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hugmekenobi · 9 months

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S2: The Bad Batch (10)

Chapter Ten: Retrieval

Gif by @dreamswithghosts

Hunter x femaleJedi!reader

Series Summary: Some time has passed since everything that happened at Kamino and you and the Batch are trying to figure out your place in the rapidly changing Imperial galaxy. And you're having to do all this whilst figuring out where your relationship with Hunter fits into it.

Chapter Summary: Luck seems to shift in your direction as you discover the location of the Marauder but getting it back will still be a challenge.

Masterlist for S1

<Previous Chapter

Genre: Friends (idiots) to Lovers (we're in the lovers stage now)

Chapter Warnings: Canon-typical violence, swearing, mentions of food, feelings of sexual frustration, reader can't handle Hunter in this episode/chapter (cause I couldn't lol), mentions of Hunter's enhanced senses, light fluff with mild spice (flirty dialogue, making out, briefest hints of competence and authority kink)

Word Count: 5.2K

Author's notes: Pretty much stay on the episode plot here, just added a lil something extra at the end! Hope you enjoy! Excited to begin work on Ch11 :)

The wind howled as you, Hunter, Tech, and Wrecker continued working on the repairs of the very run-down speeder you had found in the spaceport.

Wrecker tossed his head back with an aggravated grunt. “I’m bored, I’m hot, and I’m starving.”

“I told you to preserve your rations.” You said with a small sympathetic smile.

“Well…” Wrecker sighed. “… I got hungry.” He tried to hammer in a part of the speeder, but it immediately fell back out. He dramatically sat away from it. “We’re wasting our time.” He grumbled. “This skiff’s a heap of junk.”

“Yes, but with a few repairs, it’ll be a slightly operational heap of junk.” Tech countered. “The energy cells have just enough power to get us to the town on the other half of the hemisphere.”

“Power?” Omega mused from where she was sitting. And then it hit her. She stood up excitedly. “We forgot about Gonky. He’s still on the Marauder.”

“I’m afraid since the thief disabled the ship’s transponder, we will not be able to locate him.” Tech said.

“Not the ship. I mean we can track Gonky.”

Brilliant. You applauded whilst Hunter nodded and smiled in her direction.

“Oh. Ingenious idea.” Tech praised. “Try doing a trace on his binary reference code.”

“On it.” Omega said determinedly as she walked over to the satellite.

Wrecker chuckled. “Don’t get your hopes up, kid.”

You chucked him a spare ration bar of yours which he eagerly accepted. “Shut up and keep working.” You said with a grin before you got back to your section.

“I’m getting a reading. I think I found Gonky!” Omega said with a gasp.

Wrecker released an absentminded laugh before he registered what she said. “You- What? You found him?”

Omega walked over to Hunter and Tech and showed Tech the datapad. “His signal is 100 kilometres east. If Gonky’s still on the planet, the Marauder must be too.”

“Let’s get this thing running and find out.” Hunter said.

Once the repair work was complete, Tech started directing you all to where you needed to sit in order for adequate weight distribution. He then told you and Hunter where to go.

Hunter nearly choked as he heard his brothers instructions.

“Sit on his lap?” You repeated, your mouth going dry. That was quite possibly the worse thing Tech could say to you right now. Situating yourself like that would not help quash the ever-present sexual frustration.

“Yes.” Tech replied simply before he got in position and powered up the speeder.

You refused to look at Hunter as you sat across his lap. Helmet or not, having that type of eye-contact would serve to make things worse. You kept your head down and your hold on his shoulders was anything but relaxed as Tech got the speeder in motion.

Hunter had an iron grip on your hips and his fingers were wrapping themselves tightly in your clothing. The jolty speeder ride was only adding to the pain of keeping himself under control.

It felt like eternity before you reached the destination.

Well, that was uncomfortable. Youlet out a deep sigh as you moved off him.

“Not exactly the word I would use.” Hunter mumbled as he stood up.

The five of you stared at the town in the distance ahead.

“Gonky’s signal is pinging from down there. I’m reading minimal life-forms in his proximity but an unknown number in the subterranean level.” Tech divulged.

“This place looks worse than the abandoned spaceport.” Wrecker said.

“We’ll do a split approach. Stay alert.” Hunter ordered.

“What am I gonna do with a defective power droid?” Benni said to the droid in front of him.

“That’s our defective power droid.”

Benni cowered at the voice turned around to see two armoured men staring down at him.

“Now, where’s our ship?” Hunter asked the young boy.

“Oh… You see, the thing is-” Benni dashed to the side and made for his speeder.

Hunter and Tech just shared a non-concerned look. They’d expected as much.

Wrecker stuck his arm out as the bike rounded the corner and the kid wiped out from his speeder.

Benni got up and tried to run again but he was forced to back down by a young girl with a bow and a woman pointing her blaster at his face.

“Why is it they always try to run?” You said, your tone filled with boredom as you holstered your blaster whilst Wrecker grabbed the boy and the four of you headed back in the direction of Hunter and Tech.

“Beats me.” Wrecker said before he tossed the kid to the ground in front of their lost droid. “Hey, Gonky, you okay?”

The droid let out a few cheery sounding chatters.

“What do you care how that thing’s doing?” Benni asked. “It’s just a beat-up old battery.”

“Not to us.” Omega said fiercely.

“Let’s try that again.” Hunter said to the boy as he took off his helmet. “Where’s our ship?” He asked aggressively.

“Can you be more specific?”

“The one you stole yesterday.” You clarified, finding his stall tactic unamusing.

“Oh, right. That ship.” Benni chuckled nervously. “Well, Mokko has it. He gave me the droid as a gift.”

“And who is this Mokko?” Tech asked.

“Who’s Mokko?” Benni repeated, stunned that none of you had any idea about him. He stood up. “He runs this whole town. He’s the boss. Your ship’s his now.”

“Yeah, we’ll see about that.” Wrecker barked.

“Take us to it.” Hunter ordered the boy as you all closed ranks a bit more to back him further into the corner.

“No way. I can’t help you go against Mokko. You don’t know what he’s done for me.” But one quick growl from the tall one had his shaky resilience crumble. “All right, all right. I can show you where your ship is. But if you get caught, you don’t know me.”

“Techno Union ran this mine during the war, but Mokko took over when they were forced out. He’s kept this operation running ever since.” Benni elucidated as he showed you all what lay below.

“So, you’re an ipsium miner and a ship thief?” Omega challenged.

Benni turned back to the girl. “Mokko says they’re useful skills.”

“Stealing’s not a skill.”

“It is when you’re good at it.”

Tech brought up a holomap. “The central portal is ray-shielded, and all subterranean entrances appear to be guarded in shifts.”

“Ah, we’ve stormed tougher strongholds than that.” Wrecker said, dismissing any potential threat.

“You can’t use blasters inside an ipsium mine. You’ll destroy everything and everyone in there.” Benni pointed out. “Cut your losses now.”

“There is one covert infiltration point.” Tech said before he pointed it out. “From there.”

A large cloud of exhaust left the top of it.

“Figures.” You said with a sigh.

“The stack has a lower access hatch inside. If timed correctly, we can rappel down between exhaust cycles.” Tech explained.

Hunter looked at it through his macrobinoculars. “How big of a window is there?”

“Sixty seconds.” Tech replied.

“Plenty of time.” You and Omega said together.

“Glad you’re all so confident, but getting cooked alive wasn’t on my agenda. Good luck. I’m rooting for you.” Benni got up and turned to leave.

You placed your hand on his shoulder to prevent him from going any further.

“You can go once we have our ship back.” Hunter said coolly before he signalled to you to let him go.

“Oh, boy.” Wrecker said anxiously as he looked down from the top of the exhaust vent at the town. He really needed to stop doing that. It was then though he noticed the boy trying to slip past. He grabbed him and led him over to where the rest of you were.

“Set.” Hunter told Tech.

“On my mark.” Tech replied as a rush of steam was released.

“This is a very bad idea.” Benni fretted.

Please be careful.

Hunter nodded at you before he went over to the edge of the vent.

Tech’s timer beeped. “Now.”

You were glad your mask was on because it meant you could appreciate how much of a show off he was being without drawing attention to yourself. He didn’t have to stand up like that and he didn’t have to gracefully tip over the side like that, but he did it anyway. He was playing with the time he had, and you found it both attractive and amusing. You only hoped that would be the main thing you were feeling as he did this since you knew even the simplest appearing tasks tended to go wrong so you watched closely from the top as he made his way down.

Hunter got just over halfway down before he had to stop as a droid entered the bottom of the vent. He waited quietly as the droid analysed the area.

“You said it was unguarded.” You hissed at Tech. Now you were starting to get nervous. Sixty seconds had felt like plenty of time but now it was disappearing rapidly.

“It was at the time.”

“Thirty seconds.” Omega whispered.

“He’s not gonna make it. I’m telling you. You gotta bail before it’s too late.” Benni said in a panic.

“We don’t do that.” Omega replied.

“This is not good. This is not good.” Benni fretted.

Omega gasped as he knocked the torch out of her hand, and it started to fall.

You got ready to reveal yourself and stop it, the trouble it would cause being worth it if it protected Hunter’s cover, but you didn’t need to. What a show off. You thought to yourself as you watched him catch it. Despite the nerve-wracking situation, you couldn’t help but have a moment of falling victim to the base feelings attraction. The entire build up was filled with small, subtle moments that highlighted his skills and they were enough to get your blood to run hot. If you weren’t already too far gone and in love with him, you’d have been embarrassed at how easily he was able to reduce you to a hot mess.

Those feelings swiftly evaporated as you realised time was still ticking away. “Hunter, you have to move.” You urged into your comm.

Hunter pushed off the wall to move a few more metres down before he pushed off the wall and leaped towards the droid. He tackled it and used the momentum of tumbling forward to kick the droid over him. He got to his feet quickly and parried the hits from the droid. When there was an opening, he pulled it towards him and pushed him into the middle of the vent. He opened the door and dived through just as time ran out.

You all ducked as the hot exhaust exited the vent.

Hunter checked the space ahead before cleared the steam. “All clear.” He said into his comm.

Benni glanced warily between all of you. “You definitely aren’t ipsium miners.”

“Nope. You stole the wrong ship.” Omega said smugly.

You all slid down the wire and joined Hunter in the next corridor.

“Let’s move.” Hunter said.

You gave him a meaningful glance but ignored the questioning tilt of his head as he caught your eyes.

Benni held a finger to his lips as he glanced back behind him before he looked on and waited for the right moment to move out.

You took in the scenes in front of you. The various doors and settlements built within the mine were all connected by a series of bridges, and it appeared the workforce consisted of children and young adults that were watched on by security droids. It was by no means a safe environment and you knew these kids were being mistreated in some way or another.

“The conditions of this mine are less than ideal.” Tech commented.

“It’s because the ipsium’s become degraded.” Benni explained. “Mokko had to lower wages just to keep this mine up and running. At least we’re still working.” He changed the subject as he saw a gap opening up. “Your ship’s in the upper garage bay across from the central tower. Come on. I know a shortcut.”

Hunter caught his shoulder before he moved. “No tricks.” He warned.

“Hey, I’m not trying to get caught either.” Benni said by means of reassurance. He led the way to the garage.

You all had removed your coverings once you realised the garage was secure and you saw the welcome sight of the Marauder.

“Well, there’s your ship.” Benni stated as you all walked into the garage. “I held up my end of the bargain, so I’ll be off.” He turned on his heels and went to leave.

“Hang on.” Tech held a hand out to keep him from turning back. He walked over to examine the ship. “The hyperdrive has been removed.”

The rest of you glared at the young boy.

“You didn’t ask me what condition it’d be in. How’s that my fault?” Benni said defensively.

Wrecker lightly shoved the kid in the back and walked off with a frustrated growl.

“Relax. It’s not a complicated fix.” Benni said breezily.

“It better not be.” Wrecker growled.

“Grab the hyperdrive. Let’s make this quick.” Huner ordered Wrecker whilst you and him got to work on checking out the rest of the ship.

“What about the ray shield? We still need to shut it down.” Omega reminded you all.

“You can only do that from the central tower.” Benni stated.

“Let’s go.” You said as you half turned to face him.

“No way.” Benni objected. “You stick out too much. If you don’t trust me to go alone, she’ll blend in easily enough.” He indicated to the young girl who was still stood next to him.

Hunter considered the proposition for a moment before he spoke to Omega, “Don’t let him out of your sight.”

Tech walked over and handed a spare datapad to Omega. “Transfer the data onto this and I can access the shield remotely.”

“Let’s go.” Omega got ready to hassle out, but the boy stopped her with a scoff.

“Not looking like that.” Benni said before he handed her his jacket.

“How’s is looking?” Hunter said into his comm as he kept a lookout for any potential trouble.

“I can get most of the systems back online easily enough, but we are not going anywhere until we get the hyperdrive reconnected.” Tech said from inside the ship as he lay underneath the main console.

“We’re working on it.” Wrecker replied testily as he held another part in place for you to secure.

More time passed and you were now keeping guard with Hunter on top of the ship since Tech had insisted that he do the next set of repairs himself and you were fine with that- you knew he’d be faster, and he knew the ship better than you.

“The motivator is installed, but I still have to connect the primaries to the guidance system and adjust the navicomputer.” Tech commed in from where he was now under the ship.

“Weapons system’s online.” Wrecker added.

“We’re not engaging.” Hunter informed. “The situation for these kids is bad enough.”

“Mokko appears to be using his powers and means as leverage over his workers. It is a similar tactic used by the Empire.” Tech theorised. “Although, this operation is on a smaller scale.”

It was then you saw from your position two kids climbing up the ladder to the garage. You nudged Hunter’s arm and the two of you hid behind part of one of the wings of the ship.

“Didn’t Bryce and Hugh say they removed the hyperdrive?” One of the kids asked his companion as he studied the scene in front of him. It was then he saw two men working below it. “Hey, who are you?”

“Uh, Mokko sent us.” Wrecker said.

The wary looks the two boys gave each other didn’t fill you with confidence. You and Hunter jumped down and slowly approached them.

“Easy.” Hunter said steadily.

“We’re just here for our ship.” You said calmy but it wasn’t any good. The two boys darted back down, and you and Hunter were left with little choice but to follow them before they blew your cover.

“Get the engines online.” Was Hunter’s last order to Tech and Wrecker before he followed you down the ladder.

“Any luck with the shield code?” Benni asked tiredly. She had been at it for a while now and was showing no signs of being any closer.

“Not yet.” Omega said as she stayed focused on her task. “Most of this data is just Mokko’s profit reports. I thought you said the ipsium here’s degraded.”

“It is.” Benni replied.

“Not according to this.” Omega said as she studied the numbers on the datapad.

“Let me see that.” Benni approached her and looked at the screen but then, thanks to his earlier actions of alerting Mokko to their presence when they had first entered the room that he was now immediately regretting, Mokko and two security droids came through the door.

“My thief caught another thief. Nicely done, Benni.” Mokko said gleefully as he limped towards the young girl. “I’m impressed. Where are the others?”

Omega gave Benni an accusatory look before she was back up further by the imposing creature in front of her. Mokko looked to be more machine than anything else.

“Garage bay.” Benni answered glumly. “Sorry. I had to.” He said to her.

“That’s my boy.” Mokko praised. “The title of top earner is definitely in your future.”

Mokko left first and Omega was escorted out by the two droids, leaving Benni with the datapad.

You and Hunter ran sprinted through the door and glanced around but you couldn’t see the two boys anymore.

“Dammit.” You whispered, more to yourself if anything. Then Tech’s voice came through the comm channel.

“The hyperdrive is nearly online.”

Hunter sighed as he responded, “We lost our spies.”

“And they called in backup.” You said as you saw more people walk on the bridge in the distance. You and Hunter pulled out your blasters and kept your eyes on the bridge.

“It appears we have uninvited guests.” Mokko said as he walked across the bridge. “Care to show yourselves?”

Tech and Wrecker instantly came through the door that opened onto the bridge with their blasters drawn.

“So, you think you can come here and steal from me?” He asked the intruders angrily.

“Technically, this ship belongs to us.” Tech disputed.

“Not anymore! And I’d rethink the blasters.” He chuckled sinisterly. “One stray shot, and we’re all done for.”

“We don’t miss.” Wrecker said confidently.

Mokko merely laughed again. “I believe you, but I think you’ll reconsider.” He indicated up to a half-built bridge where the young girl he’d captured was being dragged to the edge of.

You all looked up to the sound of Omega’s struggles and immediately the stakes had changed.

“Lower your weapons, or she goes over.”

Tech and Wrecker dropped them slightly.

You also put your away whilst Hunter brought out the grappling hook from his pack.

You could tell what the type of plan that was formulating in his head. You or me?

“Probably better to have you on standby in case this doesn’t quite go to plan.”

Just make sure it goes to plan.

“Trespassing and attempted theft. Ten years in the mines seems like a reasonable punishment, if you survive that long.” Mokko sneered at the two men. “Take them below.” He instructed his workers.

Wrecker and Tech shared a nervous glance as the kids advanced towards them.

“Stop!” Benni yelled as he came out of Mokko’s office with the datapad that illuminated the lies he and his fellow earners had been told.

“Not now, kid. I’m busy.” Mokko said dismissively.

Benni wasn’t going to be dissuaded and he everyone deserved to know the truth. “You lied to us, Mokko. The ipsium’s not degrading! You’ve been cutting us out and keeping the profits for yourself!”

“That’s a lie. Don’t listen to him!”

“You never cared about us at all.” Benni spat angrily. “And I have the proof right here.” He held up the datapad.

“Let me see that.” Drake took it from him and saw the truth for himself. He scoffed, “What’s going on, Mokko? We toil down in the mines while you enjoy the spoils?”

Mokko could feel the odds turning against him as all the kids stopped paying attention to the two soldiers and were now fixing their gazes onto him. “I was taking my share! None of you would’ve survived without me! Don’t forget that.” He nodded to his droids to take up position both in front and behind him before he then turned his attention to the droid with the young girl. “Throw her over!”

Omega saw the grappling hook wrap around one of the bridge posts and she knew what she had to do as the droid started to drag her to the edge. She held onto its arm and waited for Hunter to get closer and once he was, she used all her strength to pull the droid over with her. The droid past her and fell into the chasm below but she reached out her hand and found Hunter’s who held onto her tightly as they followed the line of the grappling hook back to the bridge.

Hunter guided her onto his pack and she climbed onto his shoulders to get back onto firm ground.

Such a beautiful fucking show off. You thought to yourself with a longing sigh as you watched him catch Omega and they both successfully made it back to the bridge. You drew your blaster again and watched for what was going to happen on the bridge next.

“No one’s going to take what belongs to me.” Mokko said, his panic rising as his ranks closed in around him. “Take care of all of them!”

Tech and Wrecker each fired a shot that disabled the droids before they had a chance to follow Mokko’s order.

Mokko raised his cane as his head darted between the two groups surrounding him. “I’ll deal with you myself.”

You fired a shot that skimmed the right by his foot and that, plus the added momentum of the careless swing of his cane as his ranks closed in on him saw him go over the side of the bridge.

Mokko’s cane caught on the bars, and he dangled helplessly.

“Grab my hand!” Benni cried as he reached between the bars for Mokko.

Mokko merely sniggered and used his mechanical claw to get a tight hold of Benni’s outstretched hand and tried to pull him through. “You never should’ve crossed me, kid.”

Benni grunted in discomfort but was grateful to the hands that kept him secure. He could only watch as the grip Mokko’s other hand had on his cane failed him and he fell screaming into the abyss below.

With Mokko’s reign ended, the five of you were able to get back to your ship and get ready to leave.

You stood by Omega and Hunter whilst Tech performed some final checks and Wrecker greeted Gonky.

“Good to have you back.” Wrecker said with a chuckle as he lifted Gonky.

You caught the exchange out the corner of your eye, and it made you smile.

“Here’s your stuff.” Benni said as he steered the platform in front of the three of you.

“All of it?” Hunter asked with a firm stare.

“Yeah, don’t you trust me?” The immediate silence to Benni’s question was answer enough. “Okay, that’s fair. But it’s all there.”

You and Hunter took it over to the ship, leaving Omega alone with him.

“So, what will all of you do now?” Omega asked.

“I guess we’ll keep mining ipsium. It’s what we know.”

“You can be whatever you want.” Omega said encouragingly. “It’s a big galaxy. You don’t have to stay here.”

“It’s not so bad. And with Mokko gone, we’ll all be getting an equal share of the profits now.” A voice in the distance got his attention.

“Benni, chow time!”

Benni waved over in acknowledgement before he focused on the young girl again. “Thanks for showing me the truth. Hey, if you ever need a thief, I owe you.”

Omega smiled as she watched him go before, she got lost in thought.

“What is it?” Tech asked, noticing her demeanour as he approached her.

“The Empire’s not the only threat.” She turned to face him. “We’ve seen so many in the galaxy like Mokko.”

“Unfortunately, yes.” Tech agreed solemnly but he looked back to where the rest of you were putting the stuff back in the Marauder. “But there are many like us as well. And that is something.” He said with a slight smile as he rested a hand on her shoulder.

The two of them joined the rest of you on the ship before it took off.

“You’re supposed to be following the examples of the others and be sleeping.” You chastised quietly as Hunter came to join you in the cockpit. He was in his sleep clothes with the necklace you’d given on display. It was a sight that never failed to get your heart beating just that extra beat faster.

“You’ve spoiled me. It would seem that getting to sleep is more difficult without you next to me.” Hunter admitted as he came to sit in the chair opposite you. “Anything to report?”

“Not a thing.”

“Makes a change.” Hunter mused.

You nodded in agreement and ran your hands up and down your bare arms. “You know we’ll have to get in touch with Cid at some point?” You asked carefully.

Hunter released a tired sigh and hunched over. “I know. Figured I’d let us all catch up on some rest and then bite the bullet.”

“And the plan is still to part ways?”

“Yeah. What just happened proved we can’t stay with her. Don’t exactly know where we’ll go but…”

“We’ll figure it out?” You guessed with a smile.

Hunter huffed out a laugh. “Exactly.”

“Sounds good to me.” You moved from your seat and crossed the short distance to stand in front of him.

“Thought you were on watch?” Hunter said with a smirk as he leaned back to allow you to sit, and he let his hands fall to your hips.

“Lucky for me, there’s another set of eyes here.” You threaded your hands through the ends of his hair and tilted his head back.

Hunter suppressed a groan, “This isn’t- this isn’t very professional.” His voice lacking any sort of authority that he was only unenthusiastically trying to find anyway.

“Would you like me to call you ‘sir’ then?” You flirted as you brought your lips to temptingly close to his, but you didn’t close the distance yet.

“Fuck.” Hunter rasped.

“Or ‘sergeant’?” You breathed against his lips.

Hunter sighed deeply. The limited willpower he possessed was rapidly evaporating.

“Or I can stop.” You offered sincerely. You traced the small Jedi symbol on the necklace and pulled back to look at him properly.

Fuck, no, he didn’t want that at all. “It’s just- I don’t know if there’s time for- or even if we should-”

“I know. Wrecker takes over in ten minutes. Let us have this.” You knew things couldn’t get too hot and heavy with the limited time you had, and you didn’t want things to extend that far given the current living situation but you both just needed a moment, not matter how small. You bridged the gap and kissed him.

Hunter’s hands caressed your back as he kissed you back. “I noticed some interesting things on this past mission.” Hunter said as he broke away and let you plant some light kisses to his neck and jaw.

You recognised the teasing and inviting lilt in his voice, but you played along. “Oh yeah?”

He curled a finger under your chin to stop you and bring your eyes to his. “There were quite a few instances were your heartbeat and body temperature skyrocketed.”

You couldn’t prevent a natural reaction to seeing him be as capable as he was during the mission, but you should’ve known it wouldn’t have gone unnoticed. “I don’t um know what you could possibly be uh referring to. You’re mistaken.”

It was Hunter’s turn now to take his time paying attention to you. You were also in your sleep clothes, so he had free reign. His lips left a trail across your clavicle. “I’m not wrong about this sorta thing. It’s in my genes to be right.”

“First time for everything.” You deflected, biting back a sigh as you let your head hang back to give him more access to your neck.

“You’re squirming.” Hunter teased quietly.

“I am not.” You argued half-heartedly as you were becoming more focused on the feeling of his lips on your bare skin.

“You are. Don’t really think I’ve seen you squirm before…” He trailed off to focus his ministrations on the sensitive spot just behind your ear. His lips grazed the shell of your ear before he murmured, “What was it?”

You couldn’t resist. You could bare the humiliation so long as he just kept doing what he was doing. “You, you ass.”

Hunter smiled against your mouth. He kissed you softly before he turned his attention to the other side of your neck. “Keep talking.”

“You were- you were just so unnecessarily capable and- and you were showing off with it. And dammit it you looked really fucking hot. Is that what you wanted to hear?” You let out a soft groan as he gently bit down on your pulse point.

“I should do things like that more often if it gets you like this.”

“You’re just saying that cause I’m on your lap as I’m doing it.” You said shakily as an attempted deflection but the smirk you felt against the skin on your neck told you that it wasn’t a very good one. You sometimes forgot that as easy as it was for you to read him and get a glimpse into what he was feeling, it was just as easy for him to do it back, if not more so. You sought out his mouth once more but you both paused at the faint noise in the background.

The sound of rustling in the corridor behind you and the indication of boots hitting the floor told you both that your time was up. You got to your feet and hastily went back to your original seat. You made it with a perfectly respectable number of seconds to spare.

“Thing’s are good here, Wrecker. Can’t imagine you’ll have to do much.” You informed as you and Hunter stood up.

Wrecker gave you a thumbs up. He didn’t question why Hunter appeared to be with you. He’d honestly expected as much and was just happy he hadn’t interrupted anything. “You two go get some sleep.”

You and Hunter made your way back to your bunk and within moments of lying down, the two of you fell fast asleep, comfortable, and secure in each other’s arms.

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Tagging: @noeasyisnoisy, @fuckoffthanos, @tpwkcalli, @graciexmarvel, @arctrooper69, @nightmonkeysstuff, @brujaporfavor, @flyingkangaroo, @sunkissedclones, @ladytano420, @keep-calm-and-drink-caf, @yyourmotherr, @xxeiraxx, @dragonrider9905, @starwarsnerd111

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crankynewt · 3 years

Text

Chapter Two - Letting You Go

Another Love Series Masterlist

Pairing: Regulus Black x Fem!Reader, Remus Lupin x Fem!Reader

Song: Think of You - Christina Grimmie

Warnings: Fluff, angst, (past) major character death, a very altered timeline, and Snape being Snape (frightens all ;))!

Word Count: t o o l o n g

Masterlist

Author’s Note: Y’all asked so I delivered (instead of doing my uni classes lol)! This ones a lot longer than the first chapter cause I got a little too carried away writing it, so grab a snack and enjoy! Parts of this chapter were inspired by Think of You by Christina Grimmie, who was tragically killed about five years ago, but I highly recommend listening to her music as she truly had a voice like no other.

Had you told yourself fifteen years ago at your graduation that you would eventually return to Hogwarts as a professor, you would have laughed in your face. Don’t get me wrong, you adored your time at the school, but you could never see yourself leaving Regulus and the family you’d hoped to start one day for nine months at a time. You thought you had your life figured out on the train ride home following your seventh year, but that all fell apart within twelve months. And then it did again a year later.

Now you were gazing upon the Great Hall once more, this time alongside your former professors as not teachers but colleagues. The towering stone walls of the castle brought back more memories than you would like to admit, especially not to Remus. This is not the result of any lack of love towards your husband, but you don’t think he would necessarily approve of what you and your late then-boyfriend got up to. Holding Regulus as sobs wracked through his body in the early hours of the morning after he returned from doing unspeakable things with his fellow Death Eaters had become your typical Friday night routine. But now that burden no longer sat upon your shoulders, and hopefully the commencing year wouldn’t be quite so stressful. Grading and rowdy students you could handle; another war, not so much.

Sitting with Remus on your left and Professor McGon- Minerva, on your right, the beginning of the feast was nothing short of delightful.

“That one’s got to be a Gryffindor, he looks overly sure of himself!” You whispered to you husband, sure to keep your voice down so your colleagues could not hear your guesses as to where each of the first years would be sorted.

“What- no, Gryffindors are brave, not cocky! And besides, he’s clearly a Slytherin, they’re the overly-confident ones.” He replied, defensive of his own house. And, unfortunately for you, he was right, shooting you a smug smirk when the sorting hat roared Slytherin across the hall.

“See, cocky!” You pointed at him before taking a sip of the amber liquid in your goblet and focusing your attention towards your plate. What you didn’t see was the look of utter adoration that he focused on you, as if he was still in awe that you were by his side let alone married to him.

McGonagall couldn’t help but smile at both the childish-antics of the two newest professors but also the connection the two of you clearly shared. She remembered worrying about the both of you following the news of the youngest Black brother’s demise and downfall of the Marauders, however, she found her concerns eased seeing the solace the two of you found in each other.

“It’s Teddy’s turn!” He nudged your side, bringing you attention back to your youngest son who timidly made his way up the stone steps onto the stage at the front of the hall. He looked to Remus and yourself for reassurance, finding comfort in the slight nod his father gave to him and the look of pride in both sets of eyes. Rather than guessing his placement, the two of you sat in silent anticipation as you strained to hear what the hat was saying.

“Ah, a Lupin! I haven’t seen one of you since your father was here.” The enchanted garment began. “You certainly hold his courage and intelligence, yet I see a hint of something else in there - it must be your mother! I remember sorting her as well, she could have gone into any of the houses, and I think I sense her determination and kindness in you. Are you going to follow in your father’s footsteps and be daring in Gryffindor? Or will you take after your siblings and find greatness in Slytherin? Or, yes, that’s it. You belong in… Hufflepuff!”

Remus and yourself felt pride rise in you as you clapped harder than ever before. In the audience, you saw Archie and Cassie rise from their seats as they applauded as well, proud that their little brother had finally made it to Hogwarts regardless of what house he was in.

The rest of the ceremony went by in a blur, Dumbledore introducing Remus and yourself to the school as professors Lupin and Y/L/N. Not only did you and your husband intend to keep your marriage a secret to the students, but you agreed with the headmaster that hiring a Black to the staff would not sit well with parents following Sirius’ recent escape from Azkaban. Students would eventually realize that Remus and Teddy were related, but Archie and Cassie were a little reluctant to reveal that their parents would be teachers in fear of the inevitable teasing from their peers. But for now, you would all keep this secret close to your chest.

Keeping an eye on your children throughout the rest of the feast, you were pleased to see both Teddy and Cassie cheerily conversing with a number of their peers whilst they ate. What was startling, however, was how you never saw Archie speak to anyone other than the occasional comment in his twin’s ear. His face held Regulus’ signature look of bore with a hint of irritation, a far cry from the boy that you typically saw at home. You’d had to do a double take, not seeing your son but a vision of Regulus from years ago.

On the other side of the great hall you saw another child who looked the spitting image of their parents - Harry Potter. The boy was conversing with a ginger boy, probably a Weasley, and a girl you didn’t recognize. Everything down to his demeanour screamed ‘I’m James Potter’s son’ with the exception of his eyes - those were all Lily.

Tears formed in the corner of your own eyes as you thought about your lost love and friends, for it was almost as if many of you had been reunited in the Great Hall once more. Placing a hand upon your forehead to shield your eyes from wandering glances and placing your weight upon your elbow, you leaned on the table as if you were only extremely focused on your meal. Noticing this, Remus wished he could take you into his arms as he was feeling a similar gloom, but the hundreds of people around him prevented the man from holding you close. For now, a comforting hand on your knee underneath the table would have to suffice.

The rest of the evening was uneventful, and by the next morning you in such a rush to get to your first class that you were too distracted to think of anything else. Glancing down at your attendance sheet, your first class of the day was third-year Gryffindors and Slytherins just before lunch, and you searched for familiar names on the list. Both Archie and Cassie’s names were at the top of the sheet, and you were thankful that you would be starting each day with two-thirds of your children. Malfoy was not too far below it, and a physical groan left your lips. Of course Lucius’ son would be in your class, he’s probably just as delightful as his father. Even further down was Potter, and you quietly began to devise a plan that could hopefully resolve at least one of your problems.

Meanwhile, three Gryffindors made their way down the halls of the school towards their third class of the day. They were still in awe of Professor Lupin’s second period Defence Against the Dark Arts class as it seemed they would finally have a decent teacher in the subject.

“Do you know anything about the new astrology professor, Hermione?” Ron asked, clearly concerned about the coming period. Saying that this subject wasn’t the youngest Weasley boy’s strong suit was an understatement.

“Professor Y/L/N? I don’t know, but it sure looked like Professor Lupin liked her last night.” The girl began, the stack of books in her arms so tall that she could barely see where she was going over it. “I’m just excited to finally have another female professor!”

“Yeah, and she seemed pretty young, so let’s hope that means she’s more fun!” Harry said. “If Lupin’s friends with her, how bad can she be?”

“Yeah, do you think they’re, you know…” Ron said, trailing off unable to finish his sentence as he made an odd movement with his hands.

“What, if they’re together?!” Hermione exclaimed. “Seriously Ronald! Men and women can be friends with each other and not be in love! And besides, Lupin has a son in first year who would have probably mentioned if his mother was teaching here as well.”

The boys agreed with their friend as they approached the classroom, Harry stopping in his tracks as he noticed the eldest of the Black children leaning against the wall beside the door a couple feet away from other third-years waiting for class to begin. Noticing Harry’s hesitation, Ron and Hermione turned back to look at where their friend had stopped. Motioning for them to come back, he eventually dragged them to the wall before whispering.

“Do either of you know how Arcturus is related to Sirius… They’re both Blacks.” Harry began, warily glancing towards the boy who was too absorbed into his book to notice them staring at him.

“No… But Harry, you don’t honestly believe that Arcturus would help him get into the school, do you?” Hermione asked incredulously. As much as she didn’t want to believe that one of her classmates was plotting to help a madman set on killing one of her best friends, stranger things had happened.

“I mean, who knows?! Have you ever seen either of the Black twins with their father? That could be Sirius, for all we know!” Ron exclaimed. This time when the three students glanced towards the boy, he met their eyes with his own cold, green orbs.

Before anyone could react, their attention switched to the opening door where their newest professor stood with bright eyes and a warm smile.

“Well c’mon in, guys!” You beckoned as the children began filing into the classroom, both Archie and Cassie giving you small smiles as they made their way in. Before long, all your students had settled into their seats and your lesson could finally begin.

“I should probably start by introducing myself as I am a new face to most of you, my name is Professor Y/L/N and I am the new astrology professor here at Hogwarts.” You began, scanning the many small faces staring at you. “I was a student here not too long ago myself, so not only am I very excited to be back but I also know exactly how you guys are feeling. I’ll try to keep that in mind in my lessons so that we can all have a fun semester, yeah? If you guys have any questions real quick before we start, feel free to ask!”

A few hands shot up within the crowd and you picked one, a timid looking Gryffindor in the very front row.

“Yes, Mr…?” You began, trailing off unsure as to the boy’s name.

“Longbottom, ma’am. Neville Longbottom.” He shakily replied, and you suddenly saw traces of Frank and Alice in him. The thought saddened you, remembering the disgust that filled you when Regulus explained what your estranged cousin-in-law had done to the poor couple.

“Ah, yes! What is it, Mr.Longbottom?” You questioned, a smile working its way onto your lips as you encouraged the boy, hoping to give him a tad more confidence.

“I was just curious, cause you said you were a student here and I saw you two talking yesterday, how do you know Professor Lupin?” Neville said shakily.

“Uhm, I had meant questions about the course rather than about me…” You trailed off, hoping that the anxiousness filling you at your secret getting out would not show. You could see Archie and Cassie stifling their own giggles at the question, finding the speculation of your relationship with their adoptive father very amusing.

“It’s just cause some of the students have bets goin’ as to whether or not you guys are together. Like, in love, together.” Neville tried to explain, earning himself sharp glances and scoffs from the rest of the class.

“Professor Lupin and I were friends when we were both students here, that’s all. Strictly platonic friends.” You explained, feeling your face slightly flushing in embarrassment at the inquiry. “Now then, let’s begin!”

The rest of the class went by smoothly, no more incidents of any of your secrets being exposed as you went through your introduction lesson. As you concluded your lecture, you decided it was time to introduce the major project for the course.

“Now, I will be introducing your major project for the year and be giving you your partners.” You explained, grabbing the list of pairs you had created from your desk. “I’ve assigned both you and another student a constellation that the two of you will be compiling research on in order to ‘teach’ it to the class at the end of the year. You guys all good so far?”

“Uhm, Professor?” A hand raised accompanied by a voice in the back of the classroom.

“Yes, Mr. Weasley?’ You replied, the red hair being a dead giveaway as to the boy’s identity.

“How come we don’t get to choose our own partners?” The ginger-haired boy questioned, glancing towards the curly-haired girl beside him who was shooting him a warning glance.

“Good question! I have decided that you will be paired with one of your peers from the other house.” You said matter-of-factly, as if your words hadn’t just scandalized your students. A collection of gasps and protests arose, even from your own children, Cassie’s jaw dropping as Archie hid his head in his arms and laid upon the desk in exasperation.

One sharp clap from you was enough to regain their attention, the rowdier members of the group sunk into their seats in fear of the possible removal of house points before the first half of their day was even over.

“Now I know this is upsetting to many of you, especially considering your two houses’ complicated past, but your cooperation with each other will be a part of your grade in the assignment. Sometimes opposites are the best pairings.” You said. “Now, would you like to hear who you’ll be working with?”

A collection of nods was all it took before you began listing the combinations.

“Seamus Finnegan and Pansy Parkinson for Gemini, Neville Longbottom and Blaise Zabini for Taurus…” You began, listing off the partnerships before you reached your final three. “Ronald Weasley and Cassiopeia Black for Canis Major, Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy for Orion, and lastly, Harry Potter and Arcturus Black for Leo.”

The clock began ringing, signalling the end of class and beginning of the lunch period.

“There’s no homework for today, so enjoy it while you can and have a nice lunch everyone!” You dismissed your students, not giving them a second glance before you made your way through the door of your office at the back of the room and began going through a stack of papers. You hadn’t noticed the boy who had remained in your class, shyly following you to the back before hesitantly knocking on the already open door.

“Mr. Potter! Please, sit!” You said when you saw the source of the faint noise, beckoning him towards one of the chairs in front of your desk. “What can I do for you?”

The boy hesitated for a moment as he took in your office, the sandy-coloured stone walls having been decorated in a style that seemed to perfectly fit the personality you’d projected to his classmates the past hour.

“I was just wondering if it would be possible to switch partners for the assignment…” He trailed off, unsure of how to continue. His words were a shock to you, and as a mother, you worked hard to fight the defensive instincts threatening to consume you.

“What’s wrong with Mr.Black?” You question in as calm a tone you could muster, however, you were sure Harry had picked up on the unsteadiness of your voice. The boy’s mouth opened and closed, seemingly searching for the right words to say, when his anxiety made you realize that this was not really about Archie at all.

“Is this about Sirius Black?” You said, your voice much softer this time. Your suspicions were concerned when Harry began furiously nodding, clearly distressed at the mere mention of the man.

“Ah...” You replied, unsure of what exactly to do about the boy’s anxiety, when you realized that the truth may be the best solution. You stood and turned to one of the tables behind you and began searching through one of the drawers.“Harry… What do you know about the House of Black?”

“Uhm, not much?” Harry answered, clearly confused as to your response.

You eventually turned to face him again, this time with a box in hand. Although smaller in size, the black box was ornamentally covered in green and gold details. You sat back down across from the boy, placing the box in front of you and ignoring it for the time being.

“The Noble House of Black was a part of the Sacred 28 wizarding families and were a long line of Slytherin blood-purists. Orion Black was the patriarch of the house and, along with his wife Walburga, had two sons - Sirius and Regulus. Regulus is Arcturus and Cassiopeia’s father - have you heard of that name before?” Harry shook his head no, and that was all you needed to continue. “Regulus was two years younger than Sirius, and the pair were very close throughout childhood. However, when Sirius attended Hogwarts and was sorted into Gryffindor rather than Slytherin, he soon began rebelling against his parents and their values. He criticized their purist prejudices and wanted nothing to do with his little brother when he was sorted into Slytherin. This hurt Regulus deeply and he began to resent his brother and, although he slowly started to agree with the criticisms Sirius had gotten disowned over, he felt as if he couldn’t betray his family. So as Sirius grew closer to your father, Reg-”

“Wait, how did he know my father?!” Harry questioned, desperate to understand how his parents fit into all of this.

“They were best friends, you didn’t know?” You replied as horror began washing over the boy’s face. “Harry, Sirius is your godfather. I know it’s probably shocking and scary now, but if you keep listening, I think everything will make a lot more sense and you’ll feel better.” The boy nodded as tears welled in the corners of his eyes.

“So, while Sirius and Regulus drifted apart, the younger brother was forced by his parents to join He Must Who Not Be Named as a death eater when he was only sixteen. Regulus quickly became his right-hand man, but something didn’t sit right with him. It was only after he fell in love that he began to realize that this was not the path he wanted in life. So while Regulus continued to attend Death Eater-meetings, he fed information to the girl who he would eventually marry who then relayed the intelligence to a group called the Order of the Phoenix. This included your parents, Sirius, Professor Lupin, the Weasleys, Dumbledore, me - people who were dedicated to stopping him.”

“So you knew him… Sirius Black?” Harry questioned, eyes still glassy as some tears had stained his cheeks.

“Yes, Harry, I did…” You trailed off. “And if it’s any comfort, I don’t think he did it. The Sirius I knew wasn’t a madman, and although your other teachers would probably disagree with me, I really don’t think he’s out to get you.”

“What do you mean? Everybody keeps saying he’s looking for me!” Harry exclaimed, disbelieving the words leaving your mouth. “Even if he was innocent, doesn’t he blame my family for getting him locked up?”

“He is very likely looking for you, but not because he’s mad at you. Like I said, he was your godfather, and your father was like a brother to him. If anything, he’s looking for you because he believes you are each other’s only family left.”

“Why wouldn’t he go to his brother?” Harry inquired, slowly becoming curious about his relationship with Regulus.

“Because he figured out a way to stop Voldemort. Regulus discovered he’d made something called a horcrux, and that by destroying it, he could be killed.” You began, emotion beginning to build up in your throat, not having talked about losing your husband in quite some time. “Regulus found out where it was and set out to destroy it, but he died in the process. He left behind a wife who was pregnant with children he would never know he had: Arcturus and Cassiopeia. Regulus Black was a good man, Harry, a great one. The twins lost their father to the same man who killed yours, and I think you’re a lot more alike than you know.”

You finally opened the box in front of you and Harry watched you reach for a pile of pictures and began searching through them, finally finding the one you were looking for about six pictures in. You placed the extra pictures on your desk and handed one to Harry, and the contents of it made his eyes widen.

The image was of two men and three toddlers, the caption reading ‘Uncle Padfoot and Uncle Moony with Harry, Archie, and Cassie - September 1981.’ The children were very happily playing, and Harry recognized one of the men as being Professor Lupin while the other was the face who he’d seen in every newspaper the past week - Sirius Black.

“We were… Friends?” Harry questioned, shocked at the revelation that the Slytherin boy had been his first friend during his infancy. You simply smiled and nodded, Harry eventually tore his gaze away from the card in his hands moving to one upon your desk. “Is that… Regulus Black?”

Your eyes flickered to the picture he was talking about, only to meet one of Regulus from about six months before he died.

“Yeah, that’s him.” You said as a sad smile graced your lips. “Anyways, I’ve wasted enough of your lunch hour Harry, you should find your friends and eat something. You need to get some sugar into your stomach, so go grab some chocolate.”

The young boy stood and you began to walk him out of your classroom but just as he opened the door, he paused and turned around to face you.

“Professor, how did you know Regulus?” He said, yet something in his tone told you that he already knew.

“What do you mean, Harry? I told you, I worked for the Order.” You replied, even though you knew that showing him the pictures was a dead giveaway. But it was well worth it.

“You were married, weren’t you? You’re Arcturus and Cassiopeia’s mum?”

“Just don’t go telling the whole school,” you began. “I don’t think very many parents would approve of a Black teaching their children. It’ll be our little secret.”

Harry nodded before running off to join his friends, and you left the classroom not long after. Walking through the halls, memories came back in flashes as the tears became harder and harder to fight. You thankfully held your composure until you arrived at the office door, tears beginning to fall as you began frantically knocking upon the rough wooden surface.

When it eventually flung open to reveal your husband, his face immediately softened at your state as you rushed into his office room, Remus closing the door behind you. He opened his arms that you quickly flung yourself into, sobs wracking your body as he held you close. Remus didn’t ask what was wrong, he didn’t have to. He knew you hadn’t been back to the school since losing Regulus and, although he didn’t doubt your love for him, knew that there was the possibility of past emotions resurfacing and overwhelming you. He knew you too well.

As you calmed down in his arms, you couldn’t help but feel guilty for crying over your past love. Shouldn’t you have moved on? You had this wonderful man and a beautiful family now, that should be enough for you. But Hogwarts was where your love story with Regulus began, you wished on these stars, they were yours, and the halls would always bring back memories of him. You might have let him go, but at least for the next little while, he would consume your thoughts at the school.

The next few months progressed with little incident, and it became increasingly easier to control the strong emotions that had overtook you your first day. You watched Harry and Arcturus slowly become friends, and you watched as your son became the happy boy Remus and yourself had raised. While the uneventful year was a welcome tranquility, that peace came to an end when your husband came bursting into your quarters one evening.

“Honey, what’re you doing? Isn’t it-”

“Peter is alive! We have to go now!” He exclaimed, grabbing your wrist and dragging you through the dark halls of the castle and towards the shrieking shack.

While you were running, Harry, Hermione, and Archie approached a trembling Ron in the rotting house.

“Harry! It’s a trap! He’s the dog, he’s an animagus!” Ron exclaimed, pointing behind the trio. Turning around, they watched what was left of the door creak open to reveal the fugitive the entire wizarding world was searching for. Although Harry remembered your words, he couldn’t help but feel afraid as a pair of rabid eyes stared back at him.

“If you’re going to kill Harry, you’re going to have to kill us too!” Hermione shouted, jumping in front of Harry as Arcturus followed suit, pointing his wand at his estranged uncle.

“Only one will die tonight!” Sirius remarked, slowly walking towards the children. He hadn’t paid much attention to the boy standing in front of Harry but as he approached, he was shocked to see his dead brother protecting his godson. He didn’t have time to think, though, as Harry quickly shouted something he only heard the end of before wrestling him to the ground. Raising his wand, Sirius let out a sickening laugh.

“Are you going to kill me Harry?”

Nobody had time to respond as the doors burst open, Remus shouting expelliarmus as Harry’s wand went flying across the room. You followed closely behind him, yet stood in the doorway just out of your brother in-law’s sight. Harry stared at Lupin and you, his breathing heavy as your husband tilted his head quickly, and that was all the boy needed to run back towards his friends. You raised your wand as well, approaching your husband’s side as you stood slightly behind him.

“Well, well, Sirius, looking rather ragged, aren’t we?” Your husband began, continuing to approach his former friend. “Finally the flesh reflects the madness within.”

“Well you’d know all about the madness within, wouldn’t you Remus?” Sirius retorted, looking between you and your husband as he took in just how much the two of you have changed.

The comment brought a small smile to your face, one that eventually grew bigger as you dropped your arm to your side, Remus following suit. You both reached out your hands and helped Sirius to his feet, him taking you into a bone-crushing hug.

“I missed you, sister.” He breathed into your hair, you mumbling how you missed him as well only loud enough for the two men to hear.

“Mum, what’re you doing?!” Archie exclaimed from the other side of the room, clearly taken aback by you embracing the man who’d just threatened to kill them. All three of you look over to a bewildered Archie, you dropping one of your arms from Sirius while the other stayed around his middle.

“Is that Archie?” He asked, glancing between Remus and yourself, the pair of you nodding. Sirius took in the sight of his nephew, who he earlier had believed to be his reanimated brother, before turning his attention back to his dearest friend who embraced him.

“I found him,” Sirius gasped between laughs.

“I know,” Remus soothed.

“It’s him!”

“I understand.”

“Let’s kill him!”

“No!” Hermione interrupted, shouting at the group of adults. “I trusted you! And all this time… You’ve been his friends!”

She paused to catch her breath and regain her composure before continuing her rant.

“He’s a werewolf! That’s why he’s been missing classes.” Your body stiffened as your husbands secret was exposed to Harry and Ron, and you saw Archie suffer from the same reaction. Of course he knew of what happened to his father every full moon, however he also knew the discrimination that accompanies it. Remus’ eyes darkened as he began to approach the girl.

“How long have you known?” He spoke with a demeanor that was so unlike the kind and gentle man you had fallen in love with, sending chills down your spine.

“Since Professor Snape set the essay.”

“Well well well, Hermione, you really are the brightest witch of your age I’ve ever met.” Remus said as Sirius grew impatient.

“Enough talk, Remus! Come on, let’s kill him!” Sirius shouted as he began pacing.

“Wait!” You warned, but that only angered him.

“I did my waiting!” He shouted. “Twelve years of it! In Azkaban!”

Remus you glanced at each other before looking towards a petrified Harry, clearly weighing your options as your husband began fiddling with the strange wand in his hands. Looking towards the floor, Remus hesitated before handing Sirius’ wand back to him.

“Very well…”

“Dad! How could you?!” Archie yelled from across the room, too upset with his parents’ actions to care about keeping their secret any longer. This came as a shock to both Sirius and the other children, their heads snapping towards your son as he raised his wand towards the man he’d considered to be his father.

“Dad?!” Harry and Sirius exclaimed, almost comically in sync, as you put yourself between you son and your husband. You slowly grabbed the end of Archie’s wand and took it from his trembling hand, quickly wrapping your arms around the boy as you turned to face three shocked faces.

“We’re married, Sirius.” You explained, and Remus raised his left hand to show his friend the ring adorning his finger. Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s eyes flicked between you, your son, your husband, and your brother-in-law, at last putting your connection together as your betrayal stung them even deeper. Sirius’ face softened at the revelation, but Remus quickly picked up where they left off.

“Kill him,” he began, “but wait one more minute. Harry has the right to know why.”

“I know why!” Harry shouted. “You betrayed my parents! You’re the reason they’re dead!”

“No, Harry, it wasn’t him. Somebody did betray your parents but it was somebody who, until quite recently, I believed to be dead!” Remus exclaimed, and you finally felt Archie begin to relax enough that you could let go of your hold on him.

“Who was it then?!” Harry argued.

“Peter Pettigrew!” Sirius yelled matter-of-factly. “And he’s in this room! Right now! Come on, come on, Peter! Come out, come out and play!”

“Expelliarmus!” A new voice called, Snape having snuck up on the group and quickly disarmed Sirius as many horrified faces turned to look at him. You tightened your grip on your wand as you moved to stand in front of Archie protectively. “Ah… Vengeance is sweet. How I’d hoped I’d be the one to catch you.”

“Severus,” Remus moved towards his colleague before quickly flinching away as Snape moved his wand towards him.

“I told Dumbledore you were helping and old friend into the castle and now - here’s the proof!”

“Brilliant, Snape. Once again you’ve put your keen and penetrating mind to the task and as usual come to the wrong conclusion!” Sirius mocked. “Now if you’ll excuse us, Remus, (Y/N), and I have some unfinished business to attend to.”

Snape, having previously lowered his wand, quickly raised it again, this time right against Sirius’ neck.

“Give me a reason. I beg you.”

“Severus, don’t be a fool.” You said, attempting to diffuse the situation.

“He can’t help it, it’s happened by now!”

“Sirius be quiet!” Remus added.

“Go quiet yourself, Remus!” Your husband turned away and approached you, visibly annoyed at his friend’s sour attitude.

You stopped listening to their quarrel as you saw Harry reaching into Hermione’s pocket in the corner of your eye. Shifting your attention over to the teens, you saw him slowly pulling out her wand before you turned to Remus, who hadn’t noticed this subtle movement. Before long, Snape was knocked unconscious into the bed.

In the following minutes, the truth about Peter Pettigrew was revealed as you led the quivering traitor alongside your family and students through the tunnel.

“I must say,” Sirius began, glancing between you and Remus as he helped Harry carry an injured Ron. “I never expected the two of you winding up together. How long?”

“We’ve been married for ten years.” Remus replied with a shy smile, hoping his friend would approve of the match given that you are still Sirius’ brother’s widow.

“You still have to see Cassie, and you can meet Teddy! He’s our youngest, this was his first year here and he was sorted into Hufflepuff!” You explained, excitement lacing every word as you held your husband’s hand. To your students, this talk of a long-term relationship and PDA was a shock, as they were unaware of just how close the two of you really were. Sure, they’d had suspicions, but your talk with Harry led them to believe that you were still grieving Regulus.

Upon exiting the willow, Sirius finally had the opportunity to pull Archie aside for a moment, just a few feet away from the others.

“You look just like him, you know…” He began, not knowing exactly what to say to his nephew.

“I know.” Archie nodded, a sad smile forming as he looked towards his uncle.

“Y’know, I’d hated your father for years when your mother showed up at my door. I didn’t know just what he’d done until after he died, when she showed up at my door telling me what a hero he was.” Sirius recounted. “I felt awful, like he’d still be here if I’d just given him the chance. But then, y’know what she told me?” Archie shook his head. “She told me she was pregnant with you, well, you and your sister but we didn’t know that at the time, and that was when I knew. I promised myself that I would be there for you, that I would fill his shoes and protect you. And I did for a year, up until I was arrested, but you guys and Harry were all I thought about in that cell as I rotted. I’m sorry that I’ve failed you the past twelve years and although I’m so glad that Remus has become a father to you, I still want to be there for you. I want to be a part of your lives, whether it be every day or whenever you can spare a visit.”

“I’d like that too.” Archie simply stated, embracing his uncle as Harry began approaching them. He left the two of them to talk before gazing into the night sky. Admiring the moon as it began to move from behind the mountain, it took him a minute to fully register exactly what night it was.

“Dad?!” Archie exclaimed, bringing all of your attention to the full moon in the sky as the inevitable began.

Chaos ensued, a horror film of a night that you never want to experience again.

The following week, it was no surprise to Dumbledore when you and your husband resigned. Snivellus had let slip the truth about the two of you, him being a dangerous werewolf while yourself having aided the “madman” that was your brother-in-law, two things that don’t typically sit well with parents.

Packing up your office, Hermione made her way in, ginger cat in her arms as she watched you pile your belongings into boxes.

“Professor, what’re you doing?” She questioned, shocked to see you packing up your office. “Did Dumbledore fire you? He must know that-”

“No, no! Dumbledore has been nothing but supportive, but... He stuck his neck out hiring Remus and I, knowing who we are, and now that Snape has revealed the truth about us, it’ll be best for everyone if it looks like he let us go.” You explained, pausing your ministrations as you looked around at the now empty shelves.

“I’m sorry…” She began, unsure of what else there was to say. “I’m sorry for everything that happened that night, I feel as though we just made a mess of everything. Pettigrew escaped and now you and Professor Lupin are leaving…”

“Hermione, now you listen to me.” You sat her down in a chair and crouched before her. “Two innocent lives were saved because of you and Harry. Now that is something amazing, and something I would be willing to lose my job for all over again.” You gave her a smile, one that quickly became a tight-lipped wince as the cat on her lap began licking your face.

“Crookshanks!” She exclaimed while pulling the feline away from you, horrified at his actions.

“It’s fine, Hermione. He’s quite a cute cat.” You gave her a wide smile as you took Crookshanks from her arms and held him close to your chest. He gazed at you with an almost human-like intelligence upon his face, before shutting his eyes as he purred at your touch. “Is he part kneazle?”

“Yes, actually.” She began. “The man at the Menagerie said it was why he’d been there for so long. The kneazle part made him look a little odd, but I think it’s what makes him handsome.”

You handed the feline back to her, glancing at the clock upon the wall and realizing that you’d agreed to meet Remus at the entrance in five minutes.

“Can you please do me one last favour, Hermione?” You asked, heading towards the only item left on your desk, a small black box. Opening it, you pulled the top picture out and extended your arm to hand the girl the image. “Could you please give this to Harry next time you see him? Remind him that his family will only ever be a letter away.”

She nodded as her eyes scanned the paper before her, seeing that it was a picture of a younger Remus and Sirius playing with Harry, Archie, and Cassie while they were all still babies. She smiled, finding solace the fact that Harry’s family life will be getting better than how the Dursley’s have treated him the past twelve years. An orange paw upon the paper tore her attention away from the image, Crookshanks looking to be the center of attention once again.

“Well then,” you gathered all your possessions into one trunk with a final flick of your wand. “I must be off, but I’m sure I’ll be seeing you again very soon.” You turned to walk away, leaving your classroom far behind you as you eventually met up with your husband at the front of the school.

“Have you called the meeting yet?” You questioned, quiet enough so only Remus could hear.

“Yes, my dear. They should all be waiting at home when we get back to London.” He replied.

“Excellent.” You commented as you walked hand-in-hand away from the castle as you made your way back to 12 Grimmauld Place, the Black family slowly beginning to resurface in the both of your lives once more.

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mai-fanblog · 3 years

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Ducktales Antagonists

Hello everyone, here I bring you the antagonists of the three seasons of Ducktales.

Since the show ended, I want to highlight the three antagonists of the show of the three seasons: Magica De Spell, Lunaris and Bradford Buzzard.

The following points will be rated:

Who are they?

Their purpose and relationship to the season?

Threat to the characters

Personality

Process of your plan

Impact on the season and history

First point

To quickly summarize the three characters, I would describe them as follows:

Magica De Spell: The most powerful sorceress and the most evil member of the De Spell, who wields dark magic (shadows); who was created in 1961 by Carl Barks in the comic book "The Midas Touch"; in the reboot she lost her brother to her and Scrooge, massacred an entire town causing the birth of Phantom Blot, was locked in her enemy's first dime for 15 years, psychologically abused Lena, generated chaos with the shadows, was temporarily without powers after she recovered them for Webby and Lena and transformed Bradford into a common animal.

Lunaris: He was the leader of the moonlanders, his first appearance was in 2019; he lied to all his people and Della, he wanted to conquer the earth, because... superior (even that sounds ridiculous); he invaded the earth, was defeated by 4 characters (by a millionaire idiot, a mutant krill, a lucky deux ex machina and his lieutenant) and was left orbiting the earth (And possibly he died).

Bradford Buzzard: The C.E.O. of F.O.W.L in the DT17 version; his first appearance was in the episode pilot, he was a discreet character until his moment came in the end of season 2; he was the grandson of a famous adventurer, he worked for S.H.U.S.H, he had ideals of keeping the world safe with strong methods, he had a justification about adventures and negative consequences, he allied with Black Heron to accomplish his goals, he was using Scrooge discreetly until the middle of season 3 he was discovered, he put Scrooge and his allies in check, he was defeated and transformed into a common animal.

When summarizing the three, the difference in actions is very noticeable; Lunaris is the weakest in terms of description, Bradford has a definite backstory and Magica is better known for her appearances in the original series and the comics.

The point goes to Magica, for being the most known and generating more intrigue; I'll give a half point to Bradford for his backstory (which they made a little effort).

Magica: 1 Lunaris: 0 Bradford: 0.5

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Second point: objective and relationship with the season

In the first season, Magica's mission was to obtain McDuck's No. 1 dime in order to get out of the object that was locked up and take revenge on him; for this she used her "niece", Lena. The relationship in this objective of hers, was related to the search of Dewey and the theme of his mother, since both are looking for something related to Scrooge and the negative impact on the life of the two ducks; besides that they are very focused on themselves and don't care about the rest more than main goal. This gives a good parallelism and the different conclusions that both came to. Magica's story will be deepened in the penultimate episode of the series.

In the second season, Lunaris wants to conquer the earth to be superior and to be feared. The objective of him and Louie are very different and has no direct relation on the theme of the family, Lunaris only wants to destroy the main family because if, that is, it has no basis; his motive is very absurd because it has nothing to do with the actions of Scrooge, so it is ridiculous that he wants to kill his family, it is more for simplistic drama than something substantial. In terms of situations it may be there, however, they executed it half-heartedly and it doesn't manage to be memorable as the previous case.

In the last season, Bradford is revealed as the head of F.O.W.L and wants to acquire control of the world to keep it safe from the dangerous adventures it affects economically and physically. His and Huey's goal have some similarity, in the sense of how they handle adventure and different points of view; they both want to have treasure, only Huey wants to search it to leave it intact and Bradford wants to confiscate it for "safer" uses. While their goals were different, they managed to get to the same point where they meet.

Bradford's motivation is reasonable and he has a certain reason, Scrooge's adventures, his influence as an adventurer, brought bad times to those close to him and swallowed several huge expenses; his idea gives for a lot of analysis. In this section, I will give the point to Bradford for being the most interesting and fresh to the franchise, I will also give half a point to Magica because it was the initial hook in general intrigue.

Magica: 1.5 Lunaris: 0 Bradford: 1.5

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Third point: Threat to the characters

Here if the threats are of massive scales, it's complicated which one to choose; it all depends on how the season is handled.

I'd give a point and a half to all three, because if they had a powerhouse, even Lunaris, walking around that his army are idiots (except Penny), at the last minute he got the urge to be threatening all by himself, that's an accomplishment.

Magica: 2 Lunaris: 0.5 Bradford: 2

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Fourth point: Personality

Villains must always have striking qualities to be memorable, at Disney in the classic and golden era, they have made iconic villains. In the show, they tried to do the same, but with some becoming fondly remembered and others detested.

Magica easily steals the show every time she appears, I know she is more cruel than her original version, but she also highlights her moments of evil, brazen and sarcastic that she manages to be; an addition that strengthens her personality was the loss of Poe, which shows that she did love someone and justifies her hatred against Scrooge.

Bradford is very strict, equally I highlight those moments with Heron which shows more of his personality clashing with a more impulsive one.

Lunaris is manipulative, however, he is very bland in terms of personality traits.

I give the point to Magica, as it is more charismatic and entertaining to watch, I know that many do not like them for mistreating Lena, equally that what makes it more remarkable.

Magica: 3 Lunaris: 0.5 Bradford: 2

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Fifth Point: Process of the plan

The plans of the three are carried out in very different ways and failed.

Magica takes a long time to get her plan started, using Lena as a puppet was good, even when she was revealing herself, she blackmailed her to go along with her plan, that was good.

Although I hate Lunaris with all my heart, I do recognize that his lie was well thought out and the strategy of the fake ship at the beginning was good. However, he was defeated in the most absurd way by Flintheart, demonstrating that he isn't as smart as he claimed.

Bradford was more calculating than Lunaris, keeping his identity from being revealed, although he was later found out in the most convenient way by half, I still applaud him for taking several steps forward than Scrooge.

The point I will give to Bradford, for the possibilities he had at hand to complete his plan, I will also give half a point to both equally.

Magica: 3.5 Lunaris: 1 Bradford: 3

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Last Point: Impact on the season and history

Here if I discard Lunaris, although he has made an invasion, he had no relevance in almost any character, except one; it is only mentioned, but as if it was an anecdote.

The Bradford case, with all its plot twists, can be shocking to some because of the confusing and far-fetched nature of what happened at the end of the series. Although it was discreet in the two seasons, it gave hints of something bigger that in the end happened.

As for Magica, if the consequences are few, they were important, the development of Lena, the introduction of Violet, Glomgold's past and Blot's revenge. Although she temporarily lost her powers, she did manage to achieve certain consequent actions, especially in Lena.

The last point is for Magica. I could give Bradford half a point, but with the whole clone thing, which confused a lot of people, I didn't give it to her.

Magica: 4.5 Lunaris: 1 Bradford: 3

So with a lot of difference with one and little with the other. Magica De Spell is the best antagonist in DT17.

(Likewise kudos to Bradford for putting up a good fight, though he lacked a bit more. And... fuck Lunaris, no one will miss you.)

That was all, Chao

#ducktales #ducktales 2017 #dt17 #dt spoilers #magica de spell #lunaris #bradford buzzard #disney #duckverse

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criminalminds4days · 3 years

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Family Matters | Chapter 6: Genius

Hello people!

I have returned!

I am hoping you will enjoy this chapter, as I introduce one of my favorite characters from Criminal Minds (aside from Dr. Spencer Reid). I also hope you will have an amazing week. Love you all!

(Also, please forgive me if I glance over some cases, I am really bad at writing those scenes and I am trying my hardest)

I hope the wait was worth it and you enjoy this chapter!!

Warnings: Swearing, sexual references, violence and murder references, public embarrassment, and very bad jokes!

Word Count: 3.6k

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Tag list: @mcntsee @lets-be-gay-for-the-angel @evelyncade @haylaansmi @paulaern @myfandomlife-blog

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(This gif is not mine)

Chapter 6: Genius

She should have known something was up. Spencer had called her to say that he didn't need a ride to work that day and that he would just meet her there. She just assumed he had a meeting with Hotch or something, but no, the reality was he was hoping to have some alone time with Jennifer Jareau.

How did she know? Well because she was so used to picking him up that despite knowing today would be different, she still stopped by the coffee shop and made her way to work at the same time she used to for the past couple of months. She figured once she reached the parking lot that she might as well get ahead on some paperwork, maybe she could even have time to figure out what she would give him for a gift since she hadn't yet found anything that would have the desired effect she hoped for. As soon as she reached the glass doors, she stopped in her tracks, almost dropping the cups of coffee she had in her hands. There they were. The blonde was reclining on his desk, her eyes never leaving him and their hands linked. He smiled as she spoke, not once acknowledging their environment. She tried to walk away, but she felt trapped in her place. It wasn't until she heard the elevator that she was able to move towards the trash can, dumping one of the coffees. Too late she realized it was hers and not Spencer's, she sighed and decided she would have to suck it and drink the one meant for him.

"No, that alone has been enough sugar for the rest of my life." She said aloud as she dumped the second drink in the trash can. She didn't understand how he could do a whole 32oz of that sugary drink but she applauded him. That was, of course, when she wasn't mad at him for what she assumed to be a hidden relationship with JJ.

There were so many things wrong with that scenario she couldn't begin to phantom which one made her the angriest. Was it the fact that they were friends with Will, who was the blonde's husband and father of her child? Or was it the fact that Spencer was the godfather of said child? Maybe it was that he never even mentioned he had feelings for JJ? Or that he would be capable of having those demonstrations in their office when he knew full well that it was against the rules?

She walked into the office. Now the blonde was sitting at her desk, filing paperwork as if she hadn't been flirting with the man only minutes ago.

"Morning!" She sparked, a bright smile on her face.

"Huh." That was all the girl responded. She made her way to her desk and logged into her computer.

"Hey, stranger." He spoke. "You're here early."

"Is that a crime now?" She answered, unamused.

"No, I just- Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Perfectly fine. Life is perfect, wouldn't you agree?"

"I don't know about perfect-"

"Spencer, I'm a little busy, can you please be quiet."

He looked so hurt she wondered if she had gone too far. Then again, he was a cheater, so boundaries didn't apply to him. She rolled her eyes at him and continued with her work. She pretended she didn't feel his eyes on her for what must have been ten minutes, and she closed all the gift option tabs she had accumulated in the last month.

Every morning for the past 25 days she had acknowledged how close his birthday was and would ask him what he wanted, but today, just two days before the grand day, she decided maybe getting him a gift was not worth her time.

"Hello, my beautiful soul." Penelope approached her, a cup of coffee in her hand. She leaned in and whispered. "I saw you dropped yours, so I thought I'd bring you another."

"What are you talking about?" She looked around. Emily had arrived and was now working on some documents, Derek had also arrived and was conversing with JJ, and Spencer tried subtly to listen in to their conversation while pretending to work on his case files. "Garcia, do you mind walking with me for a second? I want to run a theory by you."

The mentioned understood and nodded. "Yes, of course, dear." They made their way to the elevators, and Penelope stopped. "I'm sure it's not what you think it is."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"JJ and Reid. They've been best friends since forever ago. There is probably nothing going on. I mean, sure, she liked him a while back but-"

"She, what now?!"

"It was a long time ago! Things are different... I don't think you have anything to worry about, I'm sure he likes you."

"Woah, okay, let us stop for a second." She held her hands up, as she looked around to make sure no one was looking. Anderson waved at them and smiled as he exited the elevator and made his way to the bullpen. They returned the gesture and she waited until he was inside the glass doors to continue. "I hope Spencer doesn't like me because we're just friends. That's not why him and JJ being together makes me upset."

"I'm pretty sure they're not together."

"Did you see what I saw?"

"Well, yes. But that can mean a hundred things."

"One of the possibilities being they're secretly going out."

"Yes... No! Of course not, they would never do that."

"Listen, Pen, I really appreciate the coffee, and I also appreciate you trying to look out for them and me, but honestly you don't need to explain anything to me, as a matter of fact, nobody does. I just hope this doesn't blow up in their faces." She grabbed the drink and returned to the glass doors pushing unsuccessfully her way inside.

"It's a pull, honey." She did as she was told, and the door opened. "Some things never change." She heard the blonde say.

"Love you too Garcia." She spoke with a hint of sarcasm. Once at her desk again, her phone began vibrating. She took it out and looked towards Hotch's office, making sure he didn't see her take a call. "Hello?" She whispered.

"Honey, how have you been? How's Spencer? I know his birthday is coming up!"

"Hello, mom. I'm fine, we're all fine." She whispered into the line. Spencer looked at her as if hoping she would share what was happening, but she simply ignored him. "Wait, how do you know?"

"About his birthday? I checked your calendar."

"How-"

"Well, your phone was unlocked so I simply went through it. It's no big deal. If you don't know what to get him I can give you the keys to the museum I bought him and you can say it's from you."

"You did what?!" She screamed. Her co-workers looked at her and she smiled, deciding this was a conversation that needed to be held outside of her workspace. She walked out of the bullpen and into one of the offices that were empty, closing the door after her. "Please tell me you're joking."

"Of course not. I thought that maybe that would help him see that a future with you is bright. Maybe this is the final push he needs to propose and soon after marriage come kids! Honey, I'm not getting any younger, I need grandkids."

"So you're using a museum as a bribe?"

"No, not a bribe, just encouragement."

"Mother you're gonna go and return that museum, and I don't want to hear another word about it. Do you understand?"

"Would you look at the time, got to go, love you, honey!" With that she hung up the phone, the woman sighing.

She knew she wasn't going to do it and one of those days Spencer would receive the keys to the building. As soon as she sat down, he eyed her with curiosity, hoping she would tell him why she was so worked up. She didn't have to ignore him for long since Aaron Hotchner called them in for a case. There had been several drug addicts who had been murdered recently, all of them seeming to have gotten fed and cleaned before their deaths. The team had to make their way to Albuquerque, New Mexico. As they borded the plain, she basically ran to sit next to Emily, avoiding all contact with Reid or JJ.

"Ok, we need to figure out how the unsub is choosing his victims and what purpose they fulfill, not to mention what role their drastic change in appearance and health play into his fantasy," Hotch said as they gathered in the local police station. "There is another agent here to assist us in this investigation, please meet Agent-"

"Luke Alvez." She interrupted as soon as she recognized him. His hair was still short and his beard had grown out, but it was clear he trimmed it just enough. His brown eyes landed on her and he smiled.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite non-medical doctor."

"I had no idea you were here."

"I was working on another case and thought it might be good to stick around."

"That's right," Aaron spoke, drawing the attention away from the pair and back to him. "Agent Alvez, these are Agents Jareau, Prentiss, Rossi, Morgan, Dr. Reid, and well, you already know the other doctor on our team."

"It's very nice to meet you all." He said, winking at her. She amusingly rolled her eyes and directed her view back to her boss. "Okay, well, JJ and Reid, go to the M.E. and see what more he can give us on their conditions before their deaths. Prentiss, Morgan, and Rossi, go interview the families of the victims, and you two stay here with me."

"Actually, Alvez can go with JJ and I can help set a geographical profile," Spencer said.

"No, I need to speak to agent Alvez." Hotch's tone was clear, it wasn't up for negotiation.

"Alright, let's go JJ." He said reluctantly, but made no intention to leave.

"Meet me in the main office." Hotch said to her and Luke, after which he walked towards said room.

"Great, I just barely saw you again and I'm already being called to the principal's office." He said and she jokingly shoved him and followed the man. After observing said interaction, both JJ and Spencer exited the building.

As soon as they entered, they were instructed to close the door and sit down. "Now, I am thankful for your assistance Agent Alvez, but am I correct to assume providing help is not the only reason for your presence?"

"You are correct."

"Wait, what do you mean? Why are you here Luke?"

"Am I allowed to say it?"

"Yes, after all the decision is hers."

"Who's decision? Mine? Guys I suck at those, this morning I couldn't decide what socks to wear so I put on one of each."

This sparked a laugh from Luke and a smile from Hotch. "It's nothing bad, I promise." The first one said, "my boss simply wants me to try and convince you to transfer to our department."

"Oh, that's an easy answer, no." She shook her head and turned to her team leader, who seemed to have a prideful look. "The BAU is my team and my family. It's my dream job, and I would never leave by choice. Sorry Luke, I really enjoyed working with you, but I can't leave my team."

"I knew that, but I still had to ask."

"Well, now that it has been settled, why don't you two review the files and see if there are any patterns that could lead us to who is responsible for these murders."

"Yes sir." They stood to leave, before Hotch spoke again.

"And agent," he paused as she directed her attention to him. "I'm glad you're staying."

"You had doubts?"

"It comes with a raise in salary."

"Agent Hotchner, you know I don't do it for the money."

He nodded and they both made their way out of the office, leaving Aaron behind. They had made their way to the room the local PD had set up for them before he asked.

"So are you gonna tell me what's going on between you and doctor eyes?"

"Who?"

"Dr. Reid."

"Why did you call him eyes? He's not even wearing his glasses today."

"Because he kept making eyes at you." He said as if it was obvious. "Are you two a thing?"

"Yes, we're friends. And colleagues."

"Mhmm..."

"Since when are you so nosy?" She said as she pulled the case files from the box to begin reviewing them.

"Since there is a possibility of romance in the BAU."

"Why do you care?"

"Are you serious?" He asked, slightly offended. "Your team is the elite team of the FBI; everybody is jealous of you guys or wants to sleep with you. Which is saying a lot since it is not necessarily the best-paid position within the agency.” He pointed out, hinting at the possibility to earn more in his department, when she gave it no importance, he continued. "Anyway, as I was saying, you and your team are like the Kardashians, but for the bureau. Everybody knows about Emily Prentiss, Aaron Hotchner, Dr. Spencer Reid, Derek Morgan, Jennifer Jareau, Penelope Garcia, David Rossi, and you, Dr. I-wanted-to-join-the-BAU-and-got-in-almost-instantly-even-though-it's-really-hard."

"What exactly do you know?"

"About you? Only that you were one of the youngest agents to be hired, presided only by Dr. Reid, other than that, there hasn't been much on you, doctor. You know how to keep your life under wraps. You definitely spark the curiosity of the people."

"I don't even want to know how many rules you are all breaking to find out stuff about me and my team, do I?"

"No, not really." She laughed and returned her view to the papers in her hands. "Let's get back to work."

"You never really told me about you and Dr. Reid."

"There is nothing to tell, we're just friends."

"Does he know that?"

"We have some new information from the M.E." Were Spencer's first words. He looked between the two agents in the room, eyebrow raised. For a moment he seemed upset at the scene but soon changed his expression. "He's been impregnating the victims. Multiple times."

"Wait, that makes sense," Luke spoke. "That means there has to be a pattern somewhere, there is no way he's just doing it for the heck of it, if he was, he would dispose of the baby as well, and the woman wouldn't give birth or carry a child more than once."

"You're right, maybe if we can figure out what he is trying to accomplish by making them have his children, we'll find him."

"There are several reasons for someone to want a baby." Spencer said, "there is a black market for babies that yields high monetary compensation, and there is also the possibility this man feels powerful by fathering all these children. If he is keeping them, there is also a possibility we can find him faster, it is not every day your neighbor starts having children all around."

"I am going to tell Hotch about our theories." She said and left the room. She was still upset at Spencer and didn't want to talk or spend time with him more than it was necessary, so she took the opportunity to not be in the same room.

"I'm gonna work on the geographical profile." She heard him say.

A couple of hours later Luke had left to look through possible leads. Spencer and JJ found a child that matched the DNA of one of the victims, leading them to confirm it was hers, further supporting their theory. Now they were looking for other children, and how giving them up for adoption did anything for the unsub.

"I got a geographical comfort zone," Spencer said, he had tried to start a conversation before, but if it wasn't work-related then she wouldn't even look at him. "I have narrowed it down to three possible children, Lisa, Elizabeth, and Amanda."

After hearing those names, Luke's theory came back to mind. "Luke was right." She said as she turned she saw the mentioned entered the station. She waved him down excessively so he would know it was important, once he was inside the room she smiled. "Luke Alvez you are a genius! I want to kiss you right now!" He looked shocked, and a little uncomfortable, "but I won't because we are in a public setting. I have to tell Hotch." She ran out and pulled her phone to call said man.

"I guess you're a genius Alvez," Reid said, with a slight tone of resentment.

"Well, I don't know what I did."

"To me, it seems like I'm the one doing the work," before he could hear a reply his phone began to ring. "Reid." He said as he answered.

"Is Alvez there?"

"Uh, yeah." He placed the phone on speaker.

"Alvez, you were right. The unsub is keeping the boys, that's his end goal. We believe it might have significance to him or his partner."

"He has a partner?"

"There are indications of medications the victims were taking that would allow them to carry the baby to term. Rossi did some digging and the only way they can get access to the medication is through prescription, and they would have to have ample knowledge of the effects they could have."

"That makes sense. What should we look for next?"

"We found two potential subjects, I need the two of you on your way."

"Okay, we'll get ready-" Spencer began speaking.

"Not you Reid, I need you running point with Garcia."

"I'll go get her and we'll be on our way." Alvez comprehended who he meant and walked towards the door.

After the arrest of the man, they made their way back to the station. She was cleaning out the paperwork she had received when she heard her phone ring.

"What's up, Garcia?"

"Please tell me it's all a lie."

"What are you talking about?"

"The offer that agent Alvez came up with."

"How did you know about that?"

"So it is true." She heard some typing from the line. "You can't leave us, don't let what happened between you and Reid make you leave us."

"Garcia, my decision on the matter has nothing to do with that."

"So you've made up your mind? I can't believe it."

"Garcia, please listen to me, you can't tell anyone about this." She was now playing on her emotions, trying to see how far Garcia would go before she actually asked her what her answer was.

"I- I need to go." With that, she hung up.

She sighed and finished her packing, Luke appearing in her sight of view.

"Hey there, doctor."

"Hello, Agent Alvez."

"Is there no way I could make you change your mind?"

"Not in the slightest."

"Will you at least think about it? My bosses might not hate me as much if I left with an 'I'll think about it' rather than a straight-up no." He pleaded.

"Fine, Agent Luke Alvez, I will consider your offer."

"Thank you." He walked inside and helped her finish cleaning up. "And to show my gratitude, I am offering some advice: you can't avoid him forever. I don't know what he did, but he certainly does not deserve to be placed on the sidelines."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Sure you don't." He placed an arm around her and brought her in for a side hug. "I will be anxiously awaiting your answer. Take care agent."

"You too Luke. I missed working with you."

"You could do it every day."

She pushed him slightly and rolled her eyes. He laughed and waved goodbye one more time before exiting the room. She continued working when she felt someone rush in.

"What do you mean you're transferring?" Emily practically yelled. This brought in the attention of the rest of the team who soon enough were cramming the room. "I get it, Alvez is hot, but you can't just leave us because of an attractive man."

"Emily-" she tried to speak.

"Don't Emily me. I get it, really, I do. He's good looking, smart, and single, not to mention that beard, but come on, this is your team, and you can't leave us."

"You can't seriously be thinking of doing that for this guy," Spencer said, his arms crossed, and eyebrows furrowed.

"The kid is right, you re one of the smartest people I've met, you can't make a decision based solely on a man." Morgan added, and soon they were all talking at the same time.

"Can you all please calm down? I never said I was leaving." She tried to hide her smile, knowing full well this wasn't gonna end well, but right now their panicked faces were priceless. "I simply said I would think about it. It does come with a salary increase."

She saw Hotch at the edge of the door, an amused twinkle in his eyes. "The jet is ready; we need to get going." He said and walked away.

She squeezed between her teammates and made her way to the plane. She noticed how everybody kept stealing glances at her as if hoping that would be enough for her to say she was staying. She smiled and closed her eyes, ready for a nap.

#spencer reid #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid x reader #spencer x y/n #Criminal Minds #CM #fanfic

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shuadotcom · 4 years

Text

Bite | KSJ x KNJ

🩸 Summary: “Seokjin wants him. In more ways than one, but he’ll settle for turning him first.” 🩸 Pairing: Vampire!Seokjin x Human!Namjoon 🩸 Genre: Vampire au, supernatural au 🩸 Warnings: Cursing, mention of smoking 🩸 Rating: PG13 🩸 Word Count: 1.7k 🩸 A/N: This was an older piece of mine that I was planning to overhaul and re-write and it was perfect for @btsholidaybingo! Bingo Square: Namjoon x Seokjin

Seokjin wants him. In more ways than one, but he’ll settle for turning him first. He wants so bad to pierce his fangs through the honey skin of his neck. He wants to watch his eyes go wide as Seokjin drinks his sweet, warm blood. He has a feeling that he won’t be a screamer, and he wants so bad to find out.

Seokjin had been looking for the final member of his coven for what seemed like a century. Okay, so maybe a century was being dramatic, but for a vampire, time just blurred together after about ten decades or so.

"I, for one, think it's a terrible idea," Jungkook hisses from his spot next to Seokjin. They see Namjoon leaving his dorm building as he heads across his university’s campus, greeting various students on his way. "I mean, what if he comes in and messes everything up? We have a certain way of doing things in our household, and he could easily break the rules or even worse; he could expose us!"

Seokjin rolls his eyes at Jungkook's dramatics. Ever since he told the other members that he intended to turn Namjoon, the youngest vampire has been vehemently against it.

"Jungkook, do you remember when you were our newest addition? We had the same worries about you, but you got adjusted, did you not?"

"I'm different." Jungkook huffs to himself.

Seokjin ignores him and keeps his eyes on Namjoon. Every day after his classes, he changes his clothes and walks to the campus greenhouse to volunteer into the late evening. From there, he gets dinner from the nearby 7/11 and returns to his dorm. He eats, does his homework, and watches television until he falls asleep.

In the morning, he gets ready for the day and goes to the cafe on campus for breakfast and coffee before his classes begin, then he starts his routine all over again. Seokjin has been watching Namjoon for almost a month, so he knows his whole schedule by memory. He has to observe him before he makes his move.

"Let's go." Seokjin rises from the bench he and Jungkook are occupying when he sees Namjoon duck into the cafe.

"When are we going to stop stalking him? You might as well just turn him and get it over with already." Jungkook grumbles from behind Seokjin.

"We must be patient, Jungkook. I did the same before I turned the rest of you. I can't just swoop in right away and bite him. Choosing the perfect time is very important."

Jungkook sighs in response. Seokjin has been debating with himself when exactly he wanted to turn Namjoon, but he was unsure. He'd have to run it by the rest of the men when he got home.

Taehyung, Jimin, and Hoseok are thrilled to finally have their last member. The trio is already planning what Namjoon’s “initiation ceremony'' will be. It obvious this is code for what’s the first prank they’ll play on him when he moves in.

"Don't mess it up." Is the first thing Yoongi says on the matter.

Seokjin looks at him, offended. "What do you mean, don't mess it up?"

"You know what I mean. Must I remind you what happened when you turned Jimin?"

"Why must you always bring up my follies?"

The dark-haired vampire glares at his elder, who is sprawled out on his chaise lounge. "Because this isn't something you are to take lightly." Seokjin groans and covers his face with his hands. He didn't like to think about his past mistakes.

He managed to turn everyone else without a problem and had been feeding throughout the years without getting caught. It just so happened that someone stumbled upon him at the park the night he was turning Jimin. He had no idea where the woman had come from, having scanned the park three times. Somehow, while he was slurping the blood from Jimin’s neck, a middle-aged woman saw them and let out a scream that startled even herself. Seokjin had to wipe her memory of what she saw and finish with Jimin in another part of the park.

Yoongi scolded him intensely after that, and to this day, he still brought it up when Seokjin mentioned going out to feed, and every time he proposed turning another man.

"Yoongi look, I’ll be careful. He's the only one in the greenhouse at night. I'll just do it there when no one is around."

"You said that about Jim-"

"Yah! I know, okay? I won't fuck up." They let the conversation drop, and Yoongi leaves his room. Seokjin is left to ponder to himself what he'd say to Namjoon to persuade him to become immortal.

"You don’t need to accompany me. I can manage on my own."

The day to turn Namjoon into one of them has come. It only took another week of surveillance before Seokjin decides to make his move.

Taehyung, who is leisurely strolling behind him, shrugs. "Yeah, but Yoongi asked me to come along as a precaution. I won't go in. I'll just stay outside and wait." The two stop walking, reaching their destination.

Seokjin turns to Taehyung, who takes a seat on a bench next to the greenhouse, pulling out a cigarette. "Those are bad for you," he says in disgust.

Taehyung simply scoffs. "What's it going to do? Stop my no longer beating heart?" Seokjin rolls his eyes at his friend’s sarcasm and, without another word, slinks through the front door.

He silently slips inside as he listens for voices. He knows only Namjoon is here, seeing how he and Taehyung have been watching the building all night, but he’s still careful. Seokjin hears music coming from the furthest corner of the greenhouse. He quietly weaves between rows of plants until he catches sight of Namjoon.

He’s pruning the leaves on a small plant that Seokjin can’t identify as his phone softly plays music. Seokjin feels the corners of his mouth tug into a smile as he listens to him hum along. Namjoon seems entirely in his element as he cradles the plant as if it’s the most precious thing in the world to him.

It’s when Namjoon turns in search of his watering can that he notices Seokjin standing tall besides a row of potted daisies, causing him to jump. "Holy shit!” He exclaims, clutching his chest. “You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Seokjin chuckles and comes around the next row of planters towards the pink-haired man. "I apologize. I didn't mean to startle you; you just seemed to be very much into the plant you’re caring for, so I didn't want to disturb you."

The tips of Namjoon’s ears began to redden, and he clears his throat harshly. "Who are you? I don’t recognize you from the botany club."

"Oh, how rude of me. I'm Kim Seokjin, and I'm not here for botany, I'm here for you."

Namjoon looks taken aback by this. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"Look, I'm going to cut to the chase. What would you say if I could give you a better life? I could make it so that you never have to worry about sickness or life-altering injuries. You'll have the ability to see clearer, hear better, and withstand more amounts of pain." With each word, Seokjin advances towards Namjoon, backing him into a corner as he approaches. "The best part about it? You'll never have to face the unfortunate circumstance of death. You get to stay young forever." Seokjin can swear he sees a hint of interest spark in Namjoon’s chocolate eyes.

"I don't...I mean, I don't know what to say."

"All you have to say is yes, I’ll bite you, and everything I promised will come true."

At the word 'bite,’ recognition seems to dawn over Namjoon’s face as gears begin to turn in his head. "So...you're a vampire, and you want to bite me and turn me into a vampire as well?" He asks in a calm voice.

Seokjin nods. "Precisely." He smiles widely, his fangs visible and sinister looking.

"You know, I don't believe in monsters."

"We're not monsters, my dear. Think of us as...an advanced type of people."

Namjoon is still clearly doubtful, but he moves the collar of his beige t-shirt away from his neck. "Fine then. Prove it."

Seokjin knows Namjoon doesn’t believe him, but he takes the opportunity anyway. He backs Namjoon closer to the wall until he has nowhere else to go. He tilts his head slightly, wrapping his long arms around Namjoon to pull him closer, before baring his fangs and plunging them into his neck. Namjoon’s whole body tenses in Seokjin’s embrace, but he makes no noise as Seokjin slurps just enough blood to turn him. He can’t help but mentally applaud himself for being right. He knew Namjoon would be the quiet type.

When he pulls away, Namjoon slumps in his hold, his eyelids fluttering closed. Seokjin effortlessly throws him over his shoulder as he heads for the door. Namjoon will be weak and exhausted for at least two days before he turns completely, and Seokjin wants to be with him when that happens. If anyone were to spot them on their way home, Seokjin had already briefed Taehyung to explain that they were simply seeing to it that their drunken friend got home safely.

Taehyung is in the same spot that Seokjin left him. He eyes the unconscious man before tossing his cigarette to the ground and stubbing it out with his shoe. "That was quick."

Seokjin shrugs, starting in the direction of home. "He didn't ask a million questions and wasn't as much of a nuisance as you were." Taehyung sticks his tongue out at the back of Seokjin's head but stays quiet on the trip back.

The eldest vampire adjusts Namjoon on his shoulder and smiles to himself. Since he has now successfully turned every other member of their coven without incident, maybe now Yoongi would let that one mistake with Jimin go.

"Not in your undead life, Kim." Seokjin narrows his eyes in annoyance at Yoongi’s voice in his head. He hates it when Yoongi barges into his thoughts without permission.

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dontasktheradiodemon · 3 years

Text

Star of the Cabaret

Alastor a.k.a. Leal a.a.k.a. Astre @usedhearts invites Alastor a.k.a. Astor to see him at a cabaret show. Astor doesn't know when he arrives that it's going to be Leal in disguise. It's a pleasant surprise.

Naturally the best way to react to this is to run to Leal's dressing room, carrying a bouquet, hollering about how madly in love he is with this singer. For the lulz.

(They stubbornly refuse to think or talk about any of the tense topics they’ve been discussing lately.)

Leal

🩸 Tonight. The Cabaret. Ten PM, on the dot. Ask for Madame.

Astor

🎶 I'll be there.

Leal

🩸 See you then. :)

Astor

Really? See him then? And here he'd thought his alternate wouldn't be available to meet him at the start of the show? Maybe his alternate was joining him later.

Either way, he was there at ten on the dot, asking for Madame at the door. Leal hadn't told Astor he needed to be subtle, so he'd come as himself. If the other guests ran, well, that would be on Leal for not not explaining, wouldn't it.

Leal

Contrary to most of Hell, when Astor stepped into Madame's Cabaret, he was greet not with screams, but with _smiles._ Albeit, they were still nervous smiles, but smiles all the same! The hostess didn't run either, but a bitch still powerwalked to get Madame.

The giant woman sauntered through to the entrance, positively beaming, though there was a hint of confusion in her eyes.

"Alastor? I thought--" She paused, taking a second glance. "Oh! Pardon me, you're not the local, are you? Forgive me, shouldn't assume like that! Welcome, welcome, come on in. I'm guessin' that my good friend invited you to use his booth, yeah, shug?"

Astor

Oh, what was he walking into? He didn't like that confused look; it gave him the uncomfortable feeling that he was walking into a trap. What did Madame know that he didn't?

All the same, he beamed widely. "He certainly did! I've been meaning see your place since New Year's, anyway—and he recommended I see tonight's show in particular. So, why not!" He wasn't planning to sleep tonight anyway, and a show would be a fine distraction.

Leal

Madame chuckled and nodded. "I'm sure he did, he knows the talent well-- he made sure you came on the night one of our headliners goes on! She's a peach, voice like an angel, I'm sure you'll be impressed."

She winked at him and turned to guide him into the Cabaret proper. The time between shows was a loud one, people talking amongst themselves. The house was packed, every seat filled-- save for the large lounge seat clearly meant for Madame herself, and a booth directly to said seat's left. That booth was mostly boxed off from the rest of the audience, but gave a very, very good view of the stage-- someone who sat there would have the best view of everything.

"Here ya are, darlin'. I'll send a girl 'round to getcha order, if'n ya want a drink or some food. We got fresh seafood, all Nawlins fair you could think of-- Al helped with some of the recipes, tastin' and makin' sure they got the right flair, I'm sure it'd be up ya alley."

Astor

"That's what he said! Something about magic tricks, too? I'm eager to see anyone who comes so highly recommended."

Of course, a private booth that would save most of the audience from having to look at the Radio Demon. As he took his seat, he let out a low whistle at the promise of fresh seafood. "I *must* find out who your supplier is."

Leal

"Oh, that, well--" She leaned down, covering the side of her mouth with her hand to whisper. "It's the same supplier that our local Al got. He hooked me up."

Madame winked again. "Now, I'll just be in the seat right here should ya need me for anythin'. The act'll be on in abouuuut--" She pulled a pocket watch from her favorite pocket-- her tits-- and popped it open to look. "Fifteen minutes!"

Madame retreated to her seat, and sure enough, a moment later a waitress approached with a menu. Either she was comfortable with Leal already, or she was an incredible actress, because she seemed completely unafraid!

Astor

"*Ah.* So it's a new menu, I take it." A gracious nod. "I'll let you know if I need anything at all!"

It was a nice change of pace to have the employees *not* run from him in terror. He only glanced at the menu before ordering, "A soda and bitters, and... whatever you recommend for dinner, darling." No doubt this place already knew Leal's tastes, and Leal's tastes were close enough to Astor's.

Leal

The waitress took down the order and the menu before leaving-- and it only took her a few minutes to return, with his drink and a plate of crab eitouffee. She set them before him and left again.

It was right around that time that the lights dimmed and the crowd hushed. The show was about to begin.

A soft light shone down from above, illuminating a lone figure, sitting on a swing high in the air. A woman with long legs clad in fishnets dressed in a tight corset bejeweled with diamonds, swung gently. Her long red hair caught the light as the swing lowered.

"_The French are glad to die for love_," She began. "_They delight in fighting duels._"

The silence between her words was palpable, the entire audience transfixed. The air sparkled with what seemed, at first glance, to be glittery confetti-- but it must've been magic, as the confetti never reached the ground.

"_I prefer a man who leaves, and gives expensive...._"

The audience caught on the trailing sentence as she leaned back sticking out a leg and her gloved arm and whispered the last word.

"_Jewels._"

The swing began to spin, and the band picked up as the number truly began, to cheers from the crowd.

Astor

Astor ate quickly, wanting to get a bit of food in him before he had to stop to pay attention to the show—and a good thing he did, since it started so soon.

He recognized it from the first line—"Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend," a cabaret staple. Although with flashier special effects than in *Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.* Leal hadn't been kidding about her magic—Astor could choose to see through the confetti, like choosing to seeing through a reflection on a window by focusing on the background beyond it, but only because he himself had so much experience with magic. It was the sort of illusion he'd be able to pull off himself easily, if he wanted. Surely Leal could too; Astor wondered if his alternate had helped this performer with any of her tricks, maybe that was why he was so keen on promoting her performances...

Oh, hello. Astor squinted. It took until the performer lowered most of the way before he noticed it, but he could see through the surface of *her,* too. She herself was in a magical disguise. Who was really under there—

—*Ha!*

Leal

The swing swung out over the crowd again, and Leal-- or rather, Astre as she was called in this guise- fluidly dismounted onto the stage when it swung back. Voice ringing out, she sauntered across it, eyes locking onto the booth-- and Astor sitting in it. Good, he was here.

For a split second, the glamour dropped-- and Leal winked at his double-- before it was back up, the performance continuing without pause. Astre shimmied and danced and sang, and the crowd ate it up. No touching though-- unlike the number in Moulin Rouge her ensemble was stolen from. Astre stayed on the stage the whole time.

She planted her feet and stretched out her arms as she belted the last note, the crowd erupting in applause and wolf whistles. Flowers were heaped upon the stage, and Astre snatched a bouquet out of the air, holding it to her chest. She waved and retreated backstage.

And a note appeared on Astor's table, a card folded in half to stand with a lipstick kiss on the outside. Inside, Astor would recognize Leal's chicken scratch saying to meet him backstage-- He'd know the dressing room just by looks.

Astor

Astor's grin was widening even before the glamour dropped—oh, he's got you figured out—and he winked back as Leal passed. No *wonder* Leal hadn't been able to meet Astor at the table.

When the number was over, he applauded until his alternate was off the stage, and then devoured the rest of his étouffée as fast as possible. He wanted to catch his alternate backstage while he was still in costume—ah, and there was his invitation, perfect.

He magically collected a full bouquet worthy of flowers off the stage as he swept out of his seat and headed backstage.

Now, he could have quietly and discreetly gone to his alternate.

That was not what he decided to do.

"*Where* is that WONDERFUL singer?!" Everybody backstage would be able to hear him. Everyone. "That *absolutely* INCOMPARABLE star, the BEAUTY who has STOLEN this HELPLESS BEAST'S heart—!" He's hamming it up for all he's worth. Somewhere along the line he summoned up a teddy bear and a heart-shaped box to go with his bouquet.

Leal

Oh, and heard he was-- other performers stuck their heads out and then quickly back in upon seeing the Radio Demon espousing love of all things. Leal heard him too, his smile widening as he stood, cracking open the door of his dressing room.

"Oh, is it me you're talking about?" He cooed, his current voice matching the one he'd sung with. "Why, you certainly know how to flatter a lady."

He opened the door wider, making sure his glamour was still on, to let Astor in. "Come along now, this lady would like a little privacy~"

Astor

"Oh, there you are!" He shuffled around his many gifts so he could lay a hand on his chest as he leaned against the wall, feigning weak knees. "Apple of my eye, songbird of my heart! I would have given you a standing ovation, but had I stood I would have swooned—!"

Okay, he wasn't going to be able to keep this up without laughing, better get behind closed doors. "You *honor* me by accepting my company." He took Leal's hand, kissed it gallantly, and swept into the room.

Leal

It's a good thing he did, because Leal had been about ready to shut the door in his face. Once it was shut, the glamour dropped to show-- that surprisingly, pretty much only his face and skin tone were the things he changed. The rest seemed to be just...flash and a corset.

And a wig, which he removed, his ears popping up from where they'd laid flat. He stuck it on a wighead and smirked.

"So, what did you think of the show?" He asked, taking a seat to start removing his make up.

Astor

"Oh, quite impressive, indeed!" He offered the bouquet. And the teddy bear. And the heart-shaped box. The box has charcuterie rolled into rose shapes in each little wrapper that would usually hold a chocolate. "Fine work with the magical effects. Flashy without being gaudy."

Leal

Leal took each gift and set them on his vanity, opening the box to take one of the charcuterie roses and eat it.

"Thank you, thank you. You understand now why I was being so cagey about joining you, right?" He chuckled. "I had to keep up the suspense! The drama! I had to have my big reveal!"

Astor

"You could have said you were helping out backstage, at least! I was beginning to think you just didn't want to see me!" He said this in an exaggeratedly woe-is-me tone that suggested he had, in fact, not been thinking this at all—but to be fair, what he *had* been thinking wasn't much more optimistic.

"Well, that's certainly one way to get on the stage without everyone running in terror!"

Leal

Oh, that was a thought, wasn't it? "I suppose I could have! That didn't cross my mind, I think I was too caught up in the euphoria of a good surprise!" He chuckled.

"Oh yes, I started doing it oh....fifty years ago? Madame's the only one here that knows." He pointed at the door. "That stays locked at all times _and_ magically warded, and I leave through portals once I'm done. It's all very hush hush. I've put a shade glamoured to look like me in my booth a number of times to make sure people don't think it suspicious that I'm never here to see one of the top billed stars."

He turned from the mirror to grin at Astor. "So you're just helping my cover, honestly."

Astor

"I was *wondering* how you handled never attending your own shows! Here I'd imagined you were going to pretend to have a feud with yourself."

Leal

"Ha! That _was_ an option I considered! But I figured, easier to put a shade there and have it watch while I performed." A shrug.

"I do all kinds of things, too. Song and dance, yes, but I mix it up. Our era, modern stuff, Broadway. I picked that number tonight just for you, you know! Had to pull out one of my best for myself!"

Astor

"I'm touched! And quite well done with it!"

Might as well get comfortable. He stole a chair. "My goodness, if you're one of the star acts—you're more or less a regular employee, aren't you? How much time *do* you spend here?"

Leal

"A fair amount-- less now than in the past, which is why it took so long for me to be able to put on a performance you could see." He took a breath and kicked up his legs-- still clad in fishnets and heels still on.

"I don't perform often, _that's_ one of the main draws of my acts. I'm aloof, a rare occurrance. It makes it all the bigger spectacle when I _do_ show up. Madame and I have a Deal: I get to perform whenever my little heart desires, and I get her things with my connections upstairs. Like fresh seafood."

Astor

"Oh, a Deal! So she'd fire you if only she could, but she can't lose the only shrimp dealer in Pentagram City, is that what you're saying?" He laughed. "I received quite the treat, then!"

Leal

"The Deal was really to get my hoof in the door, once I showed I could bring in the money, Madame was more than happy to let me do whatever I wanted." He snorted.

"But yes, I _am_ the only shrimp dealer." Leal winked.

Astor

"That's one way to get past the dreaded first interview, isn't it! And here I've been wearing disguises to rehearsals!" He laughed.

Leal

"It sure is! An exchange of favors can work wonders." Leal chuckled.

"Now that you know though, it goes without saying to keep it under your hat." He winked as he put a finger over his smiling lips.

Astor

He summoned up a shadow hat and plopped it on his head, where it promptly disappeared again. "Am I *really* the only person you've told besides Madame?"

Leal

"Valera knows." He shrugged as if that would be obvious. "I told her a bit ago and then she came to watch the other day, while I was doing other numbers to warm up for the big ones-- for you and Alexa. Yours was Sparkling Diamonds. Alexa's is going to be Applause."

His smile widened. "So, after that, it's just going to be the three of you, plus Madame. I'm going to surprise Alexa like I did you."

Astor

"I won't say a word," he vowed. "Not that it's likely to come up, but."

Leal

"Exactly! That's the beauty of it, though-- no one expects the Radio Demon to be crossdressing at a cabaret!" He cackled.

"It would never even cross anyone's minds! Which makes it the perfect avenue for performing!"

Astor

"You know, when I do drag, most of the time I don't disguise myself—I don't even wear a wig! And do you know what the most common comment I get is?" He winked. "'Has anyone ever told you you look a little like the Radio Demon?'"

Leal

"It's amazing, isn't it? How changing just a few things about us makes everyone suddenly seem to forget what we look like!" He flattened his ears again, taking the wig and putting it back on. He adjusted it and the picked up a pair of large sunglasses from the table, sliding them on.

"I go out like this and people don't even think it's me. They think I'm Astre! Of course, I _have_ spent a lot of time making sure that's what they think-- but the point still stands! I don't even have to use the glamour other than to just--" A ripple and his skin color changed-- back to something that looked more like his tone when he was alive.

"Just for consistency's sake."

Astor

"Can't have the big stage star looking half dead, after all." He huffed. "I met someone who thought I could do a spectacular impression of the Radio Demon in drag, can you imagine? Sometimes I'm half tempted to try it out, just to see how many people still can't imagine the actual Radio Demon would openly crossdress.

Leal

"They seem to think we live and die in pants." He snorted, letting the glamour drop, and taking the wig and glasses off. "This isn't even a skirt! It just shows more leg than pants does!"

He gestured to himself, still in the stage outfit. "And yet they don't understand who they're oogling!" Leal couldn't help but laugh again.

Astor

"I don't know what *you* were doing on Christmas Eve, but *I* died in pants!" He laughed. "That's the benefit of our usual look, isn't it? It's all a blur of red. Nobody looks at anything but the smile. Simple wear a different color and suddenly you're unrecognizable."

Leal

"Honestly, I've been on stage in our brand of red before and still! Not a soul thought a thing of it! And that was in my early days, too!" He laughed and shook his head.

"It's like if it's anything but a red suit specifically, people don't even see us. I swear, I could go out in a carbon copy of our suit, but in say, green, and people wouldn't recognize me!" He paused. "Okay, maybe they would, but the point stands!"

Astor

"Well, *now* I want to experiment! Throw some gold in there and you've got a Mardi Gras look! See how much we can push the envelope before someone works it out."

Leal

"Now, that WOULD be interesting wouldn't it?" He stroked his chin. "What if we changed our hair to go along with it? Just matched the color? That'd be funny and also might help."

Astor

"Fine, but I'm calling dibs on gold! You can go with green or purple." He patted his waves daintily. "What do you think, would I look nice as a blond?"

Leal

"I think Mimzy would try to kill you for stealing her look!" He laughed. "Alright I'll go with purple-- I like that better than green."

Astor

"She can dye her hair red for the day, it's only fair. Red hair's always hot. And it's not like I'm using it!"

Leal

"It certainly is!" Leal gestured to his wig, now back on its wighead. "I'm sure it'll only take a few minutes to whip up a colorswap glamour, wouldn't you say?"

Astor

"At the most! The longest part would be picking the exact shade!"

Leal

"Oh yes, absolutely, there are so many! How to choose..." He tapped his chin in thought.

Astor

"Any time I change something's color, I always have to slap it on first and then adjust it by eye. Unless I'm matching a photo." A wry smirk. "A while ago Angel sent me a picture of one of his blonde wigs to copy, but the photo must have been taken in cool lighting, because it looked like a sort of lavender gray—so that's what I walked around in all day. I didn't even realize I hadn't really matched it until he pointed it out."

Leal

"Oh, the one you wore for the audition! I remember, I did like the way it looked." He moved in front of his full length mirror-- and in a blink was in his normal clothes. And with default Alastor hair-- that was part of the glamour.

"I think I'll try it your way, let's start with primary solid purple." Annnd there he was, but now purple.

Astor

"Try making a few strands lighter and darker. That always helps save me from looking like I escaped from a poorly colorized picture show." Leal probably already knew to do that, but was that going to stop Astor from shouting out his hard-learned tips and tricks? No, it was not.

Leal

"Hm, good idea!" He started to card his fingers through his hair, strands changing at random. Then he swapped the normally black parts at the base of his ears and the end of his hair to a dark purple instead. His other colors shifted, too, some becoming lighter or darker, until it was a more natural look.

"How's this?"

Astor

"Quite convincing! Why, if I didn't know better, I'd think you're a natural violet!"

Leal

Leal chuckled, moving to sit back in his chair.

"Alright, hot shot, your turn then! Show me those metallics!"

Astor

"Let's see here! What about..." He flicks his finger against his hair. *Ting.* It instantly looks and shines like it's been sculpted out of solid gold. "What do you think, is it going to convince anyone?"

Leal

"Think maybe that sheen is a bit too on the nose! Tone it down a tad." He hummed, static filling the air briefly as he did.

"I just realized, you're probably going to look like one of those living statue fellows! Or some Las Vegas performer!"

Astor

Alastor laughed. "What, like this?" He snapped his fingers and now all of him looked like he was solid gold.

A laugh, and he snapped his fingers again and was back to normal. This time his hair actually looked like hair. Unusually shiny hair, but still hair. He examined himself in the mirror. "Well, it needs work, but we're in the ballpark.

Leal

Leal snorted into a laugh, nodding his head. "Yes, just like that!"

He considered Astor, tilting his head. "The blond is harder to work with because if it doesn't look natural, it just looks overly processed or completely fake. Whereas my purple seems fine with less because purple is inherently an unnatural color."

Astor

"But if it looks natural, then it doesn't look like gold." He tried to shift it more toward what he thought a "normal" blond looked like—and it just looked kind of bad and yellow. He tutted. "I might have to browse a wig shop for examples, this is going to be a difficult color."

Leal

"Oh no need for a shop, come over here." Leal stood moving to a door that was very much not the one that lead back out to the hall. He opened it and snapped, the light turning on.

"I don't just wear red wigs, darling." He smirked.

The room was almost as big as the dressing room itself, filled with all manner of costumes and wigs and accessories.

"Have a look, blondes are over there." He gestured to a bunch of blonde wigs on heads.

Astor

"Does Madame really let you take up this much space, or is this *your* property?" He tried to feel as he stepped through the for for any shift in the atmosphere that would indicate he was magically moving to a different place.

"This is quite a collection!" He started going through the blonde wigs for any that could be properly called gold-colored. "I've always done my hair with a liberal application of pomade and shapeshifting. What got you into wigs?"

Leal

"The dressing room is mine, but any extra space is just a little spacial distortion, nothing fancy." He shrugged, like it was a normal thing. But to his alt, it probably was.

"Doing my performances actually. I started out using my real hair, but it ended up not being practical when I wanted certain dos and it was just too short. So I started collecting. I've got a wide variety now, one for every occasion in an engenue's life." He laughed.

Astor

Seemed normal enough to him!

"What young lady's wardrobe is complete without a variety of hats!" He picked up one head to squint closer at the color. "I rarely venture outside the flapper bob. When I do, I usually just magic that up too—but I suppose you don't want to risk something distracting you and breaking the illusion mid-show, do you!"

Leal

"Exactly! The less things left up to my concentration the better!" He laughed.

"Any striking you so far?"

Astor

"What do you think, does this look gold to you? Properly Mardi Gras gold-gold?" He held it out.

Leal

Leal inspected the wig, light shifting to be a more neutral white instead of the yellow of most of the usual bulbs. His head tilted, eyes narrowed.

"I think if you take that and the up the saturation a tick or two, you'd have it."

Astor

He silently mouthed the words *up the saturation...* After a moment of thought, he ran his claw tips through the wig and made the yellow a little more vivid. "Like so?"

Leal

Oh, had that been confusing for his alt? Hm, he'd note that. "Yes, just like that!"

Astor

He wasn't exactly a visual artist. "Hm." A squint, did that look gold? He didn't exactly have a gold brick here to compare it with, did he? "Let's try it out!" Back into the main dressing room, so he could hold up the wig to act as comparison in the mirror while he adjusted his own hair color.

"There! I wouldn't call it *my* color, but I'm sure I'd be wearing a mask with it anyway, wouldn't I? Of course, by next February, I'll have to do this all over again." A wave, and both the wig and his hair returned to their usual colors. "Did I ever ask you how your Mardi Gras went? I don't know if I did. It's such a busy season, and then right after that rehearsals started."

Leal

"I don't recall if you did or not either! It was a fine time, I collected a lot of beads on my antlers." He chuckled, the purple fading from his clothes and self-- and then a blink and they swapped back to the outfit he'd been wearing, his costume from the show. Sometimes, one just wanted to be covered in diamonds, it seemed.

"I got absolutely sloshed, three sheets to the wind and then some! It was a good time-- I don't remember half the night!"

Astor

"Oh yes, I remember seeing you say that! You'd mentioned the beads." He returned the wig where it belonged. "I suppose you don't do the courir? You've never mentioned any Cajun family."

Leal

"Oh no, no Cajun. Always liked seeing them running around though." He chuckled.

"No, my father's side was more..." He sneered briefly. "They were Northerners. Carpet-baggers. Did I tell you that before?"

Astor

Oh, so he'd seen the courir! Astor's eyes brightened a bit. Outside of Louisiana—and sometimes even inside, depending on who you were talking to—nobody had ever so much as heard of the courir. The fact that Leal at least knew what it looked like was something.

"No, I don't think so. From the way you talked about them, I figured they were some old plantation family."

Leal

"Oh, no, I think I would've died sooner if that had been the case." He seemed much more serious about that comment than the phrasing would imply.

"No, my Father came down from up north, New York, wife already in tow. Wanted to make a fortune down south and did so." His smile turned sadistic. "His wife _loathed_ it, the heat and humidity, the bugs, the bayous, everything. The little time I spent with that woman there wasn't a moment of it she didn't complain. And that was after nearly thirty years of living there!"

Astor

Astor certainly didn't take it as a joke. "Mm, fair. I'd prefer the carpetbagger to the plantation owner myself."

He laughed dryly. "Doesn't she sound like a peach. Just think! You very nearly could have had *her* for a mother!"

Leal

Leal shuddered. "I'm certainly glad I didn't! Not with how her own children acted-- only my youngest half-sister was tolerable, and even then, I hardly would say I _liked_ her! Could you IMAGINE if I'd had grown up with the New York Carpet-bagging Catholics?"

He shuddered again and laughed. "Then _I'd_ be the white alternate!"

Astor

"I still don't know how that happens," he muttered. The multiverse was always baffling but sometimes it found particularly uncomfortable ways to be so. "You know, I'm sure I knew at least a few Catholics whose families moved from New York after the war—in fact probably more than I think, I just don't know it—and they seemed... well, less insufferable than *your* people. So, decent enough. But I wonder if I ever crossed paths with yours."

Leal

"It's possible! If you ever came across a carpet-bagger with an insufferable wife, a douchebag of a son, and two daughters, only one of which was tolerable, then maybe!" He snorted.

"I _do_ wonder if you killed my cousin like I did, though."

Astor

A sigh. "Unfortunately for this little thought exercise, whenever I come across people as insufferable as you make them sound, I try not to stick around long enough to find out details like how many children they have, much less which state they lived in a few decades earlier." Unless they were the fun kind of insufferable, but from Leal's testimony they didn't sound that way.

"That depends! Did he like deer hunting?"

Leal

"Don't know! Never had so much as a conversation with him before I killed him. He tasted alright, though." A shrug.

Astor

"That's no help, I don't know how any of my victims tasted. Well! If he didn't, I didn't; and if he did, I might have. I had a very narrow niche of targets."

Leal

"I suppose we'll never know!" Cue an melodramatic sigh and pose.

Astor

"Well, if you ever run into him, tie him up and call me over and I'll let you know if he looks familiar." His grin stretched wider.

Leal

"I'll be sure to!" His own matched his alternate's.

Astor

He cocked his head, listening for sound outside the dressing room. "Say, aren't there usually more acts on after yours? I was told they go into the wee hours." He tilted his head toward the door. "Do you usually have plans after your performance? Or would you like to stir up a little controversy by having the star performer spend the evening in the Radio Demon's private booth?"

Leal

His grin turned devious. "Oh, I'd _love_ to. The tabloids are going to go _wild._ Give me two shakes to get into something more appropriate-- and I do have another performance later, but it's the last show of the night, so no worries there."

Astor

With mock surprise, "Why, my dear other! I was told that's when they put the raunchiest acts! What sort of a performance am I in for?"

Leal

"Oh don't look at me like that, I don't go nude! Just some more....scandalous dance moves." He chuckled.

"I do this every time I perform, because if there's another showing of Astre at the end of the night, more people stay through the rest-- which means more money for Madame with all the drinks and food they have to order to stay put." He winked as he headed to his closet. A minute inside and he reappeared, this time in a sparkling red evening gown. He got his wig and put it back on, letting the glamour drop in place on his face.

"I figured I'd wear your color, darling," He cooed in Astre's voice.

Astor

"Why, my darling, you look simply *ravishing* in red!" He offered an elbow and a wink. "In fact, you look *just* as good in red as I do."

Leal

Astre laughed, taking his arm with a curled, clawed hand. "I think so too." She winked back. "Shall we?"

Astor

"Let's!" He opened the door with a gesture, and out they go. "I recommend the étouffée tonight, my sweet. It's simply divine!"

Leal

"I'll have to give it a try!" And with that, they exited back out into Madame's, alighting rumors everywhere.

#((due to random luck one Alastor's nickname is Astor and the other Alastor's drag name is Astre))#(('the Alastors take on nicknames to make them easier to tell apart—' so much for THAT))#usedhearts #chat log

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buck-nialled · 4 years

Note

"So uh, to be honest im quite nervous for tonight as well" Niall scratches the back of his head and smiles down at his shoes "Got a special lady to come out and see me.” could you maybe write an imagine based off this and have him be all smiley and cutesy about you coming out to one of his tour shows and he even brings you out on stage since the fans are asking to see you? You’re such a talented writer omg I love ALL of your work 😭❤️❤️

AHH, this idea’s so FLUFFY I’m gonna die! thank u anon, enjoy!

Serenade - N. Horan Imagine

Niall’s eyes gazed upon the crowd before him, who was incessantly applauding his entrance onto the stage. His heart was palpitating at a rate faster than usual, Niall acknowledged. He knew why, and thought what could the harm be admitting it to thousands of strangers who felt like a group of old friends in need of catching up? He asks her city how it is doing tonight and hoped her scream would reach volumes above all the others. It would lead his eyes right to her. The logic was flawed but Niall remained hopeful, knowing he’d pick her out in the audience eventually.

“So, uh, to be honest, I’m quite nervous, tonight.” he scratches the back of his head, fingers mangling through his dark locks as he spares a smile at his shoes. His cheeks begin to turn pink beneath the spotlights before he extinguished the theories snowballing in the crowd’s mindless prattle. “Got a special lady to come out and see me.” This made a few cheers and “oohs” echo about the stadium, which did not aid Niall’s cheeks but rather reddened them further. Not knowing what else to do as the audience took in this news, he let out a subconscious chuckle to ease his abashed state. Do what you do best, Nialler, the man thought to himself, make a joke out of it.

“Don’t ask me how the hell I convinced her to do that because I don’t have an answer for you. Maybe it’s because I’m Irish or something I don’t know.” He continues, earning boisterous laughs from seats that were flights away. But he could not discern her giggle through the rowdiness of screams and limbs waving about.

“Can she come out on stage?”

“Bring her on stage, Niall!

“We want to meet her!”

Those seated closer to the stage made their opinions loud and clear about both Niall and the woman he was very much infatuated with. And had he known where she placed herself in the crowd, he would accede to their requests. But her presence had yet to introduce itself amongst the mass of bodies, jammed together like sardines in front of him.

“Um, I have not quite found her in the crowd yet. But here’s hoping I do, and to this person—you know who you are,” his deep tone and blue eyes piercing into the waves of people standing before him sent many girls into a frenzy of squeals and shrieks and all that alike, “this first one is dedicated to you. Everyone who knows this, sing it with me, this is Nice To Meet Ya.” He begins picking the strings of his guitar skillfully, hoping she would take notice of how much passion she held for his craft; if not on the stage then on the ginormous screens zoomed to frame his face as he belts out the pop-rock tune with ease and a gargantuan smile on his face. The adrenaline rush was one he never tired of feeling and hoped would never leave him. His thoughts went back to her: what if she didn’t enjoy the show? What if she decided to leave the show, or even worse, leave him? He had not even seen her through the preparation of his show to now, the beginning of his set, which begged the question if she had even shown up like she eagerly promised.

Somehow, time passed on with the deafening screams and glow of flashlights from phones, and he was almost through with his set. His heart was cracking in the process of the final song he was persisting in smiling through, no matter how heavy his cheeks felt. After giving his “thank you’s” to both the audience and the city, they were objecting to his leaving. It made his heart lighten slightly, enough for him to offer a possible encore after a short break.

He raced off of the stage with the audience applauding to no end. It always made the biggest grin overcome Niall’s face and a surge of warmth inundate his insides. But tonight, it sounded like a thunderstorm he heart yearned to seek shelter from before becoming flooded.

He zig-zags through all of the moving tech carts and stagehands scattered about backstage, keeping his head down and trying to remember the directions to his dressing room. His head was throbbing so hard he felt the only remedy was to retreat to his bus and numb it with alcohol and long sleep. He did not even want to contemplate the vast reasons why she had not shown up to his show. His theory was him wanting something more serious than what she might want. But he could have sworn he read all the signs correctly. He took every hint and seemed to check all of her boxes, as she did him. This must have been her way of telling him she was not interested, which was quite a way to be silently rejected. Thousands were watching his heart crumble for an hour and a half without even realizing it.

His feet pick up speed as he neared his dressing room, and right as his hand was reaching for the doorknob, it turned itself and the door opened without his doing. Niall was afraid security had not been as precocious as they should have been and was expecting to greet a fan who was a bit more obsessive with their affection, or maybe “hands-on”. It would not be the first time Niall has walked into his dressing room with a few of his items missing.

But it was neither of those, it was her. A smile graced her face as she said his name. And Niall discovered then that two syllables from her lips were all it took for his heart to feel whole again. It still did nothing to help the boy’s confusion.

“W-what are…why aren’t you…out there?” Niall sputtered out, hands now running through his locks to maintain his sanity.

“Well, I guess when your team mailed me the ticket, they gave me a backstage pass too.” A nervous chuckle leaves her at his frantic hands trying to occupy themselves. “When I came and started talking to one of the stage managers back here, he said you two were close friends and I told him my name. He told me you wouldn’t shut up about me and to stay back here if I wanted as a little surprise. But my feet got tired of standing by the stage, and you hadn’t looked my way all night but you were so in your element up there…I just figured you had enough to focus on so I’d wait for you back here.”

“But you were here the whole time?” She nods and grabs the boy’s hands; afraid he was going to scalp himself by the end of this conversation if she did not stop him.

“Thank you for inviting me. This was the best concert I’ve ever attended.”

“Really?” Niall lifts a brow, thumbs now subconsciously rubbing circles onto the back of her hands.

“This is the only concert I’ve ever attended.” Her admission makes Niall laugh in disbelief. “But now when I go to any others, I have something to compare them to.”

“Well, trust me when I say you’ll be at plenty of mine from now on. A little extra encouragement never hurts, ya know?” She hums and moves her hands out of his, before bringing her arms up to rest on his shoulders. “I-um…I thought you hadn’t shown…was worried that you weren’t interested.” Her smile dissipates as his eyes flicker down to the floor. This makes her grab his neck and tug his body closer to hers. The unexpected jostle has Niall’s hands on her hips instinctively, a feeling both had been missing for these past few weeks.

“Niall, I’ve never not been interested in you. And if there is ever a day where I am, then know that I’ve surely gone crazy.” She has always been mad about him. And if the kiss they share moments later isn’t proof that the feeling is reciprocated, Niall knew something which surely would. After breaking apart from one another’s lips, the “come on” is barely heard by her before her body is trailing shortly behind Niall, their hands remaining connected as they approach the stage. The millions of eyes that were focused on her, Niall speaking to them, and all of the thunderous hands smashing together all came into view so fast, it was impossible for her to let the view sink in for a few moments, let alone protest his spontaneous show and tell of his new girlfriend. Well, if four months was still considered new. Clearly, Niall did not think that as he shrugged his guitar back over his shoulder.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to keep my lady out here for this final song.” Of course, nobody in the audience protested, especially to Niall’s last few words. Before he continued, a stagehand ran up onto the stage to set a stool down beside her and disappeared before she had the chance to thank the man. She just sat there, gushing at how close she was to him, and how many strangers stood gawking at it. But if she’s being honest with herself, she was always gawking at Niall, even if it was not noticeable. She’s learned to keep her jaw from falling whenever he joins her in the shower impromptu or let saliva trickle from her mouth when she woke up beside him and he was still snoozing, giving her time to admire him. She just learned to let her eyes do all of the talking, especially with him standing in front of the largest crowd her eyes have ever been introduced to, ready to serenade her.

“This is an older one, but I’m sure most of you know it. Feel free to join in if ya do.” It only took the opening chords to send the crowd into a mild frenzy, but it morphs into a riot in a matter of seconds when Niall begins singing.

“Your hand fits in mine like it’s made just for me but bear this in mind: it was meant to be.” Many voices layered over Niall’s instantaneously. Of course, she had heard the song before, and she knows exactly why Niall chose it.

It was the last time they saw each other before Niall’s departure for the start of his tour. The morning of his flight, he found her in his shirt, in his kitchen, in a trance as the eggs sizzled on the pan above the stove and her body swayed while she hummed a particular tune. In his groggy state, the notes took a moment to register. Upon entering the bridge of the song was when his arms wrapped around her middle and they began swaying together, his tired voice singing quietly into her ear. It was like a letter addressed to her and nobody else, a poem for her ears and her ears only.

“You’ll never love yourself half as much I love you. And you’ll never treat yourself right darling but I want you to. If I let you know I’m here for you…maybe you’ll love yourself like I-“

As though it were premeditated, the audience bellowed “YOU SING!” nearly in-sync with Niall. And she did. While he kept strumming the guitar, the voice he had been itching to hear all night was finally heard above all of the others, before melding in with them like a perfect choir.

“Love you, oh-oh-oh…”

But before the line was finished, Niall’s lips connected with hers, and the audience’s composed singing was squeals yet again.

i’m in loooveee with my masterlistttt...and all it’s little blurbs

maybe leave a request too if you wanna

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gleeandshame · 4 years

Text

Semi-liveblogging

A New York Christmas Wedding, indie Netflix movie... All I know is it’s on Netflix, there’s not a trailer, and uh, it’s wlw??? SPOILERS below!

WTF did they say “you’re not my girlfriend”

“She can’t know you like me” and then immediate fornication, I Do Not Want

Okay, we’re expecting like Lifetime or Hallmark Channel levels of writing on this I see...

Wait did she say her best friend died? Or I wasn’t paying attention. From watching later uh, maybe she said they lost touch, i mean, a BFF would be like the person Who you would think it would be but...

Asian wlw extras!!! intimacy :’)

(Wonder if she’ll be bi or gay)

Blah blah, mom is insufferable

Oh but so... is this a called off wedding then, I guess it’s her wedding, like that’s what the signs point to... huuuh.... Like, I hope there’s not cheating involved or I’ll be very :/

Wow, sassy BFF gay angel, lol

“You shouldn’t under estimate love during Christmas”

Here comes gay supernatural sh*t (at least I hope)

Gay angel, is she just gonna see 1000 gay signs tomorrow? Lol

I sincerely forgot his name, like Abziel or something, I’m sorry gay angel

oh right, i kept thinking they would be cold, but this is 6 mo before Christmas. today is a really chilly night for me

Azrael, I was close. I only remember it because it’s marked by the captions

Her fiance does have a nice back though

hate when there’s unnecessary flashback v.o. in stuff, just have a thoughtful look, feel okay with being quiet!!!

OH MY GOSH TRANSPORTED TO A GAY LIFE, I f*cking love it!!!

the light pouring in from the window and it’s looking all foggy.

They have a dog named Smudge :’)

Oh my gosh they’re having a meeting with a reverand or something for their gay wedding???

her tentativly grabbing the leash, i’m hear for this, thank you gay angel, there are endless amount of signs!!! lol.

I love smudges eyebrows!!!!

Oh thank you A... Azrael, i forgot Jennifer’s name for the whole movie (okay i took a couple hour break but still)

OKAY, the best friend is dead, or WAS dead. i was like how is this gonna work out, oooh.

This is rated MA and I think maybe just from cussing? We’ll see. So far she has said f*ck, lol

Those Christmas pajamas were corny, but it’s a family so that’s allowed. Bye David.

I hope I have a gay guardian angel

He said others are alive. is she gonna see her dad?

ghost of gays past

gosh dang it a flashback... it’s okay, it’s hopefully you know an inexperienced writer or filmmakers and they can get better.

I hope her dad is there

Oh but I forgot to mention since i wasn’t liveblogging from the start, uuuuuhhhh, why did she throw the cookies away, she was still there and her dad. Teens are so dramatic

where’s the dog? did she return the dog and go to her dads... wait, no he’s driving her home, Did they not want a dog in the car... lol

smudge? Smudge??? Lol. okay, i’ll ignore the filmmaking and continuity aspect.

Slide show interesting

Oh really noticing the handheld shakiness right now though

did that girl really sing it? doesn’t look like that voice comes out of that body

gays in a church, i’m feeling emotional (I know they’re not necessarily gay I’m using it as an umbrella term)

“you are my queen and I am your peasant” - this is like who’s the handmaiden and who’s the feudal lord meme, lol

why would a pastor.... whatever they’re call had a picture of just two church goers... parishioners? (can you tell I’m not catholic, are they catholic?)

Dang, they gonna fight to have a wedding here? Like personally if he said sh*t I would want to be married by him, but I guess the location does mean a lot to them.

They really be throwing Jennifer into this talk with no clue. Azrael give a girl some hints!!

Did the priest tell her to get an abortion? That’s the implication right? He wouldn’t say it though. Dang.

Eeesh, is this the f*ckboy that was with ... Gabby in the beginning? Never heard a boy trying to be a unicorn in a wlw relationship. Yike....

lol, yeah she told him to f*ck himself. and punched him in the face, LOOOOL

Awww, she told her dad about her crush on her BFF???

Lol, Jennifer getting excited about talking to her dad, and Gabby is like, babe, u see him everyday

Aw, a song in spanish

i didn’t mention earlier but afro-latinx yaaa. Noice

hmmm, yeah i mean it would be a little awkward bringing up a childhood/teenage fight

being forced to read the note by gabby and saying “out loud” nice device to make it natural to the audience

smudge is my favorite character

lol sorry, but if it’s christmas, is it christmas christmas, i don’t want this to be over. can she at least make out with her wife! is this day one or day two :/ okay i’ll just watch and see

DANG THAT WOULD BE INTIMATE ARM TOUCHES FOR A BFF

i only snuggled like once on a bed with one of mine.

O Christmas Tree playing during this make out is killing me

that was soft. just making out and some but rubbing but all just in undies, that’s nice

ok i think father is gonna do the old switcheroo on us. but this verse is engaging my fight or flight

Entertaining how neutral all these ppl’s faces are during this sermon, like realistic, lol....

okay there’s like one smile. there’s nodding now

(i know ppl would be upset realistically too)

Oh snap a man is walking out, okay yeah. There’s maybe three

LOL. I really did walk out once during a slippery slope sermon. Hate that white man took over one of my churches and he wasn’t even certified. I just sat on the curb until closing worship.... mmmm

did this man just invite all the lgbtq ppl up??

I wouldn’t want that attention, LOOOL........ i get it’s supposed to be a nice moment but, what?

They all have partners? Dang, where’s my partner at church (lol, church is hardly a thing anymore right now anyway :’) )

I DON”T want no SURPRISE WEDDING THAT IS JUST IN FORNT OF CHURCH PPL

glad they acknowledged that looong pause in a natural way

Imagine trying to attnd christmas service, and then it’s a secret wlw wedding

One of the gay couples, I”M SCREAMING, looks like a married couple at my current church, lol. I mean not like exactly, but same essense and energies

That SLITTTT, what a power move for a wedding dress / reception dress

Very weird lighting but i’ll ignore it

u don’t need to applaud the priest...

“to the day i die” (to the day i die) echo, echo... , that’s some corny audio

OH my goshhh??? is he the aborted BABY, whaiuhufheruahcyuahdsbhabshdfbahsbdfa

or their dead baby, whatever it was unclear on purpose. oh myy gosh????

what the f*ck david coming to get Jennifer like a horror movie

“what’s a smudge”

hmm i wonder how this can conclude

that map i huge on the console??? i don’t know modern cars

Gabrielle and I were mar-- we were baptized. LOLL, why woudl they just give away info about a parishioner

David must just be like, wtf is she on

oh okay, no abortion, just miscarriage

What, huhhh. this lady is same sex married too??? but the priest was kicked out?

is david gonna be biphobic

oh i guess not, that’s good

sliding doors? by Gbby’s son, Jennifer needs to get her girl

Me saying this show needs to let there be silence vs me almost falling asleep while she makes a decision. I MEAN, to be fair it’s almost 6am and i haven’t slept yet, lol

okay, but we didn’t spend enough time with Azrael for me to be sad that he’ll be gone, sorry not sorry

“it can wait” ... i.e. love can wait, be careful, i.e. use a condom

that’s entirely too many candy canes

i wonder if these kids are gonna have to carry the rest of the film?

these kids are the most chill! good they both like women and each other

they 3d printed a man just so he could be a gay angel

OH NO I watchd to the end of the credits and the guy on piano died this year

okay, so overall, p cute. Cute enough. It probably satisfied only about 33% of my cute wlw quota though. Corny and a bit awkward, but, i think gays deserve not high quality cinema as well. Lol. i half recommmend it, but it’s not costing you antyhing but time on Netflix.

okay, I sleep

#a new york christmas wedding #a new york christmas wedding spoilers #spoilers #...#mmmmmm

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firewoodfigs · 4 years

Text

morning toasts and thunderstorms

read on ao3 | for @royaiweek day 4, crackle - thank you mods for all the hard work so far 💕

Summary: Mister Mustang has a gift or two for Miss Hawkeye.

[a/n: (i) whatever Roy is reading is taken directly from Issac Hollandus’ Complete Alchemical Writings, Part 1. (ii) this was supposed to be a future chapter of a slow unravelling, but I have terrible project management skills xD (iii) for @havocsss - more young!royai for you! <3]

~x~

“Man should not use the Art except for the salvation of his soul… Only then can he be given the secret signs of the philosophers of sages…” Roy Mustang chanted under his breath while pacing around the room.

He never thought he would live to see the day where he would actually find alchemy boring. Learning would have been easier if he had someone to quiz him on the content, but in the short span of his apprenticeship he had already come to understand that Miss Hawkeye was - well, to put it nicely, a hermit.

He'd tried, tried his valiant best to talk to her - about anything, really. School, her hobbies, her likes and dislikes… At some point he’d gotten so desperate for human interaction, he even tried to talk to her about the weather. The weather, for goodness sake!

Even thinking about it made him feel pathetic. Miss Hawkeye had simply stared at him blankly before returning to her room, door tightly shut and locked to ward off any potential evil like…

He was probably a menace in her eyes, so he supposed it would be him.

For the most part, therefore, Roy wisely refrained from disturbing her peaceful solitude. She was content to be left alone to her own devices, and he was inclined to think that his time could have been spent a lot more productively instead of embarrassing himself further in front of his master’s daughter.

But on lonely, chilly nights like these where the crackling of the fireplace was his only companion, Roy found himself missing his sisters and aunt terribly. Though they were a rambunctious, rowdy bunch - the living antithesis to Miss Hawkeye - they at least made for good company.

Roy sighed before flipping the dusty tome open once again. “Sulphur indicates fire… it is the earth and beginning of all metals. It is the female who brings forth the fruit. For no seed can grow unless it be first thrown into fertile soil, then beautiful fruit will come from it.”

Did fruits have any correlation to alchemy? Surely Master Hawkeye must have known better than to ask him to get through a pile of impertinent information…

“And when a pure is joined to a pure... it brings forth pure fruit. Thus, they are man and woman, fire and water... ” To his hormonal thirteen-year-old brain the underlying implication was as clear as day. Heat began to rush to his cheeks as he read it out loud -

- which, of course, was the precise moment Miss Hawkeye chose to walk in.

Roy jumped, startled by the sudden intrusion before quickly snapping the book shut. “Good evening, Miss Hawkeye…” his voice trailed off, unsure if he was encroaching on her personal space.

Miss Hawkeye didn’t respond. Instead, she continued to turn on the spot, head darting from side to side as she paced around frantically. From her distress it seemed like she had misplaced something important. Normally, her footsteps were so quiet that he would miss her whenever she came down to pour herself a glass of water, but this time he could definitely hear them over the fire’s crackle.

Ignoring the possible humiliation that might ensue, Roy tried again, stepping closer towards her this time. “Are you okay, Miss Hawkeye? Did you lose something?” As tense as she usually was, he’d never seen her so anxious, and he was beginning to worry for the younger girl.

Miss Hawkeye finally turned to acknowledge his presence. Well, look - we’re making some progress here!

“My…” she stuttered, as if hesitant to divulge any information to him. He waited encouragingly. “My necklace. It’s gone.”

Roy’s palms were open in earnest, in an attempt to convince her that he meant no harm. “I can help. What does it look like?”

“It’s a little medallion on a silver chain,” she answered vaguely. He nodded before inching closer to her, following her around quietly as she continued her search while keeping an eye out for anything that glimmered in the dark.

“Do you know where you might have dropped it?” Roy asked.

“I… I’m not sure. I’ve been searching all over the house since before dinnertime, but I haven’t seen it anywhere,” she answered.

“Maybe you left it in school?”

“I might have,” she mumbled. Miss Hawkeye was very upset, he realised, upon examining her face now well-illuminated by the small fire burning in the hearth.

Briefly, he wondered if she was going to cry.

“If so, then we’ll look for it tomorrow,” he said, offering her a reassuring smile.

“No, I have to find it now,” she countered, pitch rising subtly in irritation. Roy blinked at her in confusion, wondering if she was going to rush into her school compound at this ungodly hour alone to search for it.

The stubborn glint in her eyes told him that she had every intention of doing so. Under other circumstances he might have applauded her bravery, but in all honesty it was rather absurd for a girl her age to do such a thing. Why - Aunt Chris would have skinned him alive if he let Vanessa even so much as roam the streets of Central alone at midnight!

Unfortunately, Miss Hawkeye’s desire to do so was interrupted by the loud, ominous crackle of thunder that signalled the onslaught of an impending storm. She jumped slightly at the sound, before swallowing hard at the realisation that she couldn’t return to school now to look for it.

“We’ll look for it tomorrow, alright? You’ll get it back, I promise.” Roy raised two fingers up like he was making a vow and looked at her solemnly, hoping to convince her to put a little faith in him.

She stared into his obsidian eyes, as if searching for any hint of a lie, and nodded begrudgingly when she was finally convinced that there were none. Miss Hawkeye was willing to believe him - for now, at least - and muttered a soft thanks before turning on her heels to return back to her room.

Roy, on the other hand, sank back into the couch, determined to at least scrape through the endless material that he’d been given, although her forlorn expression never quite left his mind.

He shook his head, burying himself again in his books if only to pass the time.

It turned out to be a massive downpour, but two hours later the skies finally calmed down and the rain subsided. Roy let out a satisfied smile at his progress, having completed a chapter before the rain stopped. Rubbing his eyes to rid them of any fatigue, he stood up and began to tiptoe quietly towards the door after getting his coat and a lantern that would be his guide in his hunt for Miss Hawkeye’s necklace.

~x~

Roy was beginning to wonder if he was cursed with a penchant for bad ideas. The walk to Miss Hawkeye’s school had left his shoes completely soaked with damp, muddy soil and broken twigs, and every step he took was accompanied by a disconcerting squelch that left him terribly uncomfortable. The darkness that settled also painted the school in a particularly eerie light.

But of course, he wasn’t afraid. Scientists like him didn’t believe in the existence of supernatural beings like ghosts. After all, ghosts were but villains in children’s fairy tales designed to scare them…

… Right?

(If Roy was being completely honest with himself, he would have admitted that the weather-beaten compound bore an uncanny resemblance to a haunted mansion.)

He gulped. Nonetheless, he was adamant that ghosts were but silly, non-existent and utterly unscientific objects. Whatever the naked eye can’t see doesn’t exist!

The memory of Miss Hawkeye’s melancholic expression chose to resurface at that point, and it was all the motivation he needed to continue trudging on. This was a chance for him to earn her trust and prove that he really just wanted to be her friend, not some weird freak obsessed with alchemy without any capacity for normalcy.

Roy might have been an idiot in many senses of the word, but he wasn’t that foolish to pass up on an opportunity like that.

With that in mind, he climbed up the iron gate with renewed conviction. His slippery soles made this task considerably difficult, but he was indisposed to give up on something that he had already set his mind on. Resting a foot conveniently on a ledge, he let his weight settle there for a bit before hauling himself up with all the strength his scrawny body possessed and jumped across.

Roy grinned triumphantly as he landed safely in one piece before commencing his search. He started with surveying the classrooms, overturning the numerous old boxes and other junk stacked up against the walls; every nook and cranny for a chain to have fallen into and gotten lost, the very epitome of a persistent boy who refused to give up. He was unfazed even as he crawled underneath the tables to search for the tiniest sparkle, the familiar glimmer of jewelry…

And finally, his quest for Miss Hawkeye’s necklace bore fruit.

“Aha!” he cried out to himself when he chanced upon a broken chain with a shiny medallion in the centre. Quite a pretty necklace, actually. He could make out her initials carved onto the front, though the inscription on the back was far too small for his eyes to make out in the dark.

His joy, however, was cut short when another crackle sounded off in the distance.

“Oh dear, I sure hope it doesn’t start pouring again,” Roy muttered under his breath, before tucking the necklace securely into his pocket and dashing out of the classroom. This time, it was a lot easier to climb over the gate, but by the time he landed on the other side it had begun to drizzle, and so he lifted his coat over his head before making a run for it.

In the end, the protection his coat offered was but inconsequential. By the time he was midway through his journey back another downpour had begun, and he could only hope that his feet would be fast enough to escape any lightning that might strike him dead and leave Miss Hawkeye without her beloved necklace.

When Roy finally arrived back at the mansion he was thoroughly soaked from head to toe, but he was at the very least grateful that he managed to evade death by electrocution. Stepping in and closing the door quietly so as to not wake any of the Hawkeyes, he made his way to the bathroom in quick, long strides, hoping to take a warm shower to quell the shivers now wracking through his weedy frame.

~x~

It didn’t take a genius to figure out why the chain had broken off. From the looks of it, it was way too long for someone of her stature, and the added stress on it as she paced around the house daliy to complete her chores fastidiously certainly contributed to its fragility as well.

Roy found himself suddenly feeling very grateful for his sisters. For while they could be utter nuisances who never failed to ridicule his love for alchemy on a daily basis, they’d always badgered him with silly requests to transmute accessories for them from random bits of metals and ores.

He thought it was one of the most useless purposes of alchemy, but now he was glad. It turned out to be very useful as he drew an alchemical array on his desk and placed the broken necklace on top with practiced ease, adjusting the chain a little so that it was shorter and more comfortable for Miss Hawkeye.

He let out a muffled sneeze into his arm before clapping his hands together. With a familiar crackle, an almost-magical blue light the necklace was restored back to its original state soon enough - perhaps even better than before, he thought to himself with a little bit of pride as he admired the gleaming silver under the candle’s comforting light.

With the shortened chain, though, there had been a bit of extra metal left behind, and he was in a bit of a dilemma as to what to do with it. Vanessa would probably know best, but she wasn’t around, and calling her at one in the morning to ask for help over something as trivial, as asinine as this would only guarantee him a slow, painful death.

Roy stared at the remnants of Miss Hawkeye’s necklace contemplatively for a long, hard moment before a brilliant idea dawned upon him.

Earrings.

Trinkets like necklaces and bracelets were prone to being lost and forgotten, if the many necklaces and bracelets lying around his Aunt’s tavern after an exhausting day of work was any indication. Earrings, on the other hand, were a lot less susceptible to such incidents since they would remain firmly embedded in a person’s earlobes. Like the ones Aunt Chris wore.

With that in mind he set out to make a pair of matching earrings that would hopefully bring a smile to her sullen countenance. The transmutation circle crackled again, and - voila! Roy mentally applauded himself for his ingenuity as he admired the silver studs in front of him.

It was simple, nothing extravagant, but he thought the simplicity suited Miss Hawkeye since she didn’t seem to incline towards anything particularly ostentatious. For starters, she seemed to be in the habit of recycling her clothes, and they were generally plain and practical (something that would have probably left Vanessa aghast at the mere thought of it).

It would be a fitting match for her, no doubt.

Roy allowed himself one last grin of approval at his handiwork before finally drifting off into a satisfied slumber.

~x~

“You look… tired,” Riza remarked casually the next morning over breakfast as she took note of the lethargic manner in which he bit into his toast. Initially, she thought it might have been because she did a bad job at preparing breakfast, but her toast was fine. Impeccable, even. One of her better accomplishments in the kitchen.

Roy sipped at his tea drearily. “Wha-what? No, I’m fine,” he mumbled, before attempting to shove the toast into his mouth with greater gusto. It was a poor mimicry of how he normally devoured his food, but it seemed to placate Miss Hawkeye a little, at least.

Casting a quick glance at her, he realised that she still looked rather jittery. Miss Hawkeye couldn’t stop jiggling her knees while frowning at her toast like it’d committed a heinous crime, and Roy wondered if she was still worrying about her missing necklace.

“Thank you for the lovely breakfast, Miss Hawkeye,” he said sincerely, hoping to distract her a little while stuffing the final bit of toast into his mouth. He leaned back into the chair to stretch his arms, preparing himself for the day ahead and to give her his gift.

Truthfully, the latter was quite the daunting task because he didn’t know what to expect. Would she punch him, thank him, or bury him six feet under for even daring to search for her necklace of his own accord?

She merely nodded at him before rising to clear the plates, though he rose immediately to halt her actions. “I can do it, Miss Hawkeye. It’s no problem at all,” he sputtered before positioning himself in front of her.

It was now or never.

“Um, I have a present for you,” he stammered, reaching into his pocket to show her the reason behind his dark circles and intermittent sniffles.

Roy hoped desperately that he wasn’t coming down with a cold. He still had plenty of work to catch up on, and he doubted that Miss Hawkeye would take to him sneezing in her face kindly.

She let out a muted gasp upon noticing the familiar silver gleam. “You… how did you get it?”

The accusatory edge in her voice wasn’t lost on Roy. He wanted to sigh in exasperation, frustration - here he was, doing something nice for a girl who glowered at him on a daily basis, treated him like he was a curse to humanity…

Nonetheless, he reined in those feelings quickly. It was probably more urgent to correct any misconceptions that Miss Hawkeye might have first, lest she thought he stole it from her or something. “I… uh, I found it in your school yesterday,” he mumbled under his breath.

“You… went to my school?” She stared at him incredulously.

Roy nodded. He could feel the embarrassment springing in his chest, making its unwelcome appearance on his pale features. “I managed to fix it - I think you might’ve dropped it because the chain broke,” he held it up, as if to demonstrate his craftsmanship. The chain was shiny and pristine and brand new under the welcoming, fulgent rays of the morning sunlight creeping in through the lilac portieres.

All in a day’s work!

“Here you go.” Roy inched forward to put it on for her, reaching over her shoulders to clasp the necklace securely in place. It nestled in the hollows of her neck peacefully. Upon observing that the modified length was better fitted for her petite size, as he’d predicted, Roy couldn’t resist the urge to let out a pleased smile.

She said nothing. He raised his arms slightly in defense as he stepped back, but she made no move to hit or strangle him. Instead, Miss Hawkeye only fingered the medallion reverently with bright eyes - oh God, please don’t cry - as if to reassure herself that it was indeed real.

Taking this as a sign to continue, he dug out the earrings he’d made the night before, allowing them to rest on his outstretched, sweaty palms.

Roy inhaled before launching into a senseless rant. “I, well. I shortened your chain a little because it looked like it was too long for you, and there was some leftover metal, so I made you a pair of earrings. I don’t know if you have piercings, but I thought they would match your necklace well, and also they’re less prone to being lost or misplaced or stolen…”

Miss Hawkeye interrupted his nervous rambling with an extended hand of her own, reaching out to pick up the pair of studs. “Thank you,” she murmured indistinctly, before making a move to leave for school, bag slung over her shoulder as the slightest hint of a blush began to grace her cheeks.

“You’re welcome,” Roy replied, suddenly feeling very awkward himself. Did she like his present, or did she think he’d crossed some invisible boundary by taking the liberty to make a pair of earrings with the remainders of her chain?

Roy stared into his reflection in his cup of tea, wondering if all that effort had been for naught. With a despondent sigh, he began to clear the plates, snivelling and rubbing his nose with his sleeve as he scrubbed at the crockery idly.

Little did he know that Miss Hawkeye had fastened the studs securely onto her earlobes as soon as she was out of the door, and from that day forward she wore them every single day without fail.

#royaiweek20 #royai fic #young royai #royai #HAPPY ROYAI DAY #read till the end for a surprise :')

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gamergirluprising · 4 years

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Alastor’s Possible Backstory, Emotional, And Mental State.

Okay, so, I find Alastor from Hazbin Hotel one of the few characters that interest me due to his sheer mysterious aura. He has a lot of secrets and I’d like to dissect this man down to his mannerisms, his beliefs, his (low-key/high-key?) pessimistic view of life, and his use of voodoo. I personally am not a fan of the said show since it’s pretty vulgar and hasn’t caught my attention due to the possible problems I see in the show (Why the heck did the God in this universe allow a hierarchy to take place AND give people superpowers by turning them into magical animals and such? Why did he even make a Hell?)

But anyway, I’m not here to discuss my likes and dislikes about the show, I'm here to discuss the Radio Demon and what could have possibly happened in his life as a child to start this craziness and explain his complex personality, mental state, and emotional state. Alrighty with that being said, LET’S DISSECT!

ＭＥＮＴＡ L~𝓔𝓜𝓞𝓣𝓘𝓞𝓝𝓐𝓛 ~BEGINNING

Dude’s got a mental problem fam, and I'm not saying this just cause this man’s teeth are as yellow as Bill Cipher’s entire existence. No, no, no this man is crazy for not just his unhinged need to see other’s fail and to have utter and complete control(Will tackle later) he’s crazy for his huge narcissistic behavior. Dude, Honestly thinks he’s better than everyone and ONLY allows those he thinks are worthy into his “friend” circle. I quote friend because I’m not too sure how exactly and deeply he feels about Rosie aside from their relationship being like Jack and Mary from Mary Poppins Returns, as stated by Vivzie on twitter. He finds those who don’t always smile as people who are WEAK and LAUGHABLE and regardless of how they are, he still finds them to be weak, which BY GOD is such a flawed way of thinking GEEZ. Now after reading about Alastor and becoming more intrigued, I decided to do research on his behavior and when and how it starts.

𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐦 has 9 defining traits. I’ll go over a few that I’ve noticed.

1. He really thinks he’s more important than anyone else and has shown this through his mannerisms, the way he speaks, his vibe and just his general character scream “I’m better than you!”

2. HE LOVES SHOWING OFF! Dude can’t seem to get enough of the spotlight, thus why he LOVES to broadcast his carnage on the radio! Why else would he do so!? He finds constant admiration and respect when he does his “little” display of power!

3. Now, we ALL know he has done some pretty...gruesome things to claim strength and be seen as the strongest, even when there are others who are stronger he displays himself as if he is more dominating and wouldn’t waste his time with, how you say, vermin. This is evident by his response to Vox

You can find where I found this here at Faustisse’s cleanup and Inking vid of the upcoming Alastor Comic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_15UYpcWJ_Q

In case it is too hard to read due to the bad quality, Alastor is saying “Show off all that and no cattle.” which is pretty much “all hat, no cattle” (or, alternately, “big hat, no cattle”) which refers to someone who is all talk with no action, power, or substance behind his/her words. I’d applaud this power move, and still kinda do, if it weren’t for this dudes BIG HEAD lol.

BUT, you get the point, the dude is an egomaniac! “We already knew this, I mean DUH!” you say to me pinching the bridge of your nose. “Why do you point out the obvious?!”

Well, notice how severe and prevalent these traits are. Don’t you find it odd how this dude has SEVERE megalomania? Well, I did research and found out that Narcissism has a very sad connection most of the time and affects males more than females.

at https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/causes-of-npd here’s what I found

Notice the parental factors during early childhood are all abuse-related. This could very well be one, if not the main reason, why Al is the way he is: He was abused as a child! And to make matters worse, as I was looking deeper into this, I noticed that sexual abuse is ANOTHER factor, which would explain why Alastor doesn’t like being touched without consent or by surprise but will GLADLY invade other’s personal space to feel in control (He's a hypocrite like that). Sexual assault victims ALSO don’t like being touched without consent so this just adds more proof to my claim! And serial killers tend to have a rough family life and have been molested, taken advantage of, neglected, or all of the above!

It’s also come to my attention that Alastor enjoys talking with women more than men for 2 reasons. 1) Alastor finds it easier and more enjoyable to talk with women. 2) He finds men to be dumb brutes at least in hell.

I give COMPLETE CREDIT to @dollymoon

Thank you for the awesome amount of facts you’ve provided! RESPECT! https://www.tumblr/dollymoon

Alastor most likely has a very harsh grudge against the world due to his treatment as a young child. His abuse, and possible loss of his mother growing up, lead to him finding joy in seeing those suffer and fail EVERY SINGLE TIME! Notice the way he talks creepily to Charlie about watching sinners “Repeatedly trip and tumble down to the fiery pits of F A I L U R E.” Look at this man’s face as he’s saying this! The man looks turned on with the VERY fact of people suffering, that’s his kink, y’all, he a damn sadist! (No, being asexual doesn’t mean you can’t have kinks, I’ve checked, lol. Got you fam.) Ima kink shame the hell out of this man (Pun-unintended)

Ahem, anyway, this dude has got a hate boner for the world and finds relief when exacting pain on others because he feels wronged and feels the world is to blame. He does seem to acknowledge and accept that where he’s at is the end of the road for those who want to change, their chance was when they were alive, and has accepted that this is the natural order of things and they can’t fix that. I had this vibe that he must have gone to church as a kid due to his mom being religious and he loved his mom so he obeyed, Has been stated by Faustisse that he’s a mama’s boy, BUT remember, Vivzie said anything that comes out of HER mouth is what’s canon. Unless she has already stated it as fact any other info can’t be trusted. (Even though this info is PAINSTAKINGLY clear just by him mentioning his mother’s cooking and it just makes too much sense, lol.)

So he must have grown up to be low-key violent but with manners like he practiced being slick and suave in order to trick people into trusting him so that he may kill them without getting caught, which would work perfectly with him not chasing people due to his moral code. He practiced and practiced and seeing as how he was well-off in his later years, I’d assume he started doing his radio schtick when he was in his early 20s or at the age of 18. So he began when the roaring 20s was just starting, a new beginning for him!

Alastor's name means "he who does not forget", "avenger", "persecutor", "tormenter", "one who suffers from divine vengeance".

(This also makes me think his real name is Alexander/Alexandre since it's the exact opposite of his Hell-Name and more interestingly, in terms of name-giving traditions, between the latter half of the Spanish period (1790-1803) and the beginning of Jim Crow Segregation (1893-1964), gallicized names of classical Greek and Roman origins dominated in Loiusiana. This may be due, in whole, or in part, to the fact that New Orleans had North America’s (excluding Central America and the Caribbean) first Opera Houses and Theatres, owned, frequented and operated by Creoles from Louisiana, Cuba and Saint-Domingue/Haiti. Adonis is my second choice since It literally means "handsome man" and that would totally fit him for his handsomeness to the fact I feel that his mom would def name him this outside of Alexander/Alexandre.) http://www.mylhcv.com/common-creole-names-for-males/

This is a HEAVY hint to what happened in his life and why he’s so drawn to seeing people fail and helps hold my theory together quite a bit, if not a lot. Of all the names to give this dude, he was given a name that legit is on par with the word “Vengeance” and “Avenger”. Vengeance for what? Avenge who? He was wronged. He possibly is angered also by the death of his mother, who was most likely his ONLY ray of light. He is a broken man who most likely has insecurities, based on the info of narcissism which tells us that narcissistic people are the most insecure sorts of people. Alastor is aware of this and sees it as a weakness, something to be culled and hidden from the world never seeing the light of day. His only way of making himself feel stronger and more in control was through voodoo and cannibalism. Many Cannibals believe to be the bees-knees since they go a step FURTHER into crime by devouring their victims and placing themselves into a rank different and more feared by the rest. They see that no one else would even have the balls to attempt to reach that spot, which again leads back to the way Alastor thinks. He just adds oil to the fire when doing voodoo and doing BLOOD RITUALS which you can see him doing when attacking Sir Pentious! https://twitter.com/hntrgurl13/status/1197918059836690433?s=20

Dude has so much baggage that he hides behind a smile he thinks ALONE brings strength like niBBa are you serious? I’d like to see this man try and say that to the faces of strong people like Superman, Goku, Midoriya, Naruto, Broly, Wonder Woman, GOD. Yo even GOD shows emotions. Wanna know why these beings are strong? It ain’t just cause they smile, Nah, it’s cause they’re determined or the very literal embodiment of determination. they have a damn balance and that strength helps them smile through the pain, they don’t need to exhibit a smile to be strong cause them being themselves and having the strong mentality is what gives them strength, not a damn smile. Watch Charlie hit him with the good old reality check when the man attempts to freaking take over her joint (Both hotel and hell) and she proves strength ain’t just gained through smiling or dominating others. He high-key sounds weak for even having that mindset, only weaklings think like this. He has a very weak view of life which brought forth a monster, or should I say DEMON.

Here’s the info of him not liking being touched.

I’d also like you guys to keep in mind that Vivzie has stated that none of the characters have split personalities, proving Al knows EXACTLY what he's doing.

It’s all them but some have a DUALITY to them. As hinted at by the word "dual" within it, duality refers to having two parts, often(but not always) with opposite meanings, like the duality of good and evil. If there are two sides to a coin, metaphorically speaking, there's a duality. Notice how Alastor also has a duality in him. What kind tho? Remember those shadows that follow him everywhere? Yeah I'm pretty sure those shadows represents his duality in some way, shape, or form.

I also forgot to add that Masochism and Sadism both ALSO stem from the same things Narcissism does or similar things like being sexually abused as a kid. Remember not all cases are the same, I just wanted to put that out there (Not sure If Al is still a Masochist since that’s old info from him being just a deer and liked it when people tried to kill him.)

So in conclusion:

-Dude was possibly abused as a child by his Father

-he hates society/the world due to his terrible child life

-He possibly feels shame for what he has done and thus has accepted his fate

-He loves his mama and MOST LIKELY hates his father who probs is the one who did him a terrible service for just being his father growing up, this would explain his view on men as well

-He also feels shame for being so weak to even allow his father or any male figure to do what they did to him

-Man gets turned on when seeing people like sinners suffer.

KEEP. IN. MIND. None of this excuses his terrible behavior and excuses for being so power-hungry, He’s an interesting character and I love his quirks but he is by no means a victim without faults. He is a product of society and that’s sad but he needs to pay for his horrible actions. Cannibalism is going to far, using you and your victim’s blood for voodoo isn’t excusable, and just killing someone for the sake of vengeance won’t make the pain go away, so nothing he does that involves harming people is cute or a way to suppress his anger, which he’ll have to learn the hard way in this story, I bet. Hopefully, it’s done well cause he’s still very much a bad guy regardless of the fact that he is aiding charlie.

WHEW, that was a long post, one of my longest ones! I really wanted to write out my thoughts on this character cause I’m ALWAYS intrigued by the mystery characters like him withhold. They tend to have hints to their behavior and it was really fun traveling through the possibilities of his nature. I’m probably 100% wrong about all of what I said since I am still not sure about everything and I researched as much as I could. I wouldn’t have had such an easy time if it wasn’t for @dollymoon and their amazing efforts to inform the community, y’all crazy but y’all dedicated so respect. I am not part of the community so I wouldn’t have been able to pinpoint all the info and more. So this is my piece on Alastor the Radio Demon, a.k.a dude who looks like he’s taken ecstasy.

P.S

-Why is this man wearing a torn up and ragged jacket when he can easily make himself a better freaking jacket? The man wore a one that was fresh as hell during his reprise, so what gives?! and why in God’s name is his damn teeth yellow? How you gonna say “You're never fully dressed without a smile” but got on one of the dirtiest smiles I’ve ever freaking seen? I'd rather not smile and be strong than to wear my clothes at its dirtiest(his smile I mean). Ain’t no way in the fresh hell would I invite an edgy radioman, who I know does voodoo, into my damn house, I am too black/Haitian for that bull.

-Y’all finna tell me why y’all falling for a man who canonically has stank breathe...?

At least clean his damn teeth and give him a mint first, D A M N people!

again, thank you very much @dollymoon

but yeah, that’s my theory y’all, hope you enjoy and sorry for the constant repetition in here! DISSECTION OVER. . .

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel thoughts #hazbin hotel theory #hazbin hotel character #hh theory #alastor radio demon #radio demon alastor #hazbin alastor #alastor hazbin hotel #alastor #hazbin alastor theory #Alastor is freaking crazy ya'll #cartoon theory

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go-redgirl · 3 years

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FNC’s Carlson: What Was It About Joe Biden’s Shaky Monotone That Inspired CNN’s Talking Heads?

Friday, FNC’s Tucker Carlson reacted to President Joe Biden’s address to the nation a night earlier, which according to Carlson left much to be desired.

After comparing Biden’s address to former Soviet Union dictator Leonid Brezhnev, the Fox News host questioned the fawning approval from CNN hosts and talking heads.

Transcript as follows:

CARLSON: Tons going on, as always. So, there are a lot of stories we could have opened with tonight and we talked about it. But in the end, we couldn’t get our minds off of Joe Biden’s COVID speech.

Did you see that last night? The one where he seems so sad about the lockdowns that have crushed businesses and kept kids out of school, an entire generation, he said, had driven so many to suicide, yet never once mentioned or even hinted that he and his party were the very forces behind those lockdowns.

I’m really sorry about your black eye, he says, as he punches you in the face.

It was bizarre. The whole speech was like that. It had a hallucinogenic quality like it wasn’t quite real.

But then Joe Biden himself isn’t quite real. Maybe that’s the reason he talks that way. Biden has been living in utter seclusion for more than a year. He hasn’t spoken to anyone but his own lackeys.

He hasn’t driven a car or sat on the grass and looked up at the sky or been anywhere or done anything except in the most controlled possible environment. What an incredibly weird life that is.

Joe Biden must imagine that everyone in America is as terrified of corona as he is and is living in the same kind of bunker. Joe Biden is totally cut off.

Alex Berenson described last night speech as late Soviet. The more we thought about it, the more perfect that seemed.

Here’s a clip of Russia’s own Joe Biden, the late Leonid Brezhnev. Like Biden, Brezhnev was very clearly fading in his later years after a series of health problems. Also, like Biden despite his frailty and confusion, Brezhnev never lost his enthusiasm for pointless wars.

He is the one who ordered the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. In late December of that year, Brezhnev addressed the Soviet youth in a televised speech. As you watch this, see if you can spot the similarities to what you saw last night, and keep in mind when this was shot, Brezhnev was a full five years younger than Joe Biden is today.

[VIDEO CLIP PLAYS]

CARLSON: Now, they are trying to tell him how the teleprompter works. He harrumphs a bit and looks vacant, he doesn’t quite get it.

Brezhnev didn’t actually lead Russia by this point, and you can see why. He remained the country’s figurehead, but it was the ideologues behind the scenes who ran the show.

Brezhnev had his own Susan Rice and Barack Obama to make the real decisions. The similarities, as we said, are pretty amazing.

Over at CNN, however, they didn’t see it, or maybe they did see it and they didn’t care. CNN always did love Brezhnev.

In any case, the usual chorus of toadies strained for a high note last night. Watch them tell you how wonderful the speech was, as if you didn’t have a TV and didn’t see it for yourself.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: How refreshing. How human. How compassionate. How American.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Biden tried to lift our spirits with a medicinal message about recovering our sense of collective cause. Certainly, it was healing.

VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: He didn’t say, you need me. He said, I need you. I need you. I mean, my God that is — isn’t that it?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People always talk about the feeling of the relief hey have hearing Biden, but what he’s doing now soars above that.

LEMON: What the President is saying his help is on the way. We’re all in this together. I need your help. We’re all Americans. Whoo. Hallelujah.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: Hallelujah, says Don Lemon. Can I get an amen? Clear the aisles. It’s time for an altar call. Brother Biden is preaching the word. Preach, Brother Biden, preach. Speak. What are these people talking about?

What was it about Joe Biden’s shaky monotone last night that inspired them exactly? Most people found it depressing. Maybe we’re being too literal here.

It probably doesn’t matter what Joe Biden actually said. He could have called for the bombing of Toronto and CNN’s panel of trained seals would still enthusiastically applaud it. It’s their job to enthusiastically applaud what Joe Biden says.

Our job is to try and figure out what Biden’s speech meant for the country. So let’s look at it for a minute.

The lockdowns have been tough, Biden conceded at the outset, God knows how we got them, but we did. Those restrictions will be lifted as soon as we can lift them, and we will return to some version of the country now only dimly remember, we’d really love to do that. We mean it, we’d love it.

But in order to go forward and take the boot off your neck, we’re going to need every American to listen very carefully and to obey our orders. Do what we tell you to do.

Now, that won’t be easy. But if you do it, there is a payoff for good behavior. If you’re obedient, there’s a chance not a guarantee, of course, but a distinct possibility, God-willing, that you may be able to see some of the people you love around July 4th, that could actually happen, ladies and gentlemen. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: If we do our part, if we do this together, by July the Fourth, there’s a good chance you, your families and friends will be able to get together in your backyard or in your neighborhood and have a cookout and a barbecue and celebrate Independence Day.

That doesn’t mean large events with lots of people together, but it does mean small groups will be able to get together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: Did you hear that America, there is a good chance, again, not a sure thing. But what is a sure thing these days? But a good chance that you might be allowed to have a modest cookout four months from now. That is as long as you obey regulations weather permitting, and assuming that current Federal projections unfold according to plan. That’s your prize.

This offer by the way does not apply to full-time employees, the radio station or their families.

But with luck, this could be your reward after a year and a half of lockdowns, a Fourth of July cookout in your very own backyard assuming you have one.

Don’t ever tell us that Joe Biden isn’t a compassionate generous man. Here he is offering you with some medically necessary caveats outlined by Dr. Anthony Fauci, the right to cook your own hotdogs. With the provision, obviously, that you do it in a small masked group seated far apart at a prescribed distance from one another.

Don’t get crazy and hug or celebrate or talk too loud or anything like that. Moderation is the key here. But still a socially distanced barbecue. What other wonders does President Biden have in store for us?

Well, you’re going to have to get vaccinated to find out. Sorry, that’s the other requirement. I should have mentioned it. Everybody needs the shot. Period. That’s what Biden said. And that’s a lot of shots.

The good news: now that we’re on what Joe Biden describes as a, quote, “war footing” with this virus, vaccinating people against it is a counterterrorism operation.

What we did to ISIS, we’re going to do to COVID. Biden didn’t mention drones, but we will need soldiers and that’s why Joe Biden is building a Vaccination Corps that will include active-duty members of the military, an army of vaccinators. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: Two months ago, the country — this country didn’t have nearly enough vaccine supply to vaccinate all or ever near all of the American public. But soon we will.

Now because of all the work we’ve done, we’ll have enough vaccine supply for all adults in America by the end of May. That’s months ahead of schedule. And we’re mobilizing thousands of vaccinators to put the vaccine in one’s arm.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: Thousands of vaccinators to vaccinate everyone. That sounds amazing, but it does raise at least one vexing question: what if you don’t want to get vaccinated? Not everyone does. Some people have religious objections, other have concerns about this specific medicines. Others simply don’t want it.

Do you need a reason to turn down the vaccine? And what happens if you do turn it down? Will we be allowed to fly on airplanes? Or go to work? Or enter the front doors of Madison Square Garden?

Joe Biden didn’t specify, but it’s pretty hard to believe he would support any kind of vaccine coercion as he has told you so often over so many years, if it’s your body, it’s your choice.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: I support a woman’s right to choose under that constitutional guarantee provision. And quite frankly, I always will.

Folks, you know, and I am going to fight to protect a woman’s right to make her own personal decisions when it gets to your healthcare.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: Quite frankly, you’ve got the absolute right to make your own personal decisions about your own personal healthcare. Period. That’s in the Constitution. Joe Biden would never violate that, right. He’s been defending that right since before you were born.

It’s your body. It’s your choice. Period.

Of course, as with everything, there are caveats. If you don’t take the shot that Joe Biden wants you to take, if you persist in making your own personal healthcare, then Joe Biden is going to have to shut the country down again, no socially distanced barbecues for you, buddy. You’re going to have to eat your hotdogs alone inside.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: If we don’t stay vigilant, and the conditions change, and we may have to reinstate restrictions to get back on track.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: To which CNN might say, “Hallelujah,” but we’re not CNN. Instead, we’re left wondering, could there be any civil liberties implications to any of this? We don’t know the answer.

READ MORE STORIES ABOUT:

Clips Media Politics CNN Fox News Channel Joe Biden Tucker Carlson Tucker Carlson

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ronninoir · 4 years

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Can I Steal You for a Second? CH20

Summary: Adrien is forced to participate in a new dating show, but becomes more excited when Ladybug says she’ll participate as her civilian self.

AKA: AU where Adrien doesn’t know Marinette, the superheroes are 22 and Gabriel is mean and ruthless but not Hawkmoth.

Read on AO3

Start from the beginning Chp 1 on AO3

Chapter 20

Adrien had figured it out. There were so many things that he loved about Ladybug, that he saw in Marinette. At first, he thought it was just because he was projecting Ladybug’s qualities onto Marinette because of the hair and the eyes. But, as he got to know her, he realized that she really was genuine, sweet, and very smart. She was cool under fire and could stand up to his Father better than he could. She was solid and made Adrien feel important and that he mattered to someone. Also, she was insanely friendly, and Adrien had seen Ladybug befriend almost everyone, including akuma victims right after they were deakumatized. He also knew that something about the way she tasted, the feel of her when he hugged her struck a familiar nerve. He just figured it was because he was starting to love Marinette like he loved Ladybug. That would obviously make sense why he would feel those things. The lip gloss was another sign, but any girl could wear the same strawberry lip gloss. That wasn’t a give-away. Not even the fact that she was the only contestant from France, convinced Adrien that Marinette was Ladybug. He just assumed that Ladybug could have lied on their application to make it more difficult for Adrien to figure it out.

No, the thing that convinced him, that completely sold him on the idea that Marinette was Ladybug was the dislike of puns. Adrien had never paid close enough attention to see Marinette react to one, but with Ladybug, he had. She always groaned and rolled her eyes exactly as Marinette had, especially when the puns were in the middle of a fight and what Ladybug would call “bad timing.” (Personally, Adrien thought all the time was the perfect time for puns, but that’s another day’s problem.) It was this moment, watching Marinette respond to his perfectly placed beach puns that clicked the final gear into place and made Adrien see the light. Suddenly, he couldn’t ignore all of the evidence staring down at him that screamed that Marinette was Ladybug. If Plagg were here and not with Master Fu, (in case an akuma hit while he was out of Paris) he would have grunted a “Finally,” and sarcastically applauded for him.

When Adrien looked back at Marinette, his face deadly serious with the question he had almost asked her once before on his lips, he didn’t hesitate, “You’re Ladybug, aren’t you?”

Marinette blanched. Adrien was dumbfounded at how he didn’t see it before. Everything about her personality screamed Ladybug. “I—um... I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Yeah, that was his Lady.

Adrien didn’t know what else to say, he just stood there, grinning like an actual idiot. Marinette and Ladybug were the same person! This was like the answer to his prayers, his dream coming to life. He almost had a half a mind to ask Marinette to pinch him right now, but he felt as though that would make him seem uncool.

Suddenly, every single time he had ever made a fool of himself in front of Ladybug flashed before his eyes, and he had to physically shake his head to make the torrent of embarrassing moments stop.

When he focused back on the present he was struck by how nervous Marinette looked. The confidence of Ladybug was gone, and Adrien’s heart immediately contracted. He had to make her better, had to make her smile, something, anything other than this nervous scared look she had on her face right then.

“Marinette, what’s wrong?”

She visibly swallowed before she spoke, “You’re not upset, are you?”

It was Adrien’s turn to blanch. “Upset? Why would I be upset? This is the best day of my life! The girl I love in the suit and the girl I love on this god forsaken show are the same person! How could I ever be upset?”

Marinette still looked sheepish and wouldn’t meet his eyes, “But... I lied to you. A lot. During that last akuma attack, when you showed me the top 10 list. I felt as though I did a lot of hiding and lying to protect my identity.”

Adrien had forgotten about all of those moments, too overcome with happiness that Marinette is Ladybug but he still couldn’t find it in him to be upset, even though he hated lying.

“Marinette,” she didn’t look up when he said her name, so he gently placed a finger under her chin and lifted it up until his eyes met those enchanting blue ones. “I have known you for seven years of my life, and it takes a lot for me to be upset with you. Trust me when I say, this makes me so much happier than I ever could have imagined. If I could get down on one knee and propose to you right now I would.” Her eyes grew wide at that statement and he had a slight moment of terror where he realized that may not be something she wanted. “It’s you, Marinette. It’s always been you.”

Marinette’s eyes glistened with tears and he bent down the rest of the way to where their lips connected. The kiss was chaste, but meaningful as he felt the tears slip down Marinette’s cheeks.

When they broke apart, Adrien pulled her into a bone crushing hug, noticing for the first time that the producers were trying to wave them back to the beach. Marinette seemed in better spirits and was even smiling and laughing with him as they walked back hand in hand.

“How did you figure it out?” Marinette asked, her voice once again confident and beautiful.

Adrien felt himself smirk and saw Marinette roll her eyes in response. “The puns. Ladybug hates them. You rolled your eyes when I made my puns back there absentmindedly and that was kind of when all of the pieces clicked together.”

Marinette hit her forehead with the palm of her hand. “I was so careful during these past 5 weeks to not show any sign of my dislike for your puns. I even used that as my first impression for you, knowing that you like the damned things so much.” Adrien laughed at the memory. He was still slightly embarrassed that he forgot to ask for her name, but looking back he should have known that the girl who could pun her way into his heart could only be his Lady.

“Man, we make quiet the pair, don’t we?” Adrien asked as they reached the beach. A swarm of producers surrounded them and the couple was told that it was time to start getting ready for the evening portion of the date.

Adrien turned to Marinette, refusing to let go of her hand just yet. “Thank you for an amazing day at the beach.”

“I’ll see you in a little bit,” Marinette gave his hand a quick squeeze before letting go and being whisked away by the producers.

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

Marinette was dropped off at a hotel in Jabline that was right next to the beach where Adrien had discovered she was Ladybug. She was led by a producer to a back patio that was well lit and showed the moonlight shimmering on the water.

Thankfully it was warm outside, as Marinette was wearing a dark red cotton dress that stopped at her knees. The neckline of the dress was straight across and the sleeves hugged her arms as an off the shoulder that was even with the neckline. The bodice was tight and showed off the top of her curves, but the skirt flourished out a little at her hips. The skirt itself had a small high-low to it and Marinette shivered in the slight breeze, very aware of how much skin was showing.

She was instructed to wait by the doorway, and Adrien would come and escort her in when it was time for the date to start. She waited only a couple of minutes before Adrien turned the corner and was walking towards her. Someone must have given him the hint of what color tie to wear, because his slick black suit was accented with a red tie the same shade as her dress. He was beaming at her and just seeing him, looking at her like that, as if they were the only two in the whole world, made her blush.

He gently wrapped his hand around her waist and pulled her into a hug. His lips were covered by her hair, which was curled and slightly poofy, and whispered, “You look absolutely stunning tonight,” which caused Marinette to blush even more.

He leaned away from her and took her hand, twining his fingers in with hers. “What are we going to talk about tonight?” Marinette looked at him, slightly confused by what he was meaning. Thankfully, Adrien explained. “Normally on one-on-one dates, during the night portion the girl talks about something personal they wanted to tell me in order to deepen our relationship.” He’s eyes twinkled slightly and she could tell that he’d been waiting to say this all night. “Since I already know everything about you, what are you going to ‘surprise’ me with. I want to make sure I have the appropriate face ready.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her in a move that screamed Chat Noir. She shoved him slightly before responding.

“Well I was planning on bringing up the whole Gabriel conversation, since according to the cameras, I haven’t had that conversation with you. I was also going to just talk about my love of fashion and whatnot.” He still had the stupid smirk on his face, and Marinette was tempted to kiss it off. “That’s all you're getting from me, Kitty.” She flicked his nose playfully and Adrien busted out a laugh.

“It’s still so surreal. I was thinking about what I discovered on the beach,” He means finding out I’m Ladybug she screamed inside, still in shock that it happened at all this way, “and I just couldn’t believe it. Even hearing you call me that, it still feels like a dream.” He gazed at her as if she was his dream and she had to remind herself that it wasn’t weird, because Adrien was her dream too.

“Well, sorry to burst your bubble but it’s real. I’m real. I’m here for you and whatever else this show has in store for us,” Marinette squeezed his hand reassuringly.

Adrien had opened his mouth to respond when a producer, the one who had walked her to her meeting with Gabriel came up behind them, “Save all the lovey-dovey shit for the cameras, please. We start rolling in 30 seconds.”

“Thank you, Mark.” Adrien responded, not taking his eyes off of Marinette. They turned towards the cameras, which would record the two of them walking in and having “casual” conversation, before sitting and having the personal conversation that was expected of her.

“Action!” Someone yelled from near where all the cameras were and Marinette allowed Adrien to pull her forward starting up an easy conversation about their date location as he pulled out her chair for her to sit in. She sat, thanking him while smoothing out her skirt. She was suddenly very aware of the cameras watching her from multiple angles and her palms got a little sweaty for no reason. Thankfully, when she looked up, all she could see was Adrien’s face smiling at hers, and it allowed her to relax slightly.

“I had so much fun on our date this afternoon,” Adrien started and gave Marinette’s hand under the table, which he had reclaimed after sitting down, a squeeze.

“I did too,” Marinette responded, very aware of how lame she sounded. She opened her mouth to say something, anything, that didn’t make her sound like some dumb girl when Adrien carried on the conversation.

“I absolutely adore that dress you are wearing.” He said, with another squeeze of her hand. “Did you design it?”

Marinette gave him a hesitant look, but Adrien gave her a slight nod and a smile, urging her to take his bait and run with it. “Actually, no this is one of your Father’s pieces. It is stunning, though. Your dad is really good at what he does.”

“I’ve also heard that your designs are amazing as well.” Adrien asked, no worry about broaching this subject on his face or in his voice. He looked the most confident she had ever seen him outside of the mask. “Is it true that the shirt you wore on the video game date was one you designed?”

Marinette swallowed before nodding.

“It was really well designed. I honestly thought it was a Gabriel. You have a lot of talent.”

Marinette smiled at the compliment and continued on with the conversation they planned. “I aspire to be like your Father one day. Your Father actually confronted me about that shirt.” Adrien’s face reacted perfectly, as if he was hearing this information for the first time. “That was the night I disappeared from the group date. He had pulled me aside and asked me questions about the shirt and why I had worn it.”

“Why did you wear it?” Adrien asked, right on cue.

“I woke up late that morning and grabbed the first shirt I found to wear for the date. I brought it with me to the mansion because it helps inspire me when I am designing new clothes. All of the girls here have been such an inspiration as well, but it’s still nice to see a shirt that I designed that I really like to help remind me that this is what I want to do, even when it seems hard.”

Adrien’s face had softened and his smile was genuine as he reached out and grabbed her other hand that had been resting on the table. He began rubbing small circles on the back of her hand and she felt excited tingles ripple through her body.

“I’m sorry you had to deal with my Father in that way. He can be a little tough to handle. I’ve had a lot of hard conversations with him during this show, but I’m glad you were able to make your voice heard.” Marinette smiled, but she still had something that had been bothering her, and now felt like as good a time as any to bring it up.

“One of the girls found out about that conversation.” Adrien’s head tilted ever so slightly to the side, and she knew that he was no longer playing along with the conversation. “With your father. Someone knew that it had happened, and that was why the girls were claiming that I wasn’t there for the ‘right reasons’ at that cocktail party.”

Adrien’s eyes gave away that he understood a little, but he still seemed slightly confused. “Someone knew about the conversation? About what it was concerning?”

Marinette racked her brain, trying to remember exactly what Lila had said that night. “I don’t think she knew the topic of conversation, but she knew who I had the conversation with and made assumptions.”

“Well that’s.... interesting.” Once again, Marinette could see the wheels turning in his head as he tried to make sense of this information.

“I know I’ve told you before that I really am here for you, but I just wanted to make it even clearer. I am here for you, Adrien and only you. I may want to work in fashion and your Father’s company is amazing, but I would never use you to start working for your Father, as the girl at the cocktail party insinuated. I would rather start up a rival company and work as your competition than use you to boost my career and earn an internship with Gabriel.”

Adrien looked slightly taken back by her words and she was worried she had gone too far, but his smile returned, genuine and sweet. “You really mean that?” Adrien asked, his voice full of hope and love for her.

“I really do.” She smiled shyly, but the words kept coming, full of confidence, “If we make it through this show, and you end up picking me, I’d love for you to be with me as I embark on my fashion journey. But, I don’t want to use you to achieve my dream, like your Fa—like other people may have used you in the past.” Her blush returned and she was internally freaking out. She had almost called out Gabriel freaking Agreste on the way he treated his son on TELEVISION! It was too late now to do anything about the comment, but she prayed that the producers would somehow edit it out and not allow Gabriel to know about it.

“Do you think you’ll take over the company when you’re old enough?” Marinette asked on a whim, talking too fast and trying to cover up the mistake she had just made.

Adrien, who had obviously heard the slip and had decided to ignore it, paused slightly before answering, clearly thinking about his answer. “Maybe. If Father asks me to, I will, but that’s never been my dream. Plus, I can’t design anything for the life of me, so he’d have to hire someone to continue that part of the company.”

Marinette smiled, suddenly thinking about what it would look like if she really did marry Adrien. He could run the business side, which is what he was forced to study in university, and she could design for the company. They would ride to and from work together and after they were finished for the day, they would ride together to pick up their three children from daycare or wherever and go back to their house, where their hamster and maybe a cat were waiting and cook dinner together. Then they would put the kids to sleep and curl up on the couch and watch a movie together and—

“Marinette?”

Marinette snapped back to reality and blushed. She was suddenly glad no one could read her thoughts and she had to compose herself before she asked Adrien what he had said.

Adrien gave her a smile that was slightly mischievous before responding, “What were you thinking about?”

Marinette blushed even deeper and tried to play it off, “That couldn’t possibly be the question you had asked me.”

“It wasn’t,” Adrien’s smile grew, and his eyes were twinkling. “I just want to know what’s going on in your head. You seemed really happy, whatever you were thinking about.”

Marinette stared at Adrien for a beat, blue eyes meeting green. She could see him begging her to be candid with him, and she was trying to tell him that it was embarrassing, before she sighed and explained. “I was thinking about what it would be like, to have a future...” her throat was suddenly dry, but she remembered the comment he had made on the beach when he found out she was Ladybug. If I could get down on one knee right now and propose to you I would. “... with you. I just had a snapshot into what life would be like if you really end up choosing me at the end of this.”

Adrien’s face softened, the teasing in his eyes had turned to something much sweeter. “Did you like what you saw?” Adrien almost whispered.

“I did,” Marinette whispered back. They shared a moment where they just stared at each other, soaking in the possibility of a future and kids and their whole lives together ahead of them. They had unconsciously leaned towards each other and were mere inches apart.

“It looks like I stood up to my dad for the right person,” he whispered and her blush darkened as he closed the space between them and his lips met hers. These kisses were light and gentle, nothing like the ones they had shared at the end of the picnic. But it was refreshing and sweet to be treated like something valuable and fragile, especially with him knowing how much stronger she actually was thanks to her Miraculous.

They broke apart quickly, and Adrien smiled at her. He reached over to the other side of the table and grabbed something off of a plate. She hadn’t realized that it had been sitting there, but when Adrien lifted the rose into the air, she suddenly remembered why they were there in the first place.

“Marinette, thank you so much for talking about the hard stuff and just being completely honest with me. I have loved our time together and you would make me the happiest guy at this hotel if you would please accept this rose.”

Marinette laughed a little and smiled. “Absolutely,” Adrien handed her the rose and then stood up and offered her his hand.

“Come on, I’ve got a surprise for you.” She didn’t have any idea about where they were going, but she knew that Adrien would never lead her astray.

They walked through a patio door that led towards the beach, and after walking for about five minutes, Marinette realized that they were walking towards a crowd that was gathered. The crowd was standing in darkness and that was why Marinette hadn’t seen them from their date spot at the hotel. As the two of them got closer, lights were flicked on, and they were so bright that Marinette had to blink a couple of times to clear the spots out of her eyes. When she could see again she gasped and stopped moving.

Before her was a stage. She and Adrien were standing in the middle of the crowd, which had parted and left a wide circle of space around them, probably for the cameras. But the thing that made her pause was that on the stage, about to perform, was none other than Jagged Stone. He was a famous rocker that Marinette loved. She had interacted with him a handful of times and Jagged had even asked Marinette to design some of his album covers. She was so shocked to see him, here on her date with Adrien, that she just stared open mouthed up at the stage.

Jagged looked down at her and shot her a wink. “This next song is for my favorite little lady, and her handsome boy.” He began playing a slow love song, and Adrien gently spun Marinette around to where she was facing him. He put his hands casually on her hips, and instinctively she wrapped her arms around his neck, rose still in hand.

“Do you know Jagged Stone?” Adrien said, loud enough to be heard over the music. The shock in his voice was still heard, despite the loudness of the room.

Marinette smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, I’ve designed album covers for him before. He’s come and done a reality show at my parent’s bakery. We... kind of go way back.”

Adrien was beaming, “You are so cool,” he gushed as he pulled her closer. She allowed herself to be swept up by Adrien and the song.

They danced until the end of the song, when the whole crowd was staring at the two of them, rather than Jagged. Jagged was looking at them too, and he said into the microphone, “Well kiss her already!” Marinette and Adrien laughed, but Adrien did as he was told and leaned down to kiss her. This one lasted longer than it probably should have, with all of these people watching, but between the romantic dancing and the song, Marinette didn’t have it in herself to care.

They broke apart when Jagged began another song, this one more upbeat than the last. Adrien and Marinette danced for what felt like hours, but was probably only 30 minutes. When Jagged waved goodbye to the audience, Marinette and Adrien were whisked away. They said their goodbyes, including snagging a couple of kisses, before being steered toward their respective cars.

As Marinette was getting into hers, a cold hand grabbed her bare upper arm, and she turned to face their direction. Gabriel had Marinette’s arm in a death grip and he looked furious. So much for Gabriel not finding out about my slip-up. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re still doing here, Miss Dupain-Cheng. You may have Adrien wrapped around your finger, but you will not be allowed to win this competition. I have been working too hard for this to fall apart because my weak son has seen fit to fall for a nobody and ruin all of my plans. So, make this easier on everyone and go home.” The last words were hissed out between his teeth as he abruptly let go of her arm.

Gabriel turned on his heel and went to walk away, but stopped short at the sight of Adrien standing in front of him. Adrien looked livid. He was more Chat Noir now than ever, and Marinette honestly thought that he may call for Plagg and cataclysm his father right here.

Then Marinette remembered that both Tikki and Plagg were at Master Fu’s.

“Don’t you ever lay a hand on her or any of the other girls again, do you understand? I am capable of making my own decisions and I do not appreciate you threatening one of my girls.”

Both father and son shared the same look, hatred and anger boiling together. Gabriel was the first one to walk away, brushing past Adrien without so much as a glance. Adrien turned towards Marinette, the fire still alight in his eyes. “Are you hurt?” His voice was cold, but she knew that it wasn’t aimed at her.

“No, but I may have a bruise tomorrow.” Marinette conceded. She had unconsciously grabbed the place where Gabriel had grabbed her, making her look as though she had been injured, despite her words.

“Make sure no one else finds out about this, okay?” His voice softened with every word and he reached out to gently run his fingers over her shoulders. He opened his mouth as though he was going to say something and instead leaned down and kissed her on the cheek with a whispered, “I love you,” before he turned away and walked to his own car.

Marinette was silent the whole trip back, and this time she couldn’t find it in herself to sleep.

~~~

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hellyeahomeland · 4 years

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“In Full Flight”: an HYH recap

The most delightful Homeland episode since “Two Minutes” picks up with Mike, Jenna (in a chambray shirt), and Alan in Kabul station, observing drone footage of Carrie, Yevgeny, and crew. Jenna deduces that they’re probably going to Kohat, and she is correct for the first time all season.

Mike asks about an exfiltration team from Islamabad but they won’t be there until later tonight. Saul interrupts their pow-wow to ask what’s going on:

Saul: What is this about grabbing Carrie Mathison? Mike: Oh, hello, sir. Let’s go into my office. Saul: Fuck your office and fuck you, too. What are y’all talking about? Mike: No problem, sir. A special ops team is planning to grab Carrie. You know, because she’s a defector. Saul: FOR FUCK’S SAKE SHE IS NOT A DEFECTOR. Actually she’d be right here telling you that herself if you hadn’t cornered her like an animal three hours ago without telling me. Mike: Actually actually she was supposed to be back in America like a week ago but then she broke custody and started her adventure with a GRU officer. Now they’re out there doing God knows what. Sir. Saul: I’ll tell you what they’re doing. They’re finding the flight recorder. Mike: What’s a flight recorder? Saul: I can’t believe I’m still having this conversation with you. Do any of y’all have brains or critical thinking skills? Mike: By the way, sir, you’ve been called back to DC. Saul: Fuck my whole life. Fuck all of you too.

Carrie and Yevgeny are very much on their way to Kohat. It’s been just a few hours since Carrie turned her back on Saul and her loaded expression as she stares out the window is very much “questioning all my past life decisions.” That could take a while, Carrie!

Carrie and Yevgeny arrive in Kohat and begin driving under a series of … I have no idea what they are, basically overhangs in the street so you can’t tell where their car is. It’s very “From A to B and Back Again” when Quinn lost Haqqani in the classic baseball stadium game “Which hat is the ball under?” trick. The team in Kabul is annoyed and prepares for a grid search.

Carrie & Co. are checking into a hotel for the night. Yevgeny makes a very obvious performance of leading Carrie to her room and what ensues is the most sexually tense scene on this show… ever. First he offers her some Ambien and Carrie cracks a joke for the first time in eight years and says she could open up a pharmacy of her own.

She apologizes for not telling him about the flight recorder sooner. At first it was all personal, she needed to find Max, she couldn’t focus on anything else. Yevgeny asks what she thinks actually happened to the presidents’ helicopter, since she certainly doesn’t believe Jalal was involved. She thinks it was probably just a freak accident: pilot error, mechanical failures, shitty weather, any or all of the above. Then she reveals that detail from the fifth episode, that the Black Hawk fleet has had a series of mechanical issues. Oh, I should add that this conversation all takes place in the doorway of Carrie’s hotel room and every fifteen seconds or so Carrie and/or Yevgeny glance back toward the bed. You can cut the sexual tension with a knife.

Yevgeny asks if there are any more secrets she’s been keeping from him. She smiles, pauses… it’s the most interesting moment. Then she says very quietly, “I think I’m fresh out of secrets.” They stare at each other for a long time, Yevgeny probably wondering if Carrie is going to invite him in and Carrie probably wondering if Yevgeny can take a fucking hint. Finally, I exhale, and Yevgeny says to just “bang on the wall” if Carrie needs anything, which at least elicits a laugh.

Elsewhere in Pakistan, a Pakistani military officer named Aziz has come to see Bunny to ask just where the fuck Tasneem is. Aziz is pissed because Tasneem was supposed to control the Taliban—first Haissam, then Jalal—and her “incompetence” has led to the Americans threatening to invade. Bunny is the opposite of worried. The Americans are all talk, no bite. They won’t actually invade Pakistan for failing to produce a man they claim they can’t find. I guess he hasn’t met John Zabel. Anyway, he says Tasneem is off to find Jalal somewhere in the mountains.

Instead, she actually meets (Haissam) Haqqani’s right-hand. She is beyond pissed that he just let Jalal control the shura last week. This is all so fucked. He doesn’t have much of a response, beyond, “well, he was the emir’s son, so I guess so?” He offers to take Tasneem to Jalal but only if she puts a hood over her head and lemme tell ya, Tasneem is none too pleased about that either!

It’s the next morning in Kohat and Carrie and Yevgeny really are going shopping, just like the logline said. They’re winding their way through the bazaars on the street but still no luck finding this flight recorder. Enter A Kid. He’s all “pardon me, excuse me,” and Yevgeny puts on his best Dad Hat and tells him to get lost. It’s very touching. Then he says he knows what they’re looking for, which is enough to get their attention.

He takes them to a shop where Mr. Shop Owner #1 is like, “Hi, do you like flight recorders? Because I’ve got lots!” Unfortunately he doesn’t have the one they’re looking for and he also seems pretty skittish because a) what the hell are a Russian and an American doing together? and b) is this official government business or something private or, like… just generally what the hell?

Saul has arrived back to DC and meets Hayes in the Oval Office with our favorite Odd Couple, Linus and Zabel (this should really be the name of a sitcom). Saul passively aggressively says he knows of Zabel “by reputation.” Aside from that jab, the meeting unfortunately goes from meh to ugh to wtf for Saul. He has to play bad cop and tell Hayes that the video of Jalal is unvetted intelligence, completely lacking in context, and probably just a straight-up lie. Hayes has the expression of someone who’s never followed Thought A to Thought B—which is true, obviously—and Zabel has to jump in to say of course POTUS has already done the Thought A to Thought B exercise, he just arrived at a different conclusion. You know, mine! The best part of all THIS is that as Saul grows increasingly incredulous at the conversation, Linus sits there, silently, looking like he’d like to be swallowed up by an alligator. Afterward:

Saul: Wow a bit of warning would have been helpful. Or maybe just an assist there, Linus. Linus: I didn’t even know you were coming back. I’m outside the ~information flow~ Saul: God, we’re so fucked. Linus: I wish I’d get swallowed by an alligator.

Back in Kohat, Carrie has entered another shop, this time sans Yevgeny. This one proves a bit more fruitful. She actually finds Max’s rucksack, which means that flight recorder had to have been here recently. Mr. Shop Owner #2 feigns ignorance, but Carrie is relentless.

Yevgeny enters all of a sudden to let her know that that special ops team from Islamabad is here, so they need to get out of there, pronto. He leaves quickly to lose the tail and instructs her to go back to the hotel and wait. His absence gives her the perfect opportunity to keep grilling Mr. Shop Owner #2, whom I actually love and seems really sweet. Poor guy is just no match for Carrie. He finally reveals the flight recorder was there but he sold it to a broker he works with. Carrie offers him a lot of money to find the broker and get the flight recorder back there for a trade at midnight.

Tasneem gets the black hood off her head in exchange for an audience with Jalal, but homie remains pissed. Jalal is sort of confused at her reaction. A few episodes ago she was plotting to put Jalal in the place he’s currently in. What changed? Well, for starters, now the Americans are threatening to invade Pakistan. She says he’s got to go to ground, but he refuses to run.

Jalal: Who do you think I am? Tasneem: You’re the loser whom I picked up on the side of the road. I bandaged your feet and listened to you crying about your daddy issues for hours. Jalal: You think that you control us. Actually it’s the other way around.

He leads her up to a rooftop where hundreds of Taliban fighters have gathered. He says the last time the ISI got in the way, they killed a thousand of their officers on the street. And now they’re twice as strong, so you do the math. Tasneem has a general “oh fuck” expression on her face and… same.

In Kohat, Yevgeny finally shows back up in Carrie’s hotel room. He reveals that eight men are hunting her and they need to leave, now. She says they can’t, as they haven’t found the flight recorder yet. Of course we know Carrie has found it—and in hindsight, at this point Yevgeny probably does as well—but she needs to stick around a few more hours to make the trade. For a split second you think maybe Carrie is going to preoccupy Yevgeny for a few hours in her bedroom but instead she calls Jenna.

Carrie: Hey, how’s it going? Jenna: OH MY GOD I STILL HATE YOU. Carrie: Chill for a second. Also I know you’re walking toward Mike and do yourself a favor and pause and just listen to me. Jenna: Ugh, fine, I’m listening. Carrie: I need you to give up the location of the exfil team that’s looking for me. Jenna: Are you high? Carrie: I am not, but you are if you think this will end up any other way than me convincing you. Jenna: You’re putting me in an impossible position. Carrie: You must do this. I compel you. Jenna: If I give up their location, you’ll turn yourself in there? Carrie: “Sure.” Jenna: Ok I’ll call you back.

This entire conversation transpires with Yevgeny sitting on the sofa in Carrie’s hotel room, legs crossed. It’s… I’ll be honest, it’s hot. When Carrie hangs up he applauds her performance and says she was clever and convincing. That’s right, Carrie played Jenna… again. Again! Again again again!

Carrie is kinda down on selling out her own people but Yevgeny says she did it for all the right reasons and in any case, the local police will only hold them for a day (uhhhh yeah right). He starts to compliment her strong instincts. He really respects her for that.

“Why, how do you do it?” Carrie asks.

“Me? I am more of a planner,” Yevgeny answers.

The alarm bells start ringing in her head and Carrie asks him all speaking of which whether he arranged for them to “run into each other” outside G’ulom’s office way back in the season premiere (show time: 10 days???). Before he can answer, Jenna rings back and tells Carrie the safe house location. Carrie says “you did the right thing” and the amount of self-disgust in her expression for this just being too fucking easy is … significant.

A few minutes later, Mike is on the phone with one of the special ops team members in the Kohat safe house. Local police have surrounded the building. Exasperated, Mike tells them to stand down. One by one, they file out and are led into custody. Jenna watches in horror and the amount of self-disgust in her expression for this just being her life is… also significant.

In Rawalpindi, Tasneem is at Bunny’s house and freaking out. Jalal has consolidated power extremely quickly. She’s concerned, but Bunny says they just need to take him out, root and branch. Bunny is offended by the prospect of being ordered around by a smarmy teenager but Tasneem thinks they need to protect him. If Pakistan protects Jalal, they’ll protect themselves too. And they need to respond to the Americans not with concessions but with threats just as strong. Remember when they were three minutes away from a generation-defining peace agreement?

Back in her hotel room, Carrie is growing restless. She decides to get some fresh air and by that I mean she jumps out the window to get the show on the fucking road. On the way she calls Saul, to whom she is apparently still speaking. She asks if their protocols for transferring money over the dark web are still a go and he says yes. She says she’s got a lead on the black box and he promises to arrange the funds ASAP.

Carrie winds up back at Mr. Shop Owner #2’s shop. Mr. Shop Owner #1 is there, too! Plus the broker. They do a little thing, Carrie says she won’t pay any more than $999,999, she is very In Charge and it’s pretty great to see. Not that we needed any more convincing, but the kind of instincts and improvisation Yevgeny admired just a few hours earlier are on full display here. She knows exactly what to say, when to say it, and how to say it. It’s breathtaking.

What’s also breathtaking is Carrie doing something correctly with a computer. Apparently the black box just hooks up to her Macbook with a USB-C cord… whoulda thunk?! After pulling a gun on Mr. Broker and telling him to beat it, she starts listening to the cockpit recording.

Then Yevgeny arrives! She starts to apologize but he stops her—he just wants to listen. They each share an earbud like goddamn Jim and Pam and continue listening. Turns out, Carrie was right. No one shot down that helicopter. A freak mechanical malfunction, “brace for impact,” etc. “Fucking helicopters,” Yevgeny says.

Carrie attempts a segue and says, “So… what now?” She wants to get this to the embassy in Islamabad. He wants to do the opposite of that. Then Carrie starts on him. Maybe he’s not such a bad guy after all. Maybe he’s actually… good.

Carrie: Plus, I’d owe you a favor. Yevgeny: Carrie, if I drop you off at the embassy I’ll literally never see you again. Carrie: Not true. I won’t betray my country, but I’d still move to Scottsdale with you. Yevgeny: I still don’t believe you. Carrie: Why not? You’ve already helped me a ton, and it’s cost you nothing! There has to be a way where we can make a “mutually beneficial arrangement.” Yevgeny: Is that what they’re calling it these days? Carrie: What? Yevgeny: What? Carrie: …anyhow, aren’t you sick of all this bullshit? Shitty bosses, shitty politicians, clearly the current way of business isn’t working for us. We could do better. You and me. We could chart something new here. You and me. God, we’re already halfway there! Yevgeny: Our own private network, huh? That would be nice, but it’s a pipe dream. Also, I like what you’re saying, but you still lied to me. Carrie: Technically, I just withheld the truth. Which is exactly what you did to me. Yevgeny: Heh? Carrie: The asylum, Yevgeny. What actually happened? We just took long walks in the woods and shared our life stories and you just happened to be the there the day I tried to hang myself? Give me a fucking break.

She moves closer and mentions the whole “picking up where we left off” thing. Well, will he or won’t he? Because she’s already decided.

There is a long pause and then they start making out. It’s exactly what you’d expect it would be, by which I mean it’s really hot! The scene is fraught with the unknown. How much are they playing each other? How much are they being genuine? Like Carrie says, they’re living in the grey areas. And who’s the first to blink?

Evidently it’s Carrie. After a few moments she breaks away and says they need to wait until after Islamabad. “Ok,” he says quietly. She tries to kiss him again, but he pulls ever so slightly away.

She hops off the table and begins to pack up the flight recorder. At that moment, he stabs her in the neck from behind with a tranquilizer. “Sorry, baby,” he says as she falls unconscious.

In DC, Saul is waiting anxiously by the phone. It rings. It’s not Carrie, but Linus. Everyone’s in the situation room, there’s some sort of activity in one of Pakistan’s nuclear facilities. Saul’s day goes from bad to worse.

In the situation room, resident hottie Scott Ryan is giving a PowerPoint presentation about said activity. Hayes is trying to understand literally anything that’s happening. Zabel explains that Pakistan only has the nukes in the first place to defend against a possible invasion from India. They’ll never actually use them. Saul growls that that’s because India isn’t fucking stupid enough to invade Pakistan. Hayes is beginning to understand the whole concept of “consequences” but before his mind can dwell on that for too long, he decides to just up the ante. More troops, more preparations for war, more of the same.

Saul’s day is not possibly as bad as Carrie’s has wound up. Yevgeny carries her, still unconscious, back into the hotel room. He places her gingerly on the bed and then kisses her forehead. He shuts off the lights as the camera moves in slowly on her her peacefully sleeping face.

#homeland #homelandedit #an hyh recap #in full flight #*#by: sara #homeland spoilers

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frenchy-and-the-sea · 4 years

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OC Kiss Week 20 - Spirited Away

Between wedding planning and teetering on the edge of being sick, I just haven’t had the time that I’d like to dedicate to kiss week. I’m still sitting on a few half-finished pieces, but I did wanna get this one in before the week ended so HERE WE ARE. Featuring @captainsaku‘s Nin, and Tahir, with a hint of a ghost of Alex creeping in there because she can’t be left out of shenanigans.

About 1400 words.

-----

Sir Merrin had already taken Nin through three dances, and she was beginning to suspect that he was angling for a fourth.

The first one had been cordial enough. Merrin was a hobbyist vintner, and though he mostly only oversaw the vineyards of his estate, he had a particular interest in the inner workings of the trade, and would speak at length about them at any given opportunity. It was a topic that Nin would have been able to talk all night about, had she been allowed to join the conversation.

“Have you ever been to any of the vineyards further east, Your Highness?” Merrin asked, as the last swell of music began to taper off. Nin glanced around. They had ended their dance in the middle of the crowded floor; all of her polite exits were blocked in.

“I haven’t,” she said, slowly. This was the first real question she had gotten in two dances. “I imagine that they must be lovely this -”

“Oh, you must! They are lovely this time of year. There is a region there - perhaps further south than east if I’m being precise - and they are all masters, simply masters! They keep their secrets well-guarded, but as a fellow enthusiast, they have encouraged me to take a few samples, so I…”

And on, and on it went, a steady stream of self-congratulations in between stories of people Nin only half-knew, spoken to her general direction as she was whirled and pressed through the mass of the crowd. They were only a minute into the song, but she was already starting to feel dizzy.

He was still on about the eastern vineyards when the dance spun them apart again, and Nin felt a hand suddenly seize her free one. To her left, she heard Merrin stuttered a protest; then a shoulder shoved its way between them and he was gone, whisked away from Nin and deeper into the crowd before she could make sense of just what had seperated them. The hand that had taken hold of hers shifted into a lead.

“Chatty one, ain’t he?”

Blinking, Nin followed the new voice up, and found herself staring into a wry smile cutting through a recently-trimmed beard. Tahir. She might’ve guessed; the hands under hers were the opposite of nearly every other person in the room, wide and dark and thick as tree bark along the palms.

“What…” she began, and frowned when her voice faltered. Apparently, her time with Sir Merrin had robbed her of the ability to form full sentences. Overhead, Tahir grinned.

“What am I doing here?” he guessed. “Why, giving you an out, Your Highness. Alex seemed to think that you had a guest overstaying his warm welcome.” He nodded over a shoulder, and Nin peered around his arm to where she could just make out the head of loose brown curls that was leading - pushing? - Sir Merrin further away into the crowd. She stifled an outright giggle, but only barely.

“I was fine,” she said, smiling despite herself. "Sir Merrin is… enthusiastic, yes, but -"

"But he's got the sickness that gives him a love of his own voice. And the charm of a mongrel dog. And you’ve been trying to find an escape for the last two dances.” Nin winced, and Tahir’s grin softened into something closer to a smile. “We knew you’d have eventually figured out a way to get yourself out polite-like, Your Highness, but we figured that we can afford to wound his pride a little. It’s not like we need to play courting games, hey?”

He was right, of course; Alex and her inner circle had been invited out of politeness rather than any need on their part. They had no wheels to spin, no deals to court, no friends to make among the aristocracy. As it was, they had likely only agreed to come for the chance at a decent meal.

“Well, then," Nin said, smiling, “at the very least, I suppose I ought to thank you for my rescue.”

“You ought to do nothing of the sort,” Tahir said, with a theatrically deep bow. Then he glanced sideways to the dance that was still churning on around them, and Nin saw his smile falter. Around them, the other dancers slinking past their awkward side-step were fielding glares steeped in the sort of muted hostility that only came out of the peerage when they were being interrupted. He straightened quickly, clearing his throat.

"You ought to do nothing of the sort,” he said, with an apologetic smile, “but I could, ah, use a lead. Alex is the one who knows his way around the noble art of dancing. I was told I wouldn’t need to."

Nin laughed - genuinely, perhaps for the first time since leaving the company of her guard for the night - and then adjusted her hand to take the lead with a smile.

"That seems like a fair trade."

For all of his professed shortcomings in dancing, Tahir was remarkably good at taking direction. When she staggered out of the way of his clumsy steps, he steadied her with an apology; when she nudged him out of the way of an oncoming dancer, he went as easily as a pennant in the wind. He still moved with the jerky, stuttering half-step of a novice, but he listened every time she offered a correction, and she never had to do it twice.

And for all the graceless dancing, the conversation was much, much better.

“Wine?” Tahir whispered in disbelief as they swept at half speed around the outside of the dance floor. “All of that time, all of those dances, and he couldn't fathom to talk about anything a sight more interesting than wine?"

“It's not such a terrible subject, really.” Nin slid her arm out around Tahir’s, gracefully deflecting a couple as they nearly plowed into his back. “I like growing things. I tend a garden myself. I would have loved to know more about the vineyards! Or I would have liked to talk about them, at least…"

"Ah," said Tahir, chuckling. "And so we come to the real problem: letting those of us who like to talk take command of the conversation! Well, stay your fears, Your Highness. You won't be subject to old men prattling about wine or dancing much longer now."

Nin opened her mouth to reply, then snapped it shut with a little squeak of alarm as the floor suddenly vanished from beneath her. The room spun as an arm hooked itself beneath the small of her back, until she looked up and found herself staring, bewildered, at the ceiling that had appeared over Tahir’s shoulder. He grinned down at her, then leaned forward, bending close to her ear.

“Down the corridor behind you,” he said quietly. “Take the last door on your right. I’m told Royal and the others are waiting to spirit you off for the evening, should you need it. And it seems to me that you rather need it.”

He leaned back almost immediately, righting her with a startling ease as the last notes of the song echoed around them. The crowd turned to applaud the band as Nin steadied herself upright, wide-eyed with surprise.

“How in the world did you -”

“We didn’t,” Tahir cut in. “Royal arranged most of it. But we don’t do rescues by halves, Your Highness. Having to dance with me just makes you the lucky sort.”

He winked, and another laugh - genuine again, and twice as startled - burst out of her. An escape! From her family’s own party, thrown in her stead! The doldrums that had plagued her evening before suddenly seemed thousands of leagues away.

Smothering the worst of her giggling, Nin stepped forward, up onto the very tips of her toes, and dropped a kiss onto Tahir’s cheek.

“Thank you,” she said as she pulled away, grinning so widely that her cheeks hurt. “At the very least, for helping Royal. And do be sure to thank your captain for me, too.”

“Alex is having the time of his life being a contentious little shit,” said Tahir with a roll of his eyes. “He doesn’t need any thanks, I promise you that.”

Somewhere behind them, a wordless sputter of irritation suddenly rose up out of the crowd, sounding suspiciously like it belonged to a very angry vintner. Tahir gestured towards the sound with another long-suffering roll of his eyes and then silently waved her off before turning back towards the crowd. Nin stifled another laugh as she slipped carefully towards the hallway behind her.

In six month’s time, there would be some other party, some important soiree to attend. She would be sure to send them an invitation.

#ockiss20 #my writing #other people's ocs #captainsaku #i took a LOT of liberties but being a crossover of wild proportions i hope they'll be forgiven LMAO #i'm also still fog brained so this edit might be absolutely hell #BUT #I WANTED TO WRITE SWEET NIN SO BAD #SO I DID #AND I HOPE U LIKE IT

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unadulteratedfandomtrash · 4 years

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Kim Seokjin x Reader ~ The Big Secret [Part 2]

[My BTS Masterlist]

A/N: Please note that this story is not trying to insinuate that any of the members would/do act like they do in my writing; this is all fictional and coming from my imagination. Also, this story does not strictly follow the timeline or realistic details.

I apologize for any plot holes; I’m pretty sure there are quite a few, but I’ve been very busy with personal issues to write, so I wrote this all in one sitting! I’ll try to comb through it all later to fix any issues. Feel free to let me know if you spot any contradicting details or grammar/spelling issues.

Word Count: 3505

The door behind Jin opens and within that very second, a young woman leaps onto the man in question, all four limbs wrapping around the man in question. Six pairs of eyes pop out of their respective heads, blinking rapidly as if the action will aid them in understanding the events currently taking place.

“Oh! You brought your friends with you,” the young woman remarks, pulling back her face, which was nuzzled into Jin’s shoulder. She releases her grip and straightens out her clothes before waving in all the men standing at her doorstep. “Please, come in. I apologize for the mess, but my brother was in a hurry this morning and left all his belongings scattered about; my own schedule has been hectic, so there hasn’t been any time to clean up after him.”

Now, as the six Bangtan boys stand in the apartment with wide eyes, their jaws dropping in further emphasis of their shock. The living room has heaps of clothes and shoes from designer brands draped all over the furniture, recording and producing equipment pushed up against the furthest wall, piles of expensive jewelry scattered on the coffee table, and several boxes filled with a diverse selection of cosmetics pushed beneath said coffee table.

Taehyung is the first to move while the others remain fixated on the priceless items in the room. He wanders carefully past the jewelry-covered table and stops to admire the numerous glass frames hung up on the wall. The very first design catches his attention; a metallic-silver background— most of its surface is covered by five signatures— accentuates a shiny blue logo that the young idol is very familiar with.

“OH MY GOSH, IS THAT A SIGNED ALIVE ALBUM?! WAIT! THERE’S ONE FOR EVERY ALBUM BIGBANG HAS RELEASED, AND THEY’RE ALL SIGNED!!”

This shout of excitement has everyone’s head snapping to look over at Taehyung, who is nearly crying tears of joy as his eyes rake over all the signed album covers hung up on the walls. Jungkook and Jimin run up to join their friend in admiring the displayed collection.

By now, Jin has disappeared into the kitchen and started to brew tea for all the members and his mysterious female friend. When the broad-shouldered idol returns, he and the young woman beside him are met with expectant glares from the rest of Bangtan’s hyung line— mainly Yoongi.

“Who the h-”

“What I think Yoongi-Hyung is trying to ask,” interrupts Namjoon, who has the group’s image in mind; he worries over the possibility of the woman before him recalling Yoongi’s brash words in the near future to fuel the beginnings of a scandalous article, “is: ‘Who are you?’” A timid, dimpled smile stretches across the leader’s lips as he waits patiently for a response. He nearly breaks into a nervous sweat when his hyung and the woman look at each other, a silent conversation taking place between the two.

“I’m Seokjin’s girlfriend and childhood bestie, Kwon (Y/n). It’s very nice to finally meet you all!”

Namjoon nearly faints.

The expensive paraphernalia lying around in the room and the albums on the wall suddenly makes sense. This apartment does not belong to just anybody. This apartment must belong to Kwon (Y/n), as in Kwon Jiyong’s sister.

Of course, Namjoon cannot prove such a presumptuous statement without actually asking (Y/n) herself, but he has a strong suspicion that his assumption is true. Sure, the surname “Kwon” is fairly common, but there have been articles in the past hinting that G-Dragon, one of the biggest stars in the Kpop and fashion industries, has two sisters; the details were extremely vague.

He feels awkward wanting to confirm her relation to the famous Kwon Jiyong. There is no indication the other members are connecting the dots, but Namjoon wants answers. He walked all the way out to this building in the cold clad in only pajamas and a fuzzy Ryan robe, gave away his ID to a young security guard he just met, and experienced second-hand embarrassment thanks to his fellow group members; Hoseok will be met with a lot of trouble if the trip proves to be pointless.

“So…um…Ms. Kwon, are you-”

The jingling of keys, followed by the unnerving creaking of the front door swinging open, interrupts the rapper mid-question.

“Ah, Jiyong-Hyung, you’re back,” Jin greets, rushing over to the door to assist the man in question with the many bags in his hands.

This time, nearly all of the Bangtan boys faint.

“Of course. What kind of brother would I be if I worked all day during my little sister’s birthday?”

“A horrible one,” (Y/n) pipes up. She sets down her mug of tea before running over to Jiyong to pull him into a tight embrace. “Thank you, Ji-Ji-Oppa~”

“Yah, stop calling me that! I’m not that stupid cartoon cat.”

“First of all, no! Secondly, he is not stupid. Jiji is very caring and cute. And thirdly, it’s not a cartoon!”

Sensing the awkward stares, the two siblings turn to face their audience of six stunned men. Jiyong is the first to step up and greet them, commenting on their music after introducing himself. Each BTS member stumbles over their words, finding it extremely difficult to speak to the man who is a member of their favorite group— their idol.

After shaking hands with BIGBANG’s leader, Taehyung grasps his wrist while staring at his hand, mouth gaping in shock. He mumbles something about not washing or using that hand ever again, but nobody pays any mind to his reaction.

“Wait a second… If you’re here to celebrate her birthday,” Hoseok comments, brows furrowed in confusion as he points an accusing finger at Jin, “then why did you bring a copy of our routine with you?”

“I was going to go over the choreography with Seokjinnie-Oppa a few times before dinner. He’s already got most of it down, so I’m mainly observing and pointing out any possible adjustments he needs to make. Since I wasn’t expecting my brother to be home so early, I haven’t gotten dinner started.”

“For the last time, I want to cook for you!” Though Jin sounds beyond irritated, his eyes show nothing but pure admiration for the woman before him. His friends are very familiar with Jin’s caring actions and are not surprised that this behavior is more prevalent when the man is around his girlfriend. “You should just relax for your birthday. I want to take care of you. You’re already helping me with the dance moves.”

“How about you both focus on the routine and let observe,” Jiyong suggests with a smirk. “I rarely get to see her dance anymore, so it’d be nice to watch and see if lil’ sis is as good as she claims to be these days.”

Bottom lip pursing into a pout, (Y/n) snaps back with a witty remark. The two bicker for quite some time until Jin ushers them both down the hall into a spare bedroom that had been refurbished into a dance studio; the rest of BTS follow their hyung, curious to witness Jin’s secret girlfriend’s dancing skills while also spending more time in the same room as G-Dragon himself.

Once (Y/n) refreshes her memory and cues the soundtrack, her expression changes drastically. In place of her usual bubbly personality, a stoicism that very few people can pull off, while maintaining a natural swagger, replaces her wide smile and bright, wide eyes. Her limbs move freely in the air, gliding in sync with the music without missing a beat, Jin watching and mimicking her movements at her side all the while.

The dance line watches silently, impressed with what is taking place before their very eyes; Hoseok now has a very good reason as to why his friend has suddenly been improving during their practice sessions.

Jungkook has his gaze trained on (Y/n) when a sudden thought pops into his mind. His head slowly turns until he spots Yoongi leaning against the wall; the eldest rapper’s demeanor is practically identical to the persona (Y/n) is currently maintaining. A mischievous smirk stretches across his lips, but the maknae chooses to remain silent, for now.

Once the routine is over, Jiyong is the first to applaud the couple, giving out exaggerated compliments to which his sister responds by slapping him. She taunts Jiyong, daring him to provide a better performance, but he argues back with an obvious fact: he is unfamiliar with the choreography, unlike her.

“Fine,” (Y/n) states with a smirk, “BIGBANG it is then.”

“What?”

“You said it yourself, Ji-Ji. You don’t know the routine. It would be unfair of me to challenge you with that song, so we’ll dance to one of your group’s songs instead. Might I suggest ‘Bang Bang Bang?’”

“But that requires a total of five people.” The idol fights back a smirk, desperate to hide the embarrassing fact that he has long since forgotten majority of the choreography for the song in question. He only remembers the basic moves, since the group never really stuck to the dance routine when performing on-stage; the energy in the building always left them running around across the stage and interacting with the fans. “I am just one person, (Y/n). I am physically unable to perform Youngbae, Seunghyun-hyung, Sengri, and Daesung’s parts at the same time.”

“You worry too much, Oppa~”

The smile on (Y/n)’s face leaves a dreading feeling within the pit of Jiyong’s stomach. Ever since they were young children, her lips would curl up into the same mischievous smile whenever her brain starts scheming. Some things never change…

“From what Seokjin has told me, the boys are huge fans of your music,” the young woman informs her sibling while gesturing to the idols in question. “I’m pretty sure that at least their dance line knows the choreography for all your songs.”

Upon hearing her statement, the dance line blushes and directs their gaze to the laminated floors, but a pair of colorful slippers enter their line of vision, prompting them to look back up to find (Y/n) standing before them. She gently grabs Jimin and Jungkook’s hands, pleading for them to convince the others to agree to participate in her challenge against Jiyong; Hoseok readily agrees without hesitation, but the two shyer dancers need more convincing before dancing in front of their sunbaenim and possibly humiliating themselves.

“I can dance instead of Jungkook,” Taehyung offers, his boxy smile stretching across his face. He continues to suggest taking Jungkoook’s place, since the vocalist is also very familiar with BIGBANG’s dance routines, but his main goal is to push the maknae into overcoming his nervousness and agreeing. And if Jungkook agrees to dance, Jimin will follow suit. “I was dancing to ‘Bang Bang Bang’ just last week, so it’s still very fresh in my memory. Jungkook only-”

“I’ll do it!” Jungkook’s sudden outburst startles Taehyung, but the 95-liner is quick to recompose. He shrugs his shoulders and backs down from the urge to whine about not being able to dance with G-Dragon, since a small part of him was hoping Jungkook would refuse. Either way, he is proud of Jungkook for stepping out of his comfort zone.

“Yes!! It’s settled then! Seokjinnie-Oppa, could you pull up the song for use please? Thank you~”

With their positions assigned and music blaring through the speakers, they begin to dance. Jimin quickly snatches up Taeyang’s position, leaving Jungkook to begrudgingly take T.O.P.’s position as Hoseok politely insists for (Y/n) to choose which member’s she would like to dance in place of; (Y/n) ends up choosing Daesung’s part.

From the sidelines on the far end of the room, Namjoon and the rest of his group members cheer on their peers, who execute the dance routine perfectly without a single mishap.

“Yeeeaaah,” Taehyung screams excitedly while jumping around. His deep voice rivals the loud music as he shouts along to the lyrics. “Bang, bang, bang, let the bass drum roll!!”

Once the song comes to an end, cheering and clapping echo throughout the room. The three members who took part in dancing alongside the siblings turn to bow, thanking them for the opportunity.

“No, no! There’s no need for that! I was the one who invited you to dance. If anything, I should be thanking you for agreeing!”

“You’re so talented, Noona,” the dance line remarks with bright smiles on their faces.

“Ahh, no, no,” she shakes her head in denial, shyly smiling as blood rushes up to her cheeks. “I’m not that good. I’m mostly self-taught.”

“What are you going on about?” Interrupting her rebuttal, Jiyong throws his arms over his sister’s shoulders, effectively restraining her in a tight embrace. He shoots her a warning look before addressing his guests with a proud smirk. “Don’t listen to this idiot. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about. For your information, (Y/n) is one of YG Entertainment’s top secret choreographers. You boys have already seen several routines she’s choreographed without knowing it; ‘Bang Bang Bang’ and ‘Fantastic Baby’ are two of her co-creations.”

If it were physically possible for the human eye to suddenly transform into hearts, such would be happening right this minute. The Bangtan boys are starstruck at the information Jiyong has just revealed to them.

Questions practically fly out of their mouths as the seven boys direct their curiosity at the Kwon siblings. Several dance-related inquiries are directed at (Y/n), who gladly answers each question with a smile, while the rappers focus on learning music production tips from Jiyong. However, while his friends are distracted, Hoseok slips over to the corner of the room where his hyung is seated by a laptop and set of speakers.

“Hey, hyung,” Hoseok greets quietly, his feet shuffling around anxiously. When Jin looks up at his fellow group member, he finds that the dancer’s eyes are looking at anything but his own. “I’m sorry for being nosy and dragging everyone out to see what you were up to. It was none of our business, and following you out here was really rude.”

A long silence follows Hoseok’s apology, scaring the dancer. He was worried about Jin’s reaction while waking over to him, but now that he has expressed his regrets, a weight has been lifted off his chest.

“I would be lying if I were to say that I’m not disappointed in you,” Jin admits with a sigh, lifting his head to meet Hoseok’s gaze before turning to watch (Y/n) and Jiyong interact with the rest of BTS; the smiles on all their faces prompt a small smile to tug at his own lips, “but I’m glad you came to apologize. You can apologize to Jiyong-Hyung and (Y/n) later, but right now, you can help me with dinner as part of your punishment.”

“Taa-daaa~”

Jubilant cheers erupt in the dining room as Jin directs his blindfolded girlfriend into her seat at the head of the table. Once the fabric slips away from her face, the crowd of men in the apartment burst into song, wishing the young woman a happy birthday.

“Saeng-il chukahamnida! Saeng-il chukahamnida! Saranghaneun-”

Loud knocking interrupts the cheerful song, confusing nearly everybody in the room, but Jiyong dismisses the odd expressions as he stands to get the door. The individuals at the door, once again, nearly causes the Bangtan boys to faint. The rest of BIGBANG enters the apartment, stopping to hug (Y/n) as she darts over to the door to greet her friends.

“What are you guys doing here?! I thought you were all busy?”

“Jiyong-Hyung texted us an hour ago to invite us to your little party since we managed to finish early,” Daesung explains, “He also asked us to bring your cake. He was going to get it himself, but since we were closer, we picked it up on the way over.”

Noticing his stunned dongsaengs doing nothing but staring with their mouths open, Jin steps forward to welcome the new guests. His casualness only shocks the boys more.

“Oh yeah,” (Y/n) exclaims happily, dragging the eldest rapper by the sleeve into the dining room, the young woman starts to introduce him to the younger idols. “Seunghyun-Oppa, these are Seokjin’s friends. They’re from the group Bangtan Sonyeondan!”

“You could’ve at least waited for us,” Youngbae playfully teases, sauntering into the room soon after. “We all want to meet them.”

A/N: Sorry for the abrupt skip. I wasn't sure how to end this segment, and after staring at my laptop screen for several weeks, I just decided to end it here and continue with a time skip.

Without realizing how much time has passed since the beginning of the celebration, the idols are taken aback when they gaze drunkenly at the clock hanging on the wall. Soon, the room is filled with commotion as all the artists scramble to gather their belongings in preparation to return back to their respective residences.

“Where do you guys think you’re going?” With her hands on her hips, (Y/n) shakes her head disapprovingly at the bumbling mess of limbs before her. She waltzes over to the men and begins to pluck away their overcoats, returning the garments to the coat rack by the door. “None of you are driving or taking a taxi back tonight. Some of you are barely standing straight, and yes, I’m talking about you, Seunghyun. Now, sit down while I sort out everything.”

“I can take some of them home,” Seokjin offers. “I haven’t had any alcohol, and since I drove the SUV over, I can transport more people than if I were to take my other car.”

“I couldn’t possibly ask that of you…”

“Well, I offered,” he counters with a smirk, “so I don’t see where the issue is. I can make one trip to drop off everyone in BIGBANG, then come back for Bangtan.”

Sighing in defeat, (Y/n) accepts her boyfriend’s proposition. She returns to the coat rack and slowly assists her brother’s friends with their outerwear as Jin escorts them one-by-one into the awaiting vehicle in the parking structure.

“Thank you for the party, Jiyong-Oppa. Good night!”

“I love youuuuu~”

“Yes, yes, I love you too.”

Once all of BIGBANG has been transferred from her apartment to Jin’s car, (Y/n) jogs over to her office in search of a sticky note to jot down each member’s respective address. Illuminated by the moonlight pouring into the room through the open windows, the young woman decides to forgo turning on the lights during her hunt for the pad of paper.

Jin returns from the parking garage with all of BIGBANG buckled in and ready to return home only to find the living room empty as he steps back into the parking lot. A faint shuffling noise catches the man’s attention, leaving him to follow his ear while reluctantly entering deeper into the apartment. Despite having been dating (Y/n) for quite some time now, Jin remains hesitant when it comes to exploring his girlfriend’s apartment; he does not feel comfortable invading her privacy and feels as if he is overstepping unspoken boundaries by doing so.

“Where is it? I was using it just the other day…”

Frustrated whispers draw Jin’s attention to a room on his right, so he peeks his head through the threshold to watch as (Y/n) shove around her paperwork haphazardly. A mischievous plan pops into his head and, despite his better judgement, Jin quietly slips into the office to sneak up on his beloved. The darkness shrouds his presence perfectly, leaving the man to stealthily creep across the room without making a single sound.

“I could’ve sworn that I left it next to the laptop… Maybe I moved it back to the dra- Ahh!!”

Deft fingers dart out and make use of (Y/n)’s unawareness, tickling her sides without wavering as the young woman desperately squirms around. Several stacks of paper fall to the ground, followed by the loud thud of (Y/n) crashing into her office chair, but Jin persists with his attack.

“Seokjin, stop,” (Y/n) manages to gasp out between laughs. “It’s getting late and you still need to take everyone home.”

“Fine, but only because you’re right. I’ll continue this one day.” Jin backs away and allows the young woman to continue her search as he offers to turn on the lights. “You shouldn’t be looking around in the dark. You might get hurt on accident.”

Even though she insists on finding her sticky notes without any help, Jin flips on the light switch and immediately spots the item in question before (Y/n). He grabs the pad of paper with a smug smile, promptly sauntering over to his girlfriend in order to wave it before her eyes.

“See, I told,” he teases.

“Shut up.”

“Don’t be mean. After all, I was the one who managed to help you out.”

Tearing off the first sheet with a pout, (Y/n) thrusts the list into Jin’s hands and proceeds to push the man out of her office; her blushing cheeks become more apparent, thanks to a certain idol’s antics.

“Just go take them home already!”

To Be Continued...

(Only one more part left!)

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