#stay for these kids that they viewed as 'doomed'- and like. they were right but they didn't know that)

[jaguarys]

For the record I don't think the Sannin had some sort of dramatic falling out. I think they grew apart in a way that they almost didn't notice. I think they found different interests, different people, and no matter how much they told themselves they were still as close as they'd always been they weren't. And I think it was a process of continually realizing these people aren't who you idealized in your mind; that they are maybe, kind of, sort of bad people; that they have done things you can't ignore, and that, maybe, they are your enemies. But there's no closure there. There's no sense of relief to be gained. Because you love them. You love them more than anyone in the world–– more than your students, more than your spouse, more than your family, more than your village. They know more about you than anyone ever will or ever could. They hold pieces of you, not only in your knowledge, not only in your youth, but in your soul, because they are one-third of it. You know them more, and less, than anyone could, and definitely more than you should

#i love them so much man i have SO many thoughts about them #also as far as my hcs for the deterioration of their relationship #i think jiraiya was kind of the first to leave in that he stayed behind in ame while oro and tsunade went back to the village #and oro really hated him for that because they viewed it as a sort of betrayal (because of their mindset they just didn't Get why he would #stay for these kids that they viewed as 'doomed'- and like. they were right but they didn't know that) #and tsunade and oro's relationship kind of fizzled after nawaki died because there was just a MESS of emotions going on #i feel like all three of them were like 'oh we'll just move past this' and then they Didn't #and then jiraiya and tsunade kind of realized after oro defected like 'OH SHIT there was a lot we were ignoring here' #and then you get like 25 years of them continually going 'oh. oh shit' as they realize more. and it just grows #but they could never let go of who oro was to them #ANYWAYS. #personal #naruto #naruto shippuden #naruto meta #naruto analysis #sannin naruto #tsunade naruto #jiraiya naruto #orochimaru naruto #orochimaru #tsunade #jiraiya #jiraorotsu #orojiratsu #tsujiraoro #tsunade senju #fandom: naruto #type: meta

[hirayaaraw]

Of Taxes and Marriage

Tags: friends to lovers; marriage for convenience / fake marriage; pining

Next

It's Saturday and you were supposed to have to watch a movie downtown with your bestfriens Wonwoo but plans were changed. Here you are in his dining table with your laptop and cramming your tax file that is due on Monday.

"Why no one has taught this in college?" You complain while you were dizzy with the amount of payslips you got from your main job and side hustle. "I'm really sorry for cancelling our plans, Won."

"It's fine." Wonwoo said before sitting next to you and peek on your laptop. You can see his grimace on your peripheral view.

"Should I call my mom's secretary to fix your tax file so we can eat our dinner now?" You roll your eyes. Wonwoo, of course, the rich kid he is, knows and have anyone to fix your tax.

"I doubt you call them to fix yours."

"Well, right." And Wonwoo, the rich kid he is, doesn't like using his connection. He likes doing his stuff on his own. "I don't even want to call my mom right now because that means another blind date to arrange with another daughter of someone."

"Poor you." You said nonchalantly. You couldn't care less about his rich boy problem because when you saw the amount of tax you will be paying. "I'm doomed."

Wonwoo pulled your laptop as you try to process the fact that you owe the freaking government a huge amount of tax. "Woah. You made that much in your side hustle?"

"Made that much, gave away so much to my family, and now I need pay so much to this government." You stressed out as you comb your hair in frustration. You are thinking to delay the payment and paying the penalties. "Not to mention my monthly rent."

"You need some help?"

"No, I'm fine. I can handle this." You said and close your laptop. "What should we eat tonight?"

"Orange chicken?"

"That sounds nice. Do you the ingredients?" You stood up and went to his refrigerator.

"Yeah, I did some grocery when you said we gonna cancel the plan tonight." He said then start preparing the utensils that will be used.

This is how your weekends usually happen. Dinner with either of your apartments. Cooking together or if you both feeling lazy, you order pizza and do some movie marathon. This started during your college days as broke students and now you two are inseparable.

Once you are done cooking, you felt a bit better as you see Wonwoo become excited about the food. He prepared the table and pull you a chair.

"Thank you for the food." He said before closing his eyes to mutter a short prayer. "Finally a real food."

"If only you can stop being lazy about cooking."

"I told you I can't cook."

"Then what did we do earlier, Mister?"

"Well, I chop and you do your magic." Wonwoo said then ate a spoonful of rice. He continued explaining how shitty he is as a cook. You just agreed he is a bad cook and settled on cooking on weekends for him so he can stay alive or else he will live through instant noodles and canned goods.

Once you finish eating, you clear the table and he wash the dishes. He notice how your aura is still gloomy despite trying to make you laugh.

"You know I can help you if you tell me." He said while rinsing the plate.

"If the government can give tax break to corporations for doing charity, why can't they do it for single women who are breadwinners?" You whined at him. "If you happen to know who to contact to lower my tax bracket, then I will gladly ask for your help."

Wonwoo wipe the plates dry and put it on the cabinet. He bit his lower lip and turn to you.

"What? Do you know how?"

"Yeah" Wonwoo said in low voice. Unsure if he should say it.

"Really? You know how?" You said excitedly and you hugged him. Wonwoo gulped as he smelled your perfume. You pulled away from him and waited for this information.

"You need to marry someone to get a tax break." He said in a matter of fact tone. You groaned and slap his chest in annoyance.

"Where can I find a husband? I've been single since we graduated." You frowned at him while he smiled at you. He ruffled your hair to annoy you more.

"You can marry me."

You blink twice at him. It seems like your brain is playing at you. You scanned his face to see any sign if he is joking or what but Wonwoo is just smiling at you.

"What did you say?"

"I sad you can marry me." Wonwoo said in a very serious tone then gave you a small smile. You can feel your heart beat jumps.

"You shouldn't joke about marriage, asshole." You pushed him towards the sink and walk to his sofa. He followed you like a lost cat.

"Hey I'm serious." Wonwoo said when he caught your hand.

"Marriage for tax? Are you kidding me?" You looked at him with disbelief on how he came up with that idea. "Marriage should happen between two people who love each other."

"We love each other!" He said as if it is the easiest thing on the world.

"Platonically."You said and Wonwoo still holding your hand slowly kneeling on one knee.

"You get a lower tax bracket, my mom will stop pestering me about blind dates."

"Insane."

"You can pay me half of your monthly rent or even nothing if we get married."

"I can believe you are talking me through this and I am seriously considering it."

"Y/N, will you marry me? For the sake of taxes and everything that bothers us." He asked you with that endearing smile. How could you say no?

"You'll help me file my tax?"

"Gladly."

"I will shoo away your blind dates."

"I am literally on my knees so please."

"Half of my rent and I cook for you everyday."

"I will be forever grateful."

"When's our wedding?"

That's how you ended up Monday morning at the city hall in your white skirt, coat, and strapped on heels. Wonwoo arrived at your appartment with a bouquet yellow tulips and to add the wedding vibe according to him. He looks handsome in his black tuxedo and slick back hairstyle.

Now you both stand in front of a judge as he precided your wedding. You drag a janitor and a court clerk to be a witness to your wedding. Wonwoo held both of your hands. You listen to the judge intenly while he looks at you endearingly.

"With the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

You and Wonwoo's eyes widen in surprise. You forgot the part where you need to kiss each other. Wonwoo slowly remove the veil from your face.

He held your cheeks gently and you look at him before closing your eyes. This is not the first kiss you shared with him. However, this is is special as you are now his wife. He lowered his head and gave you a kiss. You can feel his smile against yours and you couldn't help but reach his face with your free hand.

"Congratulations, Mr. And Mrs. Jeon!" You pulled away and hugged him. Wonwoo laughed as he hugged you tighter.

Just two idiots who will never admit they love each other romantically.

2017 December

A day before you both leave the campus dorm to celebrate the holiday. You are sitting side by side in his tiny couch with a bowl of popcorn on your lap. Love, Rosie playing on the screen.

"Do you think we will be in love at each other like them?" You asked him out of the blue. Just pure curiousity.

"I don't know. Maybe? We don't what fate holds for us."

"But is that fine with you?"

"Fine with?"

"Falling in love with me in the future."

"Yeah there's not to love about you." Wonwoo said calmly as if it is a non brainer question. You put the popcorn on the coffee table.

You don't know what went on your mind. It is suddenly hazy. You turn to him while Wonwoo is watching Rosie confess.

"I want to know something."

"Shoot."

"Can I kiss you?"

"Okay." Wonwoo looked at you. Without anytime waster, you pulled him towards you and kiss him. It took few seconds for Wonwoo to respond. His hand grab your neck to deepen the kiss. You were never kissed like this before.

You pulled away to breathe. He rested his forehead to yours before giving you a peck.

"Was it that you want to know?" He asked you with breathy voice. You stood up before you were completely trap by the spell he puts you in.

"Oh look. It's late. I have a bus to catch on tomorrow morning." You pick up your phone and ran towards the door. "Merry Christmas, Wonwoo!"

Your curiousity is satisfied. You just learned that Wonwoo has the ability to make your heart go crazy and your heart is ridiculously beating for him.

But no, you don't need love as senior college student clinging on scholarship. You set aside the feelings and burried it the whole holiday season.

It was the first but certainly not the last kiss you shared with Wonwoo as friends.

2019 July

Drinks flowing as the campus celebrated the night before the graduation ceremony. Everyone is inebriated as well as you and Wonwoo.

Wonwoo never left your side and his free arm is stucked in either your waist or shoulder. Both of you were laughing like idiots at the corner of your batchmate's house, you legs resting on his lap and your head on his shoulder. The party music blaring in the whole house.

When the laughter between the two of you ensued, you both notice how there is almost no distance between the two of you. You can smell the beer and his musky perfume.

Wonwoo raised your chin and you can see the hesitation in his eyes. You held his hand and took this as a sign. He kissed you tenderly. A little bit sloppy but you can feel his yearning as if he is scared that he will be losing you.

Once you are both out of breath, you rested your head on his chest. Hands still intertwined.

"Y/N" Wonwoo called you. You hummed against his chest. He felt that he has the whole world. He is nervous but it feels like a now or never situation. "Have I told you that I love you?"

He waited for a response but nothing came out from you. Wonwoo looked down just to see you sleeping on him.

Present

If he told the 2019 Jeon Wonwoo that he will end up marrying you, his old self will never believe it. If he told his past self that you both spent the night of your wedding playing board games, his old self will laugh at him for being loser.

He is happy and content for what he has right now. His confession can wait.

Right now, you enjoy defeating Wonwoo in every scrabble round. Your heart beats like first time you both kissed. Just like the first time you kissed, you wanted to put aside your feelings and focus on the pressing matters at hand.

Next

#wonwoo x oc #wonwoo fluff #wonwoo scenarios #wonwoo x reader #kpop scenarios #seventeen scenarios #seventeen fluff #seventeen imagines #wonwoo imagines #seventeen fic

[hxney-lemcn]

The Show Goes On — Berial (AFK Journey) x gn! reader

summery: you find yourself in the clutches of a jester who just wanted to have some fun. (un)fortunately for you, you seemed to have peaked his interest.

tw: uhhh Berial straight up kidnaps reader 💀 (this is not a yandere thing tho. Just crazy people shit). mentions of death/dying.

a/n: Berial simps have some food. Idk what possessed me when I wrote this but enjoy.

wc: 2.5k

Master List

The moon shone brightly over the town, casting dark shadows around every corner. Lights dimly lit up the main streets, guiding you on your way home. You had decided to cut through an alley,  something that you typically did to cut your travel short. Yet, as soon as you stepped foot into the dark alley only being lit up by the moon, you heard bells chime behind you. You paused, heart accelerating.

There were rumors of a Hypogen monster that lurked in the shadows. That if you heard bells to not look behind you or you would be doomed. How the screams of its victims were silenced before they could even let out a peep. You thought they were tales parents told to keep their kids from sneaking out at night, but at the moment it felt all too real. Taking in a deep breath, you tried to regain your composure, it was a silly rumor, but the way your hair stood on end had you stay cautious. 

You continued walking, trying to ignore the giggles that now accompanied the jingles. Your head twitched, instinct begging you to just take a peak at what was making noise, but you forced your head to stay forward. Your pace grew faster, as the end of the alley came into view. Every fiber in your bones told you you’d be safer in the light (silly humans always thought that). 

Just as you were about to step foot out of the alley, relief briefly flowed through you, only for that hope to be snatched just as quickly. Dark glove clad hands tugged you back by your shoulders, that giggling voice now right next to your ear. You couldn’t stop the shriek that tore from your lips as an inky dark face came into view. It donned a jagged grin, you could barely comprehend what you were currently witnessing. It had no lips, its jagged mouth reminding you of a jack-o-lantern, except jack-o-lanterns were meant to ward off evil. It seemed to lack any eyes, as there were no pupils or iris’, just pure white that was tinted purple. 

Its giggles turned into full blown laughter as it continued to drag you back into the inky blackness. You struggled, unsure what it wanted with you, but clearly it was nothing good. Your stomach dropped when you were suddenly picked up and were flying. You ceased your struggling, suddenly very aware that the hypogean could easily drop you to your demise. That seemed to amuse it all the more as its impossibly wide grin widened. 

Then, like it hadn’t just kidnapped you, set you down on your now wobbly legs. You placed your weight on a nearby wall, slowly taking in your surroundings. It wasn’t Esperia, that was for sure, which made your blood run cold. The two of you were in an area that you could only describe to look like a void. Dark, purple tinted clouds curled in the distance, the only ground being the weird estate like structure you were currently in. It hurt your mind wondering just how this place existed, and the hypogean seemed all too pleased by your expression. 

“You are tonight's winner!” The being exclaimed in a flourish. It twirled before falling into a dramatic bow, but instead of just taking off its hat, it took off its entire head. You blinked, bewildered as its eyes blinked up at you. It paused, as if waiting for you to clap, and you couldn’t hold the laughter that flew past your lips in surprise. The entire situation was absurd, and if you didn’t laugh you might actually cry. 

Your reactions seemed to make the entity even more jolly as it swiftly put its head on backwards. Only to twist it into the correct position, causing you to chuckle once more. It seemed to thrive on your ‘enjoyment’ (you didn’t find much joy in this situation) as it was more enthusiastic than before. 

“I knew you would be an interesting human,” It preened, every movement exaggerated as if to entertain. “As tonight’s winner, your prize is to witness a show put on by the great Berial himself!” The bells on his uniform chimed gently as he floated up, arms wide open along with his wings. 

You watched with caution, unsure of what was to become of you. Just what did Hypogeans find entertaining? Didn’t they enjoy the anguish of people? Spilling blood and finding joy in tears? It clearly found joy in your fear earlier, but strangely he seemed to enjoy your amusement as well. What would happen to you after the ‘show’? Is that when he would dispose of you? Perhaps you were the last act, to be messed with until you could no longer cry nor bleed.

“Now take a seat and let the show begin!” Berial (you assumed) exclaimed, whisking you away into a room that held a stage. One lone seat laid before it, and the jester gently pushed you into it. 

Every act had you on the edge of your seat. He would take a classic magician trick and have some dark twist. It took out a magician's wand, and with a flourish, it turned into a bouquet. You hadn’t seen magicians before, your only exposure being that from books, so it was all new to you. You merely worked at a tavern, hence why you were walking home so late in the first place. So at first, when he presented you the bouquet, you had forgotten for a split second that this was a hypogean you were dealing with, stranded in the middle of the definition of nowhere. Hesitantly you reached for the bouquet, the flowers were breathtakingly beautiful, and when your fingers wrapped around the base, bugs started to crawl out of the flowers. You screamed out of surprise, dropping the flowers and pushing yourself as far as you could into the surprisingly comfortable chair. 

Berial’s laugh rang out above you as you tried to steady your breathing. Once again it found your fear hilarious, and you halfheartedly glared. He laughed so hard his head rolled off his head, and you watched as it rolled past you, descending into an inky shadow. Its glowing eyes seemed to be seared into your eyelids as you swore you could still see the glow after you blinked. Your attention turned back to Berial’s body as it furiously patted where it’s head once hovered (you noticed it never fully connected with the rest of his body). 

You watched curiously as his hat appeared in one of his hands. He reached into his hat, pulling out miscellaneous items. Your amusement grew as the items grew to be more ridiculous. You lost it when it pulled out a gleamtail, the squirrel-like animal looking around confused, your gentle laugh filling the silence. That seemed to be the goal of that act, as he finally pulled his own head out of his hat, plopping both back where they belonged. He bowed again, and this time you did clap, a small grin tugging at your lips. The longer you watched, the more comfortable you became, and the less scary the entity before you seemed. Its acts grew more and more ridiculous, with a scare or two in between. 

Yet every show must come to an end. Berial was bowing once again after cutting a shadow creature in half and pretended to have lost its lower half. You clapped, finding yourself enjoying the company of such a strange being, only for the curtains to finally close. The show had been going on for so long that you forgot that there was going to be an end. You felt yourself tense once more, unsure what was going to happen next. Was this it? Were you going to die? He had all his fun and now it was time to get rid of you. You anxiously stayed in your seat, eyes scanning your surroundings. The grandiose room was dark, the lights that lit up the stage were gone and it was hard for you to see much of anything. 

“Boo!” Berial popped out suddenly in front of you. You flinched back, his long nose nearly poking your own. His glowing eyes and mouth were the only thing lighting up your surroundings. Giggling lightly, it pulled away, the rest of his body blending in with the darkness. 

“You are such a fun human,” It giggled, hands holding its face in what seemed to be fake adoration. “I’m tempted to keep you around.” This seemed to be your way out. Even if you actually had fun, you didn’t want to stick around for too long. Hopefully you could convince him to let you go.

“W-wouldn’t it be more fun to bring me back to Esperia?” You asked, feeling a bit intimidated with his eyes solely on you. “To try and catch me off guard?”

“My, and you’re so smart for a human,” Berial clapped. “Hide and seek does sound fun.” Before you could fully comprehend what he just said, you picked you up from your seat again. He flew you both back where you came, and you had to squint as the sun shone overhead. 

…

That was how you found yourself with a Hypogean popping out at you when you’d least suspect it. It was weird, as you thought he’d lose interest in you the second he was gone, but he continued to surprise you. Sometimes as you’d walk to work you’d feel like something was watching you from the shadows, and now you had a reason to worry. 

Yet it never seemed like Berial actually meant you any harm. Its giggles trailed after you warmly, its scares becoming more playful than scary, sometimes it would even sweep you into an impromptu dance to a song only it could hear. You found yourself looking forward to your next meeting, eyes trailing to the shadows, watching for any hint of a disturbance within. 

Your coworkers had started to avoid you when they could. The sound of bells that used to be associated with the night had now started to be associated with you. Quickly you found yourself to be ostracized, people whispering about you just out of hearing range. You started to feel comforted in the jesters presence. He never failed to cheer you up (or scare you), and he found himself spending more time with you as well.

Typically Berial found people boring. They always reacted the same. Scream, cry, plead for their life. That wasn’t fun. And although his perception of fun was a bit…morbid, he couldn’t help but find you interesting. He hadn’t met anyone who actually laughed at his jokes, who didn’t scream when he tipped not just his hat but his entire head. You were a strange and fascinating human, and Berial found himself wanting to spend more and more time with you, seeing if he could make you pull an expression he hasn’t seen before. 

He found himself growing fond of you, something he didn’t think he could even feel! How strange you were for pulling these feelings out of him. It wanted more, its hunger insatiable, wanting to explore those odd feelings. The way it felt warm and fluttery at your laugh, or how its nonexistent heart jumped at any contact with you. Oh, and the way your eyes lit up when it would imitate you, and how silly you were when you would play back. No one had ever tried to entertain the entertainer before! 

That was how you found yourself in your current situation. The jester weighed you down as it laid its head in your lap. It made you slightly curious if you could pluck his head up just as he can to himself, but you felt it might be a bit rude if you tried (or maybe he’d like that, it was hard to tell). Instead, you found yourself brushing your fingers through his hair, his top hat resting on top of your own head. He seemed to preen under your touch, his jagged smile as wide as ever, he looked like the cat that got the cream. His tail had wrapped around your waist, and you were slightly curious why he seemed to be so affectionate. He was already odd for a Hypogean, but this was just adding to it. 

“Is something the matter?” You asked, fingers trailing down to his dark skin. You half expected your hands to ghost through him as his skin seemed to blend in with the shadows. 

“Never been better,” It said with a content sigh. You felt yourself heat up at the implication. Was it really so happy to be in your presence? Receiving your affection? You felt even warmer when it nuzzled its face closer to your hands. “What do you humans call this feeling again? Love?” You spluttered, flabbergasted at what just transpired. Love? Is it serious? Can a Hypogean even love? And a human no less. 

“H-huh?” You asked, eyes wide as you stared down at it. 

Suddenly, he broke out laughing and you felt your heart clench, “I’ve never seen you look like that before! Oh the hilarity!” Of course he doesn’t love you, he’s messing with you. He’s trying to get a rise out of you. And suddenly you found yourself wanting to leave. No longer did he seem warm like you had thought, but instead the cold monster he truly was. You shuffled, trying to push him off of you, but he stayed firm in his place. For someone so bouncy and light looking, he really could be heavy when he wanted. 

“Now now,” Berial continued to giggle lightly. “No need for the dramatics. Do I seem like someone who’d tell such jokes?” You only raised an eyebrow and he broke out in laughter once again. “Ah I suppose you have a point, dear. But truely, I would not joke about such things with you.” You wearily watched him as he sat up and turned to fully face you. Lifting up his hands, he gently grabbed your cheeks and squished them, causing you to send him a lighthearted glare.

“You are a strange human indeed,” He muttered, and a strange seriousness filled his tone. “What do you say, human. Do you feel the same?” Once again you felt your guard rise, unsure if this was another of his jokes or if he genuinely meant what he said. Although his smile seemed permanently imprinted into his features, the ends of his mouth looked softer, smaller. 

“Maybe,” You muttered to the best of your ability as his hands continued to squish his cheeks, your eyes couldn’t seem to look away no matter how hard you tried. 

“Then I must turn that maybe into definitely!” Berial exclaimed, jumping up with a flourish. 

“How are you going to do that?” You asked wearily. 

“It wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you.” And with that, he disappeared with a wink.

Just what have you gotten yourself into?

#afk journey x reader #afk arena x reader #berial afk journey x reader #afk journey berial x reader #berial x reader #afk journey #afk arena #berial afk journey #afk journey berial #berial #x reader

[errorwarblesrr]

Yeah, I felt like making this its own post rather than a reblog, so here's the context:

Thinking about this.

Honestly, I get why some people are a little upset that Link was sent back in time because he didn't get a say and it led to disaster in the Adult timeline but like,,,

This is straight-up proof that he was still mentally 9 at the end of oot. I know when he's older, he grows up having regrets like not being remembered as the Hero of Time, but I think either way, he was kinda doomed.

If he had stayed, he really would have missed out on growing up. Everyone would have perceived him as an adult and treated him as such. Yet, he would still have the mental and emotional maturity of a small child. He'd have the innocence as one, and that can just lead down to just so many bad situations. He'd be expected to function as an adult, but he wouldn't be able to. He can't. He's just 9. He's just a little kid.

In oot whenever someone made weird comments on him, those most likely flew right over his head. Hell, in Majora's Mask, he barely understands basic romance, viewing it as adult matters. We know later on in the child timeline he starts a family. I don't even want to think about any possibilities of him starting relationships if he stayed in the adult timeline because anyone his physical age he is actually 7 years younger than them. Those kids who were his age grew up, but he did not.

And so thinking about it from Zelda's perspective, who knew Link was time traveling and his true nature, it makes sense why she sent him back. He can properly grow up. Either way, the events of oot will affect him. But from her perspective, how could you possibly subject a child to that? If he did have a say, would he actually know better? He doesn't understand the adult world he wouldn't be prepared for it all. He may feel out of place in either timeline, but which one would be best for him? The one where he will be remembered as a hero or the one where he can actually be around people his age and grow up?

#the legend of zelda #ocarina of time #majoras mask #oot #loz #idk just wanted this to be its own post #anyways #i think this is a testament to just how tragic links character is in these games #choosing a timeline for him to stay in is like choosing a lesser evil #he may be forgotten in the child timeline but in mm we see he still befriends zelda and malon #and the sages he befriended get to live saria gets to live his childhood best friend #people say he is now in a world where he doesnt belong but honestly he wouldnt fit in the adult timeline as a literal man child either #at least he can make actual connections here

[covertblizzard]

Teen Titans Chronology

Era 1: Superhero Names & Funky Nicknames

The Brave and the Bold (1955) #54 The Brave and the Bold (1955) #60 Showcase #59 Teen Titans (1966) #1-20 The Brave and the Bold (1955) #83 Teen Titans (1966) #21-22

This is the peak silly era. Goofy nicknames, (mostly) goofy one-off villains, occasional team-up, etc. As far as I'm aware, none of their real names are ever mentioned within their own title and it's just their superhero names.

It starts with Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad (in the first Brave and Bold), with Wonder Girl being the first addition when they are officially first called the Teen Titans (in the second Brave and Bold), so I'm counting the Fab Foursome (Cool Quartet? Fantabulous Foursome?) of them as the starting point. They're a team up to #18 with occasional guests from Speedy (#4 - with notes that there were an "avalanche of mail" asking for his inclusion, #11), Beast Boy (#6 - rejected by the Teen Titans and apparently previously the Doom Patrol for not having a guardian's permission slip, interesting note that he already had movie offers here), and Starfire (#18 - definitely not who you're thinking of and instead a Russian boy).

Issue #19 is when they become "Fab-Four-Sometime Five" where Roy joins and Garth takes a break, so the main four changed. There are then two more team ups with Jericho (#20 - also not who you're thinking of but some boy name Joshua) and with Hawk and Dove (#21).

I think only Mad Mod became a long-term villain (?) but the list includes: Mr Twister, the Astounding Separated Man, Beast-God of Xochatan, Akkuru, Ding Dong Daddy Dowd (Demon Dragster), Diablo, The Ant (less villain and more blackmailed by Mr Krask), Mr Baltzer, Mad Mod, Honey Bun (and a spy Karl Larner), Captain Tiger, The Scorcher, The Gargoyle (who makes a reappearance in #35), Captain Rumble, The Dimensional Caper (from Dimension X), Le Blanc, Punch (Sylvester Sepastopol), Fat Cat.

Era 2: Real Names, New Teammates, Mr Jupiter, and Solo Storylines

Teen Titans (1966) #22-31 The Brave and the Bold (1955) #94 Teen Titans (1966) #32-34 World's Finest Comics #205 Teen Titans (1966) #35-39 The Brave and the Bold (1955) #102 Teen Titans (1966) #40-43

This part of the story starts to have a bit more personality and it is a lot more character-driven as opposed to (short) plot-driven stories. Their real names are finally used and they're shown to hangout as civilians and not just superheroes.

This starts at the end of #22 when Donna Troy is given a name, a backstory (one of many), a new apartment, a roommate Sharon, and a makeover. Dick and Wally was previously named in #83 of The Brave and the Bold, but Roy gets named in #24. In a way, this makes Donna feel very much like the living center of the Titans for me, her development begins with the Titans and she's intrinsically tied to it very personally (and this also feels reflected in how Garth views Donna as the "TITANS FOREVER" among all of them). After all, at this point, there's no separate comics she is in unlike the other 4 main titans. She is also the only single character that appears in every single comic with no exception (other than the very first, but they weren't known as Teen Titans then either).

There aren't so much guests as much as two new permanent members - Lilith who joins right before Mr Jupiter comes into the picture in #25 and Mal who joins right after in #26. During this time, 6 of them are mostly all there and are led and trained by Mr Jupiter. The longest disappearance is when Dick goes to college (from #25-32 except for a single appearance in #28) and occasional disappearance when they stay behind to take care of Mr Jupiter's lab (sometimes it is unexplained but I chalk most disappearance up to this). From #26 onwards, all but 6 issues are not related to Mr Jupiter (#28-29 led by Garth, #31 led by Wally, #34 and #42 led by Donna, and #43). This era also seems to establish Wally (and Donna) as de-facto leader when Dick is not around.

All other guests are really more part-time members such as Hank and Don who do their summer stint from #25-#30, Gnarrk who first appears in #32-33 and comes back in #39, and Garth who appears in #28-29 and #40.

For the first time (as far as I'm aware), a known villain gets brought into the story - Ocean Master (Orm) and an alien leader Mofo in #28-29 with Garth going after him. This part also established the easy-to-get-into-fights, easy-to-get-out-of-fights (among themselves) dynamics that I associate with the Titans. They start to place more importance on their insecurities and friendship.

There are also 2 main "friends get brainwashed" (for extended period) type storyline during this period of time (which later seems to become quite commonplace among the Titans): once with Donna (#34 which Wally doesn't see) and once with Garth (#40).

This is also the only era which has quite a lot of additional separate solo storylines. It start with Donna if you count "The Origin of Wonder Girl" in #22 (although it's kind of more like an additional story where everyone appears), and then Wally and Garth (with Tula) in #30. Garth (#30, #35, #36, #38) and Lilith (#36, #38, #41, #43) have the most with 4 each, Roy (#35, #38) and Hank&Don (#31, #39) have two each, and Mal (#35) and Dick (#36) have one each (like Donna and Wally). Superboy (young Clark) actually also has two - one with Dick (#36) and one with young Ollie (#37) that doesn't even have any of the Titans in it.

Crucially, contrary to how modern comics love to portray Batman and Robin's view on the Teen Titans, Batman actually fully supports the Teen Titans in the original and has never been shown to do otherwise almost at all. In fact, he is the one with the most team-ups with the Teen Titans and the team-ups almost always happen because he needs helps "relating to the teens" and he specifically calls on them, with full respect for them (even purposely allowing Wally and Donna to punch him real hard that one time to solidify their cover). The only mentor who does show disapproval is actually Aquaman (in Era 3), who does so because Garth gets mysteriously sick which he blames on the Teen Titans (sort of half-correctly).

Interestingly, up to this point there are actually more team appearances of what I'm calling Alternative 5 or Alt5 (Wally, Donna, Roy, Lilith Mal) than of Fab5 (Dick, Wally, Donna, Garth, Roy). In fact, up to this point there were 12 appearances of Alt5 over 5 appearances of Fab5. This is mostly because Roy and Garth actually have very little team-ups because Roy became a permanent basically the same time that Garth stopped being a permanent member.

Titans Villains (other than Ocean Master hat one time) in this era: Hell's Hawks, Harry Tout, Dr Pauling, Councilman Buckminster (Santa Claus), Demoness possessing Magda Drachwyck (Miss Wickersham), Calibano Della Loggia (x2), Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Black Earl of Moray, Captain Barstow's Phantom, Lord Beetle

Era 3: When Fab5 was Defined, More Teammates, Teen Titans West, and Splitting Up

Teen Titans (1966) #44-53 The Brave and the Bold (1955) #149

There was a more than 3 years gap from the last issue #43 in February 1973 to issue #44 in November 1976 which translated to a 2 year in-comic hiatus of the Teen Titans. There's also a change of regular writer from (mostly) Bob Haney to Bob Rozakis. All this culminated in a change in tone of the characters being a bit more aggressive and antagonistic towards each other, especially with Roy (note: Snowbirds Don't Fly happened in 1971 so it's not because that occurred in between the break since it actually happened before the break). They fight a lot more this era and the storylines are longer and bleed more into one another.

Another obvious change is that Wally is shown to be way more into Donna than before (in his thoughts especially) instead of their more casual flirting. Wally does eventually confess to Donna who rejects him in this era. The other "official" relationships are Mal/Karen and Lilith/Gnarrk (funnily because Mal/Lilith was a thing for a bit).

In story, Mr Jupiter decides to close shop (unknown reason) and so they broke up, with Mal taking care of the labs and the rest pursuing their individual careers instead as they agreed upon (but Mal is unhappy about). This... doesn't really make sense because I'm not sure what "individual career" Donna has, but never mind.

Lilith is no longer in the main team (later explained that she settled in the West Coast with Gnarrk which is very contradictory to her last statement in #43 that the Teen Titans is her family). Garth comes back from #45 when he is mysteriously summoned by Mal's horn and it's like he never left. He wants to resign in #51 because his insecurities making him physically sick, but he agrees to finish the mission and they all ended up disbanding anyway. Karen appears first in #45 as Mal's girlfriend and joins as Bumblebee in #49, but Duela joins the team first in #46. Because of these lineup changes, Fab5 appearances started to catch up to Alt5 until eventually Alt5 (15 appearances) just barely edges out Fab5 (13 appearances). Interestingly, Dick-Wally-Donna-Roy-Mal actually end up appearing most (17 appearances).

They (it's honestly mostly Dick, Wally, and Donna) discuss the idea of a new headquarters first suggested by Donna in #45 (like I said, she's very much the living centre of the Titans). Dick makes the decision (because he is Leader-Man and Bruce is funding it) to have their headquarters as a restaurant front, Gabriel's Horn (named after Mal's horn given by the angel Gabriel in #45), run by Mal and Roy (the jobless duo apparently) in #46 and they set it up in #49. Mal and Roy also started forming the rock band The Great Frog (a job!) in #45 which plays in their restaurant.

Teen Titans West first meet up and is established in #50 with some familiar faces (Gar, Hank, Don, Lilith, Gnarrk) and some complete newbies (Bette, Ch'al) to the roster. Issues #51 and #52 have the East and West team up, resulting in basically every Titans ever joining with the exception of Tula (but then again, at this point she only appeared in Garth solo story and never in the main storyline). At the end of which, they have a big feast (sponsored by Dick) and decided to part ways to improve and work towards eventually becoming the future Justice League (as they were always meant to).

The final story #53 establishes their origin and formation story which includes Roy, but had Roy basically saying he wanted to be involved only whenever he wanted and not permanently (ahem commitment issues), establishing Fab5 as the clear founders of the Teen Titans in the last issue.

There is a third "friends get brainwashed/used" (for extended period) type storyline with Lilith (#50-52), except she's not evil, but her powers are manipulated for evil. With Duela, there is also the first instance of villain's children in the Titans (in future there is Joey and Rose most prominently), setting up the stage for Titans raising villain's children. They actually brought Two-Face in to visit Duela at least once (right after a crime too???) which is... interesting?

This era has many more appearances of known villains including Dr Light, The Fiddler, Two-Face, and Mr Esper (Captain Calamity). The final issue is where Antithesis first appear (he is a recurring villain or at least comes back in future issues), and the remaining unimportant ones are: The Wreckers, Flamesplasher (x2), Sizematic (x2), Darklight (x2), and Rocket Rollers led by Brian the Brain.

Finally, there are some unexplained mysteries. Where the hell did Mal's horn go since it went missing in #49? Who is the blonde "Little Queen" that Garth meets from #36 (because I don't think it's Nirka McDuff from #40)? Who are Lilith's parents? What's up with Mr Jupiter? Is he Donna's dad (#35)? Do they ever make use of the possibly haunted mansion and fortune they inherited in #43? Why did Mr Jupiter not bother to make Roy, Wally, and Lilith face their fears (#38)? Does he think redheads have no fears? Are we going to address the fact that Lilith is apparently Juliet reborn (#35-36) and decided to give up Romeo (who she was very enamored by for a while) for Gnarrk?

To be continued~

Some Statistics (For Fun)

Most to least appearances, we have:

Donna (60) - only missing from the very first story before they were coined the Teen Titans

Wally (58) - missing from 3 stories all during Mr Jupiter era (twice unknown reasons and once because he is watching the lab)

Dick (54) - missing from 6 issues for his college

Roy (41)

Garth (37)

Mal (28)

Lilith (22)

Mr Jupiter (12) - not a Titan but I was curious so I counted him

Hank and Don (11)

Karen and Duela (8)

Gnarrk (5)

Gar (4)

Bette and Ch'al (3)

Tula (1)

Most to least trio appearances (within Fab5):

Dick-Wally-Donna (50)

Wally-Donna-Roy (38) - the love triangle lmao

Dick-Donna-Roy (33)

Dick/Donna-Wally-Garth (32)

Dick-Donna-Garth / Dick-Wally-Roy trio (31) - DWDG and DWDR limiting factor

Wally/Donna-Garth-Roy (14) - Roy/Wally-Donna-Mal/Lilith have more than this (25, 23, 19, 18)

Dick-Garth-Roy (13) - Fab5 limiting factor

For quartets, Dick-Wally-Donna-Garth (DWDG) quartet (31) ends up exactly equal to Dick-Wally-Donna-Roy (DWDR) quartet (31).

Special note that because of Lilith separation in Era 3, even though Garth is brought back, the Rebirth "OG" line up (Fab 5 + Lilith) actually only has 3 appearances together. On the other hand, Alt 5 + Dick have 9 appearances (but no Garth). World's Finest line up (Fab5 + Karen) have 7 appearances but only 4 of which Karen is actually Bumblebee and fighting with them, while the Silver Age Final line up (Fab5 + Mal) has the most with 10 appearances.

Ultimately, Lilith does still make more sense to me than Karen to balance the team with more girls, because she definitely was there earlier, had more appearance than Karen, and also doesn't have the additional association of joining because of Mal since she predates Mal. That said, the girl with the most Fab5 teamup might actually be Duela who also has 7 appearances with Fab5, all of which she is on their side (although half their issue was trust which wouldn't make so much sense if she was with them from the beginning). The person with most Fab5 teamup is unquestionably Mal though (10). It's curious to see what is more "valid" but my personal opinion is that there is no point in making a Fab6 just let leave it be and acknowledge it as product of its time.

If you want to have a look at the data out of curiosity, it's here.

#teen titans #dick grayson #wally west #donna troy #garth of shayeris #roy harper #garfield logan #hank hall #don hall #lilith clay #mal duncan #karen beecher #duela dent #john gnarrk #bette kane #ch'al andar #tula of atlantis #robin #kid flash #wonder girl #aqualad #speedy #mypost #dc thoughts #uhhh donna and wally both having more appearances than dick somewhat surprised me #i started tracking bcos i got curious whether ultimately someone else will dethrone dick with more titans appearance #which i NEVER expect to be the case especially right from the start but i actually think donna will reign titans supreme #i think new (teen) titans will be when roy dethrones wally but will he dethrone dick? possibly! #i didn't bother with pairs comparison cos there's SO many BUT its def donna&wally > dick&donna > dick&wally #also hank complains that they never called him back after re-forming the titans which is never explained but you could put on robin lmao

[kaerichan-yatta]

Prohibite no longer.

(Alastor & Rosie)

Summary: Not only he teases, not only he constantly smiles, not only he hates technology, not only he loves his mother. Oh no, he has much bigger reactions, when he's in the specific mood... A/N: first Hazbin Hotel fic!! Don't hate, just correct in case<3 Enjoy!

"My, God must've had a ton of fun in making you so sensitive, darling..."

Gosh, how much he was feeling stupid. The Radio Demon himself, Alastor, one of the most powerful and dangerous beings in hell...now reduced to a fit of giggles and, surprising his friend as well, with a good layer blush on his cheeks.

"D-Don't say thahahat...it's even more e-embarassing..."

"Oh! Embarassing...why dear, you look like you're enjoying yourself quite a bit, no?"

Well, in a way or another, deep inside, he was.

"Rohohosie..."

"There you go! It's always music to my ears to hear you giggle!"

The deer demon scrunched up his nose and his usual grin extended to his, well...where human ears would be. Rosie beamed, keeping her playful assault. Her nails skittered along his ribs, up and down his sides, eventually reaching his upper ribs close to his armpits. And that was the absolute worst for him, but being honest-

"Just remember you asked for it, dear..."

Exactly. Alastor had been in a mood for way too long, and of course the way he had decided to write down his own destiny was by taking off his coat and sitting on the sofa beside Rosie with the arm on the headrest, leaving his torso unprotected.

"I- gah! I knohohow..."

"Oh? Would it tickle you more if I were to pinch here? Or give it a small squeeze there? Ah, who am I kidding...of course it does!"

Alastor's body gently squirmed side to side. Rosie's touch being so delicate, her tickling feeling so soft and slow, not to mention the teasing...if that would've driven someone up the wall, he was already at the ceiling this time.

It was actually pretty frequent for them to have this kind of activity. Basically Alastor being bratty enough to doom himself for the following minutes...or hours, sometimes. Soon finding himself on his back, laying horizontally on the sofa, his torso staying right in Rosie's lap where she could easily reach, where her fingers and nails could go down town on his most sensitive spots.

But obviously, just with Rosie.

And when her fingers found a small opening through his shirt, where they reached his skin, he was done for.

"Gh-! R-Rohohosie! You- hahaha! You know i-it's so bahahahad here!"

Rosie knew he wasn't the type who giggled often, but that cackle he just let out was enough to statisfy and encourage her even more.

"Oh, I do know, Alastor, and I-" she stopped mid-sentence as she noticed his little deer tail wagging happily, as well as his legs kicking a bit, and she smiled even more, softly yet teasingly.

"And I don't plan on leaving your tummy untouched, especially after noticing the cutest details about your reactions..."

Alastor mentally cursed himself and his deer-like behavior that showed up whenever he had his stomach tickled. But well...if that was making Rosie happy, in a way...maybe asking for it hadn't been that much of a bad idea.

"I really don't see the point of prohibiting the others to tickle you silly, dear...you're basically hiding such endearing reactions to your beloved ones..."

She let a giggle escape, which went completely unheard since she had moved her fingers to the side of his stomach, making his laughter raise even more.

"Y-You knohohow how to be geheheHEHEntle!..."

Rosie blinked twice, that soft smile still stuck on her lips.

"Gentle? From my point of view, it doesn't seem like this is gentle at all...or could it be that you're too sensitive and ticklish around your little tummy?"

Bingo. Alastor threw his head back on the sofa, bright laughter coming from him, his knees bending in an attempt to curl up as Rosie's fingers sped up the tickly torment.

"Come now Alastor, dear..."

"M-Mahahaybe!"

"Maybe what, mhh?"

"M-Maybe I AHAHAHAM!"

Now these were cackles: Rosie knew he was close to his breaking point.

"Maybe you're what? I don't remember...would you be so kind to refresh my memory?"

And here Alastor thought she was so gentle...but the exact moment he formed his answer, Rosie's fingernails found the back of his ribs on his left side, and a radio static-like screech came from him.

"Oh stars! So this is the spot indeed?"

The deer overlord started squirming around more, desperately trying to curl up, but soon giving up in doing so as he noticed it was only encouraging the cannibal overlord to dig deeper in the ticklish spot.

His hands went up to cover his flushed face, eventually muffling his cackles and squeals, which led Rosie to sneak a finger under his armpit for a quick scribble, making the smiling laughing demon suddenly arch his body to the side, squealing again, lowering his arm.

"Uh-uh, don't hide that smile! By the way, you're always smiling...what's the sudden need of hiding it? Hmm? Could it be I'm tickle, tickle, tickling you a bit too much?"

"Y-YES! Y-Yes it's- AHAHAH! St-stohohop!"

Rosie held in the urge to just chuckle upon hearing all that radio static in his voice, between his laughter, almost close to wheezing, his head was now shaking and his ears were adorably folded back flat in his hair.

"Alright, dear..I feel like your little itch has been scratched enough, am I right?"

Her tickling came to and end, slowly so that he could catch his breath back better, her hand resting on his stomach now.

Alastor nodded his head, quickly recovering, his usual smile now back on his face, though it certainly looked more happy now.

"Consider yourself quite lucky, darling..." he said, regaining his composure back and sitting up on the sofa, at her side "you're the only one allowed to do this, so far, as I told you the other times as well"

Rosie softened her expression, though a question couldn't help but come to her mind.

"But why might that be, I wonder?"

Alastor fixed his monocle, sighing a little.

"Others tend to...let's say, overboard" he confessed.

Rosie frowned a bit. Well, being honest, she could understand. Some people he stayed with at the hotel could get a bit...energetic, sometimes. Especially a certain spider, or a princess. But her frown got quickly replaced by a relaxed expression, as a silly tease popped into her head.

"Well..." she said "you could always stabilish boundaries"

Alastor thought for a moment. He could, for when he'll be feeling in a mood again.

"Doesn't sound too bad, honestly..."

"So that means you actually enjoyed our little playful time earlier?" Rosie giggled, hearing his breath get disturbed by radio static once again.

He shook his head slowly, chuckling at her phrase.

"Well, you got me there. Quite a good one, darling"

Maybe, he was really going to give up his thing of prohibiting the others to tickle him in the future. Maybe...asking for it really hadn't been a bad idea at all.

#kaeri writing #sfw tickles #tickle fic #hazbin hotel sfw tickle #lee!alastor #ler!rosie #hazbin hotel

[actual-bill-potts]

A question I’ve always struggled with when writing about the First Age is: how did the non-Fëanorions (particularly the Arafinwions) react to the first Kinslaying?

Alqualondë has an outsized impact on the narrative - it’s responsible for the ban on Quenya, for most of Thingol’s hostility towards the Noldor, and of course for the Doom of the Noldor, which is arguably one of the over-arching conflicts of the story. But we don’t really get to see anyone’s reactions to it (besides Thingol’s), and - oddly - in-text, no one performs any action in response to it. Finarfin explicitly turns back after the Doom is pronounced, not after Alqualondë itself!

Isn’t it odd that no one saw all the dead bodies and stayed behind to help? Not one of the Arafinwions - you know, the kids of Eärwen, Teleri princess? That it was never even under discussion?

In my opinion, the only way you can justify this without making most of the Noldor completely morally bankrupt (and you can certainly argue that at this point in time, they’re already remorseless killers - but I think there’s some moral difference between a fight that got out of hand in the heat and desperation of the moment, and coming upon the aftermath of a fight where people are lying dead and dying everywhere, and completely ignoring it) is if the Teleri basically kicked them out. And I think what’s ignored in a lot of readings of the Arafinwions’ decisions is the agency of Eärwen (understandable, Tolkien doesn’t really mention her at all, nobody ever said the Silm was a feminist text lol).

Here’s one plausible interpretation of what happened, feat. Eärwen making actual decisions that help drive the plot:

To the Teleri, the idea of leaving Aman to honor Finwë would be insanely disrespectful. Finwë pled with the Valar for years to bring the Teleri to Aman! Finwë led his people through great danger to Aman! And now that he is dead, they want to immediately undo his actions and abandon his life's work? No way! Fëanor will do what he wants, but surely the rest of the Noldor won't go along with it...?

Eärwen is of like mind with the Teleri - of course she grieves Finwë, along with Finarfin, but in her mind the best way to honor him is to stay in the place of safety that he gave his life for. To leave would be a grievous insult.

But Finarfin won't abandon his brothers, and their children are also set on going, for all the textual reasons: Finrod for Turgon and to see Beleriand, Aegnor and Angrod for Fingon, Galadriel for new lands to rule. Orodreth doesn't want to leave, but he's the consummate middle child and doesn't want to be left out by his siblings either. Eärwen is furious: from her point of view, her husband is choosing his insane brother over her (as he's probably done at many points during the relationship if we're honest...), and he's taking her children with him!

But she's also the daughter of Olwë: she knows how hard it is to travel between Valinor and Beleriand. She doesn't think they'll make it. So she just says, come to me when you've come to your senses, and goes to take refuge at her father's house.

But then! The Kinslaying happens. oops :)

From the Teleri point of view: the Noldor tried to steal their ships, they fought back, and they were slaughtered. From Eärwen's point of view, the brothers that her husband and children chose over her killed her people. Her sons and daughter betrayed and murdered their childhood nursemaids, their swimming teachers, their friends, their people. She declares to Olwë: I have no husband, and I have no children.

Olwë says: all right then, there goes my one remaining reason to play nice with the Noldor. He decrees that no Noldor will be allowed within their city, on pain of death. Maybe a slight overreaction? But if the Noldor are allowed to be insane in their grief then so are the Teleri.

From the Arafinwion point of view: they came upon a battle already done, and the ships gone. They saw Noldor and Teleri bodies mingled together, and probably couldn't get a clear answer out of anyone about what happened. Then they're chased out of the city at spearpoint when they try to help. Finarfin, without fully knowing what's happened, tries to play the peacemaker bc that's his automatic response, and says, "is there any way we can make amends/make this up to you?"

Olwë hears that and assumes that Finarfin participated in the Kinslaying. He's like "HELL no, get the FUCK out and your children with you!"

Finarfin and his kids ask to see Eärwen. They're vehemently refused.

From there, what can they do but go forwards? They can't help the Teleri, or do anything to make amends; the Teleri won't let them. Finarfin&co can't even see Eärwen! They have no reason to go back to Tirion, and every reason to go forward with the host - they still don't know what happened, and they can at least help the Noldor, who were also killed in droves.

But then they get the full story out of the Nolofinwions, and they're horrified. No wonder Ammë didn't want to see me, Finrod says miserably, I wouldn't want to see me either.

But they still can't go back to Alqualondë. And all the reasons they had for leaving Tirion are still there: friendship, the desire to see Beleriand, wanting vengeance for Finwë and to regain the Silmarils (which are, remember, the only remaining source of light they have besides the stars). And besides, pretty much everyone besides a few assholes and Fëanor is torn up about the Kinslaying, and regrets what happens.

At least some of the Arafinwion host is still on fire to go on - if Finarfin and his kids turn back, they'll be leaving their people to the leadership of Fingolfin and Fëanor, who are both completely insane with grief and rage currently. And they'll also be leaving their cousins to the responsibility of....all that...alone. Finrod and Galadriel decide to go on. Orodreth wants to turn back. Aegnor and Angrod are undecided. Finarfin is so torn up he doesn't know what to think.

Then the Doom is pronounced. And I think the response from the Arafinwion host would be: what the fuck?!

Remember, the Arafinwions (and at least some of Nolofinwions) have done absolutely nothing wrong besides express a desire to leave. And now they're being told that the wrath of the Valar lays on them just as much as on the bloodthirstiest of their Kinslaying brethren. Maybe, they think, Fëanor had a point about the Valar. Maybe Olwë was in the wrong to not let them have the ships. Maybe the Kinslaying wasn't so bad after all! Most of the Arafinwions are now completely enraged with the Valar and totally ready to follow Fëanor.

But Finarfin - Finarfin cannot believe his brothers. He cannot believe what they have condemned him and his people to, in their rage and pain. They have lost him his wife. Their people killed many he counted as close friends. They have placed him and all his children under the wrath of the Valar.

For the first time in his life, he gives up on peacemaking. He tells his children, "Let's go home."

But they won't go. They're as furious with the Valar as anyone else. They're angry with their mother, for refusing to see them, for believing that of them; and they won't let their cousins face their doom alone. Besides, Finrod at least still doesn't want to abandon their people.

Galadriel and Finarfin get into a screaming fight, the first of their lives. Finrod tries unsuccessfully to mediate and ends up snapping at his father and leaving. Orodreth is weeping in the background. Aegnor and Angrod, angry with their father, turn heel and go to stand with Fingon.

Finally, Finarfin just...gives up. He takes those who are willing to go, and leaves without a word to his children or brothers.

After he has received a pardon, he eventually reconciles with Eärwen. Apologies are made on both sides.

But Finarfin's biggest regret is the way he parted with his children - and he won't get to see his youngest again until three Ages of the world have passed.

#finarfin #earwen #finrod #aegnor #angrod #orodreth #galadriel #first kinslaying #silm meta #the silmarillion #alqualonde #my writing

[dulcewrites]

I know the creators probably did not mean to do it when they made the Velaryons black (more than likely went over their heads tbh), and I do agree with certain criticisms/concerns people had about how black characters are treated in hotd. But I do think in theory, making the Velaryons, specifically Corlys, black was an interesting choice.

I think having a black man, in particular, chasing the Westeros equivalent of ‘the American dream’ and it leading to the eventual hinderess of his house is fascinating. Downfall in the sense that House Velaryon never reaches the heights they had pre dance. Corlys is playing a political game, as someone who is far more suited as a warrior/sailor than anything else, with people that keep him at arm’s length. He can not maneuver the way they do successfully despite the money and connection to dragon riders. But he continues to push for that status symbol…for that recognition and acceptance.

I will be mixing a bit of F&b lore as well as the show so just.. stay with me on this lmao.

When we are first introduced to the corlys/the velaryons, we get this air of ‘new money’ (gag I do hate that term but let’s go with it), though the Velaryons are a house that survived the doom. Corlys has essentially single handedly elevated his house through seafarer. He is described as someone that, despite the wealth and power being Lord of the Tides has brought, is seldom satisfied. Hence why once his own path towards being king consort/having his blood on throne is dashed after the great council of 101, he more than likely gets in his head that he must take steps to right that wrong.

Like many men in this story, if not all, corlys views the people around him - His wife, daughter, son, granddaughters and even Rhaenyra to a certain extent - as extensions of the himself and the pawns in his plan.

Now, this will probably be an unpopular opinion, though I don’t think it should be, but I’m of the belief Corlys cared little about how his family faired because of his ambition. Namely his wife, Rhaenys (who if we go by book canon he married when she was a teen then cheated on her with another teen). I think he sees her as another status symbol. He’s married to a dragon riding princess. I sense a lot of people get blinded by the shiny varnish their relationship has on the show, especially compared to the outwardly hellish relationships in book/show. He constantly undermines her. Though I personally don’t believe Rhaenys when she says she’s over not being queen, I do agree with her when she says corlys is doing all of this more for himself and his house than her. Despite the quippy lines they give Rhaenys, she too is a victim of patriarchy and by extension of that a backseat passenger in her own family. She too follows her husband’s orders even to the detriment of others. She may be able to voice her concerns, but they fall on deaf ears.

Corlys uses his 12 year old daughter as a bargaining chip. And let me tell you, I get so annoyed when people use the argument of ‘well rhaenys and corlys were upfront about pimping out their tween daughter while otto sent Alicent in secret’. They all will be sharing the same room in hell with viserys regardlesss babes. Or the argument that the dance wouldn’t have happened if Viserys married laena. The dance, or some sort of infighting, was set in stone the moment viserys decided to not only remarry but have kids. Weakening Rhaenyra’s already flimsy claim. It was set the moment the Targaryens followed the same male primogeniture many in Westeros do. Corlys would have been right at the ‘patriarchy rocks’ party if laena married viserys and managed to produce a male heir.

Rhaenys expresses wanting the driftmark line to pass through Laena’s daughters. Mind you, Laena is older anyway. If corlys wanted his eldest child to have it.. he could’ve changed that from jumped since he’s so team feminism lmao. Corlys quickly says no because he knows taking that from Lucerys means disenfranchising Rhaenyra’s claim. In turn, laenor will not be king consort and their blood will not be on the throne.

Except… he knows those boys are not of Velaryon blood. The same way he knew laenor, his gay son, would be in harm’s way marrying Rhaenyra. To him, his family name being written in books is more important than empowering his granddaughters, despite tooting the horn he is doing this because his wife was robbed because she is a woman. To him, his family name being written in books is more important than the safety of his kids. He actually mirrors viserys post laenor’s ‘death’ and shuts down. But the point of running away. Leaving his wife to rule without him. All because his own choices and guilt are probably eating him alive.

It’s why I was actually quite taken when in ep 10, it is corlys that finally says enough is enough. But I actually like the choice. By now he has lost his daughter, his brother (I have a lot of feelings/thoughts on how vaemond wants power like corlys but it manifests vastly differently in terms of their house), and he thinks his son as well. Him realizing that his ‘keeping up with the joneses’ phase has done nothing but have the Stranger follow their family is harrowing. He wants to go home; he is ready to be rid of this. And yet it is Rhaenys, his dragon riding princess, telling him they must keep fighting for Rhaenyra. Quickly reminding him that their family is binded to the Targaryens regardless, and because of his choices; through having Lucerys still be heir to driftmark and the farce that jace as a bastard will take the throne with little strife. As well as because of the agreement that their granddaughters, not good enough claimants to driftmark themselves according to corlys, will be married to the strong boys.

His house will not prevail and flourish in the wake of this, which I think is an interesting contrast to say someone like Otto. I don’t think Corlys is a second son in the literal sense but he feels as one because he has had to fight for what he has. In ep 2, he compared himself to daemon, an actual second son, because of this fact. Otto is the same, a second son turned hand of kings. They scheme the same way, and have very similar ambitions. They hurt people in the process, especially those they are meant to protect. Regardless of who sits on the throne or how the war panned out, House Hightower continues to be a relatively wealthy, respected house. Versus what happens to House Velaryon… a now black house in show canon. These men played the same game and only one, in terms of the things he wanted, ‘won’.

That’s such a damning insight on how power corrupts the same way regardless of race, but the repercussions of it are different for everyone. Like I said, I know the writers did not think this far ahead or take this into account. But it’s something I picked up on as black woman myself.

It all comes back to Corlys’ choices. He will soon be adding his wife to the list of people the Stranger takes.

He must take his own advice sail through the storm…

#I hope this makes sense #it’s kind of a ramble #once again don’t know how to tag this lmao #anti corlys velaryon #maybe #anti team black #though this is really my beef with him #but I’ll put #anti rhaenys targaryen #just in case

[manias-wordcount]

could I request Edward Elric comforting a reader that can’t sleep because of nightmares? love how you wrote him last time! all of your works are total comfort content ❣️

In the Dark of the Night (Edward Elric x Reader)

𝗔/𝗡: 𝗔𝗛𝗛𝗛𝗛𝗛 𝗦𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗜𝗦 𝗦𝗢 𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗜 𝗛𝗢𝗣𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗕𝗢𝗧𝗛 𝗘𝗡𝗝𝗢𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛 𝗪𝗔𝗔𝗔𝗔𝗛

𝙒𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚? ⇒ 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩

𝙟𝙤𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙧?

When you awake, it’s not with a bang but with a whimper. 

  Your eyes shoot open as you force your body to stay still. You’re no longer in the realm of your worst dreams coming to life. You’re no longer surrounded by darkness. No longer swimming through a river of your greatest fears. And yet, it still takes you. The fear that paralyzed you in your sleep. The fear that forced you to watch and watch as it stopped at nothing to haunt you. Torment you. Destroy you. The fear you thought you grew out of- now that you’re older and wiser and far from the little kid you used to be. It still takes you.

  You have to ground yourself. You have to remind yourself where you are and what you remember. It starts by noticing how far away from home you are. You’re in Central- a long way away from your home in Resembool. The ambiance of the city sounds different from your small little town in the southeast. As do the sheets that cover your body. It’s not the soft quilts your parents made for you back when you were small. These sheets are rough as they lay against your feverish skin, causing you to grow warmer and warmer despite the thin pair of pajamas that you adorn. But you put up with this. You have to put up with this. You’re in Central. You’re here for a reason. You’re visiting your friends. You wanted to see your friends.

  Though dealing with all that you had just witnessed while asleep.

  Right now, you’re laying like a statue on your back, drenched in sweat and hope that the monsters from your dreams didn’t follow you here. In the first few seconds, you’re awake, it leaves you staring up at the ceiling in an almost pitch-black hotel room, half-wondering when if you remembered to turn out your candle for turning in for the night. Though the thought leaves your mind almost as quickly as it came as your focus falls upon a new task: regaining control. Of your head. Of your body. Of everything. 

  Your breaths come out quick and fast and loud. It’s hard to tame, just like your rapidly beating heart. And every couple of seconds, you find yourself forcing the scary thoughts of your head while convincing yourself that nothing will happen when you blink. Nothing will take you. Nothing will hurt you. Nothing with kill-

  “Hey…you awake over there?”

  You forgot you weren’t alone. 

  If it weren’t for the fact that the voice you heard belonged to one of your closest and dearest friends, you would have probably screamed. But you don’t. Instead, you take the risk. The risk that you’re safe. That you’re not in another dream or a nightmare come true. You take that risk.  And you turn on your side- towards the sound of the voice, hoping you haven’t brought upon some awful fate just because of some arbitrary rules your fear-riddled brain decided to make up. But the sight you’re met with has nothing to do with facing an early doom. It doesn’t tell you that you’re about to be eaten or tortured or taken away. In fact, the view your eyes settle on is exactly what you needed all this time. 

  To put it shortly, it’s Ed.

  Lying across from you in the other twin bed that sits on the opposite side of the hotel room. His gaze is on you. Honey-colored eyes watching you as he lays on his side, propped up by a few pillows. One quick glance tells you that he doesn’t seem to be interested in going to sleep anytime soon. He’s still in his day clothes, though he seemed to forgo the cloak, jacket, and shoes in favor of getting more comfortable. And the candle that you thought you must have left burning is sitting on his nightstand, angled in a way that seemed to have spread tiny rays of light onto the small notebook that he has wrapped up in his right hand, only left open by a steel thumb trapped with in the pages. But most of all he looks alert. As if rest was the furthest thing from his mind. As if he was waiting for the same monsters that you saw in your dreams to break through the door. Though for all you know, your wandering thoughts might not be that far off…

  Even still, it’s weird seeing your Ed like this. 

  Your Ed. It’s just so weird thinking about that. The same little blonde boy you grew up with- who would always go out of his way to impress you with a new little sculpture or trinket to add to your collection. The one who always made playing tag no fun because he could outrun everyone and hide-n-seek impossible because he knew the best places to hide. Only now, he wasn’t the same little boy you recall from your memories. The boy before you is closer to a man than a child. At least that’s how he carries himself. With the weight of the world carried on a human and steel-shaped shoulder. With an iron chain shackling him to an early grave in the form of a silver pocket watch. And a thousand-yard stare to match. This was the Ed in front of you. But even after all is said and done?

  He’s still your Ed.

  “Umm…” It’s hard for you to use your voice so quickly after just waking up. So much so that you find it in you to force yourself in a sitting position in order to make better use of your lungs. The comforter makes a soft sound as it slides down your body. Instantly, you can’t help but feel as chill as all the warmth from your bed slips away now that your body language is mirroring Ed’s. Though it doesn’t stay that way for long. A couple of seconds under his intense stare and you’re suddenly curling up in a ball and casting your eyes away from him. “Yeah, um…I just woke up.”

  “Another nightmare, huh?” He asks it so casually, that you can’t help but flinch. “Are you doing okay?”

  The last time you slept over at his house, you remember facing a nightmare, similar to this one. It was Ed who was there for you back then. The two of you were only eight years old back. So full of ‘it’s okays’ and hugs held tight to as the best source of comfort. But it’s different now. Though his voice may turn gentle for you and though his eyes show nothing but kindness when they settle on you, you know the truth. His birthday being a couple of weeks ahead of you now feels like decades. 

  The truth is, he’s older. And he always has been, though three years in the military after losing a mom, an arm, a leg, and almost losing a brother no doubt changes things for you. For anyone, really. He went tell you, and you never expected him to, but you can tell. Deep down inside, you tell that every day since losing his mother has aged him. More and more over the years. But as a loyal lap dog for the military, there’s no doubt in your mind that he faced things beyond your wildest and darkest dreams every week. And he lived through it all. Yet you can barely get through a night without shivering and shaking and craving the arms of one of your parents around you. 

  ‘Are you doing okay?’ That’s the golden question, isn’t it? If you could afford the both of you the honesty, you would have told him right here, and right now that no, you’re not okay. You don’t want another sleepless night lost to childish nightmares you still aren’t able to overcome now that you’re a teenager. You don’t want to burden other people with your fears that just keep crawling back no matter how hard you try to fight them off. You don’t want to hear about all the fighting that’s starting to pick up in other parts of the country. You don’t want to think about the fact that there was a serials killer loose in Central mere days before you arrived here to visit the Elric brothers after not hearing from them for months. But most of all? You’re just afraid. Of monsters. Of real people. 

  Of losing Ed.

  So for his sake and yours. You don’t tell him any of that. You don’t, really. You just nod your head and offer up the best smile you muster. And you try not to tear up when he asks you one more time if you’re sure your heart no longer races in fear at the thought of going back to bed. And when that isn’t enough for him, you promise yourself that you won’t let any tears spill as he urges you to walk over to his side of the room and lay on the bed with him because he would feel better knowing you doze off with someone to protect you.

  And when that still isn’t enough, you find yourself apologizing for all the teardrops that might splash against him as he holds you close. But this time, he doesn’t say anything. He just slings his left arm around your torso and traces strange symbols into the exposed skin of your lower back while pulling you to lay on top of him. Your legs tangle themselves between his, and your hands grip his clothes as if he’d disappear if you didn’t. And even when the tears came and flowed down your cheeks in troves, he still doesn’t tell you off for being afraid of the boogeyman or getting his neck wet. Instead, he goes back to reading his little book with you in his arms. Letting the almost silent creak of his automail finger flipping page after lull you to sleep in the warm, comforting embrace of a boy you’ve always known.

  A boy who grew up too soon.

  And as your eyes finally grow too heavy to keep open for a second longer, you realize that you don’t need the scratchy hotel sheets or soft quilts from your own room. All you needed was him.

  Now, the next time you wake up, it’s not with a bang. And it’s not with a whimper either. Instead, it’s a light and floaty feeling that fills you up with happiness that you haven’t felt in a while.

  The type of happiness that belong to only the two of you back when you were kids.

#edward elric x reader #edward elric #fmab x reader #fma x reader #fullmetal alchemist #fullmetal alchemist x reader #fullmetal alchemist brotherhood #fullmetal alchemist brotherhood x reader #fullmetal alchimist brotherhood #fmab fanfiction #fmab #fmab fanfic #fma fanfiction #fma #fma fanfc #ed elric x reader #ed elric

[navree]

You briefly talked about this one time - what are your thoughts on Maegor and Aenys? Do you think Maegor actually cared about his brother? You would think that that care would carry down to his neices and nephews but once Aenys was dead, he was wiping them all out. What made Aenys different that Maegor actually accepted him instead of trying to immediately remove him from the throne like Visenya wanted him too?

My thoughts on Maegor and Aenys can honestly be boiled down to a crowd in the Coliseum of my mind chanting "sons of the dragon! sons of the dragon! sons of the dragon!" on repeat but I will endeavor to go into more depth.

I actually have gone more in depth on Maegor and Aenys's relationship here and elaborated far more on it here, but my view on them is that it's the quintessential tragedy, it was doomed to fail. Maegor and Aenys's relationship was always going to be tainted by forces outside their control, even from before they were born. Aenys was the son of the favored wife while Maegor was the son of the one Aegon couldn't even stand by the time he was born; Aenys's mental breakdown was always going to stunt his interpersonal relationships other than the one with his father and the one with Quicksilver as he recovered; five years isn't an insurmountable age difference but it's significant in that early childhood development phase. All of this, the circumstances under which Maegor was born and the relationships their parents had with each other and the conflagration of situations that was the First Dornish War and how it affected the family, all of it basically doomed the relationship from the getgo. My view of it was that they were never going to be truly brotherly, not in the way that we see from the modern Starks or Orys and Aegon. But, as I mentioned in those prior responses, I don't think it was all bad. Aenys put a lot of trust and value in Maegor, and Maegor seemed to respect that and respected Aenys's kingship and wanted it to go well. I also find it incredibly important that Maegor accepted his banishment, because we know what happens when Quicksilver and Balerion go head to head. He would have made easy work of his brother and he probably knew that, but instead he accepted Aenys's word as law, left and stayed away until he was recalled by his mother only after Aenys died. That, to me, does speak to the fact that Maegor cared about him. Some of it might be transference, with Aenys as Aegon's clear favorite and Aegon having gone without giving Maegor any of what he might have craved from him (the throne, his approval, his affection, I theorized a lot more on Aegon and Maegor's fractured relationship in that first ask about humanizing him) Maegor might have turned to his older brother in hopes of getting some taste of what he wanted from his father with the only version of his father he has. It's also possible that, once Maegor was a bit older, three to four, Aenys had recovered enough from his ordeals to try and interact with him and be a good brother, in spite of not being raised in the same location. Aenys seems like the type to have wanted to try and do right by his kid brother, if the olive branches he extended to Maegor during his reign when they were both adults is any indication. So even if they weren't close in childhood, Maegor's memories of Aenys when he was a child might have been of someone earnestly trying with him, trying to be good and supportive to someone who doesn't seem to have had much of a support system in the family beyond his mother.

And it should be interesting to note, Maegor does seem to have extended some care towards his nieces and nephews initially. While he did usurp Aegon the Uncrowned, he didn't immediately go after him, he actually let him live unmolested for up to a year, considering that he took the throne in 42 AC and the Battle Beneath God's Eye occured in 43 AC. It was Aegon attempting to muster armies and take back his crown that led to his death, not Maegor taking the throne, for all we know, though it's unlikely, if Aegon had gone into exile the way that Maegor himself had, he might never have died. And while Alyssa and Viserys and Jaehaerys and Alysanne were absolutely hostages, there's no record that they were ever treated badly, not even Viserys who was residing in King's Landing. While I'm sure being a political hostage with the uncle who killed your brother and was slowly becoming more and more mentally unhinged wasn't a picnic, there's no evidence that Maegor ever did anything to Viserys or had anything done to him, and that Viserys didn't live any life other than a comfortable one as a blood relative to the crown. And by the time Visenya died and Alyssa fled with Jaehaerys and Alysanne, Maegor's mental state was already dangerous (this was post coma/Tyana magic interference that may or may not have helped exacerbate him into a crazy person) and that's probably why he responded as badly as he did and had the poor kid tortured to death. Maegor's cruelty to his family can be directly linked to how badly he was doing from a mental perspective, so it's entirely possible that he started out without any intentions to hurt Aenys's kids, because they were Aenys's kids, but as he descended into tyranny and madness, that was one of the core elements of him that was stripped away until only The Cruel remained.

I think a huge part of what made Aenys different, to Maegor at least, really is just that familial connection. Visenya didn't have any connection to Aenys beyond the fact that he was Rhaenys and Aegon's child, and that doesn't do much for her (even though I do think she loved them both, especially Rhaenys, it's just that the whole Dornish War thing and the rift probably turned any potential affection for her nephew into pure apathy. Not to get into Visenya conjectures and whatnot, but that Downton Abbey quote after Matthew dies where Mary says "with Matthew's death, all the softness he found in me seems to have dried up" is soooooo Visenya/Rhaenys coded, that's exactly how I imagined Visenya eventually went after Hellholt. Leave me here to die.) so she was more willing to be harsh and critical of him, especially when compared to the child of her own body and her own direct lineage. But for Maegor, that's his brother. A connection to his father, and someone he had a relationship with in his own right. He seems to have cared enough about that, perhaps even loved Aenys enough, that it really meant something to him, and that he didn't want to directly steal his own brother's birthright in spite of how bad he felt Aenys was at it or not. He could have felt grateful, moved even, by the trust Aenys was putting in him as a brother by giving him Blackfyre and making him Hand and trusting him to secure his reign, and wanted to live up to that trust, prove worthy of it. Their relationship wasn't ever fully reconcilable, in my mind, due to the circumstances it came about it that were entirely out of their control, but it feels like they really tried, on both sides, to bridge that gap as much as they were emotionally able.

TL;DR I think that it was doomed from minute one, but neither of them entirely let it just go into that good night and they probably did have best intentions with each other, even Maegor, considering that he accepted Aenys's rule and helped him and he does seem to have tried to be good to Aenys's kids before he went completely doolally. Probably best summed up as "there was some kind of love there, but love isn't always enough".

#personal #answered #sahtinekryze #maegor targaryen #maegor the cruel #aenys targaryen #was gonna write hurt/comfort fic for an entirely different fandom tonight #and maybe even go to bed early #but gina has dragged me feet first back into 'early gen targaryens' sadness hell #it's just like...........Brotherhood........the sins of the father and the past........wanting and reaching but the distance is too great.. #what was in the water that aerion was drinking that made his direct lineage so fucking Insane with their relationships #i mean hell even the maegor and jaehaerys relationship is interesting to me #but more surface level #i just always feel bad for people who feel like the death of a relative is their fault because it happened due to their actions #like louis philippe's defection resulting in his father's execution and his brothers contracting the tuberculosis that killed them #(but that is a story for another time and for those more interested in french history than me screaming about my dragon emotions)

[warp--space]

Starting Over

Hinata Abigail-Jinx Yagi, 5 years old, cried silently as she trudged through the darkness of her quirk.

How did this happen?

Why did this happen?

And how did this man know to find me?

"Ah, truly I should have known something strange was happening," the scary quirk-stealing man said, his grip on her arm far too tight as he walked beside her, "All of those prophetic nightmares… of course someone was interfering! How could I have been losing otherwise! Now all I need is for you to put us on a more correct course… and then, it will be checkmate."

As if I will let you win.

Hinata, 5 years old on the outside and mentally nearly 20 after rewinding her body's timeline during the chaos of this man's assault on her family, let her tears fall. It was easy to play the scared little girl— she was a scared little girl, truly— but she'd been through enough to have already made a plan for this type of scenario.

Following the soft tug, she found it. The timeline she needed.

She led All For One down the path to his doom, hiding her smile as the sleeping iteration of her dad came into her line of sight.

It was time to start winning.

~~~

All Might carefully maneuvered the small scraps of a human being he was supporting with one arm, skin still prickling from the things he'd seen in that lab, as he locked the door behind them and walked into the hideout's entryway. He'd only been going there to stake things out a bit-- he wasn't planning on demolishing it yet, but... But then he'd snuck his way into the viewing room, right as they were about to start cutting into the largest of the kids. He could tell from scars and little marks around their body that it wouldn't have been the first time... But when he heard that scream, the villain had snapped.

He gently set the bundled up… people down in his couch, turning on a lamp and reaching into his pocket as he unrolled a set of files he'd snatched.

Name: Lilly S.

Age: 8

Gender: F

Quirk: phasing (able to move through objects and cause objects to be free from the laws of physics)

American Import. Caught trying to sneak in to find R#####.

Name: R##### S. (Will fight unless referred to as Ryan Rian)

Age: 21

Gender: # M?

Quirk: Trans-Spatial/Dimensional Warp Gates (portal maker) ((Suppressants required every 10-12 hours to maintain control of the subject))

American Import. Subject chosen for experimentation before being given to…

Toshinori saw the name in the "subject description" and nearly ripped the paper to shreds. Fucking monsters. The notes written throughout the older one's document in red ink were... Odd. Confusing. Why cross out the Female marker, instead of just fixing the document? And the original name was violently scratched out. The age was also surprising. He certainly didn't look like he was in his 20s... He barely looked like a high school kid. The two young girls weren't in any better shape, either… though he had not found a file on the blonde one. The other two were easily recognized as siblings, while that one...

It was odd… she looked at least half Asian. It was a rare thing for blonde hair to mix so thoroughly with Asian features. He didn't really know anyone besides himself with those traits.

The vigilante sighed. He hadn't planned on taking anyone in, let alone three kids. Did he have enough food? He certainly didn't have any clothes that would fit any of them... But they would all definitely need them. And a good scrubbing.

And why the hell was he so ready to let them stay here…?

Why did those faces, that name Rian, look so... Familiar?

Why was that scream so earth-shatteringly similar to something he'd heard before?

All Might tiredly rubbed his temples, heaving a sigh as his phone suddenly rang. He flipped it open— he carried numerous old models that he could easily toss if necessary— and growled. "It's 3am, Nighteye."

"Yes, and you just got back from a surprise raid of the research facility, bringing back several people. I'm three— two blocks away from your location."

The blonde frowned. "What?"

"If you ever listen to a word I say, listen to what I'm telling you right now. All Might, do not touch the blond—"

"FWEEZE!"

Mirai's voice broke off abruptly, and the very air tasted stale as the old vigilante's hair stood on end. Slowly, he turned around, and Toshinori Yagi nearly dropped the phone as he met his own eyes lodged into the face of that cute little girl as she woozily sat upright.

"I don't want anyone ewse tewwing you befowe I do."

Toshinori swallowed, biting back a threatening headache as he inwardly asked himself if he had it in him to punch a toddler.

"... Who are you, and how the fuck did you just stop time?"

"I didn't stawp it…" the little girl grumbled, clambering almost clumsily down from the couch. "I wemoved us fwom it. I need to tawk to you befowe unky Nighteye gets hewe and has a heawt attack."

All Might's eyes narrowed, one eye squeezing shut as his head throbbed. "You didn't answer the first part of my question, squirt. Who the hell are you? You realize I can kill you before you can blink, right?"

The girl sighed, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, I'm vewy much intimate with that knowwedge, owd man. It won't be the fiwst time you kiww me."

That gave the vigilante pause, and he hesitated. "... Come again?"

The little girl stood straighter, her hand thumping her chest as she gave the widest and cutest little grin he'd ever witnessed in his life.

"I'm Hinata Abigail-Jinx Yagi! And papa, I'm youw daughter fwom the futuwe!"

#oldspace #new timeline #antis dni #proselfship #proship selfship #selfproship #yagi family values #yagi family story #yagi starting over

[jacky-rubou]

I have a little prompt I thought of the other day, and I’m not exactly the best at writing so I thought I’d hand this over to you to see what you’d think :) I really enjoy all of your work, please don’t feel obligated to write this I just thought I’d share it.

Stan and the kids driving around somewhere, and Stan gets lost. He’s just like “we’re not lost” even though he knows they damn well are and Dipper keeps on nagging him on looking at the map that Stan has with him, but Stan refuses to use it. Dipper eventually gets handed the map just so he shuts up. ( not in like a mean way, just exasperated ) Mabel’s just goofing off in the back and teasing Dipper about it while simultaneously nagging Stan too.

Okay thank you I hope you have a nice day/night wherever you are!

"Are we there yet?"

The question was one that had interrupted intermittently, one that Stan was tuning out. This drive was doomed to be a long one, one that would be only worsened if he kept entertaining his niece's nagging question. How could anyone drive with that sort of distraction? Stan was about to give his regular snarky response when his nephew popped in.

"Grunkle Stan, are we lost?" Dipper asked, pointing at something in Stan's pocket just out of view from the road. Then gesturing at some of the street signs with unfamiliar names on them. Stan rolled his eyes. Sure the trees were thickening and the road was getting windier, but that was just how it was out here.

"Nope, we're just..." Stan's eyes flitted to a picturesque view of Oregon's mountains, "Sightseeing... on our way there, yeah. Taking the old scenic route!"

"Uh-huh... you know Great Uncle Ford's waiting for us, right?" DIpper reminded, frustratingly like the one they were meeting up with, "You know he doesn't like it when we're late, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, my brother's sooo particular about that, I know," Stan sighed, "It won't kill him to wait a few... minutes."

"Why can't you just get a peek at where we're going?" Dipper prodded, gesturing at the paper sticking out of his pocket yet again, the unused map. "Just in case. We don't want to get even more lost than we probably are..."

"We're not lost! I just need to take this turn and then..." Stan turned the car into the side road, not even bothering with a turn signal. Only to find just more trees and names of campsites that surely weren't where their destination was. "We're still not lost, I know where I'm going."

"Then why can't we see the correct site? Why is it a dead end?" Dipper pointed at the red sign saying such with a small frustrated yell. Stan put on the brakes as the road ended as promised. Ford's vehicle wasn't parked anywhere here.

"Fine, kid, if you're so knowledgeable on the way we're supposed to go for this stupid campsite Ford's so fixated on meeting up at, take the map for all I care," Stan ripped the folded map out of his pocket so fast it cracked like a whip. Dipper hesitated before snatching it, like an animal taking food from a strange human. Mabel laughed from the backseat, prompting a small scowl from Dipper.

"Didn't know the map was so important for you, Dipper! Almost thought you were a Gremloblin there for a second!" Mabel teased, tossing a peanut from her trail mix onto his hat.

"Now let's see where we're supposed to be going..." Dipper opened the map and scanned it, ignoring Mabel's teasing. Stan didn't stay in this dead end long enough to wait for Dipper to orient himself to where they were, pulling off a wild three-point turn that would make a stunt driver blush, and drove back the way they came.

The intervening minutes were full of Dipper offering suggestions of which direction to take and Mabel jabbing teases with a piece of trail mix as a way of punctuating the jokes, while Stan tried to keep some shred of sanity as he drove.

He didn't take Dipper's advice until they found themselves constantly finding dead ends. And even then, it was reluctant. One could've said they were lost in a labyrinth the way things were looking on the navigational front. Constant bickering and teasing did not help their cause. Stan was about ready to give up, though he wouldn't admit it.

Until Stan saw a familiar vehicle coming towards them, the driver a smug but friendly face. Stan shrunk within his seat as Ford slowed down on the empty road and rolled his window down. His vehicle was a new one purchased as soon as they had gotten enough money. Stan's protests that the Stanmobile was enough for both of them were met with logical reasoning of situations where Ford wanted to go somewhere Stan wasn't going and Stan gave in after finding a decently priced and decently running one.

"You lost there, stranger?" Ford asked with a smile on his lips and a laugh barely caught. Stan scowled but Dipper reached over Stan to give a thumbs up. "I should have figured. Come on, I'll lead you to our plot."

Stan watched with an exasperated sigh as Ford drove past them to find a place to turn around, pulling off to the side to allow a random unaffiliated car to go by. It wasn't like it was that big of a deal if they were lost, but Stan was getting tired of the kids' shenanigans and Ford's rescue was the welcome escape he needed. Though he'd never outright admit it to Ford's face or anyone else's for that matter.

"We were lost, weren't we?" Dipper asked with a teasing tone Stan would've expected to come from Mabel in his voice. Stan rolled his eyes and gave the biggest sigh he could've felt as Ford drove past from behind and led them to the campsite.

"Yes... Dipper, we were lost..." Stan admitted finally, following Ford's taillights as they took a turn into a road Stan would never have seen through the foliage, "But now we're not."

"And it's all thanks to Grunkle Ford! Booyah!" Mabel cheered from the backseat, tossing a bag's worth of glitter in the air and causing the other occupants to cough. Stan smiled when the cloud dissipated into every crevice of his car, not even minding the inevitable work to clean it when they got back from this trip.

They arrived without getting too lost and that was what mattered.

#AskJacky #gravity falls #stan pines #dipper pines #mabel pines #ford pines #fic prompt #my fic requests are technically closed #but i couldn't help but write this out #so thanks for the prompt anyway haha #hope you like it!

[pixie-violet]

unfinished article #2: How I actually enjoyed the ending: a How I Met Your Mother retrospective

This is actually a finished article and is supposed to be published, but the fucking TV editor is on sabbatical at the moment Word count: 954

Whenever I am asked what my favourite TV show is, my answer will always be How I Met Your Mother. I am more than a superfan, I am obsessed to a mentally detrimental degree.

However, the response I always get for my love of How I Met Your Mother? Great show, awful ending.

Now, I will acknowledge, the ending of the show is highly controversial. In fact the entirety of its last season was one of the worst rated in the show’s nine year run. Everyone wanted Ted and the mother (Tracy) to grow old together, everyone wanted Barney and Robin to stay together, and nobody wanted Ted and Robin to end up with each other.

I can sympathise with these views. I didn’t really like Ted and Robin together when they dated throughout season 2, much preferring Ted and Victoria – Ted’s girlfriend in season 1 and then briefly again in season 8. Barney and Robin were made to seem like a ‘right person, wrong time’ scenario, which audiences go crazy for. I also agreed with the idea that Ted deserved his nuclear family happy ending, even if it was with Tracy.

So why did I actually enjoy the ending? No, not for subverting my expectations in a plot twist so weird that even M. Night Shyamalan wouldn’t expect. I actually expected the show to end the way it did, which is why I loved the ending so much.

How I Met Your Mother was ran in an era where the American sitcom was at its prime. Every member of the public had a favourite sitcom, whether it was Friends, The Office, The Big Bang Theory – the list goes on. This is what TV audiences wanted, especially in the socio-political context of the 2000s where the news was all doom and gloom. The American sitcom was a way to switch off and invest into a happier version of life (unless you’re an It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia fan, then you’re just twisted).

This also meant though that sitcoms were very saturated, meaning storylines were stretched thin across each show. It was almost impossible to create an original storyline, setting, or character for each show. This has been proven multiple times; How I Met Your Mother and Friends have consistently been compared to each other, from the setting of New York City to the weird relationships between the main characters.

So while How I Met Your Mother had already established itself as a sitcom based on the romantic life of Ted, it still needed to make its defining mark. Yes, it had its quirks like the conversations with Ted’s future kids, Luke and Penny, or Barney’s Bro Code, or Bob Saget’s witty narration as a future Ted (no, it wasn’t Josh Radnor, the actor of Ted, I was shocked too). How I Met Your Mother showrunners had a different idea, and to instead organise the ending when the show began.

Yes, you heard that right. Ted and Robin were always meant to be together.

Let’s circle back to why the ending was actually enjoyable from a How I Met Your Mother fanatic though. Like I have mentioned before, I am not a fan of Ted and Robin together. Robin in callous and just wreaks of ‘I’m not like other girls’. Ted is just a delusional man who is infatuated with the idea of loving someone, but is incapable of actually doing so. Them paired together? Hellish. But why did it make sense in the show’s finale?

Ted’s obsession with finding ‘the one’ is what the show was built off of. It was utilised as a tool to cause the breakdown of Ted and Robin’s relationship in the early days of the show. It was so nice to see him achieve his goals and find ‘the one’ when he married Tracy. It was especially nice to see when Robin finds her ‘the one’ too in Barney, supposedly subverting the audience’s expectations; it was established early on that Robin never subscribed to the idea of marriage or commitment.

But you know what’s nicer and even more refreshing? The plot twist. How I Met Your Mother’s plot twist throws the idea of ‘the one’ out the window. It shows that while Ted still got everything he wanted – reminiscent of the finales of other sitcoms and were ending at the same time as How I Met Your Mother – fate had decided that that wasn’t the life he wasn’t supposed to live. He was meant for Robin.

When you go back and rewatch the show after knowing how it ended, you can clearly see how the showrunners had always planned for Ted and Robin to be together. One of the main ways you can see this is because the show is narrated by future Ted. His narration, not only is it unique in the world of sitcoms, but also shows Ted’s character progression in a very raw and open way that you can’t see in sitcoms written in the third person.

It is generally agreed that Ted is a bad person. However the narrations explain to us, through a more mature version of Ted, why he did what he did. It adds self-awareness, especially towards the show’s finale where actually it is acknowledged that maybe ‘the one’ is not an idea Ted should be chasing. With Ted’s ‘the one’ tragically dying proving this in mind, the twist ending is not so bad after all. In fact, it is one of my favourite endings of a show of all time.

How I Met Your Mother is not a story of how Ted ended up with Tracy. It’s about how he matured to realise he was always meant to be with Robin.

#how i met your mother #how i met your father #opinion #tv opinion #student journalism #journalism #writing #writblr #article #ted mosby #robin scherbatsky

[silverloreley]

Do you have any headcanons about Wendy Darling (and her daughter Jane) in the Descendants universe?

Full disclosure, I don't like Peter Pan. The story and the character. Don't ask me why, I just don't. Same with Pinocchio. Funnily enough, one of my favourite Italian singers, Edoardo Bennato, made an album for each so my ideas of the characters tend to be influenced by his view. I don't know if it's good or bad. Also, I don't remember the second movie at all, except the fact Jane was a relatable character although annoying at first.

Anyway, Wendy Darling.

The Darling siblings put aside their adventure in Neverland after going back home. It was like a weird dream to them, it didn't quite feel real. It taught them a lot and they remember it all happening, but they left it behind, as children often do with formative experiences.

Peter stopped wanting to see her when she became taller than him, he took it as a sign she was a grown-up and was outraged Wendy chose that. She was sad for a while but decided it was okay. Peter would never grow, but she was ready to.

The second movie didn't happen, the war that took Wendy's husband away for a long time did neither. The Darling siblings were marginally involved in the Great Auradon Conflict after the Villains were revived, but that was before Jane was born. Hook saw that Peter didn't care about the Darlings anymore so he let them go after kidnapping them once. After, Wendy still volunteered to help during the conflict, but from the sidelines. This earned her a place among the Heroes, although she isn't considered one of the major ones, and attended Auradon Prep with the princesses.

So! Wendy grew up, became a novelist, and got married to a man who accepted her unusual way of being a lady, because Wendy never quite became like other young ladies of Little London, even if she was greatly respected thanks to her reputation.

Jane (and Danny) grew up with a genuine fear of pirates but that was about it. Her mother's stories were like those of everyone else in Auradon, comforted by the fact all Villains were on the Isle of the Lost. She ended up on Neverland, at some point, but only because Peter heard of her existence and was curious, hence "invited" Jane and Danny - it was more a kidnapping - to Neverland, where she met the fairies and Lost Boys.

When that happened, Wendy rushed to Neverland to take back her kids, she scolded Peter very hard and tried to make him understand how his actions were wrong. Now that she was older and with children of her own, it was easier to find the right words to make him understand stuff he never learned of. She figured out his abandonment issues and promised to go visit him from time to time. Jane, who started to like him too, in a way, did the same.

Jane went to school with the first wave of Hero Kids (Li'l, Derek, Arabella...), not the current one. It means, by the time the VKs arrive, she's not at Auradon Prep anymore.

Jane and Wendy butted heads about Ben's decree at first because of their opposite ideas on nature vs nurture. Wendy thought all kids only need someone to teach them, Jane saw that no matter how hard they all tried to reign in Peter, he never got better. In fact, Jane may be the only one who recognizes the mean streak inside Peter and thinks he's not the hero everyone thinks he is. She's his friend in a more genuine, less idealistic way than any of Peter's other friends ever was. If Peter will ever choose to grow up, it will be because (or for) of Jane.

That said, Jane isn't against the VKs, in general, or them coming to Auradon. She only thinks if some of them are genuinely mean-spirited, they'll stay so even in a better place, but she also thinks they deserve a chance to show who they are before they are judged.

Jane will get along with Harriet quite fine, as Harriet is the proof she needed that not all people are doomed by their character. If she had met Harry first, she may have never changed her mind, though.

Also, she thinks CJ is as mental as Peter and is glad the two of them don't like each other because Auradon would be doomed if they paired up.

#question answered #descendants #disney descendants

[tsuki-sennin]

Japan's current greatest soap opera, Avataro Sentai Donbrothers! It's not just a Tsubasa episode, but a Sononi episode, more importantly! What shall come of this incredibly turgid passion play of a dog and a condor that I just simply cannot stop watching? What's Murasame-kun's deal? And most importantly, will Haruka attain her driver's license?! Only one way to find out~!

Spoilers, I guess...

-Ah,

-"How do love work???" I've been asking myself that for years, Miss.

-Ohhhhhhhhhh... I forgot about... the penguin.

-You'd better be holding out, Jirou.

-Here we see Sonoza, evolving into a master swordsman just like a manga.

-...or, I suppose Murasame just needs some time to himself, that's wonderful of him.

-"Mother, I crave violence."

-I've actually been doing the dance in my off time, it's really difficult but fun to try and get right.

-Oh that's cute, Haruka's helmet has an oni on it :)

-Oniga Mirai!

-Is the town we're in called "Oniga"? Mirai, Mirai, Mirai... Timeranger?

-Ohhhhh, Haruka's got Mad Racer Baron drivin', don't she?

-...I mean, Naoto's actor is in Geats so I'm not exactly surprised...

-Oh yeah, Haruka's an adult now. Trust me, it ain't getting any easier.

-Ohhhhh, I feel that Haruka. I'm 21 and I still don't wanna get my license. My permit is gonna expire soon too...

-OH MY GOD, HARUKA YOU KILLED THE LADY IN THE TOMORROW RESEARCH JACKET

-Oh, she's alive

-Oh hey Tsubasa! I forgot, you were the reason I was so excited for this episode.

-"Murasame! Kill him!"

-Nooooo, my blorbos are fighting!

-SAN SHARK!

-Ohhhh, he down

-Hello, Sononi.

-"The blorbo from my show is dying. If I cannot see his progress climax in a happy ending, then I shall write his death with my own feather quill instead of Sir Inoue's!"

-Can't do it, huh?

-Even when doomed to die, he still thinks so hard about her.

-Wait, you can't see?

-Sononi, no, don't do that.

-SONONI WHAT THE FUCK

-INOUE

-Oh hey, that's Hiroyuki Matsumoto! He played Nephrite in the live action Sailor Moon show and Gamel in OOO!

-Both shows by Yasuko Kobayashi and appearing in an episode that's a tribute to a Sentai also by Kobayashi, funny that.

-Braceless.

-Haruka, did you learn how to drive from Spongebob?

-Very professional, sensei!

-If only we had walkable cities all over the world, smh

-She's a bird, Tsubasa.

-You don't know, huh?

-Blind Doggy

-Murasame-kun doesn't stand for catfishing.

-"Mother, why has my friend betrayed me? :("

-Don't think! Feel!

-Sounds like absolutely horrendous advice for driving, but

-YOU WEREN'T EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE GOING BACKWARDS OMFG

-Tsubasa was starstruck, huh?

-How kind of him.

-I really have to wonder how Murasame-kun's viewing all this.

-Shark attack-!

-Pachelbel's Canon?

-STAB

-OH SHIT HERE COMES SEYAMA

-You can't call the cops! He IS the cops!

-Okay Sononi, you're kinda making up for all that.

-OH HI TSUYOSHI

-Your wife has an umbrella and a car, doesn't she? ...on second thought, it looks pretty terrible out there, I'd wanna stay home too.

-Hello Crane Lady! That other bird (literal, and metaphorical by "woman" slang definition) from Ideon Tsubasa's entangled with got stabbed and clawed!

-Tsubasa's so desperate to be with Natsumi again, he just "hugs" her without a second thought...

-Yeah, you feel bad, huh Sononi?

-OH THE DOG CAN SEE NOW

-Ooooooh, he's mad!

-Yeah, that's totally reasonable

-And so the dog and bird run off into the storm.

-AND HARUKA'S STILL FUCKING DRIVING

-HARUKA I WAS KIDDING WHEN I SAID "MAD RACER BARON" ARE YOU ON FUCKING CRACK

-Y'know, there were probably like a bajillion other ways you could've gotten that info out of him.

-YOU FUCKING RAN HIM OVER YOU MONSTER

-ONI SISTER!

-"She slammed that car into you. Kill her harder."

-Drive-by! Hit the deck!

-This is fantastic.

-"Mother. I must recharge my batteries. It is nap time."

-Ohhhhh, that's not good. Seyama got the sword.

-Hello, Miraiki!

-Oh, everybody's here!

-Hello, Tarou! Your show has not had you in it yet today!

-Shinichi, Jirou!

-Yeah nice headbutt InuBrother. Totally knocked somebody out.

-LET'S GO, SONONI!

-Daaaaamn, you got him!

-Okay, okay, okay!

-Okay! Okay!

-Taken out of a dramatic moment by time

-Oh shit, time warp.

-Oh, never mind!

-We're just...

-Doing this now!

-That was fruitless!

-Okay!

-"I'll serve you this time instead!"

-Ninja Dog now has Ninja Shark!

-"Kill Crane Lady, and your one true love will return."

-Ohhhh, her eyes be glowin'

-Good on you this episode Sononi, you were great even if you didn't get to really fight today.

-Haruka can now drive!

-Legally.

-"RUN MY COMPANIONS!"

-Christmaaaaas~!

-Wait

-OH MY GOD, THE NOTO ARE SANTA

-Like

-Collectively.

-That's very nice of them :)

-Hahaha! Christmas Festival is coming soooooon~!

#donbrothers spoilers #avataro sentai donbrothers #donbrothers #super sentai #don! don! it's a full force peachy festival!

[mlwritersguild]

Out of Sight, by @constantconfusion14

AO3 link; Arrietty the Borrower (The Secret World of Arriety) AU, Borrower Marinette, themes of death but it turns out wholesome I swear, Fluff, Slight Angst, Actual cat!Plagg

Summary:

Adrien might be losing his newest friend, but for the first time in his life, he refuses to accept his fate quietly.

——————————

As always, the battle was against time. 

It’s not like the concept was unfamiliar to Adrien. In fact, it was quite the opposite. For years, it’s all his parents had talked about the second he left the room. Deadlines, timelines, limits, limitations. Adrien was sick of it. He just wanted to be a normal kid, with a normal heart that functioned the way it was supposed to. Was that too much to ask? 

That’s why he’d accepted his aunt’s offer to come stay in the countryside the summer before his operation. It was an escape from his overbearing parents and their never ending looks of concern and fear. Out here, there was no press creeping in on every aspect of his pitiful life. In the soft afternoons sun and empty breezes, Adrien could come to terms with his illness without any sort of audience. He could mourn in peace. 

Well, that had been his intention at least. But then he'd met her and his perspective had turned inside out. When it came to her, anything was possible. 

Standing at no more than 12 centimeters tall, Marinette was unstoppable. He’d seen her scale a curtain with nothing more than a pair of earrings. He’d seen her disappear from view and reappear meters away, faster than a person of her size should’ve been able to move. She faced the world without fear, despite all the things that were out to get her. 

It was truly miraculous how she and her family thrived in their house beneath the floorboards. Adrien had seen for himself the tiny tables and beds they’d created from random objects. For a few brief days, he’d been able to see the world through the eyes of a person much greater than him, despite her size. But, like seemingly everything else in Adrien’s life, the friendship was doomed from the start. 

He never should’ve gotten involved. He never should’ve taken the kitchen from the dollhouse and forced it upon the small family. Marinette claimed her father loved it, but he saw the shadow pass over her face as she said the words. A gift like that meant they’d been seen. They’d been noticed. And for Marinette’s family, that was the harbinger of the end. They were moving elsewhere, they had to for their own sake. 

Adrien’s heart was still aching that night, thinking of how much danger he’d put them in. Now the three of them were out there somewhere in the woods facing the unkind wild in seek of a better life. Just like the possibility of his own death, he’d had to accept the fact that he would never see Marinette again. But it was for her own good. It was the only way he had to protect her. 

Or��maybe he could do more. 

Marinette had said it herself, after all. Sometimes you have to stand up and fight for the things that are worth fighting for. Her unwavering voice still echoed through his mind. Accepting fate was the coward’s way out. He’d already pushed the family out of the house they'd resided in for generations. The least he could do was help them get to their new home, right? 

Easier said than done, unfortunately. As Adrien’s slippers touched the dew-covered grass outside, his heart began pounding in his chest. The woods were expansive and Marinette and her family were so… little. Especially in the middle of the night, with no torch to light to the way, he had no hope of finding them. They were gone. 

A loud meow shook him out of his defeat. Adrien looked up suddenly to see the glowing green eyes of the temperamental house cat, Plagg, staring back at him. 

“Plagg?” Adrien whispered, examining the cat as it refused to blink in his presence. The cat simply crouched, as if waiting. “What is it?” Adrien moved a few steps closer. 

With reflexive speed, Plagg jumped around and trotted the other direction, glancing over his shoulder to ensure Adrien was following close behind. “Did you find something? Did you find them?" The jolt of hope shook Adrien’s breath more than he’d care to admit. Maybe it wasn’t too late.

Maybe just this once, he could win in a battle against time. 

Judging by Plagg’s jaunt, though, it was going to be close. Hardly thinking about his next step, Adrien ran as fast as his frail body could take him. Sweat immediately dotted his jawline, as if he himself were becoming a part of this black forest, drenched in dawn’s dew. Crickets cried out in the background, like an audience cheering him on, pushing him further and further. His slippers barely clung to his feet and his night shawl wanted to fly off, but Adrien kept going. 

One foot in front of the other, that’s all he needed to do. A spike of pain shot through his torso, his heart screaming at him to stop. But Adrien refused. If he didn’t make it to his operation tomorrow, so what? All that mattered was here and now. He needed to see her one last time. He needed to give her a proper thank you. 

Finally, finally, Plagg slowed at a small clearing that overlooked a bundle of houses below. The shock that he’d run all the way to town barely fazed Adrien as he scanned his surroundings for a small burst of red. She had to be here, he begged the universe to make it so. 

“Marinette!” Adrien’s voice got caught in his throat as he bent over, greedily gulping in air with one hand clenched over his throbbing chest. “Marinette!” He saw ants climbing over rocks, blades of grass bending in the gentle wind, a flower closed tightly as it waited for the sun to crack the sky. 

For the first time, Adrien saw the finer details of the world, an entire system thriving beneath his feet. He’d just never taken the time to look before. How many creatures had he disregarded just because he couldn't see them? It was like time slowed and world became manageable – an escape from everything else. Marinette had taught him to appreciate all the tiny things in life, and so much more. 

Even so, there was no red coat. He couldn't find her. 

He was too late. She was gone. Closing his eyes, Adrien tried to accept his defeat. He’d been too late, too slow, too foolis–

“Adrien.” Her voice was like a song; a masterpiece that had yet to be sung. 

Adrien turned around, finding a red dot standing atop a small bamboo fence. Her red dress whipped against her, the black dots flashing like a morse code message he couldn’t decipher. Marinette had explained that she’d chosen the ladybugs as inspiration for her outfit because her mother told her they were lucky. When it came to being a borrower, luck was a strong ally. Adrien thought the look suited her perfectly. 

“I-I thought you were gone,” he panted out, unable to keep the smile off his face. It must’ve been contagious though, because he watched her smile back. Her deep blue eyes sparkled with more knowledge than he could fathom, but her face crinkled with kindness. 

“Almost,” she admitted, her stature relaxing only slightly. “We’ll be traveling downriver, to my mother’s family, we think. We won’t be alone.” 

Adrien nodded. “I believe it. You and your family are strong. You’re survivors, like you said. You can do anything.” He already regretted how final his words sounded, but there was no escaping this fate. The sun was starting to rise and Marinette had to leave, he knew that. If only time could actually slow enough to make this last forever. “I brought you something,” he reached into his pocket and pulled out three miniature beads, all connected by a string. “Think of it as a gift from a friend.” 

Marinette’s mouth opened slightly as she marveled at the sparkle of the plastic. She reached out and took it gently, making the small charm look massive in her tiny hands. A bright giggle echoed around them as she wrapped it around her neck, testing it as a necklace. It fit perfectly. 

“I have one just like it,” Adrien admitted, pulling a much larger version out of his pocket. “I like to think it gives me luck,” he chuckled. “Now, every time I look at it, I’ll think of you. It’ll give me hope even when the world seems to be ending.” 

"Adrien...” Marinette’s eyes were glossy, an infinitesimally small drop of water forming on her bottom lids. She gripped the charm tighter before carefully placing it in the bag she always carried around her torso. “I’ll cherish it forever. It’ll keep us safe on our journey.” 

“Thank you,” Adrien blurted out, unsure if it was a response to what she said or his own mind hurrying himself up. “Thank you, Marinette, for teaching me how to live in spite of the threat of death.” 

She smiled gently, tilting her head ever so slightly to the side. With one hand she reached out, as if trying to grab his. As he extended it to her, she grabbed his pointer finger and placed it against her forehead, breathing heavily into his skin. “Thank you, Adrien. You protected us, after all.” 

He wished he could stay there forever, feeling her breath against him. If nothing went right with his operation tomorrow, at least he’d impacted one life. He’d made a difference somewhere. He’d taken care of someone else for a change. That was the greatest gift anyone could have given him. 

“I have to go,” Marinette eventually broke away, releasing his finger back to him. “You’ll always be in my heart, Adrien. Good–" she hesitated for only a fraction of a second. "Goodbye.” 

And with that, she was gone. The tall grass consumed her form before Adrien could say anything else. Like the end of a dream, he was left by himself wondering if any of it was real. 

“My heart is strong now that you’re in it, Marinette.” Adrien wasn’t sure if she was even able to hear him anymore, but it needed to be said. He needed to tell the world he had a reason to fight now. 

As the sun finally escaped its prison and painted the sky a velvety shade of purple, Adrien stared down at the town. Plagg rubbed up against his leg, subtly reminding him it was time to return to the country house and its mundanities. Just like Marinette, he needed to leave and be strong for himself for once. 

Despite the trials life would throw at him, he needed to keep moving. He needed to survive. He owed it to her to try. 

#ml writers guild #july event 2022 #constantconfusion #miraculous ladybug #miraculous ladybug fic #ml fic #ml au #miraculous ladybug au #mlb #miraculous #marinette dupain-cheng #adrien agreste #lovesquare #lovesquare fic #adrienette #adrinette #miraculous tales of ladybug and chat noir