALLY has a Russian accent bc I’m upset they never give her one!! I also like the idea of her having spider features, bc she’s a BLACK WIDOW.. she’s also Hawkeye’s best friend bc I’d rather die than have another classic boy x girl love story.. cHRIST WOMEN AND MEN CAN JUST BE FRIENDS!!

Hawkeye is iconic, enough said. He is bisexual (male leaning), and is sort of a flirt. He flirts to take villains off guard, but if anyone offers to hit him up he wouldn’t object.. Also he’s deaf bc they need to stop taking away disabled representation!! He was practically raised in the circus of crime and has a big love for dance!! He’s better comic relief than Tony any day, and he’s super underrated. We stan AA Hawkeye!!

Mother Night and Viper are pillars of the Hydra empire and are very important in Skull’s life. Not only are they heads of his army, but they’re the female support he needs. Red Skull needs friends, he could truly thrive with a support system. He needs Viper’s level-headedness to keep him on the ground. While, Mother Night’s concern and affection for him allow Skull to know when he’s safe. We need more females within the Hydra army, and more women in general. Besides, they’re super cool and have awesome capes!!

Skull has complex feelings when it comes to parental.. things. He recalls his own father, and is envious of anyone who’s been graced with a mother. This all hits him when he decides to create an heir for Hydra.. Seeing baby Sin.. He’s conflicted, almost scared but won’t admit it. He doesn’t want to be like his father. He doesn’t want to live up to that.. However, he isn’t too sure how to properly parent either. At first, he is convinced he doesn’t want to raise a child. He’d rather have Zola age the baby up immediately, but.. Once he sees his little girl, he wants to hold her.. Carry her around and show her all of Hydra.. He’s lost in his head, and doesn’t know what to do.

Skull will always fixate on Captain America, that’s never going away! Though, his eyes have started to wander.. What if there truly is no hope for the Captain? He will never succumb to Johann’s wishes.. Perhaps, modern men aren’t so bad? Mr. Hammer practically begs Skull for the time of day.. He already has a loyal blonde at his feet. Besides, Hawkeye is a more.. receptive hero.. Sometimes, Skull believes it’s time to broaden his horizons. Let go of the past, only then can you prosper fully..

Red Skull is extremely starved and he doesn’t know it at all. He’s pent up, and the fucking idiot has no idea. He doesn’t know how much he longs for romantic and sexual attention. No fucking clue that he often day dreams about a proper Hydra wedding.. Does he stare at the male heroes? He can’t tell.. He doesn’t get lost in eyes, nor get flushed within certain arms. His heart refuses to flutter at many voices.. Skull doesn’t.. desire to dance with someone.. after a delightful dinner.. under the moon.. He doesn’t realize how lonely he truly is.

Skull did indeed freeze in the ice with Steve. Both crashed during that flight, and both were frozen staring at each other for years.. According to Steve, it was a very intimate encounter..

I really like Johann with the Tesseract, soooo I’m keeping it! It acts sort of like Jarvis, but it doesn’t speak. All it does it glow and display images for Skull. The Tesseract can hint at the future and give Skull advice. It’s a very friendly artifact! Though, has a bias towards Johann due to the very kind treatment Skull gives it!

There you go, enjoy my brain vomit—

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averagedeadinsomniac · 2 years

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"𝕴𝖙'𝖘 𝕬 𝕻𝖎𝖗𝖆𝖙𝖊𝖘 𝕷𝖎𝖋𝖊 𝕱𝖔𝖗 𝕸𝖊" | potc! Jack x reader

Chapter- 4| 𝙉𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙬 𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙚

chapter-1||chapter-2||chapter-3||chapter-4

Echo was slapped in cuffs and dragged away while Norrington carted Jack away to a near by wall. Miss sway hurriedly followed after him, "Commodore, I really must protest" "Carefully lieutenant." "Pirate or not, this man saved." She objected with a strict look on her face, stopping in front of him blocking his path. "One good deed does not redeem a person from a lifetime of wickedness." Commodore explained "But to British law, it seems to be enough to condemn him and his partner" Echo interjected leaning to the side a bot gaining the Commodores' attention.

"Indeed"

An officer finished attaching cuffs to Captain Jacks wrists and he let out a sigh of relief. "Finally". In a moments notice, he had his Cains around the girls throat and let out an audible gasp while everyone around flinched noticeable and protectively and came to defense."No, no! Don't shoot!" An older man yelled assuming it was her father. "I knew you'd warm up to me" He whispered to his now body shield. "Commodore Norrington, my effect and my hat. please. And if you don't mind I would like my first mate back" He demanded. Norrington glared and soldiers looks to Echo who had a smirk on her face. "Commodore." A soldier pushed Echo slightly towards Jack as he stood in front protectively. Another handed the duos items to Commodore Norrington.

"Elizabeth... is it Elizabeth?" "It's Miss Swann" The girl growled angrily at the betrayal. "Miss Swann, if you'd be so kind" He gave a look to Commodore and he handed the items to his to be fiancé and kicked Echos to the side where he'd be able to reach it. "Come, come dear. We don't have all day. We have a ship to catch after all." He held a gun to her head and he faced her to him. "Now if you'll be very kind~" She glared at the wicked man who smirked deviously as she fastened his Hollister, sword and hat harshly. "Easy on the goods love" "You're despicable" "Sticks and stones love" He postured. "We saved your life, you save ours. I'd call it square and even." Echo shot smiling . Jack turned Swann around still holding the gun to her. "Gentlemen, my lady~, you will always remember this to be the day you almost caught-"

Captain-

Jack

Sparrow!

And with that he shoved the girl into the group of men causing them to tumble and fall down. The two shot around the corner to where there was a medal petal and rope. He grabbed onto Echos' waist and kicked the petal making the fly up.

The chase was on

He grabbed onto another which made them swing on a crane like structure. Norrington commanded open fire and bullets flew through the air and the two let out a yelp. They landed on a beam and zip lined on another rope by holding onto the other chain. Only by miracle Echos chains were not properly fastened and and snapped on the way down making her tuck and roll with Jack fast after her. They ran trough the town with any and every authority figure on their tails along with their guns. The whole town was now in a panic, the two fugitives on the loose, and yet to be found. But that wasn't the only problem now. He was on the way

Soldiers roamed the streets in search for the criminals, searching every home, INN keep and shop there was. They couldn't get away. The two had hid behind a statue of a black with hammering. Soldiers passed nearby and Echo pointed out a nearby shop and they slipped the shoppe labeled J. Brown| Black Smith. There couldn't be a better place to keep low. Jack sheathed his sword into his belt. They looked around. Just about everything you would expect. A donkey, tools, a wagon and a furnace. But where was the smith? Echo let out a sigh of relief that felt like she's been holding forever now. "That was way too close for comfort" she breathed. Jack passed her and tossed aside his hat and grabbed a hammer and then, something nearby clattered to the ground. Her head shot around and saw a old man sleeping on a barrel. They stepped quietly careful no to wake up. Echo leaned in and tapped his chest waiting for him to wake up but he only shifted and continued to snore. They turned to leave but Jack suddenly turned around a yelled but again he did not wake. "I think its safe to say he won't wake up. Now lets find what to with those."

First is was the hammer,

Then pliers,

But something else caught Echos attention. The Cogs! There were cogs on top of each other that if you were to put the chains within the grooves, they were sure to snap. Now they just had to be moved...

Jack grabbed a hot medal rod that had been laying in coals and then pressed in to the donkey's are startling it forcing it to move. Jack put the chains within the grooves and like that the bindings broke. Before they Gould celebrate their small victory the entrance of the shop began to open and they quickly hid.

#potc #pirates of the caribbean #pirates of the carribean at worlds end #x reader #captain jack sparrow #oc #will turner #pirates #jack sparrow x reader #jack sparrow x you #potc x reader

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if-you-fan-a-fire · 7 months

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"GIRL, 25, BEATEN TO DEATH, STEPFATHER'S THROAT SLIT," Toronto Star. October 29, 1943. Page 1. ---- Ann Ukroenz Slain, Fred Solotski Near Death in Hospital ---- Miss Ann Ukroenz, a 25-year-old optical plant worker, today was found dead from head injuries in the kitchen of her Alexander St. home.

Fred Solotski, also known as Zuluski, her stepfather, is in Toronto General hospital with head injuries and a gashed throat. Authorities say he may die. Police say they picked up a claw hammer which was used to kill the girl and a straight razor with which the man's throat was cut.

Solotski's wife said that her husband had chased her out of the house after hitting the stepdaughter with a hammer. She ran for help.

George Sweeting, 50, night shift worker, told what happened when he entered the house: "The girl was lying on the floor. She didn't move. The man was sitting on a chair by the kitchen table, blood streaming down his face. There were marks on his head. It looked as if he had hit himself with the hammer.

"It was on a table. He picked it up and came after me. He raised it above his head and swung. I warded off the blow with my left hand. The hammer struck my fingernails. He swung again. I struck him on the face with my right fist. He called me names and shouted: I'II kill you, too."

Sweeting ran for the police. By the time they arrived Solotski's throat was gashed.

"IN THE KITCHEN of this Alexander St. home, Ann Ukroenz, 25,was found dead today by neighbors.

MOTHER OF the slain girl. Mrs. Annie Solotski, left, with Mrs. Joseph Sweeting, who sent her husband into the Solotski home to investigate the noise of the struggle in the kitchen." - from the Toronto Star. October 29, 1943. Page 2.

#toronto #beaten to death #murder #patriarchal violence #filicide #murder suicide #romanian immigration to canada #ukrainian canadians #canada during world war 2 #crime and punishment in canada #history of crime and punishment in canada

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costumerdelight · 1 year

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No one probably cares but Imma post it anyways. Our D&D shenanigans because I'm abusing a Vestige of Divergence's powers for personal gain.

IE, I'm playing pranks for funsies

So quick background: we're playing in Wildemount, we started in Hupperdook with the jailbreak scenario. We picked up a kobold friend who we named Red.

We then went to Zadash via Felderwin (where my character is "from", more on that when I decide to post my PC's background) and found Calianna in the basement of the house of the guy who taught me swordfighting properly, a retired hero of his own regard. (We are playing a dragon-heavy campaign and I LOVE it! The farmhand was coerced into allowing the dragon cult to hold Cali in the basement)

Freed her, got her to Zadash, and we continued on our way to Pride's Call where another party member, William, is from, and he reunited with his family (and the player left the campaign :( ) while we lost Red. So we chased down who we thought kidnapped him and found him in a mountainous academy-ish campus with a bunch of dragons.

Side quest fetch quests ensue, where we go chase down a kid who stole a hammer, but we go to the Ruins of Shattengrad (where we get a bunch of bank notes), then towards Ice Haven, and in Ice Haven, my character gets "kidnapped" during a weird semi-dream fugue state. Turns out its the shipcrew of an old party member of mine from a long time ago, and I get to chat with my fey patron while on deck.

They take me to Balenpost in Eiselcross where the rest of my current party is landing (we had talked about following the thief kid to Eiselcross so I was able to request a drop off), and someone from the Claret Orders tried to recruit me, and I said nah.

We meet up and take off again to Syrinlya, but we get waylaid by a rotund frog man and a water elemental and he kidnaps our captain and we end up finding her, plus a tiefling mage named Honor. And we find a bunch of treasures! Including the Hide of the Feral Guardian, which one of the shipmates pilfered.

We investigated it and found out it was fancy magical, and I try to get it from the NPC. He refuses for a bit, but at some point he started getting weird dreams from it that he didn't like, so he gave it to me in exchange for the mithril armor I had found.

We get to Syrinlya and find the Buyer, who has us go after the other group to try and find the Salsvault, where the cure to the ice sickness is rumored to be found. We very much want to figure this out because our barbarian has the sickness, and we want her cured.

While en route, we find out our warlock was once a bear, amd that was how he crossed from the Dynasty into the Empire unimpeded. We also run across a frozen dragon, but we decide to look at it more closely later on our way back. I keep staring at the armor (because dumbass didn't put it on yet) and we keep going.

We find the vault and, surprisingly, get through it with minimal combat. Including persuading the mastermind behind the disease to tell us where the cure is. We get the cure, then the barbarian, already afflicted, finds the sickness storage vault and destroys it all. We still did not find the group so we start our return to Syrinlya, but partway there we have uninvited guests of some snowy kobolds show up (furry little cuties) and we chase them down because we don't know why they came after us.

We end up finding a weird bunch of kobolds who our barbarian convinces, with almost zero persuasive accumen, that she is a dragon in humanoid form, and she is on a mission to get a hammer from them for some dragons she knows (she did not know that the hammer was for a dragon until that moment). We get to go into the encampment and avoid all confrontations as we retrieve the hammer and leave on our merry way, with a message from these kobolds for the dragon we are going to go and see.

We continue back to Syrinlya, again, and find our frozen dragon. We uncover it from the snow and find it has an egg made of sapphire, and our warlock decides to free it and care for it. We have so many pets, because he has a faerie dragon familiar, the barbarian has a bird *and* an animated gauntlet. Now, dragon egg.

I decide to finally put on the Hide of the Feral Guardian, and gain the ability to polymorph/wildshape into a giant owl. I come to the party and sit on the egg, not realizing our warlock can understand me, so I just keep saying "whooo whooo" like an owl, in my own voice he can understand, and get an apt nickname. We return to Syrinlya, finally, and cure our barbarian. We celebrate with drinks and wait for the captain of our ship to return.

We get on the ship and take off towards Bysaes Tal, because we plan to reroute towards Rexxentrom to cash in our bank notes before going back to Pride's Call. On the ship, I prank the crewmate that had taken the armor originally and startle him much more than I expected to.

And that's where we are, level 6, and ready for what Wildemount has to offer, 100 days into our own journey as we camp on the shores of Bysaes Tal. (As a placemarker, when we went to Felderwin, it was just after the purple wurm attack and the M9 had gone into the tunnel. "Welp, those idiots are dead now." As we arrive to Bysaes Tal, the M9 arrive at Whitedawn Lagoon with Essek and his new wee parasol.)

#critical role spoilers #d&d #wildemount setting #explorer's guide to wildemount #dungeons and dragons

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king-of-better · 2 years

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Number.27: The Annihilation of Tokyo!

Pasdar entreats the 4 Machine Kings to demonstrate their true potentia.

It's a class trip to Tokyo Tower, but Mamoru has a strange unease. Polonaise seizes control of trains, as Primarda does the same for road traffic, Pizza arrives at the airport, while Volfogg spots Penchinon, being lured to the subway. The possessed vehicles release an energy, people start panicking and Mamoru cannot raise the Main Order Room, and realises a Zonderian is acting as growths of Zonder Metal Plant grab people on the deck. In the sewers, Penchinon ambushes Volfogg, while an aurora surrounds the city, Volfogg escapes to Tokyo Bay, Penchinon absorbs a frigate.

The threat of all out war is here for the first time for GGG, so Taiga summons to the Big Order Room the Mobile Unit, Intelligence Division, Hyper Tools and Mic to discuss strategy. They have images of a Zonder HST, but no Z0 detection, but the image is closed up to show this Zonder Robo, EI-26, is controlled by Pizza, so the Four Machine Kings are acting, and the barrier destroys anything approaching it, this Contra Fall is composed of 4 layers of the hardest to pass threats they've had on the past. Layer 1 needs the Eraser Head, layer 2 the Dividing Driver, the 3rd the Dimension Pliers and the final the Goldion Hammer. It has to be done fast, while Mic distracts EI-26 and Volfogg and the Gun Machines doe the same for Penchinon's EI-27. All this just get in.

The operation barely succeeds, after Mic fals to transform the Pliers and ChoRyuJin have to hold off EI-26, but GaoGaiGar gets in, to find the land raised, and Tokyo covered in the Zonder Metal Plant, mankind gripped in the plants.

Number.28: Collision! The 4 Machine Kings.

The kids are trying to stay positive in Tokyo Tower, hope coming when GaoGaiGar appears.

The Main Order Room can't raise GaoGaiGar, as ChoRyuJin fights EI-26 and Big Volfogg EI-27, Liger suddenly makes contact, announcing his impending arrival as the Amphibious Armoured Maintenance Vehicle is retrieving his creations.

GaoGaiGar interrupts the particle acceleration Primarda and Polonaise are performing, causing the Contra Fal to dissipate. Stopping the Zonder Metal Plant is top priority, but Liger wants to borrow Swan.

EI-27 stops Big Volfogg entering Tokyo, while ChoRyuJin chases EI-26 in, but can't stop Pizza interrupting GaoGaiGar attempting to destroy Polonaise and Primarda in their own Zonder Robo states, Polonaise as EI-28 and Primarda EI-29 telling them to focus on their job. GoldyMarg separates to give GaoGaiGar a chance of keeping up with his opponent.

The Multidimensional Intelligence Ship dispatches to support Volfogg. Isamu finds AI frantic with worry over Mamoru. The kids cheer for GGG as Kaidou stands about.

The Multidimensional Intelligence Ship bursts into the battle, EI-27 tries to absorb it, but it's self-destructed, Volfogg preventing Penchinon's core from escaping, in his last moments entrusting the rest to his friend, Mamoru.

GaoGaiGar uses air currents and detonates the Broken Magnum inside EI-26, creating the perfect opening to destroy him with the Goldion Hammer, but now he and GoldyMarg are out of energy.

ChoRyuJin forces a collision between EI-29 and EI-28, destroying them at the cost of huge damage from the resultant explosion. The crowd cheers, but Mamoru senses more, as Pasdar decides to act, releasing Z0, Polonaise and Primarda are received in front of ChoRyuJin, though for now neither can return to Zonder Robo form. Primarda leaps at ChoRyuJin, Polonaise tries to stop her, pulling her back, but the exposed G-Stone in ChoRyuJin has already consumed her, she calls Polonaise darling before atomising, he leaves. The Zonder Metal is sprouting.

Mamoru follows his senses is heading town beneath Tokyo Tower, Polonaise appears, shocked to find Mamoru there, who without a second thought tries to purify him. The old man who he reverts to thanks him, but knows his body can no longer sustain itself and he, too, turns to light.

Mic arrives in Tokyo, at Liger's bidding successfully uses Boom Mode and Disc X, and starts playing over the city.

Number.29: The Phoenix

Pizza lies beneath the ground wounded, having barely escaped EI-26's destruction. Remembering that he is a warrior, he picks himself up to fight.

Mic's protected systems were disabled by Liger's comrade, XCR project lead developer Stallion White, Swan's brother. With Disc X, Mic is able to destroy the Zonder Metal. Due to the danger of Disc X if misused, Mic's tries state, Boom Robo, was locked, but he kept bypassing it to save Swan due to his Super AI being based on Stallion. Disc X can be used to create a wave to shatter anything, the Zonder Metal Leo loaned Liger was destroyed in testing. Nonetheless Tokyo is saved, the Ultra-Technology Lab, Triple Flying Decked Carrier are sent out for rescue and retrieval.

Despite near exhaustion from using the Solitary Wave, Mic volunteers to retrieve Mamoru, returning to Cosmo Robo Mode. Entoji is sad over Volfogg's seeming demise.

Hana notes Kaidou's looking out right before Mic recovers the kids, only to learn of Mamoru's disappearance as Tokyo Tower starts sinking. Leo and Taiga recall two years ago, suspecting they finally know where EI-01 went, as Gai has escaped the Amphibious Armoured Maintenance Vehicle before he can be repaired, because he needs to save Mamoru.

Beneath the tower Mamoru finds Pasdar, who calls him a Machine of Destruction created by Cain. Pasdar can't touch Mamoru, but intends to seal him, but can't waste time using their opposite energies.

Mic rushes off find Mamoru when Hana notes Kaidou is also missing.

A barrier seals the hole Tokyo Tower descended beneath, Mic is repelled, Galeon starts forcing it's way though like it did EI-01's barrier 2 years ago, Gai follows Galeon down, but Pasdar can still attack the lion, while Pizza interrupts Gai.

An intense struggle sees Cyborg Guy forced to use Hyper Mode, and Pizza shatters the Will Knife, Gai repels Pizza with a G-Stone empowered punch,Hyper Mode powers down, but Gai grabs Pizza, envelopes them both in G-Stone power, and leaps down. Only one walks away.

Gai arrives to find Mamoru and Pasdar, and is grabbed, but Pasdar's attack is blocked by Pizza, who says it's because they haven't settled the score yet. Pizza has remembered his pride as a warrior and charges Pasdar, recalling his name, J. The resultant explosion sees a Firebird take to the skies.

Pasdar survives though and EI-01 emerges from beneath the surface.

Number.30: The Braves Die at Dawn.

EI-01 appears to be converting Tokyo into a spaceship to return to space. Volfogg, saved by absorption into Tokyo by EI-01, saves Gai and Mamoru from rubble, Galeon leads the assembled somewhere new. The party emerge safely. Gai knows he has to fight even if Mikoto wants hislm repaired, so all they can do is have Mamoru restore his G-Stone, before everyone returns to battle.

GaoGaiGar, ChoRyuJin and GoldyTank start attacking, but EI-01's barrier blocks all attacks. Every attack is overwhelming, and he unleashes the full power of Zonder Metal, suppressing the power of the GS-Rides. Gai requests the use of Dangan-X to oppose the overwhelming power of EI-01.

Taiga agrees to the request, so Leo unseals the control consoles, and after Leo activates all 3 switches, the Hexagon launches the last container, which lands as Big Volfogg and Mic join the battle, Mic able to block the attacks. With 60 seconds needed GaoGaiGar enters Dangan-X with GoldyMarg, ChoRyuJin and Big Volfogg, and ensures everyone knows the risks. Dangan-X overloads them in G-Stone energy, and the Braves are now able to force their way through the barrier and attack directly. Locating the Core by sensing the location of the Will Knife, GaoGaiGar uses Goldion Hammer, the hammer starts to break, but ChoRyuJin and Big Volfogg occupy EI-01 enough that they can complete the attack, EI-01, and Pasdar, are destroyed.

Mamoru goes out to celebrate, but the Braves are lifeless, in the Main Order Room Mikoto, crying, confirms all G-Stones completely drained, Mamoru screams and unleashes his power.

Witnessed nearby by Mic and Liger, at a distance by Isamu and Ai, and in the Main Order Room, Mamoru's power manages to reignite the G-Stones, everyone is relieved as one by one, the Braves awaken.

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morosemagick · 2 years

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One of Us | TLK One Shot

Sihtric misses his eldest son & needs to fill that void

Thank you @solinarimoon for this big brain prompt

1,300 words of fluff, k.enjoyyyy

gif by @lauwrite1225 because she's an angel

Something inside Sihtric had been missing since leaving Coccham.

It was his eldest son, Young Sihtric.

The boy, no… the young warrior now much too old for his parents decided to stay behind in Coccham. The town was his home, where he had found a wife and started his own family. It made sense why he did not join his parents, but they were still broken.

Mainly his father, who missed the bond they once shared when the Younger will still... well, young.

He found himself thinking the most about his eldest after a long night of ale, which for Sihtric was most nights. Every night he would come home a little sadder than the last. It got to the point where his dear wife Ealhswith felt the need to ask him to stop going to the alehouse with the others so frequently. Her heart broke for her husband, but not as much as his own did.

One night was especially bad.

Uhtred had spent the night boasting about Aethelstan's growth as a warrior and a man. He was proud of the boy he was raising, and it reminded Sihtric so much of his eldest. Yes, he had other children, and even one on the way, but it would be a long time before he would be teaching any of them the ways of a warrior. He missed the days when he and Sihtric would practice the boys' sword skill from sunrise to sunset, sometimes even being out till dark. It was some of his proudest moments.

He longed so desperately for those moments again.

When Sihtric could not take anymore boasting, he knew it was time to excuse himself for the night and head home. Wobbling his way back to his home in the pouring rain with his head down and his thoughts in Coccham.

Which means he did not see the face of the boy who successfully pickpocketed him.

He still felt the bag being stolen, turning around just in time to see the young boy running with Sihtric's coin.

"Get back here!" Sihtric snarled in his drunken state as he chased the boy down.

Seeing that he was indeed drunk, it was a bit more of a struggle to catch up to the little thief than it would have been sober. Tripping over multiple objects, and slipping once in the mud before finally catching the boy in an alleyway, grabbing him by the shoulder.

"Give me back my coin, you little turd!" Sihtric growls as he turns the boy around.

Now that he can see the boy's face, Sihtric has a better look at the fear in his eyes. Pushing the pouch back towards Sihtric as he trembles, "I'm sorry, I was just hungry!"

Sihtric snatches the purse from the boy's hand and then sighs with frustration, the father of plenty's heart rather soft when it comes to children, "Where are your parents?"

"I..." The boy mutters his words, his eyes avoiding Sihtric's, "I have none."

With a sigh, Sihtric pinches the space between his brow. When his eyes open again he takes another look at the boy, noticing just how soaked to the bone he is and then Sihtric catches sight of the hammer hanging from the boy's neck.

He's a Dane.

With his arms crossed and his head tilted, Sihtric takes a deep breath and asks the boy, "Are you hungry?"

The child nods, "Starving."

Sihtric hums okay and then nods his head for the boy to follow him. He hesitates for a moment, but then the child follows, Sihtric glancing down at him as they walk side by side, "What is your name, boy?"

"I am called Cynlaef."

"Cynlaef...?" Sihtric questions, waiting for the boy to tell him his surname.

"I have no father, and my mother is dead," Cynlaef explains in a low voice, "I am a bastard."

Of course, he is.

Sihtric huffs, nodding his head as he leads Cynlaef back to his home in silence.

---------------------------------------------------------

It is late enough by the time he arrives home that his children are all sleeping safely under their furs, but his wife is still wide awake. Cleaning up their home after a long day of their little ones making a mess of it.

Sihtric is grateful that his wife still has a fire burning as they open the door to the home, his bones chilled from walking in the rain.

At the sight of the two soaked boys, Ealhswith gasps, "Where have you been, it's pouring from the heavens out there- " She notices Cynlaef and her words stop short, and as she points to the boy, Ealhswith gives her husband a confused look, "Who is this?"

"His name is Cynlaef," Sihtric explains, ruffling the boys' soaked hair, "He will be staying with us now."

"What?"

"I am?"

"You are," Sihtric tells the boy, his expression hiding whether or not he was pleased about the situation, "He's one of us now."

Ealhswith doesn't argue, at least not yet, walking over to the boy and rubbing her fingers against his dirty cheeks, "Let us get you dried off then, you're soaked to the bone."

"And food, Eal, the boy is starved."

"Of course," she smiles sweetly at Cynlaef, stepping out of the room for only a moment and returning with a quilt for him to dry himself off with and change of clothes. Probably left behind from his eldest when he was this size.

After giving the boy everything he needs, Ealhswith pulls Sihtric to the side, keeping her voice low as she speaks to him, "Sihtric-"

"He has no one, Ealhswith-"

"We have plenty of children to feed, and more on the way," She sighs, crossing her arms over her protruding belly, and sighs, "We cannot take in another."

"He needs this, Eal," Sihtric mutters to his wife, the ale catching up to him as well as his emotions as he frowns, "I need this."

Ealhswith looks at her husband for a moment, seeing the heartbreak in his eyes, and then looks back to Cynlaef, whos enjoying leftover broth and some bread by the fire. The boy looks like he's the king of a very humble castle. It's heartwarming, to say the least, and thankfully the reason she gives in.

"Fine," Ealhswith tells Sihtric as she turns back to her husband, rolling her eyes with only a touch of frustration, "You may keep him, but he is your responsibility-"

She's cut off by Sihtric grabbing her by the cheeks and pulling her in for a big kiss, making her chuckle as it breaks, "Thank you, my darling wife, you will not regret it," Sihtric then goes over to Cynlaef, ruffling his hair as he heads to his room to change into dry clothes and stopping to talk to him, "You are now Cynlaef Sihtricsson, boy, understood?"

Cynlaef looks up back at Ealhswith and then up at Sihtric with a large smile on his face as he nods happily, "Yes, Father. I understood."

Sihtric smiles with a nod, winking at the boy before he turns to leave, "Good."

Part of him is sure his wife isn't as pleased as he is, but Sihtric does not seem to care as he crawls happily into his bed. His heart feeling lighter than it has in the months since moving to Rumcofa. Part of him is worried when he wakes in the morning, his wife would have gone back on her word and kicked the boy out.

But when Sihtric wakes up in the morning and heads to the main room for breakfast, he finds Cynlaef at the table with the rest of his children as Ealhswith serves them all something to eat.

Placing a kiss on the top of Cynlaef's head as the boy so kindly thanked her for breakfast.

TAGGED:

@solinarimoon @thebohemianpenguin @emilyhufflepufftlk @magravenwrites @unicornlovedust @lalahmaria @lauwrite1225 @axe-does-writing @webreathfandoms @93xdiagonxalley @trenko-heart @mrsalwayswrite @deans-ch-ch-cherrypie @madamquacklemore

#can i keep him 🥺👉🏼👈🏼#okay 😒#sihtric kjartansson #cynlaef #ealhswith #tlk #the last kingdom #found family #he is their adopted son now #Sihtric found this boy and said #and wifey said #and now they love him lmao

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rose-wild · 3 years

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heroes of olympus ranked by the saddest/worst childhoods:

(my opinion. you don’t have to agree, that’s okay).

1. HAZEL - i think this is self explanatory. black girl in southern america in the 30s, bullied badly. then watched her mother get possessed by the earth mother, father didn’t care, forced to move on her thirteenth birthday to alaska. was repeatedly told she was a bad, sick child. then was forced to do unspeakable things by marie/gaea, used her powers to make a body for a giant, then had no other choice but to kill herself and her mother to stop gaea from rising. THEN gave up elysium so her mother wouldn’t get the field of punishment. in the Son of Neptune, during one of her backstories, Hazel says, “Hazel felt as if she were expanding to the breaking point, just like that spire in the pit. Her misery would soon become to great to hold inside, and her skin would shatter.” excuse me while i go and sob 😭

2. Reyna - girl her backstory is so fucking sad. watched her dad become insane and paranoid. her dad collected weapons and turned their house into a fortress, and locked her in her room, and when she and her sister would sneak out and get caught, he would throw furniture and yell at them. then he becomes convinced that reyna and hylla are the enemy. ghosts of her ancestors would watch reyna from afar (creepy af). then julian becomes a mania and after they snuck out one day, reyna was TEN, julian got so angry he started glowing, ripping up their house and threw a chair at hylla. reyna then thought her sister was dead as it knocked her unconscious, then had no choice but to kill her own father. a ghost appeared before her and taunted her, telling her she would never flee her crime and never forget her past, calling her a murderer and traitor. then she went to circe’s island and that got destroyed by yours truly percy jackson and annabeth chase, then she was kidnapped by the pirates (who did gods knows what to her) for months and then managed to escape. then she and her sister parted ways after all those years together where they had no one but each other. okay, maybe reyna should be number one.

3. Nico - lots of people would think he needs to be 1, but i don’t think so, and i’m talking about backstories only. he saw his mother walk into a hotel and then watched it explode after it got struck by lightning. then he got his memory wiped and then they were left with a bank trust and a lawyer would come in to check them every once in a while. oh, and then he got stuck in the lotus hotel for seventy years, which they only thought was a month. then westover hall. then bianca dies. yeah.

4. Jason - ugh this boy. his mother left him at the wolf house and told him that she’d be back, but never was. so jason, a little two year old boy, was left crying in the ruins and yelling for his mom and thalia. he was then taken in by wolves (can you imagine how scary that must’ve been for a little boy?) and was raised and trained like a roman soldier. there was no weakness. he wasn’t allowed to, or else he would be eaten alive. yeah. then he made it to camp jupiter and was offered first cohort for being a son of jupiter but denied it. he befriended the least popular kids and went on the least glamorous quests, but was still considered a prince and had everyone’s eyes on him from such a young age. he spent twelve years in the legion and was always the leader. then he led the assault on mount othrys and defeated the titan krios with hand to hand combat, and toppled kronos’s throne. this isn’t tragic, but what is tragic is that he and the legion never got a thanks from the gods.

5. Leo - his fucking nanny tia callida laid him in an actual fire pit and sang him lullabies like some sort of psychopath. and tia callida gave him knives when he was three. she told him to poke a rattlesnake in the grass with a stick (oh that’s super smart for a four year old boy to do). his cousin raphael bullied him. his aunt rosa made him eat with dead people. then, when trying to hurt gaea, she made him angry and made his hands catch on fire. leo fell into a rage and tried to save himself and his mother, but accidentally killed his mother and burned her alive. and then his aunt rosa turned his entire family against him (called him the devil) and told the social care workers to take him away and stuffed him into foster care. he was bullied badly and would run away from his foster care homes and, when he was in between foster homes, would sleep under an actual bridge.

6. Annabeth - since she was a demigod, annabeth was a target for monsters which caused constant fighting between her dad and her stepmother who felt like she was putting everyone (as in her two twin stepsiblings) in danger. she was assaulted by spiders, her worst fear, for three days each night as a seven year old girl. she would scream for her father but he was never there and her stepmother didn’t believe her. as a seven year old girl, she believed her family hates her, so she ran away and smashed monsters with a hammer with the guidance of her immortal mother for MONTHS. then she was taken in by luke and thalia and they became her family. then they found grover and were chased by monsters sent from hades, who was looking to kill thalia for revenge. grover took wrong turns and led them into a cyclops lair on accident. then the cyclops lured everyone except annabeth, who stabbed one of the cyclops in the foot. the group was chased by a pack of hellhounds and all three furies on their way to half-blood hill. she was forced to watch thalia be overran by monsters and killed and dragged away by luke. she heard the great prophecy when she was ten and had nightmares about it because chiron told her she “would have a big part to play”, and that brings us to tlt. damn.

7. Percy - strangled a snake at a day care center when he was two (this is pretty traumatic). was bullied and abused by his stepfather from a very young age and had to watch his mother be in an awful relationship. was bullied badly by other people. he was in military academies where they believed “paddling is good for the soul.” he was stalked by a cyclops in the third grade.

8. Frank - his mother died in a military accident and was then raised by his grandmother. he was then told, at his mother’s funeral, that his whole entire life depends on this little piece of fire wood that if burned, he would literally fall over dead. then, that same evening, he was told he was going to be shipped off to wolves and then to camp jupiter (if he survived its trials ofc).

9. Piper - she fell off a horse when she was six and drove past a meat processing place that made her sick 😭 (this is a joke). but for real, her rich super star dad avoided her and didn’t pay any attention to her, which caused her to act out. she was bullied for being cherokee. and then she finds out months of her life was just a trick of the mist and that her boyfriend doesn’t actually like her at all? sad man.

#heroesofolympus #reynaavilaramirezarellano #jasongrace #percyjackson #nicodiangelo #percyjacksonandtheolympians #annabethchase #the seven demigods #hazel levesque #piper mclean

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kimnjss · 3 years

Text

no right answer | knj

⤑ series: plot twist

⤑ pairing: rapper!namjoon x rich girl!reader

⤑ genre: angst... nd that’s pretty much it :/

⤑ rating: PG13

⤑ word count: 7.7K // unedited.

⤑ warnings: daddy jung makes an appearance... joon still doesn’t know how to communicate. yns feelings are hurt once again. they internally ramble a lot :/ and hoseok has a girlfriend.

⤑ chapter song: meet me in amsterdam - RINI

⤑ A/N: heyy! nothing much to say, sooo! enjoy nd let me know what you think x

MAY 23RD, 2020 | 18:10

The fact that you've shown up on Hyungwon's arm sets your father off way before you're entering the hall. You can tell by the pulsing of the vein above his brow, the grit in his teeth when you pass him, Hyungwon making a show of wrapping his arm around your waist, leading you inside before your father can get a word in.

Although, you're sure he'll find his opportunity at some point tonight.

Just as expected, gossip blog journalists, reports, the regular old press are all lining the front hall, waiting patiently for a word from the man who made this night possible. At least, that's the premise they're hiding under – it was more than obvious that they were silently hoping to witness something, anything that could be a headliner in the morning.

You do as you've been told, smile brightly at everyone that approaches, introduce Hyungwon as a close friend, chat up the new artists that your father's company plan to release in the upcoming months. Words flowing from your lips effortlessly, trained to dodge every prying question, every backhanded compliment. The practiced smile doesn't falter once.

Not even when the demanding flick of the fingers comes from your father across just a few feet away, behind his back of course, out of view from the woman reporter he's chatting with. Summoning you over silently, his first choice nowhere in sight. With a huff, you're politely ending the meaningless babble of the tag on your dress.

Hand pressed lightly to Hyungwon's chest, his arm doesn't drop from around you as the two of you make your way over to your father. Only making it halfway before he's shooing Hyungwon away, with the same discreetness he used to call you over. “I'll meet you inside,” You're mumbling with a roll of your eyes, easily able to guess that he's started his bullshit early.

Hesitant at first, but he's soon releasing you, placing a soft kiss to the top of your head that has the cameras around flashing. Great. The apologetic look on his face washes the scowl from your features. His lips shifting into a sheepish smile while he reaches his hand up to ruffle your perfectly styled hair. That has questions flying from the crowd, demanding to know if the two of you were an item.

“I'll see you inside,” He says with a curt nod of his head, turning to finish his journey into the hall. On his way, he's swept up by a man with a million questions and a mic. No time to worry about that now, instead you take the place beside your father.

And he pulls this surprised expression as if he didn't expect you to just show up. “Oh, there she is! We've been talking about your new position. Would you like to chime in?” You wouldn't have been asked to 'chime in' if the appropriate response hadn't been hammered into your head on the way over here.

Practiced smile. “It's an honor to work so closely with such great artists. Their work is promising and truly inspiring. We have a lot of plans for them in the future that I'm sure will be nothing short of impressive...” You begin to drown yourself out, thoughtlessly speaking as your eyes wander around the room. Seemingly on their own accord until your sight is fixing on someone.

Okay, not just someone. Namjoon. He looks nice. Although, you can tell he's wearing the same suit that he had worn to Jungkook's release. Did he only have one nice suit? You'd have to make a note of that for... quite literally shaking the thought from your head, you're turning back into the conversation. Laughing at something you don't even find funny. All while stealing glances across the room, not being able to keep yourself from wondering if he was stealing glances too.

He was. Like really bad too. From the moment Joon had stepped into the building, his eyes were finding you. Guided by the loud chatter around you, looking in time to catch the gentle pat of your boyfriend's hand on your head. The way you seemed to melt at the simple touch, he could do that. He was sure of it.

And then he can't tear his gaze off you. While you pull that fake smile of yours, only half-listening to the words that are being said to you. Laughing flatly and leaning into your dad, keeping up with the perfect father/daughter image that he had no idea was an act until he was meeting you. Talking to you. Now it was obvious. Even from across the room, he could tell that you were faking.

That you'd much rather be anywhere else.

“Ah! There's my little prodigy,” Your father speaks loud enough for everyone to hear, just in case they missed the dramatic cheers that echoed the moment he was stepping out of his car. Hoseok was here. A pretty redhead latched to his side, a sight that your father is surprised to see. He hated surprises.

Nevertheless, he's embracing your brother into a tight hug. Which to the press looks like an adorable father and son moment, but you know better. You've been on the receiving end of that hug before and judging from the frown that flashes over Hoseok's features, he's in trouble. But later, of course, there are millions of eyes watching right now – so the interview goes on with loud laughs and large smiles.

And for once, you're not the only one that's faking it.

MAY 23RD, 2020 | 18:49

“Come sit, Yn. Dinner is about to be served,” He doesn't leave any room for argument with the tone that he uses and you find it funny that he thinks that you're not going to try. “No thanks, I'm going to sit with my date,” Hyungwon has found his place amongst the other artists of his status, chatting loosely with them as he waits for you.

A timed twitch of your father's brow, he'd usually rely on Hoseok's easy coaxing to get you to comply without making a scene. But that trick is out of commission. Sat close with his pretty girlfriend, flirting openly. Ooh, the look on your father's face when he was introducing her to reports as his girlfriend. Not an ounce of uncertainty in his voice. 'Her? She's my girlfriend. Ti-lee. Isn't she gorgeous?'.

Didn't even spare a glance in your dad's direction, heart-shaped eyes saved for his girl. Expertly ignoring the subtle glares he was being sent whenever there was a chance. Your brother might be your hero. Seriously.

He's not about to beg you to come sit at the family table with him and Hoseok, that could risk giving away there is a reason why you wouldn't want to sit there in the first place. So instead, he's pushing a tight-lipped smile onto his lips, nodding his head before turning around. Exactly.

Hyungwon stands as you approach, pulling your chair out like a true gentleman. Leaning over to press his lips to your cheek and drop his arm around your shoulders, easily tucking you into his side. “How'd it go? Who's that with your brother?”

“His girlfriend. Can you believe it? Hoseok brought someone that wasn't approved and cleared by our dad first,” The shock in your tone matches the look on his face, which quickly melts into a smile.

A soft chuckle falls from his lips, his head shaking from side to side. “This isn't gonna end well,” His shoulders shake with his laughter, hands reaching to lift his glass. You giggle beside him, knowing all too well how right he is. Whether it was now or later, this was going to explode into a big mess. You were just glad you were in the clear for once.

Dinner starts.

Hoseok is between bites of his Wagyu steak when he's being hit with the dry monotone voice of the man beside him. A tone that he's not at all used to when he's being addressed by his father. It's usually reserved for you. “Where'd you find this girl?” He doesn't even bother to whisper, Ti-lee no doubt hearing him.

“I met her,” He feels it would be a bad idea to say that he met her at a party. Much less a release party held at the company. He knew all too well how his father felt about you mixing work and pleasure, he wasn't going down that lane.

Thankfully, he's not so much interested in the where, but more so the why. Mind reeling with all the upsetting outcomes that can come from this. Some random girl slipping in could potentially ruin everything he carefully constructed for his son's life. He knew first hand how vicious women can be when money's involved. “What does she do?”

“She's a model,” Hoseok's sweating, fumbling for the right string of words that can help him paint Ti-lee in an admirable light. There was nothing wrong with her. She was a great girl, all of the things you'd want your girlfriend to be. But his father's expectations were high, there was no telling what would be a deal-breaker.

He scoffs, head bowed to bring attention back to his plate in front of him. “That's not a real job,” He laughs to himself, head shaking in disbelief. There was no way his son would be so stupid... to think he could be with a model? The field that aged quickly, chewed up and spit out money-grabbing woman chasing youth. Nope, not his son. “We'll talk about this later,”

Putting an end to the conversation before Hoseok can get another word in. He's back to his meal, acting as if he hadn't shaken up his son's entire world. 'We'll talk about this later,'. Never was a good sign. Always met with an ultimatum when it came to you. He tries to act cool, be mindful of the millions of eyes watching at all times. But it's hard to hide the twinge of annoyance souring his face.

It wasn't fair. He didn't even get the chance to introduce Ti-lee properly, give his dad a chance to get to know her. Then he'd understand how easy it is to fall for her, Hoseok stood no chance when it came to her. And he didn't even get to say that, to show him why he just had to bring her around. Present her as his girlfriend, because he was so proud. So proud and his dad didn't even care.

It was not fair.

MAY 23RD, 2020 | 20:17

As the night moves on, Joon finds himself searching for you through the crowd. His eyes find you all throughout dinner, half-listening to the chatter from Taehyung and Yoongi and watching you. Even when you move to dance, hand resting delicately over Hyungwon's bicep, so very clearly showcasing who you're here with tonight. But he can't tear his eyes away.

Left standing as more and more people spread around the hall, busying themselves with light conversation as the musicians play louder for the many people who have decided to move on to the dance floor. You're at the center of them all, smiling prettily up at your boyfriend. Laughing, a very real laugh that he didn't realize he missed until now.

God, he missed you so much. And it was worse because you were right there. Right in front of him, laughing and smiling and being yourself. But he felt like now for some reason, he couldn't be apart of that. That you didn't want him to be because he couldn't get it together. Because he couldn't say what was on his mind.

So, now he was stuck watching you. Admiring you from afar and wishing that it was him in the place of the man you brought tonight. Exclusively. All he wanted was to be yours exclusively. He knew that wouldn't happen so easily... or at all.

“You're actually staring, dude. What's with you?” Hoseok's voice is breaking through his thoughts, two glasses of brown liquor in hand. Hand outstretching in offering, Joon thanks him with a smile and a nod of his head.

Embarrassingly, pulling his gaze away. He knew he had been doing it but had no idea that it was that obvious. Had you noticed too? Caught him staring while he was so lost in his thoughts of you. Not likely. You hadn't looked his way at all tonight. He was sure of it. “She doesn't look so annoying, tonight.” His shoulders lift in a shrug, that has Hoseok's eyebrows raising.

The number of times he's complained to your brother about how much you bothered him.

Who would've thought this would be the outcome. At first, all he wanted was for you to leave him alone. Bottle up your crush and give him some space so he can concentrate on his work. On what was important and now... now he was dying for a chance to go back. Before things got complicated and he found it hard to say what was on his mind.

It used to be so easy to just tell you to leave him alone, to take part in the back and forth banter that he never really realized was just foreplay. Now, things were so strained and he was the cause of it. Because he had gotten in his own way, confused you and now you were pulling back. As you should.

What was he supposed to do, though? You were with someone, seemingly happy. The way you dealt with relationships and... love, was much different from what he was used to. And he was in no place to ask you to change that for him, just as he wouldn't want you to ask him to change for you.

So then what was left? Leaving each other alone, keeping his feelings bottled up because telling you would only make matters worse. At least, that's what he had thought at first. Thought it would be easy to just pick up and move on without a word, but after that night with you, he should've known there was no turning back. Being close to you like that, of course, he'd want more.

He's barely registering Hoseok's question beside him, between the sips of liquor. “What is she then?” You were a lot of things. Except his. Never realized how devastating that would be until recently. Until you weren't a constant anymore, because he messed up.

And seeing you tonight, in that dress. Legs peaking out with each bold step of your pretty heels. He's felt those legs, wrapped firmly around his waist and beneath his hands. Soft. And warm. A lot like you. How could he not look? When you were right there being everything he wanted, how could he not look?

“She's... kinda sexy.” Eyes widening at his own words, forgetting for a moment who he was talking to. “I don't know, it was just an observation,” He rushes out, a light tint taking over his cheeks.

Hoseok laughs, tilting his head to look up at the man beside him. It's funny, despite the height difference, Hoseok still maintains his intimidating aura. Could have anyone quivering with a single glance. Well, anyone would didn't know how sweet and gentle the guy really was. Still, he's got an image to upkeep. “Did you just call my sister sexy?”

Joon is amongst the select few that know the big and scary Jung Hoseok is not as big and scary as he likes to act. So he doesn't falter, much. “She is sexy. I mean, look at her.” He's gesturing to the dance floor, where you're being spun and dipped. “When did that happen? She's never...” Speaking mainly to himself, Joon's words trail off as he watches how good you look when you dance.

“Alright. I feel like I should tell you not to check out my sister right in front of me,” He had been joking at first, but the guy was basically drooling over you. Didn't know if he should provide a handkerchief or rip him a new one.

Joon's letting out a soft laugh, lifting his glass to take a sip from it. Attention shifting back to his friend. “You're twins. It's like I'm checking you out.”

This has Hoseok bursting into laughter, a look of disbelief taking over his features. “That does not make it any better!” Despite the warning, his eyes move to find you again. Only to find you're not where he had seen you last and your boyfriend was nowhere insight as you made your way over to where he stood.

A gasp is escaping from Joon's lips before he has a chance to mask it. “Oh God, shut up. She's walking over here,” His hand reaching to hit Hoseok's chest, signaling for him to straighten up as he does the same. “Quick. Pretend I said something funny,”

He's not granted the laughter that he expects, instead, a confused expression takes over Hoseok's features as his sister approaches. “Our father would like to speak with us upstairs,” You don't even spare a glance in Joon's direction.

“What for?” You shrug. Of course, you wouldn't know something like that. You never knew the reason behind random summoning, just grew accustomed to despising them. “We can go when Ti-Lee comes out of the bathroom,” He's really doubled down on this girlfriend thing, it seemed.

With a nod, you turn to walk away. The familiar sound of Joon's voice stopping you, “You look pretty, Yn.” You hate the way your heart instantly reacts to the compliment. The three words that you've been hearing all night because of course, you'd look pretty. But for some reason, it feels different coming from him.

But, you wouldn't allow yourself to be swooned by that. He's made it clear where he stands when it comes to you. “Thanks. My date thinks so too,” It's sad how you enjoy the annoyed expression that flashes over his features, quickly being masked by surprise.

“Oh. You brought a date?” As if he didn't know. As if he hadn't spent the majority of the night watching you. So obviously, too. Did he think you wouldn't pick up on it? Though, you'll play along. “Mhm. Hyungwon. He's over there,” You point him out with an outstretched arm, leaning against the bar with the task of getting you a drink.

Most times, Namjoon was pretty good at keeping his thoughts from slipping. Screening them to make sure that he doesn't say anything compromising. Something that he finds harder to do with you involved. “Why'd you bring a date?” Why wouldn't you bring a date? Is on the tip of your tongue.

He's all but screamed that he wanted nothing deeper with you, what with his refusal to speak on things that are clearly bothering him. He was interested, but not as interested as someone would like. And too much of a coward to say so. What was he so afraid of? It's not like you were some pure inexperienced child, you've gone through one night stands before.

If that was all he wanted, he should've just said that. Instead of leaving you to come to the conclusion on your own. Putting together the pieces he so begrudgingly gave to you. Nevermind what Yoongi claims, what he's said to you in the past. That doesn't matter. What matters is how he acts on it and Namjoon hasn't acted at all.

And you certainly weren't going to be the only one out in the wind. “It's a ball? I need someone to dance with... who are you gonna dance with?” A subtle jab, as if you hadn't noticed that he showed up with nobody on his arm tonight.

“I don't really dance much,” His reply is sheepish and meek, you barely hear the words coming from his lips.

You're letting out a hummed sigh and a practiced smile, “That's too bad. Maybe, I'll let you twirl me a few times. It is a charity event after all,” With that you're walking away, promising that you'll follow your brother upstairs when he goes and not sparing another glance at Namjoon.

Hoseok manages to hold his laughter until you're out of earshot, bending forward as he clutches his side. Thick chuckles falling from his lips and filling the space. Joon stays stood beside him, a glare shadowing his features, knowing that he's laughing at him and not being able to be mad at it. The entire situation was laughable in the worst way.

“Oof,” He breaths out after calming, straightening, and letting out a deep breath. “You really pissed her off. What did you do?” He almost delves into all the issues in his head with your brother but holds back for the sake of not getting himself in trouble. Admitting that he actually slept with you to your brother... not a great idea.

Instead, he decides to go with someone he knows Hoseok already knows. “ think she's still pissed I called her superficial... and self-centered,” Not his brightest moment, he was upset, but that wasn't an excuse. It wasn't something he made up, the evidence was right there. But you weren't only that, he knew that.

And chose to ignore it.

“That'll do it.” Hoseok answers with a sure nod. “She hates when people tell her about herself. Especially if they're right,” Of course, he knew how his sister was. How you acted and treated the people around you. You were everything a superficial, self-centered person could be.

Only the people close to you, the people that you felt comfortable with knew that there was more to it. So keen on keeping everyone at an arm's length, you choose to allow the immediate assumption pass, to keep from getting too close. It was better that way. Not often did you meet someone you desired to get to know deeper, to know you.

It felt like that with Joon sometimes, a lot of the time. And you did try to get him to see that you weren't what everyone thought, but it didn't work as well as you had hoped. You were still the same to him.

He's letting out a huff, fingers pushing through his hair. Frustration creeping up the back of his neck. “I didn't think she'd take it to heart! It was just an observation, I didn't mean...” He didn't mean to hurt you, wouldn't imagine it. He wished he could just tell you everything.

How he felt about you, how badly he wanted to be with him – and wanted you to want to be with him. If only it would ruin everything. Although, everything was already ruined... right?

“Why do you feel bad about it now?” Hoseok is fully invested in this conversation now, picking up on the pieces he's missing in the story of you and Namjoon. “Is it because she looks pretty and she's with some guy?”

“No!” There was more to it than just jealousy. As much as he wanted to be in Hyungwon's place, there... was there? “I mean.. yeah?” No, there had to be more. He didn't just want you because he didn't have you. He wanted you because you were you and he didn't quite get it, but he felt it whenever he was with you. It had nothing to do with being jealous. “No! Because she's... she's, her, you know? And she's nice to me, right? So I shouldn't be mean to her?”

Much harder to put into words under your brother's expectant gaze. How was he supposed to explain his feelings when he didn't quite understand them himself. When he hasn't even told you about them properly.

Realizing, he's not going to be getting any more information out of the man, Hoseok is nodding. Eyes searching to find his girlfriend in the crowd, only now remembering that he was expected to meet with his father. “Look, if you think you should apologize, go for it. But don't fuck with her head,” A pointed finger follows his stern warning.

No room is left for Namjoon to respond, Hoseok offering a quick goodbye before he stalks off to wrap himself around the pretty redhead he first arrived with. Whispering something to her before leading her out of the hall and you're just a few steps behind them.

MAY 23RD, 2020 | 21:09

You're told to leave the moment your father's eyes set on the woman wrapped around your brother's waist. Deciding that he'd much rather discuss a different matter tonight than what he had originally planned when he called the both of you away. You protest, of course, not wanting to leave him to get in trouble. Even though, he's never done the same for you.

The threats and ultimatums that you knew were coming, he wouldn't be able to handle it. Would more than likely bend at your father's will because he knew nothing else. Ready to do whatever to keep the peace, even if it was against what he wanted.

Hoseok is the one that asks you to leave, though. Shooing you away with a reassuring smile and while hesitant, you still leave. Offering a soft smile over to Ti-lee who looks as nervous as ever.

The first person you lay eyes on when you're reentering the room is no other than Kim Namjoon. Stood in the same spot as before, now engaged in conversation with both Jungkook and Jimin. His eyes lift, just for a moment, before he's spotting you. Offering up the first smile he's shown you in the past few days.

And you hate how quickly your body reacts to the twitch of the lip. You should be focusing on moving on, forgetting everything that happened between the two of you. It was nothing. He surely thought so, no matter how many lousy smiles he flashes in your direction. It didn't change anything. He didn't want to be with you.

Ugh, but you wanted him to be.

More than ready to stamp your foot and ball your fists until you were getting what you want. Yet, you had an inkling that no matter the size of your objection – it still wouldn't change anything. Wouldn't change his mind or his heart. It was a fluke, it had to be. Why else would he have pulled back the way he had.

Which is the reason you can't fathom why he'd be making his way over to you right now. Slipping through the crowd of strangers until he's standing right in front of you, with that same smile on his face. “Can I dance with you, now?” His voice just above a whisper and you really wished he'd stop confusing you.

And you wish, you'd stop letting him. “Sure,”

He takes you and leads you into the crowd of dancing bodies, hand placed lightly on the middle of the back as the two of you move to the music. His hand is so big in your hand, the feel of it reminding you of your first night together. Your first date. Hardly two weeks ago, but it felt like much longer.

You don't speak for a while, allow yourself to imagine that it is like this. Simple. That you're with him and he wants to be with you, despite whatever's holding him back. That he talks to you, instead of leaving you in the dark. That you're happy. As pathetic as it may seem, you were always happy with him.

Never even had to do much, he just knew how to bring a smile to your face. Whether it was catching the subtle blush on his cheeks when you teased him or when he was letting himself go around you, being bold. You liked it most when he threw caution to the wind, your heart did too.

And you had thought you'd be seeing much more of that. But maybe you were wrong...

The sound of him clearing his throat, pulls you from your thoughts, training your full attention on him. He looks nervous. “Did... Did I hurt your feelings when I said... those things?” How fragile did he think you were? Expected to have you curled up crying over being told something that you've known your whole life?

Yeah, right. Your feelings weren't hurt, but that didn't mean it was something that you'd like to hear from someone you thought was starting to see you differently. Someone that you thought liked you. It was annoying.

“No. I love being insulted,” Words dry, yet dripping with sarcasm.

He sighs, “I wasn't trying to insult you,”

The humorless laugh that leaves your lips is unexpected even to you, but you do little to suppress it once it slips. “You were trying to compliment me?” Bewildered, of course. If that was his idea of a compliment... well, maybe you had him pegged wrong.

“No. I just... I noticed, so I said it,” Namjoon is quickly realizing that's not the best answer in trying to mend things. Even though you tried to act as if you didn't care, it was obvious to him that his words held some gravity to you. That it bothered you to hear that from him, he could see through your entire act.

Calling you out on it would just lead to more mess, though. “I'm not saying you're not that, we both know you are. I just shouldn't have judged you on it. You're a lot more,” He had misjudged you when you first met, assumed that there weren't that many layers to you. But he was so wrong.

You were complicated and sensitive and extremely loving. And he enjoyed discovering every new aspect of you the closer he got to you. All things that had him so taken with you. He wanted to learn more, he wanted to try and figure things out. Hated how quickly the flame went out. He wanted that back.

“Yeah?” It's hard to mask the smile that fights its way onto your lips. “What am I?” Honestly, you don't want to sound as hopeful as you feel, but you can't help it. To hear, finally, what he really thinks of you... and maybe what else has been going on in his mind. What has been blocking him from you?

But Joon is terrible on the spot and is quickly clamming up under your gaze. The list he had created mere moments ago fleeting from his memory, only one word behind. And it's not the right one. “Pretty. I mean...” Desperately trying to search for the right words, but you're already rolling your eyes.

“Well, look who's superficial now.” You scoff, but you don't sound mad. Playful even. The teasing tone that he's grown used to in these past few weeks. It has him thinking, maybe he might still have a chance. “I know I'm pretty. And I know I'm spoiled and self-centered. But, I also know I'm intelligent. Outgoing. Kindhearted.” You tick each characteristic on your fingers. “You didn't care about any of that. Didn't even care to mention it,”

“I know. I'm sorry.” The two of you needed to talk, he's only now realizing how badly. There were so many things that he needed to tell you and in turn, so many things that he wanted to hear from you. If you weren't going to be together, at least you could clear the air. At least both of you could do without the confusion weighing over your hearts.

And it had to be now, no more of this waiting around bullshit. He's already lost two weeks of potentially being with you. He was done screwing around. “Should we go somewhere to talk?”

You don't think there's been a time you were invited to 'go somewhere to talk' and actually talked about anything. It annoys you how easily the words crush your spirit, proving how little control you had over your emotions when it came to him. And to make matters worse, you wanted to go with him.

Whether you were actually talking to correct things or just fooling around as you suspected was his intention. No matter what it was, you wanted to go along with him and that was scared as fuck. Still, you were far from becoming a bobblehead yes-woman at the mere mention of being alone with him.

Keeping your composure was at the top of the list. So you play into it, fingers crawling up his shoulder, to tangle in the hair at the nape of his neck. “You want to sleep with me tonight, huh?” His eyes widen, obviously surprised that you've caught on.

Namjoon is shocked. How you'd get that from wanting to talk to you. Honestly, what went on in that head of yours, he'd love to know. But, while talking to you was at the utmost of importance... there was no way he could deny that being with you like that again would be nice. The moment held residence in his mind since that night and seeing you every day, looking the way you do did not help.

But, was this a test? Was he not supposed to want to sleep with you because your relationship... if it could even be called that, wasn't in the state to be even further complicated by doing such things. Were you testing him?

“What's the right answer to this?”

He loves the way you play with his hair, nails gently scraping against his scalp. “No right answer. It's just what you want,” You're voice is all hushed and sensual, staring up at him through the ridiculously long lashes you've glued on. Which he always finds pretty.

“Uhm. Yes?”

You don't even miss a beat. “Why?”

It had been a test. At least he thinks so, why else would you be asking him why he wanted to sleep with you. He's sure he fucked up, yet again. “No right answer?”

Shaking your head, you smile. And it's a real smile. “No right answer.” Maybe he was wrong? Maybe you just wanted to know?

Joon was hardly doing anything without thinking it through it thoroughly first. He'd overthink into oblivion if it was possible. And like he wanted to know why you liked him, a question that you had fumbled, thinking it was a joke – you wanted to know why he wanted to sleep with you. Didn't really care for the answer, it would change much.

You just wanted to know.

“I like the way you look in your dress,” He's confessing because it's the truth. “And your waist feels good in my hands... you smell so sweet, and...” And I miss you. He can't seem to get his lips to form the words, the ambiguity of our situation holding him back. He didn't want to be the only one out in the wind.

Curious, you prompt. “And?”

“And, I want you.” He figures that should suffice. Doesn't give way to anything deeper that might scare you off. You can want someone without longing for them, right? Although, he did, very much long for you.

That was a conversation to be had at another time, though, because you're grinning. Leaning up on your toes to press a soft kiss to his cheek and he swears he feels his heart leap from his chest. And as quickly as you closed in on him, you're back away, with a mischievous look in your eye.

Fingers dipping into the cleavage of your dress and he's not ashamed to admit that amount of attention he pays to them until you're presenting a key from your breast, extending it out to him.

“My rooms on the top floor. I'll meet you up there,” First, you've got to say goodnight to Hyungwon. You try not to look so excited when you walk away, even though it's buzzing from your pores. It was weird. Feeling this hopeful by having a man up to your room, it certainly wast' the first time.

But, Namjoon wasn't any ordinary man. He was different in ways you could no describe. You liked him and there was something there. You knew it, you could feel it. And no matter how cool he tried to act. You're sure he could feel it too.

MAY 23RD, 2020 | 22:11

You find Hyungwon just as he's leading a pretty girl to his car. The slight stumble in his step giving way to how many drinks he's had tonight. He grins when he sees you, leaning down to plant a kiss on your cheek that earns you a scowl from the girl beside him. Wait till she found out you were his girlfriend.

In no mood to spoil their night, you're quick with your goodbye. Letting him know that you'd be fine to find your own way home, which he quickly meets with his suspicions of you going back inside to meet Namjoon. A lady never tells, so he's whooping with excitement when you confirm it.

He's kissing you before slipping into the back seat of the car, the girl following behind him. The scowl not once leaving her features as she passes you. Lifting your hand to wave them off, because you can't help yourself. And you have every intention to go find Namjoon in your room, but you're being met with a sad looking Hoseok the moment you turn.

“I have to break up with Ti-Lee,” He's saying before you have the chance to ask him what's wrong. You're rushing to him, an arm wrapping around his shoulders. He looks so torn, on the verge of tears. You feel tears well at the brim of your eyes from the sight. “Why?” Asking, even though you already know the answer.

A frustrated sigh leaves his lips as he wiggles from your grip, the sad look on his face replaced with this hard expression that does not suit him at all. “She doesn't suit me. I should be with someone... else,” His words are so robotic, not even hiding that he's literally repeating exactly what your father has told him.

Now, if it were you, you'd laugh it off with a great big 'fuck you', but Hoseok wasn't like you. So, it wasn't going to be that easy to get him to see, that no he shouldn't. “Uhm. Do you want to be with someone else?”

He had been so excited to introduce Ti-Lee, not only to your family but to anyone who was willing to listen. Anyone with eyes could see how smitten the boy was with her and you knew your brother, it wasn't easy to grasp and keep his attention.

And he knew that too. Never has he met someone like his girlfriend. He had no idea it would end up like this when they first met, either. Had been prepared to sum it up to nothing more than a casual hook up, but then he was left wanting and wondering. Wondering what she was doing, how she was doing, if she was thinking about him, how she'd feel to know that he was thinking about her.

It was sudden, the way he fell for her. In the middle of his busy life, where he swore he didn't have time for anything else. And then she was stepping in and it was like he couldn't really enjoy anything else. “No.”

“Then what the fuck are you talking about!?”

You see the annoyance wash over his features, shifting into anger. No doubt replaying the conversation he must've just had. But just as soon as it appears, it's gone. “Dad said it would be in my best interest if-”

With a firm shake of your head, you're cutting him off. “He doesn't care about your best interest, Hoseok.” It was about time he flat out heard it. That man didn't care about anyone but himself and he had everyone, even his own son fooled. But not you. “What could be wrong with Ti-Lee?”

“She doesn't even have a real job,” He's saying, but he doesn't mean it. The words don't even sound like his, because you know for a fact your brother doesn't care about things like that. “That wasn't a problem to you before. What's wrong with Ti-Lee?”

He's offering up another recycled reason on your father's list of unsuitables. “She could be with me for my money,” You actually laugh at that one. The both of you knew how to sniff out money-hungry people trying to nuzzle into your lives. There's no way he'd let Ti-Lee get this close if he thought that was the case.

But, you point out for his sake. “She makes her own money. What's wrong with Ti-Lee?”

You're more than ready to poke holes through any of his bullshit reasons on why he shouldn't be with this girl. Reasons that you know he doesn't even believe himself. A loud groan leaves his lips, hands pushing through his hair.

“Nothing's wrong with her! She's perfect but... but, I have to break up with her, Yn. You wouldn't understand,” You're actually the only person in the entire world that would understand. And also the only person in the entire world that can honestly tell him that it wouldn't be worth it.

Back when you tried to earn your father's affection or even a few words of praise. Anything. You tried so hard, but every last one of your efforts were met with nothing. Absolutely nothing. Not even a second glance. It didn't take you long to put together that nothing really impressed your father, so might as well enjoy yourself if he was going to scowl at everything.

Hoseok has yet to realize this, but he'd never really be happy until he stopped being so compliant. “No, that's not fair. I won't let you do it.” Putting your foot down literally, which may look childish... but you mean business. “You like her! Like actually like her. You don't like anyone, Hoseok. That's not fair.”

“Come on, do you really think dad would have m do anything he didn't think was best?” Was he brainwashed? What parent would so deliberately stand in the way of their kid's happiness and claim that it's in their best interest? That wasn't parenthood. Like at all.

It was a fucking dictatorship. “Hobi,” You've gotta reach to grasp his shoulders as you speak, eyes trained on his. “Dad doesn't give a shit about you.” Speaking slowly in hopes that the words will penetrate through his rose-colored glasses.

He's knocking your hands off with a scoff and a roll of his eyes. “What? Now you're being ridiculous.” Right, how could he not give a shit about him? That was his favorite after all. Of course, all of his shits were given and served directly to him. Dumbass.

“I'm serious! He only gives a fuck because you fit into his perfect plan. Successful rapper, more than ready to take over. The second something doesn't fit, he's cutting it out. Regardless of how it makes you feel. Why weren't you able to start your clothing line?” He had spent weeks meeting up with designers and artists, creating the basis of the brand he'd name after his very first album.

And right when things were starting to take off, it was being decided that he was spending too much time on things of no value. That he should be more focused on making music rather than trying to appeal to his fans with flashy things. The fact that he was having the most fun didn't matter. Making music. Money for the company.

That. That was more important.

“Because it wasn't a good idea.” And Hoseok had himself convinced that it was his idea to quit. Didn't even fight it when things started tumbling down, just went along with it like he always did.

You had bugged him for weeks about it but gave up after you realized you weren't getting anywhere. He was fucking brainwashed. “No, because it wasn't apart of the plan. So he made sure it didn't happen. He's got you under his thumb, Hobi. Wake up!”

He's getting mad and you can see it. But he has no idea where to direct it. You make sense and he hates that you do. Yet, he can't bring himself to believe that his dad would be setting him up for anything but success. He was his prodigy. It's always been that way, so why now would it be any different?

You were wrong. “No. You don't know what you're talking about. It might be that way for you, Yn. But you're a fuck up. What do you expect? You can't clump us together.” His words cut deeper than he intends. And you find yourself stepping back from him, blinking through the heaviness behind your eyes.

“I'm not a fuck up,” You don't even sound like yourself, all weak and wounded.

His words are fast. “Yes, you are. Every chance you get, you fuck up. And just because you've been keeping your shit lately doesn't change anything. Does it?” He was mad at you and all you were trying to do was help him.

All you ever did was try and help him. Because he was too stupid to see things as they were. Convinced that everything was perfect and you both had such a great dad.. all you needed to do was clean up your act. Be better and he'll treat you as well as he treats me. When that wasn't the case at all.

It's almost laughable, how little he knew about the man he idolized. “That's funny. The only reason why I've been 'keeping my shit' is because of you! Your fucking dad threatened me with you. Told me if I were to make another mistake he'd tank your album. Oh, but he cares about you, right? Why would he leave that in the hands of a fuck up?”

The rejection is instant, dismissing your words with a shake of his head. “You're lying.” He concludes. Not seeing any other outcome to this. What you were saying couldn't be true. There's no way his own dad would gamble on his work. No way.

“I don't lie and you know that. Let's go ask him,” Voice sounding a bit too chipper for the circumstance, but this was a long time coming.

Reaching for his hand, you're tugging him back into the hall, leading him straight to the table where your father sits. Completely forgetting about Namjoon waiting for you upstairs.

— daughter of the ceo of the biggest record label, it’s obvious she’d get whatever and whoever she wants. but what happens when she’s meeting the one person that refuses to play into her spoiled brat act?

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aubreyprc · 3 years

Text

safe in these arms of mine

prompt - you’re safe . i’m here

summary - emily gets taken by their recent unsub, someone they named the three day killer. they know they have three days to find her, aaron refuses to let them get to four.

word count - 3.3k

TW / mentions of torture (not graphic), alluded / implied hint of SA (not graphic or mentioned)

He thinks he’s probably watched the CCTV footage more times than he’s ever watched anything, rewinding certain moments in hopes of something that will give them a clue, something that will tell them where she is. who he is. anything.

Watching her drop to the ground, even after seeing it hundreds of times, still makes his heart fall into his stomach, the sight of the man picking her up over his shoulders, carrying her like she was dead weight. like she was nothing still making him feel sick, still making him feel guilty. not that he could ever tell anyone why. Not that he can really act on how terrified he is.

To everyone else’s knowledge, they’re colleagues, friends, just like he is with the rest of the team. He can be worried, they’re all worried, all scared of what could happen, all nauseous at the idea of what she could be going through, but he can’t be anything more. Because to everyone else’s knowledge, they're just friends but in reality, behind closed doors, away from prying eyes, FBI policy’s and fraternization rules, they’re something. They’re more than something.

What started off as casual, turned into coffee and coffee soon turned into dinner, dinner soon turned into staying the night and four months later in the darkness of her bedroom, his fingers tracing patterns on her spine as she lay in his arms, the three words slipped out of his mouth… and ten seconds later she repeated them, a soft smile on her face. a smile he has never forgotten.

A smile he would kill to see again.

They’re eight months in now, getting to the point where keeping them a secret was becoming impossible, Jack far too young and unpredictable to not blurt out something that would cause the penny to drop.

As he watches the footage for the millionth time, the guilt is almost overwhelming, his palms cut to pieces from how harsh he is clenching a fist. He knows if they don’t find her, that if day three comes and they still don’t have a location, that he’d never forgive himself, he wouldn’t know how to. He wouldn’t want to.

He was supposed to be with her.

Jack was with a friend, and they’d had plans to stay at her apartment, order take out and just be without a four year old demanding their attention for most of the night. But they’d argued. A stupid argument. So stupid that he can’t even remember what started it, or what it was even about. All he remembers is her bitter laugh before she walked out of his office, all but slamming the door behind her as she walked back into the bullpen and grabbed her stuff, he remembers watching her go, remembers telling himself that he’d call her when he got home, or maybe he would go over, make it up to her.

He prays he still gets the chance to. Prays that the last memory he has of her… of them… won’t be her walking away from him in anger. That their last conversation won’t be something he can’t even remember.

“You’re going to drive yourself insane if you keep watching that.” Dave tells him as he walks into the office, “it won’t bring her back. It won’t give you any more information.”

Aaron remains silent, his eyes peeled on the screen, her facing in the direction of the unsub, her face in full view of the camera.

“Reid has something on the unsub…” he says, but Aaron can’t bring himself to hear it. “I know this is hard but—”

“You don’t know.” he says, turning to face his friend, “you don’t know.” he repeats and the older man nods.

“You’re right. I don’t.” he accepts, before staring at him, “but I know you love her.” he says and Aaron’s eyes widen, “and I know she loves you. And I know she’s counting on us.. on you to focus, to put our feelings and our fear on hold and find her.”

“I can’t even think about what she could be going—”

“Then don’t.” he tells him, “don’t think. Help her. Help her by doing what you can. Here. Now.”

Aaron nods, standing and following the man out of the office and into the briefing room.

They all refuse to go home, refuse to waste time when she has so little of it, refuse to do anything but find her, the thought of what she could be going through knocking every single one of them sick.

The entire building feels eerie, everyone on egg shells around the team, scared to say the wrong thing, scared to say anything. Everyone loved Emily, and her absence noticeable at any time, and so the entire situation has the bullpen in silence, the only sound being the muttering of the agents on the case as they work alongside the team to find their missing member. Their missing friend.

They all know what this unsub does, have all read the case files, seen the pictures of the women he’d taken and killed over the last few weeks, have heard in detail what he does to them before hand, and it becomes the elephant in the room, every single person knowing exactly what Emily was going through, knowing far too much about what could happen if they don’t find her, but no one ever says anything, no one comments, no one even brings it up, because they can’t. The knowing itself is enough, they shouldn’t have to talk about it too.

Aaron is the only one who tortures himself by looking at the other cases, reading over what they went through before he killed them, how he killed them, and what he did to them afterwards. It’s the same every time, the same marks and bruises on each woman they found, all killed the same way around the same time and all found in the same place, beaten, bloody and cold, all with signs of a struggle, as if he’d toyed with them, given them to opportunity to fight him off… each woman died in pain, alone and scared, and the idea that Emily might go through that, the fact that he could be doing to her what he did to all the others makes him nauseous, it makes him murderous but mostly it just makes him want to scream, cry, shout, and he can do neither, not yet, not when he still has the chance to get her back. Not when there’s hope that he can save her.

And he will. He has to. Loosing her is not an option.

“Stop.” Morgan says as he enters his office, “reading the files won’t change this. If anything it will just make it worse.”

“There could—”

“Reid has the files memorised…” he says, “there’s nothing in there.”

He closes the file, rubbing a hand over his face as he leans on the chair.

“How is he this hidden?” he asks, “we’ve been trying to find him for three weeks and all we have is that he’s male, in his thirties and…” he stops, shaking his head as he thinks about what he does to the women he takes.

“I know.” he nods, “but we’ll find him.”

“Will we find him in time?” he asks, the silence between them lingering as the other man remains without an answer.

“We can only try.” he tells him, “and trust that she’s strong enough to wait until we do.” he says softly, before leaving the office.

He sighs as he opens his draw, grabbing his wallet before pulling out a picture he hides behind one of Jack, a picture Penelope took just a few weeks ago when she just had to capture the moment as she stated on the email she forwarded the picture on. He smiles every time he looks at it, her grin sending warmth through him as he looks at it, the blissful happiness on their faces as they sit in their own bubble, his own smile on his face as he looks at her. He rubs a thumb over it, his heart aching in his chest as he swallows.

I’ll find you.

And they do. On day three.

They speed through the traffic, each of them tense with anxiety as they sit in the SUV, neither knowing what they’re going to walk into. If they’ll make it on time.

The warehouse is huge, the smell of blood, sweat and death hits them as soon as their in, each going in a different direction as they search for her. For him. For anything.

Aaron hears them before he sees them, leans against the wall as he calculates what his next move should be, signals for the team to head in his direction as he tries to block out the sound of her choking, dreads to think what he’s going to be met with when he turns the corner.

Reid and Morgan head his way first, are on the other side of the building when he spots them, and on his nod, all three man make themselves known, turning the corner with their guns out, but all can see is her. The way the only reason she is still standing being due to her arms being hung above her, her head lulled to the ground, no movement, not even a groan and he doesn’t think he’s ever felt panic like it before.

He has no intention to chase the man when he runs, grateful that the other two take off in a sprint after him, and he heads towards her.

He stands in front of her, heart hammering in his chest as terror fills his body and slowly cups her face, moving her head up to look at him and when he’s met with her tired, but open eyes, the relief that fills him is enough to make him want to cry. But the fear in her eyes, the sheer terror that stares back at him has him pushing it away, his focus on her.

“You’re okay.” he whispers, quickly freeing her hands from the chains above her, wrapping an arm around her waist as he does, catching her as she all but falls into him, a soft cry leaving her throat as her arms drop, the only reason she doesn’t being that he has her, wraps her protectively into him and all she can do is look at him, shock, exhaustion, pain, terror and everything in between meaning it takes her a few moments to register what’s going on, to register that it’s Aaron but it’s obvious the moment she does. The look of terror turning into relief as she relaxes, letting him pull her into his arms and she goes willingly into them, her face in his chest as she breathes, tears threatening to fall down her face as she allows the last few days to process. There’s a bang from the other side of the room that causes her to flinch, to tense in fear and he runs a hand down her back.

“It’s okay..” his voice is soft, soothing and he smiles at her when she lifts her head to look at him. “You’re okay. It’s over.”

“Can we get out of here?” she asks, her voice dry and rough, a hint that she’s been without water for days and he nods.

“Of course.” he says, gently wrapping an arm around her waist as he helps her walk out of the room.

She gets the all clear from the hospital and is free to go that night, her ribs bruised but not broken, her arms strained but no damage to the ligaments, a concussion she might feel for a few days, but no bleed, no damage, is told she’s lucky, and she wants to scream, feeling anything but luck as she sits in the passenger seat, her mind replaying the last three days on a loop, the man’s face, voice, touch lingering with her, can feel his hands on her skin, can hear his voice as he toys with her, can see his face so clearly he might as well he sat next to her but she’s lucky, because he didn’t break her ribs, she’s lucky because he didn’t kill her, how does she explain that she wishes he did?

Aaron walks them up to her apartment, his hand around her waist as she uses him to hold herself up, a lump in the back of her throat as she tries to pretend as though she hasn’t spent the last three days tortured, laughed at, broken.

“I’ll go and run you a bath,” he says softly as he enters her apartment, she simply stands, her hand clinging to her throbbing ribs as she nods. “Can I get you anything?”

“No,” she says with a tired smile, “I’m good. Tired.”

“Would you prefer a shower—”

“No,” she says quickly, before smiling as best she can, “A bath would be great.” she nods and he smiles, slowly walking over to her and waiting for her to lean into him before wrapping an arm around her waist, helping her up the stairs as she winces in pain. He’d do anything to take it from her. For it to have been him instead.

He sits on the floor next to the bath at her request, stroking gentle patterns onto her hand as she stares ahead and he waits, knowing she has to be the one to talk first, knowing he can’t rush this.

“The last woman you found… she couldn’t have been older than twenty.” she says, her eyes still staring ahead of her.

“Yeah..” he whispers, “found her just before we…” he stops, “you saw her?”

“He killed her right in front of me…” she says, turning to look at him, “she was begging me to help her, I could hear her crying but…” she stops, looks away from him.

“There’s nothing you could have done, Em.” he tells her, “you know that. It’s not your fault.”

She doesn’t answer, simply continues to stare at the wall ahead. He wants to ask, he needs to, but he doesn’t know how. Isn’t sure he wants to know. He’ll have to read the police report anyway, sign off on her being back on duty in a few weeks and he wonders if that might be easier. To read it rather than hear it, but he also knows he needs to hear it from her, needs to let her be the one to tell him, tell him what, he isn’t sure.

“Do you want me to sleep on the couch?” he asks her gently, smiling softly when she turns to face him, “I’m not leaving,” he tells her, “but if you want some space tonight, if you want some time to work through this, I’ll sleep on the couch.”

She smiles slightly, linking their fingers together as they rest on the side of the bath and she slowly shakes her head.

“I don’t want to be alone.” she whispers, and he nods.

“I’m here,” he tells her. “Whenever you’re ready to talk… I’m here.”

“I know.” she says, “I’m exhausted.”

“Come on.” he says, getting to his feet with a groan that makes her laugh slightly, before he helps her up, wrapping her in a towel before walking them towards the bed. He hands her an old jumper, one that nine months ago, used to belong to him, and a pair of joggers, kissing her head slightly.

“I’ll grab some water, I’ll be right back.” he tells her and she nods, watches him go as she takes a deep breath, focuses on getting into the clothes rather than the silence, rather than the memories of the last few days.

By the time he’s back she’s already in bed, her eyes staring at a spot of the wall across the room as she curls into the duvet and his heart breaks when the creek of the floor makes her jump.

He places the water on her bedside table, runs a gentle finger across her cheek as he passes her and gets himself in bed, turns to face her when she rolls over, taking her hand gently when she rests it on his chest, smiling when he links their fingers.

“Derek said you kept reading the other women’s files.” she says softly, he looks at her and nods. “He pretty much stuck to the script.” she tells him, looking from him to their hands. “I wish you didn’t read them.” she whispers, tracing his fingers with her own.

“When your ready to tell me, I’ll listen.” he says, “I’ll wait for you to tell me.”

“You’ll read the report before—”

“I’ll wait for you to tell me.” he whispers; she nods.

“Okay.” she whispers, “thank you.”

“Get some rest,” he tells her, “I’m right here.”

She smiles before she leans up to kiss him, wrapping herself around him as she inhales, the scent of him calming her, the feeling of safely taking ahold of her as she sighs, closing her eyes.

“I love you.” she whispers as he kisses her head and he smiles.

“I love you too.” he tells her, and waits until shes asleep before allowing himself to fall asleep too.

It’s barley been three hours when her scream jolts him awake. He sits up instantly, terror taking over as he registers what woke him and he turns, slowly reaching out to cup her face as she cries in her sleep, completely taken over by a nightmare, by a memory, by fear.

“Emily,” he whispers, trying to wake her carefully. “Em, sweetheart. Wake up.” he says a little louder, tapping her face gently as she gasps, her eyes opening instantly and she sits up, hyperventilating as she cries, a hand on her chest as she struggles to breathe and he holds her.

“You’re okay.” he whispers, “just breathe. It’s okay.” he soothes, a gentle hand on her back. Her breathing evens out pretty quickly but her tears do not, her entire body shaking with fear as he holds her close.

“You’re safe now,” he tells her, lifting her face to wipe her tears as she looks at him. “I’m here.” he says, “You’re safe.”

He slowly lays them back down, wrapping his arms around her when she clings onto him, resting herself in his arms.

“I love you.” she mutters as she slowly breathes, allowing herself to succumb to sleep.

“I love you too.” he whispers. “You’re safe. I’m here.” he repeats, hoping it soothes her, hoping she feels safe with him.

It’s obvious she does when she doesn’t wake until late that next afternoon and goes searching for him as soon as she realises he’s not next to her.

She finds him on the couch and heads towards him, smiling as she sits next to him and rests her head on his chest, relaxing the minute his arms wrap around her.

“You weren’t in bed.” she mumbles as she closes her eyes.

“I’m right here.” he whispers, “I’ll always be here.” he promises, and he smiles when she mumbles a small I know, before falling back into a dreamless sleep.

#hotchniss fic #hotchniss #emily prentiss #aaron hotchner #criminal minds #criminal minds fic

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kaypeace21 · 3 years

Text

The fathers of Stranger Things: (narrative analysis)

This analysis will discuss all the dads in st. But will mostly focus on the parallels between Brenner, Lonnie, Neil,and Hopper. And the ramifications on their kids.And no i’m not saying Hopper is necessarily as bad as these other fathers/doesn’t have his reasons. But i think the parallels are worth mentioning.

Cycles of Ab*se & internalizing your father’s teachings

Baseball-We see in s2 the cycle of abuse is there- Billy mimics Neil, and then Max mimics Billy. And uses violence to stand up for herself- which earlier she said she was trying to combat … explaining she can be angry like Billy sometimes but she never wants to be like him (her nickname symbolizing this: aka ‘mad max’).

We see in s3 Neil taught Billy baseball and bullied him and called him a “p*ssy” so Billy as a child bullied others and calls them a “p*ssy” (internalizing his father’s teachings and probably venting his anger towards his father on to others). We also see Billy in s2 antagonizes max and demands “say it. say it!”And later Max yells at Billy “say it! say it” and attacks him with a bat. Showing that even Neil has influenced her to a certain extent (via Billy’s ab*se of Max).

We also see in s3 when Will is frustrated he destroys cb (a symbol of his artistic ambition/the day his father left) and destroys it with a baseball bat (and then we see the mf officially return) . We also see in s2, Will has a baseball next to the mf drawing (in his room). This is noteworthy due to the fact Jonathan in s1 asks if Will even likes baseball or is just doing it to appease his father. in s1, Will admits he isn’t a fan of baseball -showing how this ‘interest’ in baseball in later seasons just reflects his desire to win his father’s approval (through more sterotypically masculine hobbies). And we see how both Neil & Lonnie taught both their sons baseball- who are both named William -and who they would call “f*gs”. We also see in s1 Jonathan lugs around a baseball bat & his father’s gun -however neither tool is used by him in the end successfully. However, in s3 we see Jonathan using an axe (like Joyce) showing by this point he’s mostly taken on Joyce’s influence.

El’s spying , fighting the Russians, and lack of care for her safety shows she internalized Brenner’s teachings- We know in s1 El was trained to be a spy/weapon against the soviets (by Brenner). And in later seasons when it comes to her interpersonal relationships- she continues to spy on everyone around her. she spies on Mike despite his vocal discomfort in s3. Brenner specifically tells her to spy and repeat the words the guys are saying back to him- which is exactly what she does to Lucas and Mike (spying on them and repeating their words back to Max). And when Mike is concerned for her safety we also have El mimic Brenner’s words (from s1) . in s1 she is also said to be taken by Brenner to be a “weapon to fight the commies” and in s3 that’s exactly what she did! She does literally everything Brenner ever wanted from her!!!!!!!

Jonathan & Billy’s fights with Steve (reflect their father issues... which Steve accidentally triggered)- We see Billy and Jonathan both shoved into walls by their father’s . For Billy this is in a direct consequence of Max running away and for Jonathan- Will’s disappeareance. Billy first shoves Lucas into the wall similarly to Neil. And both Jonathan and Billy are told to “STOP”.

Billy also breaks a plate over Steve’s head. What’s interesting to note is in s3 we see Billy’s mother threw a plate at Billy’s father (so he was mimicking the dysfunction he saw as a child). kind of like how in s3 he backhands max (mirroring how neil backhanded his mother in the s3 flashback).

When it comes to jonathan we see jonathan tell nancy to leave and it’s “not worth it” to argue with Steve. However he stops in his tracks when Steve says he’s “like his father”. Then Steve proceeds to insult his family. And eventually Jonathan who throughout every season is generally portrayed as non confrontational attacks steve. similarly when Billy and Jonathan are beating Steve (who is laying on the ground)-multiple people are yelling for them to stop.But both are in too much of a triggered daze to stop themselves. Even when the cops come- Jonathan elbows the cop in the face and kicks steve with handcuffs on and even says handcuffed for the cop to “get off’ (like he told Lonnie earlier).

Both would rather do this to their own fathers-but Steve (and the cops) were used as their proxy instead. The fights might reflect what the boys have been taught by their fathers-aka vi*lence. Also on some subconscious level jonathan may have been like-oh you think i’m like my dad? I’ll show you what my dad is like (beats steve with no mercy).

***also, tw se*ual ab*se (you can skip)-during the jonathan fight they also bring up the “pervy photo sesh”- which jonathan took right after seeing his father. in the movies said to inspire s4 they often had a se*ually ab*sive dad/relative who would take innaproriate pics of his kids.uuuuugh. So jonathan may have just been mimicking that past behavior of his father. ugh.***

father’s ab*se reflects the supernatural

*if you know about my did theory-part 1 and 2 you’ve heard this stuff in detail but i’ll just give a brief synopsis

- The demogorgan that attacks Will in s1 is a demon called the “deep FATHER” in d&d.

-El first comes across the demogorgon (“deep father” ) eating it’s own eggs- symbolically this shows the ‘father’ is hurting it’s own kids ( a motif in the show)!

hunting/baseball/trunks connecting to Lonnie and the monsters: Will is attacked by the demogorgan in Lonnie’s old shed (and Will tries to defend himself with Lonnie’s old hunting gun). The demogorgan jumps on Jonathan and knocks the bat out of his hands, when he tries defending himself from the demogorgan( both activities: hunting/baseball Lonnie taught the boys). We also see the demogorgan also attack hunters and a deer- a ref to the lonnie & Jonathan hunting story about Bambi. In s1 we see Jonathan check Lonnie’s trunk to see if Will is there . But also we see the mf throw heather and later her parents in the trunk as well. Also when Jonathan starts talking car repair lingo in s3 -Will senses the mf (since Lonnie repaired cars as a hobby in s1). When lonnie returns in s1 jonathan asks Joyce “did that thing (demogorgan ) come back?” And when Lonnie says he explored around the quarry-jonathan mentions how the demogorgan only traveled a few miles around his house. When Lonnie says “someone should be held accountable” for what happened to Will- it transitions from lonnie hammering a nail into the wall to Mike piercing a pencil into paper explaining the hole in the upsidedown and how Will got trapped there- hinting at how Lonnie causing trauma to Will is the explanation for everything supernatural. Also need to point out how we zoom in on the lightbulb in Lonnie’s shed (after Will is taken) and they later zoom in on a red lighbulb (when Jonathan tears the innappropriate photos down from the red room) and then it transitions to the christmas lights. And then we see Lonnie berate Jonathan and there’s a glowing lightbulb beside Lonnie (to mirror him to the demogorgan).

-flowers & monstrous fathers: when Brenner (”papa”) first hurts Terry on a hospital bed she wakes up with sunflowers next to her bed. Lonnie in s1 is shown to have a sunflower blanket, and in s2 we see a sunflower book next to Will’s bed after he has a nightmare. We also see that the demogorgan ( ”deep father’-also called the “the man without a face” in s1 ) have a face that resembles a flower. Brenner also gave El a flower when on her bed (although not a sunflower) before forcing her to face the demogorgan for the 1st time.

I believe credit goes to the tumblr user lazy-storm-cloud for noticing Lonnie’s sunflower blanket. I noticed most of the flower imagery but never noticed that blanket until they mentioned it.

-supernatural “wounds” connecting to Will, El, Kali and fathers.The lab workers say the upsidedown’s influence over crops/hawkins is “spreading” while joyce says the tunnels Will drew are also “spreading”. Will says his now-MEMORIES” (connected to the mf-who parallels lonnie) are “growing, spreading, and killing.” Later, Kali in reference to Brenner says her wounds “spread” because she didn’t address her pain caused by Brenner (her papa). And when kali creates a brenner-double he says El has a terrible wound that’s “growing, spreading, and eventually it’ll kill you.” (if not addressed) and they don’t stand up against their father.

-doors connecting to problematic fathers: We see Will in s1 have a sign on his bedroom door that says “do not enter”. And he also requires a password for cb for people to enter. When joyce in s1 hears aggressive knocking on the door she assumes it’s lonnie and says to “go away, Lonnie”. In s1 we the demogorgan unlock the door telepathically and chase Will. later we see Will stare at the shed door terrified as the demogorgan sneaks up behind him. in s2 we see the mf slam open the arcade door by itself, and also open his house door in the same manner . when the house door opens it zooms in on the back of his neck- which indicates it’s based off an old memory-a now memory. We have El also telepathically unlock people’s doors in a similar fashion-not respecting such boundaries. And El asks in s1e1 for the door to stay open. And Neil, Hopper, and Billy angrily yell to “OPEN THE DOOR!!!!!” And Hopper slams doors open demanding they stay 3 inches open. We also see El enter a door in the void to see Heather being attacked in a tub and entering the darkness.

tubs:brenner forces El into a sensory deprivation tank. Later El refers to it as a “tub” after seeing the byers tub. we later see the mf is afraid of the byers’ tub. And tub iconography shows up for billy & heather. the s4 movies hint at Will having a tra*matic memory occurring in the tub.

The fathers of St (recap):

Brenner (“papa” to El and Kali). He forces El into a dark room for hours when she doesn’t obey him. At one point tries to force her to k*ll an animal. Given the way she ate at Benny’s- he may have starved her as another form of punishment.He allows El no ability to express herself (and dresses her in a masculine/androgounous way) and bans her from the outside world. He tries using a calm-kind demeanor to try and manipulate mothers (Joyce & Karen) into thinking he cares about their kids. And uses El as a weapon/spy . He would read to El and give her flowers and a lion plushie . in the st novel (suspicious minds) he compared the children/numbers to “rabbits” he could “hurt”.

Lonnie-(dead beat dad of Jonathan and Will). divorced.Forced Jonathan to k*ll a rabbit. It’s implied he has thrown his kids in his dark car trunk (since Jonathan checks if Will is lonnie’s trunk in s1). He tries manipulating Joyce into thinking he cares about Will. But he just wanted to use Will’s death to make money. He canonically-joked about his son dissappearing. And insulted his ex wife. Then when he realizes he can profit off his son’s death-who he hasn’t seen in years. He leaves his 20-something live in gf, flirts with Joyce calling her “babe”. And pretends to care for Will and the rest of his family. Then gaslights them when they call out his bs. He also has called Will a “f*g” and it’s implied he forced Will to hunt/play baseball. He also shoves Jonathan into a wall. He can have a relatively calm demeanor like Brenner-but then blows up. He smokes, and it’s implied he may be an alcholic since beer cans are littered all over his house. Will has lion plushie in cb (and since lonnie means ‘lion’ it may have been given to him by Lonnie?). He (like Hopper) implies Joyce is mentally ill and that she’s hallucinating due to grief-and says she’s going to go “over the edge” mirroring Hopper’s words about Joyce in s1.

Neil- divorced.Calls Billy a “f*got”, and forced him to play baseball. He later shoves his son into a wall and slaps him. He has a calm demeanor and then yells to make his points with Billy. He also yells at first wife cause romantically jealous. Him & Lonnie both have fights with their ex wives where the phrase “I’m not lying to you” is used.

Hopper- divorced.in s1-3 we see he smokes, pops pills, and is an alocholic. The pilot pitch explicitely states he is . He is shown to have anger issues, sells out El’s location to Brenner in s1. In s2 threatens to send her back to her ab*sers if she doesn��t listen to him/ stay isolated from the outside world. dresses her androgonously and tries controlling her romantic relationships. He yells at Joyce cause romantically jealous . joyce annoyed at Hopper: “yes everyman i speak to is my boyfriend”. El says “you are like papa.” And in the pilot Brenner and Hopper were said to dress similarly. And Murray says to Joyce that Hopper is a “brute” who “reminds (her) of a (past) bad relationship”. Aka Lonnie.

Steve’s dad- is called an “asshole” by Steve and it’s implied he cheats on his wife.

heather’s dad - is sexist to Nancy and cold to his wife. We see Heather (who is the same age as Nancy) has some hidden resentment towards him.

Sam (Max’s dad)- divorced/out of the picture like Lonnie. in the novel ‘runaway max’ is said to be a criminal who often took Max to shady places/bars. And also taught her how to pick door locks-similar to how Jonathan picked a car lock open in s1 like max with a door in s2.

Dustin’s dad- also out of the picture ? dead... maybe?

Recap: Parallels of fathers

forced their kids to k*ll animals/violence toward rabbits/throws kids in dark places/gave their kids lion plushies/tries unsuccessfully to manipulate mother’s into thinking he cares for their kids: Lonnie & Brenner

taught kids shady stuff like how to pick locks: Lonnie & Sam

are described as poor/called their sons “f*gs”/forced sons to play baseball/slam sons into walls/have their sons attack Steve/have sons who are into hard rock music: lonnie & Neil

“i’m not lying to you”-:Neil/ex wife and Lonnie/joyce

dr*gs/smokes/alochol ab*se/womanizers/hunters: lonnie & Hopper

imply Joyce is wrong about the supernatural and is just mentally ill: Lonnie and Hopper. Both use a similar expression of her being on “the edge”.

lie to Joyce: Lonnie and Hopper (specifically lies claiming he took her advice and uses that lie to try and get a date with her)

Gave them cat plushies: Lonnie,Brenner, possibly hopper with sara’s tiger

being connected to flowers: Brenner & Lonnie

yell at love interest when romantically jealous:Neil and Hopper in s3

Hopper: compared to Lonnie (by Murray in s3) and Papa/brenner (by el in s2). in the original pilot Brenner & Hopper were supposed to look similar. Brenner was supposed to have a beard, and wear jeans and plaid shirts similar to hopper in s1. it’s also interesting to note how Hopper started to look more like Neil -they’re both blondes-and in s3 they have matching moustaches (and billy started growing out a moustache in s3-mirroring him becoming a mini neil too).

dress El in masculine clothes/isolate her from outside world/spy on El/read to El:Hopper & Brenner

calm demeanor but quick to anger/ also divorced: Hopper, lonnie, Neil

yells to “open the door”: Neil, Hopper, (and possessed Billy) .it’s also implied Lonnie can pick door locks open.

outliers

jonathan - In the pilot pitch he’s described as taking on the father role for Will (after Lonnie left). However, he is often paralleled to the mothers of st. Most likely because he never had a healthy father figure- and distrusts even good men like Bob- so models his parenting behavior more so on maternal figures. We see Jonathan being paralleled to the mothers taking photos of their kids on Halloween, and Jonathan being paralleled to Karen twice. We even see him bored/annoyed in s2 watching the film “mr mom” since the comedic premise was haha - dad has to stay at home- cook for their kids , drive them to school, do laundry, whaaa how can a man do that ... look it’s so hard ? isn’t that what moms do instead? All things Jonathan does without literally tripping over himself and failing like the older male film character, initially does . He also in canon helps pay for the mortgage. We also see Jonathan is unlike the other problematic fathers (who demand entry into their kid’s room) since we see him knock on Will’s door and get verbal permission before entering Will’s room in s2 (respecting Will’s sign). Similar to joyce ringing cb’s doorbell and getting verbal permission from Will to enter.We also see on Halloween Jonathan mocks Bob but when Will defends him Jonathan later mimics Bob telling Will “hope it doesn’t suck” (in a vampire voice) showing at least subconsciously he was mirroring the parenting-like behavior from Bob (since Will liked Bob). So Bob became the first male he used as an inspiration for his ‘parenting style’.

Ted- is shown in direct opposition to Lonnie.In s1 we see Ted help Mike put on a tie mentioning to Mike it has to be a “little tight” and that it “looks good”. And after this scene: we see Jonathan struggle to put on a tie (and then ripping it off in frustration-signifying his lack of a father figure that could have taught him how to do this when younger). So in s3 we see Jonathan’s ties are always poorly done and slightly loose around his neck. The same season Jonathan comments about how Nancy’s dad makes 6 figures and his dad “isn’t even around”. He finacially supports his family. cuddles Holly on his fav laze-boy and takes her to fairs. Wants to comfort Mike after Will dies (but listens to Karen to give him time). Has Karen tell Mike that if he wants to talk to him about Will’s death- he can call him at work and he’ll come home for Mike. His calm demeanor seems genuine -unlike the other father figures who quickly lose their cool facade (Ted has never yelled at his kids). Even when kids yell or insult him he doesn’t lose his cool. Worst things he’s done: told kids to stop cursing, naps alot, gives an outdated football analogy about How Mike needs to stop acting out . Why st fans claim he’s a bad dad : boring af aka the human embodiment of wonder bread, in loveless marriage, and not rambo-esque like Hopper so people act like he’s a horrible dad in comparison to Hopper. Despite being a more stable parent in the normal everyday situations.

Lucas’ dad- unfortunately we saw very little of him. But he seems somewhat similar to Ted. He’s nice and gives somewhat dated advice at the table to his son-like Ted did. He seems like a mellow, chill dude, who finacially supports his family. But,Unlike karen/ted it seems like he loves his wife and vice versa.

Bob-the wannabe stepdad- as the first romantic interest after Lonnie-He contrasts him. He doesn’t do drugs or smoke. Is emotionally vulnerable with Joyce and vice versa. He never makes fun of Will or Joyce’s mental health issues. he relates to Will -who was bullied as a kid, and is into computers, comics, and was in av club (just like Will). He is supportive of Will’s non-manly interests and encourages those interests (bringing brain puzzles, and board games over when told Will is sick). Unlike Lonnie who tried to force ‘manly’ interests on to Will. He isn’t mad when Will busts his brand new camera but is simply concerned that Will is being bullied. He’s also shown being concerned about Will’s mental health. He helps joyce with little things like finding her keys and taking Will to school. His happy calm demeanor is genuine-and he is never shown yelling in anger. He kindly disagrees with joyce on the ‘ drawings on the walls game’ cause he was concerned it wasn’t good for Will’s mental health (and tells her she can talk more about Will’s issues). He sacrifices himself to save Will, joyce and everyone around him. And unlike Hopper- Bob was never jealous or mean to joyce about the men in Joyce’s life. Bob was serious about Joyce and the boys-he wanted them to be his family and move them near his own blood relatives. We see he had an impact on the boys at the end of s2- Will drawing the “bob newby superhero” drawing and Jonathan using Bob’s camera.

#jonathan byers #el hopper #will byers #max mayfield #billy hargrove #joyce byers #bob newby #lonnie byers #neil hargrove #kali prasad #lucas sinclair #dustin henderson #mike wheeler #nancy wheeler

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