#quick little introduction to what could potentially be a bigger thing

[jankwritten]

Jasico Bingo Challenge: CHB Jason

Nico isn’t sure what’s worse: the fact that his childhood best friend seemingly disappeared into thin air a week ago, or the fact that the hottest guy he’s ever seen in his life has mysteriously appeared within Camp Jupiter’s walls. 

“Of course it was the first cohort,” he overhears after a Senate meeting, whispered in the halls. “He must be crazy powerful, if Lupa didn’t even need to train him!” 

“Shut up, that’s just a rumor. Everyone has to meet Lupa.” 

“They definitely met,” the first voice insists. Nico leans further into his shadows. The pair pass in front of him. “But she just let him go.” 

Hot guy is, of course, the gossip of the week. The month, even. 

Nico privately decides that hot guy is worse, only because it seems like his presence alone has turned the Legion into morons who’ve forgotten their freakishly powerful, supposed-to-be-Praetor has literally evaporated. Poof! No more son of Neptune! 

Nico would think the people who just a few years ago made a massive deal out of every move said son of Neptune made would pay a little more attention to the fact that the whole freaking man is gone! 

But no. There’s new gossip to be had, about a blonde with drool-worthy eyes and a scar on his lip and a suspiciously-missing backstory. 

Spend enough time in the Underworld, and you learn to suspect the whole amnesia act. Shades always know more than they pretend to. 

As the senate hall empties, Nico sinks fully back into the shadows. 

He will not let this stand. 

(to be continued)

[humbledragon669]

S2E1 - The Arrival Write Up P1 - Before the Beginning

Wow, it’s been a little while since I did one of these. So much of a while in fact, that I feel like I’ve forgotten how I like to do them. I went back and read over the previous ones I’ve done to try and get back into the swing of things, but I feel like I’m having a bit of an imposter syndrome going on (after all, who am I to tell people what they can so clearly see for themselves?), so please bear with me if this all feels a bit stilted to begin with. So, with that self-serving plea out of the way, let’s point out the obvious and immediate parallel between the opening of season two and its prequel:

There isn’t a banner for the first season to compare this with, but we all know that the storyline for the very first episode started “in the beginning”. The episode title was even named for the time period, although I think there was probably a bit more sub-text to that than just an indicator of a time frame. There’s another parallel to be had here too – this would appear to be the first time that Crowley (or whatever his angelic name was – I shall simply continue to call him Crowley for this section) and Aziraphale actually meet, mirroring the conversation on the wall of the Garden of Eden nicely, it being the first time they meet with Crawly in his demon form. Quick side note: the time period parallel makes me wonder if there will be something similar going on for season 3 – “after the beginning” perhaps? Or in a twist, maybe something about Crowley’s fall? Either would fit nicely with the running theme.

This will be the only time (notwithstanding whatever is to come in season 3) that we see Crowley in his existence prior to his fall, and therefore prior to his becoming a demon. The engine crank handle is a nice touch; it’s a lovely link to Crowley’s (much) later attachment to the Bentley, and to the use of the crank handle to restart time as we saw in the final episode of season 1. And it’s a nice thought – that the star factory is rather like an engine that needs a kickstart, even if that engine crank handle has no place in this time period, millions of years before cars ever became a thing. Quick side note on the engine crank handle thing: given that Aziraphale holds the diagram up in front of his chest, could it be that this is a subtle hint that Crowley doesn’t just kick the motor of the star factory into life, but Aziraphale’s heart too? It’s immediately after he does it that Aziraphale tries to introduce himself…

Can we just take a moment to appreciate this moment for what it is? A single moment, in millions of years, that Crowley needed a hand, happened to have another being passing by, recognised that there was someone around who could help, and had to yell to be heard because that being is nearly out of earshot. That single moment is the start of a slow burn that rivals all other slow burns. And they nearly missed it. It does make this beautifully innocent response from Aziraphale unbelievably sweet though:

Oh Aziraphale, you look so hopeful and inquisitive. You have NO IDEA of what’s to come, do you? And there’s such a lovely awkwardness between them in the conversation that follows – the cautious engagement from Aziraphale as he tries to work out what’s expected of him against Crowley’s almost blasé confidence that he knows exactly what he’s about. There’s something so childlike about them both – Aziraphale in his innocence and Crowley in his excitement – you really do feel that this is the start of something, that the potential is there for something bigger, just as it is with Crowley’s star factory.

Well, Aziraphale doesn’t waste any time trying to engage flirt mode, does he? This micro exchange makes me laugh so much, and it never gets any less funny. It’s such an obvious businesslike reply from Crowley to Aziraphale’s quite open and vulnerable introduction. And Crowley doesn’t even offer his own introduction back, though perhaps this is to do with maintaining the strange levels of secrecy surrounding Crowley’s angelic name. Look at how disappointed Aziraphale is when his curiosity and interest isn’t reciprocated though, it’s truly adorable.

His disappointment doesn’t stop him from given his new-found friend another once over though. Honestly, this is one very smitten angel from a very early point in their timeline together.

I had hoped that there might be the first suggestion of an Easter egg with the book that Crowley consults, but I’ve struggled to find one. I’ve deciphered the title of the book to be “Nebula 231, 080”, but I couldn’t find anything glaring in Strong’s concordance with the combination of numbers there, and the contents of the book itself flick through too quickly to make out anything other than indecipherable scribblings and some diagrams.

Despite the fact that Aziraphale’s first tentative advances were shut down so unceremoniously, his face gives away how he continues to feel about his new friend:

He looks almost proud, doesn’t he? As if he’s really proud of Crowley’s achievements, even though a) they’ve only just met and b) Crowley hasn’t actually got anything to show for his efforts just yet. Not until he says the magic words anyway:

I know I’m not the first one to pick up on this, but isn’t this line a little above Crowley’s pay grade? As I have mentioned before, my Christian knowledge is scant, but I’m fairly sure that’s God’s line. And what makes this particular line interesting is Aziraphale’s response to the creation of the nebula:

AZIRAPHALE: Ah. Good lord.

It’s not the first time we’ve heard Crowley referred to in this way either:

I know, any excuse to replicate that look from Aziraphale in 1792. Sue me. It’s pretty notable though, isn’t it, the repeated use of that particular exclamation in response to Crowley’s presence? I really want to think there’s something in this, after all we know that the words used in this show are never coincidental. I just can’t put the pieces together to come out with something believable because those three little snippets of information, when put together, would make it seem like Crowley is really God in disguise, which is nothing short of impossible. And before I forget and move on from the very obvious miracle Crowley performs (bringing his hand down instead of up as he does in his demon form), let’s just appreciate the return of the miracle noise we heard in the first season – this particular instance sounds like sleigh bells following that odd “full” noise I can only really describe as something we would usually associate with something really epic happening.

Aside from Crowley’s obvious physical and costume differences from his demon form, and the fact that his QE accent is more pronounced, we get to see Crowley genuinely excited in this scene.

Again with the adorable. And the childlike. Did I mention it’s adorable? And he’s so incredibly proud of what he’s achieved. Which will make it all the more heartbreaking when we see his upset that it’s all going to be destroyed in about 6000 years. But I’m getting ahead of myself (a tiny bit). Because we cannot move on without talking about the second bout of disappointment that Aziraphale has rendered to him in less than 2 minutes.

And what’s prompted this? Ah, that’s right, he thought Crowley was calling him “gorgeous”, only to realise that his new friend was actually referring to the nebula in front of them. You’d think the brush off from earlier would be enough to have reigned in his hopes a bit where this particular being is concerned, but it looks like he just can’t help himself (not that anyone would blame him). And here we see another interesting difference between angel-Crowley and demon-Crowley – he is uncomfortable about accepting credit for things that he hasn’t been fully responsible for. This is not the Reign of Terror or the Spanish Inquisition that he took full credit for despite not having anything to do with either – he barely takes the credit for work he has actually done, which Aziraphale is determined to give.

I feel like it’s a pretty obvious statement to make when I say that Aziraphale is actually making two, entirely separate, statements here. Because the first of them (“It’s very pretty”) isn’t actually directed at Crowley’s creation, is it? The second is, but it’s much more about Crowley’s involvement rather than the end product. For all we know, this is likely to be one of the only times in his existence that Crowley is actually given some heartfelt and deserved feedback for a job well done. No wonder he’s always on the hunt for more by claiming credit for stuff he hasn’t done. No, the first of those statements is about Crowley himself (gotta give him credit for his persistence), and that’s as plain as day to us the audience because actually Aziraphale doesn’t seem that bothered about the incredible light show unfolding right in front of his eyes. That gorgeous being floating alongside him on the other hand, he just can’t get enough of looking at him. It’s obvious he really enjoys Crowley’s enthusiastic energy, because he really doesn’t want to detract from it.

This. Delivery. My life, it gets me every single time. I feel like it’s a line I’ve delivered myself (along with those facial and hand gestures that help me feign interest) to my husband every time he tries to talk to me about a car engine. When I say it, the rough translation is “I really don’t care about what you’re saying because it’s totally pointless, but you enjoy it and I love you so I’ll humour you”. That about cover all the angles here? Poor Crowley is so excited about his project, he doesn’t even notice. His upset at being told that everything is going to be closed down in 6000 years though, that can’t be ignored.

This particular moment in the scene is an absolutely brilliant example of the way that the soundscape is used to underscore the acting in this show too – we had some very pretty celestial harmonies setting the tone for Crowley’s speech about baking stars, only to hear the music literally winding down as his excitement is so rudely deflated.

Once Crowley has acknowledged this pretty devastating piece of news, he’s quick to try and reason with Aziraphale as to why that particular plan shouldn’t go ahead. I have to say, he sounds quite reasonable to me, and he makes his point in very clearly. The important thing about his reasoning is that he’s starting to ask questions, to challenge God’s plan, which we all know is what got him into trouble in the first place. And I do so love the fact that Crowley has never heard of Earth before this conversation with Aziraphale, seeing as it’s a planet he will come to spend so much time on. Not that he’s that keen to admit his lack of knowledge to Aziraphale.

It’s the little nod before he, hesitatingly, admits he’s not heard of the blue/green planet that gives him away. But then Aziraphale seems so confident that it’s something that he should have heard of, I can understand why he’s uncomfortable admitting he hasn’t. It sounds as if Aziraphale has had a hand creating both Earth and “people”, which he’s almost as excited about as Crowley was of his nebula, so it’s probably a good job that the latter employs some tact here. The difference, when it comes to Crowley offering his feedback for the work that Aziraphale is involved in, is that the planet and the people appear to completely devalue all his hard work. His disbelief is obvious before Aziraphale has even finished giving his speech:

In typical Aziracrow fashion, we have one of them not listening to the other, and this time it’s Aziraphale that fails to pick up on the communication cues – look how delighted he is at the fact he just told Crowley that the beautiful nebula he’s created is nothing more than a pretty picture:

I suppose it’s nice to see, in a round about way, that their inability to truly hear one another isn’t something resulting from thousands of years in each other’s company, this being their first meeting. Unfortunately his delight only stokes Crowley’s indignation, causing him not only to ask more questions of the plan for creation but to openly refute God’s plans as being anything other than “idiocy”. Now, I agree with him (to my mind, it is genuinely ludicrous that an entire universe would be created for any other purpose than for beings to look at), but Aziraphale is very quick to set out his stall for the future from the very beginning – he is a company man after all.

AZIRAPHALE: I don’t think it’s our place to start suggesting that there should be a suggestion box.

It’s not long before Aziraphale starts to become really very uncomfortable with this conversation.

He is VERY worried about being overheard here, isn’t he? As well he should be I suppose. But what’s this little mini breakdown?

It looks an awful lot like a bit of a crisis of faith to me. In fairness, Crowley has made some pretty good points. What I’d give to know what’s going through Aziraphale’s mind at this point, and what I find very telling about the way he tries to resolve this situation is that the very last thing he does before trying to break the silence is to glance over at Crowley. It’s not difficult to see how depressed he is about this latest development, and Aziraphale, in a really sweet gesture, tries to pull him out of by giving him another (rather futile) compliment about the nebula. What’s interesting about this (to me anyway) is that this makes him the rescuer in this situation, with him trying to save Crowley, which is not the way it’s supposed to be, is it? What’s even more interesting is that he fails – fails to cheer Crowley up and fails to stop Crowley from getting into trouble. Maybe that’s the real reason why Crowley takes point on that moving into the current day…

You can see how pained Aziraphale is about Crowley’s general attitude, despite the fact they’ve only just met. He REALLY doesn’t want his new friend getting into trouble with the powers-that-be. But now it’s Crowley’s turn to miss his cue, and if Aziraphale’s anxiety wasn’t enough to tell you that he’s being far too blasé about his mood, the portentous bell that rings out in the soundtrack when he ask’s how much trouble he can get into for asking questions should tell you how right Aziraphale is to be concerned.

Alright we’ve got our final parallel for the scene – you all know what it is. It’s the wing shelter!

But before I go off into that, I just wanted to take a minute to appreciate Aziraphale’s look as the meteor shower (I have assumed that’s what it is) actually starts:

It’s really lovely – like he’s showing appreciation for one more beautiful thing created by his new friend. Right, moving on, I just want to take a quick look at what I said about the mirrored wing shelter in the first season:

Alright, now I have all the various bits of information brought together, let’s consider a few bits – not much, I know this has all been gone over with a fine-tooth comb before by other people. Firstly I want to point out that there is a difference between the two shelter scenes, which is that Crawly actually moves towards Aziraphale as it starts to rain on the wall. We do not see the same movement from Aziraphale with them both in Heaven. I find those couple of steps from Crawly potentially really interesting – it’s like he’s doing something that they have already been doing for a long time, with the unspoken knowledge that he’ll get what he needs without having to ask. What I also find interesting about both wing shelters is that, in the sheltering they leave themselves exposed to the thing they’re sheltering the other from. That doesn’t seem like too big of a deal when it comes to a bit of rain, but when it’s flaming rocks? I know they’re both full-blown angels at this point, presumably without human bodies, but that’s still gotta hurt surely? Which would mean that Crowley leaves himself exposed to damage in order to protect Aziraphale, despite the fact that the latter being didn’t ask for the shelter, and doesn’t even appear to notice it’s been given. So there’s another similarity between the two shelters – they weren’t actually asked for, but given, and without dissent. I don’t know if there’s a storyline reason for Crowley offering the wing shelter in season 2 – there has been some talk I’ve seen about it providing a link to the end of season 1 (because we see Aziraphale protecting Crawly/Crowley from water at the beginning and end of the season, and Crowley protecting Aziraphale from fire) and I do like that. Part of me wonders if there are much more basic reasons for the respective shelters – the script states that Crawly’s wings look rather worse for wear in the Garden of Eden, so they weren’t going to act as a very effective shelter. Similarly, Aziraphale doesn’t seem to appreciate that there’s any danger when the meteor shower takes place, probably because of his lack of knowledge about the whole environment, so Crowley could have done his own shelter out of pity. Ultimately I think there’s one thing we can definitely all agree on – the second wing shelter makes the first a lot more interesting.

Well, for someone who said they felt a bit rusty writing write ups, I really wittered on for that single scene, didn’t I? In fairness, I knew I would have a lot to say about it, it being the first scene for the season. Not sure I expected to go for 3K+ words though… That said, the end of this scene and the arrival of present day seems like a good place to wrap this part up (plus it will give me a nice little placard image to head the next part up with, you know how I love those!), so for now… Questions, comments, discussion: always welcome! Hope to see in the next one 😊

[squids-comics]

This set of panels right here is a great case study on what makes a comic action scene truly great. The action of this scene is amazing, but it doesn't feel that way to read. Doctor Doom catching Cap's shield and throwing it back at him is a huge move that, when played right, could have the impact that Cap grabbing Mjolnir in Endgame had on audiences. This set of panels makes that jaw dropping scene feel awkward and clunky. Lets dissect why!!

Before we get started, a quick reminder and introduction for everyone new, I am an aspiring comic writer!! I have read thousands of comics and even written a few of my own! If you like my analysis, you should check out my writing! I've got all my comic scripts up on my Wattpad and I'm slowly posting them on my Tumblr as well! Now, on with the analysis!!

The first thing that jumps out to me is the focus of the panels. Comic panels can only show you a brief snapshot of the action, leaving you to fill in the spaces between, kind of like a real bad flip book animation. Because it can only show a few key frames of the action, it's very important to be critical about the action they showcase. We have three panels for this brief action stunt:

Cap throws the shield, Doom gloats

The shield flies at Doom, Doom gloats

Doom throws it back, Doom gloats, Cap narrates

The main purpose of this stunt is to show how dangerous Doom is. Not only is he a genius with enough sci-fi weaponry to make a Mandalorian jealous, he's a tough fighter with real fast reflexes. This is shown by having him catch the shield, something Cap has never had to deal with before! So isn't it weird that we don't actually get to see the catch itself? We know it happens based on Doom throwing it back and Cap's narration, but we don't even get to see Doom touch the shield. If I could redo the three panels, they'd go a little something like this:

Cap throws the shield

Doom catches the shield, Doom gloats

Doom throws it back, Doom gloats

Now you might have noticed that I also changed the structure of the dialogue. This is to fix a major problem I have with all comics from this era, the over reliance on dialogue. Have you ever heard of show don't tell? Well apparently Stan Lee hasn't. In every fight scene, there is always at least one person spelling out the action for the reader. It gets kind of annoying after a while. I would definitely cut out Cap's narration because with a good panel layout and good pacing, it's completely unnecessary. I'd also tone down Doom's taunting, as five speech bubbles in three panels just to berate someone is a lot. I'd lower it to three bubbles.

Panel one Doom doesn't say a word, not wanting to give his hand away. This silence would make Doom's actions more mysterious. By insulting Cap, the reader can guess that Doom has a plan. By staying silent, Cap (and by proxy, the reader) could be led to assume that they caught Doom off guard. This would lend even more impact to Doom's big catch, as it shows Doom is a menacing foe even when he seems unprepared.

Panel two, Doom would get two bubbles. He's a very arrogant and prideful man, so he would definitely hurl some insults Cap's way. Especially after catching his shield. I would have his first bubble say "Masked fool! You still do not suspect the true extent of my power!", with the second saying "I am any man's master!". These are good lines for sure, but I feel like they'd have a much bigger impact after the catch, rather than before.

And finally for panel three, I'd keep the "Do I make myself clear, you witless peasant?" line because it's a wonderful line in the perfect spot.

One other potential change you could do is in the actual action itself. This stunt is a great way to show off Doom's character, both in terms of physical ability and his personality through his taunting. We are meant to see how arrogant and prideful and overconfident he is through his constant insults. But any character can talk the talk. A real good character can walk the walk. Any character can speak, a real good character doesn't need to. Their actions speak for them. In panel three, Doom throws Cap's shield back at him, turning Cap's offensive into his own. But what if instead, he showcased his arrogance by giving Cap another chance? Instead of attacking Cap with the shield, Doom could slide it along the floor, passing it back to Cap. This would show how Doom is so full of himself that he doesn't even consider Cap a threat. He would essentially be saying "That attack won't work on me. Try something better.". And if that level of arrogance doesn't scream Doom, then I don't know what does!

But anyways, those are just my thoughts! Let me know what you think of them, and what changes you would do! Thank you for reading!!

Panels from: Avengers #25

[bubbleteamochilolz]

What is perfect, really? My thoughts on how the ideal ruins us

TL;DR: we get pressured from our community and social media to be perfect, affecting how we see ourselves. Perfectionism may have deeper roots (ex: religion), but we should try reminding ourselves only bad can come out of it. Doing research, eventually changing how we view the word "perfect", we can make it easier.

At this point, many of us know what perfectionism is, but when I read online, I found out that 92% of people , yes, 92, struggle with perfectionism in some sort of form.

My initial question was how come this mentality is so prominent in our life? A quick answer would be the influence of people around us (peer pressure to reach certain milestones). Moreover, social media clearly encourages anyone to be a certain thing, comparison pushing perfectionism as well. But is it deeper than this?

I think our yearning for it can be traced to our cultural, even religious values. I know, not everyone believes in them, but no one could argue that they don't play an important role in our society. I want to take a look at the gods being worshipped. Most of them resemble perfection (all-knowing, omnipresent, omnipotent). Interestingly, some of them (mostly ancient ones) resemble the human figure. I think it makes the followers feel closer to that ideal, in a way proving they might reach something better-potential. I know, the goals of religious people is not to reach godhood, but to get closer to it. To attain human perfection, however it is described.

Now I repeat the question: what is perfect, really? Is being the kindest, purest person perfection? Or the most accomplished, whatever that would mean? Both? Neither? If you have a certain checklist ticked, are you perfect?

I want to prove this perception could be wrong. Let's take for example whatever there is on the internet. Suppose you have a beautiful individual with a fulfilling career, family, well, life in general, posting something on tiktok or instagram. Someone will find something to criticize about them. Where they buy their clothes from, what their kids do, how they drive: there would be something! Now of course, toxic comments shouldn't bother anyone, but finding something mean they aren't perfect, even if they could theoretically tick all things that make perfect?

Now, earlier I was referring to stuff generally considered valuable. But the problem is bigger than some goals most of us want to achieve. It is when any teeny-tiny detail becomes a way to make it seem impossible to be enough. For a perfectionist, sufficiency is too little, interfering with how they perceive themselves.

Also, it really harms self-perception. A perfectionist would attach themselves to the act of performing without mistake, and any failure will reinforce the insecure belief behind their struggle: I am not good enough. It could end up it dehumanizing yourself, to the point you are just your actions, all entirely flawed, so you are as well. And mind you, 92% of us are internally going through this narrative...

I want to share my experience. I really wanted to start posting here on Tumblr. What should a good first post look like? A self introduction? Posting fanart? A cat? Or a hot take? I lamented over this for a hour. It is silly, it is completely stupid to search anywhere to find what should a first post look like. It's fascinating, really, how we can just hyperfixate on such minor thing, especially in a digital space. And I know I'm not the only one like this.

This is my first post, a way to completely crush any expectations of perfection. I'd say it is a shallow take on this...phenomenon, clearly influenced by social media. With this, I want to encourage anyone with the same inner critics to try whatever they want to regardless.

How can we battle perfectionism? Of course it shows up differently to everyone, so it can vary from person to person. Finding the root of the problem is crucial, be it family, close circle, work environment, social media etc. We have to let ourselves know we are human, prone to making mistakes, so we should be letting ourselves make them. It is important to know what triggers you, and try to distance yourself from that thing, or logically think it out. I'm no expert, so it is best to take what I wrote with a grain of salt. The best thing to do, really, is just research about it. Talk with others having similar experiences, or even to someone certified.

However, what I could encourage is changing what perfect is (really). As cliche as it sound, perfection is a journey, from the beginning of your life to the end, where you make progress constantly. I don't want to sound like a reach your full potential today person, because that is just unrealistic. How is that your full potential if tomorrow you can be better, know a bit more, just by acquiring more experience. Even making mistakes gets you improved, showing you what not to do. And when you don't pay attention to them, and it happens again, be assured this time you are closer to making the change you want, not to repeat them again. You are constantly getting better, you are constantly perfect. Good job!

Also (sorry cuz this is so long) we shouldn't care about others ideals (no shit). Even if we know this, we still care, something we should just remind ourselves not to do.

I hope someone will find this helpful, stay strong! <3

[willowser]

Oh angsty love island yes pls! My personal imaginings involve bkg doing something dumb (maybe he couldn’t give you some emotional reassurance when you were feeling vulnerable and really needed it idk) and you’re genuinely upset with him. Imagining this bc I like thinking about the friendships that develop on this show!! Mina, jirou, ochako etc are quick to comfort you as genuine friends would. I love thinking that the relationships we develop with the girls are just as solid ❤️

yes !! 🥺 omg the friendships that grow on this show are so cute !! and i like to think — bakugou's biggest "red flag", i think, on a show like this, would be his hesitancy to open up ?? because i think if you genuinely didn't know him (and you wouldn't, right, at this point), it could easily be misconstrued for something scary ! and i would think your gal pals would want to help you keep from getting tunnel vision, would want to be a voice of reason for you 🥺

but the angst !! i will post it in response to this ask he he

i think the tension reaches its peak when kirishima comes in and pulls you for a date.

bakugou's pissed. livid. can't even believe this is happening to him—well, he can, because you're incredible and kind and funny and gorgeous, but everyone has been pretty respectful of his couple thus far, and now some new dickhead is coming in to ruin it.

of course it comes at an odd time in your developing relationship, when bakugou is struggling to open up completely to you, and in turn you're struggling to understand what that means for your potential future. he knows that you're wanting more from him and he's trying, he is, in all the small ways that he can. the tiny ways he hopes you notice.

it's nothing outright or too forward, nothing explicitly defined — and so when you sit down with kirishima for your rooftop date and the first thing out of his mouth is how gorgeous you look — you're not going to pretend it isn't nice.

and he spends the whole dinner like that: complimenting your smile and even your laugh, blushing openly if you look at him too closely, saying he's been watching every episode and that you were his favorite from the start. it's a lot, someone who is so open with their feelings, and he's big and huge and handsome — but at the end of it all, he's not bakugou.

the honesty and openness is attractive, has you aching just a tiny bit from the space bakugou won't close with you, but you tell kirishima that you're happy with him and that it would take a lot, genuinely, in order for you to be swayed completely. but the point of the show is to meet people, get to know them, and while you warn him that you're not interested in leaving your couple — if kirishima calls you to chat, you won't say no.

bakugou's sick at the sight of you smiling, coming back with a big meathead following behind you with an even bigger grin. the only thing that he can find relief in is that you're not holding hands, but he watches you, forlorn, as all the girls squander you away to the couches. as you laugh and smile at their teasing.

"it was great!" kirishima says to the guys, after a round of introductions. "we had a really nice time, she's gorgeous. can't wait to get to know her better. no hard feelings, man." he flashes his shiny teeth at bakugou, unaffected by the icy, lifeless glare he's at the end of.

if he gets into a fist fight, it'll get him kicked off the show; that's what bakugou has to keep in mind as kirishima lists off his ideal partner — which is you, in all but the name. and he's got his arms crossed and his leg won't stop jiggling and his teeth are about to shatter when he feels a hand softly toying with the hair at the nape of his neck.

he sees it's you and wastes no time; bakugou just grabs your hand and steers you away from everyone, back to the lounge chairs so you can talk quietly, and the fear in his eyes is so noticeable that you can't help but to pout at him, give him a kiss to try and make him feel better.

it placates him a little, but he's still all serious, watching you carefully as he murmurs, "so, how'd it go?"

"uh," you nod and look away, like you're thinking even though he knows you've just been recounting it to the girls. "it went good! he's very nice, very friendly, and i'm sure he'll find someone to couple up with in no time!"

and it should make him feel better, it should, but he can feel his hands starting to sweat in yours, his stomach starting to turn. you're all adults, and he shouldn't be bothered by you being honest — that this shitty-haired bastard is some nice guy — but his ugly insecurities want you to be more convincing.

"well," bakugou frowns, shakes his head before glancing back over his shoulder. "he's over there fuckin' sayin' he can't wait to get to know you, and shit." and — you don't really say anything to that, just stare at him, because you don't know what to say, and your silence only coils his nerves further. "y'told him—y'know, about me and you, didn't you?"

"well, yeah," you smile at him, gently, in an attempt to lighten his cloudy mood, but his eyes only darken. "of course i did."

"so why's he over there thinkin' you two are about to couple up or somethin'?"

you frown and glance over at kirishima — who further pisses off bakugou, because he's just watching. "did he say that? because i certainly didn't make it out to seem like i was—"

"i mean, look at 'im," bakugou snorts, openly pointing at him across the yard. "fuckin' cat that got the cream. what's he so smug about?"

and — you've never seen him like this. so angry, jealous to a point that it's a complete turn off. all your worries flare up, and all you can think about is how difficult it can be to talk to him regularly, much less now, when he's mad; is this how fights will go, in the future?

"i don't know, katsuki, i mean," you shrug as he frowns at you, his eyes narrowing. "we're here to meet people, so i told him that i would talk to him if he wanted, but i didn't make it—"

"oh, so that's why," he drops your hands as his eyes turn hard, like you've betrayed him in some way. guilt stings, sharp, as your eyes start to water. you're not blind to the fact that everyone is watching now, as his voice raises and he interrupts you every time you open your mouth. "because you're tellin' him—"

"can you let me speak, please?" your face twists and then bakugou's does, when he sees it, and instead of listening, he only runs a hand through his hair and shoves off the lounge chair.

he knows he's being a total dick, especially as denki and mina and ochako all dart past him on their way to you, but his fear has turned into something hideous he can't control, and if doesn't cool off, he'll say something he'll really come to regret.

kirishima comes to check on you, too, when your makeup starts to run, and it only makes bakugou feel even worse. you take your time getting ready for bed, are in the room with the girls for a long time as you change and brush your teeth. denki tries to talk to him once, but it only results in bakugou storming out of the house, slamming the back door behind him as he sits in front of the pool, alone. like always.

back turned to the remnants of something he's single-handedly ruined. like always.

[neutron-stars-collision]

Waiting for the Night

Bruce Wayne x F!Reader

Chapter 1 - Nocturnal Animals

Masterlist; Chapter 2

Summary: Desperate for a scoop (and a pay rise), you scout Gotham for anything of interest. When you cross paths with the mysterious Drifter, you decide to use the chance to spark up a fruitful cooperation.

Warnings: Swearing.

Author's Notes: ... Hi *waves*. Yes, that's a new series because it seems like Rob's characters tend to make themselves at home in my head. I wanted to develop Bruce a little more and this idea came to exist quite quickly. Reader is a journalist in need of a topic, Bruce is out on the streets... and the rest is history :))) Slow burn as always since that's my specialty (apparently).

I hope you'll enjoy this introduction and I'll greatly appreciate feedback!

The only pretty thing in Gotham during the fall was the way neon lights reflected in the puddles of the alleyways and street corners. The myriad of colours and slogans tinted the darkness with a sense of something bigger than the wet tarmac and slippery pavement slabs. Only, that light did not get everywhere, creating niches in the city’s fabric, where no ray of hope could ever permeate. That is where the crime skyrocketed, no matter the season. That is where scoop and intel were found. Conveniently.

Adjusting your hood for the umpteenth time, you frowned as another cold drop of rain slid inside your coat. In October, even waterproofing hardly did its job; especially one four years old and long past its prime. But it did not matter. Your eyes restlessly scanned the surroundings, mindful of anything that could be of interest. Because while murders in Gotham were hardly the breaking news type novelties, a serial killer on the loose, seemingly connected to the city’s elites, was quite the concept. A case to crack and the potential of a pay rise. Something you could not deny yourself, considering the tightness of the pockets and emptiness of the bank account. In short, you needed to find something worth writing about. Something worth covering by the GC1. Or else… No.

There was no time for that. Having made it to the docks, you stopped, hiding underneath the roof of an abandoned warehouse. The last victim had been found here, stabbed multiple times with an unidentified weapon. Potentially – a meat hook. Which did sound lovely, you had to admit. Having left the apartment that evening, you were led with the idea that maybe back at the crime scene, you could discover crucial evidence everyone had missed. Now, drenched, tired and disheartened, you realised how wrong you were. There was nothing left aside from the rain, the murky water by the docks and the foul stench of trash and urine. The police had cleared everything.

With a resigned sigh, you took a quick round of the area, taking photos with your phone. Apart from a few unidentified objects lying on the ground and rusty spots you could hope was the residual blood, there was nothing.

“Fuck,” a soft curse escaped your pursed lips, ringing out in the quiet alleyway.

Finding absolutely nothing meant another stressful debrief in the morning. And you have had enough of those already. With the mind half-focused on the idea of heading back home and drowning the sorrows in a glass of cheap red wine, the unmistakable roar of the chopper pierced the ambience and made you look up.

At the sky first, using the instinct whole of Gotham had acquired throughout the last few months. Because once the signal had been lit no one could rest easy, watching the shadows with anticipation of what came next. But tonight, the light was off. The masked vigilante, the Bat-Man, Vengeance… there’s been many names and even more theories about his identity. No one knew when he appeared or when he left the scene. Having heard rumours, you held your breath until the black motorcycle appeared on the horizon. It was not him. Or at least it did not look like it was.

Your target parked the vehicle on the opposite end of the warehouse spaces. You observed, hidden in the shadows, as the man took off the black helmet and stood up, quickly pulling up a black hood over the head. He was moving with purpose, throwing a non-descript backpack over his shoulder and heading towards the abandoned building. With curiosity, you watched as he kicked open the chained door and disappeared inside with the clank of metal. Now that was a way of investigating you had not thought of yet…

For a moment, you wanted to follow him, to satisfy the curiosity as fast as possible and (hopefully) get some answers. But then reason kicked in, with yet another sigh, you backed into the shadows, waiting for the stranger to return. After all, no one sane would leave a motorcycle like that unattended for too long. Once he appeared fifteen minutes later, you were ready. Keeping away from the light, you skirted around the area and approached him without making a sound. A handy chat-up line on the tip of your tongue:

“Visiting the crime scene, are we?” once the man looked up at you with surprise evident in the abruptness of his reaction, you grinned.

Even with the flickering streetlights, it was hard to make out his features. You could see sharp edges of the jawline, slightly crooked nose and wide eyes, their intense stare intriguing.

“Who are you?” his voice was hoarse as though he was not used to speaking.

The sharp edge to the vowels told you the stranger was not easily intimidated. Yet your appearance was unexpected. His lips were pursed as he stiffened, clearly bracing himself against what would come next.

Perhaps he was the case you could crack…

“I could ask the same question, Mr…?” leaving out the opening, you waited for a beat before adding in a faux disappointed tone, “I see. Well, I can’t blame you for snooping around this case is quite the sensation” making sure to drop the bait, you watched him closely.

There was no apparent reaction. The man threw a nervous look towards the alley’s exit and then glanced back at you. As your eyes adjusted to the half-light, you could see more of his face. The chiselled features and fascinating eyes drew you in despite caution. Yet you still did not know who it could be. He did not look like your usual thug or a drophead, and you would bet he was not one of the Falcone’s. So… who?

“What do you mean?” your internal ruminations got cut short with a simple question.

The enticement worked. Pasting on a mysterious half-smile, you stepped closer to the stranger and lowered your tone to a confidential whisper:

“The usual… Corruption, Gotham’s finest… perhaps some revenge to trigger it all and… boom” with pleasure you noticed that the man seemed transfixed on your story “Here we are. I wonder who’s next” it was a simple deal, two people wanting something out of the conversation.

A game you were willing to play. Even if to understand more about the case and the mysterious drifter. Something shifted in his eyes, acceptance replacing the previous uncertainty. An agreement had been reached without either of you laying out the terms. Feeling an inexplicable rush of adrenaline, you awaited the question as the man thought hard. Once he looked up again, you allowed yourself to stare at him intently as he asked:

“Do you think the killer is after the people in power?” the innocence in his voice made you throw a cheeky grin to the mix.

For whatever reason, you felt like extending the conversation if he was willing. The rain and damp clothes faded into the background as you eyed him closely, thinking on the next move:

“Sure looks like it. You’ve been mapping the area from the roof, weren’t you?” it was the obvious conclusion, so you decided to run with it, “Found anything good?”

The more you observed him, the less everything made sense. The dark streetwear, muddied motorcycle, and how he moved, like a fighter, a nocturnal animal. Yet he did not seem dangerous like a criminal. Before you could run on with the ideas, the man replied:

“I’m not sure” the hint of caution made you frown.

‘Not sure’ wasn’t an applicable answer. Ignoring the pang of disappointment, you bated your eyelashes once your gazes locked and chose to voice the let-down:

“That’s a shame, I could do with some scoop” slight reveal of the identity in hopes he would follow.

But it was for nothing.

“You’re a journalist” it was his turn to measure you coolly.

Mindless of the interest burning bright, you raised an eyebrow, mirroring his judging stance with an aura of theatricality:

“That wasn’t a question,” another telling stretch of silence, making you add with the familiar tinge of bitterness “Yes, one of the hyenas, as some say” the cold had caught up, making you shiver and helping to make up your mind “Well if you don’t want to help me, I better get going” you sized him up one last time, the traitorous part of your brain hoping you could meet again.

Why? Because if there was anything you loved more than a good scoop, it was a mystery. A puzzle to crack. Something to motivate and drive you forward. He was an enigma you wanted to decode. With a parting shrug, you moved to turn away just as he spoke up:

“You shouldn’t be wandering out alone at this hour. It’s dangerous” oh.

That was new. A personal touch to an exchange of information between strangers. Turning towards him again, you noticed with a surprise that he reached up to remove the hood. As the streetlight hit his unobscured face, you tried hard to look away yet found yourself unable to. There was something hauntingly beautiful in the blue of his eyes and the tightly set jaw. Pain written onto the features that could not be wiped off with a mere smile.

But one could try. You scoffed, choosing to armour yourself in humour to deny the maelstrom in your head:

“And the sky’s blue” the repartee waiting for a punchline you delivered while looking the man point-blank “Or black,”

It could have been an illusion (or wishful thinking), but his lips twisted in the faintest of the smiles. There was no time to verify it. In a flash, he was putting on the helmet and turning the engine on, disappearing with a spray of water from the puddles.

Alone again, you grinned. There might’ve been no intel, but there was something else found tonight. A different sort of mystery.

***

Closing your umbrella with a groan, you pushed open the door leading to GC1 headquarters. The complaint was always the same – how come a leading tv channel in Gotham doesn’t even have an automatic set of doors? Funding cuts apparently.

It has not stopped raining since last night, puddles deepened, and the mood grew dense as the city descended into yet another circle of seasonal depression. As with most things, even that was extreme here, making an ordinary citizen keen to commit murder if it meant having one cloudy day without rain. Sometimes you did consider doing just that. And today was not any different. Your steps grew heavy as you neared the office, your mind unable to focus on anything that was not him. The stranger. It made no sense. But he was there every time you closed your eyes, every second you drifted away from reality. As though in a dream, you passed through the familiar maze of cubicles, knowing the path to your desk by heart. Only once you reached the spot, falling into the chair with a groan, you did acknowledge the surroundings. Sophie, an acquittance of convenience occupied the cubicle next to yours, her keyboard clicking with aggression. A scowl on her face. With curiosity, you peeked over her shoulder, an innocent question accompanying the movement:

“What are you working on?” noticing a fat pile of newspaper clippings on her desk, you frowned.

With so many current affairs and scandalous murders, barely any attention had been given to the past. Yet it seemed like that was precisely what Sophie had been assigned. She acknowledged your appearance with a nod before flipping through a couple of pages without attention:

“A column about Wayne. I know, I know, the man’s a cryptid, but-” she waved a hand dismissively as you cut right into the sentence, unable to keep the surprise from your voice.

“What? The Wayne?” the intonation that once used to make you laugh, now commonplace in your dictionary.

Because, yes, theWayne was a cryptid. And yes, writing about him was a task nearly impossible given he appeared in public once a few years.

Ignoring your paralysis, Sophie threw you a sceptical glare and picked up one of the clippings, putting the newspaper directly in the line of your eyes.

“Yeah. The boss said it’s been long since-”

As soon as your gaze landed on the black-and-white photograph on the page, everything faded into the background. He did not look the same when wearing a crisp white shirt and a tailored suit, but there were no doubts left in your mind. Even if it made no sense whatsoever. Mindless of Sophie’s protests, you tore the page out of her hand to examine the photo closely. Same features, same dark hair, same eyes. But-

“That’s Bruce Wayne?” your hand shook as you set the clipping back on her desk, aware of the waver in your voice.

“Yes, why- You look like you’ve seen a ghost” Sophie fixed her curious eyes on you, noticing how blood drained from your cheeks.

Without giving it too much thought, you got up from the chair and picked up the bag you had just set on the desk. There was only one thing you needed to do. Everything else be damned.

“I did” grinning at her puzzled look, you waved your hand, “Bye, gotta go” without waiting for an answer, you set upon the journey back through the maze.

Work had to wait. The blue eyes flashed before yours as you took out the phone and checked the next train that would take you to the Wayne Tower.

***

The initial bravado wore off when you approached the tower, gaze landing on the massive steps with apprehension. At the very top, you could see the heavy wooden doors with a brass knocker and a more modern doorbell button with a golden plaque above. As though massive letters on the top of the building weren’t enough. You took a deep breath as you eyed the fortress, unable to concoct a plan that had any chances of working out. Because another thing everyone knew about Bruce Wayne was that he never allowed any visitors. And yet you also knew that you could not give up, having joined the dots. A final long inhale. Let’s wing it. What could go wrong, eh?

As you reached the set of doors on top of the staircase (and rolled your eyes at the said plaque), you plastered on a confident smile on your lips and pressed the doorbell button. The ringing pierced the silence, making you involuntarily flinch. Maybe it’s a mistake? The doubts descended over your mind as your feet started itching, legs shuffling to fulfil the fleeing instinct best they could. With half the brain already eager to bolt, you barely registered when the door creaked open. In the newly created gap, stood an older woman in a weirdly old-school maid uniform. She eyed you closely, never losing the pleasant smile that seemed fixed to her face.

“Good morning, Miss” her smile widened as she asked the innocent question, “What brings you here?”

A good one, you had to admit. Stifling the increasing uncertainty, you beamed back, rushing out the words one after another:

“Hi… I, um- I’m here to see Mr Wayne” your tongue stumbled over the surname, unused to the sound.

Never in a million years, you would have expected it to happen. And yet there you were.

“Have you got an appointment?” her smile faltered as she increased the scrutiny, hand tightening on the handle, ready to slam the door in your face.

Only one way out of it.

“No… But he’ll know who I am” hopefully “Think he’ll be happy to see me, actually” an addition to charm the woman into letting you in.

The logical part of your brain knew that he would not be happy. Quite the contrary, probably. But that did not change the needs. So, you strengthened your back and took an experimental step forward as though already confident of the outcome.

“I’m not sure-” she hesitated, the pleasant smile nowhere to be seen anymore.

C’mon. Another step towards the door, one hand reaching out to touch the wooden surface. A likeable face expression put on like a mask. Seeing a shadow of conflict pass through her face, you added:

“Please?” the puppy eyes that had earned you a few ins when it seemed absolutely beyond the realm of possibility right on hand.

Before you had to search the arsenal for more weapons, the woman replaced the uncertainty with a weaker version of the lovely smile as she took a step back from the doorway.

“Oh, all right” she opened the doors wider for you.

A passing desire to hug the woman had to be abandoned for now.

“Thank you” instead, you gave her the brightest grin available and took the liberty of having a look around the hallway.

The interior did fit the expectations with stone pillars, a wide mahogany staircase and hand-embroidered carpets laying on the floors. But it was evident everything had long expired from its glory days. Upon closer examination, you noticed the chinks in the balustrade and the old stains on the carpet. Mr Wayne did not care much for his family’s legacy. But then, you knew better than anyone that material objects did hardly matter when contrasted with life’s tragedies.

“Here, Miss,” your thoughts had been interrupted with the woman showing you an entrance to a vintage elevator, “Mr Wayne is upstairs in the study,” she added as you stepped into the cabin.

She shut the metal crate and pressed one of the buttons on top of the list. The elevator creaked to life and began a slow ascent with the accompaniment of metallic clutter. With curiosity, you studied the floor plan, noticing how only the upmost levers seemed to be in use, for the buttons were worn out from the regular touch. The elevator could also go below the ground floor, but the levels lacked numeration, adding to the interest and occupying your mind with possibilities until the cabin came to a standstill with a groan.

Your stomach was tied in a knot before you even stepped out of the elevator. And for a good reason, as you soon understood. There was barely time to register the surroundings as your eyes got drawn to the gothic arches and large windows showing the cityscape of Gotham laid out beneath the tower.

“Dory, who is this?” the familiar voice rang out from the side, making you whip around in a flash.

Two discoveries: the woman’s name is Dory, and Bruce Wayne doesn’t enjoy having surprise guests.

You did not dare wait for her to introduce you, instead took a step closer to the man and grinned with the simplest of questions:

“Remember me?”

Sure, hope he does. Using his moment of hesitation, you let your eyes wander over Bruce, immediately noticing the dark circles underneath the bloodshot eyes and scarred forearms, revealed by the old, oversized t-shirt. He was not the man you saw in the newspaper photograph an hour ago. It was the stranger you talked to the previous night. Seeing the flash of recognition in the blue eyes made you release a shuddered breath.

“I didn’t think you’d remember me” Bruce shot you a glance before motioning for Dory to leave the room.

He seemed much less confident without the veil of anonymity and darkness, protecting him from knowing stares and judgement. The awkward movement and slouching posture nothing like the man you met less than 24 hours beforehand. But it was the assumption that got you, emitting an honest scoff you did not bother hiding.

“Oh, come on… How could I not?” you stared him down with disbelief, the head still soaking up the reality of the situation and recalibrating to fit the new needs.

With a start, you noticed a flash of surprise in his eyes before he turned away, staring at the cityscape. The wall had been put up, and there would be no more peeking. For now.

“What do you want?” Bruce’s back tensed as he asked the question, apprehension and frigidity filling every syllable.

Immediately you understood what it was – a public persona, the Bruce Wayne everyone thought he was. Cold, rich, and distant. Only, you knew that was not the whole picture. The memory of his faint smile from the previous night flashed before your eyes as you offered him a one-word response:

“Information” that simple.

You were not sure what that came from or why it became the reason for your rash decision to visit him. But it seemed to make sense. And that was better than giving up.

Because forgetting didn’t sound like a viable option.

“Isn’t that your area of expertise?” the sharp edge in his voice was accompanied by a side glance full of disregard.

As though he wanted you to surrender and leave him alone. Little did he know of stubbornness and persistence… Using the room as your stage, you quickly closed the distance to Bruce and placed yourself in the line of his sight to accentuate that he would have to listen. A sweet, knowing smile on your lips:

“It seems like it’s yours too,” you threw the remark, pushing onwards before he could think of a rebuttal, “Never in a million years I would have guessed it. The prince of Gotham scouting the streets at night and investigating the crimes. And yet” with interest you observed as his confidence wavered and he dropped the gaze to stare at the floor.

You had lied out the issues perfectly. Now was the time to reveal the terms. But before you got that far Bruce raised his head and began:

“If you want money-” the contempt in his voice did strike a chord, making you frown and drop the act for a split second.

Karma for negotiations with the rich bastards, huh? For a moment, you wanted to scoff and tell him where he can put that money in the plainest of terms. However, you still needed him to agree and cooperate. So, instead, you offered him a warning glare and replied in a measured tone:

“Don’t be a jerk, Mr Wayne. I just think it’s no coincidence we’ve stumbled upon each other, and we could use it to our advantage” noticing the glimmer of curiosity in the blue eyes, you allowed yourself another step closer, resting your hands on the back of a dark wooden chair “Here’s what I suggest: you’ll let me work with you, we’ll share the intel and whatever tips we get our hands on” it probably sounded better than it could function.

To hell with reason. There was that rush of adrenaline coursing through your veins again. Making everything brighter and sharper. Because if it worked out… You did not dare hope that it could. To keep your hands from shaking, you gripped the wooden frame tighter, awaiting the response.

“What will I get from this?” this time, Bruce’s voice was devoid of spite.

In its place, you detected genuine interest and determination. Although it was difficult to admit, you were not that different. Each driven by their own needs and ambitions, desperate to make it work, no matter the cost. Alone.

Your mind got stuck on that word, making your mouth follow its logic by saying:

“A friend?” warily, you met his gaze over the table; his walls were up yet you could still see a shadow of recognition “And a promise that I won’t pry into whatever it is that you’re doing. I won’t write anything about you or our cooperation. It’s going to be our secret” concluding the pledge breathlessly, you knew the earnestness could not be hidden from your eyes.

It was there, making your heartbeat speed up and your hands shake. You never believed in destiny or fate, yet somehow, everything that happened since last night felt like it could be one of those. Like a plan devised by someone else in charge. An opportunity you did not dare let go of easily.

“All that for information exchange?” Bruce’s question caught you by surprise as he added, eyeing you closely, “You must be desperate,”

It was his time for scrutiny, a chance to take apart the protective armour and see what you were made of. You met his inquisitive gaze, showing a degree of loneliness in your eyes and the extent of dedication. Just so he understood. And then you shrugged, letting a genuine smile bloom on your lips:

“Aren’t we both?” not expecting an answer, you allowed yourself a longer look at his face before throwing the conversation off its profound grounds “Listen… It’s not like I’m trying to bribe you into a marriage of convenience or other such bullshit” on its own accord, the thought entered your mind.

Marriage of convenience? Now that was an idea you’d rather not delve into. Where the hell did that come from? Sure, he was not a dapper gentleman you always expected him to be, but he certainly was not ugly either. Stop. Ignoring the urge to shake your head and stop the ridiculous train of thought, you found a distraction in the subject of the mess.

There it was again, the not-quite-smile from the previous night. As soon as you spotted it you grinned, feeling an inexplicable sense of triumph deep within your heart. Because it did seem like he was capable of smiling, and that discovery alone felt like a victory.

“I’m glad” Bruce rolled his eyes, evidently trying to distract you from the observation.

He still had a lot to learn.

“Me too, sweetheart” your smile widened as he visibly froze at the nickname, “So… what’s the verdict?” there was no point in dancing around the subject.

You relaxed the pose, making it seem like you did not care, all the while holding in a breath and feeling the pulse speed up in the veins. Everything depended upon it. Or it seemed like it did. Bruce met your gaze warily, conflict visible despite the veil in how he had caught the bottom lip between the teeth, worrying the fragile skin. Despite yourself, you glanced at his mouth, feeling the warmth spread over your cheeks because of the act of looking alone. It had been too long.

You mentally slapped sense into your brain exactly when Bruce broke the silence:

“Fine,” he spared a final look at you before wandering off to gaze out of the windows.

A clear signal. Despite the cold response, you grinned, unable to process the feelings filling every corner of your mind. You would make the best out of the situation. You had to.

“Great,” letting the quip slip, you added, “I’ll talk to my sources about the docks’ case, and I shall be back” there was a promise in the sentence that you could not deny yourself.

Even when knowing that it was only you that felt excitement at the prospect.

“Fantastic,” Bruce sighed heavily, for once not hiding the myriad of feelings aroused by your suggestion.

He still had his back turned to you, expecting your imminent exit. You did not want to disappoint, so one last, selfish look had to do. Your eyes slipped over his form, the broad shoulders and the worn out clothes, looking out of place in the grand study. And yet all of it was his, the master of the house personified. A mystery to crack.

You could not deny yourself the pleasure as you turned towards the lift, aware you could not even see his reaction. It did not matter.

“Don’t worry, you’re gonna love it, darling” glee made your heart summersault as you stepped into the cabin with a final remark, “I’ll let myself out,”

For once, the rain outside did not matter.

[stickykoalaartisan]

Can you Identify the most Frequently Stolen Cars in America.

You don’t want to rush your partner to move to your city or to feel comfortable with you moving to theirs if it is too early in the relationship. נערות ליווי בבת ים It depends on what type of relationship you have -- and what type of relationship you want. In the multimap return type approach, you don't need to define any additional data classes. If your parents are divorced, you might need even more time to play musical chairs. If things are going downhill, it might be time to pull out that "Plan B" you have tucked away in your clutch. First of all, you have to ask yourself, "Is it time?" Unfortunately, there's only one clear-cut answer to this question: It depends. First and foremost, make sure your folks know about him. At a wine bar for one drink and a quick "hello" or dinner at your house so everyone can really get to know each other better?

A quick "hello" at a coffee house or local bakery will do just fine. It might not be a good idea to introduce them to the new guy you just met at your girlfriend's house party last week. Twenty-five percent said when the other person says he or she loves you, while 8 percent said once they have met the parents. While it was simple enough to put on magic shoes and say "There's no place like home," the good witch lets Dorothy know that she wasn't told this secret sooner because she wouldn't have believed her. You can access the site while on the move and while relaxing at home. The chalet is furnished with the little things that make a home. Encourage him to talk about his background and share a little bit about himself (making sure to stay away from the pesky forbidden fruits). Stay away from subject matters that could potentially ignite the flames, like who's right?

20 March 2015. Retrieved 6 August 2019. As a related matter, U.S.-based sites and services that collect information from foreign children also are subject to COPPA. You don't need to host a family reunion, but it is courteous to make sure the essential players are involved. That's why you two need to have a dress code conversation before the doorbell rings. Once you figure out the timing, you need to establish the parameters around when the introductions take place. When you get to the spot, start with introductions and light conversation to get things warmed up. It's also OK to throw in some pop culture conversation about music and reality TV. Which current pop singer do you like most? Help guide the conversation to topics like sports, news and current events. Choose flattering photos, and make sure they're current. If you don't want to spend a lot of time together for the first meeting, make it short and sweet.

If you do go there, keep it friendly if you find that he's disagreeing with them a lot. Keep the conversation casual but informative. The more options you keep open, the higher your chances of meeting people that you’ll enjoy being around. Being able to build a life full of fond memories together and support each other’s personal and career goals are also things that are considered to be good about relationships. This will prevent dinner being shut down before the entrée is served. Wolves and humans developed a symbiotic relationship at first, whereby we'd help out with hunting so that together, we could bring down bigger game. How about an NBA or NFL game? Share a little bit of family information with him. Do you wear your tried and true little black dress or should you rock your new red slacks? Slacks and an oxford shirt? You don't want to spring him on them if they don't even know he exists. So You Want Him to Meet Your Parents? In turn, have a conversation with your parents ahead of time.

[pxnk-velvet]

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Meet Eastwood High’s wolf pack! A simple introduction to get to know everyone on the team and all about their school.

⋆★⋆ A school known for their amazing education and athletic programs. Having produced many successful future for all kinds of students. Making the impossible, possible. Opening doors for those who thought they’d never get to see what’s on the other side. Eastwood High takes pride in their motto. Something every single person part of that school takes to heart. All or nothing.

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Eastwood High School:

Girls Varsity Volleyball, Official Roster

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⋆

Erica Davis, #4 *captain

⋆★⋆ Although her performance shows she’s the perfect example of an outstanding student athlete, she’s not perfect. She has her struggles just like everyone else but she’s mindful to acknowledge that and help others work to better themselves and those around them. Erica’s commitment and loyalty are what got her her title as team captain and her fellow teammates wouldn’t have it any other way. Her kind heart and open mind never fail in comforting her team. Middle Blocker/Pinch Server :: Grade 12

Victoria “Tori” Miller, #17

⋆★⋆ At first sight, Tori’s got you fooled. To the eye, she’s a peace loving and caring girl but the second she steps onto the court, she turns into a whole other person. Her nonchalant and flowery aura turns into one that’s intimidating and competitive. With her precise analytical skills and accuracy, she’s a monster on the court but don’t let that get in the way of making friends. She won’t bite! Setter :: Grade 12

Mina Ford, #20

⋆★⋆ As tall as she is, most people assume her height is a disadvantage considering her position. She’s further from the floor after all! Yet Mina proves otherwise. With her quick agility and speed, she can save any pass, making use of those long limbs. Despite her tall presence in a room, she’s one of the quietest girls on the team. A shy little thing that needs a bit of a push to crawl out of her shell and maybe a headband to keep her long locks out of her eyes. Libero :: Grade 12

Odessa Orion, #45

⋆★⋆ An absolute killer on the court. Her intimidating demeanor and furrowed brows are a tell all when you see her. She’s the definition of school pride and proud to be a wolf. With her insane defensive skills and strength are something you should look out for. Yet when you really get to know her, she’s the sweetest giant you’ll ever meet. Odessa is a sweetheart and cares for every single one of her teammates. She may be big but she’s got an even bigger heart. Wing Spiker/Opposite Hitter :: Grade 12

Angie Montero, #22

⋆★⋆ If you need something to be done, Angie’s the perfect person. She knows how to do just about anything….but that doesn’t mean she’s good at it. With her fun personality, bright presence, and crowd pleasing performances, she’s one for the people. Her amazing skills when it comes to strength, speed, and her overall athletic skills are the most rounded anyone could get. When it comes to volleyball, she’s Eastwood’s “Super Ace” after all. Wing Spiker/Outside Hitter/Ace :: Grade 11

Kendra Brooks, #36

⋆★⋆ One of the best people to be around. With her entrancing and nurturing aura, people naturally gravitate towards her. She’s uplifting and one of the best hype-men on the team. Never failing in cheering up those around her and putting smiles on her teammates faces. She’s got the confidence as a person and an athlete, it isn’t uncommon for it to rub off on the rest of the girls. And don’t even think about talking crap about any of her friends, she won’t hesitate. Middle Blocker :: Grade 11

Y/N L/N, #14

⋆★⋆ Tell us a little about yourself, Y/n :) You ready for Japan? Setter/Pinch Server :: Grade 11

Sydney King, #27

⋆★⋆ An up and coming beast. She’s showed potential ever since she started playing. Even if it may take her a couple times to follow directions, once she gets it, she’s got it. It’s not uncommon to find her fooling around with her head in the clouds but just like her teammates, the second she’s on the court, it’s game time. It won’t be long before she builds a name for herself. With a little encouragement and reassurance, she’ll be shining like a the star she is in no time. So keep a look out these next few years. Wing Spiker/Outside Hitter :: Grade 10

Giovanna Esposito, #9

⋆★⋆ A small package full of attitude and sass. She won’t hesitate to put someone in their place, even her upperclassman. Not a single fearful bone in her bone. Her impulsiveness and temper is a blessing and a curse. Needing to hold her back has happened more than once. It’s necessary or else she might get kicked off the court. Something she definitely won’t be happy about. But when she is in a good mood, she’s not afraid to unwind and laugh a little. Pinch Server :: Grade 10

Ava Creed, #51

⋆★⋆ A bright little thing that’s just excited to be here. She knows that even if she doesn’t get as much playing time as she expected, it’s not time wasted. With her attention to detail and observation skills, she’s an asset from the bench. Catching on to the little things that could flip a game on its head in their favor. Noting flaws in opponents that most people wouldn’t pay mind to. Eastwood’s sideline spy. Keep an eye out for her because she’ll be watching. Wing Spiker/Opposite Hitter :: Grade 10

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

★ TEASER ★ OSS M.LIST ★ SERIES M.LIST ★

★ a/n :: hey everyone! hopefully you enjoyed this first peek at what I’ve got planned. i know it’s not much 😅 and there’s isn’t any character interaction but there will be a lot more of that coming soon! So please hold in there!

★ disclaimer :: please do not copy/repost in any shape or form. this series and header are property of @/pxnkvelvet ★ reblogs and promotion are greatly appreciated and encouraged <3

[parachutingkitten]

Season 5 Analysis

STANDARD DISCLAIMER: I am going to be applying the concept of criticism to a TV show you presumably love and adore as much as I do. If you do not want your idea that the show is immaculate to be challenged, I would not advise reading past this point.

Additional Disclaimer: This includes criticism of Nya’s arc, so if you’re the type of person to get catty about this subject, turn back now.

Mood for this season: It’s spoopy time.

You don’t need to, but if you are interested, and haven’t seen my analysis of past seasons, you can find those here:

Pilot - Season 1 - Season 2 - Season 3 - Season 4

You can also find all of these, and future installments, on my blog using the tag #analysis 

Hey everyone! I’m still doing these things! Let’s see, when was my last one? Over two years ago...? Yikes, I owe y’all an apology. I really didn’t mean to put these off that long. Anyway, get ready to hate me, cuz although (for the most part) this seems to be the fandom favorite season… I think it’s overhyped. I know, don’t kill me. I’ll explain myself. I don’t think it’s bad or anything, it’s very well structured, but I definitely wouldn’t rank it among my favorites. First, for a little context, I am making a one second of every ninjago episode video right now, so I’ve been binging the series and all it’s shorts back to back, so I think I’ll have a bit more to say about connective tissue between seasons, and hopefully you guys can look forward to more of these analyses between now and the new year when I’m releasing that video. I’m also officially a film major now so… sorry if I come of as extra pretentious or get too deep. Anyway, let’s jump into the thick of it, shall we? 

Plot

This is probably the area I have the fewest number of complaints about. This season has a breakneck pace and it keeps everyone busy. I think that’s why people like it. Everyone’s favorite has something to do. Which brings me to the question… which ninja’s season is this? Lloyd is on a lot of the promotional stuff, but he’s possessed and out of the picture for over half the season, so that can’t be right. Cole turns into a ghost, and the season is a ghost season, but that can’t be right cuz I don’t know that I’ve ever heard anyone claim it was his. Nya reaches her true potential, maybe it’s hers? Well, she does have a large b-plot, but she is consistently not a part of the a-plot. Kai has a whole thing with being protective of Lloyd, he has his fear of water, maybe it’s just another Kai season? Thing is, it’s no one’s. It is an ensemble season, and I think that’s a healthy thing for ninjago to keep doing. The more we label certain seasons for certain ninja, the more complaining we’ll get about who’s turn it is for screen time that we’ll miss out on telling a good story. Also, If the season is focused on a ninja you don’t like, you are less likely to like the season (see my next analysis for that can of worms). Again, this season tells it’s story really well. Morro directly ties into the ending of last season, and Nya’s getting water powers was foreshadowed the season before. That’s some cool connective tissue to start. The opening episode establishes the three different things the ninja will be looking for, and for once they’re actual tools instead of a series of weapons, blades, masks, whatever. I like that. Jay has some really good humor, Zane has his speech changes, Kai has his irrational fears and protective instincts, Cole has his ghost angst, Lloyd has to deal with his father’s passing, Nya is a new water ninja, Wu has a shop to run and a student to reconnect with, even Ronin has an arc about developing morals and gaining friends. There’s the mystery about how to deal with the ghosts, what the rules are, there’s the leader subplot, the ninja’s money situation, and lore of the different realms, they even worked in Skylor and Borg, there’s a lot of cool stuff going on. This is a tightly woven script that manages to include a lot of new concepts that you get pretty quick. I don’t feel like there’s even that much fat to cut. The opening is a little slow and strange, and the cloud kingdom episode feels a little unnecessary, but I do like the idea of visiting a different realm early in the season so the audience isn’t caught off guard in the climax. Again, the plot all works for me, it’s the other stuff I find myself pretty meh on.

Characters

Ronin

I’m pretty sure Ronin is the only new (non villain) character introduced. I like him a lot. Ninjago needed a true wildcard to shake things up and be unpredictable. I also think he’s pretty nicely woven into the action of the plot. I think his introduction is a bit strange. Like, the ninja already know him, but we’ve never seen him before? Just the way they talk about him sounds like they’re quickly recapping who this guy is for those who missed previous episodes. It’s fine if the ninja already know him but either 1) Introduce or foreshadow him a season earlier or 2) Introduce their dynamic to the audience before it becomes plot relevant. Maybe the ninja are grumbling about him being a nuisance while tea shenanigans are going on or something. Or maybe you have a scene of him stealing the scroll and making snarky remarks about the ninja while he does it. Idk. just something so his sudden plot relevance isn’t out of nowhere. Also, I don’t hate his and Nya’s dynamic, but I know a lot of people love it, and I’m just not totally here for it. Is he supposed to be a father figure for her? Mentor? Frienemy? Just plain friend? (love interest???) it’s not super clear and I could have used some clarification. I also like his use and tie to the next season, so overall, well integrated character.

Nya

I’m adding in Nya here cuz she goes through a major character change, and how she’s handled is one of the things that rubs me the wrong way about the season. A lot of people will probably disagree and/or hate me for this section of the analysis so… here we go! The thing she has to get past to reach her true potential is fear of failure (supposedly) and the solution to that is to just… not care as much? First of all, I know this isn’t supper important, but the fun thing about the ninjago elements is that every elemental master matched up personality wise with their element. Jay is the energetic master of lightning, Kai is the hothead master of fire, Zane is the calm and calculating master of ice, Cole is the strong and dependable master of earth, Lloyd is the literal child master of energy. This especially goes for all the new season 4 masters. So what qualities are often associated with water personalities? Well, serenity, control, flexibility, elegance, patience… calm. You know, like a Zane type character (the element directly adjacent to hers). These are things that Nya isn’t - or at the very least don’t define her. (there’s also something to be said about water and its ties to more feminine qualities, which Nya has been actively shown to reject, but I won’t go into that rant here.) She was designed as the fire master’s sister, and when you try to fit a fire personality into a water shaped character mold… it doesn’t exactly mesh well. It doesn’t make sense. But, like I said, whatever. Maybe that’s the point? Like she has to change her personality to be more in tune with water? Sure. But let’s talk about this fear of failure thing. Because that’s the stated thing that dialogue tells us she needs to overcome. But when has Nya ever been afraid of failure? Fear of failure means avoiding doing something because of fear. Nya is ridiculously persistent, always has been (you know, fire personality). She tries training when no one tells her to, she makes her own alter ego to try and be a hero and save the people who would constantly tell her she wasn’t ready. Wu says she only wants things that come easy, but that’s never been her character before now, she has carried the team with her tech, research, and covert ops that no one forced her to do, all things which are not easy. Fear of failure is usually characterized by what if questions. If Nya is so afraid of failure, why don’t we hear her saying stuff like “but what if I’m not strong enough, what if I can’t save them in time, or worse, what if I lose control of my power and end up hurting people?” Cole shows much more of a fear of failure this season surrounding his insecurity about being a ghost. He wants to sit out from missions because he’s not sure he’ll be able to do it - he’s afraid of failure. But whatever, the writing isn’t clear at expressing her true setbacks, but she does display a real problem that a lot of people have and I think could have been well done if set up correctly. She shows an undying persistence that gets her too close, and makes her increasingly incapable. She lets her frustration hinder her progress (again, fire personality trait), and I think that’s interesting because I don’t think ninjago has done this character arc yet. The supposed solution to this problem is that she just needs to… care less? And yes, I kind of see where they were going with this, we sometimes cloud our natural potential by thinking about it too much, but saying “you need to stop caring” is the absolute wrong way to word it. Caring is not her problem, the problem is her control over the emotions that come from her caring. Caring is a good thing, and teaching kids that if you’re ambivalent about your problems, they’ll go away is not a good message. What she needs to do is take a step back. She needs to take a break, stop to think, and look at the big picture instead of hyper focusing on the roadblock directly in front of her. The usual and much better wording of the moral I think they were going for is “stop overthinking things”. Teaching kids to look at a problem from a different angle and give themselves time to cool down is a great thing. And just think of it, in the climax she could have this ah-ha moment where she steps back and looks at the bigger picture - the whole town, surrounded by the ocean - and gets the idea to sink the preeminent into the water, you could even easily tie that back into the bucket exercise, and that’s what triggers her true potential rather than the current… I’m honestly not sure what. Random flashbacks and the end of the season approaching quickly. Alternatively, you could tie it more directly into samurai x, and make her struggle with letting go of the past and allowing yourself to give up something good in your life to progress to something better. Anyway, I don’t think this was a bad decision long term, she needed to be solidified on the team as a full fledged ninja, I just think this season doesn’t handle the transition that well. Anyway, whatever, I’ll be waiting for your hate comments in the notes.

Romance

Um… there’s none this season? Like there’s a few Wusako moments that are still as weird as they were in season 2, but they’re really not prevalent. There’s also the Jay seeing the future thing which has some weird implications next season (again, some interesting connective tissue between seasons), but that’s about it. Maybe that’s part of why I don’t love this season? Like where’s the pixane? Lol, I’m kidding. But maybe that’s why a lot of people do like it. If you don’t like the canon ships… this is a nice little safe haven for you. Rare for a majority of the series.

Villains

So Morro is a good idea… in theory. I know he’s the fandom’s favorite edgy boy, but idk I think the brand of angsty teen they ended up with was more of an angsty 13 year old than 17 year old. His voice is really grating and I always want to yell at him to just… go get some cough drops. Stop throat screaming, use your diaphragm man! Also, everyone goes on about his last minute redemption, but as far as season 5 goes, he has like half a second of a change of heart. Literally, when Wu comes over and he’s drowning, he’s still being a persistent little idiot like “you never cared about me nooooo!” and it’s only at the last possible second that gives him the crystal, and even that he does it kind of saltily. The preeminent is pretty cool, I like her concept, her design, all that. All the other ghosts are fine I guess. Nothing super memorable out of them, although their aesthetic, especially when there’s a bunch of them swarming around is pretty cool. One last thing was I never understood how Morro “becoming the green ninja” worked and what exactly it was that… did for him? Like he didn’t actually get the power of energy, right? I don’t remember him using it. Did just him defeating Lloyd make him the green ninja? How does that transfer work? And why did he need it to take over the world or realms or whatever? Like I get that it’s supposed to give him more power and what not but idk, it wasn’t super clear. That’s a minor thing though.

Climax

Pretty cool. I like the ATMOSPHERE. Green light is a hard thing to use and justify correctly, but it works really well here, especially with the dark kinda gray blue sky complimenting it. When the preeminent starts walking into the ocean, it’s genuinely terrifying, but you understand exactly how it works and why she’s strong enough to do it. Nya’s true potential is again a little out of left field and could have had some better motivation put behind it. Like what is it Nya learned in that instant? To not be afraid to protect people? She’s… been doing that. Idk. I’ve hit on that enough for now. Overall, there was good variety. I like the green ninja fake out, I like the realm hopping, I even like the little Garmadon visit and Lloyd getting the robe. I feel like we didn’t need a part one and two, you could have had different titles. I mean come on. But hey, now we know, if Pix had only been there, the whole climax would have been wrapped up in like 10 minutes apparently. Pix for the win.

Humor

Really good. Like I’m surprised how much I laughed. Jay wasn’t annoying humor, it was good stuff, there were some good running gags, there’s a solid fourth wall joke about who the lead ninja is at the beginning of the season. Overall, I am pretty impressed. My favorite joke was perhaps the bit where Jay is sarcastically positive, the voice acting is just really solid. Then again, there’s also the whole Borg scene where he roasts half the ninja, that’s solid stuff right there. There’s just some really solid character interaction this season and the humor feels a lot more natural and less forced.

Drama

Okay, we’ve got a lot this season. Y’all know how I feel about Nya’s arc by now. It does not work for me. Ronin’s relationship with her is alright, but kind of comes out of nowhere. Ronin’s solo plot about kinda working for the ghosts works. Cole’s ghost angst works for the most part, although I wish he would have actually skipped a mission and then gone in to help save his friends once they can’t do it without him. That was probably the most solid drama of the season. The other main thing we have this season is Kai’s whole… fear/protective streak. This also doesn’t really work for me. Like, I get that Lloyd and Kai are friends and stuff, like his whole true potential was centered around Lloyd. But like, why does it have to be framed so weirdly? Sometimes in trying to make it seem like Kai is protective of him, it seems like the other ninja just like… don’t care about him? Not all the time, but there are some weird vibes. Also, it doesn’t really go anywhere. No one learns anything about themselves from this subplot, nothing comes of it, there isn’t really a payoff. Also, Kai has yet another irrational fear, this time of water, which really comes right the hell out of nowhere. They try to explain it away like “Oh, Kai feels powerless and so water can get to him” but like… what? That’s the exact situation he was in at the end of season 2 and he seemed perfectly content to literally swim across the ocean (which um… what do you mean the sworn protector of ninjago can’t swim?). Where is this coming from?! Again, it doesn’t really go anywhere, there’s not a point where he has to learn to confront it or he grows because of it. It’s just pointless stuff added cuz the writers like giving Kai vague trails to try and develop him. The cloud kingdom is kinda cool. That last minute twist about them working with Morro is… stupid and unnecessary though. 

Spotlight Episode

I really like the Spinjitzu master tomb episode. Some cool riddles, I like the first two rooms a lot. I do think the third room is a bit strange. Like, the clue was “don’t look ahead” and the solution was to look beneath them, which is the exact same solution as the previous room. Like, you already have magic ice that shows the future, why not play into that? Don’t look ahead could maybe mean don’t look to the future, the opposite of that being the past. Maybe they have to draw on their past adventures to solve it somehow? Learning from the past is a good lesson, right? But overall, I really like it. Some real solid humor this episode. This episode has the sarcastic Jay optimism, Kai totally stalling for time, Zane dealing a pretty sick burn on Cole, just a lot of fun stuff. I like it. It just has great energy and nothing feels like it’s drawn out for too long.

Misc

The aesthetic this season… can be inconsistent, but the main ghost vibe displayed in the opening theme is really solid and I really like it

Speaking of the opening, Ghost wip is great and the opening in on par with last season’s (which is my fav) for sure

Ice age references… okay.

Chima references…. OKAY...

Okay, but like Deepstone can… kill ghosts? Or not? Is it just something ghosts can touch? It’s supposed to be like water in weapon form, right? Like that’s how I understood it when they first introduced it. Wouldn’t the deepstone bars kill Ghoultar then? And then like, Cole’s bike is made of deepstone. He uses it as a weapon. Wouldn’t it kill him? It kills other ghosts when they touch it. How… how does it work?! I need answers!!!

The captain of the steam boat says they’re going as fast as possible, but later Ronin comes in and cranks it up like twice as fast… that always bothered me like, why would he lie about that? Who is this captain and why is he so chill about everyone’s lives?! And then later Wu cranks it up yet again, like the ship had slowed down to it’s previous speed. What the hell is happening with the controls of this ship???

So pissed that the nasty CGI nightmare cloud monster that chases the ninja is named Nimbus. Totally forgot about that. I have an OC with a cat named Nimbus… I promise, there is not going to be a stupid twist bout the cat being the monster thing in Mists of Fate. That would be very stupid.

I was all excited that season 13 gave us minecart chases, but I totally forgot season 5 gave us one first. I really like the return to the caves of despair btw, good reuse of a known location.

How many times this season did we do the: 

Kai: Oh, I don’t like water, I can’t do it uwu  Cole: ...You serious?

Thanks for reading! And if you got this far… I don’t know. I would love to hear your thoughts if you have any! These are just my opinions, so don’t think too much of it if you disagree.

-Kitten

[cinanamon]

taming of a prince — ldh

pairing | donghyuck x reader

genre | fluff, humor, royalty!au, tutor!au, enemies to lovers!au

word count | 6.6K

synopsis | Donghyuck doesn’t seem to take his royal duties seriously; that’s why his parents set you up to tutor him, and maybe set you up as a potential suitor without telling either of you.

warning | none 

“Remember, this is an important dinner; we must be on our best behavior.”

“Of course, father; we’ve been over this,” you sigh lightly, extending your head slightly in thanks as he opens the front door for you and your mother. 

He fiddles with his cuffs and collar a few more times before he nods in satisfaction to himself. “I’m aware; it does not make it any less of a fact.” 

You don’t bother replying, knowing that he’d just scold you for trying to correct him in any sense. You meet your mother’s gaze beside you as you both fall into step behind your father. She fixes a minuscule smile your way and reaches out to adjust a strand of hair into the bun atop your head but she says nothing, and the smile leaves her face just as you reach the palace doors. 

Seeing as your father was the royal adviser and ambassador to the King and Queen, he held a rather highly respected position in the palace, so it was no surprise when the knights on each side of the entrance spared no more than a glance his way before opening the gate. Your mother and you stayed behind him and waited, silent and proud before continuing on to the dining hall.

It wouldn’t be your first time seeing the King and Queen; you had almost full access to the castle because of your father, and you had roamed the halls since you were but a child. You could only enjoy adventuring every once in a while though, since, as you grew up, your parents sent you to proper schooling and taught you to be a proper noblewoman. It paid off, you ruefully thought, seeing as you had to interact with royalty that required such etiquette. 

The dining hall was extravagant, as you’d expect of royalty, with large windows on either side of the large oak table, rich red carpeting and cloths draped along the wood. Each seat was set with expensive china and candles, but you had little faith that all seats would be filled that night—not that it was your matter to worry about. 

Your parents and you nonchalantly stood off to the side of the entrance and waited for the royal party to cross through the threshold and start the evening. 

At seeing the first sign of their servants making their way into the hall, you straighten your back and raise your head instinctively. You knew from your parents and instructors that you had to show utmost respect to anyone of higher rank, and that came into play as the servants found their spots around the table, positioned behind each to-soon-be-filled seat. Normally, for bigger dinners with more guests, especially foreign, there would be a quick trumpet playing and a formal introduction of the royals. Since it was a simple meeting between the royal family and your own, there was no such need. Instead, the King and Queen made slow sure steps into the hall, side by side. 

Your family needed no reminder to bow, your father stiffly bent in half with a hand under his middle, while your mother and you curtsey and lower your heads. You knew that, customarily, they’d nod their heads in acknowledgment, but you wait a second before peeking your gaze upwards, not leaving your position until your father does so. 

Once the formalities had been completed, the King breaks into a smile and approaches your father, reaching out to shake him hand. With his sudden movement, it reveals the last member of the royal family: Prince Donghyuck. 

You hadn’t initially seen him with his parents, assuming he just wouldn’t be joining you all for dinner, but you were proven wrong. His expression is bored and stoney, eyes searching the room in disinterest and only changing when his mother nudges him forward with a pointed smile. The prince sighs heavily, his somewhat good posture slouching, causing the crown atop his blonde head to tilt. You watch the Queen close her eyes and take a big breath before your gaze shifts to Donghyuck’s approaching figure. 

You blink in surprise before curtsying right before he reaches you; it was only customary. He seems to hesitate as he watches you straighten yourself, but then catches his words. 

“Miss (Y/n),” 

“Your highness,” 

He clears his throat and glances back at his mother before turning back to you with a forced smile, almost mocking, “May I escort you to your seat?” 

You weren’t sure why his mother was having him address you—maybe to work on his mannerisms with women?—but you didn’t have enough time to wonder. “You may; thank you.” He stretches out a bent arm, if a little lopsided, and you gently place yours on top. He walks with you to a seat close to the center of the table before pulling it out, the legs making a loud screech across the floor. You wince, along with the rest of the adults present, but Donghyuck doesn’t seem to mind at all. You sit down softly but before you can turn your head back to thank him, he roughly pushes your seat forward, almost catching your dress.

You throw your chin over your shoulder to cast a thinly veiled look of shock and distaste his way, but he doesn’t spare you a second glance before situating himself in his seat ungracefully. You narrow your gaze but even out your breathing as you conceal your emotions once more. 

You and Donghyuck weren’t strangers; there weren’t many children in the palace at any given time, so when you were children, you two would be playmates. It didn’t help that since your parents were always busy together, they never noticed your twos’ absences until they saw it unfit for the crown prince to be playing with a girl meant to learn manners, not rough-housing. You went from friends to strangers, but you each had somewhere along the road of separation learned contempt for the other. 

In your early teenage years, you’d throw each other rude faces or gestures when your parents weren’t looking, but as you matured and he didn’t, you would just glare or act like he wasn’t there. He followed your example and stopped acknowledging you at all at some point.

But because of his mothers’ wishes, he was forced to tonight, it seemed, and he still wasn’t over your petty squabbles. You were too good for that, you told yourself, internally rolling your eyes. You didn’t need to lower your mannerisms just to get back at him. As the prince, he should be past it too. 

His parents must have been thinking the same thing. The Queen purses her lips as she watches her son sit in his spot before lifting her gaze to you, sending you a tight smile. You return it as she gestures for all the parents to sit as well. As everyone settles down, on cue the doors open and servants come in with dishes of food. 

You sit up straight and patiently watch as the plates are set down and portions are cut for each person in order of importance, leaving you last. Before you’re served, you hear the king clear his throat. You glance up at him, but he isn’t looking at you. You follow his gaze and find him watching Donghyuck disapprovingly, who in turn has a piece of turkey halfway to his mouth. The prince huffs and places his fork back down, leaning back against his chair as he waits for you to be served impatiently. You feel a slight smirk tug at your lips because right as the slice of turkey touches your plate, Donghyuck is already chewing. 

“So,” the Queen smiles brightly, but you all knew she was trying to get the attention off of their son. “Have you all been to the gardens yet? The gardeners have done a marvelous job at having everything in pristine and lovely condition, even as fall arrives.” 

“We have not,” your mother smiles and slightly exaggerates a gasp, as to seem more interested, “is it truly so lovely? We must visit it sometime soon.” 

“You must,” the Queen nods, taking a piece of carrot upon her fork, “maybe after dinner?” 

“That would be splendid,” your mother agrees warmly. You sneak a look around the table but everyone seems intent on their food at this point, so you follow suit. Your father and the King talk business for a good portion of the dinner until you’re all finished, then dessert is brought out. It’s a chocolate cake with fruits on top, and you can’t help but admire how beautifully it was made. You take a small scoop out of it and bring it to your mouth, and you make eye contact with the Queen who is staring intently at you from above the rim of her glass. Before you can brush it off and lower your gaze once more to your dish out of respect, she speaks. 

“(Y/n), dear,”

You swallow and pat at your lip with a napkin before meeting her eyes again. “Yes, your majesty?” Your parents fix you with an almost guarded expression, curious and judging of how you handle the situation, but you shake it off. 

The Queen taps her glass twice absently, her ring clinking against it. “How are your etiquette classes fairing?” 

“Very well, your majesty; I have just about reached the end of my lessons.” 

She nods to herself, “And would you say that you’re very well mannered?”

You gently incline your head; you don’t want to seem too proud. “I would; manners are important.” At that specific wording, the Queen darts a look at Donghyuck—like usual, not paying attention—before returning to you. She smiles. 

“Well I do agree that you do seem very polite. I had been meaning to ask your parents, but I will just ask you: our son needs to be taught manners, and we would like you to do so.” 

That certainly caught the prince’s attention and his eyes shot up. “I do not need a tutor.” 

The Queen fixes a steely gaze on him. “Then what would you call the act you played today at dinner, hm? If you didn’t require it, I wouldn’t be inquiring.” 

Even with how ill-mannered the boy was, he knew better than to argue with his mother and he transfers his glare to you before off to the side. Your parents shift uncomfortably in their seats, but you try to wrap your head around the concept because you knew you couldn’t refuse the Queen and her wishes. All you do is nod deeply with a poised smile, “Of course, your majesty. It would be an honor.”

 She smiles in turn, triumphant, “I will help set up a schedule with you after dinner, hm? Ah, dear, where is Johnny?” The royal couple look around the room and motion over a butler. His hair was slicked, and he stood by Donghyuck’s chair as he listened to their wishes to talk to him once the dishes were cleared. He nodded and moved back until the rest of you were done talking into the evening. 

Once the time came, the Queen and the butler, Johnny, came around the table to motion at a calendar of sorts with you. The Queen seemed very enthusiastic—maybe she was happy that her son would finally know how to act? You couldn’t be too certain—and she rambled on as she pointed at certain dates and times, leaving you to just nod and agree to anything she suggested. By the end of it, you had a long page of lessons scheduled for Donghyuck, but you kept a somewhat jovial smile plastered on your face as the dinner table was cleared and everyone headed out to the gardens that the Queen insisted were “too important for anyone to miss.”

You originally start near the middle of the two families on their walk, but slowly linger to the back as your parents and the royals got into smashing conversations that were of no interest to you. 

You let your eyes wander to take in the carefully manicured bushes that were dimly lit by the lanterns nearby before you heard a sharp clearing of someone’s voice. You turn your head to find Donghyuck slowly stalking behind the rest of you (you didn’t think he’d be joining you), but he only focuses a cold look upon you. 

“I don’t like the game you played at dinner tonight,” you shouldn’t be surprised that the first unsupervised words he says to you are filled with such venom. 

You roll your eyes and laugh gently as you swivel your head back towards the path, continuing along at a nonchalant pace. “Oh please; I did not have any part in orchestrating your lessons; it was all your mother.”

“But you made no move to argue,” he furrows his eyes and jutts his lips out slightly, probably unconsciously. 

You scoff, “Is it wise to deny your mother?” When he made no move to disagree, you nod to yourself, “As I thought; she is the Queen and if she wishes you to learn manners, then you shall.” You sneak another glance at him and can’t help but smirk, “you could do with some etiquette lessons anyway.” 

Donghyuck’s distasteful gaze snaps from the scenery around you toward your face, “What did you just say?” 

You feign innocence, “I’m just saying that you make no attempts to salvage your reputation in front of your parents, so there’s only you to blame for this.” 

He sneers and whirls to face you, “Why, you—“ 

“Donghyuck.” 

The prince and you blink and focus your attention forward once more only to realize you were at the end of the garden tour, and each set of parents were staring you two down like a pack of wolves; Donghyuck’s mother is the alpha, and she fixes him with a bright and wolfish grin. “Care to wish our guests a farewell?” 

“Of course, mother,” He returns the smile icily, ignoring you pointedly to shake your father’s hand and kiss your mother’s. It took more encouragement for him to turn to you. “Farewell, my lady.” He hisses out with a barely-kept smile, which only makes it easier for your own to widen. 

“Farewell, your highness,” as soon as he lets go of your hand, you mock a gasp. “Oh, and I am quite certain you will receive a copy of our lessons as well? I expect you to be up bright and early tomorrow morning.” And your grin is sickly sweet as you leave him at the door, his face a perfect combination of disbelief and frustration. 

— — —

You tap your foot methodically against the wooden floors of the royal study; it’s exactly where the Queen had informed you your lessons would take place, seeing as there were “more than enough books, more than enough space, and little to none distractions.” She was right in any case, which is exactly why you were growing bored and impatient the longer the hour drew by. You checked the sundial on the balcony once more; he had slivers of light left before he was officially tardy by an hour, and you were more than annoyed but not surprised in the least. You waited as the time ticked down before you took your leave, leaving the study with a purpose in your step. 

“Hello, Johnny, may I ask you where Prince Donghyuck may be?” 

The prince’s personal butler was as great a place to start as any, and his friendly disposition made you wish that you could spend time conversing with him rather than looking for the obnoxious royal. 

Johnny pauses in folding the prince’s clothes as he looks down the hall, seemingly in thought before looking at you again, “I recall him leaving on time this morning and agreeing with me when I reminded him of your lesson; I take it he did not show?” 

You smile tightly, “He did not, you are right. Do you know where he might go instead?” 

“Possibly the kitchens?” 

And so began your wild goose chase around the palace, asking each servant for the whereabouts of their crown prince. As unbelievable as it may sound, each one would have around the same response as the butler: “Have you tried the astronomy tower?” “What about the armory?” “He often frequents the stables.” And yet each suggestion would turn up dry. It was nearing noon and your legs were beginning to ache and temper beginning to wane. Your last stop was the gardens and as you were sighing out your question the gardener, you spotted a figure by the trees over the rim of the hedge. 

“Would you excuse me one moment?” You interrupt the woman with a curt smile before gathering your skirt and making your way through the maze of a garden to the back gate. Your heels uncomfortably settle into the dirt as you make your way to the forest, but your suspicions are soon proven correct and you begin to form a speech in your head in preparation as you finally stop.

In front of you, hanging upside down from a not-so-sturdy branch, was Prince Donghyuck, a smug smirk plastered upon his face. 

“Fancy seeing you around here; I was beginning to think you’d never arrive.” 

You smile, but it’s too bright and holds little mirth. “So this is where you spent your morning instead of your lesson? How charming.”

He fakes a gasp and furrowed brow, “Did we have a lesson this morning? I must have forgotten.” 

“That’s not how your butler phrased it, but I doubt you’d admit to lying either way.” 

He frowns at that, but from his position it becomes an uncomfortable-looking smile, and you sigh. “Get down from there.”

And then he smiles, a similar distasteful appearance of a frown instead. “No.”

You shrug helplessly and turn over your shoulder, “Very well; I shall go tell your parents.”

“No!”

You can’t help but smile deviously, but you conceal it quickly before turning back to him. “No? Then get back on the ground.”

He studies you for a moment with crossed arms and a pouted lip before asking, “Why?” 

You raise a brow, “you will fall, and I do not wish to be responsible.” 

He barks a laugh, “I will not fall.”

“How can you be so sure? That’s a slim branch to put so much trust in.”

“I’ve been on it for hours, and it’s held me true thus far.”

You raise both eyebrows now, pointedly taking note that his face was becoming redder by the second and he was beginning to gently pant for air, “Hours, yes,” you echo disdainfully, “only more so reason that it will break.” 

He sighs exasperatedly but before he can make a smart response back, there’s a crack and then a quick flurry of movement as the crown prince crumples to the ground, head first. 

Part of you feels bad and another relishes in his foolishness, but the greater part of you is left to blink and watch as Donghyuck scurries to his feet and dusts off his expensive clothing with haste, a feverish blush flaming his cheeks. He sends you a sharp glare but the burn of it only makes your want to smirk intensify. 

“There will be no word of this around the palace.” 

You cross your arms as lady-like as you can as you get an idea, “Is that so? And who will be enforcing that?”

He narrows his gaze and points at your threateningly, “My word should be enough, or have you forgotten who you are talking to?” 

You match the hostility in his tone, “I have not, but you must not be aware of the fact that you missed our lesson this morning that was scheduled by your mother; she wouldn’t be too pleased to know of this whole ordeal now, would she?” And your words manage to get the hot-headed royal to hold his tongue, much to your delight. 

“You are to meet me in the royal study in a quarter hour to make up for your morning lesson; if you are not present, I will inform your mother of all the mischief you’ve caused.” Donghyuck’s seething form did little to deter you from making one last comment for your own amusement before you left, “and trust me, I’ll make sure to not leave anything out.” 

 — — — 

“May I ask for the purpose of this again?”

“To learn balance.”

“By balancing books on my head?” Donghyuck scoffs, meeting your gaze across the room in disbelief as he tries to walk in a straight line without dropping the novels.

You roll your eyes, “Yes; it teaches you poise and how to hold yourself.” He returns his gaze to the line he’s following, his tongue peeking out behind his lips. 

Though it had taken a few more follow up lessons, Donghyuck had finally begun to work with you to teach him manners. Though reluctant and rude sometimes, he would at least attempt your lesson after some coaxing or a few mockeries here and there. Thankfully, you were patient, and you had grown accustomed to deflecting each of his comments, and he, in time, must have gotten used to them not affecting you anymore. 

He’s silent for a few more moments before he sighs loudly and he reaches a hand up to catch the stack of books right as they were able to tumble down the side of his head. “This isn’t working.”

“It was just a second ago, before you gave up.” 

He shoots you a half-hearted glare as he sits the books down on the desk. “Isn’t this for girls anyways?” 

“I may have learned it in my women’s lesson, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be helpful for you to learn,” You point out as you absently lean against the desk’s other side. “You’ve already grown out of slouching; imagine how you’ll be if we keep doing this for a few more weeks.” 

He wheezes and pushes off the desk instantly, “Weeks?” 

You roll your eyes again and sigh. “Sir Donghyuck, we’ve been doing these lessons for multiple times a week already; a few more weeks won’t do you any harm. Once you can show what you’ve learned to your parents, these lessons will end.” 

He groans and makes his way to the window, pressing an arm against it as he wistfully admires the town past the walls. “Yes, but this is taking forever. Weeks feel like months.” 

You narrow your eyes and gently place a hand on his shoulder, coaxing him back to the center of the room. “Well maybe if you didn’t spend your time terrorizing the townspeople or causing havoc for the palace servants then you wouldn’t be forced to come to these lessons.” 

He scowls at you as he finally turns away from the window and picks up one of the books. “I don’t terrorize the townspeople. I just play some fun with them,” he attempts to appear innocent as he tries to set the book at the apex of his head. 

You try to stifle your chuckle, “Oh, so stealing goods and being chased is considered good cheer now, is it?”

 He glances back at you with a raised brow, “Well of course; are you not aware of the new trends of amusement?” 

You stare him down for a second more before shaking your head, tired of his antics, “You’re foolish and only speak nonsense.” 

“Maybe so, but I think it just adds to my charm.” He models the novels on his head in the mirror for a moment before reaching for the next book. You exhale a chuckle, coming up behind him with the last book in hand and setting it upon the rest before he knows it. 

“In response to your earlier complaint as well, this will take weeks because you may learn it, but it’ll only become natural after practice, as much as you may hate it. And please, feel free to hate it; I quite relish when you dislike my lessons.” 

Donghyuck lets out a guffaw that causes the books to threaten falling and in turn has you glaring at him. He raises a brow at you and smirks jeeringly, “Well we’re in quite a vicious agreement then, aren’t we?” You semi-amusedly take note that his smile is balanced precariously between friendly and annoyed. You decide you’re tired of playing nice too and drop your grin. 

You step back and place a hand upon your mouth as you study him; instantly, he also drops the act and plays his part as the mentee, straightening his back and tilting his jaw upwards. The books teeter for a moment but ultimately stay in place. Donghyuck smirks brightly in triumph but as he turns to you to brag, you smile tauntingly and interrupt him, “Walk down the line again.” 

His face quickly falls into a sour frown, but he does as you say; the sudden stomp in his step has the novels falling instantly, and any remnants of good humor in the air is waved away by you telling him to try again. 

— — — 

Any servant frequenting the palace by now would know better than to question you when they hear your heels making resounding clicks that echo down the halls. It only ever meant one thing: you were mad, and you were mad at Donghyuck. 

It was nearing noon once more on a day you were scheduled to have a morning lesson with the prince, but as he liked to do, he did not show. And to think you were starting to get past your differences! You were going to lay into him and make him regret that he didn’t show to your meeting, that you wouldn’t tolerate such—

“Johnny!” You grin brilliantly at your favorite servant in the palace, who you would always lament that he served the worst noble in the nearest kingdoms around. “What a pleasure to see you; is the prince here?” 

The brunette smiles and nods your way before sighing and looking back at the door behind him. “It’s always nice to see you too. And sadly yes, he is here; I’ve been trying to wake him for the past hour.”

You blink for a moment as you register his words; the prince wasn’t even awake yet? You felt even more vexed; what kind of prince was allowed to sleep in, if only to prove he’s lazy? You felt your progress slipping away like sand. Nevertheless, you fixed a polite smile upon your lips. “May I help in your endeavor?”

Though you knew it was uncustomary and possibly inappropriate for you to enter the prince’s chambers, Johnny must have recognized the threat in your smile and agreed. 

You opened the door without another thought and only fleetingly took in how unruly his room was before making your way to his figure still in bed, just as Johnny had informed you.

You were ready to start nagging him, your mouth already open before you actually took in the sight of Donghyuck before you.

Since it was about midday and the curtains had been pulled open (you presumed Johnny had earlier that morning, when he tried to rouse the prince the first time), sunlight was basking Donghyuck’s golden skin and blonde hair in a radiant glow, and his sleepy yet peaceful features almost appeared angelic, if you could forget how much of a demon he could be when conscious. You felt your words die in your throat and a blush began to creep up your neck. Before you could even attempt to redo your entrance or prior plan of awakening the prince, his eyes were already beginning to pry open and his pouty lips open in a yawn. Oh this would not do. 

It took him a moment to rub at his eyes, squint, and blink before he stared at you, dumbstruck, “Lady (Y/n), May I ask what you’re doing in my chambers?” 

Your mouth opens and closes, blubbering like a fish as you try to regain your earlier anger and rephrase it back to him with the same vigor, but just your luck, it had eluded you. Where was Johnny when you needed him?

Donghyuck pointedly raises his brows, confused yet also amused by the circumstance of you making a fool of yourself by the second. Donghyuck shifts and sits up against his headboard, the sheets falling away from his torso. “Well?” 

“Well, you—“ you furrow your eyebrows and dart your eyes down in an attempt to collect your thoughts only for them all to scatter once more when your eyes settled on his bare chest. “Um…”

Donghyuck’s smirk of delight shifts to puzzlement as you continue to remain silent, but once he follows your gaze, his face turns a matching shade of pink. He blindly snatches up his sheet to cover himself once more just as Johnny opens the door. 

“Did you manage to rouse Prince Donghyuck from his slumber?” You and Donghyuck both meet Johnny’s gaze like deer in the headlights and you almost miss the upturned corner of his mouth, “Oh, am I intruding? I’ll be right outside—“

“W-Wait! I’m coming out too. I’ll be right out.” You manage to say after a moment, thankfully snapping your attention in the door’s direction. 

Donghyuck can barely meet your eyes, any time he tries, he quickly averts them back to any corner of his room, “Uh…” 

“We, um, have a lesson to make up this afternoon! Hurry up or I’ll send Johnny in. You were already late by an hour!” You scramble to throw your angered thoughts together in a coherent rant but there was no lasting wrath, only the increasing amount of embarrassment of catching the prince partially undressed. “Just—hurry, alright?” And you stumble out the door with a quick slam before Donghyuck could even input a single word.

— — — 

“Are we going to talk about it?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Why not? You were kind of cute stumbling over your words when you saw me.”

“You were just happy that I wasn’t wringing you out for missing our lesson.” You snip back with a light dusting of pink across your cheeks. Donghyuck smiles cheekily and leans away from being in such close proximity of you, “That may be part of it, but what I said still stands.” 

You sigh and look back into your basket with a shake of your head, “Whatever you say.” 

“...you also must have really enjoyed yourself in my chambers. Tell me, was it your plan all along to catch me undressed or—?”

“Donghyuck!” He pauses and meets your gaze expectantly, but you just stare at him in disbelief and a little bit of entertainment, though you wouldn’t admit it. “Stop, really.” Again, he smiles, and it’s so dazzling and happy that it’s contagious, making it hard to fight the urge to reciprocate such a grin. You’re forced to look busy until the desire died down, but even he knew you were happy by the smile playing at the corners of your lips, even if he didn’t voice the observation aloud. 

“Now, for your lesson,” you finally pull out your list of everything you had taught him that you wrote down earlier that day, “do you think you remember everything we’ve gone over?”

“Of course I do. I’m the crown prince; I’m good at everything I do.”

You roll your eyes and chuckle, “I’m glad to see that these lessons have done nothing to stunt your arrogance.” 

Donghyuck chokes, “I’m sorry, I must have heard you wrong; did you just call me arrogant?” 

The corner of your lip quirks, “Yes, I did; it’s not a false accusation, sire.” 

“I’ll show you a false accusation—wait, they’re looking again.” Instantly, you drop your joyful expression and Donghyuck lets go of your hand he was about to pull you towards him with. You both pretend to be going over your lesson and picnic etiquette, but you sneak a glance over your shoulder. 

He was right; back in the gardens and over the hedge walls, both of your parents were watching you two like hawks, tea cups in their hands and umbrellas poised above them to keep the sun off their figures. 

You and Donghyuck must not have been as subtle as you thought (or they just got tired, but that’s unlikely), because soon enough they slowly disappear over the other side of the bushes, leaving you two alone to enjoy your lunch again. 

You clear your throat, and you’re almost saddened that the playful air has dissipated. “Do you have any idea as to why they keep watching us, as of late?” 

Donghyuck eyes trail from your face to the garden walls once more before shrugging helplessly. “They must be eager to see how my mannerisms have changed; this is a sort of assessment for me to pass as royalty, after all.” 

He meets your gaze and you can only hold it for a moment before lowering your own; you’re both thinking the same thing. You try to sound indifferent, “And once you pass, you won’t have to come to these lessons anymore.” 

He’s silent and you almost think he didn’t catch what you were hinting at before you feel his hand beneath your chin, gently coaxing your head up so you’re facing him again. 

“You know,” his voice sounds serious and you almost think something’s wrong before his signature playful grin peeks through his facade, “I can always pretend that I learned nothing.”

You laugh and all tension leaves between the two of you. “You can’t do that; that’d reflect terribly on me! My reputation is on the line, Donghyuck.” 

He smiles and places his hand over yours, “I know, I know; let’s just practice okay? It’ll be fine.” 

You take in his appearance and can’t help but take note of just how he’s matured since your lessons, and you wonder if it’s because of more than just you or learning etiquette. You smile and squeeze his hand. “Of course it will.” 

— — —

“Milady, May I escort you to your seat?” 

“You may.” You place your arm over the prince’s level, bent arm as he takes steady strides toward your designated seat. He pulls it out, waits for you to sit, and then gently but firmly pushes it back towards the table. He bows to you before heading back around to his seat at the table. The servants came out with your dishes, and it wasn’t until everyone had been served and the servants had retreated back to the kitchen that anyone dug into their meals. 

Already, your parents and the King and Queen were staring at Prince Donghyuck in shock, watching his every move. You took a gentle bite of your pork, but you couldn’t help but feel pride as you too in Donghyuck’s straightened posture and him pretending not to notice them all staring at him, instead eating slowly and properly. 

“I don’t know how you did it,” the Queen finally speaks, and you look up to meet her gaze. 

You pat at your lips with your napkin before smiling. “It took a lot of patience,” a whisper of a smile crosses your lips when you see Donghyuck shoot you a pointed look, “but your son is also an attentive learner, in the right element. He just needed some practice.”

“But still. He never would have learned with us or any other tutor; I knew it had to be you,” the Queen nods to herself and takes a sure bite out of her beans. 

You blink and tilt your head. “I’m sorry? I’m not quite sure I follow.” 

The Queen grins like it’s some kind of an inside joke as she glances around the rest of the table. “The rest of us have thought about and noticed it for a while, dear; you were a perfect match for him as a tutor. We think you may be a great match for him for something else as well.”

“Something a little bit more permanent,” the King coughs, averting his gaze from you to his wife. 

You furrow your brows and meet Donghyuck’s gaze, which is as equally confused. “Such as?”

The Queen chuckles to herself, “have you ever considered marriage?” 

You choke on your bite of potato, and press a hand to your chest. Donghyuck is as equally caught off guard, his face flushing crimson in seconds, all sense of indifference and control you taught him momentarily forgotten. 

She laughs and takes another bite nonchalantly, “it’s just a question, honey, there’s no need to fret. We all just believe you would both make a good pair, and you have our approval if you choose to see each other.” 

You manage to swallow the food lodged in your throat and try for a smile. “That’s very kind of you to say; thank you for your blessing.” 

She grins back at you and continues on with the dinner conversation like normal after a while, but you remain focused on your food, too embarrassed to attempt a glance at Donghyuck and his reaction. 

The rest of dinner and dessert goes off without a hitch, your parents and his continuing to praise you and Donghyuck for your etiquette lessons and how you “tamed the prince,” but you only ever stole glances at him, even though you could tell he was trying to get your attention subtly. Finally, you grew overwhelmed and excused yourself to the gardens, saying you wanted to see it’s beauty once more before winter fell. You technically weren’t lying; you did want to roam the gardens one more time, but the company you imagined yourself seeing it with was also important. Thankfully, he got your hint.

“Truly, thank you for ignoring me throughout the dinner, and thank you for agreeing that you “tamed” me, like I’m some kind of beast.” 

You feel a smile tug at your lips instantly as you turn around to see Donghyuck. “Well, what else am I supposed to say? You were indeed a sort of rude brute before my lessons.” 

He gasps in disbelief. “How can you treat me this way, after all we’ve been through?” 

You tilt your head his way as he fell into languid step beside you. “You know I don’t mean any of it.” 

He sighs, and his playful act comfortably drops into a slightly more serious tone. “I know.” You two take a few more moments to admire the fountain and flowers at night before he clears his throat. You turn your head to face him with a raised brow. 

“So.”

“So.”

“How would you feel if I asked you to marry me?” You feel your face heat up and you instantly look away, covering your mouth with the back of your head to cover the roaring blush. 

“Donghyuck, you can’t just ask that!” 

“I’m serious!”

You go to walk away from him as to save your dignity and not be teased by him for how much you are affected by a simple question, but he gently grabs your hand and tugs you back. 

You dare to look up at him and he meets your gaze shyly but also happily, in a dazed sort of way. “I’m not saying now, but...someday.” 

You lower the hand from your face slowly and manage to get past your panic enough to smile just as playful and lovestruck as him. “Proposing to someone is an entirely different lesson.”

“Well,” He traces his hand down your wrist to interlock with your fingers unhurriedly, “I’m ready whenever you want to start the sessions.” 

And the dumb smiles that crossed your faces was enough to prove that those lessons would be starting soon.

[sammysdewysensitiveeyes]

Back again, with my opinions that no one asked for.  This time, it’s my takes on the animated versions of Pyro.

1. X-Men: The Animated Series Pyro

This, this is my boy right here.  Look at this dork with his terrible 70′s fluffy hair, hanging out at the bar with his not-so-hetero life-partner Avalanche.  This was my first introduction to the character (in fact, the cartoon was my first introduction to X-Men in general, and sent me down the path of reading comics). 

This version of Pyro is an established career criminal and professional lackey, usually working for Mystique but not above a bit of robbery or kidnapping on the side if he’s bored.  He and Avalanche are presented as buddies who have probably been working together for awhile.  They first show up in the episode “The Cure,” hanging out on Muir Island waiting for Mystique to give  them orders, then completely screwing up Mystique’s plans when they decide to kidnap the scientist Dr. Adler for extra cash . Apparently Mystique can’t leave them to their own devices for even a day.  

Pyro also hilariously tries to flirt with Rogue by setting a chair on fire and making a bad pun.  It goes about as well as you’d expect:

Get your hands off of her, Pyro, she is too good for you.  (The best part about this is, I don’t think he even used his powers here?  He just tried to impress Rogue as “guy with a flamethrower,” rather than “fire-controlling mutant.”  No wonder she throws his dumb ass through the wall.)

Pyro and Avalanche both show up again later, alongside Blob, creating a distraction so that Mystique can try to assassinate Senator Kelly in the animated series version of the Days of Future Past storyline.  In a much later episode, the same trio cause trouble again to lure the X-Men out so that Mystique can try to win Rogue back to their side.  That episode feels out of continuity to the rest of the series, since a flashback shows Rogue previously working with the Brotherhood (alongside Pyro and Avalanche), but none of them recognize each other when they “first meet” in “The Cure.”  I can assume that maybe Rogue lost her memories in the trauma of absorbing Ms. Marvel, but I don’t know what Pyro and Avalanche’s excuse is.  Frequent head injuries?  Maybe they’re both just really dumb? 

I am fond of TAS Pyro, and he’s probably the closest to comics Pyro out of the animated adaptations, despite being portrayed as British rather than Australian.  He looks fairly similar to his comics counterpart, and fulfills the same role of being a hired pain-in-the-ass that annoys the X-Men, mostly for money, as well as being Avalanche’s BFF.  He’s also clearly a full-grown, experienced adult who’s probably somewhere in his thirties at least, which is about the age I estimate for comics Pyro.  He’s kinda dumb, but practical.  He just wants to commit crimes with Avalanche, get paid, and run away before the X-Men can beat him up.  That’s a reasonable dream, right? 

X-Men Evolution Pyro:

Well, at least the guy loves his work.  I give him an “A” for enthusiasm.

I have mixed feelings about this Pyro.  He’s a lot of fun, but not really the Pyro I know and love from the comics.  This Pyro is one of Magneto’s Acolytes rather than a member of the Brotherhood, working alongside Gambit, Colossus and Sabretooth.  He really, REALLY enjoys setting things on fire, and doesn’t seem to care who gets hurt in the process.  Or rather, he seems to also enjoy people getting hurt, and tends to laugh maniacally while torching things, to the point of seeming really unbalanced.  I can’t tell if he’s completely detached from reality and is viewing things like a video game, without a real understanding of consequences, or if he knows exactly what he’s doing, and just likes to hurt people.  Either way, Evo Pyro seems much less stable than comic book Pyro, who can also be pretty wild and over-the-top in his fights and probably enjoys fire a little too much, but still acts an an overall rational person. 

Meanwhile, Evo Pyro repeatedly watches a video of Magneto seeming to die and laughs hysterically at it:

He is delighted when Wolverine shows up looking for a fight (because he was “bored out of his skull,”), and seems disappointed when Wolverine leaves abruptly afterwards.  It’s interesting that, after Magneto’s apparent death (not really) in Evolution, the other Acolytes all go off on their own, but Pyro hangs out alone in their base, as if he doesn’t really have a life to go back to, or any real identity outside of being “Pyro.”  When the series ends, he is shown in the future as having joined the Brotherhood (with Toad, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, Blob and Avalanche), apparently working for SHIELD in some kind of Freedom Force style team.  I’d like to imagine that he’s super cheerful and friendly when he first joins up, and they are all a little bit terrified of him. 

The character design is different, but looks pretty good for a re-imagining of the character.  They’ve remembered the most important aspects of Pryo, namely “scrawny,” “fire colors,” and “crazy blond hair all over the place.”  He also seems to be actually Australian, judging by him using the term “down under” at one point.  In fitting with the “teen X-Men” theme of Evolution, this Pyro looks very young.  If the Brotherhood are all in high school, Pyro looks like he’s college age, like a couple of years older at most.

Like I said, Evo Pyro is fun, and surprisingly popular (I find a lot of Evo Pyro fan-stuff when I’m looking for comics Pyro), but it kinda feels like he got shafted, story-wise.  In both this series and Wolverine and the X-Men, cartoons where the Brotherhood got a bigger role and more development, Pyro didn’t make the cut as a Brotherhood member and wound up in a minor role as an Acolyte.  He feels kind of under-developed, and is mostly there to either be menacing or comic relief. 

Wait a minute....menacing....comic-relief....under-developed.......laughs hysterically at violence......

Maybe Duggan has actually been writing Evolution Pyro in Marauders this whole time?

I don’t want to take anything away from fans of Evo Pyro, but I kinda wonder what we could have gotten if he’d been a Bayville high school student and part of the more sympathetic teen Brotherhood.  Would he have a better developed character?  Would they have made him an annoying twerp like Toad (I say that with great affection, Toad is probably my favorite Evo character) or a smug secretly-insecure hot-shot like Quicksilver?  Or anger issues like Evo Avalanche?  Would they let him keep his original name and nationality, or would he be an American teen with a cutesy on-the-nose name like Ash Embers or Flameo Hotman?    We’ll never know!

Wolverine and the X-Men Pyro:

Again an Acolyte rather than a Brotherhood member, this Pyro has even less development than Evo Pyro.  He shows up in the first episode being rescued from the Mutant Response Division (along with Boom Boom, Dust, and others).  In that scene, he’s clearly meant to be Australian (saying “mate,”), and appears to be on friendly terms with Boom Boom and Dust.  Later on Genosha, he seems to be one of Magneto’s guards/lackeys, and doesn’t appear to mind Dust being thrown in prison.  He’s either a true believer, or is mercenary and practical-minded like comics Pyro, and has decided that following Magneto is his best chance for survival,  Pyro does apologize to Nightcrawler and offer a quick “Nothing personal,” when Magneto sends the Acolytes after him, so maybe he doesn’t revel in his work the same way Evo Pyro does.  The only other notable thing he does is get in trouble for telling Lorna news about Wanda going missing (Magneto is pissed enough to throw him into a cell for that), so I assume that this Pyro is also a massive gossip.  It’s the best I can do with what very little we get of him.  The X-Men don’t seem to have any issue with Pyro (or even recognize him) when they first rescue him, so I’m guessing that he didn’t have any criminal history before joining Magneto in Genosha?  Unlike TAS series Pyro, who’s overall attitude is, “Be gay, do crimes!  And by crimes, I mean arson and kidnapping!” 

I’m not fond of this design.  It’s a nice updated look, and really more stylish than what he’s worn in the comics, but the hair is too douche-bag frat-boy for me, and I can’t get past the little soul-patch on his chin.  Shave that nonsense, Pyro, you can’t pull off facial hair.  He looks older than Evo Pyro but younger than comics Pyro - maybe mid-to-late 20′s? 

This Pyro is sadly kinda forgettable.  I’m not sure why Pyro got largely skipped over as a Brotherhood member in later X-Men cartoons, but the fact that the character was long dead in the comics by the time the cartoons aired probably had something to do with it.  Kinda sad that they wasted the potential they could have gotten out of teen Bobby vs. teen Pyro in Evolution, though. 

(Come to think of it, Gambit got similarly shafted in Evolution and Wolverine and the X-Men, since they pushed him into a minor recurring side-character role.  At least in the original X-Men TAS, Gambit actually got to be an X-Man and main character.)  

Obviously, TAS Pyro is my favorite out of these, but I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes.  Nothing wrong with being a fan of Evo Pyro or even the barely there WatXM Pyro, they’re all good!

[libsterslobsters]

What Is and What Should Never Be...

A Bucky Barnes/reader fanfic

Summary: Things between the reader and Bucky have never made sense. From the unlikeliness of them meeting to their strange powers, to their relationship surviving misunderstandings, separations, and most of all, Thanos, the odds are always against them, and yet things always sort them out. This time though, they face the biggest obstacle of their lives. Will this be what breaks them, or will they, yet again, pull through?

Warnings: angst, fluff, mentions of sex, no editor

Author's note: Guys, I am a fluffy bitch who happens to love characters with a tragic back story. My family has saved my life, so I had to give our favorite black lab puppy of a super soldier a happy ending.

************************************

It’s half past two when she finally convinces herself to do it. The other alternative is to lie in bed, staring at the ceiling for the next three hours until her alarm goes off. And… a quiet mutter in another language… Russian, she immediately realizes as her mind translates the nonsensical phrase… reminds her that she’s unlikely to have an opportunity in the weekend ahead to go out on her own without that wonderful, loving, over-protective husband of hers worrying or offering to go with her.

Slowly, she pushes back the sheets and climbs from the bed (a monumental task, since somehow, in his sleep, he always ends up touching her in some way; this time it’s an arm slung over her waist), padding softly towards the bathroom. It’s not ideal, pulling clothes out of the hamper to wear again, but she doesn’t want to risk opening the closet to dig around and the noise waking him, light sleeper that he is, so it’ll have to do.

The townhouse is familiar, so she doesn’t worry too much about stumbling in the dark, but still she clutches the stair railing harder than usual, more to calm herself than any real fear she will fall. She’s trying her best not to access that part of her mind, the one that grants her an unwanted view into the immediate future as, finally on the bottom floor, she shoves her keys into her purse and her feet into her shoes, then pulls open the door.

The city never sleeps, which is a mercy, because the porch light has already been turned off. There’s no reason for either of them to venture out again until morning. At least, that’s what he thinks. Her hands shake as she turns the key, bringing the car’s engine to life. If this goes the way she’s nearly certain it will, she’s going to have to trade it in for something bigger than it’s fuel-efficient two seat capacity.

It’s a familiar drive, and a short one. If the sun were out, she’d walk! But as it is, she parks three blocks down from where she lives and, taking a deep breath to hold back the panicked tears threatening to flow, steps out into the night.

The cashier is rubbing at his eyes wearily, and doesn’t so much as blink as she places her items on the counter to be scanned. Three boxes, because if she’s going to potentially risk upending her life, his life too, she’ll be damned if she’s not absolutely certain of her reason. She briefly wonders if she’ll even be capable of using all that she’s bought in one go, but dismisses the thought almost as soon as it appears. Well, it’s unlikely she’ll be getting any sleep tonight. That’s plenty of time to make damn sure of the result.

She’s not aware of anything as she drives back. Thank God everyone else seems to be watching themselves, or else she’d be in trouble. Well, she chuckles bitterly to herself, more trouble than she’s already potentially in. Again, the quiet dance of easing key into lock, of softly closing the door behind her and slipping out of her shoes. This time, she pads towards the downstairs bathroom. May as well get it over with.

As it turns out, if you pace yourself, you can indeed manage to use three of the tiny plastic sticks all at once. They’re all different brands, but the wait time is the same. She sets her watch to three minutes and, closing her eyes, tries to concentrate on anything but her visions of the future.

Instead, she focuses on the past. They met out of nowhere, while he was on the run and she was in hiding. That was the one time she was happy to be blessed with precognition; it allowed her to pull him around that street corner just before the man she didn’t know anything about other than a forboding sense that he was no good would have recognized the lost stranger with the metal arm.

That should have been the end of it. She saved him, and ran as fast as she could when he asked, “Who are you?” But he’s always been stubborn, this Winter Soldier, so of course he chased her down until she had nowhere to go (or rather, until her visions kicked in yet again and informed her that there was no way out; no matter where she ran, he was more than capable of finding her).

There were awkward introductions, a distasteful cup of tea he still claims is their first date, and the admission:

“I see the future. Little shards of it. And I never can control when I see it.”

Again, that should’ve been the end of it, but his response was,

“I’m nearly 100 years old, have super serum running through my veins, killed hundreds of people, and I have basically no memory of the past fifty years of my life.”

She should have run, but she didn’t. And how glad she is, no matter how this turns out, that she stayed.

There were so many times they should’ve fallen apart. When she told him, “This has to stop. I’m so sorry. You’ve been nothing but a good friend to me and you don’t deserve this, but somewhere along the line, I got my wires crossed, and I accidentally fell in love with you.” , there’s no logical explanation to him telling her, “Wait, I’m a little confused here. I thought we’d been dating for the past six months. And you thought… oh.” It shouldn’t have worked out, shouldn’t have led to both of them doing what they’d wanted to for so long: sharing a kiss, just an innocent peck to the lips, which for her, felt like taking her first breath.

He should have left her behind when Steve came for him, shouldn’t have insisted, “I’ll go, but I’ve got someone we’ve got to bring with us. Someone important.” Or she should have stayed, but the danger of what lay ahead didn’t seem like that big of a price to pay if she got to stay with the man she was beginning to suspect was the love of her life.

When he went to a small African country, she shouldn’t have insisted, “Of course I’m going with you! You didn’t leave me. What makes you think I’m going to leave you?” He shouldn’t have given in. They shouldn’t have weathered the long breaks between seeing each other while he was having his mind rewired and she was learning, learning about Wakanda and teaching so little by comparison about the language she speaks, or come out on the other side stronger. When the call came once again for the white wolf to return to battle, it made no sense for her to go too even with the years of training she had, or that as soon as they were settled on the helicarrier, he sighed and informed her, “I was planning on doing this at a nice dinner, but since we have no idea what we’re getting into, I thought I’d go ahead and ask.” pulling out a small box with a delicate ring inside, asking, “Marry me as soon as this is over.” Going into the unknown, she shouldn’t have said yes.

She shouldn’t have survived Thanos’ armies, the multiple injuries she sustained, the snap that followed, or as a last-ditch effort to save her life, the mad scientist’s cocktail, the one that turned an innocent boy who only wanted to serve his country into the Winter Soldier, being administered by Natasha’s shaking hands. He shouldn’t have been the one who turned to dust. When she woke up, one thought on her mind, “Where is Bucky?” her heart should have given out when Steve told her, anxiously holding her hand, “I’m so sorry. He’s gone.”

Five years later, she should’ve been past it, should have moved on. Not been there to answer the call when her phone lit up and an excited spy told her, “There’s a chance we can bring them back.” None of it should have worked- the time travel, Bruce snapping his fingers, them once again fighting Thanos. When it was all over, she should’ve been so broken, so changed, that when she saw him, her first words were not, “You came back to me.”

There should have been too much water under the bridge. They shouldn’t have been able to make it work, him relearning the woman he used to know because, “You kept it on.” “Of course I did.” It made no sense, and they were warned against going through with trading vows only six months after the world righted itself again. They shouldn’t have been able to work together, continue to “fight the bad guys” without growing to resent each other. The marriage should’ve ended within a year, not grown stronger, been full of loves and laughs, lazy morning sex and breakfast for dinner, until now.

Her watch starts beeping, and although she’s quick to silence the alarm, she wonders if he’s heard it. When no footsteps sound over her head a full ninety seconds later, she stand and examines the tests on the counter. Three different brands, three different options for telling her one simple answer. A plus sign. Two pink lines. One simple word: pregnant.

The tears finally do fall, and even though she reaches out to the gift, the curse, the future, it’s unclear. Well, she tells herself after burying the results in the box of tampons under the sink (unused for far too long) which she knows he’ll never look through, none of this should have worked so far, but it has. Maybe this will be yet another exception.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Sam’s jokes have stopped being funny, or maybe he’s just stopped paying attention. All Bucky knows is that he’s paying more attention to the clock across the room from him, or rather it’s hands than his partner. Finally, the big hand is on the twelve and the little hand is on the five. He thinks he says something about getting home, the plan sounds great, they’ll talk more about it tomorrow, but he can’t be sure. He’s too busy trying to remember which streets are the least busy this time of day so that he can get home sooner.

She’s been off for the last week or so. There was the food poisoning (odd, because they’re both “super soldiers”, they don’t get sick, but she also doesn’t lie so that had to be what’s going on) Sunday morning, which didn’t seem to be much better on Monday, even if she still went in to work. “I’m fine. These people work so hard to learn English. The least I can do is show up and grade their papers.” He should’ve insisted she stay home, but that wouldn’t have done any good.

Tuesday, she was asleep on the couch when he arrived from work. Wednesday is when she started jumping when he entered a room, freezing when he touched her, and later that night when he tried to pull her closer to him in bed, her muscles tensed under his palm, even if she did settle against his chest. Thursday she was awake before he was and came to bed hours after he’d already turned in. This morning, she was out the door before he could so much as say goodbye, and after six days, enough is enough. He’s determined to figure out what’s going on with his wife.

She’s usually at the community college late, tutoring students after class, but to his surprise, as he steps inside their house, the lights are on, and what’s more, the smell of meat cooking and several spices mingling is in the air.

“Long day?”

She barely looks up as he steps into the kitchen, but does smile when he places a kiss on her forehead, so that’s something.

“It was alright. You?”

She shrugs. “I’m glad to be home, let’s put it that way.”

He wants to sit her down, take both of her hands in his, ask her what’s going on, but he doesn’t get the chance before she suggests,

“Why don’t you go up and get a shower? Dinner should be ready by the time you’re done.”

He is sweaty, he supposes, so he nods.

“Alright.”

Half a flight of stairs is behind him before he thinks to add, “Love you, Doll.” “Love you.” Small assurances, but he needs them. His mind is swirling with all of the worst possibilities he can think of. She’s dying. She’s leaving him. He’s done something to make her feel afraid or unwanted. No. She still loves him. He’s just paranoid.

He decides to use his time in the shower to come up with a plan. After they eat, he’ll take care of the dishes so she can relax. More than likely she’ll want to get a head start on grading papers, but since it’s the weekend, that’ll only last for half an hour or so before she decides that the rest can wait and Netflix is much more appealing. He’ll get the snacks ready (more than likely popcorn, but last week it was some sort of trail mix that included, of all things, parsley) and once they’re cuddled up, well into whatever mindless tv show they’re watching this time, he’ll press the issue.

A flash of orange catches his eye as he’s rinsing off. He calls out her name, thinking maybe she’s come upstairs for something, but there’s no reply. Paranoid again. He really needs to get to the bottom of this.

It doesn’t take him long to change into his weekend wear: sweatpants and an old tshirt, but as soon as he’s down the steps and into the kitchen once again, he wishes he’d put a little more effort in. Now he knows what the flash of orange was: the dress that always reminds him of summer. She’s changed clothes, taken her hair out of its “teacher” knot at the back of her head, and refreshed the makeup she could easily do without. Not only that, but-

“We’re eating in the dining room.” He thought those dishes looked a little nicer than paper plates.

The food is good. He’s certain of it, but he’s not tasting anything. Neither is she, he’s fairly certain, because she just picks at what’s on her plate. Neither of them say anything, on his part because he’s trying not to blurt out, “What’s wrong?” On hers… he’s not sure.

Finally, enough time has passed to warrant getting up. He starts to stand, but she grasps his hand.

“Wait. I-” She bites her lip. It’s brief, but it’s an obvious sign that she’s nervous, a tell that she’s never completely lost over the years. “Sit. I have something I need to do, and if you get up, I’ll talk myself out of it.” It’s all connected. He can feel it.

She’s only gone for thirty seconds (he’s counting to give himself something to do other than worry), and then she’s back, visibly trembling, with a small, white box in hand.

“I don’t know how to say this, so I thought-” She stops short and, a little hesitantly, offers the item to him before sitting. “-open it and hopefully you’ll get the gist.”

It’s the wrong shape for divorce papers, too small to hold anything else he can think of, and the yellow ribbon tied around it seems to suggest it’s not a bad thing.

“Okay.” He nods and, tugging gently at the ribbon, removes the lid.

It doesn’t make sense. A pair of white, soft leather shoes, so small they look like they should belong to a doll. Underneath, an equally doll-like white hat. And… oh. A silver rattle. He’s not stupid; he can figure out what this adds up to, but still, gazing into her eyes, he has to ask.

“Are you…?”

She nods, and although she immediately lifts her hand to wipe it away, a tear slides down her cheeks. “Yes.”

Suddenly it all makes sense. The odd behavior, the secrecy, the fear. They’ve never talked about having children, even taken precautions to make sure it doesn’t happen. In their line of work, with her extra abilities and their combined genetics with the serum, it doesn’t make sense to have a child. He’ll be a terrible father. He’s a murderer- no, he chides himself, a soldier forced to do things he regrets- and still, for all intents and purposes, in the service. He’s got so much baggage. Steve is the one who would be good (hell, was good, from what he’s gathered) with the wife, the family. But now that he knows, now that he’s aware that, between the two of them, they’ve created a new life, he’s never wanted anything more.

“We’re having a baby.” It’s not a question, but she nods, sniffling slightly.

“We are.”

He can’t wait anymore. She may still be afraid, unsure of what the outcome will be of this accidental miracle, but he has to at least assure her that through it all, he’ll be with her.

Carefully, he slides down from his chair to kneel beside her, and just as he was planning to do later tonight, takes both of her hands in his (well, one of them; the other is resting over where their baby, his baby, is growing).

“That’s the most incredible thing I’ve ever heard.”

The tears fall fresh from her eyes, but her smile is bright, a real one he hasn’t seen in the past six days, and as she leans down, he presses his lips against hers, ignoring the mistiness in his own eyes. None of this makes sense. It shouldn’t work, or even be possible. But it is.

[stories-sometimes]

I’ve Made A Huge Mistake {4/?}

Peter Parker x Reader, Quentin Beck x Reader

Summary: Peter just wanted to enjoy his trip to Europe, maybe even confess his feelings to his best friends.But along came a mysterious new hero to ruin those plans. Peter and his class are aged up and in college.

Warnings: Violence in later chapters, manipulation, age gap

Word Count: 1893

Series Masterlist

Main Masterlist

The holiday became a whole lot less fun overnight. Originally it was meant to be a break for Peter, away from being a superhero, away from avenging, away from all his responsibilities. But, like always, some otherworldly being came and fucked that all up for him. And Peter was supposed to confess his feelings for her in some romantic candle-lit restaurant in Venice, or at the top of the Eiffel Tower. But Beck came along, swept her off her feet and fucked that all up for him. Even though Fury had said he didn’t have to join the mission, Peter knew, in the back of his head, that some way or somehow he would get dragged into the situation again. There would be another world-ending threat that would inevitably pop up in another city, one that Peter couldn’t ignore.

The two of them returned from Fury’s base in the early hours of the morning. She was incredibly giddy, a grin plastered across her face for the whole journey. He’d seen her get like this before, the time her 8th-grade crush asked her to the winter dance, or when Peter scored them tickets to a Star Wars premiere. It was the most beautiful expression Peter could ever be graced with - when he caused it he felt on top of the world, when another guy caused it he fell into a pit of jealousy. He tried his best to be happy for her, she was over the moon, Beck seemed like a good guy. He didn’t control her, he had no right to dictate who she could and couldn’t date. But he just couldn’t, he could never feel content if she was with someone else. So he let her talk about this perfect guy, acknowledging her ramblings just enough to not be rude: because that’s what a best friend does. And he’d rather be her friend than be nothing at all.

“Are you sure you’re good?” Peter asked Ned the next morning as they waited for the bus.

“Seriously, don’t worry, getting tranqued by Nick Fury is probably the coolest thing to ever happen to me.” Ned reassured him, way too positive about getting knocked out. Peter laughed nervously at his response.

“I’m just happy I don’t have to go to Prague.” Peter said as they absentmindedly did their handshake.

“Good news,” Mr Harrington said, bursting out of the hotel door, “we’re going to Prague.” He announced.

“Prague?” Peter asked, along with a few of the other students. Of course Fury would interfere.

“Yeah, tour company upgraded us. You should've heard me on the phone with them. I really gave them hell. All I heard was crying.” The teacher continued as a much bigger, sleeker black bus turned the corner. “Look, our upgraded ride.”

“Peter, what’s going on?”

“I think Nick Fury just hijacked our vacation.” One of the agents Peter saw last night stood outside the bus, purposely ignoring Mr Harrington’s feeble attempts at an introduction.

Once the group was on the bus Peter pulled out the case Fury gave him the night before. He opened it to reveal a pair of glasses, identical to the ones Mr Stark used to wear. Peter stared at them, unsure whether to feel happy at the sight of them or to burst into tears over his late-mentor. A note on the front read ‘For the next Tony Stark, say EDITH’. He read it aloud as he placed them on his face.

“Stand by for a retinal and biometric scan.” The glasses lit up. Peter watched curiously as a model of his face appeared in front of his eyes. “Scan accepted.”

“Hello?” Peter asked, a series of questions filling his head.

“Hello, Peter. I am EDITH, Tony Stark's augmented-reality security and defence system. I have access to all of Tony's protocols.” The AI explained.

“Cool.” Really Peter, he thought to himself, even with all the questions spirling in his mind all he could say was cool.

“Would you like to see what I can do? EDITH stands for “Even dead, I’m the hero.” Tony loves his acronyms.”

“Yeah, he did.” Peter laughed affectionately. At least he could have this link to the late, great Iron Man.

“I have access to the entire Stark Global Security network including multiple defence satellites as well as back doors to all major telecommunication networks.” She continued to fill him in. Peter glanced around the bus, multiple views of people’s phone screens popping up. It ranged from students begging their parents for more money to Mr Dell searching up witchcraft. So much for science professors.

“Is she texting Beck?” Peter asked before he fully realised what he was saying, “no, no, that wrong.” He said, sinking down into his seat. He had to respect her potential relationship, no matter how much it pained him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Betty and Ned sat next to each other, repeatedly texting ‘I miss you’ to each other. He grimaced at how completely cliche they were. The bus soon pulled into a village centre, allowing a quick toilet break. Flash left first, filming a video as he continued his attempts for insta fame. Peter got off last, only being able to step off the bus before he was stopped and instructed to go into a building opposite from him. Inside stood a tall blonde woman dressed near-identically to the agent driving their bus.

“Hi, I’m Peter.” He introduced himself nervously.

“Close the door.” She said firmly, her Eastern-European accent thick. He turned, immediately obeying her, honestly slightly intimidated by her. “Take off your clothes.”

“Excuse me.” Not exactly where he had expected that to go.

“You told Fury Spider-Man cannot be seen in Europe. So I made you this, another suit.” She handed him an all-black suit.

“Um, thanks. I’m sure it fits fine.” He replied awkwardly.

“Take off your clothes.” She said bluntly.

“Okay,” He whispered, unzipping his pants and pulling them down, “this is embarrassing.” He tried to alleviate some of the tension. Suddenly Flash walked into the building. His face went pale, scared he would assume the worst.

“Damn Parker, you got a hooker, didn’t think you had it in you.” Flash joked, taking a picture of the scene in front of him before walking back outside. The woman pulls out a gun, aiming it carefully at the back of Flash’s head.

“No, no, no, please don’t shoot,” Peter said in a panic as he made the agent lower her gun. “I’ll sort it out.” He grabbed the new suit, and ran out of the building, pulling his pants back up as he did so. “Flash, Flash, stop!”

“Honestly Parker, I can’t tell if I should make fun of you or congratulate you. That takes a lot of balls.” He continued to laugh.

“That, that wasn’t what it looked like.”

“Then what was it?” Peter opened his mouth, attempting to respond, but nothing came out. He ended up opening it and closing it over and over again, looking like some fish stuck on the land.

“Exactly.” Flash replied, walking towards the bus, “Wait,” he turned back, a smirk on his face, “What do you think she’d think about this?”

“What do you mean?” Peter asked cautiously.

“That her best friend, little Penis Parker, is secretly a perv.” Flash smiled as somehow more colour drained from his face. “Bet she’d love that.” He said, stepping onto the bus. Peter panicked, running back to his seat and shoving EDITH onto his face.

“Hey Peter, how can I help you?” Peter began to mumble an explanation, “I’m having difficulty hearing.” EDITH responded.

“There’s this guy, Flash Thompson, he’s got this photo of me and -”

“Is Flash Thompson a target?”

“A target?” Peter turned to see Flash, he had the picture up, ready to send the photo to the rest of his class. He knew he could tell her the truth about the situation, she’d understand, but still, he wanted to keep her from seeing it. “Yeah, he’s a target.”

“Target confirmed, initiating strike.”

“Initiating what now?” Peter asked, sitting up slightly straighter in his seat. Peter watched a map appear in front of his eyes showing an attack drone being released from a Stark satellite. “Shit.” He immediately stood up, out of his seat. He made his way over to where Flash was sat, all while keeping an eye on the ever-nearing drone.

“Cool glasses Parker,” Flash said, grabbing them off Peter’s face, “when d’you become so rich.”

“Flash, please, give ‘em back.” Peter went to take them back but Flash kept batting his hands away. “Flash, I’m serious.” He said, going for Flash’s face, accidentally knocking him out in the process. Peter stepped back, shocked. Sometimes he forgot his own strength. He brushed it off, sliding the glasses back onto his face. “I’m so sorry, EDITH don’t kill Flash.”

“Peter do you want me to call off the drone strike on Flash.” The AI asked.

“Did you just punch Flash?” A classmate asked at the same time.

“No.” Peter answered quickly. But EDITH had mistaken that for him answering her question.

“He’s knocked out.” Another shouted.

“Look, baby mountain goats.” Peter pointed out the window, successfully distracting the group. As the drone went to fire Peter jumped up, pushing through the roof window, shooting his webs out. Luckily for him enough were caught on the drone to disable it, making it crash down the mountain beside them. He landed, terrified anyone saw what he’d just done and how close he’d come to killing a classmate.

“Peter, I know you think we haven’t noticed,” Betty began causing Peter’s eyes to widen, “but your new look, I love it. Right babe?”

“Yeah, it’s super classy.” Ned agreed. Peter let out a sigh of relief, collapsing into a seat next to his other best friend.

“What the hell was that?” She scolded him before he could properly relax.

“I may or may not have almost killed Flash.” He was slightly worried that he had pissed her off as she continued to stare dumbfoundedly at him. Soon he was reassured by her bursting out laughing.

“You’re a fucking idiot Peter.”

“Well, you know -”

“No, no, you are genuinely the biggest dumbass I’ve ever met. How did you ever do that?”

“Um, these,” He took off the glasses, handing them to her, “they’re what Mr Stark gave me. Turns out saying someone's target sets a military level drones on them.” She couldn’t stop laughing. “I’m sure he’d be real proud of me.”

“Don’t,” Her voice turned more serious, “he obviously trusted and believed in you so much. And he’s hardly someone who never made mistakes. He’s the least perfect avenger, and still, he achieved more than anyone else in the world could even dream of. He would’ve expected to make hundreds of mistake and fuck up time and time again. But he wouldn’t have given you these if he think you could clean up all those messes.”

“Thanks.” He whispered a slight confidence boost after that little speech.

“I’m serious,” she said, resting her head on his shoulder, “you’re pretty fucking awesome Parker.” And there was the ego boost. They stayed there in comfortable silence for a while, both perfectly content. Not long after she began to uncontrollably laugh again. “You almost killed Flash fucking Thompson.”

@cool-ontherun-world 

@eleventhdoctorsangel 

@chubby-tink

@eridanuswave

[itsclydebitches]

RWBY Recaps: “The Enemy of Trust”

Welcome to the finale, folks! A quick fun fact for you all. Total length of RWBY Recaps Volume 7 is:

68,611 words, or 115 pages single spaced. Yeesh. No wonder I never got anything else done on Saturdays.

Overall thoughts on the finale? There are pieces embedded in this episode that I really liked. Meaning, all these conflicts and reveals could be seen as truly wonderful bits of storytelling... provided you ignore the horrible, messy context it’s all situated in. For example, I greatly enjoyed that fight with Neo... provided I ignore the stupidity that was the group keeping the relic in the first place. I love the idea of Penny becoming the Winter Maiden... it’s just too bad there wasn’t any setup for that in the form of Penny’s emotional growth, either by re-bonding with Ruby or by something amounting from that frame job. I adore that Ozpin is finally back!! ...So I guess I just have to ignore how he pretty much only existed as thematic exposition and that his bad treatment by the writers hangs over his return. It’s all very “Could have been good if the rest hadn’t been so astoundingly bad.”

First though, before the plot, I wanted to dip by toe into some of the questions we went into this volume with and some of the primary ones that sprung up along the way. Simple answers are attached.

Will the group’s dangerous attitude be addressed along with the introduced hypocrisy in regards to secret keeping? Ha! Not at all. Everything was thoroughly reinforced and last we saw the group---besides generic airship shots---they were triumphantly defeating Ironwood’s evil Ace Ops. So that’s that on that.

Will Ozpin come back and will there be reconciliation with the group? Yes! But also no! Why have a volume tackling with the biggest personal conflict the group has ever faced when you could instead just have another “Ozpin speaks a handful of words during a life-and-death situation”? Yes, yes he gets that massive monologue. We’ll get to that, but suffice to say it doesn’t exactly accomplish anything. Just hammers home how desperate I am to have his character back that I’ll take anything they’re willing to give me.

How will the group handle the death of Adam---one of the most significant deaths to date next to Pyrrha’s---and how will the reveal of his brand impact Weiss and her time at home? It won’t. Blake and Yang vaguely reference him once and that’s it. Apparently killing your abuser in self-defense creates no lasting trauma we should deal with and major reveals from villains straight up don’t matter.

What will the story do with their new character Maria? Uh, nothing. She exists off screen for the entire volume, only popping up in the last second to (maybe?) help Pietro get the scrolls working again. Oh, and she’s stolen another airship.

How will Qrow’s alcoholism continue to impact the group and how will he learn to start managing his addiction? No idea because that happened off screen. And then was presumably erased when Clover died.

Will the group ever discuss the hopelessness attached to their mission and come to the realization that their fight is worthwhile even though they can’t kill Salem? Sort of...? Because yeah they come to that realization but, again, it happens off screen. More significantly, it happens so well, apparently, that the group is now willing to feed Ironwood’s own false hope (like the fandom claims Ozpin did to them) and will be able to stand in front of Salem herself and announce that she’s totally beatable. And we’re going to risk a whole Kingdom on that came-out-of-nowhere confidence.

What does the Staff of Creation do and how will our characters potentially use it in their plans against Salem? We learn that the staff keeps Atlas afloat and it’s definitely a part of Ironwood’s plans, so there’s that.

How will Ruby continue to train and improve her Silver Eye powers? In the messiest and most contradictory manner possible. We’re shown twice in the last three episodes that she can’t get them to work and then suddenly they’re working again when the plot wants Cinder to skedaddle because there’s five minutes of the episode left. Like Qrow’s semblance, Ruby’s eyes are based on a switch that the writers turn on or off depending on their whim.

What will this volume tell us about Nora given all the hype surrounding the importance of her character this season? Nothing, really. All Nora does is solidify her relationship with Ren in a non-consenting manner and yell at Ironwood about Mantle while helping to orchestrate the city’s lack of resources. Even ignoring the issues inherent in these scenes, what we “learned” about Nora this volume is that she loves Ren, is protective of those who come from a similar background as she does, and will run to hug Oscar when given the chance. So...nothing. 

Now the reason I provided this long-ass introduction is so that a) we can remember what we actually hoped/expected the volume to accomplish now that we’ve reached the end (RWBY introduces so many things that viewers---myself included---outright forget that we were supposed to tackle certain plot points or character beats) and b) to demonstrate just some of the writing problems that are impacting this finale. This is what I mean when I say that this finale could have been really solid if not for... all of that. And “that” is just a small sampling of the issues we’ve built up over the last two years. 

But on to the actual plot.

We open on Jaune yelling, “Give up!” at Neo, which isn’t a heavy-handed reflection of the entire RWBYJNR group or anything. As said though, I did really enjoy the choreography of this fight. Oscar gets that excellent moment where he catches the relic with his cane, as well as when he grabs hold of Neo’s legs to keep her from fleeing. Jaune manages to protect them with two different kinds of shields now embedded in his shield. It’s a shield-shield. And Neo herself is always a joy to watch, demonstrating so much personality as she teases her way through each attack. I was thinking throughout this scene that I’d love to see her and Tyrian fighting together. That would be an excellent blend of insane/arrogant enjoyment.

The problem is that Neo is just having such an easy time of it. Which, I should be clear, is what I wanted based on the logic of the situation. Neo should be able to kick their asses with relative ease. The only reason why this is an issue is because it severely complicates what we saw last episode. How was Oscar able to survive her attack for however long? How was he able to land such a solid punch when now Ren and Nora fly at her with the same kind of obviousness and Neo deflects them with ease? I’m thrilled that the finale gave us such a long moment with Oscar, but the series as a whole still has a problem with relegating most of his development off screen. Seeing the comparatively vulnerable farm boy face off against one of our strongest villains should have been a focus last episode, not something that happens in the ether of, “Well I guess all that worked out somehow despite Neo kicking their asses here.” It’s an issue of consistency and convenience primarily. The show seems to have the characters on a very malleable power scale nowadays. Oscar isn’t strong enough to help with the geist, but he’s strong enough to land the first solid hit on Neo. Team RWBY is strong enough to take out the most elite group of huntsmen in Atlas, but Team JNR isn’t strong enough to take out a single villain four to one. It makes it harder to invest in anyone or anything because we’re always on shaky ground. The viewers never know when the writing will obey the rules it has set up or chuck them away on a whim.

The fight is interrupted though when the guards spot them. Did Ruby mention that they were being arrested in her announcement? Did Ironwood announce that before or after Ruby called? I honestly can’t remember and right now I’m too lazy to check. I was just a little surprised that Jaune immediately knew to run from the guards, rather than going, “Hey, crazy woman attacking us please help.” But eh, I’m happy enough to chalk that up to either my own shaky memory or a small connection lost. RWBY has way bigger problems than details like, “How did so-and-so know about such-and-such?” Not unless that information holds way more weight.

So they flee and we actually get to see some reaction to fighting for once. Oscar in particular is clearly exhausted and his clothes are done-in from the battle. Later, while hiding in the training room, all four of them will be leaning against the wall, heaving after facing Neo. Again, this is good. This is how newly-minted huntsmen should be reacting to fighting people way beyond their skill level. It’s only a problem when we compare these details to what we got last week with Team RWBY. Showing JNOR’s exhaustion from a quick bout with Neo no way aligns with RWBY’s perky, totally fine, no auras broken and no tiredness characterization after facing off against four Ace Ops for a significantly longer period.

So there’s some serious plot armor at work there. It became even more clear this episode that Team RWBY won because Team RWBY always gets what they want, not because it makes any sense in-world. But we’ll have to deal with any other consequences of that next volume because they’re barely in the rest of this episode. Instead, we return to the Winter, Penny, and Cinder fight where Cinder casually tosses Penny aside with her grimm arm. She’s briefly held back by Winter’s summoned birds, but that’s hardly going to faze her in the grand scheme of things. In fact, Cinder still has enough energy and confidence to start some philosophizing while she fights. She tells Winter that she may think “hoarding power means you’ll keep it forever, but it just makes the rest of us hungrier.” Self-fulfilling words from the woman hell-bent on acquiring and hoarding all the Maiden powers? As absurd as Cinder’s beliefs are, that “And I refuse to starve” line was pretty badass. On the whole I think she’s a boring villain, but every once in a blue moon Cinder will have a cool moment before she becomes irrelevant again.

The fight continues as Penny returns to the fray and it sounded to me that she was making more noise during this fight than normal. Granted, we’ve rarely seen Penny engage in an all-out brawl that lasts for more than a few seconds, but the additions certainly help with where she’s heading this episode. Particularly moments such as when they’re outside and Cinder’s sword blows up in Penny’s face, causing her to outright scream. It’s a very human sound, setting up the reveal that yes, an android is human enough to take on the Maiden powers. And if you go by some fan theories, “woman enough” (for lack of a better term) given that her aura is a man’s, Pietro’s. Penny is a girl regardless of starting out with male aura, leading to some wonderful and interesting takes on her as a trans character. Now I’m not giving that praise to Rooster Teeth---this isn’t them giving us representation---rather, I’m praising the fandom’s ingenuity and ability to adopt characters into their own communities. You don’t need “evidence” to headcanon transness, but having a girl born of a man’s aura go on to acquire woman-only power can definitely help. 

Granted, Penny’s vocalizing here is just a tiny detail that I’m choosing to apply positively to an outcome. I nevertheless stand by my early belief that Penny simply didn’t have the development needed to land her in the Maiden position. Having her grapple with her own death, Ruby her resurrection, and the loss of Mantle’s support would have achieved that. It’s clear now why Rooster Teeth brought her back, but that doesn’t mean they’ve treated her character well for the last twelve episodes. Instead, in true RWBY fashion, a lot was introduced with no followup.

As said though, they take things outside to give us a decently cool battle between three characters who can fly. While in the air though Winter’s aura is broken and she starts to plummet. Obviously Penny catches her, to which Winter replies, “What are you doing? My life doesn’t matter!”

Sometimes I wonder if Rooster Teeth bothers to think about the dialogue they put in characters’ mouths. I mean seriously? Winter is not stupid. Nor is she so hard that---as the episode hammers home---she wouldn’t experience fear. So:

Anyone is going to be happy about being caught from a 100% deadly fall. In a situation like this survival instinct trumps responsibility. Even if it didn’t “responsibility” doesn’t make any sense here because:

They’re not giving up on the Maiden. Penny isn’t making a decision here that requires forever and always choosing Winter over Fria. They’re gonna turn right around and continue the fight

Seriously, it takes a few seconds to catch her. This isn’t that big a deal

The fight thus far has clearly proven that they need all the help they can get. Penny can’t take Cinder on her own and indeed, even with her aura broken Winter manages to be incalculably helpful

Fria still has her powers, which she’s about to demonstrate. Does Winter really not realize that Fria is still pretty capable of defending herself?

In short, this line is stupid. More than just stupid it’s twisting a character to get them to fit with the volume’s badly imposed theme. Oh look Winter cares sooooo much about her orders that she would needlessly die for them. Penny must teach her the value of her own life and how “blindly” obeying Ironwood is a big, bad thing. Come on. Lines like these---Harriet claiming the Ace Ops aren’t friends even though they clearly are, Qrow blaming Ironwood for Clover’s death when he’s not even there, Yang sniping at Elm about how she can’t think for herself---only serve to say Protagonists Good; Ironwood Bad. Rooster Teeth really loves to introduce justified and sympathetic characters, only to have other characters go OOC to backtrack on that verbally. Ignore what you’ve seen and just believe the nonsense words that never would have come out of this character’s mouth otherwise. And yes, that includes Yang and her comment to Elm. She is by far the most loyal character, considering that she’s canonically done things she did not want (following Ozpin) purely because Ruby was doing it. If the story had any sense embedded in it Yang would be the one who understood where the Ace Ops were coming from in their devotion to Ironwood, or at the very least the narrative would call her out on her hypocricy. As it is, the story functions around the “fact” that following Ruby is just intrinsically good. No matter what Ruby herself might do and how it does or does not compare to others’ actions. She’s the hero, always. In the same way, having Winter spout such a nonsense line works only to say, “See? Following Ironwood destroys all your self-wroth. Following Ruby? Like Penny does? You learn the value of friendship!” Never-mind that the first thing Ironwood does this episode is congratulate and apologize to Winter when he thinks he’s coming down into the vault...

Enjoyable pieces aside, I’m obviously still salty, but we’ll get to Ironwood in a minute. For now, Oscar is seriously dragging behind JNR and manages to get separated. He’s hidden from the guards by “Nora” who is, obviously Neo. Within the span of a second she’s gotten the relic and will keep it until she hands it over to Cinder.

Congratulations, team! Not only did you allow Ironwood to harm Mantle for weeks on end when you knew his plan was doomed to fail, you’ve also lost the relic you came to secure in the first place, thoroughly betrayed the one powerful ally you had in this war (just like you did Ozpin), have destroyed any hope of escape as---surprise!---Salem actually showed up, and you took out the one elite team who might have helped you fight her. Oh, and Qrow, you got arrested in the end anyway so congrats on getting your friend killed along the way. Seriously, how does anyone---how does the narrative---insist that these people are heroes? At this point this is a story about fallen heroes, but rather than emphasizing precisely how badly the group has screwed up the last two volumes and taking them on a journey back from the brink, they’re still being painted in a perfect light.

So... yeah. Relic is gone. Which we all saw coming the second Ruby happily agreed to keep holding onto it, then got protective when Ironwood mentioned taking it back. Loyalty aside, you cannot possibly think the relic is safer on your or Oscar’s belt than it is in a freaking magical vault. The group should be denied the title of “heroes” for their stupidity and arrogance alone. Especially when they never bothered to tell Ironwood that there was still a question left. That might have changed his mind about letting them carry it around. 

Thus, relic in hand, Neo makes easy work of the rest of the team. Most notably by keeping Nora’s face and giving Ren sad eyes when he tries to strike her. This is a really good moment of visual storytelling and more how RWBY should be using their fights to do double-duty and develop characterization. Neo’s trick not only demonstrates her cruel skills, but tells us precisely how deeply Ren cares for Nora. Even knowing that’s not her he hesitates. Then, obviously, we’ve got the tears as the team runs off. So obviously things are still eating at him and their relationship is a big part of that... which just makes me all the more frustrated that the story passed over his fears at the party. I really don’t care how eager everyone (myself included) was to finally get a renora kiss. We never should have seen Nora ignoring those problems and insisting on moving the relationship forward in a way he clearly wasn’t ready for yet. Ren’s words told us that, as does his grief now. Everyone was wondering if ignoring his anxiety would come to a head in the form of Ren siding with Ironwood, but we didn’t get the chance to find that out this volume. Which, I get it. RWBY doesn’t have a lot of time, but that’s precisely the problem. Tiny tid-bits are dropped and then ignored for weeks, if not years on end. That moment between Ren and Neo was excellently crafted and told us a lot about both, but ultimately it’s just another moment cast adrift from everything else. Who knows if this plot-line will actually continue in Volume 8’s premier, if at all.

So Neo wanders off in an Atlas disguise and hands the relic off to Cinder. What’s Cinder going to do with the relic precisely? Not sure. Gonna have to wait on that one. We do have some decent setup for Neo’s betrayal though. She not only looked pissed at Cinder just snatching the prize, but sad about it too. Neo has always been driven by her own, messed up love, notably for Roman. Now that he’s gone it seems like she was looking for someone else to latch onto. Now that Cinder has proven that Neo is only a tool to her, she’d better watch her back.

Returning to Fria. She, as said, still has a lot of kick in her and easily pushes Cinder back. “That’s the power of a fully realized Maiden,” Winter says as crazy power shoots into the sky. Again, good setup... if I believed RWBY was capable of following up on anything. Remember at the beginning of the volume when Harriet dropped setup on Ruby’s semblance? Yeah, nothing came of that either. And though it still might, again, when? I know I use this example a lot, but you can’t introduce Raven speaking with Tai, drop that for three years (or longer), and then pick it back up like that’s still a relevant thread to follow. By having Winter proclaim that this is a “fully realized” power we imply that others, such as Cinder, may be able to become more powerful as well, but there’s little faith on the viewer’s part that such a line will actually amount to anything. Or if it does, it will happen so far in the future that most viewers will have forgotten about it.

For now though Fria is super-duper powerful. Cinder and Winter can’t even get near her. So it’s up to Penny, the one person not made of flesh and blood, to get the job done. I like that. Great use of difference as a strength. So she dives in and gets Fria to calm down, reigning her power back in. They discuss transferring the power and when Penny tries to remind her of the consequences we get, “I’ll be gone. I know I have a hard time remembering, but I remember that.” Hey. Hey, hey. I want the entire fandom to pay attention to this line because a lot of you still have a tendency to erase agency so as to more easily pin the blame on characters you don’t like. Pyrrha didn’t choose to fight Cinder against Ozpin’s orders, Ozpin killed her! Qrow didn’t choose to fight Clover and team up with Tyrian, Ironwood killed Clover! The Ace Ops didn’t choose to be loyal and maintain the responsibility they swore as military huntsmen, Ironwood just brainwashed them into being obedient puppets! Here, we get another glorious reminder that yes, these characters can actually think and act for themselves. Even the characters with dementia. Asking someone to do the hard thing (Pyrrha) is not in any way comparable to making them. It’s crystal clear from Fria’s line here that Ironwood spoke to her about the situation. He, like Ozpin, was upfront about the consequences. She in turn decided to accept this duty. Yes, I know I’ll die. I’ve accepted that. I have a job to do and I intend to complete it.

So yeah, #stop-taking-away-one-character’s-agency-just-because-you-don’t-like-another-2020.

Penny is thus faced with a glaring responsibility of her own: will she take on the Maiden powers? Because Fria may remember her job, but not who else was supposed to complete the job with her. Was it you? Penny, meanwhile, is looking at all that ice and wondering if Winter can even get here in time. It may well only be her... unless they want it to be Cinder.

As she thinks through this decision we return to JNR. Ren has a brief freak-out about how “We weren’t ready to become huntsmen” but instead of a truthful statement about their maturity and skill levels, the story twists it into a false statement by having Ren start yelling at Nora and placing unnecessary blame. We’re not supposed to believe him here because he’s irrational and lashing out... even though I think “We weren’t ready to become huntsmen” is a 100% truthful statement. The last two volumes have proven to me, if no one else, that having a job with that much power and responsibility isn’t just about whether you can swing your scythe really well. It’s about having the emotional fortitude and, as said, majority to treat it as a job and put that responsibility ahead of your own desires. RWBYJNR has consistently demonstrated that they’re unwilling to do that. It’s their way or the highway, damn promises, responsibility, loyalty, or consequences.

Before things can really break in the group though more soldiers show up and as they’re hiding behind Jaune’s shield he realizes that Oscar is missing. Over the comms Oscar says that he has something he needs to do alone, heading for the vault. I really appreciate this moment because Oscar is the one person in this group who has actually extended some of the unity and sympathy that RWBYJNR keeps yelling that everyone needs to give to them first. He apologizes to Ironwood whereas Yang sticks her nose in the air and insists she did nothing wrong. He approaches Ironwood and asks to find a way forward together while Ruby yells that Harriet has to do what she wants or no, I won’t stop attacking you. We get that moment where Ironwood thinks it’s Winter descending and goes, “I know that must have been hard for you. I’m so sorry,” demonstrating his own care and compassion. We see Oscar embodying Ozpin in his folded hands, use of the cane, and harder eyes, despite the fact that it’s still him in control. 

He has a piece of that maturity the rest of his team lacks. He’s open, Ironwood is open, they’re poised to do what the others around them can’t...

Too bad it all goes to total shit.

You know, I feel like I should be more mad about this but at this point I’m just kind of numb. Why in the world would I be surprised that Rooster Teeth would erase all the work above to turn Ironwood into a generic villain? They did it before, or did I suddenly forget the twenty-minutes that humanized Ozpin only to be followed with two volumes of bashing him non-stop? I knew Ironwood was going to get screwed, I just didn’t think they’d go so far as to do it like this. And shame on me because I should have.

There are times when things happen on screen... but by god it isn’t canon. Because it’s just too stupid to be canon. It’s so horrifically out of character that the only explanation is that this is an impersonator and the writers just forgot to tell us that along the way. Because James Ironwood would never kill a child. Or hell, maybe he would, but it would have to be under RADICALLY different circumstances from these. People realize right that this is so beyond out of character as to be laughable, right? We get:

A man who has devoted himself to fighting the biggest evil his world has ever seen

Learning the importance of care over brute strength, adopting Ozpin’s lessons by giving Mantle Penny

Has spent the last year trying desperately to keep all his people safe, making the hard calls in order to achieve that

Was beyond delighted when the group first appeared, kneeling down before Oscar and hugging Qrow

Has frequently asked after Ozpin throughout the volume, demonstrating a strong desire for him to return

Immediately forgave the group even after learning about Salem’s immortality, still pushing forward with them

Just sacrificed his arm in an effort to continue protecting those around him

Finally realized he didn’t have allies in this team and called only for their arrest, not any violence or mistreatment

Hired the Ace Ops, a group whose conflict was their need to perform that arrest pushing against their desire not to hurt anyone

Ironwood just began the scene by extending sympathy and apologies to another

And you’re going to tell me that this man, this man defined by his compassion and desperate need to protect others... is going to shoot the 14yo kid housing one of his oldest friends? Shoot to kill?

Because make no mistake, that was a killing shot. Ironwood knew Oscar was at the edge. Even if it hadn’t broken Oscar’s aura, that fall isn’t anything you can survive without Humanity 1.0 magic---magic Ironwood clearly wasn’t counting on to save him. They literally took this man and erased EVERYTHING that made him-him, deciding that randomly Ironwood kills kids now because he dislikes a conversation. Kills Ozpin too. It makes zero sense... but you know all precisely why they did it. Because Ironwood is the villain now. He dared disagree with Team RWBY and now that he’s an antagonist they had to make sure he did something he couldn’t come back from. You don’t try to kill the youngest of the group and then come back into the fold. Ironwood is finished. He’s either going to die next volume or the group is going to lock him behind bars as a “witty” parallel of him trying to arrest them, dropping a one-liner about how they’re sorry it came to this.

Which, obviously, I absolutely despise. The rest of the episode? Had a lot going for it. Cool and interesting developments that might have been great if not attached to the horror show of the last twenty-five episodes... but still cool and interesting nonetheless. This? This is the worst thing RWBY has done to date because they not only irrevocably messed up one of their best characters, but they did so in a way that highlights everything that has been wrong with the show the last two years. There was no buildup to this. None. Don’t @ me with “But Ironwood is unstable and the Tin Man has no heart.” No and also no. Rooster Teeth simply decided that they wanted him as a villain and made that happen in the span of a few seconds. It’s just as absurd and insulting as if, last volume while angry at Qrow, Ruby had picked up her scythe and cut through Weiss as a form of anger management. Ironwood aiming to kill the kid he’s been bonding with all volume and Ozpin to boot because they’re having a slightly heated conversation is insane. 

Which isn’t to say that conversation itself helped matters. Because Ironwood remains right. Those are all pretty, philosophical questions, Oscar, but what are we going to do about our situation? Oscar might express more sympathy then Team RWBY, but he’s just as naive and dangerously stubborn. He doesn’t have a plan either, just a continuing insistence that they try. In fact, his arguments are really... nonsensical in places? He says that if Ironwood abandons Mantle they’ll lose hope of uniting the whole world, even though we’ve never established why that’s still a goal when a world-wide army can’t defeat Salem. He likewise makes the absurd claim that because Ironwood is thinking about the big picture “Then you’re as dangerous as she is, James.”

No??

If RWBY is going to incorporate philosophy and moral conundrums into their writing then they actually need to do the work to think them through. Because sorry but the man making a currently still necessary sacrifice in order to keep the world as a whole safe is not the same thing as the genocidal grimm queen hell-bent on destroying it. Again, do they think about the words they’re putting into the characters’ mouths? The worst is how many viewers just eat it up. Because Good Boy Oscar said something vaguely wise-sounding then it must be true...never-mind the absurdity of the statement itself. I love Oscar to bits, just not when the writing uses him as a prop to promote these absurd themes. Not to keep dragging Witcher into every possible part of my life, but it immediately reminded me of this quote from Geralt. “You wizards are all the same...

Just because Oscar says it with confidence doesn’t mean it makes any sense.

Which is where we end up. Oscar falling, Ozpin arriving, the two of them managing to survive the fall. I have to admit that at this point Ozpin’s return just felt damn underwhelming to me. Like yes, of course I’m thrilled he’s back, but watching them mangle James like that just kicked all the enjoyment out of the rest of the episode. That, combined with the fact that Ozpin’s return actually was pretty lackluster. I mean, I feel like a shit for complaining about the thing I’ve wanted since the beginning of Volume 6... but is that really all we get? Ozpin doesn’t save him, Oscar saves them both, because he apparently has complete access to the magic and memories now. What does Ozpin matter then? Ozpin doesn’t speak really, just says Oscar’s name and is then cut off because Oscar doesn’t want to hear anything he has to say unless it’s about saving Atlas. He does express something like gratitude though--- “You’re back, aren’t you? You saved me”---so that’s more than we’ve gotten from anyone else. And Ozpin does narrate... but who is that to? Obviously very reminiscent of our series’ premier, but is he speaking to Salem again? We’re not told---or shown---and as it is that monologue exists purely for the audience. It’s a speech we could have gotten from any character and just happened to get it from Ozpin. It’s not being spoken to Oscar and therefore not forwarding any of the relationships that still need to be mended. In fact, this could well be a speech Ozpin gave years ago, disconnected from who he is now. Perhaps the biggest issue is that the speech is all about fear, further hammering home the finale’s BS stance that Ironwood being afraid of actual, legitimate threats made him into an unhinged child-killer.

Because his “paranoia”? It’s about this. This is what Ironwood was afraid of.

And oh look it’s here.

So yeah... I just can’t fall in love with this moment as I feel I should. RWBY has burned me too many times lately---the last time seconds before this scene---and frankly now that Ozpin is back I don’t trust them to treat his character well. So his return is automatically laced with more worry than excitement to see what comes next. Because if they do this to Ironwood, somehow who has done nothing but try to help this whole volume, what the hell are they going to do to Ozpin, someone who actually lied to and kept secrets from the precious team? I want him back, but not while we’ve got these themes going. I’m legit worried about how the group will react to his return and what the narrative is going to make Ozpin do as penance for his supposed sins. I’m not really thrilled about the prospect of watching more assault that’s painted as heroic justice. Normally I’d be going, “Well you never know, RWBY could prove me wrong...” except that after Ironwood? I really don’t think it will. Because Ozpin may ask, “Will you forgive them? Will you understand why they felt the need to do the things they did?” but it’s “staring back at you is the very thing you should have feared from the start” is what we get when Ironwood is shown again when he’s told Winter doesn’t have the power, he can’t open the vault, and he has no way of escaping this army. Rather than painting this as a tragedy that’s on our “heroes,” Ironwood is just made to look deranged. The story doesn’t encourage us to forgive him, no matter Ozpin’s words. 

The scne was pretty though! lol. Stunningly gorgeous, really. If I just turn my brain off and don’t think about everything surrounding Oscar falling while Ozpin re-joins him, it’s an absolutely fantastic scene...

Yeah, the rest of the episode is mostly things I’ve already covered. Maria picks everyone up in their “getaway ship” because her character apparently only exists now to provide comic relief in the form of illegal actions. 

Penny takes on the Maiden powers while Winter holds Cinder off with no aura. That was badass as hell.  Go Winter, you’re still one of my faves this volume.

Ruby conveniently uses her silver eyes even though they’ve failed twice in the last three to four episodes. 

Qrow is arrested and holds onto Clover’s blood-stained badge. 

Robyn is apparently just fine. 

Watts is potentially getting freed by Tyrian, or else was just distracted by the arrival of Salem, I honestly wasn’t sure. 

The only other thing of consequence is that Winter and Weiss acknowledge that they’re on different paths. They can’t support one another in who they’re loyal to, but Winter will still give her sister a head start.

Oh, that moment and this, of course.

I’ve already spoken about my very iffy feelings about introducing Salem as an actual enemy before the final volume and those feelings are compounded by this absurd denouncement of hard, practical choices. I mean... seriously. What is the group going to do at the start of next volume? “These readings can’t be right,” an Atlas soldier says, horrified at the number of grimm that are appearing around them from an ominous red cloud. That entire army we saw at the end of Volume 6. Plus a giant whale grimm that could easily swallow any of our heroes (Pinocchio reference, anyone?), plus the immortal sorceress who could do any number of things to obliterate you---and take all the time in the world to do it. Like... they’re screwed. They are dead and Ironwood was 100% right to try and take whoever he could to safety and regroup. Except that obviously the series doesn’t end in tragedy here so they’ll wiggle their way out of things somehow. It just won’t be satisfying. Because we absolutely have a hopeless situation here and the story hasn’t allowed the group to acknowledge and then try to circumvent that in any practical manner. Ruby’s silver eyes will inexplicably get crazy powerful. Or Salem will randomly decide to leave. Or they’ll discover some new and untapped skill through the power of friendship. Then, at the end of it all, we’ll be told to look back at Ironwood and call him crazy for trying to save lives with a realistic approach because see? We managed a miracle after all.

I can’t believe I’m going to watch that nonsense. But I will. Because RWBY was a show that I loved and some small part of me still hopes it’ll return to what it once was. At the very least I need to find out what happens to these characters---no matter how stupid and insulting---and this episode, despite all my expectations, did give me tiny glimmers into what RWBY used to be. Moments that were fun or badass or legitimately touching. I almost wish it wouldn’t, just so I could make a clean break with the show. Absolute trash is better than trash that demonstrates skill just enough to make you think there might be hope for a better written story the next time around. Ah well. At least writing the recaps is always fun!

So I’ll still be here, answering asks and chucking out nonsense. Feel free to come join me if you’re ever inclined.  

Until next volume 💜

[write-like-you-mean-it]

A Hunter’s Prey: Introductions and Questions

A strange beep awoke me from my slumber. Everything in my body ached as I tried to move. My arms were so sore that it hurt to move them an inch. It took a few moments to realize why I was so sore. A combination of Nen and exercising would do that to anyone. All that left my mouth was an angry groan at the blaring sound. With how late we were up, I wanted to get so much more sleep. 

After a minute of the alarm, I realized that Illumi must be as tired as I was. The bed moved only slightly before the phone stopped ringing. Somehow, I was able to move myself to a sitting position even though my body screamed for me to lie back down. “Whose on the phone?” I ask while rubbing some sleep from my eyes. 

Illumi didn’t answer. Instead, he went to get his clothes back on. My heart ached for the thought that he might stay for a while with me. There was not a lot of talking last night and I didn’t get all the questions answered in my head. 

“Illumi,” I mumbled. He still didn’t respond but handed me back my clothes. “You can’t really not talk to me when you don’t feel like it. Why can’t you stay with me.” 

He went back to covering his body. Every single inch of his body. It was a nice look while it lasted. “I have to go vote.”

“Vote?” I ask. He never struck me as one of the political types. Assassins normally weren’t. “Who are you voting for?”

“The newest chairman.” Illumi picked up his needles. “I won’t be gone long.” He stopped getting ready for a second to look at me. It was a delicious look as if I was a hot dinner ready to be devoured. I realized how naked I was and tried to pull the blankets up to cover me. 

My face felt a hot red and I looked down. “I do have a favor for you,” Illumi said. “I want you to keep practicing Nen. Kil should be back soon. Milluki and father will have a watchful eye on him. It will be your job to tell me if you see him and especially if he leaves.”

I nod my head. I don’t know how I can try to watch for Killua if I can barely move my body. Every inch was sore; however, I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of knowing that. He refused all night allowing me to touch him. Sex isn’t as much fun if I can’t figure out his quirks too. 

“-Also, if things go well, I’ll take you to get dinner. We can-” He paused for a moment “-discuss some more.”

I cocked my head to the side like a little puppy. He wanted to talk? It was a miracle sent from above. “Okay. I’ll tell you if anything happens with Killua.”

Illumi finished backing everything that he might need for voting. Before he went out the door, he gave me a small kiss. I could feel his promise that he would be back. Every other time he has left, there was always a question of ‘if he would return.’ This time, it was a promise that he would. 

Illumi was already out the door before I realized that I did not know what Killua actually looked like. My first goal would be to get dressed, take a shower, and find a picture of Killua. There was an old one on the way to the training center.

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I walked down the long hallway that guided us so many times to training. My wet hair was making my newly clean shirt wet from its drip. The shower was a nice addition to the day as I could barely stand before. Each and every other step felt like an agonizing pulse of sore muscle throughout my body. Nen did almost nothing to dull the pain. 

The long hallway held so many pictures that it was hard to distinguish which ones would have Killua and which ones were of older, long forgotten relatives. As I was walking, I remembered one picture towards the training ground that held all of the Zoldyck siblings. We had  always passed it in quick succession because Illumi’s stride was always bigger than my own. 

My pace quickened as I rounded the corner. Right next to the room held a beautiful picture. All the kids were brightly shown in a forest type background. It must’ve been taken on the mountain somewhere. Kikyo was in the center holding a little small boy. I’m guessing that the boy with white hair must be Killua. He is the center of attention. Kalluto held onto his mother’s dress. He couldn’t have been more than three. Milluki even looked much younger but not by much. 

My eyes were transfixed on Illumi. He stood as tall as ever. The only difference is that he seemed more relaxed. His hair was only to his shoulders and he wore such casual wear. Illumi still had that stoic face but he seemed happier. Years of worry and protection must’ve waved on his demeanor. 

I then noticed another blurred figure in the back. Illumi told me that there were only 4 Zoldyck siblings. This blurry figure seemed more feminie and by herself. Maybe Illumi had a sister that was disowned? No. She was much younger than Killua in this photo. Did Illumi lie to me? 

“Who are you?” the voice in the hall rang out. It was not one that I had ever heard. I turn my attention away from the picture to see a white haired boy standing in the middle of the hallway. He looked much older than the one in the picture. I could feel hurt and anger mixed with his own bloodlust. 

“You’re Killua,” I said more as a statement of fact than asking. 

“Depends. Who are you?” I could tell he didn’t trust me. Why would he? I was a stranger in his home. 

“I’m a friend of your brother’s,” I said. “My name is Y/N.” Killlua started to walk past me. He was on a mission. I decided to follow him as that was my goal. “I heard about your friend. I-I’m sorry.”

Killua stopped in his tracks. I did too as I was a few feet away from him. His head held down and fists in a tight hold. “No you’re not. You don’t even know him.”

“I-I am,” I stutter. I could feel his Nen getting stronger every second. It was pulsing stronger than Illumi’s own. 

Killua turned on his heels. “You know nothing of Gon!” he yelled while walking towards me. All of his anger directed. I could feel the electric buzz stirring in the air. The same buzz that could be found before a lightning storm. “Don’t you dare speak of him. I’m here for one thing only and it's not to have a chat with you.”

With that, he stormed off. Killua was much faster than Illumi. Soon enough, I became lost within the maze of the Zoldyck mansion. I had lost my target. No wonder Illumi had a hard time while tracking him. I wasn’t prepared to see him so soon. Everything in my body hurt too much. 

Tracking Killua would be too hard. I decided to try to find the entrance of the mansion as Killua had to leave sometime or other. My focus shifted to telling Illumi of Killua’s wearabouts. Part of me didn’t want to tell him. Killua was already struggling. He was an innocent boy who was losing a friend; however, I had to tell Illumi. 

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

An hour and a half had passed and I finally found the front door. I took too many wrong paths that I think I memorized all the wrong ones. I’d have to ask for a map once Illumi returned. I shouldn’t have been so tangled up with corridors that I could’ve missed Killua leaving. 

Luckily, I hadn’t. It took another thirty minutes before he showed up at the front door. He was carrying a small little girl with him. She looked absolutely adorable and the same as the girl in the picture. 

“Killua,” I said as he started to walk through the door. “I-I truly am sorry.” Again, he stopped in his tracks. I knew deep down that I shouldn’t be saying any of this to him. I didn’t know his friend. Hell, I didn’t know him. I did know Illumi and if the hurt Illumi feels on a regular basis is within Killua then he must be in extreme pain. 

“Big brother, who's this?” asked the little girl. I gave a small smile and a wave. 

“Which brother?”

“Huh?”

“Which brother are you friends with?”

“Illumi,” I said. 

Killua turned to look at me. “Illumi has no friends. If he tricked you into being his friend, then I would find whatever needle is deep within your skull and remove it. Don’t trust a word he says.”

I watched him walk away with the girl still held tightly in his hands. She gave me a smile and a wave. “Bye Illumi’s friend.”

A smile crossed my face as I waved at her too. She seemed too pure for this house. My mind wandered to Killua’s warnings. What did he mean about not trusting Illumi? A needle? I knew Illumi needed needles but what for? There were too many questions that I felt like my head was going to explode. 

“Oh, Y/N,” came the shrill voice of Kikyo. “What are you doing out of Illumi’s room?”

“I’m not his pet,” I said while turning to look at her. “I was given a task from him to look after Killua. Speaking of which, I have to text him.” I pulled out my phone to tell him that Killua had just left. 

Illumi sent one back. It read: Did he have someone with him?

I wrote back: Yes. He had a girl with him. Illumi didn’t respond after that. 

“You were talking with Killua just now,” said Kikyo. “What did he say?”

“I’d rather not say.” Kikyo gave a resounding humph and marched off to try and catch up to Killua. I, on the other hand, went to find a way back to the training area. 

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

I had been training into the night. My teacher has been the few books Illumi provided for me. Weirdly enough, Nen training was much quieter without Illumi. My eyes wandered to the tiny holes in the wall where Illumi had been practicing just yesterday. 

“Who are you?” asked a voice from the across the room. This voice spooked me as I was not expecting anyone to walk in while I was training. This man was much older than Illumi or even Silva. His hair was as white and Silva’s and his stature was hunched. I could feel the potential Nen energy that rippled through his body. 

I bowed deeply to the man. “I-I’m sorry. My name is Y/N and I am following Illumi’s orders.” I didn’t dare look up. With the amount of people I was meeting today, I was starting to get used to introducing myself. 

“Ah, Y/N,” muttered the elderly man. “Illumi’s supposed wife.” I stood up at that assumption. 

“Yes. That’s me.” It took me until now to realize his name. Illumi had told me that his grandfather was out on a mission. This must be him. “Nice to meet you sir.”

“You may call me Zeno. I was expecting no one else to be here to train. Would you mind if I trained beside you?”

“Are you sure? I could go if you want the space.” A Zoldyck master training before my eyes. Maybe I could learn a few more pointers from him. 

“No. You are to become family and it is important to see where your training has come so far.” The old man had a twinkle in his eyes. It was a shining star with everything that has been happening so far.

“Okay,” I said while readying my Nen. I closed my eyes and allowed it to flow from my body. It was all I had learned in the few weeks Illumi had taught me. I was to defend not attack. 

“What’s your Hautzu?” My head cocked once again as I dropped my Nen. “Your Nen type.”

“Oh,” I said, remembering. “I-I think Illumi told me it was transmutation.”

“Illumi hasn’t taught you how to become offensive with Nen?” Zeno questioned. I shook my head. “It is like him to want to teach defense. You need to learn some offense if you want to be a part of this family.” Zeno walked towards me. “Good thing that I am your Nen type. Otherwise, I doubt Illumi would allow you anywhere else.”

“Oh you don’t have to teach me. I have these books. I’ve been practicing.”

“Not enough it seems,” chuckled the elderly man. “How about we surprise Illumi? I’ll teach you transmutation and you tell me about yourself. I think that is a fair trade.”

I looked at the old man with a puzzled look. How was he so friendly while the rest of his family was not? I would think that a master of his caliber would refuse to train someone so weak. Weak enough that Hisoka refused to train me. 

“Come on, Y/N. We have much to learn,” Zeno said. A smile crossed my face as I produced my aura. 

Next Chapter

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[rattyships]

A prison life for me

Alternate title - Inspiration is stored in the Yancy. Wanted to whip up a ficlet to get some ideas out my head. This is about readers first day in the prison where Yancy slowly falls in love. Also wanted to give some personality to the other inmates (they all like teasing him but they do it out of love).

relationship: Yancy x reader 1526 words

——-

   “They got you pretty good huh Yance!”

    “Ah shut up Bam Bam” Spat Yancy at his cellmate. He was right though. Yancy pawed at the plasters on his face and winced at the stinging of the oncoming bruises. He doesn’t understand how y/n was able to beat him up so easily. They were a small little thing but were able to land some really good hits on him, and he’s a seasoned brawler. “Must’ve gotten lucky”.

    “Don’t kid yourself dude, you got roughed up.” Bam Bam approached his buff friend and gave him a bro-like slap on the back, “Don’t work yourself up over this loss pal. Besides, they said they wanted to join us! That’s a catch, right?”

    Yancy thought back to the moment. The way your face lit up as you shook his hand in solidarity, sporting a huge grin despite having some injuries from your fight. It made him feel… odd and fuzzy in a weird way. The way you smiled, it made him wanna protect it. Make sure you kept smiling. You were so… cute… and it made him pout like a toddler. “Eahh whatevers.” He announced, brushing the thought away. “Let’s get grub before lunchtime is up”

    You were sat on a small round table in the echo-y cafeteria, finding yourself nearly overwhelmed with how many people decided to sit with you. You weren’t complaining though, you’d quickly learnt so much about the family’s life in this prison.

    “I’ve never seen Yancy change his mind about deciding to help someone so quickly” chuckled tiny. Her voice was low and smooth, but not aggressive, almost like the tone of an older sister. “Do you think he likes ‘em?”

    Sparkles McGee let out a cackle, which made you jump considering he was sitting directly to your right hand side. “Maybe!” He turned to you, “He’s been practicing that musical number for a while just so you know. He’s probably overjoyed that someone was so enamoured by it” he said in his nasally voice.

    You giggled, thinking back to how star-struck you must’ve looked when Yancy was performing for you. “You gotta admit that one doesn’t expect a serenade when they first get to prison”.

    Sparkles responded, “yeah but that’s why we love 'im! He’s a big old musical-loving softie behind his tough act.” He leaned in, getting way too close to your face, “What do you think of him y/n? Because I think he’s quite fond of you~”

    You blushed at the thought, “a-ah cmon guys! I mean…” You thought back to your introduction. You hadn’t been expecting to see anyone like him here at all, but you were kind of grateful considering you had lost Mark here pretty quickly. The way Yancy lead you round the building during his performance was pretty magical. Plus, you’d be lying if you said he wasn’t handsome as hell. “He’s really sweet. I see why you’re so fond of him”. Your response made some of the others wiggle their eyebrows at each other. What was this, the goddamn school ground?

    “Speak of the devil.” Boomed the voice of Jimmy the pickle. This caused everyone to turn their head to the entrance, as Yancy and Bam Bam made their way into the Cafeteria.

    “Hey there y'all!” Said Bam, pulling up another small round table and two chairs for him and Yancy, because there was really no other room. “How goes?”

    Yancy paused before he sat down, looking round at his family all smiling next to y/n. This reeks of potential embarrassment. “Youse wasn’t gossiping about me now was youse?” He asked with a gentle smirk.

    “What do YOU think, Yancy-Pants?” Teased tiny, flashing him a smile laced with evil. She lifted her legs so she was sitting cross legged on the small wooden prison chair. “We just learning more about y/n. We think you made a good decision about letting them hang with us.”

    Yancy turned to you with a satisfied smile on his face, “I’m glad youse think so! Youse guys know I trust youses judgement more than anyone else”. He plopped down in his chair as the other members of the family started talking amongst themselves, creating a bit of white noise for you to talk through. “What about youse y/n? Hope you don’t feel too overwhelmed here”.

    You gave him a soft smile that seemed to wipe the visible worry in his face. “Don’t worry about it Yancy, I’m having a great time”. You studied his features again now that he’s sitting close to you. He has a strong jaw with a neat amount of stubble, and his hair has this wet slicked back quality to it. He was so pretty it was unfair. You also noticed the cuts and plasters. “I hope you’re doing okay - didn’t mean to rough you up that badly”.

    Yancys pout from earlier came back, “Youse didn’t! This is a par for the course when youse is in prison! I bet I’m still stronger than youse”.

    Tiny overheard that last part, and scoffed. “Yeah? Then prove it baby face”. She leant over and whispered something to you, and you smiled at her suggestion. You plopped your arm up on the table as if offering an arm wrestle, and the others let out a big cheer. Yancy chuckled, “Youse serious?”. There was no way he was losing this. “Youse sure about this sweetcheeks?”. You felt yourself falter at the nickname, but gave him a firm nod. You knew you were unlikely to win considering Yancys arm strength. You were only able to win your earlier fight because of your quick reaction times and dodges, you didn’t have much brute strength. But now you knew the family were on your side and were trying to cheer Yancy up, so God be damned if you weren’t gonna give it your best shot. Besides, you think you have a trick up your sleeve that will help…

    Yancy placed his own arm on the table, spurred by the cheers of everyone around. A jolt of electricity went through you as he gripped your hand tightly - his hand was so much bigger than yours. Returned the gesture and squeezed his hand back. Did his gaze just falter slightly? Your analysis was interrupted by Sparkles McGee leaping up from his seat. “On ya marks! Get set! GO!!” and with that the family erupted with cheer as you felt strong pressure quickly flood through your arm. You pushed back as hard as you could, but Yancy didn’t falter. Your opposite hand grasped the edge of the table to keep you as steady as you could. You began to grit your teeth the more you pushed, and you heard a grunt leave Yancy. The cheers were still going, often intermingled with encouragements like 'get em y/n!’, 'Push harder!!’. You were really starting to feel it, and your arm was ever so slightly tilting in Yancys favour, and you could tell he wasn’t holding much back. You were gonna have to play dirty if you had any chance of winning.

    “H-Hey Yance!” You managed to wheeze out, and his reddening face met yours. In a big brain moment, you decided to wink and blow him a small cheeky kiss. His eyes immediately widened. He tried to form some words but he could only feel his lips wobbling pathetically (”AH BUh b-bghu wha-!”) as heat rose to his cheeks- that had completely thrown him off! This was your chance! You used his shock to your advantage and pushed him arm all the way down with a THUD. The family erupted in a roar of cheers and Yancy immediately pushed his head down on the table to hide his embarrassment - with both the loss and his mind trying to process what just happened. 

   Bam Bam grabbed your arm and lifted it in triumph, the others still cheering and laughing - “Nicely done y/n!” You were laughing along with them - you can’t believe that actually worked. You feel kind of bad now! Yancy slowly lifted his head up to be met with your triumphant grin once again. ‘Curse this angel’ he thought to himself. He opened his mouth to utter an accusation but the whole scene was halted when the warden came in. He started bashing his baton against the metal bars by the nearby window creating an ear-piercingly loud crash and shouted, “QUIET DOWN YOU LOT! This is too much ruckus and you need to break it up or else! Besides, lunch time is over and you need to make it back to your cells A.S.A.P!”

   The giggles of the family started to quiet down, and people started getting up off their chairs and making their way out the cafeteria. You outstretched your hand towards Yancy and he reluctantly took it as he pulled him up. You gave him one last grin and mouthed a little ‘sorry about that!’. He shook his head disapprovingly, but couldn’t help smiling back at you.  This wasn’t over, and he’s gonna change his act now that he knows you play dirty (if his heart could take any more teasing, that is).