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parasite-core · 1 year ago

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253 characterization questions - Mau

This will probably be the last one I do for a while since this was an exercise to flesh out my most recent Pathfinder PCs

Part One: The Basics 1. What is your name? Mau Ornelos-Servos

2. Do you have any nicknames? If you do, who gave it to you and why? I do not. Not unless you include Donyoku calling me ‘kitty cat’, which I pointedly do not.

3. How old are you now? 26

4. When were you born? I do not know the exact day, I was too young when my parents died to remember.

5. Where do you call home now? Sandpoint, a charming little town I settled down in a number of years ago.

6. To what social class do you belong? Working class

7. What is your eye color? Yellow

8. What is your hair color? Dark brown

9. Do you have any distinguishing facial features? I’ve recently gained some claw scars on my face from…a rather unfortunate incident involving a haunted house and hallucinations caused by its haunts.

10. Do you have any birthmarks? Where are they? I do not.

11. Do you have any scars? How did you get them? See facial features above.

12. Do you have any tattoos or other markings? How and why did you get them? It is difficult to have a tattoo when you are covered in fur, unless you want me to get one in my ear or on my paw pads. Which I would not do because that sounds excruciating.

13. Do you have any allergies, diseases, or other physical weaknesses? I am…rather ironically…allergic to cats. Actual cats, not catfolk.

14. Are you right or left handed? I was right handed, but have had to learn to maneuver my left hand equally well, as I have to use my cane in my right hand.

15. What does your voice sound like? Tired. I have been through too much lately and I can’t be bothered to pretend I’m not exhausted.

16. How do you dress most of the time? An orange coat with a nice yellow pattern on it. And a light armor underneath, given our recent ventures. I also need glasses.

17. How do you dress up? Well, in the dream casino I generally have a nice suit and a top hat. Which I think is rather fitting of me, so if I have to be dressed formally in the future I will likely take inspiration from that.

18. How do you dress down? A simple tunic without my coat.

19. What do you wear when you go to sleep? A simple dressing gown.

20. Do you wear any jewelry? Not really. I’ve taken to wearing some protective magical trinkets, but if I were not adventuring I don’t believe I would wear any of it. Jewelry mostly just gets in the way when I’m working on formulae.

21. What words and/or phrases do you use frequently? Do I use any particular words frequently? If I do I have not taken note of it. Except I get a certain pride in calling my mutagenic concoctions ‘Mewtagens”.

22. Do you have any quirks, strange mannerisms, annoying habits, or other defining characteristics? Well obviously my body language isn’t quite the same as humanfolks’. My ears and tail are more of an indicator of my mood than facial expressions, which could be difficult for someone not well versed in Catfolk body language.

23. Do you have any bad habits? If so, what are they and how do you plan to get rid of them? I suppose getting caught up counting random things would be considered a ‘bad habit’. I don’t see a problem with it—except that sometimes it takes my focus away from more important matters.

24. Do you have a lifelong dream or aspiration? I just want to live a nice quiet life while studying alchemy and working on some concoctions.

25. Do you own a car (or other form of transportation)? Why or why not? Describe it. I have a horse. Her name is Morrigan II. I cannot wait to introduce her to Morrigan the original, she’s going to hate it.

26. What is your current state of mind? Honestly? Stressed to the Hells and back. I have nearly died something like six times in the last week. That is almost one near-death-experience daily. It’s not good for my heart.

Part Two: Family 27. How close are you to your family? I love my family. I keep in contact with my mothers. I haven’t really seen Morri, Laila, or Keir since leaving home, but seeing as I may be going home soon I might at least see Laila.

28. Do you have a spouse or significant other? Describe them. I do not.

29. Have you started your own family? Describe them if you do. If not, do you want to? Why or why not? I have not. I am a bit of a recluse. I like my alone time. I’m more interested in working on my alchemy than in having a relationship or starting a family. That…sounds exhausting.

30. Who was your Father and what was he like? I don’t remember, he died when I was very young, and my brother Cailin didn’t like talking about our parents.

31. Who was your Mother and what was she like? My biological mother is the same as my father. But I was eventually adopted by my mother and ma. My mother is a graceful and smart woman. It was from her book collection that I first learned a bit about alchemy and herbalism. My mother was also former nobility. She absconded with some of her family’s fortune, to marry the woman she loved in a small village away from Korvosa, and she uses her wealth to help children in need as I and my siblings once were.

My ma is graceful in an entirely different way—she is a swordswoman and former adventurer. She taught myself and my siblings all we know about swordplay. She insisted that we needed to be able to keep ourselves safe once we left the nest.

32. Who are you closest to in your family? My mother and Morri. Mother has always been very supportive of my alchemical pursuits, and provided me with everything I needed to learn. Morri is one of my younger sisters. We can butt heads over things, but ultimately she’s someone I trust more than anyone else. Not that I would ever tell her as much. She knows.

33. Is there someone in your family you wish you were closer to? I wish I’d had the chance to be close to my biological brother. He was good to me when we were children, but we were separated when he was adopted and I was not. I was bitter towards him for a while as a child. But now I just wish he could see how much I’ve made of myself despite my physical ailments.

34. What was your parent’s marriage like? My mother and ma have what I’d consider a fairytale romance. An unhappy noble got swept off her feet by a charming traveler, and knowing that their romance would never be accepted by the nobility, they stole the part of the fortune they were owed and then disappeared into the night to live a simple life in a small village while also helping those less fortunate than themselves.

35. Did they remain married? If not, how did that affect you? When did they split? Yes, they are still married. I cannot imagine them ever splitting.

36. Do you have any siblings? What are/were they like? My biological brother was named Cailin. When I was a child and my leg first started giving me trouble, he was always there to support and protect me. Until he wasn’t. I haven’t seen him again since he was adopted. I have no idea where he might live or how I could ever track him down.

My adopted siblings are Morrigan, Laila, and Keir.

Morrigan is an aasimar who my parents adopted to protect her from the zealous priests and clerics of various temples, who would raise an aasimar as some sort of paragon of virtue and celestial values. Instead, she got to grow up to be a sword fighter with a penchant for healing and smiting in equal measure.

Laila is a drow who was abandoned on the surface by her people. She’s never said why she was left to fend for herself outside of the drows’ cavern homes, but it must have been bad. Laila is only my younger sister by technicality. Drows age so much slower than us, she was a teenager when I first came to live with my new family, and she is still a teenager now while myself, Keir, and Morri have grown up. She’s maybe a little wiser than your average teen, but for the most part she’s just like any other teenager.

Keir is a Stryx with a malformed wing, who was left for dead by his tribe as a result. Keir and I have something of a rivalry, maybe because we were the only boys in a house otherwise full of women. He and I always strive to outdo one another. But we also always have the other’s back if anyone else tries to screw with us. That goes for the girls, too. We had more than a few spats in which Keir and I worked together on principal against Morri and Laila.

37. What is the worst thing one of your siblings ever did to you? Laila hid my cane once when she was mad at me for some stupid little thing I don’t even remember. Morri pranked me with a cold water bucket over my bedroom door. My fur was soaked through. I got her back though. I put a sneezing powder I cooked up in her makeup powder. She was sneezing non-stop for the rest of the day. It was priceless.

38. What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done to one of your siblings? Nothing worse than pranks I knew they could handle. Like the sneezing powder story above.

39. When’s the last time you saw a member of your family? Where are they now? When I left Turtleback Ferry somewhere around five years ago. I still write to my mothers, and I get news about them and occasionally my siblings. Keir and Morri also left home to travel. I’m not entirely sure where they might be presently. Laila was still at home last I checked.

40. Did you meet any other family members? (Aunts Uncles, etc) Describe them. My mother is estranged from her family (stealing part of their fortune and all that), and ma doesn’t have any living relatives.

Part Three: Friends and Relationships with Others 41. In general, how do you treat other people that you have just met? I am generally cordial and try to give others the benefit of the doubt, although I am perhaps more suspicious of people’s motives than I like to let on.

42. Does your treatment of people change depending on how well you know them and if so how? It is inevitable that different facets of your personality will shine through with those you are close to. It becomes easier to admit fear to them, you trust them with more than a surface level understanding of your life. That is merely natural.

43. Who is the most important person in your life and why? It is hard to choose. My mothers made an enormous difference in my life. I would not be the man I am today or living the life I have without both of them. However I would hardly say I am not close to my siblings as well. Morri is perhaps the person I confide in the most. Keir and I have a sort of playful rivalry. And Laila is a fountain of wisdom despite her apparent young age.

44. Who is the person you respect the most and why? That would definitely be my mother. While I love my mother and ma equally, it is my mother who really shaped my worldview. It is also she who had the idea to begin adopting children in need, whom the system and society would otherwise fail. She has a deep sense of kindness, and a want to give back to the world for the privilege she has been fortunately enough to have. I think it’s a little bit to spite her family as well. Nobles are not known for their generosity, except perhaps on a superficial level.

45. Who are your friends? Describe them. For some time the only person I could have called a friend in Sandpoint was Ameiko Kaijitsu. She is one of the local tavern owners. A strong willed and good-hearted woman, who can make a brew that will knock most people on their asses.

However, I have recently made friends with a quite diverse group. Krysa, Tabot, and Nanel. Krysa is a ratfolk wizard, with a command over magic that is both delightful and terrifying. They are not what one usually expects when they hear ‘wizard’. While they are knowledgeable, they are also a force of chaos, bitingly blunt when they want to be, and rather promiscuous. Tabot is a rabbitfolk, and a paladin of Aroden. You did not read that incorrectly. They are somehow a holy warrior of a god who has been dead for a century. While I am skeptical that Aroden is somehow not dead after a hundred years of Iomedae claiming his domain, I also cannot deny that he has power from somewhere. He has saved my life on multiple occasions with this power, it is very real. But who or what he is drawing on—be it really a dead god revived, or some other force—I cannot say. Then there is Nanel. He is the only one I was passingly familiar with, as he was also a resident of Sandpoint. Nanel is…complicated. He had clearly lived a hard life. And he has a…being…sharing his body, who claims to care for him and protect him. I am very wary of this Donyoku. He is a parasitic creature, and any protection he offers Nanel is as self-serving as it is benevolent. I do not trust that Donyoku will not try to turn Nanel against us if our wants and needs ever clash with his. On the other hand, Donyoku has on at least one occasion saved my life, just as much as Krysa, Tabot, and Nanel have in other instances. I feel…conflicted about him. I do not trust his motives. But I can see why Nanel is so charmed by him.

46. Do you have a best friend? Describe them. I cannot say at the moment that I have any one person I would call my ‘best’ friend. Growing up that may have gone to Morri or Keir. Now that I am out on my own and have not seen them in a number of years? I am a very solitary person by nature.

47. Who would you turn to if you were in desperate need of help? Well I turned to Krysa, Tabot, and Nanel when my home was burned and I needed help tracking down the culprets. My what a labyrinth of events, villains, and motives that choice uncovered. If I needed help again…it would depend on the context. My three companions have very unique skill sets, so I may turn to one in one situation, but another in a completely different event.

48. Do you trust anyone to protect you? Who and why? All three of our merry band have protected me in some manner. Be it slaying a beast that had me fighting for my life, or using holy magic to cure a fatal disease, I am still here because of the acts of all three of them (I suppose, credit where credit is due, all four of them.)

49. If you died or went missing, who would miss you? My family certainly would, although they would never know if something happened to me or I just quit reaching out for some reason. That is…a very sad thought. I would hope that the others in our little menagerie would also miss me, at least a little. I would certainly miss any of them if they were slain or walked out of my life forever.

50. Who is the person you despise the most, and why? See, that is difficult. Because the person who has hurt me the most is whoever sent Nualia and the goblins to burn down my home. But I have no idea who that might be. It is…frustrating. I know that someone is either out for my life or trying to warn me away from being involved in the mysteries in Sandpoint. But I could not begin to fathom who it might be.

51. Do you tend to argue with people or avoid conflict? I do not typically find conflict productive. Finding a middle ground is more to the benefit of all involved than gnashing your teeth at each other and trying to be the one who is objectively ‘right’.

52. Do you tend to take on leadership roles in social situations? Oh, no, not at all. That sounds horrible. I do not want everyone looking to me to make decisions. I prefer to do my work in peace (alone) and let what comes of it be how I help others. Leading the pack would be a waste of my talents elsewhere.

53. Do you like interacting with large groups of people? Why or why not? No. Absolutely not. Going to the Swallowtail Festival was more because it was unavoidable than out of a love for crowds and loud celebrations. I prefer the comfort of quiet and a nice alchemy lab to work on my concoctions.

54. Do you care what others think of you? Not particularly. People may make whatever judgement calls they wish. I know who I am and where I stand in the world. Whether others see it or not is of little concern to me.

55. What habit do others have that annoys you the most? Being needlessly loud and argumentative. Passing judgement on others without all the facts, and stubbornly sticking with such judgements even if new evidence comes to light that conflicts with the initial judgement. Doing needless harm to those who do not deserve it.

56. What is the most important quality you look for in a friend? Loyalty, I should think. If you have no loyalty to those you claim to care for, then what good is that care?

57. What do you most value in your friends? Each of my recent friends bring something different to the table. I respect Krysa’s power and intelligence. I think Tabot is a bit young and naïve, but his idealism and decisiveness can be his strongest attribute just as much as it can be a flaw. Nanel is clearly very loyal to those he cares for, and as I said above I find loyalty to be one of the most important traits you can have amongst friends.

Part Four: Growing Up (Childhood) 58. Where were you born? Riddleport, I would assume. At the very least, that is where the orphanage my brother and I were left in was.

59. Where did you grow up? Riddleport during my young life, then Turtleback Ferry during my late childhood and teenage years.

60. How would you describe your childhood in general? It was a mixed bag. In the orphanage I was scared and bitter after my brother was adopted and I was left alone. I was as mad at my brother as I was these people who rejected me for being ‘defective’. Wrongfully, perhaps, but I was young and all I could see was that my only family and only friend had left me alone to fend for myself when I could barely hold my weight on one of my legs.

However, after my mothers adopted me, everything changed. I lived in a new, much smaller village. My mothers did everything to help me succeed despite my bad leg. They helped me learn to walk with a cane, they taught me how to brew a tea that helps with pain and inflammation. They were the first people to really show me kindness since my brother was taken. Not just kindness. Belief in me. Belief that I could succeed despite the things that tried to hold me back. Belief that I could be whatever I set my mind to, so long as I had the right tools. I don’t think even my brother believed in me, or had hope for my future. He protected me. He shielded me. But he never indicated that I could be anything more than a fragile creature who needed to be cared for.

61. What is your earliest memory? It's not a specific memory. I just remember pain. So much of my young life was pain because of my leg. And as a child I wouldn’t have known how to cope with it the way I do now.

62. What is your fondest childhood memory? I will give you two: one from the orphanage and one from afterwards. Since both parts of my childhood were so disparate. My best early memory was of my brother and I going to the docks to watch the ships. We didn’t like the water, of course. But my brother had aspirations of getting out of Riddle Port, and being something more than some unwanted child. I remember dreaming about running away on a ship with him, to some distant corner of Golarian. My other fondest memory is of the day my mothers started showing me how to properly use a cane. I had been suspicious of my new family when I was first taken in—I believed that no one could possibly want me without an ulterior motive. I was very much waiting for the other shoe to drop in the first weeks living with them. This was when they showed me that there was a tool that could help me, so that I could walk without leaning on someone else. So I could have the freedom to do and go where I wanted, with fewer limitations. It was a revelation, and a complete overturning of what I thought my life would be. I will forever be grateful to them for that.

63. What is your worst childhood memory? My brother being adopted when I was not. That was…crushing. I believed that the entire world was against me. No one could possibly care about me. I was just this defective thing with no future who was wasting everyone’s time, food, and air. I refused to die, out of stubbornness and spite more than anything.

64. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? At first I believed I’d be lucky to even live to adulthood, much less actually manage to make something of myself. Then the world opened up to me. For a short time there were a hundred different things I thought I wanted to be, just because I now could. Eventually, however, I found my passion for alchemy. And that never faded.

65. As a child, what were your favorite activities? When I was very young, I was just happy to be included in any game my brother and the other children played. Later, I found my own ways to amuse myself, now that I could do what I wanted. I explored the town and the wilderness just outside of it with Keir—never going too far, because there was always a threat of giant or ogre attack the farther you got from town. I also played at swordfighting with Morri. At first using sticks, and later our ma’s training sabers. I also read with Laila, sharing in fantastical journeys to strange and distant lands.

66. As a child, what kinds of personality traits did you display? I could be suspicious and willful. I had a lot of anger when I was young. But I’ve also always been endlessly curious. And as the bitterness fell away, it was replaced with joy, gratitude, and a bit of a mischievous streak I had never been able to indulge in before.

67. As a child, were you popular? Who were your friends, and what were they like? I was decidedly unpopular when I was in the orphanage. No one wanted to play with someone who couldn’t keep up during the games, or who constantly needed a shoulder to lean on. In Turtleback Ferry, I was a bit of an oddity, as the other kids had never seen a catfolk before. But I was an oddity in a good way, if there is such a thing. I was the kind of strange and different that made the other kids curious and excited to play together as opposed to how I was treated before.

68. As a child, what was your favorite toy? I liked toys that didn’t require a lot of movement to use. Stuffed dolls, wooden toy soldiers, and art supplies were my go-to, as opposed to things that required a game, and other children, and a lot of running around to use.

69. As a child, what was your favorite game to play? I didn’t like games very much when I was young. I would join in if my brother offered, because I desperately wanted to be included. But trying to keep up with the others kids was painful, and having to lean on my brother for support was humiliating. When I was a bit older, I still didn’t participate in many games that involved a lot of running. And Hide-and-seek is difficult when you have to hide a cane as well as yourself. But I got really good at prank wars between me and my siblings. And games that didn’t require too much strenuous movement were always wonderful to be introduced to.

Part Five: Growing Up (Teen/Young Adult) 70. How much schooling have you had? Once I was taken in, my mother insisted on handling my education. I was far behind, as there was hardly a consistent schooling program for foundlings, and even if there had been, I would likely have cut classes with my brother. That’s not to say I didn’t like learning—quite the contrary. But I wanted more than anything to fit in, and since my brother was more the sort to skip classes or entire school days to do something more fun, I would tag along behind him any time he offered to take me too.

My mother’s schooling focused on a mix of relevant life skills—including my first introduction to alchemy, when my mother was teaching me how certain herbs and tinctures could be used to help with my pain. My ma, on the other hand, focused on my physical education. She insisted that it was important in the world we live in to know how to defend one’s self. She taught us a variety of common weapons. Morri and I both took to sabers and similar blades.

71. Did you enjoy school? I enjoyed learning. Before I was adopted, though, school often meant sitting around in an uncomfortably crowded room, with lots of little distracting noises, being told to sit still and pay constant attention for hours at end. Even if I hadn’t frequently followed my brother skipping classes, I don’t believe I would have learned much in that environment.

72. Where did you learn most of your skills and other abilities? My mothers, as discussed previously.

73. While growing up, did you have any role models other than your parents? Describe them. When I was young, I looked up to my brother. I thought he was the coolest and most amazing person in the world. That was shattered when he was taken and I was left behind.

74. While growing up, how did you get along with the other members of your family? As stated above, I adored my brother and always followed his example for the time we were together. Once I was adopted, I was a model child for my mothers. Except when I wasn’t. Keir and I had a few spats, usually over stupid things like who won a game or if one of us was a cheater, or over a toy we both wanted to play with. Morri and I generally got along, but we tried to one up the other’s pranks, doing some damage to the house or yard on a few occasions where we didn’t think things through (for example one time Morri accidentally released a rat into the house because she was trying to sneak it under my pillow. On another I accidentally ruined the wood floor by Morii’s door when I tried to splash a dye I’d made on her by dropping a bucket on her head).

75. How old were you when you went on your first date? Describe the date. I haven’t. I’ve never been interested. Maybe it’s just because I’ve been surrounded by humans and other non-beastfolk humanoids. Or maybe I would just rather not be bothered when I could be working on my alchemy instead.

76. What is your favorite memory from your teen years? The first time I made an alchemical concoction completely on my own, not following a recipe in a book or getting help from someone else. I was so proud of it. It was a fairly simple curative.

77. What is your worst memory from your teen years? Nothing sticks out as particularly horrible, after the much harder time I had when I was younger. The worst that happened to me were the usual teenage drama. Getting in trouble for doing something stupid, sneaking out and getting caught, the difficulties of having a social life as the novelty of my being a catfolk had long since worn off, and I was not particularly adept at the upkeep necessary to have close friends.

78. When and with whom was your first kiss? Never and no one.

79. Are you a virgin? If not, when and with whom did you lose your virginity? Correct.

80. Describe any influences in your past that led you to do the things you do today. The most obvious are my mothers, who taught me that I had the freedom to go out into the world and do as much as anyone else, so long as I had the support and tools to get me there. Keir also taught me, indirectly, that I should never accept less than others or make myself smaller just because I have a disability. Watching Morri taught me to be wary of those who might try to use me for their own gain, and to be my most authentic self even if it brushes against what others believe I ‘should’ be.

Part Six: Past Influences 81. What do you consider the most important event of your life so far? The most life-changing event would, of course, be me being adopted. It completely changed the trajectory of my life.

82. Who has had the most influence on you? My mother.

83. What do you consider your greatest achievement? I’m rather proud of the creation of my Mewtagens.

84. What is your greatest regret? It's irrational. But I regret never looking for Cailin. Back when I was still in Riddleport, I didn’t have the physical or mental fortitude to go looking for a needle in a haystack. Assuming he was even still in Riddleport. And once I moved to Turtleback Ferry? I might have had the ability then, but he could have been anywhere in the world at that point.

85. What is the most evil thing you have ever done? I would like to believe no actions I’ve ever taken was *evil*. The meanest thing I’ve done were probably some of my more vindictive pranks—that’s not to say my siblings didn’t give as much as they took though. It was never out of cruelty. Sometimes it was just for a laugh, to see how they would react. Sometimes it was because they’d gotten me, so I *had* to get them back.

86. Do you have a criminal record of any kind? No.

87. When was the time you were the most frightened? Probably that first night after my brother left. I had never been without him. I felt lost, or like I was trying to wade in the ocean with weights strapped to my legs.

88. What is the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you? Morri covered my fur in honey once when I was sleeping (I think it was payback for the dye if I remember right). It wouldn’t wash out, so we had to shave it. Being furless for a while was humiliating. I’m pretty sure I got her back, but I don’t rightfully remember what I did anymore.

89. If you could change one thing from your past, what would it be, and why? I would have been less angry about my brother being taken. It wasn’t his fault. He didn’t plan for someone to take a shine to him but reject me. For all I know he argued with them in favor of my coming, and got shot down. But at the time it had felt like the biggest betrayal of my life.

90. What is your best memory? Besides the good memories I have already recounted above, there was also when my ma gifted me my cane-sword. It was when I was planning on leaving home, following in Keir and Morri’s footsteps, to make my own way in life. Ma gave me the sword-cane, so I would always have a means to defend myself close at hand. It was her way of protecting me, even though I would be far from her. As always, providing me the tools I need to do things myself.

91. What is your worst memory? Besides Cailin being taken from the orphanage, probably when Keir left home. He was the eldest, and the first to want to find his place in the world. I…kind of backslid when he told us he was leaving. I couldn’t help but feel like it was Cailin all over again. That my brother was going to disappear into the aether, and I would never see him again, and my family would be a little smaller once again. I have since come to the realization that I can choose to keep in contact with my mothers, and through them my siblings. I will see Keir again, as I will see Morii and Laila as well.

92. When and where were you the happiest? Maybe not every moment after I was adopted, but certainly as a whole they were the best years of my life so far.

Part Seven: Beliefs and Opinions 93. Are you optimistic or pessimistic? I have chosen to be optimistic, although my initial instinct is often suspicion. I choose to push aside the suspicion and give people the benefit of the doubt, until they prove they don’t deserve it.

94. What is your greatest fear? I mean…dying, of course. Isn’t that the greatest fear of all living mortals? It is unavoidable, and keeps us moving forward and striving for greatness in the short time we have. But being judged in the Boneyard, not knowing where Pharasma will send you until she makes her decision…it’s a scary prospect. No one really knows how their deeds will weigh at the end of their lives, and the price of not balancing out the bad with the good is an eternity in Abbadon, Hell, or the Abyss—or worse, being fed to Groetus.

95. Have you told any one your fear before? Why would I? As I said, it is a natural fear. Why state the obvious, when it is the more base fear of all mortal-kind?

96. Who would be the one person you’d never tell your fear? I don’t know, someone trying to kill me?

97. What are your religious views? I am a follower of Shelyn, the goddess of art and beauty. The goddess of creativity. And what makes a good alchemist if not creativity? Shelyn’s domains are vital to the continued progress and works of wonder mortal-kind can produce.

98. What are your political views? I hate politics. They’re more often than not just puppet shows with the nobility pulling the strings. No guard in Korvosa would bat an eye if a hired killer were sent after my mother for “disgracing” her family name and “taking part of their fortune” (which was the portion that was rightfully hers anyways).

99. What are your views on sex? Other people seem to like it. It seems…kind of messy and like too much needless effort. There are other things I’d rather be doing with my time, and someone flirting with me while I am doing those things will only make me shut the entire things down even faster.

100. Are you able to kill? I’ve had to. Goblins attacked the town, hurting and killing people. Ghouls were committing ritualistic murders at the behest of a madwoman.

101. Under what circumstances do you find killing to be acceptable or unacceptable? Self-defense, obviously. It shouldn’t be the goal of self-defense, but sometimes what happens happens. There’s a grey area where trying to prevent others from being hurt might or might not be acceptable, depending on how much evidence you have that the person in question is going to be hurting or killing others. If it’s merely a suspicion with nothing to back it up, it’s time to reevaluate rather than immediately spilling blood.

102. In your opinion, what is the most evil thing any human being could do? Well, murder is pretty high up there. I think betraying a family member or close friend is up there too, though. Harming or killing someone who trusted you—someone who showed you their back because they trusted you to watch it, only for you to stab them in the back instead—is one of the greatest cruelties I can imagine.

103. Do you believe in the existence of soul males and/or true love? Not really? But I’m probably not the best person to ask about that.

104. What do you believe makes a successful life? I think each person’s success in life of failure is entirely up to their own perception. For me, that means having a quiet life creating things that can help people. For someone else, that might be training and becoming the best in their field. For someone else it may be the accrual of money. Or living up to the ideals of your god. People are variable. I might not agree with what someone believes success to be, but that does not mean they are not successful by some measure.

105. How honest are you about your thoughts and feelings? (Meaning do you hide your true self from others and in what way?) I am typically honest. Being deceptive and dancing around subjects really does nothing in the long run. Either people will find out what you are trying to hide, or you never confide in them and keep dancing around the subject or flat out lying forever. And I feel no need to hide who I am. I am exactly what you see.

106. Do you have any biases or prejudices? Obviously I try not to, but everyone does. I mean look at the fact that we killed all of the goblins in Thistletop. Was it vital in protecting the town from raids—or worse a demonic ‘goblin god’? Yes, absolutely. Was it a little hypocritical to go into their home and kill their people in retaliation for them doing it to us first? Arguably, yes. I don’t think we made the wrong choice. People were going to die either way, and they were going to awaken something horrible in the name of the Mother of Monsters. I think, hypocritical it may be, but it was a necessary action none-the-less.

107. Is there anything you absolutely refuse to do under any circumstances? Why? Well harming innocents is fairly high up on that list. Also abandoning or betraying people who care about me or are relying on me. The first is self-explanatory. The second, I think is also fairly obvious, given what I said earlier about betrayal being one of the cruelest things you can do to a person.

108. Who or what, if anything, would you die for? (or go to extremes for?) Well I have very nearly died for the people of Sandpoint and our weird little group about…six times now? Whether I particularly want to die fighting for them is an entirely different question. Preferably, only those trying to do harm would be the ones dying.

109. What is your best feature, in your opinion? My intellect.

110. What do you think of drugs and alcohol? Are there any types that people should never do? Why or why not? I do not personally use any drugs, although I know how many are made from my readings. The closest would be the various teas and tonics I make to help with my leg pain. As for which drugs people should or should not use…that is none of my business and I also couldn’t care less. If someone wants to take a drug that will make them hallucinate, or give them a dopamine high, or whatever, that is their choice. My decision to not take drugs is in no way an indicator of what other people should do. I do drink alcohol occasionally. I have a very high tolerance, as Ameiko can confirm from her latest concoction. However I usually prefer something with less of a kick. Honey mead is my personal poison, so to speak.

111. What is your idea of perfect happiness? Me, in a fully stocked alchemical lab, and no one bothering me for at least three days so I can just focus entirely on my work.

112. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Being abandoned.

Part Eight: Likes and Dislikes 113. What is/are your favorite hobbies and pastimes? I enjoy reading (both scientific volumes and works of fiction), working on various alchemical experiments, and sketching in my journal or writing down ideas for new creations.

114. What is your most treasured possession? My cane-sword.

115. What is your favorite color? Why? As my dress may suggest, I am fond of warm colors. Orange, red, and yellow. I don’t have a particular reason, except I find them pleasant to look at.

116. What is your least favorite color? Why? You know the swampy brown-grey you inevitably get if you mix a bunch of random paints together with no regard for what the end result will look like? I don’t think there is a single pigment uglier.

117. What is your favorite food? Why? Fish in general. Tuna, mahi-mahi, swordfish, trout, salmon…oh, Ameiko’s curried salmon in particular.

118. What is your least favorite food? Why? I am not overly fond of strong citrus-y flavors. Or cilantro. It tastes like shoving a bar of soap in your mouth.

119. What is your favorite sound? Why? The small subtle noises of alchemy at work. The small crackling of an open flame. The bubbling of boiling liquid. The small clink of glass. It’s meditative to me, to be surrounded in silence only broken by these little things.

120. What is your least favorite sound? Why? Anything loud. Loud music, loud yelling, thunderstorms, doesn’t matter. I find them overwhelming.

121. What is your favorite smell/scent? Why? If you’ve ever been to the Rusty Dragon, you know that Ameiko’s cooking is objectively the best smell (and taste) in the world.

122. What is your least favorite smell/scent? Why? I mean the obvious things, spoiled milk, anything rotten or moldy, that kind of thing. But as above, I don’t like citrus-y smells. They are overpowering and sting my nose.

123. What, if anything, do you like to read? All sorts of things. Everything, if I had the time. History, fiction, scientific research, the works.

124. What is your idea of good entertainment? Krysa striking fear into people who deserve it, despite their tiny stature, is always amusing to watch. But as far as actual ‘entertainment’ made for such a purpose? A theatre production.

125. How do you spend a typical Saturday night? (answering for Golarian’s equivalent, Starday) The same way I spend every night, if given the choice. Curled up with an interesting book drinking some turmeric tea. With a nice warm fire going if it’s the colder months.

126. What makes you laugh? Things that are funny. Our little band have had a few amusing exploits. Before it turned out she was a serial killer, the way that Tabot handled Sheyliss when she was hitting on him was astounding. The way I couldn’t even tell if he knew she was coming on to him, and he just kept going about Aroden, and you could see the desire in her gaze just completely die.

127. What makes you laugh out loud, hysterically? I don’t tend to laugh that hard, to be honest. I’m not saying nothing could provoke me into raucous laughter. I’m just saying it would take something particularly and uniquely hilarious.

128. What makes you cry? Tragic stories.

129. What makes you cry, hysterically? I haven’t cried that hard since I was a child. The first few days after my brother was taken, I cried and cried. Eventually I ran out of tears, and that’s when the bitterness began to set in.

130. What, if anything, shocks or offends you? Using alchemy—or any science really—as a means to exploit or harm others, as opposed to using that knowledge for the betterment of society.

131. What would you do if you couldn’t sleep and had to find something to amuse yourself? Stay up late reading. Which is a dangerous game—that ‘one more page’ cycle will get you and you’ll stay up intil the sun is rising and mister awaits that day.

132. How do you deal with stress? Sequester myself. Breath. Think about alchemical formulas. Breath some more.

133. Are you spontaneous or do you always need to have a plan? I strongly prefer planning ahead. There is a time and a place for the spontaneous, of course. But a good plan, or even just a framework, can make all the difference.

134. What are your pet peeves? I feel as though I already answered something to this effect? People being loud to the point of rudeness, and people with no loyalty for the people they surround themselves with.

135. Where do you go when you’re angry or depressed? Well I used to go to my alchemy lab in my home. When I had one.

136. What do you do when you’re bored? There’s generally something amusing to do if you look. Or there’s always taking a cat-nap.

137. What type of music do you like? Favorite bands or musicians? Hm. We don’t really have much in the way of bards in Sandpoint now that you mention it. I have a song, I don’t quite remember where I heard it. Maybe it was some of the sailors on the docks when my brother and I would go there. It certainly has that kind of beat that sea chanties tend to.

138-141 were too modern to be answered by Mau in any meaningful way.

142. What is your favorite stage play? Why? There is a play about a young prince meeting the ghost of his father, who bids him to avenge his death at the hands of the prince’s uncle. It’s a tragedy, as the prince spirals and causes the deaths of virtually the entire cast—himself, his love interest, and his uncle included. It’s by a rather famous playwright I believe. The elven playwright Siliram Whakespeare, I think?

143. What is your least favorite stage play? Why? It would have to be The Trials of Larazod. I only read the script once in a book of Chelish operas, but it was absolutely horrific. And to my understanding, they don’t use special effects for the majority of it. People fighting their way through summoned devils, carnivorous worms, and being dumped in acid hardly make a play. More like a torture relay.

144. What is your favorite book? Why? Oh, I have read so many books. On so many subjects and so many genres, trying to choose one favorite is impossible, as many are so far apart in subject manner and style that comparing them is virtually impossible.

145. What is your least favorite book? Why? The same can be said about my least favorite book. I have read such a variety of books, I’ve inevitable come across some rather horrifically written examples in virtually every genre.

146-148 are about television and are not relevant to Mau’s lived experience.

149. What annoys you more than anything else? Loud noises. Especially at night or when I’m trying to work.

150. What time of day is your favorite? Why? Dusk. That quiet time, when it’s not quite time to sleep, but that time is nearing and everything is quiet.

151. What time of day is your least favorite? Why? Why would I have a least favorite time of day?

152. What kind of weather is your favorite? Why? A nice warm spring day. Not too hot, not too cold. Flowers and herbs beginning to return from the long winter.

153. What kind of weather is your least favorite? Why? Rain or snow. Anything that will end with me having sopping wet fur.

154. What is the most beautiful thing you have ever seen? Have you ever seen the way you can light up a room using colored liquids in glass containers, set out on a windowsill—or anywhere that will have direct sunlight. The colors are splashed across the room like an aurora.

155. What is the most awful thing you have ever seen? We’ve seen some pretty horrible things. A disembodied monster head with bat wings, that can infect others by ripping out a part of who you are, making them almost certainly destined to become a new one of those creatures. A woman fighting against Lamashtu’s influence severing her own demonic arm. A young woman who allowed herself to be turned into a ghoul in revenge against a simple heartbreak.

156. What is your favorite drink? Why? Honey mead. Because it is sweet and pleasant.

157. What is your least favorite drink? Why? I can’t say I’ve run into terribly many drinks I wouldn’t drink again. Most people are bowled over by Ameiko’s concoctions, but I have partaken in them a few times. To be fair, I put much less pleasant stuff down my throat when testing my alchemical formulae.

158. What is your favorite animal? Why? I am fond of reptiles, particularly snakes. Have you ever seen the alchemical symbol for immortality? It is a serpent biting its own tail.

159. What is your least favorite animal? Why? Opossums. I do not like the way they play dead and then hop back up.

160. What sorts of things embarrass you? Being the center of attention for anything I was not prepared for ahead of time.

Part Nine: Self Image 161. Describe a normal day for you. Before I lost my home, a normal day was waking up, eating a nice little breakfast, working on my alchemy, maybe going for a walk. If someone had a potion or tonic they had requested, I would work on that and deliver it to them on said walk. After lunch I would usually read or work on notes for new formulae ideas. Then I might see about creating some more concoctions. Then dinner, sometimes at the Rusty Dragon, and then a little more reading of a more leisurely nature before bed. Since my house burned down and I lost virtually all of my worldly possessions, I have had to find other ways to spend my time. During the day, my companions and I have frequently been chasing down clues about those who orchestrated the attack on Sandpoint, or recently helping Sheriff Hemlock with catching a serial killer. There a lot more travel and excitement currently. Not always a good kind of excitement.

162. How do you feel when your routine is disrupted? Disgruntled and stressed. I like to be able to follow my routine. This last month being nothing but my routine being utterly shattered has…not helped my mood any.

163. What is your greatest strength as a person? I am intelligent and have a strong sense of self.

164. What is your greatest weakness? Other than my obvious physical maladies? Socializing, making convincing arguments (or lying), anything that requires a strong grasp on intersocial relationships.

165. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I learned a long time ago that wishing a part of yourself away will only lead to resentment and misery. I am fine as I am.

166. Are you generally introverted or extroverted? Very introverted.

167. Are you generally organized or messy? I am impeccably organized. How could one work with dangerous chemicals and not be? That would be a safety hazard.

168. Name three things you consider yourself to be very good at. Alchemy, swordplay, and trivia

169. Name three things you consider yourself to be very bad at. Socializing, providing comfort, anything vaguely romantic in nature

170. What are your reasons for being an adventurer or heroic? Are your real reasons different than the ones you tell other people in public? If so, detail both reasons. I am no hero. I am just a person who was at the wrong place at the right time. I am merely doing as much as I can with the skills I have. And trying not to die. Honestly, I just want to find out who ordered Nualia to burn down my house, and why. I’ll probably continue this path to the end, simply because some very dangerous things seem to be brewing. If it should come to pass, I think it would hardly be safe wherever I may go, much less for my family. I don’t want any of them getting hurt.

171. What three words best describe your personality? Intelligent, focused, and meticulous

172. What three words would others probably use to describe you? Why wouldn’t they simply use the same three words? They are an apt description.

173. What about you is heroic? As I said above, I would not consider myself heroic. So by that same logic, I do not find anything about myself heroic. I am merely doing what any good person with my skillset would.

174. Are you a better lead or follower? Why? Follower. I severely dislike being the center of attention. I severely dislike conflict management. I have no interest in people obeying my commands or whatever.

175. What is your responsibility to the world? Why? To the world? I do not owe the world as a whole anything. I will not even meet the majority of people in the world, much less do anything that affects them. To those I come in contact with? I owe them the benefit of the doubt, and helping in whatever way I can if they are in need and my skills can be of assistance.

176. What do you like about yourself? That I am intelligent and diligent.

177. What don’t you like about yourself? I try not to fixate on things I’ve historically disliked about myself. I am all of who I am, and fixating on hating some part of myself is foolish.

178. What do you find most relaxing? (not stress relief, but something that actually calms you down.) Working on a personal project, or having a nice cup of tea

179. What talent would you most like to have? Glass blowing would be useful, to make my own potion bottles instead of buying from the Glassworks.

Part Ten: Occupation & Finance 180. What is your occupation? (If you don’t have one, where does your money come from?) I am a local alchemist. People commission me to make particular tinctures, curatives, or other useful potions. A potion of bull’s strength, for example, is excellent for someone building a home or otherwise lugging around heavy materials.

181. Do you like your job? I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else. I am happiest when I lose myself for hours working on my formulae.

182. What is your boss/employer like? He is me.

183. What are your co-workers like? I don’t have any, and thank goodness for that. I would not enjoy working constantly in the presence of others.

184. Do you get along with your co-workers? See above.

185. Which co-workers don’t you get along with and why? See above.

186. What is something you had to learn that you hated? People say knowledge is power. Knowledge is so much more than power. It is the key to understanding the world we live in. There is no knowledge that is useless. And so, I have always enjoyed learning anything and everything.

187. Do you tend to save or spend your money? Why? I spend money on alchemical supplies and food, mostly. Sometimes books if I see something that really catches my interest.

188. If you were to gain an obscenely large sum of money, what would you do with it? Rebuild my house, obviously.

Part Eleven: Drug & Alcohol 189. Do you smoke, drink, or use drugs? If yes, why? Do you want to quit? I drink on occasion, but nothing more than that. Why? Because I enjoy unwinding occasionally, but prefer to mostly keep my head on me. A little alcohol is enough of a buzz for me in moderation.

190. How old were you when you had your first drink? Did you like it? Why or why not? I tried some beer in my teenage years. I did not like it.

191. How old were you when you first got drunk? What was the experience like? I’ve never actually been drunk. It sounded unpleasant, so I always minded how much I drank.

192. Do you drink on a regular basis? Not like every day or anything, but a few times a week, sure.

193. What kind of alcohol do you prefer? Honey mead is my favorite. Certain wines are good. And I’m not above a shot of whiskey.

194. Have you ever tried any kind of “mood altering” substance? Which ones? Describe the experience. Not personally. I know how to make some of these “mood altering” substances. But I’ve never had much interest myself.

Part Twelve: Sex & Intimacy 195-210: we are skipping this section as it’s not relevant to him.

Part Thirteen: Morality

211. What one act in your past are you most ashamed of? How horribly I thought of my brother when he first left. That bitterness was unfair to him, or even just the memory of him.

212. What one act in your past are you most proud of? I traveled from Turtleback Ferry to Korvosa, and then from Korvosa to Sandpoint, on my own. It was hardly an easy journey.

213. Have you ever been in a physical fight before? Over what, with who, and who won? Many more in the past month than in the rest of my life. I had a few spats with Kier, and Morri and I had a few swordfights (and one legitimate fight where she thoroughly trounced me). In the last month, though? We fought goblins, demons, ghouls, wild beasts, you name it. I came out barely surviving on more than a few occasions.

214. What do you feel most strongly about? People ought to do their best to actively make others’ lives better, not worse. Those who harm others, especially for petty reasons, deserve the scorn of those who surround them.

215. What do you pretend to feel strongly about, just to impress people? Do you think me a child? That sort of thing is sure to backfire. A false façade will inevitably fall away, and everyone will know the person in question to be too insecure to own up to their true beliefs.

216. What trait do you find most admirable and how often do you find it? Kindness is key. If everyone did their level best to show kindness, then many of the world’s problems would not exist. Alas, too many people are under the impression that they have to screw others over before they get cheated in turn.

217. Is there anything you think should not be incorporated into the media or arts? (i.e., sex, violence, etc). What and why or why not? Who am I to tell an artist what they can and cannot do with their artistic vision? Art can explore any subject, and sometimes those subjects might be dark or uncomfortable. It is up to the viewer to look away if the imagery upsets them.

218. Do you think the future is hopeful? Why or why not? I believe the future is hopeful, because it must be. If I did not see the potential for hope in dark times, then there would be nothing more to strive towards.

219. Do you think redemption is possible? Why or why not? I certainly do. Sometimes when people are hurt, they lash out. Sometimes, when life is hard, people try to find an easy solution, even if it will hurt others. These people are not ‘evil’, merely hurt or desperate. Give them the tools they need to make their life better without doing more harm, and many would choose a good life.

220. Is there something you think is absolutely unforgivable? What is it? I think everything depends on context. Something may sound unforgivable with few details, but when you learn the situation surrounding the events, it might shine a different light on things.

221. Is it okay for men to cry? I should hope so, I wouldn’t claim to have never cried before.

222. Is it okay for you to cry? Yes, while I won’t claim I frequently do, I would not be ashamed if events transpired that caused me to.

223. What do you think is wrong with most people, overall? Many people think only of themselves. If they extended beyond the selfish, and truly saw that other people are equal to them and deserve the same treatment, there are so many woes that could be avoided or eliminated.

224. What is the worst thing you could ever do to someone you hated? I do not know. Hate is infrequent, to me. Anger, sure. But hate? It would take a lot for me to hate somebody.

225. Do you have feelings that disturb you? What and why? Not particularly. Having a variety of emotions is healthy—even the more negative ones.

226. On what occasions do you lie? When it is necessary. If choosing not to do so would bring more harm than good, I believe lying would be the correct choice.

227. Do you think it is okay to lie? See my answer above. I think it’s situational. Sometimes a lie is necessary. I don’t make a habit of lying—as I said before I prefer not to hide any of myself—but I also will not feel guilty if a lie was necessary for the greater good.

Part Fourteen: Supernatural Awareness

228-234 are not relevant to Mau’s life, as he has no supernatural abilities and never went through a specific training regimen, except training with his ma.

Part Fifteen: Goals and Future 235. What goal do you most want to accomplish in your lifetime? At the moment, I just want to find out why my house was burned down, and who was behind it. After that, my goals are humble. I want a new home, a peaceful life, and a place to make my concoctions.

236. Where do you see yourself in five years? Hopefully back in Sandpoint, returned to my normal routine.

237. If you could choose, how would you want to die? Peacefully, and not at someone else’s hand. I’d like to live until old age and die naturally, ideally.

238. If you knew you were going to die in 24 hours, name three things you would do in the time you had left. Visit my mothers if I was close enough, or write them a letter to say goodbye. Pack away as much of my stuff as I can, so I know it’ll have been organized and handled gently. Then…I don’t know. Sit on the beach and watch the sunset, I suppose.

239. What is the one thing for which you would most like to be remembered after your death? I don’t want to be famous. Not even for my alchemy. I’d rather the people I knew personally remember me. And remember me the way they thought of me in life.

Part Sixteen: Misc. 240. If you could, what advice would you, the hero, give to the villain? Or If you could, why would you, the villain want the hero to be at your side or part of your team? The problem here is, I don’t even know who the villain of my story is. Someone wanted to hurt me, or scare me off, by burning down my home. But who and why are unknown to me, so I don’t have the information necessary to even imagine what I would say to them.

241. What was the worst injury you’ve ever received? How did it happen? A monk punched my chest and shattered a few ribs. A firepelt cougar mauled me. A bunch of Norgorber worshippers nearly eviscerated me. I’ve been getting a concerningly large number of severe injuries this last month.

242. How ticklish are you? Where are you ticklish? I can’t say I’m terribly ticklish. I think the fur helps to pad it out enough that no particular touch tickles.

243. What would you wish for if you ever found a genie? Jokingly, a new house. In reality? I don’t know. It seems frivolous to use a wish to get something I could get on my own without a genie. The wish would need to be something big. Something impossible to do without it. Like…something like seeing Cailin again.

244. If your house burned down, what one thing would you want to save? That’s not funny. I didn’t manage to save anything.

245. Describe yourself sitting in your favorite spot. My lab, the window open and letting in some nice warm sunlight. I’d be sitting on a stool, working on whatever project had my interest that day.

246. How do you go to sleep and how do you wake up? (position, routine, etc) I tend to sleep early and wake early. Some alchemical herbs are easiest to gather in the first rays of sunlight. Also it means I can work on making my daily preparations in peace.

247. What is a dream (during sleep) that you have often? I didn’t typically get recurring dreams, but lately I’ve been having a very strange one. I share this dream with my companions. We are all four pulled into the heavens by a giant spider. When we reach the spider, we are within a small room leaving out into a golden casino. We are all dressed in fine clothing, befitting the surroundings. No matter where we choose to go, the four of us always end up at a card table. There is a man there. One whose face we are unable to look at. Something just keeps my eyes looking down. Twice he has played a card game with us, and used it as a means to explore our personalities. First, we played poker. Second, we played Werewolf. I do not know what will be third, but I know there will be a third dream. The man said it would be the ‘third and final time’.

248. What is a day dream that you have often? I daydream about being back home sometimes. Especially recently, when things have been so difficult.

249. If you were to die and come back as any person or thing, what or who would you want to be? I don’t know. I suppose life would be easier as a human. No one stares at humans like they are a curiosity. Humans can just blend into the crowd and go about their daily lives with no one even taking notice of them.

250. What is your motto? I don’t have a particular motto. I suppose if I had one it would have to be something like ‘everyone deserves their first chance, and anyone can earn their second’. Although I supposed that more of a mantra than a motto.

251. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? I chose Sandpoint because it perfectly met my needs. I see little reason to go elsewhere permanently. The grass only looks greener from afar.

252. What time period do you wish you could have lived in? Why? (This is not a chance to change history.) What appeals to you about this era? Any point in history? I don’t know. I am fascinated by Ancient Thassalon. But to be honest from what I know about it, historically, I do not believe I would have lived a terribly good life if I’d been born in their time. See the problem with going back to the past is that progress, by nature, goes forward. So any historical place I could visit would be in some way lesser to the time I have been born. Just as this time will likely be inferior to some future day.

253. If you could go back to any point in history and change something, what would it be? Hm. It would be grandiose to go back and warn the Thassalonians about Starfall, or go to the days before Aroden and become the one to pull the Starstone from the sea and be granted its gift of godhood. But the ways in which that could twist and destroy reality as I know it, and put something unpredictable in its place…I would prefer to focus on making the future better rather than the past.

#Mau Ornelos-Servos #pathfinder #my ocs #oc questions

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evilwickedme · 3 years ago

Note

30. how don’t you know the difference between your left and right?

Thank you so much for the prompt and sorry in taking so long to answer it, the fic I wrote is technically part of my before and after fic series and I didn't want to spoil certain things. That said, it's now up - also available on ao3, ofc. But no worries - this can absolutely be read as a standalone!

Without further Ado -

my heart is melting and my hands are weak

Relationship tags: Jason / Roy, Jason & Tim

Additional tags: pre-slash, mental health, dissociation

For ppl following the series, this happens sometime in January 2020, Jason is 23, Roy is 27/28 or so

Jason knows when he wakes up in the morning that it’s going to be a Bad Day.

Not necessarily a bad day as in anything is going to go wrong. There’s a difference between a bad day and a Bad Day. Everyone has bad days, where they wake up in the morning and the sky is gray and some car splashes mud on them on the way to work and their boss yells at them because they forgot to do something small and they end up ordering a comfort pizza they really can’t afford right now according to their budget. That kind of bad day is just a part of the human fucking condition, he’d once told Helen. This is not what his Bad Days are like. Bad Days don’t necessarily have to be bad days at all.

The thing about Bad Days, the thing that defines them, is that on Bad Days Jason Todd wakes up in the morning and he doesn’t feel alive.

He knows he is. He can feel his own toes as he goes through the motions of the grounding techniques he’d been taught almost a decade ago now, giving every muscle its turn, putting himself back in his own body and remembering how to push air in and out of his lungs. He knows that he’s alive, because he doesn’t remember being dead, but he’s pretty sure he couldn’t feel the callouses on his fingers with his thumb inside his grave. He knows he’s alive.

But on Bad Days, he doesn’t feel it.

His examination of every sinew of his body complete, he opens his eyes and examines his surroundings. His current Park Row apartment is small, but well insulated, so he doesn’t have to cover himself with six layers of blankets in the dead of winter. Still, his body is a little cold in his usual bedtime attire of a loose undershirt and boxers, which he finds less confusing when he sees he must have knocked one of the three layers he still needed to sleep under in the January freeze onto the floor while he was sleeping. The room is extremely sparsely decorated – Helen tells him he should personalize his space, to make it feel more like his space, but he’s too likely to break the lease and run at short notice, and he doesn’t want to risk leaving anything important behind.

His phone pings, and he realizes he doesn’t know how long he’s been staring at the blanket heap at the foot of the bed.

Arse: I’m outside!!!

Jason groans. Just what he needs on a day like this.

Still, he pushes himself onto his feet, slowly making his way to the front door. He doesn’t bother getting dressed; it’s not like the man waiting to be let in hasn’t seen him look much worse. He disarms his security system mindlessly, relying on muscle memory, and opens the door.

“Heya, Jaybird,” says Roy Harper, a grin stretched almost grotesquely on his features. “Long time no see.”

Jason just waves at him wordlessly. Well, technically he starts signing, before remembering Roy doesn’t know ASL. But it probably looks like aimless waving from an outside perspective.

Roy walks in anyway, whistling appreciatively. “This place is much nicer than the last one, Jay,” he says in a low voice. It tickles somewhere in the back of Jason’s skull, something that he doesn’t quite understand.

Jason shrugs, letting the door slam shut behind him; he reactivates the security system in the meantime. “It’s fine,” he says. “Warm.”

“Yeah, I can tell,” Roy says, glancing at Jason’s bare arms, in direct contrast to Roy’s own body being well hidden under what looks like two separate coats. “I’m starting to cook in this, man.”

Jason snorts. Roy’s struggling with the zipper of his coat, so Jason steps over to help, freeing his friend and revealing the thick wool sweater beneath, presumably the material the zipper had gotten stuck on. “Is there a reason you’re here?”

“Can’t I just want to visit my best buddy?” Roy asks.

Jason raises an eyebrow. Roy sighs in defeat.

“Fine, there may or may not be an op I could use Red Hood’s help on,” Roy admits. “Something a little more complex than a broken zipper.”

Jason realizes neither he nor Roy moved once the coat was off, and he can see Roy’s Adam’s apple bob nervously as the other man realizes the same thing. Jason clears his throat and steps back. He throws the coat over the back of his couch so it doesn’t sit heavily in his arms anymore.

“What is it?” he says, wishing he had pockets to shove his hands into. He settles for leaning against a wall to suggest the same nonchalant aura.

“Drugs,” Roy says, “probably. Some New York syndicate moving product through Gotham tomorrow night.”

Tomorrow, Jason thinks, mentally sighing in relief. Things don’t necessarily go badly on Bad Days, but it’s a lot harder to focus on nonlethal shooting when he’s on the verge of what Helen calls dissociating, and he used to call glitching out like it’s the fuckin’ Matrix.

Roy sits on the couch and puts his feet up on Jason’s coffee table.

Jason snorts. “Make yourself at home, I guess.”

“Do you have some of that fancy shit Bruce calls coffee?” Roy responds.

Jason does, in fact, happen to have some of the fancy shit Bruce calls coffee. Tim brings it over in regular intervals, unwilling to find himself bereft if he finds himself crashing on Jason’s couch, or sometimes floor. Jason’s actually running low; as he goes through the motion of making the coffee – he knows exactly how Roy takes his coffee, of course, they’ve both made it for each other dozens of times to fuel long sleepless nights together, pouring over documents or just pushing away nightmares – he debates letting Tim know it’s almost gone, but it’s a safe assumption that Tim is already well aware. His brother’s overdue for a visit, anyway.

“Thanks, Jaybird,” Roy says when Jason finally hands him a mug. Jason nods and settles besides his friend, cupping his own mug.

“Tell me about the case,” he says, and listens to Roy as well as he can as the man speaks, telling him about the trail he found last week and how he followed it to Gotham, pausing only to take an occasional sip from his mug.

Jason closes his eyes and lets the words wash over him. It definitely sounds like drugs. Should be a simple case, in and out at the Gotham Harbor, shoot some bad guys and call the cops, maybe let O know in case they need backup. Plant trackers on the ones who don’t get taken in or taken down. It’s routine.

He’s so tired. If Roy hadn’t shown up, he thinks he’d probably still be in bed.

“You okay there, Jaybird?” Roy asks. Jason hadn’t noticed he’d stopped speaking, but now that he thinks back, there may have been a silent minute or two.

“Just, haven’t woken up yet,” Jason says, taking another sip of ice cold coffee.

“Mm,” Roy says. He looks Jason up and down, and Jason would wonder what he’s seeing, if he was at all in the presence of mind to do so. “Do you wanna spar, get the blood pumping a little?”

Jason likes sparring with his friends. He knows this about himself. Just, like, objectively, this is something he enjoys doing.

He doesn’t want to spar with Roy.

“Okay,” he says, dragging himself off the couch. “I’ll go change.”

He reemerges from his bedroom some vague amount of time later – he doesn’t know how long he spent staring at his dresser, trying to remember what he was doing, but it was probably not a short amount of time. Roy’s already working up a sweat, stripped down to his tee and sweatpants and stretching his arms.

“Ready?” Roy asks, grinning.

Automatically, Jason says, “Born ready.”

There’s an empty space in the apartment, cleared specifically for Jason’s workouts, that works really well for sparring as well, and there are no valuables in the apartment for someone to accidentally break, anyway, so they just get right into it. Roy throws a punch at Jason’s throat; he dodges, and makes contact with Roy’s stomach, instead. Roy coughs, but manages to make Jason stumble with a well-timed kick. It continues in this vein, the two of them extremely familiar with each other’s fighting styles and dirty tricks.

“You need to be more careful, you’re dropping your left shoulder,” Roy says casually, and Jason responds by raising his shoulder.

Roy immediately backs off.

“You okay, Jaybird?” he asks, and Jason realizes too late what happened. “Do you not know the difference between your left and your right?”

He raised the wrong shoulder.

“Yeah, I’m just – ” Jason sighs. “Never mind, let’s just get back to it, okay?”

“Nah, I’m over it,” Roy says nonchalantly.

“You sure?” Jason asks doubtfully.

“You’re not into it,” Roy says.

Jason shrugs. “I could be.”

“We can spar anytime, Jay,” Roy says, “it doesn’t have to be right now. ‘Sides, I think I’m in the mood to veg.”

Jason makes a face at veg. “You’re spending too much time with Tim,” Jason informs him.

Roy just laughs and claps Jason on the back. “I’d have to spend less time with you, then,” he says, “and I’m not planning on going anywhere.”

They veg.

Or, well, Jason finds his civilian laptop where it’s buried underneath the couch seat and logs into Dick’s Netflix, which he uses not because he can’t afford his own damn Netflix subscription, but because he likes messing with Dick’s algorithm. He tells Roy to pick something, and then he leans back on the couch till he’s only just barely touching Roy arm to arm, and closes his eyes.

He isn’t familiar with whatever it is Roy picked for them; some comedy he’s never heard of, but he missed a lot of pop culture during the time he was dead, and then “dead”, so that doesn’t really mean much. Tim’s Steph tried to “educate” him, and he threw a stray batarang at her. Fake dead Robins don’t get to lecture actually dead Robins, he’d said. None of it really mattered to him, and if something truly important had happened, it would come up in a case. That’s how he found out that Doctor Who’s a woman now, whatever that means. Tim had a lot of opinions on that one.

Jason can barely hear the comedy over Roy’s commentary, which suits his relaxation needs perfectly. Roy’s generally a lot funnier than the comedies he’d been forced to sit through over the past few years, anyway, and he likes the way his low voice rumbles through the bones of the couch, so that he feels it in his lower spine.

Eventually even Roy’s voice peters off, however, and Jason finds that he doesn’t even mind. Roy repositions so he’s got his arm on the back of the couch, and it makes the hairs on Jason’s neck raise in anticipation of – something. He doesn’t know. He gets so aware around Roy, sometimes, and he doesn’t have anything to compare it to, doesn’t understand the feeling. He chases after it as often as he ignores it.

His phone chimes again.

TD: knock knock

u have a key

TD: it’s polite to ask, motherfucker

ur not polite

“Yes I am,” Tim huffs, already shutting the door behind him, and Roy startles so hard it shakes Jason, too.

“I – what?” Roy asks, and Jason just shows him his phone, because it’s quicker than explaining. “Oh. Hi. Was Jason expecting you?”

“Coffee,” Jason grunts.

Tim holds up one of Alfred’s reusable shopping bags, presumably holding coffee in it. “Good stuff’s running low, figured I’d replenish it,” he says.

“Knew Jason kept you around for some reason,” Roy says wisely.

Tim’s eyes flash in amusement, but when they settle on Jason, the concern in them is clear as day.

All good? he signs.

Jason shrugs. Bad Day.

Tim nods in understanding. His Bad Days don’t look like Jason’s, not from the inside or the outside, but he got them, too. Probably everyone in the superhero community did, but Jason didn’t make a habit of talking about his therapy with anybody except Tim, and Bruce when Helen forced him to.

“Didn’t think there’d be anybody here except Jason,” Tim says as he unpacks his meager offerings. He also seems to have brought over some of his disgustingly sugary cereal bars. Nobody would be touching those except Tim.

Jason translates in his head. Is it okay that Roy and I are here on a Bad Day? He scowls at Tim’s back. As if he can’t make the choice of who he wants to hang out with.

Roy’s easy, he signs when Tim faces him again, knowing Tim would know what he means. Not heavy. It’s fine.

“Yeah, well, it wasn’t planned,” Roy says. “Chased a lead down here from New York. I’ll only be here for a couple of days, most like.”

“Need help?” Tim asks, leaning against the kitchen counter. “Red Robin’s at your service, if you need him.”

“Nah, I’m good on that front, thanks,” Roy says. “All I need is Jaybird right here.”

Jason doesn’t react to Tim’s raised eyebrow. He knows what Tim thinks, and he’s not going to comment on it.

“But I was wondering if you could recommend some solid ASL courses,” Roy continues. “I remember Dick said you had everyone take them for Cass, I bet you did a fuckton of research on it.”

Jason stares at Roy in shock.

“Yeah, I did,” Tim says slowly, “why are you asking? Is this for a case?”

“Just figured, if I’m going to be following this guy around any longer, might as well speak his language,” Roy says, shoving his shoulder against Jason.

“Huh,” Tim says. He opens his mouth to say something else, but then his phone chirps – literally, his texting ringtone is a little bird chirp, Dick set it – and he frowns at the screen. “Ugh, I have to go.”

“Lock after yourself!” Jason yells. “Don’t leave the door open ag–!” But Tim’s already gone, and he leaves the door a little open behind him, the little brat.

He makes to go and close it, but Roy’s already gotten up. He pats Jason’s shoulder comfortingly and says, “I’ll get it, you just stay right there and get your beauty rest, Jaybird.”

“Shut up, Roy,” Jason groans.

Roy grins at him again. “Never,” he promises, and Jason hopes to hold him to that.

#jayroy #Jason Todd #Tim Drake #tim drake and jason todd #dc #dc fic #mental health #cw dissociation #this my fic #gail speaks #I accidentally posted this early on ao3 so you get it early here too

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hms-no-fun · 3 years ago

Note

apologies if you’ve written this somewhere before, but in a couple of these #sarahposts you refer to a retcon you made in gf1, what was the change?

oh yeah! i don't think i've really extensively documented this anywhere, so i might as well do so here. let's start with the boring shit and cover the history, then i'll give you the full breakdown of what changed.

so when i wrote gf1, i had no sense that i would ever want to go beyond the realm of this one fic. but i DID have this idea of "the ultimate ultimate self," an entity that contains all selves which is never mentioned in homestuck. funny that THAT’S my first big canon divergence, rooted so deep in the philosophical. obviously the big existential kick of gf1 is this idea that retcon is somehow eroding john's connection to that ultimate ultimate self, or at least to his ultimate self generally. the extent to which this is TRUE remains to be seen, john/june is never an objective arbiter of their own subjective existence, but it is an important idea for the series nevertheless.

the other key ingredient is that for a long time i planned on doing my own audio drama adaptation of godfeels (as i mentioned at the end of this video). obviously i never got around to doing this myself and eventually abdicated responsibility to the far more capable hands of the podfeels team, but i did get as far as adapting godfeels 1 for a podfic (which is what they used for podfeels 1). so i took that opportunity to modify a few things to bring gf1 more in line with how the series’ cosmology had evolved.

RIGHT SO, what are the differences? well, they're almost if not entirely exclusive to the narration. and right from the start, we have a big addition:

[left is my original draft, right is the published version]

when i wrote gf1 i put ZERO thought into how long after homestuck proper it took place. remember that i wrote and released this before the epilogues came out, so it was only later that i adopted the timeline and framework of the epilogues. if anything i wrote gf1 thinking they were closer to *my* age at the time, meaning like 27-28, which might have caused me problems down the line. but this addition is also important because (as i rant about in this recent post) i think it's easier to swallow questionably in-character dialogue when you know that this is six years and change after homestuck. i still don't think the overall timeline gets emphasized enough throughout... honestly ALL of godfeels before chapter 8 lmao. looking back i was shockingly negligent in this respect.

what else?

lol ok sure

this was a pretty substantial addition owing to the fact that back then i really wasn't interested in writing anyone but the betas, and even then i mostly just wanted to write about june and jade. obviously that changed, so i wanted to do a better job of setting up dirk's murky relationship with june. ditto with june and terezi's murky romantic tensions.

this is The Big One. i’m not even sure i could tell you the precise significance of every change here, beyond the obvious one. would you believe that this was before i thought of X as a distinct character? but i still had the sense that the antagonism of the third person narration here was rooted perspectivally, and it’s my opinion that john at the pits of his worst depression is closest to X, the part of himself that judges his every action against the assumed perfection of all his friends. after june comes out and takes charge of her identity and Things Happen, i see X as reflexively turning their judgment outwards (though still with a core of self-resentment), which is how we eventually get the circus egotistica.

big changes here obv

some simplification of text here plus some additions. is the narration here describing jade’s voice breaking through john’s dissociation, or is it something more cosmic? either could be true...

minor alterations here, plus a probably too-cute stinger banging the drum that This Is An Ongoing Series Now Actually

and as far as i can tell, that’s it! very minor changes for the most part, but it’s the little details that get you every time :)

#homestuck #godfeels #podfeels #draft changes #godfeels 1 #writing process #drafting

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sup-hoes-its-me · 4 years ago

Text

Adore You (Yamato x Reader)

A/N: hi guys. Yamato is your secret admirer and you are desperate to find out who's been leaving all these gifts at your doorstep. Civilian reader. Will be two parts, and since i just found out i have the coronavirus and cant leave the house, i’ll be putting out the second part very soon.

Ps i headcanon that yamato would be very shy and awkward with his crush. i also think that when he is nervous he definitely has really sweaty hands. idk thats just the vibe i get from him lol. please enjoy.

Word count: 4500

Y/N walked down the street after a long day of working in the bakery, kneading dough and icing cakes and sweets. It was a great job, and she really enjoyed the company of the two elderly owners. In her arms was another small picnic basket filled with sourdoughs and garlic loaves and cinnamon raisin buns. Those leftovers served as her breakfast, lunch, and dinner most days and it saved a lot of money on groceries.

Sometimes, she gifted the bread to friends and family though, like tonight.

As she walked the bustling streets, people walking home from work for the night, she noticed a couple of familiar faces sitting in the windows of a nearby restaurant. Feeling a little social, she walked into the restaurant and turned the corner, walking through the tables and past other booths full of people talking and drinking. It was busy tonight in Konoha, everyone getting ready for the weekend.

She came to a stop beside their table, and shifted so her basket rested in the slight curve of her hip. With her free hand she waved to the men, a small smile gracing her lips.

“Kakashi, Yamato,” she chirped, “I saw you guys in the window on my way home from work and thought I’d stop in to say hello.”

“Y/N. What a pleasant surprise.” Kakashi hummed, peering over his glass of golden liquid at his friend, who he could tell was struggling to figure out what to say or do. Yamato wasn’t normally nervous; he was very cool headed. How else would he become such an important Anbu member? But around Y/N, this woman with flour dusted in her hair and the smell of cinnamon and chocolate on her clothes, he crumbled. Just that smell alone could make Yamato lose his composure. And Kakashi knew that very well. “As a matter of fact, we were just talking about you.”

Yamato coughed on his drink, covering his mouth with his arm to keep from spitting up on the table. Even if they were just talking about her, it was completely uncalled for for Kakashi to stab him in the back like that. He turned to face the young woman who looked down at him with curiosity in her eyes.

“Really? What about?” she questioned, raising a brow.

He averted his eyes to the table again where his hand rested clutching at the glass. “We were just discussing the bakery,” he explained sheepishly, a hand going to rub the back of his neck. He felt the stress coming on, and sweat was beginning to gather on his palms. He felt ill, and more importantly, upset with the friend sitting directly across from him, smirking under that damn mask.

What an evil bastard.

“Mind if I join you guys? I could definitely use a drink.” She motioned to the seat next to Yamato, and he scooted closer to the wall to make room for her. She made sure her basket was sealed and secure before reaching over the table to Kakashi. “Can you sit this next to you? I don’t wanna take up the whole table.”

“No problem.”

She slid into the seat beside Yamato, and he realized just how small their table really was. The chair was clearly made for one person, or maybe two small people. They were just inches away. He could literally feel the heat of her thigh beside his. He was losing his mind, he was sure of it. There was absolutely no reason to act or think this way just because of a woman, a little baker from the village. No reason. It was inappropriate.

He took a deep breath and sipped on his drink. Everything was cool. Y/N L/N was cool.

“What kind of goods are you bringing home tonight?” Yamato asked calmly.

“Uh, lets see. A sourdough loaf and a garlic rosemary loaf. Also, I have about eight cinnamon buns in there,” she listed off the top of her head, “Why? You wanna take some home with you, because that’s fine. I’m not gonna eat all of it.”

“No, not this time.”

“You, Kakashi?”

“Yeah, I’ll take whatever.” It was a free meal for the next day? How could he say no to that?

The waitress came around, and Y/N ordered a tall glass of some sweet drink, something she knew wouldn’t taste like shit but would get her all warm and cozy quick, fruit juice covering up the taste of poison. “So, what were you guys talking about before I came around? I didn’t mean to interrupt you.”

“It’s good you came around, actually. We could use a woman’s opinion here.” Yamato glared at Kakashi, pleading with everything he had for the copy nin to just leave it alone. Kakashi was set in his goals though, and pushed forward with what he was saying. “It’s about Tenzo.”

An even brighter smile grew on her lips, one full of mischief and curiosity. “Oohoho? I see. What’s got you men stuck?” She loved to gossip, it was just something so interesting in her mundane life. Surely, it wasn’t as interesting to shinobi who almost die all the time and always have something to do, but for a village girl who goes home every night to read and eat bread, and then go to work where she just makes and sells said bread, a bit of juicy personal information really intrigued her.

“It’s honestly not a big deal-”

“Our boy here, he’s got a crush.”

Her eyes widened and suddenly, she felt the urge to down even more of her drink. He was interested in someone? She never expected that. He was always so quiet and calm, and kept to himself. He didn’t seem like the type to ever care about someone in that way. She sighed, taking a long sip on her drink, which tasted like peaches and oranges. At least it was sweet enough to help her curb the impending sadness.

Maybe she was stupid for it, but she cared for Yamato. He was such a sweet and kind man, so earnest and gentle. He was everything good about her mornings, when he would walk in and ask for the same hot cross bun to start his day. He would smile and compliment the cake decorating she was working on, and tell her about his missions and what he had to do for the day.

Perhaps Y/N had the tiniest of crushes on Yamato. It was something she would never reveal to anyone else, but it was true. She couldn’t deny herself that fact.

Kakashi stared at the woman, gauging her reaction to the statement. From the way she immediately went to sip away half of the drink in her glass, and the way her shoulders curled in on themselves, he could guess how she was feeling. He wasn’t usually a fan of meddling in other people’s business, but he was beginning to feel tired of Yamato complaining day in and day out about how he could never get the girl or express his feelings. He was afraid of rejection, as sad as that might be.

He was just there to give them a push in the right direction.

“I see.”

“What do you think he should do? What do the civilian girls like?”

This crush was just another civilian. It would be one thing if he fell in love with a kunoichi, someone she would never be able to compete with, but the thought of him choosing another normal woman over her, the envy practically oozed from her pores. What did this other girl have that Y/N didn’t?

Y/N ordered another drink when the waitress walked by. And then another after she drank the second one. Might as well get more down and drown out these jealous thoughts.

Meanwhile, she listed off things that random women normally like when men do for them, things she didn't really care about like chocolates and asking them out to dinner and giving them stuffed animals. Boring things. Things they all already knew. Kakashi agreed that the advice was kinda bland, and he could have come up with that easily.

Yamato eyed her down nervously as she practically chugged the rest of her drink. The woman wasn’t a big drinker, just a couple innocent cocktails here or there, never with the intention of getting drunk.

“You okay, Y/N?”

“Yes, I’m perfectly fine,” she told him smoothly. “Anyway, I’m not done telling you all about us village girls.”

The third drink came by and she sighed, taking another long sip. At least it tasted good, that made it easy to drink and drink and drink.

“Maybe you should slow down.”

“Maybe you should worry about yourself. I’m grown. I can handle myself, Yamato.” He felt a pang in his chest at her sharp words, ones that he’d never really heard directed toward him. She scolded Kakashi on the daily for being a pervert, but only kind words met Yamato’s ears previously. “Anyway, about this girl. Have you tried getting her anything as a gift? The things I listed before? Love notes? That sorta thing?”

He shook his head. “Well, no. I haven’t tried anything yet.”

“That’s the thing about you, Tenzo. You’re so modest. If you want the girl, you need to go in and get her. You need to show her what she means to you, since you can’t bring yourself to just outright tell her.”

“The whole bold displays of affection aren’t my thing.”

She hummed, her head lolling from side to side as she twirled the straw of her drink in between her fingers. “Maybe you should try some roundabout approach since you’re so scared of rejection. Send her anonymous letters and gifts, give her little clues that it’s you and see how she reacts.”

“Like a secret admirer?"

“Exactly! That’s sooo romantic. I wish some guy would do that shit for me.”

Kakashi raised a brow. “Oh, really?”

“Of course. I’m almost 27 and I’ve never had a long lasting relationship. I just want some guy to really, I don’t know, just love me. Love who I am, not hook up with me for my body or-or only pretend to like me for coupons on bread,” she complained, quite loudly as well. “Fuck those guys and their bread discounts...”

“Y/N-”

“I’d suggest you do something like that for your crush. Make her feel like you really care about her mind and soul.” Y/N clutched her hand over her heart and squeezed the front of her dress. “So many men nowadays act like horny teenagers, and us ladies are sick of it.”

She really did not need to go into such detail, and Yamato could tell she was drinking too much. Y/N would never say these things aloud if she were completely in her right mind. He felt rude just sitting there letting her rant on and on, exposing her own feelings to the table. But at the same time, he was grateful to know what she wanted in a lover. She never really let on what her romantic life was like, other than single for the most part.

That is what he and Kakashi were discussing before she came around. He was desperate to sweep her off her feet and woo her, to make revealing his feelings easier. Kakashi told him to just go to the bakery and tell her right then and there, but that was just too bold. He wasn’t going to go in without a plan, it was irrational.

“Yamato, I’m telling you, if this woman rejects you, she’s fucking stupid. You’re a catch. You and Kashi over there, both of you could get any woman you want, and that’s a fact.” the woman waved her hand to emphasize her point, only to knock the rest of her fourth drink over into her lap, sticky syrup soaking into her apron and through to her skirt. “Oh man.”

“I think it’s time for you to head home, little miss Y/N,” Kakashi chimed in, “This is exactly why we don’t bring you to bars, you know.”

“Shush. I am fine.”

Yamato sighed, motioning with his hands for her to move to the edge of the seat. He rolled his eyes at her words, knowing she was talking out the ass. “Yeah, yeah. Just get up, Y/N. I’m taking you home.”

Both men were surprised when she lifted her hand and pushed him away from her. Her glare was intense, anger behind those eyes. “No! Not you. I want Kakashi to walk me home.” The man was taken aback by the harshness in her tone. She was normally calm tempered, but her head was spinning and she was obviously growing moody.

“That’s fine by me. Yamato, you’ll pick up the bill for us and uh, clean this mess, right?” Kakashi smirked as he slid out from the booth and picked up her bag of baked goods. She followed suit, climbing out of her seat and grabbing onto the shinobi’s arm tightly. He really couldn’t care any less about her nonsense. It had been so long since they became friends, he’d seen her in every mood imaginable, and much drunker than this. He’s walked her home more than a few times in their past years.

“Curse you, cheap-ass.”

“Gotta go.”

With that, the white haired man walked out the restaurant with a woman in tow. They lived in the same direction, so he started down the street as she stumbled after him, tripping occasionally on pebbles. He felt bad for his friend, really. But the answer was clear as day now. Y/N cared for Yamato a lot more than she let on. It was just up to one of them to make a move. He couldn't do everything for them.

She tripped along beside him, letting her head fall against his shoulder a few times. Her eyes slid up to the man’s masked face, and he felt her hands begin to quiver a bit around his arm, just a tiny bit, but it was still there. Those little, very-telling, tremors.

“What’s wrong, Y/N?” he asked gently, knowing she would immediately spill whatever was stuck on her mind.

“Kashi, why does Tenzo want some other village girl?” she questioned, her cheeks puffing out and her eyes getting watery with tears. “Why doesn’t he want me? I want him so badly, it hurts right here.” she placed her free hand over her stomach and gagged. “I might throw up, it hurts so much.”

“Trust me, it’s gonna be okay,” he hushed, a tiny smile on his lips. He didn’t want to reveal too much to her, but it was just so amusing pulling the strings like this. Two of his friends, one a subordinate and the other a sneaky baker, falling for each other right in front of him. With all the work piling up, this was definitely a refreshing take.

“Also, you shouldn't throw up. It'll burn your throat, you know.”

She nodded, and just clutched onto her stomach as they made their way down the narrow alleyways toward her small apartment. He unlocked the door for her when she struggled to fit the key into the tiny hole that blurred together with everything else. He was a good friend, she thought, and made a mental note to thank him next time she saw him. Well, she tried to make a mental note, but when her body hit the mattress in the corner of her small studio, she found herself drifting away.

__________

God, her head hurt so badly she thought her skull was cracking open right then and there, as she lifted her head from her pillow. Light shined in through the window only to make things worse than before. She looked around the room and noticed that her coat was hung up properly on the hook and her shoes were sitting by the door. Her basket rested atop her counter.

Most importantly, on her nightstand sat a glass of water and a couple pills, ready for her to take the moment she woke up. Kakashi or Yamato must have walked her home and put her to bed. They were very nice men, she enjoyed having them as friends, she just worried she had made a drunken fool of herself last night in front of them. She rarely drank heavily, for that reason. She couldn’t even remember what happened, just that she met them at the restaurant and then the rest fell empty in her mind, little images blending together until she couldn’t decipher a thing that happened. She was more than ashamed.

How could she lose control of herself so casually, she wondered. She never even wanted to drink, much less enough to give her this searing headache. Something must have happened last night that influenced her decisions. Maybe she had a drinking contest with Kakashi like that one time before. If so, that was completely uncalled for on the man’s part. He knew her tolerance.

Nevertheless, she needed to get ready for work. A hangover wasn’t enough to heed the workings of the bakery.

She took the pills, and threw off her covers, walking over to her counter to take out one of the cinnamon rolls, taking a big bite to curb her hunger pains. After taking a moment to compose herself, she got ready for work. If she was late, she knew the owners would be forgiving, but she still felt bad regardless. She was going to walk in looking like a complete disaster.

As she headed out her door that morning, she stumbled on something sitting right at the foot of her doorstep on the welcome mat. Resting there, in a tiny little ceramic pot, stood a bonsai tree, trimmed and cared for perfectly. Her eyes scanned the area for who could have set it there, but met only empty space.

Hesitantly, she picked it up and brought it into her home. There was no note attached, nothing to signal who’d given it to her. Just a little tree that she would put on her window sill. It was strange, she had to admit that, to receive an anonymous gift at such an hour. She’d have to ask her friends about it later on to see if one of them had given it to her, for reasons she didn’t know.

But as the days went by, and those days turned into weeks, she continued to receive gifts every few days. More tiny trees in pots, sometimes flowers in little glass vases. None of them at first had anything attached until the most recent piece which when she picked it up to take into her home, a folded piece of paper sat beneath the vase. She made sure to pick it and put it in her apron to read on her break when she went to work. She didn’t have the time when she woke up only about 20 minutes before she was due at her job.

She was more than grateful for the little garden she was accumulating on her window sill, the beautiful flowers and trees somehow surviving despite her little knowledge of taking care of them. She stopped by a flower store in town to get some fertilizer just to keep them alive. It would be a shame if they died since someone was being so kind as to give them to her.

With her boring life, the flowers brought a smile to her face and a warmth in her heart that she hadn’t felt before. Regardless of who was leaving the items there, she felt like she was important to someone. Some person was taking time out of their day to show they cared about her.

Truthfully, she’d be lying if she said she hadn’t wished it was Yamato leaving her gifts. She’d been attracted to the man for quite some time, ever since they met really. He was just so strong and brave, and awkward in a cute kind of way. He was truly the only man of her affections, and she could only dream she was the object of his as well.

It was more than unlikely though. He was a strong ninja of the leaf. The chances of someone that amazing wanting to be with someone as simple as the town baker were lower than she wanted to admit. He most likely had his eyes set on some gorgeous kunoichi like Shizune or Kurenai. Someone he could relate to, really.

It was embarrassing to even admit she had a crush on him. It made her feel so tiny and weak, knowing that she wasn’t his ideal.

So she pushed that thought from her mind. Yamato would never be interested in her, and he most certainly not the one leaving her little notes and plants.

What she did know was that this person was a shinobi. Maybe not Yamato, but they were definitely a shinobi. She set up a trap, at least one she thought a normal person would fall for. Right before her door, she set up a tiny trip wire made of floss at the perfect level for someone to pull loose when they walked up to leave a gift on her welcome mat. Her room was at the very end of the hallway, so there was no way anyone else except her secret admirer was the one to set off the trap. Any normal person without the high perception of a shinobi would set off the trap and she would be able to narrow down the results to a civilian.

Only, the morning after she set up the trip wire, when she opened her door, there sat another bouquet of flowers, as well as an untripped strip of floss.

This person had to be a shinobi. She concluded. It was the only explanation in her mind, desperate to find out who the mystery person was all this time.

As she walked the streets that afternoon after the store had closed, her eyes honed in on Yamato, who stood next to a vegetable stand picking up some groceries. Immediately, she turned on her heel and cornered him between the squash and the sweet potatoes.

“Yamato, I need to talk to you. It’s urgent. Do you mind?” she practically demanded, and his eyes widened. He did not expect such an abrupt conversation between them. He shifted awkwardly to rest his grocery bag in the crook of his elbow and lean on his left side, arms crossed over his chest.

He knew what she wanted to talk about. It was about those gifts that he had been giving her. It was just a matter of whether she had figured out it was him or not, that was the question. He was kinda hoping she didn’t know yet. He was not ready to face what came after the reveal, rejection or otherwise. He really hadn’t thought it that far out yet. How could he. Just thinking up love notes and what plants to give her next was more than enough to worry about.

But damn, when he looked down at her, hair dusted with flour from a days work, a smudge of cake batter still on her forearm, apron a complete mess, he wanted to cave and tell her everything. She was just so beautiful, so clumsily perfect he couldn’t help but lose his train of thought. He swore he’d never seen a woman more perfect than her, not even Naruto’s sexy jutsu could come close to this girl.

He found his ears heating up and no doubt turning red at the thoughts running through his mind, and he was quick to smother them down. He was not irrationally emotional. Hell, he was ANBU, he should be able to control his emotions down to a tee.

“Yes, Y/N?”

“I have a secret admirer, and I know they are a shinobi.”

He felt himself growing nervous. How had she deduced that? “Ah, that’s definitely exciting for you. How do you know it’s a shinobi?”

“I know because I set up a tripwire last night and the person didn’t set it off, so I know they are coordinated enough to avoid it. This isn’t just some random village boy. This is someone skilled.”

“Y/N, he could have very well just avoided the trap with his natural gait, don’t you think?” he tried to reason with her, try to get her off his trail. Admittedly, he thought she was quite clever for setting up the trap. When he walked over it the night before, he swore it was just a spider web. He didn’t even consider the possibility of a trap in his way.

If only he could throw her off his scent. He needed more time. He couldn’t confess to her now. It was too abrupt, too sudden. He would probably die.

“No, I’m convinced it’s a shinobi.”

Shit. “Well, what are you going to do now?”

She thought for a short moment on what she was going to say, tapping her foot on the ground beside her. Her eyes widened and she smiled at the thought that ran through her mind. Of course, it was so obvious. “The gifts come sporadically, so I know that the shinobi can’t leave gifts when they are on missions. Next time there is a long break in gifts, I will just ask around to figure out who has been on a mission for a while. Bam, I’ve got my answer. It’s foolproof.”

She really had thought this through more than him. She was too good, and he felt himself panicking. He had a weeklong mission in 3 days, and if she asked anyone, they would tell her it was him. He felt moisture gather up at his brow, and he internally cursed his situation. He had to find some way out of this mess without her figuring out it was him.

“Yeah, that could definitely work. I hope it all works out for you, Y/N,” he lied through his teeth.

“I know. I’m just smart like that, aren’t I?”

“You sure are,” he muttered, but honestly, he just wanted to go off and find Kakashi. He needed to talk to him. His eyes slid away from Y/N and he sighed. “I’ve got to go, but I’ll see you around, yeah?”

“Yeah, of course. Don’t forget to stop by before your next mission to get some of our special food pills, okay? I just made a new batch and you can try them free of charge. Anything for a fella as handsome as yourself.” She laughed, shifting her weight to press a hand to her hip.

Jeez. There was no good reason for her looking so adorable. Calling him handsome as well? It was all too much for his heart to handle. Needless to say, he felt like he was going to explode if he didn’t walk away right then. With that, he simply nodded before patting her shoulder. “Like I said, gotta go.”

“Oh, okay. See you around.”

“See you.”

He walked away quickly, heading in the direction of Kakashi’s apartment, knowing he just had to do something about the mess he was currently in, and ways to avoid the inevitable. His heart was racing so fast he thought he might be having a heart attack. How could he be swayed so easily by a pretty face. He had no idea, but he really wanted it to stop. For the sake of his sanity, he needed to learn to be calm around her.

He would tell her soon, get all this off his chest and share his true feelings. He just needed a bit more time.

#yamato tenzo #yamato x reader #naruto x reader #naruto one shot #yamato one shot #naruto imagines #tenzo #naruto #naruto shippuden #sorry for getting this out so late i was so tired from my new accelerated geography class i almost died #but here we are #my sick ass will have the second one out probably tmr night maybe sunday morning #yamato imagine

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whatifxwereyou · 4 years ago

Text

The Oncoming Storm Part 26: Sick

Liu Kang x Reader and Kung Lao x Reader (gonna do both, two paths!)

You finally see where they sleep and get to take care of them a little bit. Finally. And Kung Lao is back! Yay!

A/N: I missed writing Kung Lao so much, I didn't realize how much until I was writing him again. He feeds into my sarcastic insides. My biggest suggestion for reading anything I write is to add sarcasm in your head. Lol. Hope you guys are doing well! I got home yesterday but had this chapter prepped and ready to go since I knew I'd be jetlagged today. Smooches.

Part 25 Part 27 Chapter Index

You rejoined Liu Kang who had very much still been watching you. He no longer made any attempt to hide it.

“Everything alright?” He looked weary. You couldn’t un-notice it.

“Yeah. Chen wanted to catch up, but I told her later.” Was it just you or had he gotten paler? You touched his forehead with the back of your hand, and he was radiating heat. But Liu Kang was always a little warmer than most. He pulled your hand away from his forehead and chuckled under his breath.

“I’m fine, Y/N.” He gave your hand a gentle squeeze before letting it go. “Careful down here, by the way. The monks can be a little…” He drifted off.

“Yeah, they’re huge drama queens and gossips. I know. You have no idea how much I know.”

“Yes.” He kept his eyes on the floor ahead of you, as if to purposely avoid eye contact with you. “They are all very nice, but they are also… as you put it… dramatic.”

“I can handle it. I think they’re kind of funny. Besides, I got used to being gossiped around as a kid.” You walked slowly with him through the halls, not exactly sure where you were headed, dragging your bag behind you. “How are you feeling?”

“What, are you worried about me?” He grinned mischievously.

“I am never going to live that down, am I?” You groaned.

“Nope. But it is very sweet that you do. I’m okay. I don’t feel like I have a fever. I’m sore and tired but it has been a wild few days, Y/N.”

“It has been.” You walked, somewhat aimlessly. “Are you going to rest?”

“Yes. Doctor’s orders.”

“How very well behaved of you.”

“My constitution is usually reliable when it comes to illness but if Kung Lao has that high a fever, then I should be careful. Usually, I’d ignore these orders for a little fever but I’m taking the effects of these artifacts very seriously. I know my limits. I don’t know theirs.”

“Is it okay if I make sure that you get back to your room to rest?”

“Oh?” He stopped walking and so you did the same. He stepped closer to you and stood over you and you straightened your posture in response. He tilted your chin up to him, pushing his boundaries with. He smirked which was the most beautiful expression you ever saw him make. “Worried?”

“Oh, god.” You made a sound of disgust. “Yes. Okay? I’m worried about you. Are you happy now?”

“Very.” Liu considered and then resumed his walk next to you. You joined him, relieved that you’d finally kept your composure in front of him. Liu Kang getting that closer to you? He knew what he was doing. You were beginning to think that they both knew exactly what they were doing and were in cahoots! They were cahooting! “I’m fine, Y/N, but yes you may accompany me.”

“I’m sorry for all of that, by the way.” You followed his lead down the hall and up a flight of stairs. “The worry thing, that is. I don’t mind that you worry about me. You were right. I got so far in my head that I was up my own ass.”

“It’s okay, Y/N. I know this has been difficult. I appreciate you taking the time to clarify things. I’m still going to tease you about it. I’m not sorry for that.” Liu led you through a door at the end of the hall. You stopped in the doorway to take in his space. His windows were covered with various draped cloths. There were scrolls hung on the walls, shelves of books, a desk, prayer beads, incense, and a prayer mat nearby. His bed was neatly made.

“It’s funny. This is exactly how I pictured your room.”

“Oh?” Liu turned to you in surprise. “You pictured it, did you?”

“I did. I pictured more books though.” You rolled your eyes at him as he teased you but couldn’t help but smile. You liked that he was teasing you a little bit. It was cute.

“I donate most of my books to the library when I’m done with them to share with everyone so that was not an incorrect assumption.” He sat on the edge of his bed and rested his elbows on his knees, hand over his left eye.

“Are you okay?” You risked being teased to worry about him again, crouching in front of him to catch his gaze.

“Headache.” He was looking gray.

“I’ll be right back.” You left his room, abandoning your little bag. You felt his eyes on you until they could no longer be. On each floor there were several rooms where waterflow had been setup in a rudimentary system that you were thankful for. You found the closest one to Liu’s room, filled a bowl with cold water, grabbed a clean cloth, and then returned to his room. You set the bowl on the little table next to his bed and then dipped the cloth in it. Then you wrung it out and gently dabbed at his forehead and held it next to his eye in hopes it would offer him some relief from the headache. He was watching you with deep admiration. It radiated from him. Sometimes Liu didn’t have to say what he was thinking because you could just tell.

“Thank you.”

“Just returning the favor.”

“You don’t owe me anything.”

“I know. I want to help you though.”

Liu laid back on his bed and you sat on the edge of it next to him and brushed his hair away from his face gently. You could see why he enjoyed doing that to you. “You can stay with me if you want.” You mentally revisited that morning almost immediately and decided you should clear your head instead.

“I’ll stay until I’m sure that you’re resting. If you want, I can read to you the way that you used to for me.”

“I’d like that.”

You stood and perused his books.

There were a handful set atop the bookshelf that were about Huangshan and then even more about ancient curses. You took the book about Huangshan and found where he’d marked in the middle of the book and sat next to him again. You rested the book in your lap, took the wet cloth, and rested it on his forehead, above his eye. His skin was hotter than usual. The fever had gotten worse even over the few minutes that it had taken you to get to his room.

Then you read to him, trying to be as clear and concise as he had been. It was soothing to watch him as he listened to you. He rested one hand on your lap and closed his eyes. Before you knew it, he had fallen asleep. You closed the book and marked your spot. Liu was pale and you took the cloth from his face. Hopefully, the fever didn’t last very long but it had also felt wonderful to take care of him. You knew you didn’t owe him anything, but it was nice to be able to return his kindness.

You sat with him for a few more moments then set the book on the nightstand, tucked him in, and left. Now you just had to find and check on Kung Lao. You dragged your bag behind you deciding you would blindly search the same floor. Besides, this would keep you busy and well, a 104 fever was nothing to laugh at.

You didn’t have to search for long. When you turned the corner, there was Kung Lao, walking right toward you.

“Hey you! You seen Liu?” Kung Lao was pale and had bags beneath his eyes. You could tell with one look at him that he was clammy. Even his usually rosy lips were ashen.

“Yes, but he’s asleep. Not feeling well.” You gestured behind you and then stepped closer and poked his chest. “You are as white as a sheet, Kung Lao.”

“I’m fine. Are you doing okay? I was worried after you left, and I came down with this annoying fever.”

“Unlike you, I am actually fine. Whatever this is? It hit you guys. I dodged it.”

“Because you’re already cursed, right? So, you’re used to feeling like garbage all the time?”

“Wow, that makes me feel great. Thanks, Lao. Shouldn’t you be in bed?”

“I need to talk to Liu first.”

“Well, Liu is sleeping. Talk to him tomorrow.”

“Fine,” he whined, pouting and batting his eyelashes. “But it’s important!”

“Is this something that I could help you with in his stead? I’m going to insist that you let him rest.”

“Well, I need to talk to Liu about something, but you can take my temperature so that I don’t have to go back to the stupid infirmary. Then you could lie to them and tell them I’m fine. Wait, scratch that, you’re a terrible liar. They’ll never believe you.”

“I don’t understand why you hate it there so much. They’re nice.” You placed the back of your hand to his forehead and pulled it back in alarm. “Yeah, wow, you are on fire. Please got to bed. I can’t force you, but I can annoy you until you do.”

“Dammit. Stupid bell,” he grumbled.

“Are you sure that you don’t want to go get some medicine to help with it or something?”

“No. I won’t. You took my temperature. That counts as checking in.” Kung Lao snapped and you cocked an eyebrow in surprise. “Fine. Okay. Yeah. You know what? Fine.” He sighed and pulled off his hat long enough just to push his sweaty hair back. “They’re very nice. You’re right. I know that but I don’t like being confined there or poked at or told what to do. And I don’t care for doctors in general.”

“Why? They’re just trying to help.”

He avoided your eyes and looked at his feet with a pout. “Bad memories.”

“Childhood trauma? Lao…”

“Memories of someone who had a rough time with doctors.”

“What? Me? I’m the cause of all this?”

“Of course, you. You used to come back from those stupid doctors crying or feeling worse off from a treatment for something that wasn’t treatable with medicine.” He looked very much like a defiant child in that moment.

“They were trying to help me, Kung Lao. They had never meant to hurt me.”

“Yeah, well I hated watching you suffer. So there.”

“Wow,” you laughed beneath your breath. Honestly, you were a little touched. You’d had no idea that the short time you’d spent together as kids had such a profound impact upon him. It had on you too, you supposed. No man had ever stood up to Kung Lao. At least not before Liu Kang. “It’s kind of sweet.”

“No, it’s very not sweet.”

“It’s a lot sweet, actually.”

“Please stop.”

“Come on, Kung Lao. You need rest.” You decided not to tease him in his moment of weakness. You would hold onto that information for later though. When he was feeling better, all bets were off. You grabbed his arm and began to guide him in the direction that he’d been coming from.

“Where are you taking me? To your room? To force me to rest?” He grinned.

“No, I’m expecting you to guide me back to your room so that I can force you to rest.”

“Oh, that is closer I guess.” He gestured behind him and turned you around and then stopped to sway and regain his balance. He really was sick. You needed to get him to bed. “This way. Though, I don’t need to go to bed. I’m fine.” Despite his objections he led you down the hallway and presumably toward his room.

“Says the man who almost fell over just turning around. Do you want to end up back in the infirmary?”

“No,” he snapped again.

“Then you need to rest, Lao.”

“Yes, mom.” He rolled his eyes but then turned a corner and led you into the room just on the other side of it. You were surprised when he opened the door. It was tidy. And organized. He had a collection of weapons on one wall, a prayer mat that looked like it had never been used, and a series of ropes tied from wall to wall on one side of the room that you guessed were for movement practice. His bed was unmade but everything else was put away.

“I did not expect this.”

“What?”

“I expected chaos.”

“I have been trained my whole life to be disciplined, Y/N. To have control and respect.”

“Not in my experience with you.”

He laughed and then held his sore side and coughed with a whine. You heaved a sigh and he slowly turned his gaze and whined. “Okay, so maybe I need rest.”

“Uh, yeah.” You nudged his shoulder carefully. “You went through so many doors the other day and now… this fever. Rest will help.”

“Fine.” He kicked off his shoes and then crawled into bed. It was clear to you that he was trying to save face by not whining or wincing as he laid back. It was cute. You tucked him in, and he shivered. You sat next to him. He admired you and then nodded toward his side.

“You still confused?”

You turned your gaze and stiffened up. “We don’t need to talk about that right now. You need rest.”

“That’s a big ol’ yes.”

You couldn’t help but smile.

“I’m cold. Thought maybe you could keep me warm.” He batted his eyelashes at you again. “Kiss me and make me feel better?” He couldn’t keep a straight face while he said it.

“I’m leaving now, Lao.” You stood and he reached for your hand to stop you. It was wrapped in gauze.

“Y/N?” His playful tone had faded.

“What?”

“Stay until I’m asleep? No funny business, I promise.”

How could you say no to that? You’d melted. “Yeah, I can do that.” You sat on the floor next to his bed, resting your back against it. You sat quietly and he tucked his arm back beneath the blankets.

“…did you kiss Liu again?”

“You’re making it really hard for me to stay, Lao.”

He laughed. “So defensive. Okay.” He tilted his head toward you so you turned and leaned with your arms resting against his mattress. He’d done the same for you on more than one occasion. Your grandma wouldn’t let him in on days where you’d been particularly ill or had a bad visit to the doctor. So, he had instead climbed in through your bedroom window and sat next to your bed, arms folded just like yours were now. He’d made you laugh. Stayed with you while you’d slept. You’d forgotten about those tender moments. In your grief, you had forgotten many things about him. “Thanks for not bailing on me when I’m frustrating.”

“You should be grateful.” You teased but in truth you had no real desire to leave until after you were certain he was resting. It didn’t take long. Only moments after he’d allowed his body to rest, he’d fallen asleep. He had needed it. You waited some time afterward to make certain he was really sleeping and not just faking it. He couldn’t be trusted.

He was sweet when he slept.

You had to make your choice. There was no more putting it off.

You’d mull over it the remainder of the day while they rested and then you would decide. You weren’t sure how you were going to make that decision or how you would tell them about it but you would figure it out. You weren’t scared of it anymore.

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misslilli · 4 years ago

Text

Felix Felicis

MSR. AU. PG-13. | tagging @today-in-fic | read on AO3

Chapter 27 - Embarrassments And Evil Plans

[ FM ]

It’s not like I planned it or anything, but on the same day next week, I find myself back outside, walking the streets of Plymouth. Last weekend, snow has finally fallen but it had melted right away, leaving an ugly brown slush in the streets and pools of water on the floors. Somehow, I end up in front of the only Starbucks in town, oh what a coincidence.

I enter the coffee shop a little too exuberant for the wet floor and my dress shoes, so before I can catch myself, I slip in the puddle and fall face first to the floor. It knocks the air right out of me, stupid snow!

“Well well… isn’t it a nice surprise to have a man fall at your feet, in a Starbucks of all places.” I recognize the teasing voice even without looking up, my face burning with embarrassment. When I do look up, I’m faced with a smirking Scully waiting in line for her weekly sugar fix.

“Are you okay?,” she asks between laughs after she helped me up.

“Aside from my wounded ego? Yeah, fine.” I grumble at her laughter, that’s not helping little lady.

“Sorry. Come on, I’ll buy you and your fractured ego some coffee.” We step up to the counter to the eagerly waiting barista.

“Black coffee for Bob.” she says. “Peppermint Mocha, sweet cream foam and an extra shot of espresso for Nancy.” I say.

She hands over her credit card and at the end of the counter, as we wait, she raises an eyebrow at me. “Nancy? Really? Next time, I’m choosing the undercover names!” ‘She said next time!’

“I’m curious about that sugar mixed with more sugar concoction of yours, can I get a sip?” She gives me a ‘Yeah right’ look.

“Nu-huh, you’ve proven youself to be a concoction-snob, you’re not getting a sip.”

“Ouch, there goes my recently mended fractured ego again!”

As if we’ve never been doing anything else, we walk out of Starbucks and turn to head towards the junction where we’ll have to part ways.

“You should really invest in some sensible winter boots, city boy! These are just a safety hazard!” I burn my tongue on my coffee with a hiss.

“That won’t go well with the GQ cover look I’m going for, to be honest.”

“Well, maybe you should consider modeling for Land’s End if you don’t want to kill yourself in the winter that’s about to come!”

When she almost slips herself in her high-heeled boots, I offer her my arm. “Maybe you should start by taking your own advice, being on the Vogue side of the shoe department yourself!”

“I need all the height I can get, otherwise I won’t be able to see across the Starbucks counter.” I chuckle, taking another sip, my tongue still burning.

“Sooo how has your week been so far?” She goes on to tell me stories about her kids at school and the girls, then I tell her about my new case, as much as I’m allowed to, anyway. I also tell her about how my mother, while very helpful, is slowly driving me up the wall.

Skirting the fine line between friends and flirting, we never actually talk about what we are to each other now. I’m just glad we’re on speaking terms again and enjoy her company. Also, I’d rather chew my own arm off before I put myself into the friend zone voluntarily. We don’t arrange to meet anywhere else, like on a date - that would be like pouring gasoline over the line and setting the damn thing on fire.

We part ways with a short hug and head off in different directions, the coffee and something else warming us up from the inside.

—————

[ Teena ]

Over the course of the past few weeks, I’ve seen quite an improvement happening with my son, he’s not obsessing over work anymore and he seems to be getting better. Why, I can’t say, maybe it’s therapy, maybe it’s me taking care of him, maybe it’s something entirely different, like what’s happening during his walks on Tuesdays he keeps insisting on.

Either way, I’m glad that he’s doing better, I hate seeing him hurting.

Felix and I are spending a lot of quality time together and I marvel at the amazing child he’s become, despite his history. His mother is a piece of work in itself, she’s late every single time she picks him up from school, and this week, of course she does it again.

The call from Principal Skinner comes on the landline and I happen to be the one who takes it, which is how I found out about this situation in the first place. Felix doesn’t like to talk about it and, knowing my opinion of his ex-wife, Fox avoids talking to me about her like the plague.

The weekend passes, we talk, we cook, we laugh, we reminisce about the old days and I can’t wait for Sunday evening, when Felix returns with his mother.

She sends him into the house without coming in, which is rude in its own way, so I leave the two boys to themselves and step out of the house. “Diana, a word please.”

She’s surprised to see me there and I wonder if she talks to her son at all during those weekends because if she did, I’m sure he’d mention that I’m staying at their house for a while.

“I heard that you were late for pick-up again this Friday.” The defiant look she gives me is not new, I’ve seen it a thousand times when I tell her how I feel about her parenting abilities. She doesn’t think I have a say in the matter, but I’ve raised two children and I’m fiercely protective of them as well as my grandson.

“And…?,” she has the audacity to ask.

“It’s disrespectful to your child and his needs that you don’t seem to care enough to be on time. We’d appreciate it if you made an effort to be on time from now on. Goodnight.” Not waiting for a reply, I close the door in her face. I’ve said all I had to say.

—————

[ Felix ]

“… and a partrige in a pear treeee.” We finish singing all thousand verses of The 12 days of Christmas just before the bell rings for recess, proud that we mostly got it right. It’s really hard!

Sitting in my designated spot on the teacher’s bench, I take my chance of talking to Miss Anderson alone while Miss Scully is settling yet another fight between her kids on the playground.

“Hey Miss Anderson, can I ask you a favor?”

“Sure Felix, what’s up?”

“It’s about the trip to the Chocolate Factory on the last Thursday before Christmas. My dad’s coming on it too to chaperone and I was wondering if you could maybe put him with another group? I know it’s not very nice but I don’t want him to ruin my good reputation. He’s such a dork!” The last part I stage-whisper, to the laugh of Mrs. Anderson.

“It’s not very nice, no, but I get it, it’s no fun if your parents come on school trips. I’ll see what I can do, alright?”

An idea has formed in my head since the day dad told me he’d be coming on the school trip, an evil genius idea. I hope Miss Anderson will go along with it.

Feigning nonchalance, I swing my legs, pretending that this idea just popped into my head right now. This is the most important part in my evil plan so I need to get it right.

“Soooo… maybe we could put him with the fourth grade kids? They’re randy and loud and they fight so much, I think they need someone like dad to keep them in line!” That’ll teach him not to come on school trips anymore, hee hee.

Why Miss Anderson looks at me with surprise, I have no idea, but she agrees. Yes! My evil plan has been set in motion.

#moving past the angsty sh*t yay #on to happier times #I'm having so much fun with this!#xf #the x files #xf fanfic #msr #felix felicis

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thepriceofbeingaroseisloneliness · 5 years ago

Text

KAORU PERSONAL INTERVIEW SPECIAL HEADBANG VOL.27 TRANSLATION 2/2

The ideal figure that the guitarist who leads the band as a leader got while struggling, and the reason for his unstoppable pursuit. “Without ‘BLUE BLOOD’ I wouldn’t really be who I am now” “After all, I’ve always liked dark and hopeless stuff, that kind of things” “I’m the type of person who wants to be affected by cd jackets and lyrics” "Sometimes I can do it. A song with a very pop and bright atmosphere"

Notes before reading: This is the second part of the personal interview of Kaoru from the magazine Headbang Vol.27 released on 18th August 2020. The interview is 11 pages long and this part covers the last 5 pages. As Toshiya and Die’s interviews, 2nd part is focused on his roots as a guitarist.

You can get the magazine at Amazon Japan or CDJapan. Read Toshiya’s interview here Read Die’s interview here

Feel free to correct me if you spot any mistake or any confusing. Links or credits to this post when the content is reposted or captured in other SNS is appreciated :) ----- Text by: Yohsuke Hayakawa (First part here) “Without “BLUE BLOOD” I wouldn’t really be who I am now” -Then, the topic of the talk changes from here. I would like to ask you about the story behind the 20 albums that you selected regardless of era or reasons but, you chose 10 albums from Japan and 10 foreign albums.

K: Is that true? (laughs). It's a coincidence, but it was very difficult to narrow down when it came to choose again. So, I chose mainly the ones I listened to a lot before I started the band and when I started doing it. They are just albums that influenced me. -I have the impression that Japanese music was a kids who read WeROCK’s thing. K: Hahaha. Yes (laughs). -First of all…. COLOR's mini album "FOOLS! GET LUCKY !!" (1989) is also included. I have to ask about why you picked this one. K: Well, I really love it (laughs). Even though it was "X in the east, COLOR in the west"*, I was really into it, so I went to see their live performance. I like their punkish songs and they have many fast songs. At that time, if a song wasn’t fast, it was a “no” for me. I also liked ROSE ROSE. *(This makes reference to X Japan being from the Kanto region (East) and COLOR being from Kansai (West) as both band emerged around the same time.) -Then D'ERLANGER. DIR EN GREY participated in D'ERLANGER's tribute (announced in 2017 ‘D'ERLANGER TRIBUTE ALBUM ~ Stairway to Heaven~ "). Was the album "LA VIE EN ROSE" (1989) a shock for you?

K: That’s right, “LA VIE EN ROSE” too but also CIPHER (G) himself. Well, I think it was at ”BURNN! JAPAN”, CIPHER appeared in a solo photo on one page in colour.

-Oh, it’s a shot in which you can see him standing with a flashy Les Paul guitar. It was before kyo (D’ERLANGER vocalist) became a member. K: That’s right. I though “What on earth is this person?” After that, they were releasing a CD ("LA VIE EN ROSE") , so I made a I made a reservation right away.

-Also, a band you can't miss from those times is DEAD END. It never gets old because it’s respected across generations. K: I chose "Shambara" (1988), well, it's a masterpiece. Just listening to the opening song "EMBRYO BURNING" made me sick. When I first started listening to metal music, I was a bit reluctant but with DEAD END, the melody that MORRIE sung got me very quickly, I got into them without any resistance. I didn’t have the impression that DEAD END was so-called “metal”. Since I started playing in bands, I was overwhelmed by the seriousness of YOU’s guitar technique. - Next is ZI: KILL is "ROCKET" (1993). Initially, the dark positive punk style was strong but with that last album, their musicality expanded dramatically and there are even piano jazz songs. K: It’s an album that feels like something has been reached. I got into ZI:KILL since the early albums and after making their major debut, I got the impression that their albums got milder. However, when I listened to "ROCKET", it seemed like an insanely cool album. I still listen to it. -Including a horn in their arrangements was ground-breaking. K: Yes, at first I hated it! But somehow, I didn’t care about it at all. Still, TUSK (Vo) lyrics and the songs were addictive. It made a deep impression on me, that’s why I read ZI:KILL lyrics carefully as well.

-Do you care about the lyrics when it comes to Japanese artists? K: I check the booklets properly. After all, the lyrics reach my ears at the point in which the words make you feel something.

- And, needless to say, you also chose X's "BLUE BLOOD" (1989). At the Vol. 20 of this magazine, you chose it as a “metal album that changed your life”. So, as expected, if you choose an album from X japan, would be this one? K: Without this album, I wouldn't really be who I am now.

-You were influenced by everything, both the music and the guitar play….is that so? K: The guitar too, right? Well, it’s not at that level anymore.

-Ah, that’s not the level (laughs) K: I was just listening to it earnestly and thinking “amazing!”, it just something that I like, there is no particular reason (laughs).

“Western music (I listened to) was also greatly influenced by HIDE. That’s why everything it’s related to HIDE (laughs)”

- On the other hand, Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi and Cocco are also included. K: I've always liked Nagabuchi. Like "Tonbo" (1988), there was a tv drama about that. *(”Tonbo” (Dragonfly) was also a tv drama in which Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi played a member of a yakuza gang who is trapped in a violent existence.)

- Oh, after that was "Shabontama" (1991). K: I also like the movie "Orgel" (1989), I was really into Nagabuchi at that time. The "Showa" (1989) album I chose this time is the album that got me hooked. The masterpiece "Gekiai" which is my favourite song was recorded around that time.

-You liked Nagabuchi’s drama series. K: Yes, they are rather dark series. I don’t know much about the brighter/cheerful ones.

-The ones like "Family Game" (1983)? K: That's right. Those are not the ones that I prefer. After all, I’ve always liked dark and hopeless stuff, that kind of things. -(Laughs) However, the radical portrayal of Nagabuchi’s drama shocked your heart as a young boy. Probably such a drama couldn’t be made in this era. K: Yes, you can’t. There isn’t even a rebroadcast of these ones.

-Certainly. Also, I remember that Cocco was around in the scene at the same time than HIDE (g). K: Yes. When I listened to her album, it didn’t feel like I was listening to a Japanese cd. I felt like it was a western heavy band, so I got into it with that kind of image.

-I feel that foreign music, the alternative vibe is overall stronger, but do you like that? K: After all, HIDE’s influence in foreign music (I listened to) is huge. At that time, I was buying various magazines and looking for some more, I checked the names that appeared in HIDE’s articles and I’ve been listening to the ones I liked all the time.

- I have the impression that HIDE had a great influence on you listening to bands like Jane's Addiction at that time. What about Vanessa Paradis and Japan ( English new wave band)? K: That was also due to the influence of HIDE. That’s why almost everything is related to HIDE (laughs). Also, this album of hers (released in 1992, “Vanessa Paradis”) was produced by Lenny Kravitz, who liked to go to her lives. She's still good, but I especially like her early days, I'm attracted to that voice.

“I’m the type of person who wants to be affected by cd jackets and lyrics”

- So that's it. The only work related to HIDE that you chose was with X Japan but, what about his solo works? K: Well, of course I like his solo, but in my case, I like HIDE in X Japan the most.

-Other than that, I can tell that you like strong sounds, heavy riffs and industrial. K: That’s right. As I was always seeking fierce things, I came to like strong riffs such as Pantera and Ministry.

-What about the so-called European German metal? K: Especially at that time, it wasn’t my cup of tea (laughs) - Then, some of the foreign music you chose…. "Psalm 69: The Way To Succeed And The Way To Suck Eggs" (1992) by Ministry. This album was already mentioned in this magazine before as an important metal album for you. K: At that time, there was a foreign-related CD shop called WAVE at Umeda Loft in Osaka. I think that I found it there and listened to it. I was like “what the hell?”, so I bought it right away. I listened to it at home again. That night I went to a acquaintance’s house and I said “Listen to this!”, and I forced him to listen (laughs). -I can tell your excitement (laughs) K: Then I listened to all the other albums. Above all, I like this one the most. -And you also mentioned Nine Inch Nails. K: The first thing I heard from them was a single or something. At that time, I thought, "Wow, that's amazing," but when I listened to the songs on that album, I felt like I was listening to something I had never heard before. It's dark, but it sounds very aggressive. But it’s not like european music dark feeling.At that time, I wasn't sure if they were a band or not (laughs). -You wondered if it was a one-person band. K: That’s right. I was like “Is the same person doing everything?”, “Is he playing drums too?”. Everything was a mystery. Information was not available as soon as it does now, so I was wondering “Who is this person?”. I also wondered if the cd jacket had something to grasp, like it was a cd jacket that I didn’t really understand. Like the logo. It was all mysterious and addictive. I myself am the type who wants to be influenced/affected by cd jackets and lyrics, so I look at every corner. Everything up to the back of the wrapping. Then, when I looked at the back, I thought, "Isn't there anything attached?" (Laughs). -(Laughs)There are many things that are totally attractive, including elaborate art books. K: Yes. Especially for Nine Inch Nails, I went looking for some place that sell T-shirts of them. "Sometimes I can do it. A song with a very pop and bright atmosphere" -Among these works, isn't there any in particular that has an easy-to-understand influence on the songs that you make with DIR EN GREY? K: Well, I don't know that . - Some of the works you chose this time have a strong melody…. For example, on a 2017 tour focused in “MACABRE" (2000), you played “Taijou no ao” for the first time in a while. I mentioned in this magazine before that "If you change the arrangement of a song to your current style, you can still play it ", but is there a desire to make a song with that kind of melody now? K: I don’t have a particular desire to do it. I think that it feels like something from that time, it’s an image that doesn’t make me feel excited now. -By the way, do you usually listen to music with melodies like that? K: I do, I do. Rather, I’ve been listening to pop music all the time lately. I am not listening noisy bands at all. -Noisy ones (laughs). K: Hahaha. -However, it's a little hard to think that you are going to make songs like that. K: Yeah, it doesn't happen very often sometimes, but there are times when I can do it. A song with a very pop and bright atmosphere. So, when I tried to start to work on songs, one turns out like “this is what I have done”. But maybe then I think that it’s a little different from what I do with DIR EN GREY, so I have to mess with it, fix it or just store it. - Eh! Do you make that kind of songs? I would like to hear a song like that from you now. That’s why the melody of “Taijou no Ao” that I mentioned as an example is not only pop but also suffocating. Faintly scented lyrics. I wonder if that it’s your true self. K: That's right.The first thing that influenced me was the New Wave*. Pet Shop Boys and so, I liked that kinds of thing. That’s why there is a bit of that “kind of atmosphere” sometimes. It's not just pop. *(New wave is a broad music genre that encompasses numerous pop-oriented styles from the late 1970s and the 1980s) -There is also a sorrowful side. K: So, if I had to pick one, Europe is better in that than America. Well, when it comes to the songs I make, I’d like to make them more interesting, but I don’t feel like doing something that is off the point/wrong. -I have to ask you about the melody part now. K: If you have any concerns, I will answer them… - What if there is something clear for you like, “this song has this kind of image”? K: After that, Kyo has several ways to sing so I will combine them in my own way and propose new melodies. Like “I think in this way would be cool”. -Oh, that’s how you do it. In any case, now I'm looking forward to the day when I can listen to a new song again. Will the album be completed in 2021? K: That's right. -By the way, Kaoru-san's hard disk has already material for the new album…. K: Well, there's something for the album……there is, but it’s still not the whole thing at all (laughs).

#dir en grey #kaoru #translation #Headbang Vol 27 #interview

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scuttling · 4 years ago

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Bully

Fandom: Criminal Minds Pairing: Aaron Hotchner/Latina OFC Sophie Cortes Word Count: 2,249 Tags: SFW, Pre-relationship, Supportive Aaron Summary: A case in Chicago means the team is introduced to someone from Sophie's past. Collection: Sophie Cortes timeline, 0-6 Months at the BAU (See Masterlist for reading order) Link to AO3 or read below! “Alright, we’ve got a case in Chicago,” JJ says as they gather in the briefing room on a Wednesday morning. “The detective there is… how do I put this? He’s a real asshole, but they need our help, so just prepare yourselves for one of those.” She passes out the case file, and Cortes tenses beside Hotch, a shift in demeanor he can almost feel, though they are sitting a foot apart.

“Please tell me, just to ease my mind, JJ—it’s not the 54th precinct, right?” She looks up with a grimace, and JJ nods.

“Sounds like you know the guy. Detective Jeffrey?”

“Fuck. Yes, I know him.” She puts an elbow on the table, leans her forehead into her hand, sighs. “He’s like the anti-Hotch: cruel, impulsive, hotheaded, blames his failures on his coworkers. This guy is going to give us grief the whole way, especially if I’m there.”

“Is there a reason for him to be aggressive toward you? Did you pass him up for promotions, accolades?” he asks, and she looks up at him, frowns.

“He’s a misogynist, and a racist, for starters. Wanted a spot on the tactical response team and didn’t get it because he can’t take orders, which had nothing to do with me, but you know how narcissists project.”

“Nothing is actually ever their fault,” Reid says, filling in the blanks.

“Exactly. I was the most convenient target for his anger. So, of course I want to do my part, I’m just letting you know there’s a lot of hostility there so you aren’t blindsided.” The team seems collectively a little more tense—no one messes with one of their own—and Hotch nods thoughtfully.

“You’re with me while we’re there, then. If he wants to give you a hard time, we won’t make it easy.”

“Okay. Thanks.” She exhales, turns back to the case file, and JJ continues with the briefing.

He takes her aside once they’re on the jet.

“Can we talk for a moment?” he asks, standing by the open seat next to hers, and she gestures to it.

“Sure. Is it about what I said earlier, about Jeffrey?”

“Yes and no. I trust your judgement; if this guy is going to be a pain in our ass, I want to have a game plan going in so things move as smoothly as possible.” She closes the folder in her lap, nods, gives him her full attention. “First and foremost, you can not let him get to you.” She leans back against the window, sighs.

“I know. It’s just hard, like going back to high school and facing your old bully.”

“I get it. From what you’ve told me, this guy is going to have all of us on edge, but you know the precinct, the area, some of the officers; the team is going to look to you a lot while we’re here. You need to be firm, authoritative, but not antagonistic. Most importantly, you need to be confident. Don’t second guess yourself because of this jerk we’re dealing with.”

“I know that giving in and getting mad is what he wants, so I’m going to try my damndest not to give it to him.” She laughs a little, like it’s easier said than done, and he maintains eye contact, wills her to see how much he really does trust her with this. “I really appreciate this, Hotch.”

“It’s what I’m here for.”

“I know. But you show your faith when it really matters, and not everyone in your position does that. You should know how much it means to us.” Her words warm his heart, and not just because it’s her who’s saying them. He knows he comes off like a drill sergeant sometimes, but it’s all for good reason. He just wants to take care of his team, keep them safe.

“Thank you. The job is tough; I try to support you guys anyway I can.”

“It shows. Thanks for having my back,” she says softly, tilting her head, and then she sighs and smiles, sits up in her seat. He’s known her long enough to be able to tell when things are getting a little too heavy for her, knows she’s looking for lightness, now. “If we have time for drinks after this case, we have to go to Tito’s, just putting it out there.” Morgan hears her, leans over from his seat across the aisle.

“Tito’s! I haven’t been there in years.”

“Neither have I. They have the best portobello tacos in Chicago. Drowning in chimichurri,” she says to Hotch, and he smiles a little at her excitement. “Give me a Corona and lime and a plate of tacos and I’ll forget all about Douglas fucking Jeffrey.”

“We’ll see what we can do,” he says, and he spends the rest of the trip sitting between the two of them as they reminisce about their favorite things about Chicago.

He actually really enjoys it.

When they arrive at the precinct, she is decidedly less jovial, and Hotch immediately understands why, when he introduces himself to Detective Jeffrey.

“Cortes, good to see you again,” he greets, while his expression tells a different story entirely. “Are you his... assistant?” He pretends to be confused, and JJ bristles beside them at the implication, but Sophie remains impassive, doesn’t even look tense. It’s possible his pep talk had more impact than he thought.

“She is no one’s assistant, she’s a supervisory special agent with the FBI just like me, and she will be taking point on this case. I expect you to defer to her expertise,” Hotch informs him with no room for misunderstanding in his tone. Again, if she’s surprised, she doesn’t show it, just continues reading over the case file provided.

“No offense, but this is a serial killer we’re talking about. It’s worlds away from chatting up a meth addict CI in a McDonald's parking lot.” She does close the file at that, and it appears to him that she can handle personal insults just fine, but that jabs at her work are where she gets defensive.

“You wouldn’t have closed half of your cases if it weren’t for my CIs, and you know it. But I’m not in Intelligence anymore, I’m a profiler, and I’m good at what I do.” She crosses her arms, exhales, and turns away from him, a clear dismissal. “Hotch, Prentiss, and I will go to the crime scene. Reid and Gideon will meet with the second victim’s wife, Morgan and JJ will work victimology, and we’ll reconvene here.”

“You got it, boss,” Morgan says, taking a seat, and in times like these he is really proud of his team. He knows as well as Sophie what it means to show Jeffrey that an alpha male like Morgan will take her orders, and Morgan took them and ran. He hides a smile.

They are unfortunately stuck with the detective when they are rerouted to a new crime scene as another body is found, but Hotch isn't worried. It will be a great place for her to show him what she can do.

“What do we know about the victim so far?” Sophie asks Jeffrey, her posture open.

“Sheila Lapinski, 27, hooker.” Prentiss rolls her eyes behind his back. “No one has reported her missing, no next of kin anywhere we can find. Coroner puts her time of death between 3 and 5 AM.”

“Does she have a record?”

“Osele’s pulling it now,” he says with a sigh, and she stops scanning the scene, looks to him with a cocked brow.

“Then how do you know she’s a prostitute?” He chuckles, puts out his hands like the answer is obvious.

“You know where we are. They’re like fleas around here, infesting, multiplying.” Cortes crouches down and lifts the sheet covering the victim, who is wearing a cardigan, pencil skirt, and flat shoes.

“She dressed like a prostitute to either of you?” she asks, looking up at Hotch and Prentiss, and he shakes his head, though he’s not sure why he’s surprised; the detective may actually be worse than she described him. Prentiss bends down, looks like she’s trying not to smile.

“No. She looks more like a school teacher, actually.”

“I’m telling you, they call this—pardon my French—” Sophie stands, crossing her arms, and cuts Jeffrey off.

“Pussy Alley. I know what guys like you call it. But you have no evidence this woman is a sex worker, and if she’s not, it’s extremely important that we find out how and why she was dumped here.” An older, bearded detective walks up to them, notebook open, and he smiles at her.

“Hey, Cortes. Nice to see you again, though not under the circumstances.”

“You too, Osele; these are Agents Hotchner and Prentiss. I worked with Osele in Intelligence way back when.” They all shake hands, and she nods to his notebook. “You have her record?"

“Yep, she’s squeaky clean. Not so much as a parking ticket.” Sophie shares a look with the both of them, and Jeffrey splutters.

“That’s—that’s not possible.”

“I think you’ll find that plenty is possible when you open your eyes, Detective,” Hotch can’t resist replying. Cortes crouches down again.

“There are no signs of a struggle. The bottoms of her shoes aren’t worn. Her clothes are clean, not cheap; hair done recently, not cheap.” Jeffrey puts his hands on his hips, all but rolls his eyes.

“Ah, there’s some hard hitting detective work.”

“You’re not even attempting to prove your theory that she’s a prostitute, so we’re disproving it for you,” Prentiss explains, pulling out her phone. “Easily. Garcia,” she begins, and she steps away from them to talk to the tech.

“What else do you see?” Hotch asks softly, meeting her on her level. “Anything that indicates occupation?” Her eyes are focused as she scans the victim, lifts her hand to examine her nails, her lip to examine her teeth.

“She has ink smudges on her hands, so she could be a teacher, but she could also be a receptionist, writer, accountant, secretary, bank teller… any type of administrative professional. She’s got a fresh manicure, teeth are in good health, so I’d bet she’s got insurance or has had it recently. No wedding ring, she’s too old to be on her parents’, so all signs point to a steady job.”

“Okay, there is no god damn way you can tell if she’s got health insurance just by looking at her.” She stands, and Hotch follows, covering the body with the sheet.

“No, you’re right, I can’t. It’s an educated guess based on analysis and not snap judgement. Do you have any insight into this case, aside from the fact that you think she’s a sex worker because of where she was found?”

“There’s not much to go on. Sometimes these cases go unsolved.” It’s then that Prentiss returns to them, and this time she is smiling.

“I had Garcia run our victim’s info, and it doesn’t look like she’s currently employed—no recent bank deposits, appears to be living off of her savings.”

“So not a teacher after all,” Jeffrey states, looking smug, and Hotch waits patiently, because he knows there’s more.

“Not right now, but she just moved to the area from a suburb called Evanston, and she was a third grade teacher there for two years. Private school, really nice place. Great insurance.” Sophie looks at her like something she said clicked, and she pulls out her phone.

“The ink on the heel of her hand could be from a newspaper; maybe she’s job hunting.”

“Wasn’t our first guy unemployed?” Prentiss recalls. “We should have Gideon and Reid ask his wife if he’s been job hunting. Could be a connection.”

“I’ll call Reid.” The fact that the victims were job hunting is what breaks the case. They work late into the evening, but they’re actually able to find the unsub—a man posing as a prospective employer only to people who are new to the area—relatively quickly once they put it all together.

The officers who remember Sophie from her time in Chicago are all clearly impressed with her and the team, and it makes him very, very proud.

Jeffrey clearly hates how quickly they solved the case, and he enjoys that, too.

That night, they do make it to Tito’s for drinks and Mexican food, and the team goes around the table and talks about their ‘Jeffreys’ in honor of Sophie showing up hers.

Morgan buys them all a round of Coronas in her honor as well, and later, Sophie offers to buy another; Hotch heads up the bar to help her carry.

“Since we’re here another night, is there anyone you’re going to try to see? Catch up with?” he asks while they wait for a few of the drinks. She smiles softly, tucks a hand under her chin thoughtfully.

“No, there’s nothing for me here anymore. Coming back, facing Jeffrey, was my last battle to fight, and you made that possible, so thank you.”

“It was my pleasure to see him knocked down a peg… and to watch you shine.” She reaches out, covers his hand with her own, which he did not expect, and nods back to the table with the rest of their coworkers, their friends.

“Come on. We’re going to have to rein them in soon. I could use a little back up.”

“Any time."

#aaron hotchner/original female character #aaron hotchner fanfic #aaron hotchner #criminal minds fanfic #criminal minds #latina original female character

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bbhyeoliskooks · 4 years ago

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Hi, could you make a scenario when one day txt wake up with cat/dog ears and tails on them? I was thinking of this bc I saw how taejun are called 냥냥즈 (kittenz XD) and the rest are 댕댕즈 (puppiez XD). Thank you so much and also, I love your carrd XD

﹡⊹﹡ 𝟐𝟒 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬, 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐈 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐏𝐞𝐭? ﹡⊹﹡

Cat boys and dog boys were certainly the end of you...

﹤⳾⳾⳾ U・ﻌ・U ..﹡⊹﹡.. ໒・ﻌ・७ ⳾⳾⳾﹥

Genre: 9 3/4 cups of fluff !!

Warnings: Unedited~~

Song: Cat and Dog

(Omg, I'm so sorry that this took so long! As you can expect, this girl who wrote it had a project right here and needed to do it before the due date since she procrastinated??? Yes that, but i'm so sorry that it’s a bit short too :cc However, I hope you enjoy! I wrote this in an hour, so I hope it’s good enough !)

﹤⳾⳾⳾ /ᐠܻܻ ့⑅ܻᐟ\ ..﹡⊹﹡..（๑´ﻌ｀๑）⳾⳾⳾﹥

"Y/N, Y/N! Wake up, please wake up!"

At eight am in the morning, the side of your cheek was being tickled with something soft...? Something... something... wait, is that supposed to be fur? Yeonjun's velvety voice echoed through the room worriedly as if there was an important event you were missing, and you could say you were tempted to open your eyes until you remembered one, particular thing.

Groaning quietly, you turned to the side while shaking your head in annoyance. If this was another one of his pranks, you swore you were going to punch him in the gut for disrupting your beauty sleep. You shouldn't expect so much from him when you knew he should've been sleeping during this time anyway. Normally you'd gone up to help him, but after everything that happened this week it was safe to say you wanted nothing to do with him- yet. This was one of the only days you could catch up on sleep after stressing about the things you had to do, and you weren't going to lose it to some tiny prank he'll laugh about all day.

For a few moments, you thought he was finally going to leave you alone, the silence being refreshing for you to fall back into the soft arms of comfortable sleep. Well, that was until the boy screamed into your hear again.

"Y/NNN," he whined, tugging your blanket enough to make it scramble off the bed, landing on the floor with a quiet yet noticeable, ploof.

Okay, this was enough.

Throwing the pillow you were holding so dearly in your arm with a harsh grimace quickly permeating throughout your face, you were going to slap him away when you noticed that in your blurry vision... there were grey, furry cat ears on Yeonjun?

It wasn't your usual cat ears on the headband that kids bought whenever they wanted to pretend to be a feline, but those grey cat ears were seemingly attached to his head, almost as if it was sewn into the crown of his head. Stunned, you gasped at the sight, your right hand flying up to cover your dropped mouth.

His eyes were blown wide in pure innocence too, causing you to subconsciously gush at the sight. They both watched your movements intently, sparkling with what you could see mischievousness as well. From before, you knew that they were like this but... they weren't as gigantic and cute from before?!

You weren't able to stop yourself now, rubbing on his ears as he sighed in euphoria. As you expected, the ears were soft and you petted them all the more, feeling satisfied when you felt him seemingly purr due to what you assumed, your touch. He melted into your embrace, nuzzling his cheek against your neck while you giggled with delight.

"Yeonjun, what did you do? Question is, how did you do this all without me knowing?" It was at the very least to say that Yeonjun was simply adorable as his fur tickled the top of your chin, choosing to snuggle up against your chest in blissfulness.

From the corner of your eye, you could see his grey tail lazily spin around in circles while you ran your fingers through his freshly dyed, hair. You weren't sure how he became like this, but you had to admit that you weren't complaining! It was a secret to everyone that you adored cat boys and now that Yeonjun was like this, you could feel your heart swell with joy.

"I didn't do anything," he murmured, closing his eyes when you scratched the back of his ears, "I just woke up like this, next to you." A content smile spread throughout his face and you could feel your own human ears burn from how nonchalant he was about that last sentence. You couldn't recall how you didn't feel him squeeze up next to you last night while you slept soundly, but obviously there were no complaints either.

"Hey, it's alright! We'll figure this out later when all the other boys wake up. Maybe at least one of them would know these things?"

Speaking of the devil, you heard the door slam open with two of the boys running around in circles just to see you. They ceased their steps at the doorway, paralyzed when they both saw Yeonjun in your arms, stopping as if they walked into something they shouldn't have.

The amount of gasps you elicited once you saw them, gently pushing Yeonjun away from you, your steps carrying you towards Beomgyu whose sighed mixed with a low groan. His ears were ones of a golden puppy dog, twitching when you neared closer, pressing up a hand against the top of his head. Oh my goodness, talk about cuteness 1000%?!

Taehyun, on the other hand, was adorned with brown cat ears, revolving around in circles when you stared at him with wide, surprised eyes. He didn't allow you to touch his ears until you shot him a grin- a sign you weren't going to do anything bad to him. Eventually he softened up, turning his head to the side so that you wouldn't see his cherry cheeks while you petted him.

Yeonjun then stomped to the three of you, clinging onto your back with possessiveness. There wasn't anything much that happened other than him waking up with cat ears and a tail to along with that as well, but when you easily got up just to wonder thoughtlessly about their condition, he felt himself burning up from the inside with jealousy. Maybe it was his instincts that came along- like he noticed the first time you petted Beomgyu- but there was no denying he was turning green.

You laughed at the predicament, shaking your head without a care in the world. What really happened last night that you didn't know of? They couldn't have been that bored that they figured out how to appear as hybrids when they woke up.

"You guys... don't tell me that the rest of you are like this too? Because Yeonjun woke up with cat ears, although it can't get that much worse..."

You spoke too soon.

Another pair of puppy dog ears bust through the doorway, budging between the clingy bodies of Taehyun and Beomgyu while panting loudly. Your face turned white at the sight, all the warmness in your forehead disappearing without a trace. Why were you shocked at this point? If the three of them woke up with new body parts, then there would be no surprise if the rest of them did as well.

Your smile could only grow even wider, taking in the endearing pile of boys who zoomed close enough to feel their breath against your nose. Both Kai and Soobin were both playful puppies along with Beomgyu too?! Yes, and with the ears and tails too that stirred in several shapes! You held back a high-pitched scream that could possibly damage their sensitive drums.

“Soobin...? Kai...? The same thing happened with you too?”

They just had to be the cutest babies you’d ever seen before, despite them fiddling with their fingers in a nervous fit in fear that you weren’t going to like it.

“No, no, no! I’m the one who should protect Y/N since I was the first one she saw,” Yeonjun whined, pulling you against his chest. You fell against his warm embrace, feeling the corners of your lips turn into a tiny grin that clearly didn’t go unnoticed by the others.

“Yeonjun, that’s not fair! You didn’t even let us get a chance with her yet!” Soobin pulled you away from Yeonjun and you giggled at the two of them fighting as Taehyun spoke up again.”

“Um first of all, we shouldn’t expect a lot from her? She wouldn’t want to be near any of your musty as-”

“Shut up Taehyun!” They all yelled, and you groaned at how complicated the problem became now.

You ran your hands over your face, the fatigue in your body definitely catching up after staying up to turn in an important document. All of this yelling back and forth about who was going to spend time with you got to your tiredness, and you made a suggestion of which you hoped with all your heart that they would accept.

“Guys, I know I’m the only one who needs sleep here after staying up into the wee hours of the night, but can we please figure this out when I’m more awake? I need to get some sleep for the time being so that I can understand these things.”

You weren’t surprised when they all cuddled up against you while you tried to doze off for the nth time.

﹤⳾⳾⳾ U・ﻌ・U ..﹡⊹﹡.. ໒・ﻌ・७ ⳾⳾⳾﹥

“Oh my gosh! They’re adorable, aren’t they?!”

“Who could’ve believed this would happen?

“Awwe, Y/N with fluffy ears? This must be a disease!”

“Beomgyu, hurry up and take some pictures!”

Kai’s voice was the last thing you heard in your sleep then you stirred, taking a look at all the boys who crowded around you.

What was happening now? It must’ve been two hours since you dozed off, your eyes landing on the clock that read 10:47am. Tiredly, you stretched and the whispers of the boys grew louder with every second that passed. Your arms made contact with something soft and you assumed that was one of the boys ears until you felt something so foreign twitch on the top of your head. It was almost like... almost like- wait a minute!

Now the same exact thing was happening to you.

---

Posted: 2/27/21- 5:00pm

Tags:

#*｡『 keah’s requests !』｡*

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daymansbingerecapsandrankings · 4 years ago

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(Originally written on October 8, 2020)

🎵Bang, Bang Bangedy Bang

I said a Bang Bang Bangedy Bang🎵

My How I Met Your Mother Thoughts

I just spent the last nine seasons in New York with the gang that spends all their time in MacLaren’s Pub. SELF FIVE! I have to say, this binge of How I Met Your Mother brought me so much happiness. I started watching this show for the first time back in high school, and I ended up watching the last six seasons as they aired. I remember loving this group of characters, and now I am reminded why. There’s so much chemistry between the five, and it makes for one of my favorite Comedies/Sitcoms of all time. If you’ve read any of my previous Show Thoughts, then you know I’ve been watching several over the course of this lovely Pandemic That Will Just Keep Going. After this rewatch, I’ve decided HIMYM is my third favorite Comedy/Sitcom, right after Boy Meets World and Scrubs.

Now, I know that the Finale is infamous. It’s in the Mount Rushmore of Terrible Endings, and people end up getting a sour taste in their mouth when they bring up the show. Well, it’s been some years. There’s been time to reflect and look back. And, while I’m not in favor of the Finale, I also don’t hate it anymore with the passion of a thousand suns. I just loved watching and growing with the gang, seeing them experience their highs and their lows, their triumphs and their failures. It just hits harder as an adult, like most of these shows assuredly do, and I cherish so many of these episodes and moments.

And now, my rankings for the seasons!

Seasons Rankings

1. Season One

2. Season Four

3. Season Two

4. Season Six

5. Season Eight

6. Season Five

7. Season Three

8. Season Seven

9. Season Nine

My rankings for the girlfriends, purely on how much I like them as a character

The Girlfriends Rankings

1. Robin

2. Tracy

3. Victoria

4. Zoey

5. Stella

6. Jeannette

And now, a ranking of my favorite episodes. From 1-50, these are the ones that stand out above the rest. I consider every single one of these enjoyable.

Favorite Episodes

1. Slap Bet (S2E9)

2. Come On (S1E22)

3. The Limo (S1E11)

4. The Best Burger in New York (S4E2)

5. Ten Sessions (S3E13)

6. The Pineapple Incident (S1E10)

7. Bachelor Party (S2E19)

8. Game Night (S1E15)

9. Oh, Honey (S6E15)

10. Glitter (S6E9)

11. The Duel (S1E8)

12. The Pilot (S1E1)

13. Arriverdverci, Fierro (S2E17)

14. The Over-Correction (S8E10)

15. How Your Mother Met Me (S916)

16. Intervention (S4E4)

17. The Magician’s Code, Part II (S7E24)

18. The Autumn of Break-Ups (S8E5)

19. The Ducky Tie (S7E3)

20. The Best Man (S7E1)

21. The Leap (S4E24)

22. Blitzgiving (S6E10)

23. Three Days of Snow (S4E13)

24. The Scorpion & The Toad (S2E2)

25. Bass Player Wanted (S9E13)

26. The Final Page, Part 2 (S8E12)

27. Duel Citizenship (S5E5)

28. Happily Ever After (S4E6)

29. Farhampton (S8E1)

30. Bro Mitzvah (S8E22)

31. Robin 101 (S5E3)

32. The Magician’s Code, Part I (S7E23)

33. Last Words (S6E14)

34. The Playbook (S5E8)

35. The Time Travelers (S8E20)

36. Splitsville (S8E6)

37. Subway Wars (S6E4)

38. Showdown (S2E20)

39. Drumroll, Please (S1E13)

40. Front Porch (S4E17)

41. Twin Bed (S5E21)

42. Who Wants to be a Godparent? (S8E4)

43. Girls vs. Suits (S5E12)

44. Something Borrowed (S2E21)

45. As Fast As She Can (S4E23)

46. The Wedding Bride (S5E23)

47. The Bracket (S3E14)

48. The Sexless Innkeeper (S5E4)

49. Third Wheel (S3E3)

50. Spoiler Alert (S3E8)

And now, just some thoughts on the show and on the gang!

Ted - I know people don’t like Ted. I don’t actually like Ted all that much. And yet, I found myself rooting for Ted just like I did the first go around. He’s not the worst person in the world, and I would be scared to see half of the decisions we’ve made in the dating game stringed together into a TV show. I know people wouldn’t like me very much for those decisions. Then again, I also don’t get super crazy about details about buildings, I don’t pronounce encyclopedia that way, and he tends to stick his foot in his mouth with this White Man confidence that I just don’t have. With all that being said, I still find Ted being a great friend, a man who is just trying to find the love of his life, and someone who really drives this story with great tales and narration (Bob Saget is the Sixth Man of the Show for just always bringing it). I think Ted does stupid things and he pretty much admits it after the fact. He learns, sometimes, and also doesn’t much like most of us. When he finally found the Mother, when he finally found Tracy, I cared. I cared so much, and I still do. Even though they just shit on her character and don’t give us enough time with her, I almost wonder if that’s a metaphor for the fact that you won’t always have enough time with your loved ones.

Robin - Let’s go to the mall! Yeah! Robin Sparkles is a Canadian Treasure, and so is Robin Scherbatsky. She is one of the best things about this show, and I love her so. Played by Cobie Smulders who I need to see in more stuff, Robin is who we all wanted Ted to maybe be with first. Then we go through all the loops of the HIMYM roller coaster, and a lot of us still wanted them to be together. I was one of them. Yet, she was more than just a romantic plot line for Ted. She was a part of the group who we got to see join it and evolve into a member of their family organically. Robin is fun, loud, full of fun quirks that we get to learn over the course of the series. I was heartbroken when we found out she can’t have children. I was loving the back and forth between her and Barney (the first time), and kind of mad at Barney about being such a crazy ass prankster the second time. Robin shows us just how amazing some gun loving, hockey obsessed Canadian news anchor can be, and how much she cares for her friends.

Lily - Justice Aldrin ends up being one of my favorite characters, even if that gets some curious looks. Yeah, she left Marshall for a summer. Yeah, she had some hesitancy with the marriage and everything. That happens. Lily was also always there for her friends, even if she ends up going a little overboard. She wants Ted to find happiness, and does whatever she can to help. She is there to listen to Robin at all times, and her and Marshall are easily one of the best relationships in TV I’ve ever witnessed. Then we have Lily and Barney which is honestly super underrated. Barney trusts Lily, even though she can’t keep a secret, with all of his emotional problems. Lily is who thought Barney could change before anyone else, and I love seeing their friendship grow from eye rolls to eye tears.

Barney - Oh, Barney. He honestly brings so much annoyance and fun to the show. He’s the friend of the gang who everyone tolerates. He’s the one in the gang who everyone ends up loving just as much as everyone else. Barney shows such a terrible face to the world, sleeping with over 250 women and lying to most of them. He has all these rules that aren’t very ethical. He gives us most of the Misogynism in this show, which is definitely prevalent and makes the show not as strong as it was in the first watch. Still, we get to see Barney grow into someone who wants real love and a happy life. Sure, they show us that his marriage to Robin only lasts three years, but at least they tried. Barney just couldn’t make it work, and that’s honestly who Barney really is. A person who just enjoys sleeping with different people. I was very warmed to see the baby reveal and that Barney becoming a dad was what would change him more than anything. Barney is an underrated friend, and his importance to the gang is legendary.

Marshall - I. Love. Big Fudge. He’s just so fun, caring, goofy, loyal, and everything that I aspire to be in life. For some reason, when watching the show the first time, I related to Ted the most. I was definitely a bit more selfish then. But now, I see that I am a Marshall. He wants to do good in the world, and it drives him so much. He only loves Lily, and his loyalty to their relationship is just Goals. He is also the most fun to watch having a crisis. He gets the big eyes and covers his mouth and just gets obviously super uncomfortable. Some of my favorite moments of the show are also Marshall’s talks with Ted about his feelings for Robin. Any one-on-ones with Marshall and someone else are probably my favorite moments. And yes, I will always root for him over those damn machines!

Last Thoughts:

Sure, the writing wasn’t as sharp or as witty in the later seasons, but I loved the story lines and seeing the gang just live.

Tracy was an amazing character as The Mother, and I truly wonder what could have been if they had given us two full seasons of story with her instead of any episodes of Jeannette.

I really can’t believe Ted told his kids all those stories. A fun premise for a show, but really, not very realistic telling them all that jazz.

Ranjit and Carl are such fun recurring characters that I always enjoyed seeing every time they popped up.

Out of all the recurring jokes and gags, which there are many (y’all said Community has so many, but HIMYM really swings for it), I love the Major/General salute joke. Idk if I just didn’t care for it the first time around or forgot about it, but I just love how silly it is and how they kept it through to the very last episode.

Watching the gang sit at their table in MacLaren’s just hanging out will always make me smile.

#how i met your mother #himym #himym finale #ted mosby #marshall eriksen #lily aldrin #himym barney #himym robin #reviews #recaps #br&r

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wontshutup · 5 years ago

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Clossest thing to Family: March 27, 2019 (Intro)

This is an idea that was written first for shifting purposes and suddenly turned into a narrative so, it might be a little of a personal self-insert, however, I decided to give it a try as a Y/N fic and well, I hope you like it.

It takes place during the first season of the Umbrella academy, this one however is more like and introductory chapter.

It will contain spoiler as it tries to follow the show’s timeline, for obvious reasons some things will be changed to be able to introduce reader into it. I take no credit for the whole thing whatsoever, that one goes to Steve Blackman, Gerard Way and every brilliant mind included in the thought process to bring this amazing series to life.

Warnings: mild swearing, appart from that, I believe none.

English is not my first language, neither do I live in the USA, just in case there are a few things that might just feel a little out of the actual social context in the narrative. Also, the italics are meant to be thoughts, however it all is narrated in first person (your POV) so idk if that makes sense rn.

I had just made it up the stairs from the subway station, only to be met by the rather unwelcoming cold of the raindrops, the rain was quick to go from a light shower to a heavy pour. I pulled my scarf a little higher, trying to cover myself, and clutched my backpack as I ran to the nearest place I could shield myself from the rain. I rushed under a small tented window shop and dived my hand into my bag, rummaging my way inside it in search for my umbrella as fast as I could, I had to be fast, the weather kept on dropping and my immune system couldn’t afford a cold right now. Unfortunately, life had different plans from me today

"You've gotta be kidding me" I sighed out, scolding myself today of ALL days, really!?! With no other choice but to navigate my way as best I could to avoid getting wet, I made my way to where I was meant to go, my every muscle begging for a warm bath, but no time, the place was most likely closing any second now.

As I rushed to the small lab I felt the vapors that my body had generated by the long hours of training and the crowded subway starting to seep through my jacket at a worrying pace, threatening to leave me defenseless from the dropping temperature and raising the chances of catching a cold.

Reaching my destination, I pushed the door in a rush to get inside, the warmth from the heater spread through my cheeks giving a slight welcoming feeling for which I was very thankful.

"How can I help you?" asked the lady at the desk without even looking at me causing me to regret this stop already. I was taken off of what could've been a perfectly warm subway ride and a brief rush to catch the bus home, but nope, that was not it now.

"I came to pick up some sample results" still no attention from her, I let out a loud, dramatic sigh, now earning an annoyed look from her Geez and took out a receipt I had in my pocket "Here" I slapped it in her desk, maybe a tad bit harder than I had intended to. "Please?," I said giving her a forced smile to which she scoffed.

"Wait over there".

Oh, Diego, you owe me on this one...I really did not have time for this, I was already getting pretty late and the rain was not ceasing any second now. Then again, if we were counting on debts, this was nothing compared to the one I had with Diego. Besides it was only picking up a couple of blood test results or "pieces of evidence" as he likes to call them, no big deal, so I took a seat and embraced myself to warm up better.

I allowed myself to feel a little bit more relaxed inside the place, enjoying the sensation while it lasted before having to, once again, rush against the weather to get home.

There was almost no one in the waiting room, of course, it was too late now, the few faces there seemed equally as tired as I felt, and I got it, however, being here must be really important to be waiting almost at midnight, again, I got that too.

I grabbed a 2017 National Geographic that was laying on the center table and started reading, getting lost in the beautiful landscapes shown on each page, an announcement on the place's tv filled my ears, catching my attention.

"Breaking news, the world's most eccentric billionaire, traveler Sir. Reginald Hargreeves, better known as the founder of The Umbrella Academy has officially passed away today, stay with us for further detail." Diego.

Putting down the magazine I quickly grabbed my phone and dialed his number, no beep, immediate voicemail. "Shit" I whispered. I tried again but nothing, again, voicemail. My hands started to become a little shaky but thankfully I was brought out of my trance.

"Diego Hargreeves?" called out the lady from the desk, I had to pick up the results, bringing the attention of the few strangers there upon me. It is not me guys, of course, please look away. I noticed the secretary's face was softer now, not soft thought, pity was more like it. I hate pity.

"I'm sorry about your grandfather" Oh so that's why.

"He's not my-she raised her eyebrows expectantly.-ah, nevermind" and with that I grabbed the results and left as fast as I could, shoving the papers in my bag I started dialing again.

Does he know already? Voicemail. How will he take it? Machine. Is he even safe now? "This is Diego, you know what to do"

"Fuck!" I was done with this, every night the exact same thing.

I keep trying to reach him, deliver the announcement in a more personal way than the news on TV could, not only because I care about him, but because as volatile as he is, the man has no actual impulse control and clearly no regard for his safety, otherwise, he wouldn't go out every night to "be the hero", well, how about picking up for once Mr. Hargreeves?!

Diego had told me little bits about his life every once in a while, how he lived and trained as part of the Umbrella Academy, but always seemed to hold back, keeping things to himself, and even if he had clearly expressed at some point that his father "is (or at least was) a monster" he seemed to care deeply about his opinion (more than he would let be known), and honestly, I had no idea of how was he going to react to such news, and at this point, I decided not to care.

As I paced angrily towards....I didn't know where I was heading, I was so lost in my worries for the man that I hadn't noticed I made it way farther from the station.

“ACHOO” Oh no, that wasn't good. The one thing I was trying to avoid was catching up to me, I had to think fast...

Well, I was too tired now to go all the way back to the station, sit through another subway ride and wait for a bus that would take me home this time and under this weather, even if the rain had dialed down a little, the wind had become sharper, besides, the streets were getting darker and unsafer by the second, thus going back definitely wasn't the friendliest option. On another hand, I could stop a cab right now, and no, I am not crazy nor rich enough to pay for a ride all the way home, but I could take the money I have and in a matter of seconds be at the Hargreeves Manor just before I can actually catch a cold and hopefully get some rest? Besides, I had to meet them at some point, express my condolences to my mentor's family? Plus, knowing Diego, he is probably going to skip going back home and head there directly.

“ACHOO”,that sneeze shook my body to one conclussion. It is settled, this I will regret later.

I ran to the side of the street, cold hitting my face, but just in time a cab came by "Hey, taxi!".

"Where to?" Heart pounding in my chest I gave the driver the simple name.

"Hargreeves Manor" he looked at me stranged from the rearview mirror, almost as if he knew this was a bad idea, honestly I share the thought. He took a couple of seconds as if allowing me to reconsider, and so I did...

“ACHOO....Agh-Please go" and so he started the car.

Well, guess there is no turning back then, it is time to meet the Hargreeves....

#the umbrella academy #tua #the umbrella academy x reader #tua x reader #diego hargreeves #big bro diego x reader is my life fuel #tua diego #the hargreeves #tua s1 #the umbrella academy season 1 #we only see each other at weddings and funerals #five hargreeves x reader #maybe five x reader bc idk

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fizzingwizard · 5 years ago

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Episode 27! It’s a transitional episode and I have Thoughts but nothing major really happens until the very last second :P

Cap of the day!

You know what they saw about the megane shine... next season’s villain is Jou-senpai!!! you heard it here first!

More below!

GAWD I LOVE JOU

no but SERIOUSLY... so glad to have the rest of the team back. They really do make EVERYTHING better. Taichi and Yamato, yeah they’re cool, I love them, but they just don’t carry the show by themselves. And in a similar vein, the rest of the team needs Taichi and Yamato too. Otherwise they have no reason to be all dramatic and show off their cool sides.

(other than Koushirou of course who was just born Cool but it’s the kind of cool most people don’t recognize until you literally own the entire world Koushirou’s three steps from becoming Seto Kaiba except NICE)

ok back to business... last week we left off with the team finally reuniting and bringing Hikari along. For some reason the two groups both decide to stand in a straight line like two baseball teams about to shake hands. Leomon’s team still looks fricking ridiculous

Sooo jury’s out on how Taichi’s gonna react to Hikari! Yamato’s been so chill with having Takeru around, I started to wonder if we’re gonna see super over protective big bro Taichi instead this time! But for the most part he’s just surprised that she’s not surprised by the Digimon.

Hikari is creepy. lol. She’s very much the “cute little sister” type and this episode, at least, we didn’t see any kind of initiative from her, which is to be expected, I mean give the kid some time to adjust. We don’t see a lot of personality though either... I guess we can say she likes cute things, and she’s pretty darn calm... I don’t really like her voice though. It’s a perfectly fine little girl voice, but she always sounds like she’s about to doze off...

Obligatory “cutest couple” pic

The group then basically recaps what’s been happening in the human world recently. Which is all pretty important stuff. But for some reason Taichi and Yamato don’t fill them in on what they’ve gone through?? They have to explain Takeru and Patamon because well there’s a surprise but then they’re like “oh yeah Patamon’s the holy Digimon” and I’m like WHOA. DUDES. IT’S THE HOLY DIGIMON. THE THING Y’ALL RISKED YOUR NECKS FOR. Shouldn’t there be a little more interest, both in the telling and the hearing?? XD

Koushirou’s most excited to update their digivices.

Taichi: Why so blue, Agumon?

Agumon: I shouldn’t have had so many Hawaiian blue energy drinks... but how else did they expect me to fight non stop

Koushirou even has handy dandy charts and images to illustrate. He’s going to get hired somewhere and immediately promoted to CEO, by the CEO.

Patamon: “Hi! I’m the Holy Digimon! Bow before me!”

Jou introduces himself to Takeru and Hikari as the “leader” and tries to convert them to his religion (No-play-only-study-ism) to make them his first acolytes when he inevitably becomes the season’s true final villain. But Gomamon’s all over it.

Gomamon: “You can’t have acolytes until you master maniacal laughter, Jou, didn’t you read ‘Villainy for Dummies’ like I told you to??”

Agumon adorably walks right up to Hikari and asks her if she’s okay and if she feels scared. Hikari says “Agumon’s cute!” Taichi’s face is like “cute? cute?? he’s a dinosaur! dinosaurs are cool!” but he wisely says nothing because you cannot argue with girls about what we think is cute you just cannot

Then Hikari notices something even cuter! Patamon!

Hikari: So cute! I want ten!

Takeru: Sorry, he’s one of a kind and mine!

Hikari: *looks at him* So cute! I want ten!

Takeru: Wait... of me?

Hikari: (u3u)~♥ ﾁｭ

Takeru: (o///o)~♥

love at first sight???? lol

In a nod to the original series, we get a scene of Taichi asking Hikari if she has a Digivice and her being like “oh that thing, I filled it with catnip and gave it to Miko”

Taichi: No digivice! Well I guess this means there’s no way she’s a Chosen Child like us!

Agumon: Infallible logic

Meaning the Zurumon are on the move! this time to FREAKING NASA

Taichi: *most unimpressed voice possible NASA??

I thought hey, it’ll be fine, we’ll just have to fight some more... but

Nasa: *launches a rocket*

The internet:

it’s all just variations of people oh-no-ing in Japanese. A little further down someone just writes “Explosion” in English lol

Due to the weirdness in the digital world that is affecting the human world, a bunch of waterspouts appear in the ocean. Eldradimon’s like “oh bother”

he protec!

Mimi and Palmon rush to comfort each other with a hug.

Jou... immediately gets seasick.

Gomamon: So how’s that maniacal laughter coming along?

Jou: DON’T MAKE ME OPEN MY MOUTH

Awwwww. Point of interest.... Koushirou is barely larger than Hikari x’D

Leomon, for some reason, decides now we must part. He doesn’t think these kids can survive this storm and offers to protect them as they escape. The kids are powerful against evil monsters but weak to weather lol. I’m sure the actual logic in no way was “Now that the rest of the team is back from their pointless stint in the human world we no longer need Leomon to play back-up”

They don’t agree without an argument, but Leomon insists, because he believes the Chosen Children have other important things they are meant to do. We get a cool scene of everyone making their escapes. Sora takes Mimi with her

Taichi and Hikari join Koushirou

And Yamato and Takeru “join” Jou (but really Yamato’s the one calling the shots because Jou’s busy struggling not to pee his pants)

It’s just in the nick of time... before a giant whirlpool seemingly sucks Leomon and Eldradimon into the sea.

Taichi: Oh my god did they just DIE??

Kabuterimon: Don’t look back!

Taichi: I know... we have to respect their sacrifice...

Kabuterimon: Well, that and you might be scarred to see Leomon’s reenactment of Ariel at the bottom of Ursula’s whirlpool

Taichi: huh

(look I think I’m funny and that’s what counts)

Getting all split up like this made me think they were gonna end up split up for reals, but the team manages to stay together for now.

They arrive at a new continent covered in weird spikes! Yamato picks up his digivice like a walkie-talkie and says one word: “Taichi”

it amuses me that he could only bring himself to say “Yagami” for a good while in the beginning but then he finally started saying “Taichi” and now he just can’t stop!!

Anyway he’s alerting the others to the fact that some? of the spikes on the island are actually Tortomon about to attack them. Before going to join Greymon’s attack, Taichi flings Hikari at Koushirou “HERE PROTECT MY SISTER SINCE YOU HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO DO”

jk but seriously... why does Taichi need to be all up in the action? Until now I thought it was something they all had to do to help their partners, because they usually ride on them during battle, but this episode seemed to suggest that Taichi goes out of his way to do it even more than is maybe necessary. Which doesn’t exactly come as a surprise, but xD

Reason #1229345894 why the team is better when they’re all together: Mimi is hilarious and SORA HAS A GOSH DARN PERSONALITY. She DOES, folks. We hardly got to see it recently -____- this episode at least lets her react to the others. Ugggh. Irony of ironies, Sora needs more love.

It’s a stampede! Simba! NOOOOO!

Sooo... the battle with the Tortomon goes pretty well but then this guy called Groundramon or something appears and uh... starts to eat them... like it’s pretty visceral y’all o_o le eugh

Taichi is shocked and recalls last episode when he saw Seadramon power up and evolve after eating Ebidramon. He does not choose to mention the time he was eaten by Devimon. EH IT’LL BE FINE I’M SURE THAT WASN’T IMPORTANT ANYWAY

Greymon: Don’t get eaten.

Garurumon: lol same to you

The Agumon/Gabumon bromance is honestly one of the best things about this season. Not that we get a ton of it, but when we do we do I always feel like “yes, that’s Digimon, that’s it right there”

The Digimon rev up to face off with their cannibal and Groundramon quickly decides Ikakkakumon looks the most nutritious. He probably has lots of blubber and meat on him so I guess I’d go for Ikkakumon first too

Ikkakumon: Don’t eat me!

Jou: Wait don’t! He was teaching me how to be cool!!!

Taichi: Eat him! Eat him Groundramon! I can’t let Jou be the cool one!

Yamato: Are you two fighting to see who can reach peak villain status first?

Taichi/Jou: I’m naturally competitive

ka-boom!

Our heroes are blown back by. Takeru quickly runs to check on his big brother who seems to smack his head on a rock...

Yamato: It’s cool. I’m cool. The definition of cool. Ishida Yamato. That’s me.

Sora: Oh no, I think he’s got a concussion.

Takeru: No, that’s how oniichan is on a normal day.

The team starts to feel overwhelmed! That’s when a fire ignites in Taichi’s eyes and he announces the next siege!

Yamato: Taichi...

no but okay what even IS this moment. The episode goes out of its way to show us Yamato reacting to Taichi not giving up. This is a Thing. I don’t know what he’s feeling here - impressed? Happy that Taichi’s able to bring everyone together when they’re feeling defeated? Or is he also recalling how that same desire to never fail almost got him killed and his partner transformed into an evil evolution a few episodes ago?

So like I keep saying I don’t see why we had to split up the team for so long, and for now I stand by that. But one thing’s clear: the show wanted only Yamato around to witness what happened to Taichi. (I mean, Takeru was there too, but he’s a baby xP) And even Yamato doesn’t know everything - we don’t know how much he was actually conscious for. But I feel like, if there was any point to the separation at all, that was it. I hope so anyway. I like the idea of Yamato grappling with how to know when Taichi’s going too far while at the same time really valuing the way Taichi’s able to push them to victory.

Turns out Taichi’s new plan is... even bigger guns!

Pointed directly into Groundramon’s mouth!

Yamato: This is madness.

Taichi: No! This! Is! DIGIMON ADVENTURE:!!!!

Everyone attacks poor Groundramon in the mouth x’D im crying

The combined attacks seem to overload Groundramon and then MetalGreymon launches missiles down his throat, which cause these internal explosions. Uh, gross... like if there’s any time Jou should be puking it’s now

we won by being even more violent than normal! yay us!

Not that this means we get a break because Darknightmon chooses now to make his dramatic return!

They get blown back again

... but I love how adorably protective the big brothers are whenever it happens <3

Yamato and Taichi finally remember they never told the others much about what they’ve been up to recently, other than “we found the holy Digimon.” Now they add “and we found Darknightmon too.” Wow what a level of detail.

I honestly... expected Darknightmon to be interested in Hikari instead of Takeru xP It was a little too predictable so I was glad when he seems to go right for Takeru and Patamon after all.

Patamon, who’s recent hobby has been watching musicals, begins to sing:

Don’t ever kick a dog

because he’s just a pup!

You’d better run for cover

when the pup grows up!

Taichi: Uhh did he not see the part where Gavroche dies??

Yamato: He fell asleep before we got that far.

Angemon!!

Honestly... as a fan of 99 Adventure, Angemon there was SUCH a dramatic thing and... this isn’t. I know, I know, it’s a different show, we do things different in 2020... I just remember the excitement I felt about Angemon’s first apperance though. But, to be fair, although it takes a long time before his second appearance, once it happens Patamon always evolves to Angemon without all the fanfare and it’s just a normal evolution. So... yeah, this all makes sense xP

At least we end on a cliffhanger! What’s gonna happen?? Tune in next week!

So I guess I wasn’t that off about the team splitting up again, I was just wrong about when... next week it looks like they’ll be separated, which, although we just got everyone back together, I’m not upset about as long as each group gets focus. Now that they’re back in the digital world, there’s potential for stuff to happen. But it depends on the groups as well. I do sort of expect this is mainly a “put Taichi and Hikari” on their own maneuver.

Oh, was right about Darknightmon going for Hikari after all xP

My guess is... Angemon’s gonna fight but just not have recovered enough to stay in that form for long, and somehow that results in everyone separating... we’ll see. More importantly...

NANIMON!!!

My relationship with this guy is love-hate! I love to hate him x’D So I’m glad he’s back! Still want to see Piximon and Whamon the most but I’ll take it!

#digimon adventure:#digimon adventure reboot #digimon adventure 2020 #fizz watches digimon 2020 #digi spoilers #digimon

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sir-silly · 5 years ago

Text

The Last War fan review

So, our beloved show has ended. And while I wish things would have gone differently, I did cry with relief when Clarke looked over and saw everyone already waiting for her.

Anyway, I wanted to share some of my thoughts on the finale.

1) Going right into the title sequence kind of shocked me. It wasn’t that big of a deal, but I was just immediately like “oh.” It was a bitch-slap in the face that they left a gap in the credits for Bob Morley. Why you gotta do us like that?

2) Murphy screaming “come on” while they used the defibrillator on Emori was heartbreaking. And his little whispered encouragements were so freaking cute.

3) Clarke rampage? Yes, please! I love me a badass woman. However, unlimited ammo is a sin in writing. The moment Octavia picked up the sword was a big “oh yes.”

4) Did Cadogan not care about his son like at all? Lmao. Why is he so hung up on Callie and not his other kid (who I can’t even remember the name of). I don’t care if they explain in the prequel, that’s still a shitty parent choosing favorites. Along with his wife, like, was she not his greatest love? It was Callie? Kinda fucked up.

5) Why the fuck could Jordan figure out it was a test and not a war in 5 seconds when the Disciples were studying that shit for decades? I know he’s Monty’s son, but he’s not a genius or anything.

6) Thoughts on the test: I think Cadogan would have failed and the human race would be destroyed. Why bother asking questions if you already know all the answers?

7) Why wasn’t Gaia in the finale like at all?? Like, what the fuck. She was hunting??? For what?? That really annoyed me because I’ve grown to really like her and there was no point in her not being involved in the last episode. They seriously couldn’t have thrown her in there? Like, come on! Even Niylah was there! (not saying that I don’t like her, it’s just that Gaia has felt far more important to the story than her).

8) I do think that Jasper and Hope are cute together, and I know they spent the majority of their lives either alone or only with their parents, but GOD I can’t stand how awkward they are. Also, I know ya’ll have feelings for each other and shit, but is now really the time to be making out?? Why do people think that’s okay in literally the worst situations? I know it’s a show, but come on.

9) And how the fuck did Jordan throw and catch that sword? He’s a child who’s never fought a day in his life. Unless they suddenly want to tell me that Harper and Monty were secret ninjas and taught him all their tricks, I don’t believe that.

10) I’m being pissy and bringing up things from the past, but I don’t care. Why the fuck couldn’t Harper and Monty gone into cryo? I know they were happy and shit, but I’M NOT. How the fuck did it take so long for him to get into the files for Sanctum? His ass has done that shit a thousand times before in about two minutes and suddenly it takes him 80 years? Bullshit.

11) I’m still being pissy, but how the fuck does Jordan know what a magician is? “For my first trick, I will make an army appear.” Bruh, no. Monty wouldn’t have known what a magician was either. If they weren’t being taught what a Navy Seal was, there’s no way they knew what magicians were. Calling bullshit on that one as well.

12) I was pretty surprised that the Disciples didn’t start firing on Wonkru immediately. Like, this is the war they’ve been gearing up for forever and they don’t attack as soon as possible? Also, where the fuck did Wonkru get their war paint? Do they just constantly have it on their person? Or did their asses literally spend time making their paint before going to Bardo?

13) I fucking love Miller and Jackson. They’re freaking adorable. Murphy’s flat “I am glad you are safe” was so fucking funny. Also, saving Emori in one scene just to kill her in the next is bullshit. They should have just killed her the first time and done the same thing anyway. Murphy screaming at Jackson to do something and sobbing was heartbreaking. Fantastic acting on Richard Harmon’s part.

14) Octavia putting on Lincoln’s same warpaint again was once again, so sad. I miss that man. He was too good for his own good. And while I do think that her and Levitt are very cute together, I’ll always prefer her with Lincoln. But I think that he would be really happy that she has found someone new to love.

15) Apparently whatever Echo “did” to Levitt was so forgettable that I don’t even know what she’s talking about. Bad writing. I shouldn’t forget that in just a few weeks, I should remember as soon as I see the two of them in the same room.

16) Lexa. Just all of it. There were some suspicions that she would show up for the last episode, but I didn’t really believe them because I didn’t understand how she would be integrated. I’m glad that they did bring her back, but I’m also not. It was amazing to see her back by Clarke in all of her armor and glory, but knowing it wasn’t actually Lexa was just a punch in the face. It wasn’t her mind, so it’s almost like they didn’t bring her back anyway. I honestly would have preferred if they used someone else for her Judge, because that just really didn’t do it for me. Their hug was sweet, but it didn’t even count as her returning. I personally think that her Judge should have been Bellamy or Madi instead, as they both certainly could fill the role of “the subject’s greatest teacher or the source of their greatest failure...it can be their greatest love.” This is just my preference. Believe me, I know how much Lexa meant to Clarke, but as a fan, bringing our favorite Heda back in that way wasn’t the best way to do it. As a writer, it makes sense, but it doesn’t as a fan. The writers can’t just think of what is the best storytelling, they have to think of what those watching will think.

17) I’m confused about the mindspace? Why did Clarke wake up in her solitary room with her memories painted all over the walls, but Emori woke up in the castle with a view of the desert? Why wouldn’t it have been her and Murphy’s cave? Is there a reason it was the bedroom and not the cave?

18) I know this isn’t canon in any sense, but could you imagine if Murphy and Emori fought over John’s body and she won, and then suddenly woke up with a penis? How fucking funny would that be? Just had to throw that out there.

19) Can I just again reiterate how fucking cute Miller and Jackson are?

20) I’m curious about the location of the test. Why did Cadogan’s take place on a pier, while Raven’s happened on the Ark? If it was their favorite place, wouldn’t Raven’s have been actually out in space? Like during a spacewalk? I’m confused about that.

21) I knew that Raven was somehow going to be involved in the test just because of the trailers we got for the final episode. My two guesses for who the judge would be were Finn and Abby. Though I am happy that we got to see Abby again, I would be curious to see if the scene would have played out any differently if it had been Finn.

22) Where was the full line that was given in the trailer? Because that was amazing. “We’re selfish, and we’re violent, and we have destroyed too much, but we survived.” I loved that line far more than what we got instead, which was simply, “Have we made mistakes? Yes. Clarke, me, all of us, but we were just trying to survive.” I definitely would have chosen the former over the latter. Poor choice on the editors’ parts.

23) How the fuck did Octavia and Echo go out to the field and get Levitt with Echo only being shot once? With all the bullets, the three of them should have been torn apart, I don’t care how much Indra could cover Octavia. Calling bullshit on that as well.

24) Bringing this up kind of late because I’m giving my reviews as I’m rewatching the episode, but what they had Eliza do was really fucked up. Her and Bob suffered a miscarriage during the filming of season seven, so the scene of her holding Madi and crying “my baby” is like 10 times more heartbreaking. If they made her film that after having a miscarriage mere days, weeks or few months before, that’s really, really messed up.

25) They really played-up Sheidheda’s bringing back of “jus drein jus daun” in the trailer. In reality, it was far less intense. I would have preferred what I had been expecting, which was him coming to help convince Wonkru that they would be able to win. However, I am super glad that he is dead and Indra finally got to kill him. I love how that bigass gun just turns people into mist lol.

26) The beginning of Octavia’s speech was literally like “what the FUCK guys” and it was hilarious. And I swear to god if I hear her say “we are Wonkru” or “you are Wonkru” another time, I’m gonna scream. I know it was legit the last episode but I’m sick of it by now lol. When Indra was like “I hope you know what you’re doing,” Octavia’s face was just like “omg me too” and it was really funny.

27) Bellamy. His situation was a whole problem itself. He deserved a hell of a lot better and wHY DID HE CUT HIS HAIR I LIKED IT THE LONG WAY. Anyway, you can bet your ass I’ll be writing a different ending where he didn’t die because FUCK THAT. When I do, I’ll be sure to share it.

28) I’m fucking confused about Murphy and Emori both transcending. Because, what the fuck. Emori died. The dead don’t transcend. Her mind wasn’t even in her body, it was in Murphy’s. So how the fuck did she end up alive and in her own body again. I’m glad she’s alive, but I just don’t understand. It would have made way more sense to have either not had her die in the first place, or to have Murphy, Miller, and Jackson keep pumping her heart so she technically “lived” anyway like Echo.

29) If Madi had decided not to transcend, would she still have been paralyzed? I mean, I would assume not because Levitt and Hope’s gunshots were healed, as was Emori, but I’m curious. Also, wouldn’t Raven’s leg have been fixed? Because if they only fix recent wounds and not old ones, that’s stupid.

30) On the point of Madi deciding not to transcend, why did she? Why didn’t so many other people choose not to? Like, not one Eligius prisoner or person from Sanctum chose to live? No one else from Wonkru? Why didn’t anyone else other than the main cast and guest stars not transcend? I totally understand the Disciples transcending, but seriously, nobody else wanted to live? That’s really weird. Madi and her friends really couldn’t have chosen to live on Earth with Clarke and the others? I just think it’s really unrealistic that not one single person outside of the group chose not to transcend.

31) I was really surprised that Murphy and Emori chose not to transcend, because as the Judge said, they would eventually die and not join them in the infinite. It shocked me due to their fear of dying and wanting to be immortal, but I’m really proud of them.

32) I’m disappointed that those who don’t transcend can’t have children. There were suspicions that Emori might have been pregnant (which were never confirmed), but the idea of her and Murphy having a kid together was adorable. They’d have their teeny tiny families with those two, Hope and Jordan, and Octavia and Levitt.

33) This isn’t as much me pointing out a problem as me wondering, what was Clarke going to say to the Judge when she turned around? What else did she have to say or ask? Was it about Madi? Or maybe Lexa? Or just transcending in general?

34) It’s pretty shitty that some of our questions went unanswered due to the fact that there will be a prequel. On the other hand, I live for lore, so I’m just glad that they eventually will be answered. But still, that doesn’t excuse shitty writing.

35) I want to see a stupid edit of Picasso taking the test where the Judge is Madi.

I think we all know that season seven was really not what we wanted it to be. We’ve been really disappointed by the writers and unfortunately, this is what we got out of it. I believe they really could have done a better job, but I am at least glad that everyone ended up together.

The writing was lacking. Too many questions were left unanswered, I don’t care if you’re making a sequel or not. Plot holes. It really could have been a good season if it was done better.

My ranking of the seasons is as follows: 3, 2, 4, 1, 6, 5, 7. Seasons 4 and 1 are kind of interchangeable for me in spots three and four, as are 6 and 5 in the two spots behind them, whatever the order may be.

But I still love the show. I love the characters, their development, and many things about it. It has been quite the journey and I am glad to have been a fan of the show.

May we meet again.

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all-the-love-harold · 5 years ago

Text

Chapter 11- Hang in there, Baby

Master Post

August 15th 2021

Emily 31 Weeks

Poppy 27 Weeks

The summer sun shone brightly through the bedroom curtains as Poppy’s eyes flashed open. A sharp pain in her back had jolted her out of a deep sleep. The pain subsided and she gently rolled over to check the time on her phone, 6:36am. Oli would be awake soon so there wasn’t much point in trying to go back to sleep. She sat up a little, wincing at the pain in her back that was more of a dull ache now and her movements awoke Harry.

“ ‘s the time?” he groaned, still groggy with sleep. “It’s almost twenty to 7,” Poppy whispered. “And Oli’s still asleep so shhhh!” she hushed.

Harry rolled over so that he could see Poppy and placed his hand gently on the swell of her belly, “and how’s our little girl?” he asked softly, smiling as he always did when he talked about his daughter.

“I think she’s still sleeping too, had her mother up at 3am kicking like a mad woman!”

“No doubt she’s your daughter then,” Harry laughed

“I don’t kick in my sleep,” Poppy said, sounding very sure of herself, arms crossed over her chest in defense.

“Yes, you do” he sighed, still laughing, resting his head on her chest “but it’s ok because I love you anyway.”

“I love yo-” Suddenly Poppy stopped talking and inhaled sharply, grabbing onto her back as another sharp pain hit her like a tonne of bricks.

“Are you OK?” Harry asked, sitting up properly now, his eyes narrowing as he watched her.

Poppy didn’t answer until the pain subsided into a dull ache again, “Yeah,” she nodded, I’m fine, it’s just my back...”

“Roll over, I’ll give you a massage.”

She groaned a little as she turned onto her side, careful not to land on her pregnant belly.

“Where’s it sore?” Harry’s hands hovered over her back.Poppy pointed to her lower back “Near my bum.”

Harry began massaging the spot where she had pointed and it instantly started to feel better. But before it had the chance to really help, Oli toddled through the door.

“Are we still having a baby party today Mum?” He asked, sliding into the bed next to her, ignoring everything else going on around him as though this question was the most important thing in the world right now.

“We are buddy, not until lunchtime though”...

“But the baby’s not coming today?”

“No, not today Ol, not for a while yet” Harry said, continuing to massage Poppy’s back, while also dropping a good morning kiss to his son’s forehead. “Is Emily’s baby coming today then?” he asked

“No, still another few weeks until Emily’s baby is here too.”

Oli sighed deeply, “I’m never gonna be a big brother!” he huffed dramatically, folding his arms over his chest, in an image of his mother about ten minutes earlier.

Harry and Poppy both giggled, which only sent another shooting pain up Poppy’s back. Harry felt her wince, the muscles seizing under his hands.

“Why don’t you go and have a hot bath, love? I’ll get Oli breakfast, come on mate.”

As much as she wanted to say no and have breakfast together which was their tradition whenever Harry was home, all she could really think about was how soothing the hot water would be rushing over her back so she nodded and pulled the covers back.

“Oli, why don’t you go on Daddy’s side, so Mum can get out of bed?”

Sometimes Poppy forgot that Oli was only four and didn’t think about things logically so instead of climbing out of bed and walking around to cuddle his dad, he rolled over his mother, making her groan in pain.

“Oliver,” Harry said sternly, “Next time, please walk around, remember there’s a baby in Mummy's tummy, you need to be gentle with her...”

“Sorry, daddy,” he sighed

Poppy tuned them out, focusing on her breathing to try and stop the pain in her back as she walked to the bathroom and turned on the hot water. She knew what this could be and she wasn’t willing to accept that possibility yet…

The steaming hot water washed over her and her body felt lighter and less painful. The baby must have felt it too because she started kicking as soon as the water covered Poppy’s belly.

“You can’t do this today, miss” Poppy breathed, trying to keep her voice calm, hands on her belly. “You’ve got to stay in there for a few more weeks yet. Okay?..... I can’t have another Violet.”

***

Whatever Poppy did that morning must have helped because by the time everyone arrived for the baby shower, her back was feeling better, which she was unbelievably thankful for. This shower meant a lot to her, and to Em, who had invited her entire family. It was a little chaotic with everyone there, Em’s brother had a son the same age as Oli and the two of them were running around like mad men, not at all bothered by all the baby related games that were going on in the garden.

“So... you got my baby sister pregnant?” Emily’s brother said to Harry as they both poured themselves a drink.

“Ahhh,” Harry laughed nervously “I guess I did…. Technically”

“Sorry,” the brother giggled, “I’ve always wanted to say that - I’m Peter.”

“Harry,” he held out his hand to shake Peter’s.

“I know,” Peter said, “My husband is a big fan!”

Harry couldn’t help but smile, “Sorry?” he said in a sarcastic tone .“No need,” Peter shook his head, “I’m a fan too, even more so since I heard how wonderful you’ve been to Em through this whole thing.”

“How could I not be?” Harry shrugged “She’s doing the most incredible thing for us and she's so graceful about it all!”

“She always has been, has she told you that surrogacy is how we had our little Henry?”

“She has,” Harry nodded “She told us that from the start, she said that’s why she wanted to do it.”

“We never did anything like this for our surrogate, she’s had no contact with us since actually... I don’t want that for Em, I want her to see this little boy grow up.”

“Em will always be a part of this family” Harry said “As long as she wants to be, everything here is on her terms.”

“You and Poppy are good people,” Peter nodded. “I have to admit though, when Em told me that Poppy fell pregnant, I was worried that you two were in this for the wrong reasons and I told her to be careful, but you’ve really proven me wrong. Thank you.”

“We didn’t know,” Harry sighed “When Poppy fell pregnant we didn’t know that we’d get to 27 weeks. We still don’t know how far we’ll get, we’re terrified all the time, but Em makes it easier, she keeps us focused on what we have right now, which is two babies and Oli.”

“You’ve got a very sleepless few months ahead of you,” Peter said, feeling a little awkward

“That we do,” Harry giggled.

On the other side of the garden, Poppy sat with Anne, Emily and her mum, Patricia, comparing pregnancy notes.

“When I was having Gemma, all I wanted was mash potato, I ate bucketloads of it...” Anne said when the topic of cravings came up

“Me too!” Em said, “My best friend makes the best mash, it’s so creamy. Shit. Now that’s all I can think about..”

“All I want is Vegemite,” Poppy said. “Harry’s perfected the art of Vegemite on toast this time around!”

“I tried that once,” said Patricia, “It’s awful stuff, I don’t know how you eat it.”

Poppy shrugged, “It’s an acquired taste, I’ve eaten it since I was a baby, so has Oli and he loves it too.”

“All I wanted when I was having Pete was feta cheese, I ate so much of the stuff and now Em tells me that you’re not supposed to eat soft cheeses! Explains a lot about Pete now that I think about it, actually,” she laughed teasingly.

“It’s just what they recommend, Mum,” Em said. “Soft cheeses can contain the listeria bacteria - there’s a very small chance they can make you sick, and to avoid harming the baby, they say not to eat it at all.”

“It pays to have an OB/GYN student around when you’re having a baby,” Poppy smiled. “Especially when she’s having a baby too!”

“Speaking of,” Emily smiled, placing her hand on her belly, “Your little boy has been kicking like a mad man today!”

“So has his sister,” Poppy giggled “feels like she’s doing backflips in there.”

“They’re going to be such good friends,” Anne said, a wide smile stretched across her face. “I wonder if they’ll have that twin telepathy thing...”

“They’re not twins,” Poppy said teasingly with a half smile stretched across her face.

“Let’s just wait and see,” Anne said, not giving up on the idea.

“Alright”, Gemma clapped getting everyone’s attention and drawing the conversation away from twin telepathy. “it’s party game time, I need everyone to come over here, we’re about to name a baby!”

The whole party gathered around the table that Gemma had set up, that was covered in onesies to decorate, a jar full of name suggestions, and some baby themed cupcakes and biscuits.

“Harry, Pop and Em, you get to sit here, right in front of everyone and take these red and green paddles. if you like the name, show us the green side, if you don’t, show us the red. You’re adults you probably could have worked that out for yourselves but anyway...” Gemma laughed

“Thanks Gem,” Harry said sarcastically as he sat down where he was told to

“Hey, it’s not my fault you can’t name your own child!”

“We’ve named one of them...” Poppy said defensively.

“You have,” Gemma said, “which brings me to the point that these are girls names only, since Baby Boy has been named.”

The pain in Poppy’s back returned, sharper than ever just as she sat down. She winced, while she waited for it to subside again, and tuned the rest of the conversation out.

Breathe.

That’s all she had to do right now.

A few big breaths and it will all go away.

But it didn’t and when Gemma started rambling about the ridiculous names that everyone had put in the jar, Poppy took the opportunity to tell Harry.

“Harry,” she whispered leaning over so that only he could hear, “I think I need to go to the hospital...”

His eyes widened, “What’s wrong?”

“I think the back pain is contractions.”

He nodded, already springing into action -“Are we being subtle about leaving? Or are we just going?”

“I think we just need to go” Poppy said breathlessly, another wave of pain taking over her body.

Harry stood up and laughed nervously, as everyone stopped talking and looked at him. “Poppy might be in labour...” he announced running his fingers through his hair “We’re going to go to the hospital.”

At that moment everyone ran over to crowd Poppy, which only made her feel worse.

“Are you having contractions?” Emily asked

“Back pain,” Poppy said through gritted teeth “it’s sharp and it comes and goes every few minutes.”

“That sounds like early labour,” Em nodded “Have you had any bleeding?”

“No,” Poppy shook her head.

“That’s good,” Em smiled “That means your mucus plug is still ok.”

Peter and his husband scrunched their noses at the thought of a mucus plug.

“What does that mean?” Anne asked, voice filled with concern.

“It means the doctors have a better chance of stopping it. “Ok we should go then,” Harry said immediately.

London traffic had never felt slower. They were barely out of their street before they were stopped and it took them five minutes to get to the main road that led to the hospital, which usually only took them 2. Poppy took the extra time to call their doctor and let her know that they were going to the hospital but even after that they were still 10 minutes away.

“Harry,” Poppy sighed. “I’m scared,” her voice broke a little as she admitted how she was feeling.

“Me too, Pop.” He grabbed onto her hand and squeezed it tight before bringing it up to his lips and placing a gentle kiss to it, “We’re going to be ok Pop.”

“She doesn’t even have a name yet!”

“She doesn’t need one,” Harry said optimiscally. “Her due date isn’t for another three months.”

“Harry, I don’t carry babies to term, her due date could very well be today!”

“They stopped it with Oli”, Harry said, turning his head towards her. “There’s nothing to say they won’t be able to stop it this time.”

“I was 28 weeks with Oli”, she sighed “I’m only 27 this time.”

“28 tomorrow,” Harry added,

“One day does make a difference H”.

“I know it does”, he sighed “But I’m trying to stop myself from thinking about what might happen if she arrives today. Let’s try and stay positive until we know more, ok?”

“OK.” Poppy nodded, that’s what she loved the most about Harry. He always looked at the bright side, sometimes to a fault, but today he was right, there was a chance that their little girl might arrive today, but there was an equal chance that she wouldn’t, and why not focus on that?

They pulled into the hospital driveway and Harry headed straight for the underground parking.

“Wait,” he said just before he got a ticket “are you going to be able to walk there if I park down here? Or do you want me to park near the entrance?”

“Harry’s it’s 1pm,” Poppy said reasonably, “There won’t be any parking up there, I’ll be fine to walk.”

“I can go up and get you a wheelchair,” he said, driving the car down the ramp

“I can walk H, I just want to get in there.”

“OK,” he said calmly, pulling into a free space and turning the car off. “Let’s go then.”

They entered A&E to chaos. The waiting room was filled with ill and injured people and Poppy felt a bit out of place until another wave of pain took over her while they waited in the queue to check in.

She squeezed Harry’s hand in an attempt to ease the pain and he asked her if she needed to sit down

“No, I’m OK,” she said, gritting her teeth, “I just want to talk to the nurse.”

“What brings you to A&E today my dear?” The nurse asked as they stepped up to the counter

“I think I’m in labour...” Poppy said

“How far along are you?”

“27 Weeks”

The nurse waved nonchalantly, “It’s probably just Braxton Hicks contractions dear, go home and rest”.

Poppy took a deep breath, not caring as her voice rose in volume, “This is a high risk pregnancy, I went into labour early with my son, and I lost a baby from early labour last year. This is not Braxton Hicks!”

The nurse looked stunned “OK. I’ll call the maternity ward and have one of the midwives come down and assess you. Take a seat.”

“Old Cow,” Poppy muttered to Harry as they took their seats. Harry giggled, “hey hey hey, treat people with kindness now Pop.” “I will when I’m not in labour” she half laughed and half winced at the pain of another contraction.

They didn’t have to wait long, only 10 minutes passed before a midwife came rushing in calling Poppy’s name. They were taken into one of the small examination rooms in A&E to be assessed before they could be admitted to the maternity ward. “How long ago did the pain start?”

“I had a dull ache in my back yesterday afternoon and this morning it turned it to sharp pains every so often,” Poppy said

“And have your waters broken?”

“No,” Poppy shook her head

“Good,” the midwife replied with a smile “any bleeding?”

“No.”

“Great,” she was taking notes on her clipboard

“Did you bring your pregnancy notes with you?”

Poppy looked towards Harry who had been holding them under his armpit the whole time.

“They’re here,” he said handing them to the midwife, who blushed when he smiled at her.

“So this isn’t the first time you’ve gone into labour in the second trimester?”

“No,” Poppy shook her head “It’s the third...”

“OK, well we’ll do a quick exam, see where your cervix is at and go from there, but I’d say given your history we’ll be admitting you. I’ll get you a gown so we can go ahead,” the midwife left the room

“She doesn’t seem too worried,” Harry said

“She doesn’t seem not worried,” Poppy countered. “She thinks I am in labour.”

“We knew that though,” Harry placed a kiss on Poppy’s forehead “I think we’re here early enough to stop it.”

“I hope -”

The midwife walked back in and handed Poppy the gown - “Put this on and lay down on that bed just there. I’ll be back in a few minutes. Dad you can stay or if you’re squeamish you can go back out to the waiting room.”

“I’ve seen it all before,” Harry smiled referring to the examination that was about to happen although he was sure the midwife thought he meant something else because she started blushing again as she walked out of the room.

“Someone’s got a secret admirer!” Poppy said as she unbuttoned her jeans

“It’s not very secret,” Harry added

“Either she’s in love with you, or she’s feeling weird about having to look at Harry Styles wife’s vagina!”

“Maybe both,” he shrugged.

Poppy pulled the gown on and laid down on the table like she was asked and a knock came on the door, right on cue. Harry sat down in the chair next to Poppy head and grabbed hold of her hand.

“Alright, I’ll make this quick,” the midwife said, pulling on a pair of gloves as Poppy winced her way through another contraction. Poppy hated this part, not only was it uncomfortable, but for the next few minutes she didn’t know what was going to happen. Maybe it was just Braxton Hicks contractions and everything was going to be ok, or maybe she’d meet her baby girl today and spend the next few months in the hospital with her.

Or maybe they’d also be saying goodbye to their little girl today.

“You’re only 1cm dilated,” the midwife finally said after what felt like hours. “Normally I’d send you home and tell you to come back if the pain gets worse, but given your history, I’ll admit you and we’ll do a few more tests and go from there. We’ll also give your doctor a call and let her know you’re here.”

An hour later they found themselves in a private room in the maternity ward. An ultrasound had shown the baby had dropped into the right position for birth, and now the shape of Poppy’s uterus was affecting her growth. Now they were nervously waiting for Dr Marshall to come in and tell them that she could somehow work some magic and fix the problem. They waited in silence. Poppy stared at the wall wondering what on earth could have made this happen and Harry sat on his phone, texting Anne and Gemma.

H: Poppy has been admitted, baby girl has dropped, waiting to see the doctor for more info. How is Oli?”

A: Praying for good news xxx. Oli is OK, he keeps asking where you went… What should I tell him?

G: Has anyone told Addie yet?

H: You can tell Oli that we’ve come to the hospital to make sure the baby is ok, and I’ll be home with him as soon as I can. We haven’t told Addie yet, I’ll wait until we know a bit more, don’t want her thinking she needs to jump on a train from Bath if everything is ok.

A: Good idea. Em and her family left about half an hour ago, they said to let them know if you need anything.

H: They’re very sweet, I’ll send Em a message and let her know what’s going on. I’ll try and be home for Oli’s bedtime and then I’ll come back to stay here with Pop

Dr Marshall was surprisingly fast, Harry and Poppy had been expecting her to take hours, but it was only about 20 minutes after they got to their room that she popped her head around the corner.

“How are we doing?, she asked, picking up Poppy’s chart. “contractions every 10 minutes still?”

“About that,” Poppy nodded .

“So what we’re going to try and do is get Baby to turn back around.”

“How do we do that?” Poppy asked, confused.

“Well, if you were more than 1cm dilated we’d do it the simple way, but since you’re not, we’ll try a massage on your belly, we usually do this when a baby is breach, I’ve only done it once or twice for this situation, but it’s a simple procedure, I promise.”

“That sounds much more pleasant than the other way,” Poppy laughed nervously

“It is,” nodded Dr Marshall with a smile.“We’re also going to give you a shot of progesterone to try and put a stop to those contractions.”

“That sounds lovely too,” Poppy half smiled

“And you know this means you’ll be on strict bed rest until you give birth?” Dr Marshall said sternly raising her eyebrows.

“Do I have to stay here?”

Dr Marshall thought for a moment “No,” she hesitated “I’ll let you go home to your little one, but I need you to promise that you’ll be taking it easy”

“I’ll make sure of that”, Harry said a stern look falling onto his face too.

“Good,” the doctor smiled “You’ll be here a day or two while we make sure the labour has stopped and we get Baby Girl turned around.”

Poppy and Harry both nodded

“I’ll order that injection now and once those contractions stop we’ll start the massage.” She put Poppy’s chart down at the end of her bed and turned to leave the room.“Thank you,” Harry and Poppy both called after her .

Once she was gone Harry placed a kiss onto Poppy’s forehead and breathed a sigh of relief “This is good,” he said

“I have a name” Poppy said quietly

Harry sat down on the bed next to her “Hmm” he cooed “I’m listening”

“Florence Anne...”

Harry nodded. “It’s beautiful. Florence, Oscar and Oliver,” he sighed “I like it”

“Flori, Ossie and Oli,” Poppy said. “For short.”

“And Violet,” Harry added

“Always.”

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