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[paperdoll201]

chapter three drop!!!!

Never Be The Same- Chapter 3:

All My Heroes

- Victoria Neuman gives Marie a ride home, taking the time to catch up. Marie finds herself in the middle of an accident once again.

(Title song: All My Heroes by Bleachers)

CW: Blood, semi-graphic injuries.

2k words

<-Previous | Next->

“Neuman…”

Marie stood shocked as Victoria fucking Neuman stared at her, sitting in the backseat of this black SUV currently parked outside of a mid-city diner, and tries to process the fact that this isn't some weird dream of hers. Marie had gotten so used to the new normal that she had built with Jordan and Emma, that she hadn't really thought of the time when she had her conversation with Neuman. But how could she forget the time she had finally met someone who was just like her? Same powers, same tragic past, same orphanage. Victoria- or Nadia, she remembers, is the only one who can truly understand her. Marie slowly re-enters reality, focusing on the blue pantsuit wearing congresswoman in front of her.

“Oh my god, what- what are you doing here? Why-” Marie sputters out, but Neuman cuts her off before she can continue.

“Thought you could use a ride home, and maybe we can catch up on the way. What do you say, kid?”

Marie hesitates a bit and she isn't so sure why. Neuman was one of the good ones, right? She can trust her… right? Marie has learned that her instincts are usually correct, but in this instance, she really wants to see how this plays out. She nods and goes to open the car door, cautiously climbing into the backseat next to Neuman. The moment the door closes, they drive off.

“So, how was work?” Neuman attempts, but Marie prefers to get to the point of this sudden ambush.

“Why are you here? I mean, why now? It's been months since everything happened and you just fucking disappeared.”

“I'm a busy woman, Marie. The fall of Godolkin was a big deal and my team and I had to decide how to address it. Also, I was dealing with your whole virus debacle, which is now taken care of so there's no need to worry about that.” Neuman said matter-of-factly.

“Really? What did you do with it?” Marie asked.

“Like I said, I took care of it. No need to worry. Now, how about we talk about you? How've you been holding up?” Neuman said with seemingly genuine interest.

“Um… alright I guess. Nothing you need to worry about, really.” Marie spoke, cautiously.

Neuman sighs, “I do care, Marie. Like I said, I've been looking out for you ever since I've read your file from Red River. I've never met someone like me before, someone who can understand what it's like to have this ability. Us bloodbenders need to stick together.”

Marie stares at Neuman, looking for any signs of dishonesty or ill intent, but she doesn't find any. Her heartbeat was steady, but she could control that. “So you've been watching me over the last few months?”

“Keeping tabs on you, yes. Watching you, no. You deserve some privacy after everything you've been through. You seem good, living with your friends and all that.”

Marie can't fight the soft smile that comes to her face at the mention of her friends. It has been nice, the little life they've built for themselves. Though that could all change when their college plans come to fruition. “Yeah, it's been good. Better since we haven't had to worry about Vought constantly watching over us.”

“Oh, I'm sure they have some ideas of where you are. They like keeping tabs on their supes. But you haven't made any noise so far, so I'm sure they'll leave you be for now. And I'll obviously do my best to keep you off their radar, but I can only do so much.” Neuman says as if it's not a big deal, which Marie would disagree with, personally.

“So they know where we live?!” Marie says, a bit alarmed.

Neuman gives a look to Marie. “Come on. You didn't really think you could hide from Vought in some apartment in Brooklyn. Which belongs to one of their beloved creations, might I add. But like I said, just stay in their good graces for now and once you're in The Seven you can make some real change.”

Marie double takes at the end of that sentence. “Umm…” Marie chuckles nervously, fidgeting with her fingers as she tries to find the right words. “I don't really plan on getting into The Seven anymore. I don't think I can spend all those years working right under Vought. Or be a part of a team that's led by someone like fucking Homelander. After everything that happened at Godolkin, I kinda wanna stay far away from that shit.”

Neuman lets out a dry laugh, turning face Marie more. Her previous friendly demeanor turns more serious as she clears her throat. “Okay. I'm sorry to break it to you kid, but you can't play house forever. Especially with powers like yours, the likelihood of Vought taking their eyes off you is fucking slim. Vought will always be in control of supes like you and your friends so long as people like Homelander are in power.” Neuman takes a breath in an attempt to recompose herself. She leans in a bit closer to Marie, maintaining direct eye contact. “Which is why it is important that someone like you gets into that position of power and changes the system from within. No more big brother Vought taking young supes and experimenting on them or locking them up the moment they turn 18, because they are “too dangerous to society”. Sometimes, you just have to deal with shit you don't want to do to be a real hero. Isn't that what you want to be? A real hero? A hero that your little sister can be proud of?”

Marie stares back at Neuman, processing all the words coming out of her mouth, the mention of her sister taking her down a specific trail of thoughts. She takes a deep breath and steadies herself before she responds. “Look. After everything that happened at God U, I learned at least one thing. That sometimes being a real hero, means looking like the villain. Vought looks like a bunch of heroes, but that's just to cover up all the fucked up shit underneath. It's all about image. Looking and acting like something you're not. But I don't care about how I look to everyone, and what that makes them think of me, any more. I just want to do the right thing. I want to actually help people, however I can. Be a real hero. One that Annabeth can actually be proud of. Not some lie that I can feed to her for my own sake. So, I'm sorry, but I'm gonna get my power, my way. The right way.”

It's at that moment Marie realizes they've stopped moving. Looking out the window she sees they're parked about a block away from her apartment building.

Neuman shakes her head disappointingly. “You're being naive Marie. You might not see it now, but soon enough you'll realize that there isn't always a “right way”. Sometimes there's just a slightly less shittier way.”

Marie, not keen on continuing this conversation, takes the opportunity to get out of the car. Neuman continues to talk as she makes her way out. “Think of Annabeth, Marie. How are you gonna find her on your own? I have resources, but I can't help you if you walk away from this.”

Marie stops for a second, turning around to face Neuman before she leaves. “I am thinking about Annabeth. Always. I will find her, with or without your help. Now please leave me the fuck alone.” She shuts the car door and walks off before Neuman can say anything else.

—

Marie is about half way from her apartment as she trudged down the sidewalk, the conversation from just moments ago leaving her exhausted and a little heated. A million thoughts run through her head as she goes to turn the corner, but is immediately yanked back to the present when she sees a car chaotically swerving down the street. She watched as the gray SUV collided with a black sedan that was crossing the intersection. It all happened so quickly, as Marie suddenly found herself running to the scene. She could sense from there the amount of blood that was leaking from open wounds. Traffic had stopped around the crash scene fairly quickly, and luckily no more cars were added to the collision. Marie pushed through the crowd of people that were congregating around the scene. She made her way over to the black sedan where she saw a middle aged man with black, peppered hair, exit the vehicle, stumbling a bit as he tried to regain balance. “Hey, are you okay?” Marie said, panicked as she held her hands out to steady him.

The man looked at her a bit confused. “Not sure. I feel alright but I'm sure that's just the adrenaline pumping through my veins right now” they said almost humorously. Marie notices the huge gash on his forehead and immediately goes to stop the bleeding, doing her best to heal the wound. “Hey, what are you do-”

“I'm healing you. I think you should sit down.” Marie suggests sternly.

“Look, I'm a doctor, okay? I appreciate the healing but I need to make sure the people in the other car are okay.” He tries to go and move over to the other car but Marie stops him.

“Listen, that's great that you're a doctor and all, but I don't think you can help anyone in your condition-” She pauses as she looks him over with her powers. “Holy shit. Okay, you need to sit down like, right now. I think your leg is broken.” She doesn't wait for him to respond as she pulls him down to the ground and rolls up his left pant leg and she nearly gags at the sight. His lower leg is indeed broken, bone exposed as blood slowly flows out. Not much she can do about the bone, but she tries her best to stop or at least slow the bleeding.

The doctor looks up at her in awe. “Wow. Okay, thank you, but I really think you should check on the other car. I'll be fine till the paramedics get here.”

Marie nods, trusting the doctor on his self diagnosis as she rushes over to the gray SUV. In the front seat she sees a man, somewhere in his 40s or 50s, completely passed out behind the wheel. She uses her supe strength to pull the jammed door open and starts examining the man. She immediately realizes that his heart is not beating. He had a heart attack. That's why he was swerving like crazy. Marie takes a breath and focuses on his bloodstream. Slowly but surely she works her way around, eventually finding the obstruction that's restricting the blood flow. She concentrates as she breaks it down and gets the blood moving again. She opens her eyes and sighs in relief when his heart starts beating again.

The sound of sirens catch her attention as a couple of ambulances pull up and paramedics make their way onto the scene. She immediately steps back, not wanting to get in the way. She goes to leave but stops walking when she hears someone calling after her. She turns and sees the doctor who is currently being pulled on to a gurney, waving her over. She debates just walking away but decides to quickly walk over to see what he wanted to say.

“Hey, that was some real good work there.” He says with a smile on his face, which seems out of place with the broken leg and all that.

“Thanks. I was just walking by and realized that I could probably help.” She said a bit uncertain.

“Well, you helped out a lot. Your powers seem really useful for that. Helping people, I mean.” The Doctor's voice is filled with genuine interest and praise.

Marie looks down and nervously runs her fingers along the jagged scars that run across her palms. “Yeah… I'm not so sure about that.”

“Well, If I had those powers I bet I'd be able to help out a lot more people than I already do. That guy in the other car had a heart attack, Right?”

“Yeah, he did. How did you know?” Marie looked at him with surprise and slight curiosity.

“Well, for starters, I could see he wasn't breathing from where I was. I also saw you close your eyes and hover your hand over his heart. So, the best guess was probably a heart attack.” He said, shrugging his shoulders.

The paramedic spoke up before Marie could respond. “Sorry to interrupt but we gotta get you in this ambulance and to the hospital as soon as possible.”

“Right. Sorry.” Marie said, stepping back.

“Thanks for healing me, kid!” The doctor yelled before the ambulance doors closed.

With that, Marie made her way with a smile on her face. It felt good helping people with her powers. She actually saved someone's life today. She couldn't wait to tell Jordan about this.

--

This one's pretty short. Most of these beginning chapters are just setting things up, so bare with me here, lol. Hope you're enjoying it so far, there is a lot more to come. Next chapter drops next Saturday! Hope y'all have a great day! (Obligatory thank you to Venus [@paperdoll201] again, for helping me out with this fic 💜)

Much love, 😎👍❤️

-PB

[paperdoll201]

YALL WERE BACK?!

got from @/blushmoss twitter

[paperdoll201]

like i fell in love with that pasty white man holy shit

AND FUCKING ZENDAYA GOD

[paperdoll201]

challengers was phew 😮‍💨 it was something

[paperdoll201]

gonna watch challengers tomorrow i’m excited ‼️‼️‼️

[paperdoll201]

‼️‼️

If you're having trouble keeping up with what's going on in Palestine because of US news coverage of university protests, here are some articles you can read and a video you can watch:

While CNN & all the other mainstream media try to paint the university protests as "pro terrorism" (which they're not, they're literally anti-war protests.) Palestinians are being slaughtered by the minute.

Please don't stop speaking about Palestine.

[paperdoll201]

Emma and Jordan together as besties right??? Cause that dynamic is top tier like I just can’t see them in their current iterations/characterizations in a romantic relationship lol

a comprehensive list as to why i believe emma and jordan would be the best romantic ship of the show:

i was fully joking lol 🤎🤎🤎 sorry if that didn’t translate well in my tags

but yeah, i definitely agree that their friendship dynamic would be amazing to see despite the fact that they hardly interact during the first season!!! now i know that the reason why Jordan even knows of Emma’s entire existence is because through Marie. BUT!!! the short but cute funny moments we get with them interacting is more than enough to convince me that they will be the best friendship pairing and i love that most people agree with this sentiment too!!!! (although love marie and emma’s friendship down, they are locked in 🔐🤎)

next little thing i’m writing isn’t limoreau centered for once lol and it’s just a cute lil drabble of emma x jordan just fucking around with each other. idk i just imagine them to be a very funny, witty, and sarcastic pairing.

If they weren’t currently stuck in that white box or if the entire concept of The Woods just never existed, i believe they would’ve been best friends by the end of their first semester. can’t wait for the development of all of the characters relationships with the other and individually; excited to get a more in depth look into each of them as well.

anyways this ask is great! help me push the narrative that emma x jordan’s is the best romantic pairing (i am FULLY JOKING!!! thank you for giving me a great five minutes of rambling)

TLDR: but overall i fear their chemistry is more palpable than marie and jordan’s. and the best example is how Jordan defended her honor against Justine. has jordan ever done that with marie?????

[paperdoll201]

hmmmm. limoreau x Love Island in my sims game seems fun asf

[paperdoll201]

i miss limoreau gen v on my screen SOOOO BAD OMG give it to me please 🥹

[paperdoll201]

tired of media about high schoolers.. where are the adult dykes abeg

[paperdoll201]

UPDATE!!!

Never Be The Same- Chapter 2:

Us Against the World

- Time passes as the gang tries to adjust to their new normal.

(Title song: Us Against the World by Coldplay)

[a/n: Once again, shout out to Venus (@paperdoll201 💜) for helping me out with this fic! ]

CW: this one's actually pretty chill

3k words

<-Previous | Next->

3 Months Later...    

It's January now. The day after New Years. And it's quiet... Too quiet. Certainly  too quiet for Jordan's taste, but Marie seems to like the quiet. Jordan had noticed it over the last couple months and especially during the last week. 

They both had the apartment to themselves over the holidays. Emma decided to go back home, finally ready to face her mother and excited to see the rest of her family again after so long. Andre, on the other hand, went to visit his dad. Jordan and Marie had tried to talk him out of it since he was being held at Vought Tower and it was way too fucking risky, but Andre was determined to see his father again. To everyone's surprise, everything went fine. Andre let them know as much after his first visit. He even came back to the apartment to prove he wasn't being held captive or “brainwashed”. Jordan insisted on "checking", however one does that. (Really just consisted of using Marie's abilities as a lie detector. An iffy method, but it worked). He eventually packed and moved into one of his other places, closer to where his dad was, and maybe he was also tired of being a third wheel all the fucking time. Who knows.

Anyways, it was just Jordan and Marie now. Had been for a week or so, and it was nice. It felt good sharing a space with her and just her. It was also quiet, and Marie liked the quiet, and so did Jordan for a while. No running around, confused or scared. No immediate threats to their lives or the potential of being captured looming over them. It was calm and comforting. Feelings both Jordan and Marie weren't very used to. But they had each other, which helped them get used to the feeling. However, as the year came to an end, the worry came back. Jordan was realizing how odd this all has been... 

Three months… A little over three months ago, Cate and Sam released the supes from the fucked up underground lab at Godolkin University and went on a rampage. People died. They killed people with their bare fucking hands. Then Marie saved people with her cool as fuck powers, saved their ass from Cate with said cool powers as well. And finally, Homelander flies in, lasers some people in half, threatens to do the same to Marie but didn't when they saw the police coming in to escort people off campus. Jordan hates Homelander now. Just him daring to look at her like that was enough for Jordan to despise the fucker. 

But yes, ALL of that, and then nothing… Absolutely nothing. Just a sad excuse for a cover up aired on TV for one night, then nothing. It didn't feel right. Marie had suggested to Jordan that maybe Ashley let them off free for saving her life, along with the others in the helicopter, but that didn't sound right to Jordan. They knew how Vought worked, If there's anything that Vought didn't like, it was loose ends. And that was exactly what they were. There’s no way they would be free to walk without, at the very least, a clear threat that would loom over them for the rest of their fucking lives. Ashley Barrett, the CEO of Vought, was there. She had to know that they knew about the woods… or maybe not. 

They weren't sure anymore. And it was that unsurety that made Jordan paranoid as all hell, sneaking peeks out the windows, or through the peephole of the door whenever Marie wasn't looking.  But for now, they were doing their best to stay calm, relax, and enjoy the afternoon with Marie.

They were both sitting on the couch, Marie snuggled into Jordan's side. As much as Marie loved to hold Jordan in their fem form, she also loved it when she could cling to them like a koala, their big arms wrapping her up as she laid her head on their chest. So they sat there, just like that, watching Property Brothers reruns in the living room. Empty coffee mugs sat on the coffee table in front of them, where Jordan now rested their feet. They had spent the whole morning on that couch, had breakfast, drank coffee, cuddled up under a blanket and turned the TV on. It was just one of those lazy mornings where they took their time and enjoyed each other's company. But, for the past hour, all Marie could focus on was the echoing beat of Jordan's pounding heart. They were nervous, really nervous, about something. 

Marie tried to see if she could find the source of their stress, tried to think if there was anything about today that could have triggered this, but nothing came to mind. She's been debating on saying something for a while now, silently cursing her powers for making Jordan's heartbeat the only fucking thing she can hear, losing focus on the show a long time ago. But, there was no way in hell Jordan was gonna say something at this point, - so fuck it - Marie thought. 

“So…”

“So?” Jordan looks down at her, raising an eyebrow as they do their best to look nonchalant.

“Anything on your mind lately?” She brings her focus to a spot on Jordan's navy blue sweater, picking at a piece of loose thread. 

The question takes Jordan off guard as they look up and fix their gaze on the TV in front of them, attempting to keep a straight face. Even though they know by now that they can't hide shit from Marie.

“No, not really… Why do you ask?”

“Because… All I've been able to focus on for the past hour is your very fast, very loud heartbeat.” Marie moves her hand up to rest over Jordan's heart. 

Jordan whips their head towards Marie, a bit shocked. “AN HOUR?! My heart’s been bothering you for a whole fucking hour? Are you serious, Marie!? Why didn't you say anything sooner?” The words stumbled out in quick succession.

Marie meets Jordan's shocked gaze, a questioning look on her face. “Why- Wait. You're upset I didn't say anything about how loud your heart was beating?”

“Yes!?!” Jordan shifts to their smaller form scooting back to face Marie better. “If I'd known that my heart was bothering you-”

She scoffs, interrupting them. “You would what? Finally tell me what the fuck’s been bothering you this whole time?” Marie challenged Jordan, crossing her arms.

Jordan stuttered, not sure how to respond. “I- Um. I don't-”

Marie sighs, scooting closer to Jordan. They both sit cross-legged, knees touching. Marie gently holds Jordan's hands, urging them to relax and make eye contact with her. "It's alright. I hesitated because I wasn't sure if it was just a minor thing you didn't want to discuss. I figured if it were serious, you'd mention it. But when you didn't, I got worried your heart might fucking burst, so I kinda had to speak up."

Jordan looks up, meeting Marie's eyes. They let out a shaky laugh. “Yeah, sorry about that. I should have known- remembered that heartbeats are a lot louder for you. I- I would have said something… I don't know.”

“You don't have to apologize for a bodily function that you can't really control. But whatever it is that's causing it, I just want you to know that you can trust me-”

“-I do trust you. Fuck, Marie, of course I know I can trust you. It's just… it's ridiculous. Really, just don't worry about it.” Jordan says dismissively. But Marie's not buying it.

“Jordan.” She looks at them with a knowing look. They really can't hide anything from her. “Just tell me…” Her thumbs move in gentle circles over their knuckles, offering a calming touch.  

Jordan takes a quick breath. “I- I started thinking… about Vought,” Jordan looks away, not wanting to meet her eyes as they say this, “...Again.”

Marie's face softens, giving Jordan's hands a gentle squeeze “Jordan…” 

“I know. I know, there's nothing to fucking worry about anymore. It's been three months and nothing's happened… But doesn't that bother you? That nothing has fucking happened since then? Vought hasn't reached out once? I mean, I still can't believe they let fucking Andre just walk in and see his dad. It's like nothing happened in the first place!”

“Jordan.” Marie's voice is more firm this time, getting their attention. “I know it's weird. But everything's been fucking weird from the start! Vought, Godolkin, The Woods; This whole world is fucking weird and it doesn't make sense. So I'm not gonna complain that Vought hasn't shown up at our doorstep or picked us up off the streets while we're out. For whatever fucking reason, they are leaving us alone, and I'm not gonna look a gift horse in the mouth.” Marie takes a breath, taking a second to gather her thoughts. “This is a chance to live our lives, Jordan. We have a second chance to go to a school, one that hopefully isn't controlled by Vought, and live a somewhat decent life. Hopefully one away from Vought and all their bullshit. We escaped, Jordan. Whether they let us or not, I don't care. I just want to go to school, get a job where I can actually help people outside of Vought’s bullshit, and find my sister…” Marie sighs, nibbling at her lip a bit before pressing on, holding their gaze with her own loving one. “And I want to explore us more. Maybe go out on proper dates, or go on trips together, just get to know you more.” Marie reaches out to tuck a strand of hair behind Jordan's ear, a gentle smile resting on her face.

“Yeah, I guess that sounds pretty nice.” A cheeky smirk pulling at their lips. Jordan puts their hands on Marie's face and pulls her into a deep kiss. Their hands land on her knees as they pull away. “I'm sorry. And you're right, we should move forward. Live our life and find ways to be real fucking heroes. Fight against Vought that way.”

Marie hesitates a bit before nodding, but it was quick enough that Jordan didn't catch it. Don't get her wrong, she wants to take Vought down. But right now, she has other things at the forefront of her mind. Top two begin to find her sister, and stay out of supe jail. Number two was going well so far, but she didn't want any of that to stop Jordan from doing what they wanted. Eventually she would help them take down Vought (however the hell they would even go about doing that), but that's not right now. Marie needs to find her sister. And she will.

— 

1 Month Later

Marie speedwalks out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her as she quickly enters the bedroom. She's scrambling around trying to get her clothes on as she quickly checks the time on her phone, cursing under her breath as she reads 7:15 off the lock screen. A sudden crashing sound and raised voices quickly catches her attention as she is reminded of the other two people living in the apartment.

“You two better not burn the place down!” Marie yells out. A small smile stretches across her face as she remembers Jordan and Emma's plan of making a “proper breakfast” before she leaves for work. 

“We're not!!” She hears the both of them yell back simultaneously, their voices muffled through the door.

Back in the kitchen, Jordan (in their female form) is gently pushing Emma out of the way as they try to take control of the stove. “Just let me make the pancakes and the eggs. You can flip the bacon or wash fruit or whatever.”

“Come on Jordan, I think I can handle scrambling some eggs. Kinda hard to fuck that up.” Emma says, trying to shove her way back so she can reach the eggs.

“That's debatable.” Jordan mumbles.

“Hey! You're the one that almost dropped the pancake mix earlier!” 

“Only because you were about to let the bacon burn! You were too busy scrolling through fucking Tik Tok or whatever the fuck.”

“Well it was actually a video that Andre sent me of a rat dragging a slice of pizza down the street! So ha!” Emma says with a smug look on her face, thinking she successfully one upped Jordan.

Jordan playfully nudges Emma a bit too hard, sending her stumbling back, egg pan still gripped in hand. In the fucking chaos, the egg pan collides into the bacon pan, causing it to go flying off the stove. Reacting swiftly, Jordan easily maneuvers around Emma, catching the pan before it hits the ground while simultaneously shifting into their male form so they don’t get fucking burned. 

“Fucking hell Emma, we almost lost the bacon!” Jordan groans, as they deftly put the pan back on the stove.

“Um, excuse me, but you shoved me. So this is as much your fault as it is mine!” Emma turned towards Jordan, pointing accusingly.

Jordan goes to retort but hears Marie yelling back at them from the bedroom… Again. “Stop fucking fighting!”

“We're not!!” They both say in unison. They both look at each other for a beat before breaking out into a laugh, acknowledging the comical situation.

Jordan sighs, turning down the heat on some of the burners as they reluctantly apologize to Emma. “Okay. I'm sorry I shoved you too hard, causing you to knock the bacon off the stove.”

“Aww, look at you apologizing for your mistakes. Marie is the best thing that ever happened to you.” Emma said, giving a friendly punch to their arm.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just stir the fucking eggs, will you.” Jordan really doesn't like that Emma was right. But, she was right. 

The two finally managed to work together, all the food cooked and ready to serve. Fruit salad and all. Marie walks out as they're placing the food on the table. She wanders around the living room gathering up her purse and coat, taking a look at the food once she has it all together. “Wow, that actually looks really good.”

“Don't act so surprised.” Jordan remarks sarcastically. They walk over to Marie, throwing an arm around her waist and giving her a quick kiss on the lips. 

Marie accepts the kiss graciously, smiling up at them as they part. “I'm just glad you didn't rip each other apart.”

“Oh come on, we're not that bad.” Jordan says, leading Marie over to the table where Emma has already started to eat.

“Yeah! Jordan's like my annoying older sibling. We bicker about stupid shit all the time. They usually start it though.” Emma said before eating a fork-full of pancake.

“Wow. Thanks.” Jordan sarcastically replies as they go to sit down. Emma gives a teasing look before taking a bite of her bacon. 

Marie lets out a breathy laugh, shaking her head as she watches the two self-proclaimed siblings bicker away. She loves that the two have grown closer over the last few months. They were two of the most important people in her life at the moment, so it means a lot. She looks over and reads the time off the oven clock and remembers why she was rushing just a moment ago. “Oh shit. Sorry guys, but I'm gonna be late if I don't leave right now.” She grabs a piece of bacon and puts it in her mouth as she goes to put her coat on.

“Nooo! Just stay for like a couple minutes! I'm sure they won't mind if you're just a little late.” Emma pleads with Marie. 

“I know you two worked hard on this, but I don't think I can afford to be late again. You know how Fred can be.” Emma nods in understanding, knowing exactly how their manager can be. Marie grabs her purse and quickly walks over to Emma, giving her a quick hug and a kiss on the head, then over to Jordan to do the same.

Jordan looks up at her, their best puppy dog eyes on display, while pouting their lips. “Just five minutes? Please?”

Marie looks down at them. At those damn dark brown eyes that they know she can't resist. The same eyes that had caused her to be late a couple times before. But she can't let those beautiful eyes win every time. “Nice try, but I really have to go.” She gives them a quick peck on the lips and walks away before they can pull her back in. “I'll be back before you know it!” She yells back at them as she walks out the door, shutting it behind her. 

Jordan looks over at the door with a dramatic sadness before turning back around. Emma makes a fake gagging noise at them, earning a deadpan stare from Jordan as they shift to their female form. “Very mature.” 

“Very mature-” Emma mimics back at them, before getting a grape tossed at them. “Hey!” 

Jordan laughs before quickly dodging the same grape flying back at them, starting a very dangerous game of grape throwing. Who won the battle of the grape? We may never know…

—

Working at a diner in the middle of the city was about what Marie expected it to be. Taking orders, dealing with shitty customers, waiting and bussing tables for subpar tips, the whole shebang. It was all she could get with a resume of zero work experience, but it was a job and the pay wasn't too bad. Her shift came and went, the morning rush on a Sunday being what you'd expect. She clocks out and makes her way out of the diner but stops in her tracks as a black SUV drives up and stops in front of her. She instinctively goes to reach for her pocket knife, but stops when the backseat window rolls down. 

“Neuman…”

---

Chapter 2!! Thanks for reading, people. Hope you enjoyed. Chapter 3 drops next Saturday!

Much love, 😎👍❤️

-PB

[paperdoll201]

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.infinitycow.eplay

i won’t open this link in fear of it hacking my device or anything but thanks for the ask!!!

[paperdoll201]

watched now you see me and it’s sequel back to back. thought the first one was amazing but the second one didn’t hit for me the way i wished it did

[paperdoll201]

oh this is so cute

FaceTime Chronicles 💯

All images sourced from their Instagrams and Pinterest.

[paperdoll201]

thanks for the tags @pinkcrocss and @perpetualproductions even though i’m answering a few days later 😔

1. going to the gym. not only does it force me to get up early but i actually enjoy it

2. taking walks especially now that the weather is nice again. being in the sun is good for my mental ☀️

3. Playing Papa’s Scooperia. a well spent 2 bucks imo

4. cooking with my sister. it’s so much vibes with us when we’re in the kitchen. we typically turn on a podcast and make comments as we cook. definitely my favorite pastime

5. Listening to music and discovering new music. i truly feel music in the deepest part of my soul. i love listening to music and all types of music. its therapeutic and i can daydream

Ask game :) List 5 things that make you happy and then ask this question to the last 10 people who liked and reblogged things from you

thank you! 😊 life's a bit of a mess at the moment ngl, but still:

sunsets around my place have been particularly beautiful lately

i've started doing drag and it's been really exciting so far

i'm spending a couple days by the sea this weekend

pokemon cards & merch (and on that topic, jaiden animation's latest video)

i saw mother mother in concert a while ago and they were incredible

tagging: @starship-yentaprise, @cookie-moi, @nerdlandia, @maaaathemeatloaf, @mortsubiteart, @lucyintheskywithxanax, @astreakofgay, @thehappyegg, @lindaeastman, @itsfantasticallyhomoerotic and also, bc i want to, @sheep-in-space, @firstdragonlady, @lifesizehysteria, @cozcat and @maddelineusher 💖

[paperdoll201]

i’ve been off from tumblr because i got a new JOBBBBBBB!!!!

working venus is back and making money again 💃🏾🕺🏾

[paperdoll201]

i’ve been WAITING FOR THIS AHHHHHH!!!! everyone please go read it’s so goooood

Never Be The Same - Chapter 1:

Me and My Friends Are Lonely

- It's been a couple days since shit went down at Godolkin. The four lay low in one of Andres many properties in the city. What now?

(Title song: Me and My Friends Are Lonely by Matt Maeson)

3.4k words

CW: (small) mention of smoking/drug use. The normal amount of swearing. They make out, but nothing explicit.

“Godolkin University. Oh, how the mighty fall. The once prestigious number one supe school in America, brought down by radical supes and a Dean with a hidden agenda. Indira Shetty, former behavioral scientist and the last Dean of Godolkin, who turned out to be an anti-supe and anti-vought radicalist. Using her prior scientific knowledge and position of power over students, she groomed and manipulated these supes to kill their own kind. Lives of both humans and supes were lost in the tragic conquest of the foreign terrorist that is Indira Shetty. But do not fear, as our very own homelander had flown in and saved the day, taking down the terrorists and escorting all of the remaining students and faculty to safety. It will take some time to rebuild Godolkin and restore it to its former glory due to the aftermath of the incident, But worry not, for with the help of Vought, young supes all over the country can now attend colleges up to the most prestigious levels. Supe students are able to study any major, including supe specific majors such as crime fighting and more! Vought, once again, doing the right thing and making sure our kids stay educated. And with that, I’m Cameron Coleman coming at you from Vought News. Goodnight Amer-”

The television shuts off once the news story comes to an end. Jordan tosses the remote back onto the couch, letting out a huff as they run their hands through their hair, messing up the perfect curls of their bob as they do. They resume pacing back and forth behind the couch where Marie and Emma currently sit. Andre sits in the armchair situated on the left side of the room and stares at the dark tv screen, still trying to process everything that has been going on the past few days. They are all currently in one of Andre’s Dad’s many Apartments in New York. Apparently they didn’t use this one very often, being not nearly as extravagant as some of his other penthouses over on the upper-east side, but it was perfect for the four of them to lie low in while they dealt with all that transpired over the last couple of days. Andre had offered the idea of staying at one of his places when Marie mentioned that they had nowhere to go now that Godolkin is no more. She definitely didn't want to go back to Red River, where they'd probably send her straight to Elmira. Emma said that she could stay with her, but Emma wasn't too excited to go back home herself. Jordan had also decided to take up Andre's offer for similar reasons.

So there they were. Sitting around the living room in silence, not sure what to say to each other after watching that broadcast. Empty pizza boxes and soda cans littered the coffee table in front of them. Since the Andersons rarely used this place, the fridge was empty, so they decided to order food for the time being. No one was comfortable enough to go grocery shopping yet. They've all basically isolated themselves inside the apartment for the last four days, the shock and trauma of past events holding them in place. But they all spent the time comforting each other. They all went through the same thing so it only made sense. They've talked separately and as a group, confiding in each other for the time being. The uncertainty of the future weighing heavy on them all.

“That's it. I need a smoke.” Andre pushes himself up and goes searching through the drawers in the adjacent kitchen.

Jordan shakes their head as they yell back to Andre, “No. We need to talk first. I'd appreciate it if you were at least a bit fucking sober for this conversation.”

“Plus, there are no cigarettes left…I already checked.” Jordan mumbles that last part.

“Dammit. Fine.” Andre begrudgingly walks over and plops back into his previous spot. “But you owe me a pack when we're done.”

Jordan shakes their head before walking around the couch and standing in front of the TV. They take a breath, but Emma begins to speak before Jordan gets the chance.

“Well, looks like Vought blamed all that shit on Shetty. And sure it's not 100% accurate, but it's better than nothing, right?” Emma looks between the three of them for a response.

Marie sighs, turning left to face Emma. “I don't know, They still got away with it. Nobody knows about the woods or the virus-”

“-And not a single fucking mention of Cate or Sam.” Jordan jumps in, hatred clear in their voice as they say the name of their ex-friend.

Everyone in the room pauses for a second at the mention of their names. They still had no idea what happened to them before they were escorted off campus. Marie had tried to tell Homelander about what Cate had done, but he just stared at her with his cold dead eyes, quickly flashing red before huffing and flying away. If Marie didn't know better, she was almost certain that was a threat on her life. And if all those people hadn’t been there, then she'd be a pile of ash by now. Further solidifying the whole ‘nothing is as it seems’ revelation.

“Yeah… but, on the bright side, it looks like we're in the clear. None of our names were mentioned either. We at least don't have to hide anymore.” Emma's words grow more uncertain as she continues, the last words being mumbled.

“You're right.” Jordan shifts to their male form, gaining a few inches in height and crosses their arms. “But we still need to be careful. If Vought knows that we knew about the fucking woods, then we could still have targets on our backs. They could be watching us. Watching our every fucking move to make sure we don't spill anything.”

“But wouldn't they have done something by now? I mean sure, they might not expect an apartment in the middle of Brooklyn, but it's Vought. If they wanted to find us, don't you think they would have by now?” Andre retorts. Emma was right. They didn't even mention any wanted supes or anything. So they should be fine.

Jordan sighs as they shake their head, “I don't-”

“No.” Marie interrupts. “No, they're right, Jordan. I agree that we should still be careful, but it's almost been a week and we can't stay locked up here forever. If Vought wanted to find us, they would. And it's not like we could fucking stop them either. Definitely not if we stay in New York. But you heard the news report, we have a second chance. A second fucking chance to go to school and finish our education so we can actually do something with our lives. And I don't know about you but second chances don't come by often for me. I need to go to college and get a degree if I want a chance at a life that doesn't include being locked up for the foreseeable future. I can't do any good from here. We can't do any good if we stay here.”

Marie takes a breath.

“If we want to make a change and help people, then we need to go out and do it.” She stares directly into Jordan's eyes as she says this. Jordan wasn't planning to fight Marie on this anyway, but they were done for the second their eyes locked. Those beautiful damn eyes. They're not quite sure how they feel about the effect she has on them yet, but they hope they have time to find out.

“Fine.” Is all Jordan can manage to say as they tear their eyes away from Marie's. Jordan checks the time on the wall clock, “It's late. We can continue tomorrow. I'm going to bed.” Jordan speaks in a flat tone, walking off to their temporary bedroom, leaving the three of them in the living room.

Marie waits a couple minutes before getting up from the couch. “I'm gonna-”

“Oh my God just go comfort your themfriend already!” Emma exclaims as she shoves Marie in the direction of the hall that leads to the bedroom. Marie can't help but laugh as she's being pushed by Emma playfully.

“Have fun~!” Andre says in a sing-songy voice as Marie walks past them, flipping them off.

Once Marie left, Andre and Emma looked at each other for a moment before breaking out into laughter.

—

Jordan stands in the dark of their small, temporary bedroom. Their arms are crossed as they watch intently out the window, eyes peering through the blinds. The view isn't much to admire. Just the end of a shitty, dark alleyway leading out to a dimly lit street corner. Jordan watches as people wander the dark, cold streets of Brooklyn. What the hell they're doing out this late, no one knows, and Jordan doesn't necessarily care either. Still, they watch vigilantly, waiting for something to happen, someone who looks out of place, eyes that might stare back. But behind those focused, observant eyes, are a million thoughts spiraling around their head, all focused around one person. Marie. The last few days Jordan hadn't been able to think a single thought that didn't connect to Marie in some way, shape, or form. Hell, if they're being honest, all they've thought about for the last month has revolved around Marie.

Marie Moreau…

She came in like a fucking heart attack. Suddenly, out of the blue, taking their breath away, and letting them know they'll have to make some life changes to accommodate. For the past week or so Marie had been their safe place. A warm comfort that kept them grounded while the world crumbled around them. The one good thing in the middle of so much fucking bad. But with the warmth, comfort, and steadiness that Marie brought them, came something unexpected. Fear.

They were afraid. Afraid of losing her. They almost lost her the day Cate went on her crazy ass rampage. They had just got her, and the thought of now losing her at any moment? The thought of Vought taking Marie and doing God knows what to her? It terrified them. Made them feel powerless. And they hate feeling powerless.

A soft knock on the door drew Jordan out of their thoughts, back into the

present.

“Jordan? Can I come in?”

Marie's soft, muffled voice still managed to bring some sense of calm to Jordan, even with the storm of thoughts berating their brain. Jordan gives a soft “yeah”, just loud enough for Marie to hear, as Jordan continues their vigilant search out the window.

Marie enters the room, slowly pushing the door close behind her, not wanting to make too much noise this late. She looks at Jordan, admiring their masculine figure, sharp edges softly painted by moonlight as they look out the bedroom window. Marie slowly makes her way across the room to Jordan. Once at their side, she places a hand on their arm and places the other on their back, slowly rubbing soft circles while enjoying the feeling of their soft, cotton, long sleeve shirt. Jordan leans into their touch, eyes threatening to close and succumb to the comfort.

“Hey.” She whispers softly, looking up at them and noticing the stern look on their face, their jaw tense and brows furrowed.

“Hey.” Jordan mutters as they attempt to maintain their focus on the two strangers standing on the street corner. Doesn't seem like they're doing much, just talking, but Jordan watched their every move regardless.

Marie realizes what they're doing, taking the time to observe out the window herself. “See anything interesting?”

Jordan huffs, “Don't tease, Marie. This is serious.”

“I'm not teasing.” She remarks in a serious, reassuring tone as she looks back up at them. “It's just… you can't stand here all night and expect something to happen. And you can't will it into existence if you stare hard enough.”

Jordan decides to remain silent, knowing that she's right. Which really shouldn't be a surprise at this point. Marie takes this opportunity to move her hand to their chest and lead them back towards the bed, which is only a couple steps back from the window. Jordan lets her lead them to the bed, dropping their head into their hands as they're sat down by Marie.

“You're right.” Their hands gripping their hair, hoping that would release the tension in their head.

“I know.” Marie replies with a hint of humor in her voice. She stands in front of them, putting her hands on theirs and uncurling their fingers from their hair. Jordan eases their grip as she does.

Jordan lets out a soft chuckle as they bring their head back up to face Marie. They take a moment to admire her, the moonlight framing her in a graceful light. Beautiful is the only word that comes to Jordan's mind. The word itself doesn't even do her justice. They bring their left hand up to cup her face, gently brushing their thumb on her cheek. Marie places her hand on top of theirs as she leans into their touch, quickly turning her head to kiss their hand.

“I'm scared…” The words just fall out of Jordan's mouth, barely audible as Jordan wrestles with their feelings. Something about Marie disarms them, makes them feel vulnerable as all hell. But they know they can trust her. They're safe with her.

Marie looks into their eyes, an understanding look on her face, and nods. “I know. I'm scared too. Like, really fucking scared. But we aren't alone in this, Jordan. We have each other. We have Emma, and Andre-”

“I know… it's just-” Jordan takes Marie's hand and moves it down. Marie moves to sit down next to them, letting their hands fall on to Jordan's lap. Jordan takes a shaky, deep breath before continuing. “This is the first time I'm worried about someone who isn't just me.”

“You don't have to worry about me.” Marie says with a reassuring smile.

“Well, yeah. I know more than anyone that you can take care of yourself any fucking day, but I can't help it. You just mean so much to me. You have no fucking clue how much you matter to me, Marie. You are one of the only people in this fucked up world who has cared about me in this capacity, who has accepted me completely. I can't lose that. I can't lose you.”

Marie does her best to fight back the tears threatening to fall. She places her free hand on top of their clasped hands, giving it a squeeze. “You mean a lot to me too. More than you can imagine. And of course I'm worried about losing you too, but I have to believe that there's a way out of this. Staying locked up inside all day, afraid for our lives, always being on guard? We can't live like that forever. We have to trust in each other to get out of this shit together. You don't have to do this alone, Jordan. We have each other. And I'm not going anywhere, okay?”

Jordan nods, “okay.”

Marie places a hand on the side of Jordan's face. They stare into each other's deep, brown eyes for what feels like an eternity before Jordan leans in and closes the gap. Lips lock, as they desperately hold on to each other, refusing to let the other go. The kiss, deep and passionate. A moment imprinted into their minds as they meld, moving seamlessly against each other, savoring every sensation.

Jordan switches to their smaller form as they move to straddle Marie, holding her head in their hands as they desperately taste every single corner of Marie's mouth. They let out a moan as Marie tangles her hands into their longer hair giving it gentle tug. Jordan moves their lips to Marie's neck, revisiting every crevice and curve they've had the pleasure of getting to know. Marie's moans only fuel Jordan, as they push her to lay back on the bed, hands running their way up and down Marie's sides. Marie goes to flip them over, moving them up the bed till their head lands on the pillows. Jordan shifts again, strong hands moving up Marie's body, making their way under her sweater. But before they can do anything else, Marie pulls away, gently removing Jordan's hands from her sweater. Jordan lets out a small whine at the sudden loss of contact, throwing Marie a questioning look.

“Is everything alright?” they asked, slightly worried they went too far.

“It's late Jordan. And as much as I would love to continue this,” she runs her finger up Jordan's chest, eventually resting on their shoulder. “We could really use some sleep. There's a lot to do tomorrow, and we haven't slept as much as we probably should have over the last couple nights.” Marie says, a small smile tugging at her lips.

Jordan sighs, hands resting on Marie's thighs, thumbs brushing back and forth as they contemplate. “Why did I have to fall for someone so responsible?”

“Who else is gonna make sure you take care of yourself?” Marie says playful as she gets off of Jordan, pulling the covers of the bed down and draping them over Jordan.

“I can take care of myself just fine, thank you.” Jordan says, switching back to their female form, as they take their pants off and readjust the covers.

“Oh really? So, you've never stayed up for a whole week studying for exams, forgetting to do simple things like eat or shower?” Marie saunters over to the other side of the bed, taking her hoodie off, leaving her in a loose t-shirt and pajama pants.

Jordan turns onto their side, propping their head up with their arm as they watch Marie intently. “Those were necessary sacrifices for success.”

Marie laughs, shaking her head at Jordan. “Contrary to your popular belief, you do need to eat more than once a week to survive” Marie pulls back the covers and shuffles into bed.

“I bet I can last longer.” Jordan chuckles as Marie playfully slaps their arm. She gets on her side to face them, taking a second to adore their playful smile.

“You know what I mean. Admit it, you'd be helpless without me.”

Jordan shifts to their male form as they pull Marie into them, nestling their head in the crook of her neck. “I'd be helpless without you.” There's an undeniable sincerity to their muffled words that Marie holds on to, knowing that they'll always be there when they need each other the most.

Jordan pulls back and places a kiss on her lips, kissing her as if they're sealing a promise, before pulling away. They both lay there, holding each other, getting lost in the depths of each other's eyes. Marie brings a hand up and starts running her fingers through Jordan's soft curls, relishing in the sound they make as they close their eyes in bliss.

“You're so pretty.” Marie whispers out.

Jordan's eyes flutter open, a small smile tugging on their lips as they switch back to their female form. “No, you.”

Marie softly giggles as she brings Jordan's head forward and kisses their forehead, leaning her forehead on theirs after pulling back.

The two begin to drift off to sleep, holding each other tightly, heartbeats falling into the same steady rhythm.

“Goodnight.” Marie breathes out as she feels herself being pulled into slumber.

“Goodnight… I love you.”

It takes a minute, but Jordan's eyes shoot open, finally registering the words that so effortlessly flowed out of their mouth. They expected to be met with that same shocked expression they are currently wearing, but they aren't. In fact, Marie just looks at them smiling fondly as she responds, “I love you too.”

“You… you do?” Jordan's face softens as a mix of relief, surprise and a bit of uncertainty rests on their face.

Marie lets out a short, breathy laugh, looking at Jordan as if they just said the most ridiculous thing. “Why wouldn't I?”

“I- I don't know,” Jordan nervously stutters out.

They steady as Marie holds their face firmly in her hands, looking right into their eyes with unmistakable certainty. “I love you, Jordan Li. completely and honestly.”

Jordan smiles. Genuine joy spreading across their face. “I love you too. completely and honestly.”

They kiss deeply and lovingly, solidifying their growing connection. Jordan situates themself under Marie's arm, head resting on her chest as their arms wrap around her waist. Marie holds them back, kissing the top of their head before they both finally drift off to sleep.

---------

That's the first chapter of NBTS! Again, I wrote this back in January and it was the first thing I've written in a while. But yeah, thanks so much for reading. I shall be releasing chapter 2 NEXT Saturday. Probably gonna release chapters weekly just so I can stay ahead with the rest of it. Again, this is gonna be a long fic, (I'm currently on chapter 8 and I'm just getting started). Speaking of, MASSIVE thanks to @paperdoll201 for beta reading this. She's been the victim of many of my thought dumps and rambles, as well as reading through the fic and giving suggestions, and advice. So yeah, please check her out. She's great. (And also a better writer so go read her stuff too 💜).

Much love 😎👍❤️

-PB

[p.s. each chapter is titled after a song, all which will be on a playlist made for this fic. I'm still working on organizing it, but I'll drop it once it is. Promise.]