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introvertedelf · 7 months ago

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Daughter of Iron

Chapter 2

A week of interning at the tower had passed. Bruce was more impressed with you every day, and Tony, while nonchalant about it, you could tell was too.

You got there before Peter did, and you had forgotten to tell him you were there. You were in the corner of the lab when you heard Stark and your best friend come in, when you overheard a conversation.

"Look kid, if you're going to be Spider-Man and be part of this team, you've got to be more careful with—"

Tony stopped talking when he saw you sitting there, your mouth open. "Peter! What the fuck?!" You screamed at him. "You're Spider-Man??"

Peter stood there, looking between Tony and you, and Tony just crossed his arms, pinching his nose.

"Y/N, listen, I was going to tell you but—"

You cut him off. "But what?! We've known each other since we were in kindergarten. We don't keep secrets. It's not like I have anyone to fucking tell, if that's what you were worried about."

"That's not what I was worried about. I have to keep my identity safe from people I love because if I don't it makes them a target, Y/N. Aunt May doesn't even know. I...I just didn't want to put you in danger."

Your eyes soften when he's says that, and Tony finally speaks up. "Well now that the cat is out of the bag and there's no memory erasing serum lying around here, you better zip it, missy," he pointed his finger at you.

"I wouldn't tell a soul. Again...I have no one to tell," you looked at Peter, emotions in your eyes about losing your mom. Peter returned your look, and Stark looked between you two.

"Don't know what that's about, but anyway. Now you're both going to have to live here so you're not in danger."

"What?!" Peter and I both whip our heads to look at Tony.

"You heard be, kiddos. I'll show you to your rooms. You have a day to get your things moved in here," Tony said, motioning for you both to follow him. "Peter, you have that room already, but you're going to have to actually stay here now," Tony glared at him.

He dropped Peter off at his room, and motioned for me alone to follow him. "You don't understand how big of a deal this is, kid. It's dangerous for people the Avengers are close to because of our enemies," he explained, taking you to a room that was just down the hall from Peter's.

You arrived to the room, feeling overwhelmed. "So I'm just supposed to stay here all the time now? Not be allowed to go outside? What about school?"

"Peter will be with you when you go to school. But yeah, it's dangerous. Normally it wouldn't be this bad, but we've been getting...hostage threats lately by a not so great organization. So yeah, you're welcome for protecting you," he said with a sarcastic smile.

"What organization?" You asked.

Tony shook his head. "Too much to explain now. We'll talk more at dinner with the rest of the team," he said, walking away.

"Thanks," you mumble to yourself.

This was great. Just great.

***

A knock sounded at your door, and you opened it to reveal Peter standing there. "Hey it's uh...time for dinner."

You came out. "So...they all eat together every night?" You asked.

He shook his head. "Just on Fridays and the weekend. Team bonding or something like that," he said.

You got to the common room to see everyone seated. You felt everyone's stares burn into your eyes. There were two empty spots next to Bucky. Peter of course didn't take the one next to him, so you did with a burning feeling in your cheeks.

"Well," said Tony. "Now that everyone is here and totally not late or anything," he glared at you and Peter. "Let's talk. So me and Pete over here accidentally spilled the beans to Y/N," he gestured to you, and everyone looked again. "So now the two love birds are going to be living here."

"Lovebirds?" You and Peter said at the same time with a disdainful tone.

"Come on he's like my brother, that's disgusting," you said, and Peter nodded. Everyone chuckled at that.

Bucky beside you never pulled his eyes away from you, and you looked over to him with sudden confidence, your brow quirked. "Can I help you?"

He finally cracked a smirk. "Sorry. I'm Bucky," he said, reaching out a metal hand for you to shake. You had a dirty thought suddenly, wondering what it would be like to get fingered by those metal fingers when you heard a snort across the table coming from Wanda.

You both shot your eyes to her, and she covered her mouth. Vision spoke up. "Y/N, Wanda can read minds, amongst other things," he explained.

You covered your mouth, realizing what you were just thinking. You looked at her and both started laughing. You knew from that point you'd both be the best of friends.

You finally took Bucky's hand, inhaling sharply at the feel of the cold metal against your burning skin. "I know who you are," you said matter of factly.

He smirked. "And I don't know who you are. That's hardly fair. We'll have to get to know each other, doll," he said, releasing your hand.

A low whistle coming from Sam sounded the air, and your cheeks flushed again.

"Oh that's great. Stay away from my best friend!" Peter said, pointing a finger at Bucky, who held his hands up in surrender chuckling. "I'm totally kidding, have at her. She could use a good dicking down. She's been so uptight for the past—"

"Peter!" You said accusingly.

Tony face palmed. "Did not need to hear that, Pete. You kids are like horny little rabbits," he said, taking a bite of his steak.

"Says the ex-playboy," Nat said under her breath. Everyone erupted in laughter at that, and you couldn't help but laugh yourself.

After dinner, Bucky caught you before you could disappear.

You whipped around when he called your name, and you realized then how tall and...large he was. "Oh, hi..."

"Hi," he smirked. "I said I wanted to get to know you and I meant that, doll," he got closer to you, pressing you against the wall and putting his metal arm beside your head.

You gulped, trying to play it cool. "R-right," you couldn't deny the way he made your panties damp. Even more than Steve did...oh god, he was a super soldier, didn't that mean he had enhanced senses? Could he *smell* your arousal? The through made you squeeze your thighs together.

He chuckled lowly then, putting two fingers under your chin so you would look at him. "There she is," he smirked. "You're so beautiful..."

He was really testing you. Ok, Peter was right. You've been very...frustrated lately. Sexually. You could really use a good fuck.

You got brave, pressing your lips to his, and he immediately kissed back, meeting his tongue halfway with yours as he gripped your hips with his strong hands, pulling your pelvis into his hard, huge clothed bulge.

"That surprised me, doll. Didn't think you'd be so bold," he said. "I won't lie...I want you. But if you want me to stop, tell me now."

You shook your head. "Please don't stop, Bucky, I want you too..."

That was all he needed before picking you up and throwing you over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, walking to what you presumed was his room.

You got in and he threw you down on the bed, finding your clit through your panties and rubbing it with expertise.

"Fuck...Bucky, need you now..." you said, taking your shirt off.

"Slow down, doll. You're gonna thank me for preparing you," he said, and you realized he was talking about his...size. From what you felt grinding on you, he was quite large.

He pulled your panties down, feeling you. "So wet for me...and I haven't even hardly touched you yet."

He got on his knees, pulling you to the edge of the bed as he buried his face between your thighs, feeling the stubble rub on them and adding to the heat.

He started eating you out like a starved man, moaning at the taste of you. You saw stars when he inserted two metal fingers, the sensations throwing you over the edge as he sucked your clit into his mouth.

"Good girl, cum for me, that's it," he said.

He fiddled with his belt, pulling everything off as your eyes widened in shock. God—he was *huge*. 8 inches and *thick*. You'd never taken something so big...

"See now why I needed to prepare you, baby? I'd hate to hurt that pretty little pussy," he said, teasing your entrance with the tip. "You ready?"

"Please, I need you so bad—"

Without another word, he filled you with his cock, and you squealed as he filled you like you had never been filled before.

"Oh my god, this is the tightest pussy I've ever...oh my god I'm not gonna last long baby," he moaned into your ear, pressing his lips to yours as he pulled out before filling you back up.

Over and over again, he pounded you, and you prayed no one could hear your moans and the filth that came from your lips.

He pressed his thumb against your clit, urging you to cum again for him. You did just that, clamping down on him and making him spill his seed inside of you with a growl.

Thank god for birth control, you thought to yourself.

He pulled out of you, lying down and pulling you down next to him. "Well that was amazing," he said, rubbing your back gently.

You hummed in agreement, feeling sleepy suddenly.

He looked at you, holding you close. "I know we just met...but I like you, Y/N. I...I don't want this to be a one time thing. Will you—"

"Yes, Bucky. I'll be your girl," you replied, kissing his cheek.

He smiled, pulling you on top of him. Another round of pure bliss ensued, and you both crashed for the night after the fourth round.

***

Authors note:

Can you tell I like Bucky? Phew. This chapter was steamy. Something big is gonna happen soon within the next couple chapters!

#tony stark x reader #peter parker x reader #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes smut #tony stark x daughter!reader

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wildflowerwoodsworld · 5 months ago

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A guide on writing YamiChar (or, how I do it, at least)

I've tried to write this meta over and over and over, trying to put all my thoughts in order, (below is my best attempt at it) but the more I try to explain how I do them, the more I realise that writing YamiChar well really just comes down to making sure that they're their own separate characters, with their own motivations and conflicts and lives outside each other. Yami needs to give a damn and Charlotte needs to not be obsessed with him. That's it.

Anyway. The meta.

First things first, the most important part of writing them (and why it so often falls short in canon) is that they both have to care about each other. Exactly how this looks can vary depending on the plot of your fic, but you cannot have Yami not caring about Charlotte in some way. The biggest reason this ship calls short in canon is because Yami doesn't really seem to give a damn about her, when he is all Charlotte's internal monologue can really focus on. She gets possessed and he doesn't seem to give a damn. After the initial fight, he doesn't even think about her, even while he's running around with Charla. Comparatively, when Yami gets kidnapped, she can't think about anything else.

Personally, I tone down Charlotte's crush. Or at least how she expresses it outwardly. Her running away from Yami screaming isn't funny, it isn't cute and it isn't helping her in any way. It's just embarrassing for her and makes her look incompetent. This woman is a Magic Knight Captain. She has a reputation to think about, people her being incompetent will reflect badly on. She is the face of the Blue Rose Knights, if people lose respect for her, then they're likely to start losing respect for her squad and that just makes their job harder than it needs to be. Especially considering the fact that, the world of Black Clover, just like our own, seems to elevate men's accomplishments above women's. So, yes. Charlotte's panicked screaming needs to go.

This isn't to say that she can't get embarrassed or flustered or that she can't panic, Charlotte is still a dramatic person at the end of the day, but those sorts of emotions are far more likely to be expressed in private, or only around people she can trust. She is not going to run screaming into a room full of strangers making a fool of herself.

On Yami's side of things, I tend to go with him not quite realising exactly what he's feeling. he has no real reason to believe what he's reading in her ki, or what people are telling him she feels. He's a foreigner. People like Nozel have made it quite clear that he isn't really welcome. Why would he think that the woman who could have literally anyone she wanted would want him?

Yami acts like a big, confident guy, but there's a lot of childhood trauma buried under all the bravado. He jokes about being a soft sensitive princess, but there's truth to it. His love interest has to be willing to look under the big macho man facade and not many people do.

So. We've got two people with a whole host of childhood trauma hiding their real selves from the world. How do we turn that into a relationship? You give them something to connect over. For these two, they're in a very unique position to understand each other in a way nobody else really can. They've both been shunned for things they can't control. They've both had people terrified of their magic. They've both had countless doors slammed in their faces. They've both dealt with people judging them on appearance alone. They've both been placed on a pedestal with a kingdom that criticises their every move. There's a lot of common ground for them to bond over.

Importantly, they aren't fixing each other. Sure, they learn from each other, but Yami doesn't suddenly become a perfect gentleman, Charlotte doesn't lose her sharp tongue or general attitude towards men. They do not suddenly become a lovey-dovey mess. They are both people who would rather ignore their feelings and leave it to deal with another time, preferably never. "That's Future Yami's problem" ring any bells? Which, I suppose, is better than Charlotte just diving straight into denial. Anyway. My point is, their romance looks like friendly teasing and unspoken trust, "I've got your back" and meaning it, the calm confidence that comes with knowing you're stronger together and capable of utterly wrecking anyone that tries to fight you.

Also, if anyone is going to retire to raise the kids, it's Yami.

TL;DR write them the same way you would if they were best friends but with more flirting.

#black clover #charlotte roselei #yami sukehiro #yamichar #my writing #writing guide #black clover meta #I guess #black clover analysis

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hotpinkmurex · 11 months ago

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WIP Wednesday (on a Wednesday!)

I did this. I chose to make Kaz Brekker an actual character in my historical Wesper romantasy. So now, as an homage to Crooked Kingdom, I have to write him scheming up a scheme probably I won't even understand...

"Pekka Rollins?!" cried Jesper, as disbelief at what he was hearing made him forget momentarily the six foot five Fjerdan barrelling towards him and wielding a sword. Too late Jesper side-stepped. Steel glanced his cheek. The blade sliced the air. Momentum carried Matthias's feet forward, and the not-inconsiderable force he had put behind his weapon got buried in a pine tree with a shrill-sounding 'thunk'. Pekka Rollins engaged to Lord Wylan! It was too ridiculous. Kaz was mistaken. His source was feeding him lies. Kaz must be wrong. Though he never had been before... "Mind your stance," came a flat voice across the clearing to where Jesper stood shaking. Kaz was sitting stately on a felled tree, and barely looked up from the sheaf of paper he held in his hand. At least Matthias had assured himself Jesper suffered no real injury, before bracing his foot against a boulder and trying to retrieve his broadsword from its wooden sheath. "You must carry your weight evenly, Jesper," Kaz continued, with a spectacular air of indifference, "and stop leaning so hard on your left foot. You forget all that we've practiced these last weeks. Control the things you can and do not allow yourself to become distracted." Distracted... That was too much for Jesper. How had Kaz expected him to react? Pekka Rollins name should not be uttered in the same breath as Lord Wylan's. His Wylan. Pekka Rollins was a criminal - that he was still allowed walk free in Kerch did not change that. Out of all of them it was Kaz alone who had borne the full brunt of Pekka Rollins actions. Jesper turned towards him, with narrowed eyes and a cheek still smarting, wondering how Kaz could sit there, with his bad leg stretched out before him, and speak of Rollins so coldly. Jesper had only heard stories of Rollins: A Kaelish skin trader, who had escaped his grandfather's justice and fled The Wandering Isle. Matthias knew him as a war profiteer, who had used Kerch neutrality to sell to both sides. To the detriment of those operating the gun carriages, the black powder he supplied had a tendency to explode outwards. Rollins name had become notorious. But Kaz had actually met the man. Pekka Rollins was the swindler Jordie Rietveld had trusted to turn his quietly growing savings into exponential wealth. Rollins had sold sovereign bonds, and though Prince Dietmar's royal seal was there on each deed of payment, like a cherry squashed between the parchment, when the time came to draw down dividends, the officer of the treasury had never heard of the scheme. Kaz's schooling ended. He travelled to Ravka to become a mercenary. And when lack of funds prevented him from seeking the help of a healer for the foot long gash dealt him by the losing party in a duel, the infection spread and settled resolutely in his bones. Usually when Kaz spoke of Rollins it was with blood between his teeth. This calculated calm was eerie. Jesper would know the meaning of it. "Is it any wonder I lost focus, Kaz? Does this information seem to you at all... peculiar? The Duke of Belendt's son was set to marry a common criminal? This is Pekka Rollins we are speaking of! Why are you not more distracted?" "I am wondering at that too, Rietveld," called out the voice of Matthias. The stinging scent of pine sap filled the air, telling Jesper that Matthias had recovered his weapon. He took his place at Jesper's side looking as suspicious as Jesper felt. "Usually at this point you would be setting fire to something." Kaz's lip curled. "And who says that I am not?"

Soft tagging @dreamtigress in return for many many tags... :)

#kaz brekker #matthias helvar #jesper fahey #six of crows #ao3 fanfic #shadow and bone #wip wednesday #and yes this story is still about wesper...#i am going to a lot of effort for a background story - i made an excel sheet of timelines #crooked kingdom

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gt-abby · 11 months ago

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Mar and Jake- Chapter Ten

We've arrived at double digits! I'm so excited.

Sorry in advance for never giving Mar an opportunity at a calm and peaceful life.

tag list: @soakedmilkgt

chapter nine chapter ten (you're here) chapter 11

----- 2500~ words

Jake was sitting on the couch with his head down, his leg bouncing up and down quickly as he waited nervously. He saw Emily walk out and quickly stood up, with Mar following her from behind.

“Mar, thank God you’re okay, I- umm, are you.. okay?” He was stuttering, not knowing exactly what to say as he fiddled with his fingers.

“I’m fine…” She said, not really looking at him. Her heart was racing, telling her to run, to escape, that this wasn’t safe, but she did her best to ignore it. Jake didn’t approach. He waited for her to come to him in her own pace. He didn’t expect her to float over fast and hug him on his chest. She buried her face in his shirt. Shocked, he slowly returned the hug and held her to his heart. This was finally what she’d been looking for- his warmth and the calming pounding of his heart.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, this won’t ever happen again, I promise.” He whispered.

Emily smiled to herself. They really were the best of friends. In the span of just a week they were able to grow their bond so quickly, so beautifully. She was happy to be a witness to that.

When he raised her to eye level, he saw she was crying, but looking at him and smiling. He took that as a good sign.

“Welp, I hope everything is better now, and I’m glad that I helped, but it’s currently almost 4 AM and I really need to get some sleep, sooo…” Emily said as she headed for the door, but was quickly taken into a tight hug by Jake, who thanked her profusely. She gave him a light hug back, then quickly said goodbye to them both and left.

Jake yawned, and Mar also felt sleepiness wash over her now that the stress was gone.

“We should also get some sleep. Tomorrow is the weekend but I do still have a lot of work to do so it’s best to stay with a proper sleep schedule.”

“Yeah, I agree… I’ll need at least 15 hours of sleep after that. But… I think I’ll stick with my room for now. I do… need some alone time if that’s okay.” Mar replied, yawning as well. Jake’s heart skipped a beat when he saw her adorable little yawn.

“O-of course, Mar, what ever makes you comfortable.”

“Thanks… well, good night Jake.” She waved at him then flew off into her room and back into the clothes pile. It was too comfortable to pass on, and after a while of readjusting her breathing to a normal speed, she drifted off. Jake, on the other hand, felt he couldn’t fall asleep even if he tried. The stress was too great, and even though he did reconcile with Mar, he felt as though he still had a long way to go before she could fully trust him again. After all, it felt like she was too eager to leave him as soon as Emily left, too. He lay there on the couch, thoughts floating around in his mind for hours until he also couldn’t resist the lulls of slumber, and before he could set an alarm, he was out.

—

Mar woke up to see Jake hunched over his desk again, and she dared not disturb him again. She flew over to the common area to see breakfast ready for her and even some orange juice placed carefully in a bottle cap for her. She smiled to herself. Jake was as kind and thoughtful as ever. She ate slowly, deep in thought, thinking about how life-changing the past week has been. She got shrunk, found out her parents sold her out to be bound to an evil god that was sooner or later going to break free from their prison and use her as a vessel, broke her leg, then learned to fly, then got traumatized by her friend. This all left a sinking feeling in her heart. Is her life going to be like this forever? Is it going to just get worse from here? Or was this the bottom of the barrel and she was only going to climb up? Unlikely. Slowly she will gain more powers and who knows what else will happen to her. But she did have someone to rely on. Well, she knew that, but she also felt the opposite. It’ll take time for her to warm up to Jake again, and right now she was very appreciative of the space he was giving her.

After she finished eating, she returned to her room, and wandered around looking for something to do. She found a small pencil on her desk and decided to go back to drawing. She hadn’t drawn in a very long time but she thought maybe this was a nice opportunity to let her frustrations out on a piece of paper. It was hard, given the tiny pencil was still too thick for her, but she endured, rather quickly getting the hang of it. Soon she filled out an entire page with depictions of the fire deity in several angles, mainly towering over the view point or with their hand closer, as if about to grab the viewer. She flipped over to the next page and continued on, so deeply focused on it she was filling page after page in a fast pace. She was so focused on her drawings that she didn’t hear Jake leave the house. Only when he came back hours later did she snap out of her focus, with the front door slamming shut. She heard shuffled steps in the living room and came out of her room to see Jake stumbling over towards her with something giant carried in both of his arms, and a large plastic bag dangling over his shoulder.

“What the- what is this?” she floated to the side to let him pass as he clumsily placed the giant box on the floor in the middle of the room.

“A surprise!” He grunted, cracking his back after setting the box on the floor. She floated over to look inside the box. He opened the flaps and the roof of a dollhouse poked out.

“What?” She laughed and he smiled at her.

“I thought you’d like a proper place to live in, your size, for some better privacy.”

Mar was at a loss for words. Jake took the house out of the box and placed it on the floor so she could have a better look. It was brightly pink, to Mar’s dismay, but it fit her perfectly. She hopped in on her healthy foot, seeing everything from the living room to the bedroom. It was made up of two floors, and even had a study.

Walking out she looked up at Jake, not knowing what to say.

“Wow, this is… a lot… where did you get this?”

“Oh, it’s second hand. My aunt had it for her daughter and after she lost interest she was looking to resell. A nice coincidence, right?”

“Well, yes, it’s definitely in great shape but… it’s not really necessary… this is a big favor.”

Jake smirked at her pun, and she, upon realizing it, gave him a disapproving look. He laughed.

“Besides, everything is made out of plastic and… so pink it hurts my eyes. I’m really grateful, thank you that was very very thoughtful of you but… I don’t really think I can accept that.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I’ve thought of everything. We’ll get you proper furniture, which I’ve gotten some already, like a proper bed, couch etcetera, and I also got lots of brushes and paint so we can color it to your liking. What do you think?”

“Oh, well… I guess I can’t really refuse, can I?”

He shrugged. “It would be a waste otherwise.”

“Wait, what did your aunt say about you getting a dollhouse of all things? You didn’t tell her… Did you?”

“No. No, of course not. I just said it was for a project.”

“But… you’ve got work and university to worry about, why would you take up another project, especially for me? You really don’t have to.”

“I have to make it up to you!” He snapped, making her cower again. “I-I’m sorry, I just… really feel like I screwed up and… I just have to make it up to you… I hope that’s how I can do that.” Jake crossed his arms and looked away. She saw a twinkle in his eyes. Was he crying?

She smiled at him and floated to eye level with him. “It’s okay, Jake, I know you didn’t mean it. I still… need to get over it but I know you’re a kind-hearted person, you’ve been so thoughtful towards me ever since this-“ -she gestured at herself. “-happened. One slip-up is allowed, especially when you’ve got so much on your shoulders. Taking care of me is already enough to make it up to me, if it’s that important to you.”

“Thanks…” he rubbed the back of his head, “I’m just… I feel like it could never be enough. The look you gave me, I-I can’t get it out of my head. You looked so terrified. I can’t stand it, someone I care so much about being this afraid of me.”

Mar’s heart skipped a beat. He said he cared about her. Well, she knew that, given he’d been so caring towards her over the past week, but hearing him saying that out loud is different. She smiled.

“I care about you too.” She then hugged his face. That felt a little weird to jake, but it was adorable, her entire arm-span couldn’t even cover half of his face, but he appreciated it.

“Let’s start then, shall we?” Mar hovered away so she could see him properly, and they both smiled. He went off to the living room to get the rest of the things he brought.

They worked on it until nightfall. Since it was able to open up to show everything inside, they could paint the inside of the house. Mar could paint small details like vines and branches, with a paintbrush jake made especially for her, one that was the smallest he could find but also cut the handle up so she could lift it. Mar felt like she could trust Jake again, as they had a blast making the doll house her new home. They couldn’t finish it all just that day, but Mar convinced Jake she could continue on her own when he leaves for class the next morning. As he got up to get ready for bed, he saw the drawings she made before on the paper that was on her desk, and smiled to himself. He looked down at her, thinking how incredible she was for forgiving him so easily. The pep talk she gave him earlier really did help lift his spirits, and he was able to fall asleep feeling much less guilty for the first time since that night.

Mar was too excited for her own proper home to not sleep in it that night, even if it was unfinished. The bed Jake found for her really was comfortable enough, and even smelled good, as if he bought it completely new just for her. She thought of the money she had in her bank account, and wondered what she would do with it now that she was both unemployed and taken care of. Will she need to keep paying bills and rent or is it considered as if Jake was living “alone” now? She had to have a talk with him about it the next day.

He'd already left when she woke up, as usual leaving breakfast for her on the counter. She ate while scrolling through social media on her phone, and noticed it had low battery. There was no way for her to charge it- given the charging port was too far away and the charging cable was far too heavy and long for her to be able to lift it up. She sighed, disappointed she hadn’t thought of it beforehand to ask for Jake to help her with it before he left, or the night before. She’d have to stop using it to save up charge until he comes back. Until then, she’d continue their work on the doll house.

Jake, on the other hand, had a long day ahead. Both school and a shift at work to look forward to, he didn’t even know when he’d be back home. Oh how he longed to be back home and work on the doll house instead of all of this. But given Mar couldn’t work anymore, he’d be the only one providing for both of them, so he couldn’t afford to miss shifts at work.

“Hey,” he heard a familiar voice behind him. Emily jogged over to him as they both went to a shared class.

“Hey, how’s it going?” he asked as she caught her breath.

“Fine, but the more important question is how’s it going between you and Mar? Did you make up?”

“Yeah, sort of. I know we still have a long way to go but we had a talk, and she basically convinced me she forgives me. Anyway, I thought I’d use an opportunity to make it u to her anyway and got her a doll house.”

“No way, I hope she didn’t find that patro-“ Emily thought aloud but caught herself before finishing the sentence. It’s probably best if he doesn’t find out about that.

“What? You think she… she thinks it’s patronizing?” He began doubting himself again. Shit.

“No no, of course not, I’m just… wondering aloud. It just happened to me. When we thought that my shrinking was permanent, my parents also got me a doll house. I took it to mean they thought of me as a plaything and began spiraling into thinking they didn’t really love me. They had to get rid of it to convince me they did. I grew back, shortly after, but had to stay home for the next few weeks because I couldn’t control my shifting. It was so dependent on my feelings that I shrank and grew almost constantly, sometimes breaking things in my room when I grew too big. That made me feel even more helpless and THAT worsened my shifting. Took me years to manage it properly but, y’know, it’s all good now.” She realized she was rambling and finished before they reached the door of the lecture hall. Jake remained silent. Now he couldn’t help it. What if she does? What if getting her the doll house made her hate him even more? He’d have to hurry home after work.

It was too bad that by the time he did get home, it was too late. When he opened the door he found the apartment ransacked- furniture turned over, books and all sorts of things scattered around, electronics pulled out of the walls, Mar’s phone smashed, and his tiny friend- no where to be found.

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dustedmagazine · 7 months ago

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Listed: Silica Gel

Silica Gel emerged from the central Alabama underground, blending Renaissance-era texts, modern instrumentation, and unbridled creativity. The intertwining vocal melodies from Laura Thomas and Lauren Jones reimagine folk music as a time-dissolving means of expression. This temporal slippage is enhanced by strings, percussion, and cracked electronics. In his review of Swan Pond, Bryon Hayes said that the album “deftly captures Silica Gel’s odd but endearing incantations. Its heady brew is rife with ghostly emanations, delightful song craft, cracked electronics and medieval melodies.”

The band’s members have recently scattered across the United States, so their activity is winding down, but Dusted managed to get member Jasper Lee (who also runs Alabama’s Sweet Wreath label) to list a few songs that he felt were important to the entire band.

He elaborates: “This list of songs relates to Silica Gel's world in one way or another. Some are artists we've played favorite shows with, like White Gourd, Junior Mint Prince, Johnny Coley, and Post Moves. There's also music we've been particularly influenced by and love connecting with others on. Songs for a Silica Gel Mixtape!”

Eyes of the Amaryllis — Every Year

When Silica Gel was on tour in Philadelphia, Jim Strong gave me this LP of a group he was in. When I got back home to Alabama and listened, it was totally mesmerizing. I can't even really describe it...but it's very emotional and some of the most ineffable music I've ever heard. There were days in the winter when I just listened to it over and over, not turning the record player off....just moving the needle back to the beginning again and again. I like that you can't hear the words. They're there....but subliminal and suggestive rather than being a focal point.

Post Moves — Always for Pleasure

Sam's performances on the pedal steel are transcendent. I'm in awe of the range of sounds and atmospheres he creates.... plus the gamelan-like bells and scrap metal percussion he plays along with the strings. His compositions have a great openness to them, I like hearing how they continually shift and morph. This piece makes me think of a European road movie; opening up in a grey eerie fog in 1978. We've played a few shows together and really bonded through common creative interests. There's a string of Post Moves releases from the past few years that have all developed his sound in really compelling ways. One of the most interesting pedal steel players around!

Pearls Before Swine — Drop Out!

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I got Covid while visiting the Green Plum Ensemble in Philly and stayed in a friend's apartment alone for three days. I listened to this record repeatedly. I think it was the best soundtrack for woozily stumbling around, nodding off and convalescing. The music is comforting and exciting at the same time. The voice is serene but can also bite, like in "Uncle John." I learned to play that song and it's really empowering. I think Silica Gel likes to wander in similar psych-folk territories as this music.

Johnny Coley — They're Dreaming Me

It's amazing that this even happened. It was totally off the cuff.... but it's like Johnny's theme song. Not many people know about Johnny now, but I think they will...more and more. I'm biased because I know him and I played on this, but I'm viewing it here from the perspective of a listener. I just like hearing it, and I also wanted to include it because there's a lot of crossover between this Johnny album and Silica Gel. We were working on both records at the same time in the same place, at Sweet Wreath, and we didn't have MUCH time at all. "My Little Fox Ears" on our album Swan Pond is based on one of Johnny's poems. I think this may be the first time anyone has turned his writing into a separate piece of music. But hearing Johnny's voice is the best way to encounter his poetry....and what better track than the mystery of "They're Dreaming Me."

Roxy Gordon — An Open Letter to Illegal Aliens

Another poet with a potent vernacular voice that must be reckoned with. Choctaw, Assiniboine, and Texan poet, journalist, artist, activist, and musician Roxy Gordon is one of a kind. His message speaks to me. "Ask the water. Ask the air what grief your green dollars have wrought. Ask the cut, bleeding, poisoned earth." I think people need to hear the wisdom of people like Roxy. Someone telling it like it is, straight and true. You can hear the love in his voice, and the anger at what colonialism is still doing to us and the land today. His words are personal yet panoramic in scope.

Junior Mint Prince — Strange Ballad

One of the best performances I've ever seen. When they play, a folksy song like this one would just float everybody along on a blissed-out cotton candy cloud then turn into a noise jam of computer glitches and weird vocal melisma, and like heavy breathing and hiccupping, and two clowns would come tip-toeing out grimacing and tossing a crystal ball around, and it would progress into a free jazz saxophone duel where they all left the building wailing.

Slapp Happy — Blue Flower

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Jangly as hell, every instrument in this song is jangly. Like a synesthesia of the lyric in it, "the sun was sparkling on the shaft of your knife." Sun sparkles just being zapped into your brain through sound waves. Amazing lyrics, and Dagmar's voice is like a high brittle whine that'll fuck you up, she knows what's going on.... she’s the cool one, not whoever she's singing about.

White Gourd — Magician le Diable

Every show, she BECOMES one of the major arcana of the Tarot. I saw her become Justice at a small club in Portland, Maine. She scraped huge swords together, and gave everyone bells to ring. The whole place vibrated with the shimmer of the bells. She sang and played sax and drums in cycles, going through stages of a musical ritual that was totally effective in manifesting the feeling that Justice would be Wrought.

Broadcast and the Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults Of The Radio Age

Yes! It seems that there is still very fertile sonic territory in the valley between POP and COLLAGE. Or maybe it's more Voice, Melody and Memory? Singing set adrift in an amusement park of field recordings, sound effects, and loops. When I first learned what Hauntology was, it was an uncanny affirmation of what I'd always felt but couldn't quite articulate. Something about recording being like the cultural production of ghosts. This is a good record to listen to and think about while reading Mark Fisher!

Steeleye Span — Dark Eyed Sailor

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I like to drive to this song. That beat! So steady, and warm...it seems like it could go on forever. Silica Gel is really influenced by all the UK folk-rock and folk revival stuff from the 1960s and 1970s. We like it all. But Steeleye Span is a favorite. How did I not know about this growing up? I got into it a lot later, but it hit powerfully, and I was hooked. Laura and Lauren in Silica Gel seem born to sing harmonies like these...it's in the blood. So, we try to bring the Steeleye influence in however we can. If you don't know this music, do yourself a favor and go down a rabbit hole with it, maybe spend a whole fall or winter with it. You won't regret it!

#dusted magazine #listed #silica gel #sweet wreath #eyes of the amaryllis #post moves #pearls before swine #johnny coley #roxy gordon #junior mint prince #slapp happy #white gourd #broadcast #the focus group #steeleye span

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aspoonofsugar · 2 years ago

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Hi!

I hope you don't mind if I share some thoughts on White Knight, the dance and other RWBY ships I think are gonna be canon.

I theorize/headcanon we are gonna have 5 ships by the end:

Bumbleby, Rosegarden and White Knight as the main ships

Renora and Emercury as the secondary ships

I call BB, RS and WK main because the characters involved are all protagonists. RN and EM instead involve key supporting characters, so I consider them secondary ships. All these relationships foil each other, but there are structural differences between the 3 main ships and the 2 secondary ones. The dance is an example of this.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO DANCE?

The dance might foreshadow the final ships. In particular:

RN and EM go together, but they aren't "together together"

BB, WK and RG do not go together, but the relationships are teased or foreshadowed

TOGETHER, BUT NOT TOGETHER-TOGETHER

Nora: We're actually not "together-together…"

Renora and Emercury go to the dance together, but they are not together-together:

Ren and Nora go as childhood friends and fighting partners

Emerald and Mercury go as partners in crime on Cinder's orders

By the time of the dance, both couples have a strong bond, but they are not in romantic relationships. Rather, they are each other's family:

Never knew a time when you weren't by my side The one thing I could always count on Always there for me, you've been my family Even when all other hope was gone

Emerald: Can I ask you something? Mercury: You're gonna. Emerald: Why did you come with us, the night Cinder and I found you?

That said, they already display some attraction, which is highlighted during their introductions:

Nora: We've been friends for soooooooo long! What are the odds we'd still be together? Well, not "together-together..." Not that I'm not saying that you're not handsome; you are handsome, but that'd just be weird, right?

Mercury: Whatever. You want me.

Nora is already falling for Ren and Mercury teases Emerald. Not only that, but RN and EM's first scenes loosely parallel each other. Both duos are:

Introduced as a set

Complementary

Ren and Nora appear for the first time together in The First Step. Nora is energetic and loud, while Ren is quiet and stoic. They are shown to get along well and to share a common history:

Nora: Right! What was I thinking? But still, I hope we end up on the same team together! Oohhhh! We should come up with some sort of plan, to make sure we end up on the same team together! (...) I know! We'll have some sort of signal! Like a distress signal! A secret signal so we can find each other in the forest! Can you imitate a sloth? Ren: Nora? I don't think sloths make a lot of noise.

Emerald and Mercury get their introduction in Best Day Ever, where they are immediately linked to their different motifs:

Emerald: Actually, I was wondering, do you have any copies of "The Thief and The Butcher"?

Emerald is a thief, while Mercury is an assassin (the butcher). They are two sides of Cinder and two sides of a "bad victim".

In short, both RN and EM are paired up since their introductions, they are fighting partners and have much screen-time together. Moreover, they share a common trauma:

Renora lose their hometown to the Grimms and survive together:

Emercury are recruited by Cinder, involved in her plan and finally dragged into Salem's inner circle:

In short, Renora and Emercury are two bonds that start as familial, but are slowly turning romantic (surely for Renora and probably for Emercury). This transformation happens through a separation:

Nora: When my mom ran from the Grimm and left me behind, you found me. We became Ren and Nora. But I realized on this mission apart, I don’t know who “Just Nora” is. And if I’m ever going to find out, then I have to do it alone. Because I’ve always loved you, Lie Ren, and that pretty head on your shoulders seems like it’s doing a lot better. But I still got to get mine sorted out before I can be the partner you need. Is that…okay?

Ren and Nora separate psychologically, while Emerald and Mercury physically. On the one hand Ren and Nora decide they must grow into their own people before they can get together. On the other hand Emerald and Mercury take different paths when it comes to the main conflict. That said, the two couples are clearly meant to reunite and they will do so as adults who discover the other as a romantic partner.

Allusion-wise we may have

Ren and Nora as each other's most beautiful flower (by Mulan)

Emerald and Mercury as each other's geenie and wish. Moreover, Emerald is Mercury's Emerald Tablet

AN INVITATION (BB + WK)

Yang: And if you feel like coming out tomorrow, I'll save you a dance.

Jaune: I lied! Weiss Schu-nee, will you accompany me, to the dance on… Sunday!?

Yang and Jaune invite Blake and Weiss to dance, but our Black Beauty and White Princess end up attending the party with different partners:

Sun is a foil to Yang - Both are linked to sun and gold, follow their hearts and wear their feelings on their sleeve. Moreover, Sun's role is clearly to be a bridge between Blake and Yang, while they are separated. He reassures Blake that Yang doesn't resent her for what happened at Beacon:

Sun: You think you're being selfless, but you're not. Yeah, that chameleon friend of yours got me pretty good. But I'd do it all again if it meant protecting you. And I can promise Yang would say the same.

Neptune is a foil to Jaune - Both are try hard boys, who think they must appear cool to be accepted by others. Jaune's confrontation with Neptune at the dance is deep down Jaune facing that part of himself he needs to outgrow:

Jaune quoting Pyrrha: Then just go talk to her. No pickup lines, no suave moves, just be yourself. I've heard that's the way to go.

So, Blake and Weiss don't choose Yang and Jaune as dancing partners, but 2 foils of them. This happens because the Vale Arc represents the characters' childhood. Beacon is a safe place where the protagonists can be kids and grow, while sheltered by the conflict:

Ozpin: Right now they're still children. So why not let them play the part? After all, it isn't a role they'll have forever.

As a result, it is a place of sperimentation both in fighting and in interpersonal relationships. Blake and Weiss are far away from figuring themselves out, so they choose immature partners, who mirror their degree of development by that time.

Despite this, the 2 relationships that get proper narrative focus throughout the dance are not Black Sun and WeissxNeptune. Rather, they are Bumbleby and White Knight:

-Yang opens up to Blake and shows vulnerability. Thanks to that, she convinces Blake to attend the party. Their interaction is commented by a light/shadow symbolism, their clothes at the dance are complementary (white + black) and Yang wins Blake's first dance.

Sun: Sooo, does this mean we're going… together? Blake: Technically, though my first dance is spoken for.

-Jaune confronts Neptune for Weiss's sake. He calls the other boy out and encourages him to go talk with Weiss. He is the reason why Weiss finds herself with a knight:

Weiss: So, what made you change your mind? Neptune: Huh? Weiss: You said you were embarrassed at first. What made you come talk to me? Neptune: You're looking at him. You got some good friends looking out for ya.

Moreover, Weiss and Jaune's bond is commented by the white rose symbolism you mention and by their shared queen/knight motif. Weiss asks Neptune out like a knight and Jaune wears a dress like a princess.

In other words, Blake and Weiss's relationships with Sun and Neptune don't change after the party. Rather, the bonds which transform are the ones with Yang and Jaune, who metaphorically bring Blake and Weiss to the dance (they make sure the girls attend and have partners).

In general, BB and WK are strong parallels and hit almost the exact same bits structurally. Here are some examples.

1- Both couples are targeted by a villain who attacks one person to hurt the other:

Adam: And as I set out upon this world and deliver the justice mankind so greatly deserves, I will make it my mission to destroy everything you love. Starting with her.

Cinder: Are you going to let her die too?

Moreover, Both assaults happen as parallels to Arkos. Adam cuts Yang's arm, while Cinder is about to kill Jaune. Cinder outright mocks Jaune by using Pyrrha, when she impales Weiss.

2- In Mistral, BB and WK have important climatic moments that tie with their respective allusions:

BB fight Adam in a scene which calls back to Beauty and Beast, the Jungle Book and Goldilocks. Adam dies like both the Beast and Gaston in the Disney movie. The song Nevermore refers to the song Evermore of the Beauty and Beast remake. Blake and Yang's fight against Adam mirrors Mowgli's final fight in the Jungle Book. Finally, Blake is presented as Yang's just right:

Blake: She's not protecting me, Adam. And I'm not protecting her. We're protecting each other.

WK survive the Haven's fight together in a scene, which alludes to Snowhite, the Snow Queen and Jeanne d'Arc. Cinder (the Evil Queen) kills Weiss (Snowhite), who is saved by Jaune (the Prince). As a result, Weiss unlocks her Queen Lancer (is crowned Queen). In this way, she avoids turning in a Snow Queen like Winter and expels the cursed mirror fragment from her eye (she summons the Grimm). Jaune is instead able to perform a miracle (bring a person back from the death) while at Haven (heaven).

3 - Both Blake and Jaune have their weapon (their self) destroyed by their personal villain (Adam the Beast and Cinder the Evil Queen):

However, they go through a healing process and fix themselves up:

They integrate a little bit of Yang and Weiss's colors within themselves. Blake's Gambol Shroud aquires a golden detail and Jaune's hair gets a white stripe. Incidentally, Yang and Weiss have an important role in Blake and Jaune's recovery:

So, both BB and WK are ships where one side is almost killed by an antagonist, but death is avoided thanks to the strength of the relationship. At the same time, the characters' arcs are parallels, complementary and tie into each other's allusions:

Blake and Yang are both Beauty and Beast. Blake is Yang's just right.

Weiss and Jaune are both Snowhite and Prince. Weiss is Jaune's angel.

DANCING PARTNERS (RG)

Ozpin: If you think about it, fighting and dancing aren't so different. Two partners interlocked, although one wrong move on the ballroom merely leads to a swollen foot.

Ruby has no partner for the dance and is uninterested in the whole event. She would prefer to fight Grimms rather than to socialize or dance. This behavior mirrors her immaturity: Ruby is a child and at the beginning of the series doesn't care about romance. In this scenario, though, Ozpin arrives and says 2 things:

He encourages Ruby to enjoy the peaceful times spent with others > This foreshadows Ruby's eventual romantic bond with Oscar. Ruby has no partner because her romantic interest has still to appear in the story. That said, she has a meaningful interaction with the person who will bring Oscar in Ruby's life

He metaphortically links together fighting and dancing > This foreshadows Ruby's role in Cinder's arc as her (platonic) Prince. The night of the dance Ruby "dances" (fight) with Cinderella just before Midnight. In other words, Ruby is set up as Cinder's eventual savior

Why are these two things linked? It is probable that theme-wise Oscar and Cinder will end up connected. In other words, it is possible Ruby will have to symbolically reconcile with Cinder to end up with Oscar. After all, these 2 characters are set-up to be important foils of each other.

As for now, it is interesting that a little after their first meeting Ruby and Oscar are shown sparring (dancing) with each other:

Which can be seen as a call back to Ozpin's words at the dance (and I think you yourself pointed it out in another post).

At the same time, Oscar is a foil to another character deeply important for Ruby:

Ruby: But at this pace, you'll be combat ready in no time! Suddenly, Ruby frowns upon mentioning her last phrase. Oscar notices this and tries to ask a question before Ruby interrupts him. Oscar: Uh…

Oscar and Penny are connected since early on and in Atlas they have parallel arcs. Not only that, but volume 9 openly juxtaposes them as Ruby's past (Penny) and Ruby's future (Oscar):

Ruby's identity crisis reaches its climax the moment she is forced to confront Penny's past death and a possible future where Oscar dies because of Ruby. This results in Little (aka Ruby's child-self) dying and Ruby drinking the tea.

The metaphorical meaning is clear. In volume 9, Ruby leaves her childhood (Little) behind and embraces her adolescence (Somewhat). Similarly, she comes to term with Penny's disappearence (platonic imo) in Atlas, so that she can enter a new relationship with Oscar (romantic) in Vacuo.

This development is highlighted also thanks to a parallelism between RG and WK. Let's consider these two scenes:

The situations are similar. Both Ruby and Jaune are on the floor reaching desperately for their weapon. They are being attacked by a strong foil of Oscar and Weiss (Ozpin and Cinder) and taunted by them:

Neo-Ozpin: How many more lives do you have to ruin before you realize you’re not cut out to save anyone?!

Cinder: You're just a failure with a death wish.

Ruby and Jaune refuse their words in opposite ways. Ruby does so actively, as she reaches for Crescent Rose and slices Ozpin. Jaune does so passively, as he tells Cinder it is okay if he dies by saving others. The outcome is horrifying. Ruby unwillingly kills Oscar, while Jaune unwillingly inspires Cinder to impale Weiss. Both Ruby and Jaune are psychologically tortured to believe they are the reason why their loved ones die. Moreover, this moment comes when both are still struggling with another important loss (Penny and Pyrrha).

In short, RG is a well set-up ship, which strongly parallels the other main ones and is bound to receive focus in Vacuo. I would say it is the most intertwined to the main plot (Cinder and Salem) and the most thightly written (together with Emercury).

As per usual, Ruby and Oscar are parts of each other's allusions. They share the role of Dorothy and are each other's Ozma and Dorothy as a result. Ruby is also the Oscar's Little Prince's Rose.

THE LOST LENORE

“Wretch,” I cried, “thy God hath lent thee—by these angels he hath sent thee Respite—respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore; Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!” Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.” The Raven

RWBY's ships (and not only them) seem to be about overcoming grief through love. As a result, they deal with death and loss in several ways.

RN lose their home and families, but find new love in each other (Kuroyuri means both curse and love). EM will probably lose Cinder by the end, but will survive together.

BB, WK and RG all deal with a heavy loss, which is overcome thanks to the newborn relationship:

BB > Blake loses Adam

WK > Jaune loses Pyrrha

RG > Ruby loses Penny

A past love/relationship must be dealt with for a new one to bloom. So, Blake and Yang face Adam and kill him. Weiss and Jaune must solve the grief over Pyrrha. Ruby and Oscar have to address Penny. Maybe it is because of this that the imagery of the Nevermore keeps popping up throughout the series and in some key scenes for some ships.

Nevermore Nevermore Will I be afraid Nor will I run away It's behind me

RN have a Nevermore ominously looking at them while the village burns

Blake and Yang sing Nevermore while fighting Adam. The song is an answer to Poe's The Raven. There the author cries he will see Lenore nevermore. Here, Blake and Yang affirm they will not let themselves be controlled by Adam nevermore

Weiss is now able to summon a white Nevermore, which is probably going to be important for her arc and her relationships with Ruby and Jaune

Whatever the case, the message is clear. The characters are not letting themselves be conquered by the "nevermore". They are fighting it thanks to their bonds (platonic and romantic) with each other.

WEDDING TIME

As you know, @hamliet has mapped down all the chemical weddings of the series. They are moments full of alchemical symbolism (+ fairy tale symbolism tbh), which are used to develop 2 characters' dynamic. In RWBY they seem to be used to specifically build up romances.

So far, we have:

BB (3 weddings): Adam cutting Yang's arm at Beacon, Blake and Yang vs Adam (they symbolically exchange wedding vows), Blake and Yang's confession in volume 9 (they consume their wedding)

RN (2 weddings): Ren and Nora meeting during the fall of Kuroyuri, Ren and Nora coming back to their hometown and killing the Grimm

WK (2 weddings): Cinder impales Weiss at Haven, Weiss, Jaune and Penny/Winter vs Cinder + Volume 9 ending (WK's second wedding seems like several small moments rather than 1 big one, so it might still be ongoing)

RG (1 wedding): Ruby and Oscar meeting in Mistral through Qrow. Imo volume 10 might start with their second wedding. This time they will meet through Raven and Ruby is gonna be the one who arrives out of nowhere

EM (1 wedding): Emerad and Mercury's confrontation in Lost. Their second one will probably be a real fight interrupted by Tyrian. By that point, Mercury will have to choose what to do

As you see, it seems each relationship is gonna have 3 weddings, where the second one is the inversion of the first and the final one is about integration.

A LITTLE FLIRT

All ships flirt in their very first scene together. We have seen it with RN and EM, but when it comes to the main 3, there is a little bit more. There, the character who falls first says a line, which shows they are unconsciously drawn to the other's real self. Even if they do not realize it yet.

BB- Yang compliments Blake's bow, which hides her Faunus trait. The piece of cloth is symbolic of Blake's shadow and what she hides. Yang is still too immature to see through Blake's mask, but she is attracted by it. It is meaningful, then, that during their confession, Yang openly praises Blake's ears and shows she can now see Blake as a whole.

WK - Jaune calls Weiss Snow Angel. It is used as a lame pick-up line and a joke. However, our Snowhite is slowly becoming a powerful angel to others:

As a side note, both Sun and Neptune mention respectively Blake's bow and Weiss's Snow Angel nickname. Not only that, but they are more successful than Yang and Jaune. Sun sees through Blake's disguise and Neptune wins Weiss's affection. That is because Blake and Weiss need to go through Sun and Neptune to end up with Yang and Jaune.

RG - Oscar comments on Ruby's silver eyes. This line has 3 layers to it. First, it immediately links Ozpin and Oscar together. Secondly, it is Oscar implying Ruby's eyes are beautiful. Thirdly, it shows Oscar immediately likes the trait Ruby's silver eyes represent aka her strong idealism. This is confirmed during the dojo scene, where Oscar says Ruby must be the best Huntress ever after listening to her hopeful words.

So, here you have it. Yang, Jaune and Oscar immediately size out Blake, Weiss and Ruby without really knowing. Btw, something similar might be present for RN and EM too and I might be missing it.

For example, I currently think Mercury's line "You want me" might serve as this. After all, Emerald is Aladdin and her arc is linked to want vs need. In other words, she has to realize what her real wish is. Well, we know her final desire is gonna be Mercury. So, yeah, Emerald wants him ;)

ARCHETYPES

Here we come at the very end of this ramble. I hope you enjoyed it up until now :) (I sure had fun!)

The cherry on top is that each one of the 3 main ships (again unsure about RN and EM) is linked to a Jungian Archetype:

BB- Shadow/Persona > The shadow is what is hidden, while the persona is what is shown. This is why Blake and Yang have a shadow/light motif. Fittingly, Blake is linked to the Shadow and Yang to the persona.

WK - Anima/Animus > The anima is the feminine part of a man and the animus is the masculine part of a woman. This is why Weiss and Jaune's shared motif is that of knight/queen. Not only that, but the animus/anima archetype is associated with the White Phase in alchemy aka Weiss's stage. Incidentally, Jaune is linked to the Rainbow Phase, which is a part of the White Phase itself.

Rosegarden - Self > The self is the combination of all other archetypes and here it is declined in macroshom and microchosm. This is why Ruby and Oscar's shared motif is inside/outside. Obviously, this archetype is also linked to the red phase aka Ruby's stage.

There you go! Hope you enjoy and have a nice day!

Looking back, there's actually more symbolic foreshadowing for Whiteknight than I initially realised in the dance arc in V2. When Jaune goes to ask Weiss out, intending to follow Phyrha's advice about cutting out the bravado and just being honest about how he feels, he's holding a white flower to give to her:

But he then sees Weiss asking out Neptune instead, and realising she has someone else she's interested in, he drops the flower and leaves.

Essentially the flower represents his romantic interest in Weiss, but also a potential future of a relationship between the two based on mutual honesty and respect, (following Pyrrha's advice to just be yourself) instead of the false selves they project and initially see the other to be.

After this scene of dropping the flower he stops with his attempts to ask Weiss out altogether. Him dropping the flower is him dropping his romantic interest in Weiss, instead focusing on just being a good friend and looking out for her (convincing Neptune to go talk to Weiss because he knew it would make her happy).

But we see this flower transition into this vase, drooping and wilting at the dance:

...followed by a frustrated Weiss trying to perk the same flower up:

Which seems to foreshadow Weiss later on being the one to take a romantic interest in Jaune in V9, and also being the one to support and reassure Jaune when he's at his lowest:

Which does in turn seemingly cause that potential budding flower of their relationship to grow and bloom again, just as the two of them have been growing into their own true selves over the course of the series.

And I just think that's pretty neat.

#rwby #renora #emercury #bumbleby #white knight #rosegarden #rwby theory #misstrashchan #i love rwby ships tbh #my meta #my addition

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ciyaa0 · 2 years ago

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"You know, we've got a bond in common, you and I. We are both alone in the world."

It's you and I, against the world

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cherrydippedkisses · 2 years ago

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oh love...it's something isn't it. i'm going through a difficult thing too. it's sort of different and a lot different at the same time. but i feel like there's some common threads. the man i love lives nearly 2000 miles away from me and we've never met physically. i met him on a dating app last november. over a year ago and we still haven't met in person. he was going to come out and see me over the summer but got to the point where we cared and loved each other too much to where if he came out and we spent time together, it'd only hurt more when he had to go back...because we can't really be together for real. and we knew this from the start but we connected so instantly and cosmically that we just couldn't let it go. he's a lot older than me. and the odds are just against us in a lot of ways. but we fell in love. i have felt loved and seen and heard and understood by him more than i have by anyone in my life and it has been the best thing. a dream. and i've continued to hang onto the fact that we will in fact still meet at some point. because we can't just not after all this time and all we've been. until a couple months ago another woman came into the picture...she reached out to him (she's someone he's known for 6 years and they've even dated a little before but it was as bad timing) and basically he couldn't tell her he was in a relationship because..well..we've never been legitimate. we've always been hanging on a maybe. but let me tell you the feelings and emotions and all we've shared together ARE legitimate. they are Real. but apparently not enough for him to deny this woman. and, as bad as it fucking hurts, i understand. i had to go along with it, there was nothing in my power i could really do about it. i knew we could never REALLY be together. and how long is he going to keep being single just for me. i was crushed when he told me about her. shattered, completely torn up in a million pieces as he progressed with her. and it hurt him that i was hurting to bad about it. to shorten it up, he's still with her, but he's learning she's not exactly what he wants and she has some red flags..but he's kept us going to the best of his ability, because he still hasn't told her about me. because he said if he did, she'd leave. it's fucking hard. he's been making sure i'm okay through the whole thing and he still loves me and i still love him. we've built a bond really strong that i'm finding is bigger and strong enough to hold fast through this situation. but it's hard because we don't talk nearly as much, i can barely text him. it's just a bit different but i've never doubted his love. in fact a couple weeks ago when she and him had a fight, where she blew up at him out of nowhere and then walked out and slammed the door, leaving him in anxiety, and you know what he did? he called me, venting and letting it out while he went for a walk outside. he needed me. and i was there for him. and he told me "thank you" i said "for what" he said "for being there" and i will always be there for him. even when it involves her. because i don't want him to have any more trouble in his life. he's already been through so much shit. and i can't tell you what it gives me to be a soft and sweet presence for him. i just don't want to lose him. it hurts i can't be together with him. every day. that i've never felt his touch or looked in his real eyes. i dream about it every. single. day. but i take comfort in knowing we will always be special in each other's lives. even if the romance of us subsides..that fucking hurts... but at least we will still have each other. hopefully this guy you are going through your pain about, i hope that you can come to a peaceful resolve and that you will both see the value in having known each other. i actually don't know much about the situation but i am sending you love and good thoughts and strength to get through this. you're not alone in pain in love. even though the situation might be different, it even comforts me to know i'm not alone. we will be okay. 🤍

I can’t tell you how much THIS message has meant to me. it’s taken me a little bit to reply but.. thank you. thank you for your sweet words and for your encouragement. I’m so so sorry that your heart is yearning for someone to such an extent.. I do not wish the pain of this type of love on anyone. though; your understanding of the love and adoration I have for this guy, because you, too, hold the same love for someone; it means more to me than you know. I don’t think anyone could come close to understanding the special place we hold in our hearts for these individuals.. with some type of hopelessness that the places will be filled with the requited love that we feel. I wish you healing and strength to move forward with this situation. I’m so relieved to know that you’re aware that you deserve more than pining for someone that you may or may not be able to love to the fullest capacity, just because it is such a difficult situation. it’s so hard to let go when the feelings are incredibly strong, and I think its difficult for just anyone to understand that.. even the men that are involved with us currently. I’m sending you so much love you sweetheart.. I do hope things ease up for you soon because I can’t imagine how you’re feeling when another woman is involved. I thought just clinging onto hopelessness with this one was difficult enough but you’re far more strong than I could ever credit myself for. thank you, again, you sweet angelic soul.

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farfromsugafanfic · 4 years ago

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Sutures - Chapter Nine: Lost In Japan

Genre: Soulmates AU, Idiots to Lovers, slight Enemies to Lovers

Pairing: Yoongi/Named Reader

Warnings (chapter specific): chest pain, health problems, getting lost

Synopsis: “A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.” –Jean de la Fontaine

There was only one thing you and Min Yoongi had in common that night. You were both brokenhearted. You only intended to be together for one night, but when you both end up in the hospital the next day you discover that you are soulmates. It could kill you to be apart. As you and Yoongi attempt to sever the bond between you, will another be formed?

Previous | Series Masterlist | Next

When you landed in Japan, your phone was already blowing up with notifications.

"Jang Sumi Seen With Min Yoongi's Bodyguard"

"Jang Sumi Joining BTS In Japan For Promotions"

The cameras already waited when you stepped into the airport. You were in the middle of the members, and instead of stopping for pictures like normal, bodyguards flanked in between the eight of you and the cameras.

You felt as Yoongi reached down and softly took your hand. You looked back at him with a confused look and he just shrugged.

"They all have their assumptions anyway," he said. "Just keep going. They'll try to get in our way, but just keep going. They won't bother you if you're with me."

You moved through the crowd with Yoongi's hand as your anchor. You heard the various fans gasping and screaming and the paparazzi asking questions and trying to provoke you and the members into a response, but before you knew it, you were in the back of a van and fastening your seatbelt. The satisfying click making you smile. You made it.

Yoongi was beside you. He still held your hand and you wondered if he noticed. His thumb rubbed lightly over your knuckles in a quick, sweeping motion. You didn't necessarily mind him holding your hand, it was just that there was no use for it now.

The van door shut as Jimin got in and plopped down beside you. A few seconds later, the van was moving.

"My phone blew up when we landed," you said. "Apparently, the bodyguard who helped me through the airport was your bodyguard?"

"Oh, yeah," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

"What did you do then?"

"Eh, we had plenty of bodyguards," he said. "Since we were in a group, it was unnecessary to have mine."

"But, Yoongi, I know things have happened to you in airports before. You're an idol. You're a bigger risk."

"Sumi, I lent him to you and something still happened," Yoongi said, his thumb brushing over your knuckles again, but slower this time.

"You really don't have to worry about us, Sumi," Jimin said. His eyes were closed and you'd honestly thought he was asleep. "We have enough bodyguards and we have Jungkook." Jimin kicked the back of the youngest's seat, who sat in front of him.

You laughed and dropped the subject and instead gazed out the window at Tokyo. You'd only truly been to the city once when you were a kid, although you'd had many layovers in the Tokyo airport on your flight to and from the US.

---

"There's a problem with the hotel," Se-jin said, coming back out to the van. Most of the members were barely awake due to their busy schedules and how they'd gotten used to sleeping on most forms of transportation. "A fire sprinkler in Sumi's room burst and it flooded the whole room. The flooding is contained in her room due to the staff. Are you okay sharing a room, Sumi?"

You nodded. "Yeah," you said. "That's fine."

"All right, does anyone--"

"I will!" All of the members shouted at once. You were amazed that despite their perceived states of sleep, they all appeared to be awake and fully listening. You laughed.

"She'll stay with me," Yoongi said.

You turned to look at him surprised. "But, what about the rumors?"

"They know we're soulmates at this point. And, if you got caught staying with one of the other members, what do you think they would think?"

Your brow furrowed. They already thought you had cheated on Minki with Yoongi, but if the media began circulating that you were cheating on Yoongi, you could only imagine the backlash you would receive.

"Yeah, okay," you said. "I'll stay with Yoongi." Se-jin nodded and closed the van door as he went back into the hotel to finish checking in.

"We've rented out the whole floor, so there should be no way anyone will find out," Yoongi said, giving you a small smile.

"Then, why couldn't I stay with one of the other boys?" you asked, your lips curving into a smirk.

Yoongi's ears turned red and he looked between you and the other members who watched in loving amusement.

"Just in case."

---

By the time you all got checked in and everything unloaded, the sun was beginning to set. You saw no point in unpacking your suitcase completely when you were only staying for four days. However, you unpacked your toiletries and headed to the bathroom.

"Do you need to shower--?" you ask, but the words are left in the air as you notice Yoongi dropping the extra pillows and blankets from the closet onto the couch. "What are you doing?"

"Setting up my bed." He smoothed out the blankets and placed the pillow on one end of the couch.

"You don't have to sleep on the couch. I trust you. It's not like we haven't shared a bed before."

"It's not that," Yoongi said. "I don't trust the urges. We've only had one, but I'm afraid if we lay together in bed. It would just trigger something."

You nodded. "You're right. But, I'll sleep on the couch. This is your room."

Yoongi shrugged and shook his head before falling back onto the couch and crossing his hands over his stomach. "Go take your shower."

You sighed and went into the bathroom and took the shower you'd been long awaiting. Despite the coffee having been spilled on you hours before and changing into Yoongi's shirt, you could still feel the sticky cream-filled coffee on your skin. You undressed and folded Yoongi's shirt and placed it on the counter so that it wouldn't get wet and continued to undress. Only when you had finished did you realize that you'd forgotten to bring your pajamas with you.

---

"Yoongi?" you asked, peeking your head out the bathroom. "Are you awake?"

Yoongi chose not to respond as you emerged from the bathroom in one of the hotel's white bathrobes. He didn't respond because he wanted you to strip in front of him, but rather, he was hoping to be asleep within a few minutes anyway.

As he heard you shuffle back towards the bed, he heard a small scuffle and you curse under your breath. He opened his eyes to see you standing by the bed as nothing happened. You unfastened the robe and allowed it to fall.

Yoongi only caught a glance of your bare back before he shut his eyes again, although he felt a stirring in his stomach. He could only curse in his head as he attempted to focus on anything else. He didn't catch a glimpse of anything super sexual, but it didn't matter. Yoongi hoped this wouldn't lead to another urge. While he wanted nothing more than to pull you into him and kiss you up and down your body, he knew he couldn't for the sake of severing the soulmate bond.

There were a few seconds of silence. He figured you'd finished getting dressed, but the light was still on and he hadn't heard you climb into the bed. He opened his eyes only to be met with a pillow to the face.

"I knew you weren't asleep!" you said, holding the pillow above your head to bring back down upon him. Yoongi acted quickly and sat up and grabbed the pillow and tossed it to the side.

You were dumbfounded for a second until you heard Yoongi laugh. "What was your plan exactly?"

You shrugged. "I don't know. I just wanted to prove you were being a creep." You wiggled your eyebrows as a smirk came over your face.

"Hey! I didn't see anything. I kept my eyes closed."

"Mmm," you said. "I don't believe you."

Before Yoongi could respond, a silence came over the two of you as you both simultaneously realized that you were straddling his lap and you could feel him pressing into you.

"Sorry," he whispered as you climbed off of him.

You shook your head. "No, it's okay. You didn't mean to. Let's, uh, let's go to bed."

"Wait, Sumi, what are your plans for tomorrow?"

"I just plan on going out and exploring a bit. I've never got to explore the city. Probably do some shopping, visit temples." Your eyes narrowed in curiosity. "Why?"

"I'll be working," he said. "Just make sure to get back here before me so we don't risk anything. I'm supposed to be done with the fan sign at five."

You nodded. "You don't think being away from each other in general will cause anything?"

It was only then that Yoongi realized that you hadn't been away from each other for nearly two weeks. While you might not be physically together, you were always within the same building or space. "I think it's been enough time."

You nodded as you climbed under the covers of the bed and reached over to turn off the bedside lamp. Even in the dark, Yoongi could make out as you pulled the covers up to your chin and turned on your side. It made him smile.

"Goodnight, Yoongi."

"Goodnight."

---

Your knees ached by midday, but your day alone in the city had been one of the best you'd had in years. You hadn't been truly alone for what felt like months. Sure, you slept alone and you could easily duck in the bathroom for five minutes of peace, but this was freedom you didn't think you'd have after the whole soulmate thing happened.

Yoongi was gone when you'd woke up that morning, the blanket tossed to one side of the couch. Not neat, but not exactly messy. It was odd, not feeling the aching in his chest when he was gone. You knew there were exceptions for when you were obligated to be apart, but since Yoongi worked so much, maybe it wouldn't be so horrible.

Your mind had still wandered to Yoongi throughout the day. Occasionally, you'd see a BTS ad campaign or someone wearing merch, but what really caught your attention was a small Kumamon figure. It was clearly meant to act as a paperweight or just to decorate a desk. You'd noticed that Yoongi seemed to like the character and after a quick Google search, it was confirmed. You bought the figure and tossed it into your purse.

With shopping bags in your hands and your camera in your hand, you managed to use your one free hand to pull out enough money to buy a taiyaki. You thanked the woman who handed it to you in your best rudimental Japanese.

You were a few blocks away and halfway through your taiyaki when you thought to check the time. You nearly dropped the sweet bun when you realized it was 4:50 pm. Yoongi was due to be done in ten minutes and you were at least a half hour walk from the hotel--if not more.

You rush out to the side of the road and attempt to hail a taxi. The first few passed you, but eventually one stopped and you frantically told the driver the name of the hotel.

Within five minutes, the driver only managed to get a few blocks because of rush hour traffic. With nowhere to go, you were stranded. You'd gone the whole day without making a scene or being recognized (although maybe because you wore a baseball cap and mask), despite your face on the cover of magazine articles everywhere. And, you were afraid that you were going to have to end up on more of them to get out of this.

You waited another five minutes before handing the driver a wad of cash that was definitely too much and apologizing as you got out of the cab. Carrying your bags and purse on your arm, you ran across the stopped lanes of traffic and tried to ignore the car horns and confused shouts. You checked the time. 5:01 pm. You ran and pulled up the GPS on your phone and entered the hotel address.

Your vision blurred and you felt a small pull in your chest. It was warning you.

---

Something felt off as the van pulled up to the back door of the hotel. His palms begin to sweat and his heart beat against his chest as if he were sprinting. The door to the van opened and Yoongi didn't even remember it stopping or the rest of the members climbing out.

"Yoongi?" one of the members called.

Yoongi managed to his feet and out of the van but nearly collapsed against Jin, who grabbed him by the shoulder to stabilize him. He doesn't get far before he collapses against the wall of the hotel, his neck lulling back.

"Yoongi, what's wrong?"

"Sumi...she must not be back yet..."

Yoongi hears some talking and shuffling, but barely understands anything as two of the boys lift him up and inside the hotel.

"They're going to look for her, Yoongi. It will be okay."

---

You'd made it a few more blocks, although you could barely tell. You were running, even though your vision was so blurred you could barely see. You used the buildings on the side as your guide and hoped you wouldn't bump into anyone.

Your heart was beating out of your chest and you honestly couldn't tell if it was because of the running or that Yoongi was back at the hotel. You felt lightheaded and even with your headphones in you could barely hear the directions your GPS was telling you.

The edges of your vision begin going black and you feel your knees hit the pavement. This was it. You hoped a passerby would stop and at least call an ambulance.

"Sumi!" someone a short distance away shouted.

You couldn't make out their faces, but you could see figures running through the crowd towards you. As you slumped against the nearest wall, you felt yourself being scooped up.

"Sumi, Sumi, it's okay. We're not too far away. Come on, stay awake."

You recognized Jungkook's face and allowed your face to fall against his T-shirt. It felt warm, but as you neared the hotel, your senses clearing a tiny bit, you realized it was a little too warm. You remembered back to the day before when you'd accidentally burned Tae's hand.

"I-I'm sorry," you said. "It doesn't hurt does it?"

"It was just the T-shirt. Don't worry about it, Sumi."

His voice is soft and you can barely hear him over the commotion you're approaching. You can already hear the slew of photographers who are inside the lobby of the hotel and outside on the sidewalk. They haven't seemed to notice you yet, as their camera flashes and yells are aimed elsewhere.

"Jungkook! Jimin!" Se-jin called from the alleyway where he held open a service door normally only used for employees. While your vision had cleared, you still felt out of breath and your heart still convulsed in your chest.

Jungkook ran towards the door and immediately into a service elevator. He didn't drop you back on your feet like you had expected him to. His arms were slung under your knees and around your shoulders. You wondered why you weren't burning his arms. Maybe because he wasn't touching your skin? Maybe the soulmate curse somehow recognized that he was helping you get closer to Yoongi? Whatever it was, you were thankful that beyond burning a small black hole in his T-shirt, you hadn't hurt him.

The elevator dinged and Jungkook rushed you into your hotel room. Yoongi was already on the bed, a cloth on his forehead. He was sweaty, his shirt pulled up, exposing his stomach and his hair pushed back.

Jungkook plopped you down on the bed beside Yoongi. Your breath evened out and your muscles relaxed, but the dull ache in your chest remained.

"Do you guys need anything?"

"Just some water."

Jungkook went to the sink and filled a glass with water and set it on the bedside table beside you. "Just text or call one of us if you need anything."

You nodded and Jungkook left the room. As soon as the door shut, Yoongi's arms around you and your face in his chest. His lips came to your forehead and you released a breath you hadn't realized you'd been holding.

"I lost track of time," you said. "I tried to take a taxi, but it was rush hour."

"It's okay. It's not your fault. It was harder than we thought it would be."

"Do you think we'll ever break it?" you asked. "If this was so difficult, if we can't even be apart due to a simple mistake, even if we were in love, how would we fix this?"

"I don't know. But, you should get some sleep."

"You too."

You rested your head on Yoongi's shoulder, his arm slung around you comfortably, fitting perfectly against your waist and in the swell of your hips. It was the only place your body would allow you to be, but even if it was just the soulmate curse, even if you didn't love Yoongi, you knew there was no other place you wanted to be than his arms.

---

You fell asleep long before Yoongi did. Your small breaths tickling the skin on his neck and you were so still in his arms, only the way your chest moved slowly up and down indicated that you were still alive.

He'd never tell you, but he loved the way you looked when you slept. You scrunched your face up like a fussy baby and sometimes you'd make small moans in reactions to whatever happened in your dreams.

It was nearly 1 am and Yoongi couldn't sleep. There were still pangs in his chest, but he wasn't sure if it was due to the earlier ordeal, or something else. He looked down at your sleeping form and carefully tucked stray hairs behind your ear. The ends of your hair were still a little damp with sweat, but he didn't care.

You smiled at his touch and burrowed deeper into him. So deep, in fact, Yoongi wasn't sure you'd ever come out.

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thejustmaiden · 5 years ago

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Jaken = Rin's Dad?

Okay, is this how a daughter treats their so-called father?

Most definitely not.

Rin and Jaken's relationship clearly screams of your typical sibling rivalry punctuated with cute and silly moments of playful bickering.

Yes, Jaken may technically be her main provider, but that doesn't necessarily equate to him being more of a father than Sesshomaru. If anything, he demonstrates more of a brotherly love towards her. As we all know, parents (which Sesshomaru embodies more based on real life patterns and parallels) will leave their older more capable children in charge of looking after their younger brothers and sisters. In this case, that would mean making Jaken responsible for watching over Rin and protecting her if need be. Ah-Un offers protection, too. Think of it as Jaken as the big brother and Ah-Un as the family dog who are babysitting while Sesshomaru as the parent of the household is away at work or taking care of business. I mean, they literally fit that description to a tee and I'm dying at the accuracy of it all! 🤣👌

[Quick! Someone write up a modern au where Sesshomaru finally gets out to have a nice date night but everything goes wrong in the most spectacular way. Like maybe Rin and Jaken catch a ride on Ah-Un to go spy!]

I recently revisited some episodes from The Final Act, and I couldn't believe how many moments like this there were where Rin got after Jaken or when she would "put him in his place" so to speak. Obviously, all of it is mostly harmless. I was only surprised by how often it occurred, not to mention how Jaken would just stand there and take it. Towards a supposed father figure, Rin's behavior is downright unacceptable. There's a certain level of respect a child is expected to show their parents/guardians, and that's just not what I'm witnessing here between them. Like at all.

Rather their dynamic has the nature of some sibling relationships like I mentioned above. So I really wish fans would stop pretending otherwise, because based on what we know of father-daughter relationships- healthy ones at least- they don't appear anything like what Jaken and Rin have. If you could please provide me other examples of where we've seen similar portrayals in fiction or in real life, then perhaps I can get on board.

Look, that doesn't have to mean that because Jaken isn't her father then Sesshomaru must be. They can both be her caretakers without necessarily filling that traditional father role. I'm just saying that if we're going to start assigning titles to characters, let's make sure we are accurate and truthful in our assessments. If you're going to label anyone Rin's dad, then it needs to be Sesshomaru. Jaken doesn't have precedence over him in terms of fatherly attributes, that just wouldn't make sense.

After all, this isn't about what you want to see, this is about what Rin very likely sees. It's safe to assume that she views Sesshomaru more like a father than she does Jaken. She knows she's safe with him (broadly speaking lol) and that he'll come for her no matter what. That sense of security and comfort is what a child seeks and what they should always feel in a parent's presence. She trusts and even idolizes him, just as a young and innocent child tends to do with their parents. At that age, parents are perfect and could do no wrong in their child's eyes. Idk about you, but this describes perfectly how Rin is around Sesshomaru.

Rin adores him and will follow him anywhere- yes, even into danger! That's what the innocence and unconditional love of a child will bring them to do if necessary. Fortunately, at the end of The Final Act we learn Sesshomaru takes Kaede's advice when he realizes that leaving Rin with her in the village is in her best interests. That way she'd be able to lead a more normal and safer life alongside other humans. Remember, Sessrin shippers, that doesn't mean he wasn't still a part of her life and didn't witness her become a young woman over the years right before his very eyes. Therefore, if they eventually do become romantically involved, then most if not all of those gifts had intimate and seductive intentions and it essentially constitutes as child grooming.

I understand from a Sessrin shipper's point of view why it'd be so much easier to claim Jaken as the father. In doing so, they diminish Sesshomaru's role in her upbringing. By refusing to acknowledge the real role he had in helping raise Rin (short periods can be crucial and impressionable too esp. in a child's early years so yes they did assist in raising her not only Kaede), these shippers are better able to justify how their filial-like relationship evolved into a romantic one. So yeah, I get it, if I were a Sessrin shipper I'd probably do the same. It's one of the more plausible arguments available to them, after all. "Let's pin Jaken as the father to fend off antis!" is the best chance they've got, but even so, it's still not good enough. But if you insist Jaken is indeed like a father to Rin, then Sesshomaru is most certainly one too. Who says she can't have two fathers anyway?

The thing is however much you want to deny or downplay what Sesshomaru truly means to Rin and vice versa, nothing will ever change or hide the truth of the matter. Please, stop acting like they're only traveling companions and nothing more. Some of y'all even go so far as to say that they're like strangers. Knowing potentially little about a person is not equal to a lack of love and affection. Making big assumptions such as this to defend your ship is actually doing you more harm than good. Let me elaborate.

According to your reasoning, if that's all Rin ever was to him was a companion and Sesshomaru had no real attachment to her, then what precisely is the basis of your ship? Recall that Adult!Rin doesn't exist yet, thus we have no real idea what she will be like or if she's even alive. So how can you make comments like that but then go on later to say "they have such a unique and unbreakable bond" or "only Rin can be the mother because she's the only human he ever cared for" if all that time spent traveling together didn't amount to much in the first place like you claimed to believe beforehand? Do you see how your rationalizing is confusing?

Contrary to what some of you may think, I'm not just saying all this because I'm an anti and I'm obligated to disagree with you, or whatever other excuse you want to tell yourself. Believe it or not, I'm attempting to give as unbiased and objective of an analysis I can based on widely accepted interpretations of family dynamics, development, and any history we know of.

Of course I respect that at times fans will perceive things differently since that's bound to happen. What's hard for me to wrap my head around however is the unwillingness of some fans- not exclusively Sessrin shippers- to apply basic common sense and sound judgment to their observations and deductions.

Looking at all our facts, then taking the small handful of scenes Sesshomaru and Rin do share together into account, one can logically conclude that their dynamic is akin to one found in a typical parent-child relationship. If you still fail to recognize Sesshomaru as a parent to Rin, then that's fine too. In the end, that won't really change the fact that he'd still take on a role resembling an adult figure overseeing a young child's care and protection. Be it as a vassal, guardian, what have you. Plus, nobody is saying here that Sesshomaru doesn't make mistakes regarding Rin's general well-being, but so do all parents. Overall, I think the majority of us agree that Rin is in good hands. Whether it's in his direct company or in his occasional supervision from his frequent visits to the village.

In other words, it doesn't really matter what exact title you assign him in relation to Rin, as the distribution of power is all inherently the same with any and all adult-child relationships. That bond never changes once you've established it either, seeing as it's a special kind of connection one can only form with a child and a child alone.

I was a teacher for a few years, and speaking from personal experience, you don't need to be a parent, per se, to take on a role of authority in a child's life. I know without a doubt that I could never and will never view any of those kids I taught in a sexual/romantic light later down the road; yes, not even once they become grown-ups who are independent and more than capable of making their own decisions. Those of you who disagree are usually missing the whole point though, because we're not trying to dictate what Adult!Rin can and cannot do like many tend to accuse of us doing. This isn't a question of taking away from her autonomy nor does it fall under "purity culture," which is why people shouldn't continue jumping to these outrageous conclusions and really listen for a change. You're deflecting from the real issue here when you choose to misinterpret what we're saying by ignoring the problem we're actually referring to. You cannot present a valid counter-argument if you persist in twisting our words.

Bottom line: once these kids become old enough to pursue a sexual/romantic relationship, of course they have that right if they're ready. All we're trying to say is you guys ought to stop pushing forward this it's-completely-normal-to-want-to-bang-your-adoptive-dad-since-you're-an-adult-and-can-do-as-you-please agenda and not expect backlash. Ship it if you want, but please stop acting like their romance would be the epitome of a pure and healthy relationship.

Sesshomaru may not wear his heart on his sleeve, but it's foolish to presume he didn't actually care about Rin during their whole time together just because he didn't openly express his feelings until the very end. Surely everybody can comprehend that people handle and process their emotions differently. The way Sesshomaru chooses to is completely valid for the most part, so let's cut him some slack regarding this already.

What I'm trying to get at is that any child whose life you played an influential role in will always be a kid in a lot ways to you even when they're old and wrinkly. Just as they will always picture you as the loved one who guided and protected them when they were most vulnerable and couldn't always fend for themselves. Can't we relate this to children we know personally and apply it accordingly?

Finally, I want to end on this note. Could you kindly take a look at these two images below for a second?

The reason I ask is because of something I recently read that's relevant to the topic. There was this pro-sessrin tweet I saw that stated Rin trying to take care of Sesshomaru when they first met is what a mom would do for a child, which in their opinion, translates to Rin being more like a mother than a daughter if anything.

First off: are you freaking kidding me????

Seriously, so now children aren't allowed to tend to their sick or injured parents?! Parents are apparently superhuman and shouldn't be offered a helping hand from a child, even if they mean well and want to help their parent who's in pain?? Now this Twitter user was mostly being a smartass, but at the same time, it was evident they genuinely thought they offered a valid enough point that warranted no further explanation or clarification.

Secondly, by saying this Sessrin fans don't seem to realize that in actuality they're contradicting themselves and proving the point we've been trying to make all along. Glancing at the first picture and moving down to the second, the role of the one being cared for and the caretaker is reversed. So then by their own logic, Sesshomaru IS in fact like a father to Rin.

What it comes down to is the names you give to the roles these characters play aren't as crucial as the dynamic they share. The specific characteristics of that dynamic are what define the importance of said role, not so much the name in the role itself. So real father or not, Sesshomaru and Rin clearly mean a lot to each other. Close relationships are defined and solidified by the devotion and belonging they have to one another, not solely by the duration of time spent together and their proximity.

Well, that's a wrap! I hope you guys got something outta this blog, and that you enjoyed or found some portions of it interesting. I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject from this fandom, but only engage in conversation if you plan to be respectful. Thank you!

#inuyasha #hanyo no yashahime #sesshomaru #rin #jaken #anti sessrin #child grooming #family dynamics #parent child relationship

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starlit-serenade · 5 years ago

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Oopsies!

💧 Summary: No one knows that you and Hwanwoong have been dating for a year. Not his members, neither of your friends or family, none of the administration. Only you and Hwanwoong. And you two had hoped it would stay that way.

💧 Word Count: 1,568 words

💧 Pairing: Reader x Yeo Hwanwoong (Hwanwoong) / Characters: GenderNeutral!Reader; Yeo Hwanwoong (Hwanwoong); Kim Youngjo (Ravn); Lee Seoho (Seoho); Kim Geonhak (Kim Geonhak); Lee Keonhee (Keonhee); Son Dongju (Xion);

💧 Rated: T / Warnings: None / Genre: GenderNeutral!Reader; Fluff;

The members of ONEUS, who you are all close friends with, are all gathered in a meeting room with their manager, planning something for the next week. You're waiting in the practice room, because Hwanwoong is supposed to be helping you with your choreography cover.

You're sitting on the floor, your back against the left wall as you scroll through your texts with Hwanwoong, who you have been dating for maybe a year, since right after ONEUS's debut. You had been friends since before that, about two years before, as you were both trainees at RBW and often worked together due to your shared interest in dance, though he was much more advanced than you. But a couple months after their debut, you and Hwanwoong realized that you'd bonded a lot over your time working with him. You both had feelings for each other, so you started secretly hanging out as just "more than friends." Eventually, that became you and him secretly dating. None of his members knew, because you two worried about how the relationship would affect his and his group's success, as well as your own future career. Since then, you did stop being an idol, but you do still like dancing and spending time with Hwanwoong, dancing together.

The door opens suddenly, and you clutch your phone to your chest instinctively. Kim Youngjo walks in, closely followed by Hwanwoong and everyone else.

"How was you guys' meeting?" you ask.

"Good," Youngjo says. The other members begin gathering their things, in preparation to leave. "We have an interview next Monday. And a photoshoot on Thursday for a magazine."

"Cool," you say. "Are you doing the interview here?"

"Yes, we'll be doing this one through a video call," he says.

"Fun."

Youngjo then goes to gather his things to head home. You and Hwanwoong make eye contact from across the room. He smiles sweetly, and your heart skips a beat.

"I see you two," Seoho says from nearby.

You tear your eyes away from Hwanwoong and stare back at your phone, pretending you weren't staring at your boyfriend.

"No, I see you two making eyes at each other across the room. Just start dating already!" Seoho says. You almost laugh.

"Seoho!" Hwanwoong says. "We weren't 'making eyes' at each other."

"No? Come on, just get together already," Seoho says.

You roll your eyes. "Seoho, we don't . . . like each other like that."

Dongju scoffs from next to where Hwanwoong is sitting. "I highly doubt that--Ow!" Dongju yells after Hwanwoong slaps his shoulder really hard.

You stand up and stretch your back. You're eager to get to practicing with Hwanwoong, so you can practice dancing, and more than anything, get some quality time with your boyfriend for the first time in over a week.

After a bit, the other members leave you and Hwanwoong alone to practice dancing. They never actually mentioned where they would go, but you assumed that they're heading home. Maybe in one of the recording studios or something.

You look at Hwanwoong, who is standing in the center of the room, smiling at you softly. His hands are in his pockets.

"Hi baby," he says. "I've missed you."

"I've seen you every day for the past two weeks, Woong," you say, pretending to not know what he's talking about. When you notice him pouting at you, you soften and hold out your hands to him. "I've missed you too, Woong."

He walks over and holds your hands, kissing you softly before moving away, still holding your hands. "Do you want to get to dancing?"

You shake your head. "Not really."

"Oh? No? Then what do you want to do?" he asks, eyebrow raised curiously. You tug at his hands, walking back until your back hits the wall.

"Want to kiss you," you mumble, staring at his lips.

"Oh really? I was thinking the same thing," he says.

You cup his cheeks and bring his face to yours, kissing him deeply. One of his hands rests on your waist, while the other is pressed against the wall behind you.

"What if someone came in and found us?" he murmurs teasingly. You giggle, and look down, pressing the top of your head to his chest as you play with a wrinkle in Hwanwoong's shirt.

"We should probably get to dancing, in case someone comes in," you murmur. Hwanwoong steps back and nods, taking your hand and squeezing it reassuringly.

"Sure. I love you, Y/Nie."

"I love you too, Woongie," you say. He wrinkles his nose at you and gets into position to dance, next to the phone so he can start the music when you're ready. You take your own position, opposite from him, and he presses play.

K.A.R.D's 'Hola Hola' starts playing over the speakers, and you and Hwanwoong start dancing a duet version of the choreography. Since before you two even got together, you both found it fun adapting multi-member choreographies into duet choreographies. Adapting choreographies was a hobby you two had in common.

You finish dancing through a few other songs, stopping for quick kissing breaks between them, and after about an hour and a half, you and Hwanwoong settle down for a break. You sit together with your backs against the wall, nose to nose, mumbling about how you guys' week has been between kisses.

"Y/Nie," Hwanwoong murmurs, pulling away to smile at you.

"Hmm?"

"I love you," he says. You peck a kiss onto his lips softly.

"I love you too." He leans forward to kiss you, when suddenly the door opens and you both yell in surprise, with you jumping back into Hwanwoong, who instinctively wraps his arms around you as you both look at the door.

“Oopsies,” Hwanwoong mutters behind you.

Keonhee, whose head is in the room, is staring at you two in shock. He must have seen you and Hwanwoong kissing. Or maybe he didn't. Maybe if you play it cool, he'll think he misunderstood something or something.

You dust off your clothes and smile up at Youngjo innocently.

"Hey, Keonhee," you say cheerfully. "Hwanwoong and I were just taking a break from practicing some dances.

"Were you just . . . ?" Keonhee puckers his lips and raises his eyebrows questioningly. "Were you two just kissing?"

"No!" Hwanwoong says quickly, sounding so desperate that it's so obvious. "No, no! We were just . . . talking!"

"Lies. I know what I saw," Keonhee scolds. "You two were definitely kissing! How long has this been going on?"

"H-how long has what been going on?" Hwanwoong asks. "We weren't--"

Keonhee slips back into the hallway, closing the door loudly. Hwanwoong looks at you, and you can see that he's panicking so much inside. You turn and face him and take his hands.

"Y/N, oh God, they know," he says, tunning his hand through his hair anxiously. "What do we--oh God--what do we do?"

You squeeze his hands and cup his cheeks, making him look at you.

"Hwanwoong, calm down. It'll be fine," you say. You don't know that. You don't know what'll happen at all, but it's better to stay calm.

The door opens abruptly, and you and Hwanwoong look up at the intruders. You had expected, when the door opened, that it would be Keonhee. But to your horror--and probably Hwanwoong's horror as well--Keonhee is accompanied by Youngjo. Neither of them look pissed. Keonhee is smiling softly, in fact. Almost reassuringly.

"So Keonhee told me you two were kissing in here," Youngjo says.

"Youngjo, I can explain!" Hwanwoong says, his voice panicked. "We were just talking, it was a big misunderstanding--"

"Yeo Hwanwoong," Youngjo says sternly. "Keonhee saw you and Y/N kiss. Now. Tell us, how long has this been going on?"

You and Hwanwoong look at each other. Youngjo obviously won't give up, so you might as well tell him. Hwanwoong apparently agrees.

"A year . . ." He says, ducking his head in shame. "I'm sorry, Youngjo. We should have told you guys, but we didn't want to . . . well, we didn't want it to get in the way of the group's popularity or anything. And we didn't want you guys to think dating Y/N was going to distract me . . ."

"Are you kidding?" Youngjo asks, sitting down in front of you and Hwanwoong, his legs crossed as he smiles at you both reassuringly. "We've all thought you two would be cute together since even before our debut," he says with a chuckle.

"I . . . you're not mad?"

Youngjo shakes his head. "No, of course not. If anything, we're happy that you're finally together. Wish you'd told us sooner."

"You guys were always cute together," Keonhee says. "We've wanted you to be together for so long. And now you're telling us you've been hiding it for a year?"

Hwanwoong hums and hugs you from behind, burying his face in your neck, hiding his face from the other two. You nod.

"Wait until we tell the other three," Keonhee says. Youngjo nudges him and looks back at you and Hwanwoong.

"I know the other three will be thrilled to find out. But I think it'd be better if you told them," Youngjo says. "In the end, it is you guys' choice who to tell and when."

Hwanwoong smiles and nuzzles his nose into your cheek. "Wanna tell them, Y/Nie?"

You nod, running your hand through his hair, which you know he finds calming. "Sure."

#oneus #hwanwoong #yeo hwanwoong #oneus fanfic #oneus fanfiction #hwanwoong fanfic #hwanwoong fanfiction #yeo hwanwoong fanfic #yeo hwanwoong fanfiction #fanfic #fanfiction #myfic

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winchester90210 · 5 years ago

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The BH 90210 Rewrite. 1x13: Slumber Party

Rewrite Masterlist

Read the previous chapter here!

Chapter Summary: Junk food is had, secrets are exposed, and flings are revealed...

Warnings: mentions of sex, swearing, one minor make out scene.

Word count: 2,900

My work is not to be reposted and/or edited without my expressed written consent. (Reblogging is fine and encouraged!!)

The flashback is in italics.

Feedback is incredibly appreciated! :)

A/N: This is one of my favorite episodes! Hope you guys enjoy it! Sorry about the scheduling issue, next week should go as planned. Feedback on this chapter would be wonderful! :)

"Are you sure this thing isn't a slumber party?" Kelly criticizes. You open your locker as your friends begin to bicker on both sides of you. Something akin to petty surround sound.

"I told you! It's a night of female bonding-- a chance for us to get together and talk about what's important," Brenda explains.

"But we're doing it in our PJs," Donna interjects.

"Well, that would make sense unless you prefer to sleep in your clothes," You say, "Bren, I think it's a great idea. It could be fun!"

"Can we invite some guys to come over later? I mean, after we've talked and bonded and everything?" Kelly asks.

"Kelly, I thought what we wanted was an evening to ourselves where we don't have to think about guys, talk about guys, or worry about what we look like 'cause some guy is around. Isn't that what we said?" She nods, rolling her eyes. "So what's the problem?"

"Nothing!" She leans against the lockers, "Actually... there is one thing. I kinda made plans with this other friend of mine, Amanda Pacer. You don't know her, she's a senior, but we have been friends forever."

"So bring her," you suggest, taking out your history book and shutting your locker.

"Well... I know this may sound stupid, but I don't want her to think this is a slumber party... It's not a slumber party, right?"

"Brenda! Kelly, Y/N, and Donna are here to bond with you!" Brandon shouts up the stairs, laden in his all-white Peach Pit uniform. He looked so cute, this "no guy" rule was pointless. Especially when the said guys looked like that. "Hey Y/N/N," he kisses you softly, pulling you closer to him.

"Hey," you mumble. He gives you a hard, dizzying, coffee-flavored kiss as he slowly backs into the front door. You hum against him happily, "I'll pay you to stay, I'm serious. Cold hard cash." He grins, slipping his warm hands under the sides of your jacket, holding onto your hips gently.

"As much as I'd like to, I promised Nat I'd pick up this shift."

"Tell him you have other business to attend to. Like getting me out of this slumber party. Nat'll understand," you plead jokingly. One more soft, sweet kiss and he lets go of you. "Brandon..." he smiles at you adoringly and turns towards the other two girls waiting in the foyer, pretending that they weren't just watching everything you two were doing.

"Have fun, ladies," he swings the front door open and leaves as quickly as possible, knowing that if he stayed any longer you'd actually end up convincing him to stay. As one Walsh exits, another enters as Brenda comes down the stairs wearing a long, plaid nightshirt. But before she's even fully down the stairs, Kelly starts to complain.

"Brenda, this is really weird."

"Kelly, we are going to have fun! Where's Amanda?"

"Oh, she's coming later," She fidgets awkwardly, "She uh, wanted to bring her own car in case..."

"Something better came along," Donna interjects.

"I think this might be a little too down-home for her."

"Kelly, we're not going on hayrides," you cut in.

"Okay, we have chocolate ice cream,vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, and whipped cream!" Brenda announces as you pour the doritos into a bowl. It's a scramble of hands and junk food as you all grab what you want.

"Do you have any other cookies?" Kelly asks.

"Yeah! I think they're in the cupboard," Brenda nods.

"Oh, I love cookies smushed in ice cream!" Andrea beams, "it's the best."

"You ever put popcorn in ice cream?" Donna wonders. The group groans in disgust. "Hey, it's really good!" You hop on the counter next to where Donna is and grab a chip

"Well, there's microwave popcorn in a bowl over there, knock yourself out," Brenda giggles, handing you your bowl of chocolate ice cream.

"Thanks," you smile, "Hey, Amanda, what do you want? Vanilla or chocolate?" You glance over to Kelly's friend as you help the girls put together their sundaes, and she's sitting alone at the kitchen table with her arms crossed, pouting.

"Nothing for me, thanks."

"Oh, come on, Amanda. You're gonna make us all look like pigs!" Kelly exclaims.

"You said it, I didn't," Amanda ostracizes. The room goes radio silent, but instead of bumming out the room, Brenda starts snorting like a pig at her while the rest of you laugh and pick up your junk food.

"Donna, that is so gross!" Kelly laughs, watching as her best friend shows vanilla ice cream and popcorn into her mouth all in one spoon. Your cheeks already hurt from laughing, but you couldn't stop smiling.

"I know, but I like it! I don't know why, but I do, okay?"

"This is something you can never do with guys," Kelly smirks, piling on the whipped cream to her sundae.

"What?" Andrea asks.

"Pig out!" The five of you giggle as Brenda turns to Amanda, who's once again decided to remove herself from the group.

"Do you eat on dates, Amanda?"

"Never. But I always order something expensive," her voice is sharp, and she's slumped back in the white chair in the far corner of the room.

"Why?"

"To let them know I'm worth it," she shrugs.

"I knew it was over for me and Steve when I started pigging out everytime we went out to eat," she scoffs.

"He never took you out to eat, Kelly," Donna giggles, and then everyone, (excluding Ms. Grump Pants, of course) bursts out in laughter.

"I am in... sugar shock." Brenda sighs, resting her head on your shoulder as you lean back onto the couch, smushed up against the other girls.

"I feel like I just gained ten pounds," Andrea groans.

"So, what do you guys want to do now?" Kelly ponders.

"Ooh, lets rent Pretty Woman!" Donna suggests.

"Donna, you've seen that movie 300 times," Kelly snickers.

"It's dependable. You know, sometimes I think about running away and becoming a hooker on Hollywood boulevard," she puts her fist up to her heart, fawning, "just so I can meet Richard Gere."

"There's only one problem... you're not Julia Roberts."

"Look, we're not going to rent a movie... or become prostitutes," you tease Donna, "The whole point of this was so we could talk. Andrea, go get your Ouija board."

You settle back down onto the couch after coming very close to crapping your pants because of what you thought was the Ouija board... which just ended up being David Silver sneaking creepy pictures of you guys through the window. You breathe deeply as your heart rate settles down. Amanda checks her watch and scoffs.

"It's after midnight."

"What, do frat boys turn into pumpkins?" Brenda bites sarcastically.

"No, they turn into drunken slobs." You sure made my night," she complains.

"Amanda, you didn't have to come!" Kelly barks.

"What? And miss all the fun? The party games?" She laughs sardonically, "I don't want to leave anymore. Everyone's ruined my night," she takes off her beige coat and throws it on the chair. "It's my turn to ruin their's. Okay everyone. I've got a game if you're up for it. Skeletons in the closet. Everyone sits in a circle, and the person in the middle has to answer all their questions as honestly as possible. The kind of question is up to you, whatever you feel like asking. Of course, the better the question, the better the game."

"Go ahead. Ask me anything," Andrea smiles nervously.

"Why does everybody call you 'Awwwndrea?'" Amanda starts.

"Excuse me?"

"What are you, British? I mean... Awwwwndrea?" Amanda guffaws.

"That is pretty pretentious," Kelly adds.

"Kelly," you warn her.

"It's pronounced both ways. But An-dree-uh is a little boring and common. I like to be different."

"Good answer," you smile.

"So, am I through?"

Amanda studies her carefully, "No. Not yet... have you ever slept with a guy before?" What the hell was wrong with this girl?

"That's... a little personal. But uh... no. No, I have never slept with a guy before. Yet."

"Well, if you could sleep with any guy in school, who would it be?"

Andrea chuckles anxiously, looking down at the ground. "Come on, you guys. I can't answer that..."

"Yeah, you can. You can trust us, Andrea... well," you glance at Amanda, "most of us, at least."

"Uh... I don't know. I guess... I guess uh..."

"Brandon?" Kelly cuts in.

"What?" You glare at Kelly.

"No." Andrea answers, "No. Not Brandon. No... it would have to be Hans Fleischman. He is this incredibly gorgeous lifeguard who pulled me out of the water when I was stung by a jellyfish at Zuma beach last summer." You adjust in your seat uncomfortably while the Kelly snickers in disbelief at Andrea. "Hey, what is this? Brandon is just a friend."

"Wait-- wait a second. Is this the same Brandon that's all over her everyday?" Amanda laughs out, "Sweetie... get a life. You like him. Everybody already knows." You sure didn't. "And he likes her." You don't even dare to look up from your thumbs. What the hell were you supposed to do in this situation? Sure, you encouraged her to answer it but you didn't think it would be Brandon. You would feel weird comforting her, but you still feel weird just sitting there and letting her get harrassed.

"Okay... okay. So it-- it is Brandon." Her eyes well up as she stutters through her words. The room is silent for a moment before you hop to your feet.

"Well, this has been a blast," you huff, "I'm gonna go get a soda. Anyone else have plans to seduce my boyfriend? Kelly? Donna? Hey, how about you, Amanda?"

After Kelly's turn, to which she described her traumatic first sexual experience, and Brenda's where she describes how she betrayed her best friend back in Minneapolis... you were really starting to hate this game.

"Come on, Donna, you've gotta have some secrets," Kelly encourages.

"I don't! I tell you guys everything!"

"If you could go out with any guy in school, who would it be?!" Brenda asks. Let me guess, Brandon?

"Greg Houseman. You know that, she never stops talking about him," Kelly sighs.

"What is the most dishonest thing you've ever done?" You ask, curling your legs up to your chest. She pauses to think for a moment.

"Nothing..."

"Didn't anybody in your family go insane or something? Anything?"

"No... we're all really normal," she shrugs. The thing was, she's right. You've been to her house. Her mother is great, her dad's really nice, her house is perfect... she was completely normal.

"You know what your problem is, Donna?" Amanda prompts, "Your life is totally boring. Anyone who can't dredge up one secret about themselves is either lying or a total zero."

"That is not true," you snap.

"Why, what are you hiding, Y/N/N?"

"Nothing, Amanda."

"Oh, really? That's not what I hear... or what I've seen."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Get in the circle," she smirks, this time deviously. Dangerously. You follow her orders, moving from the floor to the chair.

"What's your favorite movie?" Brenda asks.

"Rebel without a Cause."

"What's your favorite color?"

"Baby pink," you watch Amanda out of the corner of your eye, getting more and more frustrated at the boring questions.

"Oh, come on! You guys are such a drag!" She leans forward, smirking, "What's going on with you and Dylan McKay?" You look at her confused.

"He's dating her," you gesture towards Brenda, "Not me." Amanda shakes her head immediately, as if she knew you were going to say that.

"Do I need to dumb it down for you, sweetheart? What happened at the Bel Age a few months ago, y'know, when you jumped him?"

"What?" Brenda says quietly, her voice breaking. She looks at you as tears start to brim her eyes.

"Bren, wait a second--"

"Did you sleep with my boyfriend?" Your jaw goes agape and you laugh sourly in shock.

"You really think I'd sleep with Dylan?!" A pit of guilt was forming in your stomach as you tensed up.

"I don't know what to think, Y/N! All I know is you two spend an awful lot of time together alone and now I'm hearing that you pounced on him!" she snaps. Oh my god. You couldn't believe this was happening.

"That's not what happened, Bren!"

"Fine!" She scoffs bitterly, "what happened, then?"

"So, I was at the Bel Age a few months ago, Brandon had just gotten the job at the Peach Pit..."

"I don't wanna go home yet," you told him. The Porsche rumbled as Dylan warmed it up. He raised an eyebrow at you as he leaned back.

"Where do you want to go?"

"Anywhere you want to take me." Those would be words you would later come to regret. Asking a hot guy with a leather jacket and a Porsche to have his way with you? Bold move. Dumb move, too. He could've taken you anywhere. Baja, the abandoned elementary school, anywhere. But where did he take you? The Bel Age hotel.

When you walked in he popped the radio on and you sat down as a Gloria Estefan song played quietly throughout the hotel room. Dylan was over at the wet bar, pouring himself a glass of scotch. Looking back, it was the only time you'd ever seen him drink something in moderation.

"You drink?" He asked, looking back at you.

"I could start," you shrug. And that was the first of many bad decisions you'd make in that hotel room. He grabs a second pint glass, but you weren't paying much attention to him as he clanked around, trying to pour you something that wouldn't make you gag.

He hands you the concoction and sits down beside you, his legs against yours. A little closer than normal, but you didn't think anything of it. Fidgeting anxiously, you began to drink whatever it was he gave you. It was new, being alone with him like that. Sure, you could hang out with him in groups but... just you and him? You tilted the glass back, letting the smooth and surprisingly digestible liquor flow down your throat until there was nothing left in your glass. This stuff was supposed kill anxiety, right? He eyes you up. Peculiarly, but not critically.

"Thirsty?"

"Yeah, you could say that." He would continue to fill your glass, and his own, for that matter, all night. He'd put on his Road House VHS tape somewhere in the middle. And you were watching it. You really were. But as the movie went on longer, you got closer. A fairly innocent movie night (the first of many) turned into a night full of regrets.

His hand was on your leg right before the first kiss happened, thumb drawing dizzying little circles on your thigh as he watched the movie. You're sure if you showed any signs of discomfort he would've stopped-- that fact gave you peace in the moment. But the last thing you wanted him to do was stop. So he didn't. And neither did you. It wasn't until later, when his lips were trailing down your jaw, hands pushing your dress up, and his own white t-shirt was somewhere on the floor next to you. That's when it came to a crashing halt. Removing his lips from your neck, he sighed.

"What is it?" You asked. The air between you two was intense, sensitive. One move and he'd be back on top of you, starting the cycle all over again.

"What about Minnesota?" He slides you off of his lap in one swift motion, but his hand was lingering on your hip.

"What about Brandon?"

"Come on, you've seen how he is around you. I don't want to get in the way of that, mess anything up."

"You're not messing anything up. If Brandon was interested he would've made a move already."

Cut to you, current day, girlfriend of the mentioned boy, "Hah... whoops."

"But either way... this is a bad idea, isn't it?" You sheepishly picked up the shirt from the floor and handed it back to him. "So," you cleared your throat, "Friends?"

"Yeah," he chuckled, fiddling with the shirt in his hand. The energy in the room was different then, awkward. Laughable. But friendly.

"And that was it," you finish, "We're friends. Kissing him now would be no different than kissing Donna or Kelly."

"You wouldn't have kissed him if you didn't like him!"

"I do like him. As a friend," you plead, "Bren, I've been supporting you guys since day one, I would never do something to hurt you." You search her eyes for something. A little bit of waivering, forgiveness, pity. Anything at this point. Stupid Amanda and her stupid skeleton game. Brenda avoids your gaze for a moment.

"And nothing's happened since then?" She chokes out. You see her shoulders rise and fall as she takes in a shaky breath.

"Nothing's happened since then."

She lets out a deep sigh, almost out of relief, but tears are still threatening to spill from her eyes "Okay... I guess I understand." As she says that, it's like every muscle in your body lets go of the stress it had been holding for the past few weeks. You really hate secrets.

"Uh, Bren... I have a confession to make," Kelly pipes up from the side of the room, "After you started going out with Dylan I tried to get a date with him." Oh shit.

Taglist: @be-patient-be-good @mpmarypoppins @bevelyhills90210 @blueoz @harleylilo88 @princess-ghost-alien @hueycat2004 @l4life @keepcalm-and-beyou

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deadsaigon · 6 years ago

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Kindred spirits || Carl Grimes

Summary: In a parallel universe where Carl is still alive, he experiences the events during the 9x15.

Warnings: Death, and yeah, a lot of cuteness and sadness. All at the same time.

Note: The flashbacks are in italics. Gif is not mine.

A/n: I've been working on this for a while, I hope you like it. Honoring my baby Carl, he deserved to live longer in the series. Requests are open. Sorry if it's too long, but I think is worthy to read. Hope you like it.

"I stand before you today at the start of a new tomorrow. A tomorrow made possible by the sacrifice of many over the years. Among them a man whose mission was to build community and strengthen the bonds between us. A man who had to destroy the very thing that connected us in order to save us. It took us far too long to fulfill the promise of what Rick Grimes and his son Carl, who is here with us, envisioned" King Ezekiel stoped his speech, due to the ovation that the people started when they heard the name of 'Carl', Carl was a living legend. He and Amunet were between the crowd. One of his arms was around her waist and her head was over his shoulder. When the people around them began to applaud him, Carl blushed a little and he thanked them with his hand. "The same promise, Paul Rovia, better known the most as Jesus believed in when he brought us all together those many years ago. We've always been bound to each other. We always will be. We fought our way back to each other. We've grown. The crossing over the river may be gone, but we rebuilt a bridge nonetheless. Today is the proof that we can unite, not against a common enemy but for the common good. So eat, drink, trade and be merry, cause we got a lot of lost time to make up for" Ezekiel ended his speech.

Jerry stood in front of all the people. "That the first Annual Inter-community Reunification Fair begins" He said.

"Jerry, we changed that" Ezekiel told him with a little smile. All the people laughed. "Carl, could you make me the honor to say some words and inaugurate this?" The King asked him. "Amunet, you can pass, too". Carl blushed again, but Amunet encouraged him. They hold hands and passed to the front.

"Mmm, hello" He said, he was so nervous but Amunet pressed harder his hand, trying to calm him down. "I would like to thank you all, for not abandoning my dad's dream, the dream he worked so hard for so many years, the dream he gave his life for: the dream of being a big and unite family." Carl reached the cage of the white doves. "That the Fair or the New Beginning begins" He finished by setting free the doves. The people started to applaud again, and yeah, Carl blushed, once more.

Once the people got disperse, Carl and Amunet started walking around the Fair. "You're so cute when you blush" Amunet said.

"Stop it" He answered.

"It's the true, you are adorable" She laughed. Carl take her from her waist, pulled her close to him and kissed her.

"I love you, Amunet"

"I love you too, Carl" Amunet and Carl met each other since the beginning of the chaos. They were friends in the Atlanta camp, in the Hershel's farm, in the prison, and they started dating when they arrived to Alexandria. They had been a couple for 8 years approximately. They had always support each other.

"Alexandria is granted to give asylum to Lydia" Carl spoke. The leaders of each community, Tara for The Hilltop, Carol and Ezekiel for The Kingdom, Rachel for OceanSide, and Carl and Michonne for Alexandria, were discussing about the fact of Lydia forming part of the communities now. Henry, Lydia, Judith and Amunet were also there.

"If her mother retaliates it's gonna be against Hilltop, not Alexandria" Tara said, she didn't seem to be happy with Lydia being around.

"Tara, remember when you stood in the prison with the Governor? You were our enemy. But Glenn saved you, and brought you with him. At the start, people didn't trust you, obviously, but we gave you the doubt benefit, and look how it come, now, you become part of the family" Carl told her and Tara seemed to understand what he was trying to say. "That's why we propose a mutual protection pact. If her mother wants to attack Hilltop, it won't be easy, cause she is going to have to fight the four communities. They mess with one, they mess with us all" Carl continued talking. Everyone in the place agreed.

"How do we seal it? A blood pact? Do we cross the pinkies?" Tara said making everyone laugh.

"I just got an idea" King Ezekiel said and searched for something. Finally, he found the agreement that Rick had made so many years ago.

"How do you have it?" Michonne asked.

"Maybe I took some things when I left Alexandria" Tara answered.

The first who signed it were King Ezekiel and Queen Carol, then Tara, it continued Rachel, and then, it was the turn of Alexandria. Michonne took the pen in her hand, but extended it to Carl. "It should be the Rick Grimes son" She said. Carl took the pen and signed the paper with 'Carl Grimes'. It was it, the mutual protection pact was signed.

Amunet and Judith stood next to Carl. "Carl you did it amazing!" The little girl said and give him a hug.

"Thank you Judith" Carl took the body of his little sister in his arms and carried her.

"Thank you, Carl. Thank you so much" Lydia said.

"It's okay Lydia, I couldn't let you alone. You are one of us now. Also, Henry needs you" Lydia and Henry laughed. When Henry went for Lydia, after Alpha took her from The Hilltop, Carl, Daryl and Connie searched for him. Daryl and Connie didn't understand Henry, but Carl did.

"So, that's how you make CPR to a person" Enid finished her explication. "Who wants to pass and do it with the doll?" Judith raised her hand. "Okay, Judith, let's see how you do it" The doctor said her. Judith stood near to the doll, and started to do the steps that Enid had explained before. "You did it very well, congratulations! Take a lollipop. That's all, thank you"

The people dispersed, and Carl walked to Enid. "Hey, my favourite cowboy is here" They hugged each other. "How are you doing? Did Amunet came?"

"Cool, I'm pretty cool. Yeah, Amunet is here too. How are you Enid? Or I should say 'doctor Enid'?"

"I always call you 'cowboy', you have the right to call me 'doctor'" Both laughed.

"I'm happy to see you, Enid"

"I'm happy too, Carl. It's been a long since the last time we see each other"

"But we saw us in The Hilltop, when Rosita and Eugene got in trouble"

"I know, but I refer, to see each other like this, like family, not like two strangers. I'm sorry for never had get back to Alexandria, but Maggie needed me here"

"And I'm sorry for never have go to Hilltop to visit you, but you know what happened with Michonne, I needed to stay in Alexandria taking care of Judith and Rick Jr."

"Maybe we can be the same best friends that we were"

"I'd love that"

"It's gonna be a little different, I'm not the same depressive Enid that used to hate everything and used to sneak out the walls"

"That Enid was pretty cool, tho"

"It was cool for the emo Carl you were in that time. The antique Enid doesn't fit with the famous leader Carl you are now. But the doctor Enid, she fits perfect"

"I'm not famous" "Of course you are. You know that the adults tell about 'the Grimes' to their children?"

"I've heard about that, but I didn't think it was true"

"It's true, Carl, everybody knows your story, and I'm so proud of you"

"Heeeeyyyy, you're talking without me? I feel betrayed" Amunet got into the conversation.

"We were about to look for you" Carl said.

"I'm gonna pretend that I believe you. Enid! I've missed you so much" Both women hugged each other.

"I've missed you too. What have you being doing in Alexandria?"

"I'm in charge of the hydraulic system that provides water to the community. Also, I'm in charge of the maintenance of the solar panels, and the power generators. If they don't work, I fix them" Amunet said proudly.

"Woah, did Eugene teach you that?" "Who more could it be? The dude is a freaking genie. I'm glad to say that Siddiq did a good job training you, doctor"

"Can you believe it? Six year ago we were only teenagers trying to survive in the end of the world, and now, look at us" Enid said.

"This shit is crazy"

"Language, Carl!"

"Judith, what are you doing here?"

"I want a caramel apple, can we get one?"

"Okay, come on. Ladies, I'll see you later" Carl kissed Amunet before going with his sister.

"You don't have to go. They can patrol the surroundings by themselves" Amunet said to Carl.

"It's okay. I'm gonna be fine. Daryl is going too"

"Yeah girl, I'll take care of him, even if he doesn't need it anymore" Daryl said.

"You should reconsider it" Michonne said.

"Mom, you are worrying to much"

"Mom is right, Carl, it's too dangerous. What if something bad happens to you?" Judith said sadly.

Carl kneeled to be at the same height that his sister and put his hands in her cheeks. "Judy, do you trust me?" The girl nodded. "I'm going out there because I want to help. I can't stay here pretending that everything is fine with those crazy people with skin masks around. I want to guarantee the safety of you three" He said to Amunet, Michonne and Judith. "I have to do it"

Judith jumped into Carl's arms. "Just be careful Carl, please" The girl said.

"Be prudent. And do what Daryl says, Okay?" Michonne told.

"The last time I listen to Daryl I was fifteen, but sure, I will" Michonne, Carl and Judith involved themselves into a warm hugged.

Amunet was the only left to say goodbye. "Promise me you'll get back"

"I do. I always get back to you"

"I can't loose you, don't make me get through that"

"You are not going to loose me. I'll be back" The couple shared a kiss full of love and hope.

"I love you so much" Amunet said.

"I love you more. I'll see you later. Don't forget that you have my heart and that you are the fucking love of my life"

"Carl! Language"

"Sorry, Judith"

"It's time to go" Daryl said.

"Daryl, please, protect him"

"I will. But you have to understand that he's not a kid anymore Michonne" The man said before the group conformed by Magna, Yumiko, Carol, Kal, Marco, Dianne, he and Carl left.

"What the hell is that?" Carl asked.

The group had meet with DJ, Alek and Ozzy. They had found a destroyed carriage and dead horses. "We don't know. The bodies that were in here are missing. They must had been going to the Fair" DJ said.

"Do you think they were them?" Carl asked again, making reference to the people with masks.

"I'd like to say no, but you are not dumb"

"We should separate. Daryl, Carol, Yumiko and I will follow the rast of the bodies, and try to find them. Magna, Dianne, Marco and Kal, get to The Hilltop, and make sure everything is okay. DJ, Ozzy, Alek, keep patrolling around here. Let's go" Carl ordered.

When Carl's group moved, Carol and Daryl kept watching at Carl. "What's wrong guys?" He asked them.

"You did it pretty well in there. Being a leader is your thing, kid" Carol said with a little smile.

"Your dad would be so proud" Daryl told.

"Please, stop. People have been saying stuff like that all day"

"You shouldn't be ashamed of that, Carl" Yumiko said.

"Can we just keep going?" Carl ended the conversation.

The day turned into night. Carl's group was still searching for the bodies of the people from the carriage. Suddenly, some walkers appeared in their way. "Take care, watch their hands, they could have knives" Carl said.

Walkers grew in number, and then, a body of 2 meters of height appeared in front of them. Carl, Yumiko, Carol and Dary prepared their weapons. "Drop them. I won't ask twice" Beta ordered. The four obeyed him, and the tall guy directed his voice at Carl. "You just had to give me the girl. Now that deal is over. You are coming with us"

Beta took them to the Whisperer camp, and tied them to a tree. Then, Alpha appeared. "You, one-eyed, come" She said and unleashed Carl. Ponting at him with a gun, she took him to a pit, where a big horde of walkers was in. "I hope I'm wrong saying that you can't take care of my daughter" Alpha said.

"You are. We will be the family that Lydia never had. She is better with us" Carl answered her.

"You and your people are alive because I let you live. But I'm done with you all. If you cross into my land, once more, I'll guide the horde to the communities. I've mark the border to the North, you see it as you leave. Now, reunite with the rest of your group and get away from my sight".

After Alpha let go Carl, Daryl, Carol and Yumiko, they found Siddiq roofed to a tree, he had some injuries and the eyes bended.

"Siddiq! What are you doing here?" Carl asked him.

Siddiq wasn't able to answer him, so Carl helped him to get up and to keep walking.

During the way back home, they saw it, they saw the final warning that Alpha was talking about: some heads in pikes, marking the border of the Whisperers' lands.

Ten heads. Ten reanimated heads. Ten reanimated heads of people they loved and cared about. Ten people that were gone. Ten people that had died in a horrible way.

Once Yumiko, Daryl, Carol, Siddiq and Carl were close enough to the heads, they could finally saw who they were. And that only disturbed them more.

First head.

Ozzy.

Ozzy was the leader of the Highway men. He was working with his men to get to chance to watch a movie, and he didn't was capable to do that.

Ozzy was working only a few hours, and now, his head was the first of ten.

Second head.

Alek.

Alek was the right hand of Ozzy, and a member of the Highway men.

He was working with Ozzy for a benefit for him and their people only a few hours ago, and now, his head was the second of ten.

Third head.

DJ.

DJ was a reformed Savior that rebuilt his life six years ago when he redeemed himself and took the invitation of living in Alexandria. Since then, he had shown his effort by making sure that the surroundings of the community were safe. And Carl appreciated that.

Carl felt sorry seeing his head, cause he had live and worked with him for a long time. DJ was the proof that a person can actually change for good.

DJ was talking with Carl about his concern about the possibility of the Whisperers were killing people only a few hours ago, and now, his head was the third of ten.

Fourth head.

Frankie.

"Hey, Nabila, have you seen Frankie?" Eugene asked to the woman. He and Frankie's daughter were looking for her, there had been a long time since the last time they had saw her.

But Nabila hadn't seen her, cause Frankie wasn't in the fair anymore.

Frankie used to be one of Negan's wives. After the Saviors' defeat, she was accepted in Alexandria, where she adopted a girl and became in a great mom.

Carl felt sorry too. Judith sometimes used to play with Frankie's daughter and some others kids, and Frankie had always watch them. Frankie had take care of Judith on several occasions and he was thankful for that.

She was hugging her daughter and enjoying the fair only a few hours ago, and now, her head was the fourth of ten.

Fifth head.

Tammy Rose.

"Have you seen Tammy?" Earl asked Connie and Kelly, with his son in his arms.

Kelly repeated the question with sign language, so Connie could understand.

The answer was no. The sisters hadn't seen her, Tammy wasn't near.

Tammy was an old lady that lived in Hilltop with his husband Earl. They had lost his son Ken six years ago. But life had give them happiness again with the arrived of a baby that Connie had rescue from The Whisperers.

Tammy was talking with Earl about how they should name their son only a few hours ago, and now, her head was the fifth of ten.

Sixth head.

Rodney

Rodney was a teenager that lived in Hilltop. He was trying to have a normal teenager life.

He was hanging around with his friends only a few hours ago, and now, his head was the sixth of ten.

Seventh head.

Addy.

Addy was other teenager from Hilltop. She had worries about the walkers, but also, she had some teenager worries, like, trying to make the guy you like to like you.

She was talking with Henry only a few hours ago, and now, her head was the seventh of ten.

Eighth head.

Enid.

"It feels so sweet" Alden and Luke were singing on the stage. They had a large audience, but still, Alden noticed that someone was missing. Someone special. Had she forgotten? of course not. she was eager to see her boyfriend sing and be able to make fun of it. If Enid wasn't there, it was because she wasn't in this world either.

Enid was a resident of Alexandria when Carl met her. She was mysterious and mature, things that made Carl to got interested in her, an also, to liked her. Both had a realistic perspective of the world, and they became best friends cause of that.

Now, Enid was a doctor. She had something worth to work for. She was an important member of her community. She was living the happy life that she always had deserved.

When Carl saw her, something cracked inside of him, his heart for sure. He couldn't deal with the fact of seeing his best friend's head on a pike. So, a tear fell down his cheek.

"No" He mumbled. "Not you".

Carl was being Siddiq's support, but at that moment, the roles got changed. Carl's legs shaked like he was about to fall. " It's okay, Carl, it's okay. Stay with me, please" Siddiq said.

"Hey, my favourite cowboy is here"

"I always call you 'cowboy', you have the right to call me 'doctor'"

"I know, but I refer, to see each other like this, like family, not like two strangers. I'm sorry for never had get back to Alexandria, but Maggie needed me here"

"Maybe we can be the same best friends that we were"

"It's true, Carl, everybody knows your story, and I'm so proud of you"

Memories of her didn't leave his mind. Memories of Enid being happy. Memories of his best friend for all life.

He remembered the first time she saw her, on that abandoned house at the entrance of Alexandria. He remembered the times that he followed in the woods and lost her from his sight. He remembered when they used to sneak out the walls and go into the woods to read comics. He remembered all the times that she gave him advices about his relationship. He remembered when they skated in their way to Hilltop. He remembered a lot of things that they could never do again.

He had lost his best friend and he couldn't get her back.

Enid was teaching people how to do CPR only a few hours ago. Enid was eating caramel apples with his boyfriend only a few hours ago. Enid was getting back the lost time with her best friend only a few hours ago, and now, her head was the eighth of ten.

Ninth head.

Tara.

"If you happen to see her, could you tell her I need to speak with her?" Gabriel asked Eugene.

"I haven't seen her in a while, but she must be around" Eugene said. Sadly, he was wrong. Tara wasn't around, not anymore.

When the prison got under attack, Tara was in the Governor's army, she was with the guy who killed Hershel, she was the enemy. But things changed. Glenn needed her help, and, Tara needed to help Glenn, she needed to help him so the guilt she was feeling could disappear. It was when she was ready to die in that tunnel full of walkers, so Glenn could live and continue searching for his wife, that Tara stop being the enemy, and became family.

She was Hilltop's leader since Jesus' death, she was capable to lead, and she was ready to. She was supposed to be a great leader.

Carol, Daryl and Carl looked at her head with melancholy. They had survived with her during a lot time, and now, that girl with an incredible sense of humor that used to brigthen their days didn't exist anymore. She had been reduced to a sad walker.

"If her mother retaliates it's gonna be against Hilltop, not Alexandria"

That thought arrived at Carl's mind. Tara was protecting her people, but she must have protected herself.

Tara was thinking about what was the the best for her people only a few hours ago. Tara was signing the mutual protection pact only a few hours ago. Tara was being the leader that the Hilltop needed only a few hours ago, and now, her head was the ninth of ten.

Tenth head.

"Where could she be? She's not the kind of people that disappear without telling someone where she is going" Rosita told to Eugene.

"Maybe she wanted to be alone. She wasn't happy about Carl going out there. Maybe she wanted to distract herself"

"Eugene, she wouldn't do that. If she didn't tell anyone what she was going to do, it's because she is going out there and look for him. She care so much about him"

"In that case, I hope she is still in here. She can get hurt if she goes alone"

"Come on, we need to find her. Carl is going to kill us if something happens to her" Rosita commanded.

Even though Rosita and Eugene went to look for her as soon as they realized that she was missing, someone else had already found her.

And then, Carl saw the last pike. With his eye wide open, he unconsciously left Siddiq alone. He dropped the Colt Phyton that he had in his hand. He couldn't take his sight apart from the head. He approached to the pike a little more, he was wishing that his sight was playing tricks on him, because in case it wasn't, and the head was of the person he was thinking it was, he couldn't stand that.

He was about to get close enough when Daryl got between his sight and the pike. "No! No!" Daryl shouted, while he was holding Carl of his shoulders. "Don't look at it. Don't look"

Carl's legs shaked again, but this time, he fell on his knees. Daryl got on his knees too, to comfort him. "Kid, please, don't look at her, don't do that".

Carl's cry was making him look so vulnerable and so broken that even Yumiko felt the need of hug him. But nobody dare to do it, except of Daryl, who was already with him.

Daryl was speaking to him, but he wasn't listening. His heart was so broken and he was so submerge on his memories that everything around him didn't seem to be important.

Inside of Carl, it was like his mind wanted to live again all the moments that he had shared with her, like he needed to remember everything he had done with Amunet.

Cause, yeah, the head that was on that pike was hers.

"Hi, my name is Carl, what's yours?"

"I'm Amunet" The little girl answered. They were in the outsides of Atlanta, in a camp.

"Do you wanna play with me and Sophia? She wants to meet you"

"I would like to"

"Great! Follow me" Carl took her hand and guided her to where the other girl was. They played all morning and all afternoon, that when the sun hid, the three kids could barely stay awake.

The memorie of the first time they talked arrived. Carl felt like he was just being stabbed in the heart, so he let out a heartbreaking scream, toring apart his lungs.

"Carl! You woke up" Amunet had been waiting to him to wake up since Hershel operated him. She was happy that his friend was okay.

"Hello, Amunet. How's Sophia?"

"We hadn't find her" She said, sadly. But at least you are okay, I've missed you"

"We'll find her. I promise. I've missed you too. My dad gave my his hat, cool, no?"

"Yeah, now you are a cowboy"

"You can try it on, it must look great on you" Carl put the hat on Amunet's head. Both kids were laughing, but Carl started to cough.

"Carl, are you okay?" The girl asked worried.

"Yes, I shouldn't laugh too much, it hurts"

"You should get some sleep. Hershel said you're still weak"

"Could you stay here? I don't like to be alone"

"Sure"

The boy made a space in the bed, so Amunet could lay on it. "Sweet dreams, Amunet"

"Sweet dreams, Carl"

The sound of Carl's sobs were mixing with the sound of the moans that Amunet's head was doing. It was a brutal and depressive mix.

When a walker Sophia appeared out of the barn, Carl and Amunet started crying. They hugged each other and stayed like that for a while. After Rick put her down, and the adults began to move the bodies, they were the only ones that were near the barn.

"I thought we would find her" Carl said.

"I did it too. I'm gonna miss her" Amunet started to cry again.

"Hey, don't worry, we are you and me now, okay? You and me, together"

"Forever?"

"Forever"

Carl scratched the dirt under his hands, like the only way he had to express his anger. He could felt the Daryl's arms around him, but he didn't feel comforted.

"My mom's dead, Amunet. I killed her"

"You did what you needed to do. You couldn't just leave her, you know what would've happen"

"I'm a killer. The last moments I had with her I acted like an idiot"

"You were a great son, your mom loved you. And you are going to be a great big brother. Big brother Carl, remember that?"

"Can you give me a hug?"

"You don't have to ask for one"

"We should put them down" Daryl said, and his arms left Carl's body.

"Left Enid and Amunet, please, I'll do it" Carl said, standing up. Daryl moved his head in approval.

Carl got in the wagon that Garet told him. It was dark, but he could see that there were more people in there. A familiar silhouette appeared.

"Carl?" A voice that he knew perfectly asked.

"Amunet!" He said with joy. Both kids got together in a lovely hug, with tears in their cheeks.

"I thought you were dead" Amunet said crying. "When we were running out of the prison and you covered me from the walkers cause I didn't have ammo, I lost you, I looked for you but you weren't there"

"I had to get away from other way. Sorry"

"Don't you ever left me like that again"

"I won't"

Carl finally stood up, with his hands still shaking, he took the knife that Amunet had got for him in one of the running supplies that she did in Alexandria.

Carl opened his eye for the first time since he had get shot by Ron. The first thing he saw after had defeat the death again was Amunet, who was sat next to him. Amunet was submerged in her mind, she didn't notice that he was awake.

"Hi" He said.

Amunet made eye contact with him, and she smiled. She was showing him that beautiful smile and seeing him with those precious grey eyes that had him hypnotized.

She didn't said anything. She just stood up, got near to Carl and kissed him on his lips. "Thanks for wake up. I was losing my mind"

"I just lost mine with that kiss" He joked.

"I should've done that a long time ago"

Carl reached Enid's head.

"Why did you come to get me to The Hilltop?" Enid asked.

"I was worried about you. You didn't take any knife with you"

"I can take care of myself"

"I know, but..."

"But what?"

"You are my best friend. I needed to know you were going to be fine"

Enid hugged Carl and talked to his ear. "And you are my best friend, too. Thank you for made me company"

He raised the knife and buried it in the skull.

"I'm so sorry, Enid. Go to rest, it's time"

The head stopped moaning and Carl felt a little relieved. His best friend was resting now, in a place without suffer, that was what she deserved.

What Carl did next wasn't easy. He was in front of Amunet's head. It was the only left to put down. Everyone was waiting for Cark to do it.

Carl raised his hand, but this was shaking a lot that he dropped the knife.

"Carl, I could do it" Daryl said.

"I have to do this, please" Carl took again the knife. He looked at the walker's eyes. They were grey, but not the beautiful grey that Amunet's eyes used to be. And that was because that walker wasn't Amunet anymore, Amunet wasn't a sad head, Amunet was a shimmering start that guided Carl's life during so many years, and that wasn't going to change. A last memory appeared before Carl had put down the walker.

Amunet and Carl hugged after Carl almost got killed by Lucille. "I love you, Carl, I love you so much"

"I love you too, Amunet. I love you too" That was the first time they said 'I love you' to each other.

"I will always love you, Amunet" Carl said before he buried the knife, making the moans stopped. Amunet was now a free soul. Amunet loved Carl until the ended of her life. Amunet died thinking about Carl. And Amunet would always be with Carl.

Amunet and Carl were kindred spirits.

#carl grimes #carl grimes imagine #carl grimes imagines #carl grimes one shot #carl x reader #twd #twd imagine #carl grimes deserved better #twd oneshot #the calm before #the walking dead #carl grimes smut

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dolgelo · 7 years ago

Note

[ hello darkness my old friend. you should talk abt mitsurus thoughts and feelings on shinjiro. we've gone thru a little bit of that ic, and in chat but. never too much yknow. so basically, anything from first impression to their time together in SEES in the beginning, to the tragedy, to the time they were more distant, to when he joined again and yet again another tragedy. and anything additional if you wanna. also why she always goes (gasp) aragaki! in the cd dramas whenever he's brought up ]

♕ ♕THIRST FOR KNOWLEDGE|| always accepting

[ you asked for a book. you also get an actual encyclopedia (i wish ahahaha!) ]

[ you asked the questions of the century, congratulations. also get ready, this talk will have lots of trio feelings, which are, by now, one of our primary causes of heartache and screams and distress and ahhhngst and other lovely things of that kind !

i always say how both Akihiko and Shinjiro were the first real friends she ever had ( after Kikuno, which has become a maid and that occasionally tried to protect her in all the wrong ways possible, like adding drugs into her tea to make her sleep the whole next day, while SEES was going to be killed by some guards– so yeah ), and I seriously doubt anything or anyone will ever make me rethink of that at this point. since atl us is an as s??? as we all know already, we have discussed some problems of years and timeline, sure, but that doesn’t change a bit what those three lived through together and what brought them closer. it’s funny to think both the orphans ( Akihiko more than the other though, perhaps ) were probably followed around by the Group or even Mitsuru herself, in an attempt to find their potential and recruit them. not to mention those three all attended the same junior high, they must have met once or twice in the hallways - not to mention they’re all of the year 1991, it only raises possibilities.

i think chances of first recruiting one first, instead of the other, were basically the same. 50 : 50. maybe the boxer was first proposed to join because of his afternoon clubs and activities, aka sports club. we can’t be sure of it, but we know for certain that after Akihiko accepted to join the newly born SEES, he told his best friend / basically twin brother ahah. Shinjiro, as you said multiple times, might have felt entitled to protect and keep an eye on him. something that might have also affected his power of heart, persona or resolution to fight such supernatural enemies. and i can’t see Mitsuru be displeased by this fact. the more the merrier ! especially if you want to climb up a tower full of Shadows. yet she grew closer to both of them, way more quickly than how she did in the game for example with Yukari, Junpei or the protagonist itself… and I think it was, indeed, for friendship. a genuine sentiment she might have never felt before ! the boys were already closer for all the years spent together, she was the stranger in there. but again, she had offered them a mission and a new reason to be useful and powerful.

bound by their powers, it was inevitable for her to get curious. she must have yearned for friends since forever, yet she was seen as the spoiled and powerful daughter of Kirijo, an heiress, a brilliant student, “lonely throne” – as naive as she appears during that time, she might not even be able to recognise evil intentions from apparently good ones, when relating to people or trying to approach them ( she tried to hit on some yakuza thugs on the beach, he saved her ), maybe because of her upbringing. she might have at first seen Shinjiro as the nosey guy, the one asking to join to stay with Akihiko… but nothing actually negative or that would have made the girl take her distance actually. trust is eventually built, and with trust, then, also respect, admiration and way lighter feelings. controlling as she wants to appear, she might have tried to get the upper hand of the situation of the dorm, sometimes, acting all mighty and firm. even with bad results, ahah, but she was the leader back then. it was her job. he’s always been kind to her, strict at times – but it’s their nature. their. they are similar, under that specific light; they often try to act like the older one of the situation, try to help when needed. he might be a little bit calmer than her - he doesn’t strain himself too much, when fighting inside of Tartarus and gets worried when the other sound tired after a battle - suggesting vacations even ! and I’m sure she saw that, in him. positive vibes, good impressions. he might have been a bit rough or direct while talking or while scolding her or anyone else actually, but I can’t imagine mitsuru being scared/irritated/annoyed/frightened by such a thing. again, because that’s pretty similar to what she sometimes inspires too, in people, and she’s aware of it.

the rest goes under a cut or I’ll break tumble.

often, mitsuru recalls how she was the one often stopping the boys from fighting like children throwing a stupid tantrum at their age. to devolve into four-years-old, ready to turn every small thing into a hugely important challenge and fight. that’s her merely trying to be the older sister of the situation, an opportunity she never had - but then you also have the girl getting into trouble at the beach and presenting herself on the sand and under the hot summer sun with complete uniform and high heeled boots, and poor Shinjiro thinks maybe she’s not that brilliant and perfect as people depict her. it’s a complicated and interesting kind of friendship, and that makes it even better. i am positively sure they had started, at some point, considering SEES their second family. and its members their dear brothers and sisters. it might not have taken them a lot of time, because of their age, their stories and the will of fighting together for something special, something that made them special ! not to mention those years are the most important years of mental and emotional development, too; that could have only helped the bond grow stronger than a common one between two or three students of their age. yes, because they also attended the same school, the influence they had on each other and the impression of unity they might have given, even unintentionally, with the formation and hidden truth of the Extracurricular Squad, on other boys and girls must have been very important and hard to ignore. not to mention Mitsuru is, basically, the daughter of the one basically founding the school. the prestigious name and possibly influence might have also helped the two boys, as well. which can only be positive.

and so times pass, and responsibilities only pile up for those gifted kids, y’know. and this double life they got keeps on repeating itself as day and night alternate each time; they don’t get the attention and recognitions they might deserve but at least their power is used for good purposes and to save more innocents from Apathy. I do think this reality would have continued anyway, with no complications if the infamous accident of Ken’s mother hadn’t actually happened. although having described by her POV many times what her feelings for the horrible things happened that night are. confusion, depression (the birth of her bangs on the eye) and fault. as she blames herself for the many things that happen to the protagonist and the other members of SEES in the game, she can’t help to find herself to blame for their situations, like it happened when accepting, for example, Yukari’s accusations with little intentions of defending herself, in July 2009. same goes for Shinjiro: they could have read some signs - they were certainly there, with Akihiko too and prevented, in some way, that a life was lost because of a Persona – the mean that allows them to fight and the entities she personally needs to eliminate the Hour and atone for her family sins. and so, SEES fault, too. after all, he was a Persona user, part of the group backed up from the Kirijo Corporation as a whole.

once it happens, it’s over. we discussed this too, she’d give up at some point. forcing people to make something that important for her is not in her style: she’d prefer filling the void and missing presence on her own. distant, yes, I believe they’d still be friends but of course with no more frequent contacts at one time. maybe he kept on going to school, given Akihiko mentions Shinjiro to be in his last year of high school but not atteding it anymore, in 2009. on her part, an attempt to reenstablish dialogue might have happened but I believe Akihiko to certainly be the one that would have gotten closer to him during that diffciult time. first, because they’re way closer than Mitsuru and Shinjiro might have ever been before – second, due to, as always, the sense of guilt they complete trio, one way or another, had the misfortune to taste and experience more than one time. they keep the room for him though, untouched if not just cleaned up for necessities and hygiene, and years pass.

given i still know not a lot about the novel Owari no kakera I’ll refrain from saying a lot about the years that separate the tragedy of Ken’s mother to the arrival of the protagonist in Iwatodai. except that Mitsuru and Akihiko can’t keep fighting alone. not only 2 kids and their personae in Tartarus, fighting against flocks of Shadows already sounds like a suicide mission, but the arrival of Yukari doesn’t really help given she still has doubts summonning Io by the start of the game. force is required and they don’t have it anymore. I still doubt Mitsuru would feel something comparable to hate in the boy’s regards,though; maybe regret, hard feelings of minor importance. she’d still see him a friend and ex member - she’d give him support if he asked for it. and so, of course, she’s happy, glad and relieved on having him back in the ranks, to fight Shadows. but can you imagine the pain Akihiko and her had to endure, in knowing they had dismissed completely the matter of the anniversary of the tragedy? in the movies, it’s still very clear that they DO NOT want Ken to join SEES; they give in under the pressure of the other members. they look not convinced. and have no peace when, on Oct 4 they remember of the fact happened 2 years prior. I guess that, whatever might have heppened, even with Shinjiro returning back in shape the next spring, it would have been still pretty hard to forget the mistake, the fact they hadn’t ONCE AGAIN read the signs that could have stopped, let me say this, drama from happening once again.

The gasp! In the cd drama, all we we get is some playful moments… telling us just how close close and special they were and still are for each oth–A FEMINIST!! ]

#aragakisan #(( academics ;; ᵗʰᶤʳˢᵗ ᶠᵒʳ ᵏᶰᵒʷˡᵉᵈᵍᵉ ))#(( ooc ;; ᵃ ᵛᵒᶤᶜᵉ ᵉᶜʰᵒᵉˢ ᶤᶰ ᵗʰᵉ ˢᶰᵒʷ ˢᵗᵒʳᵐ ))

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