#also i like to think that the gang takes off their armour to sleep

[bobombun]

They have such a weird group. I bet the idle chatter was wack.

[harrylee94]

The Tournament - Chapter 6

You can find this on AO3!

Summary: The Prince had been there since the first hints of light had touched the sky, Saruk at his side and a large, two handed axe held in his hand. Cobb had been up on the roof for almost an hour by the time he’d arrived, unable to sleep and a blanket around him. He had wanted to jump down, to run to his side to look him over, to make sure he was unharmed, but he knew it wasn’t his place and had to make do with watching from a distance.

Notes: TW: There is an execution in this chapter. I don't go into any real details, but someone it decapitated, and there is blood.

If you feel uncomfortable with this, please see the end notes for a short summary of the chapter.

Chapter 5

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“I, Din Djarin, Prince of the kingdom of Mandalore, sentence you to die" - Cobb

The morning air was cool from where Cobb sat on the stable roof, Peli and Jo sat on either side of him as the sun began peeking out over the horizon. It would be some time yet before it would breach the castle walls, and the night’s chill would take even longer to dissipate, but no one was going to complain, Cobb least of all.

Someone had tried to kill the Prince. An honoured guest, a high born little lordling, had taken the trust Din had given her and crushed it under her boot. It had taken everything Cobb had not to storm into the castle’s prison to demand her head on the spot. Knowing she’d lose it the coming morning had soothed some of his rage, but he had seethed for the rest of the day, something his friends had noted.

Jo had pushed him to direct his anger into something more productive, like cleaning up the stable and practicing in the armour she’d been fixing up for him -- something he’d bought over the years, a mis-matched, slightly rusting set with broken straps though it was -- which Peli had then walked in on and demanded to know what was going on. The explanation had left her grinning viciously, and Cobb’s team grew from two to three.

His armour was safely hidden away in the back of the stables for now, as fixed up as it could have been in the week Jo had to alter it between her apprenticeship and the Armourer having to use the forge herself, but now it was dawn, and Din was stood in the centre of the ward next to a headsman’s block.

The Prince had been there since the first hints of light had touched the sky, Saruk at his side and a large, two handed axe held in his hand. Cobb had been up on the roof for almost an hour by the time he’d arrived, unable to sleep and a blanket around him. He had wanted to jump down, to run to his side to look him over, to make sure he was unharmed, but he knew it wasn’t his place and had to make do with watching from a distance.

As time had passed Peli and Jo had appeared beside him, and more nobles than Cobb had ever seen awake at this hour began to gather. Some servants who had tasks to get on with in the hours before dawn had to skirt around them and keep their heads down, but the crowd wasn’t big enough to cause any real delay. Din hadn’t moved more than a few inches in all the time he’d spent waiting, but he had looked up at Cobb a few times, and he was determined to be there for him.

He’d wanted to have his sword with him, to show his support in more than just his presence, but he couldn’t, else he give himself away, so he brought his makeshift staff instead -- another broken cleaning implement -- and held it across his lap. He couldn’t be sure, but he thought he saw Din looking at it and giving him a small, almost hidden smile.

But that was probably a trick of the morning light.

When the prisoner was dragged out and held for all to see, Cobb’s grip grew so intense the wood creaked.

“Not so tight,” Jo muttered, giving him a nudge. “You’re already at a disadvantage with your idiot ass not getting any sleep last night, don’t add splinters to the mix.”

Cobb gritted his teeth before releasing a breath, carefully making his fingers relax their grip. She was right; today was the first day of the Tournament, and he couldn’t afford any more mistakes.

“Veryn of no Clan or House,” Din said, bringing the chatter to silence. “You are here to face the judgement for your crime of treason. Do you have any last words?”

The bitch held herself tall and sneered at him. “You are destroying what it is to be Mandalorian. Someone will stop you.”

Cobb had to take another deep breath to stop from gripping the staff too hard again, twisting it in his hands instead.

Din did nothing for a few moments, then nodded. “So be it.” Cobb winced at how sad he sounded, but then he tapped the butt of the axe against the ground and braced himself. “I, Din Djarin, Prince of the kingdom of Mandalore, sentence you to die. Kneel.”

“I will never kneel to you,” she spat. The guards holding the traitor pushed her forwards, moving her to the block and pushing her down to her knees.

Din picked the axe up as she was pushed down, arms and body tied to the block as she struggled. The Prince hefted the axe, and with one swing it was over.

The axe was brought up again, the blade red with blood, and Din sighed down at the now limp body. The tired look in his eyes made something twist in Cobb’s chest, but it’s gone before the head had stopped rolling, and he turned to the guards.

“Give the body to her father,” he ordered. “He deserves the time to grieve.”

They saluted him, fists over their hearts, and removed the remains. All Cobb could hear though was the echo of Din’s words.

Deserves time to grieve. He was giving the traitor’s family time to do what he had not had the chance to experience. This man had so much kindness in him that it dwarfed even his mother’s, and yet the fact that he still managed to sentence and execute a traitor spoke of a great well of inner strength.

“Cobb, you’re doing it again,” Jo said, and he looked over at her quizzically.

“Doing what, exactly?”

“Pining,” Peli said with an unamused look.

Cobb snorted, but didn’t deny it. How could he when Din was so… perfect? “We have to protect him.”

“Ain’t that what we’re doing?” Peli asked.

“Yeah but… Who knows who else is gonna go after him?” Cobb asked. “She was supposed to be competing, could have even won, and then what would have stopped her from-?” He waved his hand towards Din, who was talking quietly with Saruk.

“From what I heard he managed to keep himself pretty well protected without any help,” Peli said with a roll of her eyes. “Stop worrying! He’ll be fine!”

“If you think that then why are you helping us?” Cobb asked, a sharp edge entering his voice that he instantly regrets. “Sorry.”

“You should be,” Peli said, then gave his arm a not-so-soft punch. “Ah, forget it. I get it. That kid’s had nothing but hardship these last few years. What you’re trying to do, whether it works or not, is pretty damn noble. Sure, you’re a bit in love with the guy. So what?” She poked him in the chest. “You’ve got a good heart, Cobb Vanth, and I’m gunna make sure you’re getting the right sort of support too.”

“... Thanks, Peli,” Cobb said as he blinked back tears.

“No, don’t you cry on me,” the shorter woman warned, leaning away from him. “If you cry on me you can forget it. I’m jumping off this roof and you can get your help elsewhere.”

Cobb snorted a laugh and quickly wiped at his eyes with his sleeve. “Aw, I could never turn away your help Peli. I’ll be on my best behaviour, promise.”

She gave him a disbelieving look, but nodded. “Well alright then.”

“Wait, step back a bit,” Jo said from his other side, drawing his attention. “I know you said we had to protect him, but before it was just keeping stuck-up pricks from winning.”

“It’s still that,” Cobb argued, but Jo shook her head.

“No, it’s not,” she said. “You saw how many names on that list were from noble families, and I know that this has damaged your trust -- probably everyone’s trust -- in them. The only name on it that wasn’t from some family that can trace its lineage back at least two hundred years was yours! Even if it isn’t technically your name.”

“Jo, what are you trying to say?”

The smith’s apprentice set her jaw. “You need to win.”

“Win?” He blinked and looked back out at the ward, back at Din who had handed the axe over to Saruk and started to make his way back to the keep. As though he could feel Cobb’s gaze on him, he paused in his stride and looked up at him. The stable hand quickly pressed his lips into a small smile and nodded to the Prince, and his heart swelled when he caught sight of a little smile in return before the Prince disappeared inside.

“Look at you,” Jo said, but Cobb couldn’t bring himself to look away just yet to face her. “The only person competing you’d trust with that man’s life is you, and we sure as shit can’t trust any of the nobles now that someone’s tried to kill him.”

Cobb shook his head. “I can’t win. I’m not a knight. I’m not a lordling. I don’t have any titles. I’m no one!”

“Since when has that stopped you before?” Peli asked, joining Jo in ganging up on him. “If you think it’s gonna be easy then I’m locking you in the stable, but she’s right. I’ve seen you stand up to idiots with wealth and titles a hundred times greater than you. You’ve also been beaten to shit by some folks with wealth and titles too, but you’re still standing, ain’t ya?”

“It’s why you bought the armour, right?” Jo said. “You wanted to show them that you didn’t need titles or money to be able to beat them into the dirt.”

“Well guess what; here’s your chance, tied up with a nice satin bow,” Peli said, patting him on the back.

He shook his head again. “I never signed up to win.”

“But you have to,” Jo said, and Cobb felt her press her hand on his shoulder. “You’ll never forgive yourself if you don’t.”

Cobb looked over the ward again, down at the nobles who were either milling around and chatting or heading back to their tents or rooms, avoiding the block with blood pooled around it. He thought of all the names on the list, the almost three dozen contestants, and wondered how many of them had signed up because they believed the Prince deserved to be protected.

All he’d wanted, when he’d put the name he’d be riding under down, was to keep people like Ser Jaonar from winning, but Jo was right; how was he supposed to know which were and which were not?

“I’m still not a knight,” he pointed out. “Or competing under my own name.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” Jo said with a grin of victory. “For now, just focus on winning.”

“And when you do win you’ll finally take your lovesick looks with you,” Peli said with almost a cheer.

“Oh, but they’ll only get worse,” Jo said, her grin turning into a smirk, and he groaned.

“Please…”

“Being right by his side, day after day,” Jo teased. “Following him everywhere he goes.”

Peli cackled. “He is pining after him , right?”

“Yep.”

The cackling doubled in volume. “Oh you are so screwed.”

“Stop,” Cobb pleaded, ducking his head into his hands.

“He’s bound to notice the eyes you make at him one day,” Jo said. “You’re not subtle about it, if you know what you’re looking for.”

“Stop, please !” he begged, and got their teasing chuckles or it. “I hate you both.”

“Love you too,” Jo said, bumping her arm against his. “Now come on, let’s get some food in you and run you through some drills to warm you up. Oh! And I added a few embellishments to your armour.”

“When did you have time to do that?”

She snorted. “You weren’t the only one who couldn’t sleep last night. Now help us down and let’s grab some breakfast.”

——————————————————————

Summary: Cobb watches Din execute the traitor, but Din gives her body to her family so they can grieve. Cobb is touched by this and feels the need to protect him grow. Jo and Peli, who are with him, help him realise that if this is the case, then he needs to win the Tournament before ribbing him about his crush.

Chapter 7

[cowboisadness]

Hang ‘Em High {Arthur Morgan x FemOC} Chapter 9

Pairing: Arthur Morgan x FemOC Summery: Belle Hawthorne is high society looking to escape her mean husband. A robbery by the Van Der Linde gang could be her chance. Can she escape his cluches and possibly discover what love should feel like?

Warnings: None

.....

The strong, bitter smell of coffee filled my nose and woke me. My back aches and eyes sting when trying to open them. The faint morning glow stabbing the back of my eyes. A noise from beside me wakes me further. That's when I realised I was laying against something apart from the log at my back. Opening my eyes I'm met with the smouldering fire ahead and Arthur laying right beside me, my head against his shoulder and his head propped up against mine. Arthur stirs and Pearson comes into view, adding a few more sticks to the fire and checking the coffee pot. Groaning from the intense headache and pain in my neck as I sit up, waking Arthur fully as I do so.

“Morning folks. Coffee is ready, no doubt y'all need it.” Pearson grins at us as he pours the coffee into two tin cups.

I look to Arthur, hungover evident in his features as he scowls and lets out a groan. We look at each other, smiling shyly and slightly embarrassed at the whole situation. Pearsons hands us the steaming cups and we murmur our thanks, not even prepared to move ourselves from the floor. We sipped our coffee in silence for a few minutes. Wishing for the intense headache to subside soon and hoping the unease in my stomach won't be the alcohol trying to make an appearance.

“I wanna die” I murmur into my cup

“Me too.” Arthur murmurs back

“I’ve never been that drunk. Does it always hurt like this?”

“More or less” He takes another sip of his coffee

I groan, wondering if this feeling is going to last all day. If so, today is going to be fun, to say the least. I’d love nothing more than to curl up on some bear hides and sleep till dusk.

We sit in silence for a while, as the others slowly wake, some looking just as much of a sorry state as we do. After our second cup Dutch calls for Arthur from his tent and he leaves with a groan to see what he wants. I stayed seated on the floor, not daring to get up as every movement inflicted some variant of ache and the threat of my stomach emptying its contents.

“You look worse than I feel” That Irish tone appeared from nearby at the fire. Sean pouring himself a cup.

“I’m trying not to vomit.” I grinned weakly as I looked up to him. He nodded in understanding, sitting on a crate nearby.

“So, tell me more about how your Knight in shining armour saved you.”

I couldn't help but giggle, my hand shooting to my stomach to ease the sudden and threatening twinge.

“My husband is one mean bastard…”

“You're married?”

“Unfortunately. Arthur, Dutch and Hosea were in the process of robbing him. I got caught up in it. Got out of the gunfight that ensued and asked, well, begged him to take me somewhere else. Passed out due to a few broken ribs and woke up here.”

“Damn what a shit show. You got somewhere you'll be moving onto, or will you be staying with this bunch of degenerates?”

I look around the camp, everyone now up and preparing for the day. Little Jack playing with a bunch of flowers, tongue out in concentration. Abigail watching over him as she collected clothing to be washed. Hosea and Lenny sat at the table playing what looks to be a very competitive game of dominoes. Pearson preparing today's breakfast at the food wagon. Sadie sat on a rock at the edge of the overlook, taking in the views and seemingly lost in thought as the morning sun beams down onto her. Mary-Beth and Tilly stitching garments in their hands, sharing a few laughs between them. Javier sat on his bedroll sharpening and cleaning one of his knives, all his attention on the task in hand. Strauss with his book in hand, that thing seems to be in his grasp as often as a bottle is in Uncles. Arthur stood at Dutches tent, talking about whatever jobs that need doing or what their next move should be to gain more money no doubt. Dutch is rambling on as Arthur listens, hands resting upon his gun belt, nodding along to whatever Dutch is saying to him every so often.

“I think I’ll stay.” I say unsure if I was answering Sean’s question or telling myself.

------

After a few hours of chores and making myself busy around camp, the hangover slowly began to ease. The distraction and the emptying of my stomach by one of the trees in the outskirts definitely helped. It was at that moment I vowed never to drink that excessively again. Lesson learned.

I sat with Jack, watching him play with his two wooden horse toys. He was bored and Abigail had become restless with his constant need for attention and questions so I was doing my best to entertain him to give her a few moments of peace and to complete whatever tasks Miss Grimshaw had asked her to do.

Watching Jack as he played out the story he imagined for his little horses Arthur came over to us. A slight smile on his face as he watched the boy play contently.

“Whatchu up to?”

“Playing”

“Anything fun?”

“I guess”

“You wanna come fishing with me?”

“Fishing?”

“Sure. It’s about time that you started to earn your keep.”

“Okay.”

“Good. Go get your pole then. You do have a fishing pole don't you?”

“I sure do! Uncle Hosea made me one.” Jack stood, little horses and their story now forgotten about in the dirt.

“Well go get it then. Let’s catch us some fish.”

“Yeah!” He almost shouted, running off into the direction of his tent.

We both watched as he went with a little skip in his step. Excited about having something new and different to do.

“You, er, wanna come with?” Arthur said, going through his satchel to pull out his cigarettes. Lifting one to his mouth and then lighting a match with the bottom of his boot.

“Sure. I don't have a pole though. But I could catch a few rabbits or something while there.”

He nodded then made his way over to his horse, giving him a brush down while he waited for me and Jack.

Thankfully we didn't need to go far from camp as the Dakota river was only a minute ride away. Jack sat in front of Arthur and I kept up beside them listening to their conversation. Asking if Jack was feeling better from recently being ill and Jack mentioning a storybook he left back at the camp in Blackwater.

We all dismounted at the riverside, the two boys making their way to the water to ready their poles as I readied my bow. Telling them I won't be far before making my way towards the gathering of trees nearby but far enough away from the dirt roads that noise shouldn't be an issue. It didn't take long to find a few Black-Tailed Rabbits hanging around the area, as well as a few squirrels running through the bushes and up the trees.

I knelt in an area void of sticks or piles of dead leaves, skimming my eyes over land ahead of me, waiting for that unsuspected rabbit to place itself in my line on sight.

Four rabbits later I returned to the boys at the river. Jack now sat nearby, flowers in his hands and a pile at his feet. A child that age doesn't seem to have the attention span for something like Fishing, something that takes a little patience. We should have known he would have gotten bored of it quickly.

“Catch many?”

“Uncle Arthur has!”

I smiled at Jack and walked over to Arthur who was currently battling a fish as we speak.

“Can I borrow your knife to skin these? I still don't have one.” I said as I held up my catch.

“Sure. It's on my belt.” He pulled on the rod, seeming to get frustrated that this stubborn fish wouldn't give up.

I sat a little aways from Jack, glancing over to see him delicately chain each little red flower together. His tongue sticking out from intense concentration.

For a few moments, it was quiet and peaceful as I skinned and salvaged the usable meat. Arthur muttering praises then whispered curses to the fish he finally reeled onto dry land. Holding them up to get a good look before throwing the back into the river.

“Hey, look at this.” Jack proclaims, holding up the completed chain of red flowers as far as his little arms to reach.

“At what?” Arthur says, kneeling in front of Jack to see his creation.

“This necklace I made.”

“Necklace?”

“For Momma. I made one for you too Miss Bella.” He grabbed another chain of red flowers from his side, handing it over to me.”

Putting down the knife and rubbing my bloodied hands on my pants I then reached out to take it. A smile beaming on my face and heart swelling twice its size at this adorable and thoughtful gift. “Thank you, Jack. It’s beautiful.” I place the necklace over my head for it to lay around my neck as delicately as possible. Worried that I might pull it apart accidentally. Thankfully I don't. A necklace like this is more valuable than any gold or jewels and should be treated as such.

In these few moments, we are seemingly so distracted by what is going on that none of us noticed two men appear nearby on horses until one of them speaks.

“What a fine young man…” One man says as he strides towards us, dressed in fine clothing. Bowler upon his head and a badge on his lapel. “And in such complex circumstances. Arthur, isn't it? Arthur Morgan?”

The other man dismounts his horse and cocks his rifle. Not saying a word but striding towards us too. Weapon rested on his shoulder. A badge adorning his lapel also.

The three of us stand to the attention of these unwanted strangers. Arthur ushering Jack to stand behind him. “Who are you?” Arthur says, an air of confusion and wariness in his voice

“Yes, Arthur Morgan. Van der Linde’s most trusted associate. You've read the files, typical case, orphaned street kid seduced by that maniac's silver tongue and matures into a degenerate murderer.” He turns to his friend beside him, both nodding in agreement.

“Agent Milton. Agent Ross. Pinkerton Detective Agency seconded to the United States Government.” They finally introduce themselves, taking slow but sure steps closer towards us. My heart starts racing, cursing myself for leaving my gun back at camp. I look down to the knife still on the floor beside me along with the rabbit remains. I’m sure Arthur could deal with them himself if it came to it but with Jack here it was too much of a risk. There is no way I could bend down to pick it up now with both their beady eyes on us, watching our every move. If I went for it when and if shooting started that would leave Jack more in the open and more at risk. Instead, I keep it in my sights and hope it doesn't come to that.

“Nice to finally meet. We know a lot about you.”

“Do ya?”

“You’re a wanted man, Mr Morgan. Five thousand dollars for your head alone.”

“Five thousand dollars? For me? Can I turn myself in?”

“We want Van der Linde.”

“Old Dutch? I haven't seen him for months.”

“That so? Because I heard a guy fitting his description robbed a train belonging to Leviticus Cornwall up near Granite Pass.”

“Oh, ain’t that a little old fashioned nowadays?” He huffs a laugh.

“Apparently not. Listen, this is my offer, Mr Morgan. Bring in Van der Linde and you have my word, you won’t swing.”

“Oh, I ain’t gonna swing anyways Agent, um…”

“Milton.”

“You see, I haven’t done anything wrong aside from not play the games to your rules.”

“Spare me the philosophy lesson, I've already heard it. From Mac Callander.”

“Mac Callander?”

“He was pretty shot up by the time I got to him so really it was more of a mercy killing. Slow. But merciful.”

Arthur fling the pole he was still holding to the ground, losing his composure but still trying to keep some sort of calm when given this information. His fists balling at his sides but keeping one close to the holster at his side. Jack jumps and gasps at the sudden outburst so I grab his shoulder with one hand to gently guide him to stand behind me.

“You enjoy being a rich man's toy do ya!?” There is a low growl to his voice, fury slowly pooling out with every word.

“I enjoy society, flaws and all. You people venerate savagery and you will die savagely! All of you.” The Agent gets up closer to Arthur, pointing his finger in his face to try and be imposing towards the man that is twice his size and could possibly snap him like a twig.

“ Oh, we're all gonna die, Agent”

“Some of us sooner than others. Good day, Mr Morgan.” With that, he turns and walks away. It wasn't till now that I realised the other Agent had his rifle up and aimed at Arthur and by the looks of it, Arthur might not have noticed either as he kept his eyes on the one now with his back turned. The other man starts to back away keeping his eyes on us but slowly lowering his weapon to the ground.

“Enjoy your fishing kid. While you still can.” It's all he says before turning as well. Both of them mounting their horses and riding off. Neither I or Arthur took our eyes off the two men until they were clearly out of sight.

“Who were they?” A little voice pulls us back, Jack now moving from behind us.

“No one to worry about, no one at all. Come on, let’s pack up your things and get home.” Arthur places his hands on Jack to steer him away. All of us collecting our belongings and mounting up as quickly as possible.

My heart began to slow as we mounted and made our way back but I had questions and it seemed Jack had a few too. He has a bounty on his head? And five thousand dollars no less? It can't be true. How would he get a bounty of that sum? I was told by Mary-Bath that they all lived near Blackwater before having to leave quickly but she never said why. I never had a reason to ask. I always knew travellers and outlaws moved from place to place quite frequently and some were known to be right bastards that needed to be hanged for the horrific crimes they committed but...this gang ain't like those, they don't hurt and kill for the simple fun of it. Maybe I should ask him at some point. My logic being if I am to stay and live amongst them I should know what to say or how to act if the Pinkertons come around again. I should know what I’m truly getting myself into.

We made it back to camp quickly, Arthur looking around us momentarily to make sure we had not been followed. He let down Jack before dismounting and making his way over to Dutch with urgency.

Whatever questions I have, they could wait for now.

[a-student-out-of-time]

April Fools Special Review: Part 5

Twisted Metal

Of course, Session 2 hasn’t ended but even this session had a lot of growth for Hibiki. While she has more or less accepted the true nature of her sister, and has decided to payback the kindness and support she got into helping others, there is still doubt and regret within her mind. Though Hibiki’s career is currently over, she still wants to get back into music eventually once things die down but now on her terms and not what Kanade decided, and there is still a part of Hibiki that loves Kanade like a sister. We also see that people who brush off music like a certain 11037, earn her ire as seeing him low key seeing music as a ‘easy route’ irritated her enough to confront the Future Ultimate Baseball Star himself on the matter. Despite the serious risk of exposure that she could have had, Hibiki might have been wearing a disguise at the time but there was already a scare in Session 1 when a date between her and Hajime was interrupted by a /r/niceguy fan, Leon wouldn’t have been into Hibiki’s genre of music so he didn’t realise he was actually talking to Hibiki Otonokoji. However, he was appreciative of Hibiki’s advice on the matter, and given that Sayaka would be in his class, someone who Hibiki has great respect for, she would be able to set him straight on the matter. When Hajime and co go back to school for their second semester, Hibiki, living alone in Hajime’s house decides to make an announcement on Twitter.com that she is still alive and is busy trying to sort her life out, but will go back into music eventually. The response she got was overwhelming positive as all her fans are pleased to see her alive, some apologising to her for any mean comments they might have made about her in the past, and others said they were worried that Kanade might have killed her. This brought Hibiki to tears as it’s not just the love she gets from her friends and lovers, she’s also got support from her fanbase. Her new emotional maturity is put to the test when Hajime loses his second life because a certain controversial Neurologist decides to test his time travel theory by killing him and Umeko, and of course the pain and trauma that comes from seeing a beloved friend’s dead body and himself getting stabbed. I don’t think the old Hibiki would have been able to comfort Hajime but this new and improved Hibiki was definitely able to comfort and calm him down. She’s not 100% mature yet as at one point she offers to lose her virginity to him, and despite certain lemony Anons wanting to see some spicy action, Hajime was like ‘No, just no’ and stated that no sexual matters will take place until they become 18, which in Japan is the legal age of sexual consent, and protection will be used.

Hibiki’s new fighting prowess had two intense trials throughout Session 2. The first is in Hide and Seek when she had to fight against Monaca’s robots. While she had the option of either joining Chiaki’s group in stopping Monaca from aging herself to death, or joining Hajime’s group in taking down Genocider Syo, she decided that she didn’t want to take on another serial killer, especially after being told that unlike her sister, Genocider Syo actually has some teeth to her and not just that one sprite of hers, and besides, Monaca is hellbent on making herself a adult and given her prowess in robotics, the likelihood of Team Monaca having to fend off robots are high and that group didn’t have a lot of fighters on them. She was able to seriously do a number on the robots, seeing as Chiaki and Emma get seriously injured at various points, Sora is more or less nullified due to the Anti A.I. Black boxes and Kyoji isn’t really a fighter, making her the main fighter on the team. Though like everyone, she is angry that they failed and Monaca is now a biological teenager, though thankfully not that deformed or dead, and that Emma’s and Chiaki’s injuries were for nothing. This again also showed how much she matured as while angry about it, especially about the fact that the aged-up Monaca is again taller than her, cursing her to always be the shortest female, she didn’t get too angry about it as Monaca clearly regrets her decisions and it’s a product of being in a very unhealthy environment and now that she is under Kyoji’s care, it’s not going to happen anymore.

But of course, the biggest test for her was in Twisted Sister, when Kanade was released from prison by Juu and via the aid of a mysterious person who might be a time traveller but one with darker goals then Hajime and co, was giving serious weaponry, technology and combat prowess. With this she was able to tear a bloody path through the Hope’s Peak halls and decimate any Hope’s Peak people who gets in her way. Upon finding out that her sister has broken free from prison and is on her way to ‘reclaim’ her, Hibiki’s first thoughts was to get some armour and then charge in to attack Kanade and just in time as she managed to incapacitate a grief stricken and enraged Nikei, and had just recharged herself with some Red Bull X. Not only is Kanade her own twin sister who she has zigzagged between being utterly terrified of to blaming herself for the monster she turned out to be, but thanks to the upgrades she became an equal match to Hibiki. In addition, this also says a lot about Hibiki herself because Kanade had advanced weaponry, dosed up on an addictive that could kill sleep for a week, advanced armour AND was able to defeat Sonia, Akane, Nekomaru AND Peko who all ganged on her with little to no effort, and yes she had been weakened by Nikei beforehand but said addictive rendered most of his attacks moot point, and despite ALL of that, Hibiki was able to equal with her and eventually with the help of Hajime, finally defeat her. And I didn’t mention the ‘puppet state’ because she never not even once regressed back into that, more or less confirming that is dead. Then again, the ‘puppet state’ may have not that hard to break as Kanade’s main motive for killing Setsuka in SDRA2 is that she could have reversed all the damage that Kanade had done to Hibiki and years of hard work, gone within a few weeks or so. And our lovely ronin sword-wielding vocalist had about 3 months to break the ‘puppet state’. While Kanade’s rampage was eradicated thanks to the third reset, the first one done on purpose, even in the current timeline when Kanade gets beaten deathless, Hibiki was able to knock a gun from Kanade’s hand, throw tear gas in to blind her and direct the rest of Class 77-B, and Juzo, into piling on Kanade and knocking her out, this being the last time we see old Kanade.

But despite all the carnage and pain that Kanade dealt her, there is still a part of Hibiki that cares for her like a sister and wishes for the Kanade she thought she knew back. And she got her chance when Yasuke offered to mindwipe Kanade and turn her into a gentlehearted girl. While the QC were deeply divided on the issue, when Hibiki was offered her input, she said that she was conflicted. Part of her wanted her sister back and Yasuke could quite literally grant her deepest desire at that point, but she is also aware that this is a form of execution, as while physically Kanade is still alive the Kanade that had existed prior to this is dead and never coming back, hopefully. As she isn’t a thinker like some of the QC members and understands the deep moral and ethical divides between them, she decides to hold a vote and whatever wins is the one they go for. Of course, the readers voted for Kanade to be mindwiped, and thus Yasuke got to work remaking Kanade while Hibiki helped to round up the other criminals that got out. I’m not dwelling too much on this as we’ve seen Hibiki’s greatest physical feat already and if she could take out swabs of armed headmen to some traffickers, escaped convicts shouldn’t be hard to deal with. Once the carnage dies down and we move into the Twisted Sister Aftermath Arc, Hibiki is hit with immense guilt. While she is grateful for that the sister she thought she had is back, she also knows what had to be done to ensure this occurs. But now that Kanade is back, she could make amendments as she was a rotten sister to Kanade beforehand and now she could try to reconnect with her, preventing her monstrous self from resurfacing itself. Of course, she has to juggle being with Kanade with also being a member of the Cuddle Puddle and general hero work, but life is never dull when you are with the Quantum Crew.

[the-irish-mayhem]

Fosterson Fic Rec Masterlist: Oneshots

The Main Reclist has been split to fix the links that tumblr decided to break if there were too many of them in a single post. I’ll be keeping the main reclist updated (even if the links appear broken) as well as maintaining this list and the list for multichapters.

I need help expanding this list! If you have any favorites or fics of your own of your own you don’t see included in this list and you’d like to submit for consideration, please drop me a line.

List updated April 2020. New additions marked with **

Updated during this wild quarantined time, which should serve as a reminder to everyone to APPRECIATE YOUR CONTENT CREATORS! Leave all the comments and kudos to show our love for everything they do. Big thanks to everyone who recommended and/or created content for this amazing ship.

Rated G/K-K+

**Promise by igi_pigi: Thor visits Jane to say goodbye before he leaves for Asgard. Rec: Bittersweet but lovely post-AOU, semi AU pre-Ragnarok. | 1.1k

**Spooky Nights by igi_pigi: "So what is it about?" Thor asks. "Or are we to go in uninformed?"Jane's eyes instinctively flick towards the blank tv screen. Darcy was insistent about it being a horror movie this time - as they serve as "perfect romance fodder", according to the maniac. Jane has decided to go with the recent one, 'The Conjuring'. [Set a few months after Thor2] Rec: Just sweet, dumb, wonderful fluff. Not an ounce of angst to be found. Also Thor learning about Earth is always sweeeeet. | 3.2k

**Stars and Solitude by igi_pigi: It's Jane's first night in Thor's home, however unusual the circumstances. He wishes to show her somewhere. She thinks it's his room. [Set during Thor2] Rec: A nice lil add on, Thor inviting Jane further into his life. | 3.3k

**Can’t Go Back the Same Way You Came by gumbridge: Loki lets go. This is what happens after. (post-film; basically a fixit fic.) Rec: This is pretty Loki-centric, but Jane is fabulously written, the family unit that Loki gets inducted into makes me very happy, and the fosterson is understated but so important and wonderful. | 20k

**spring will come by LadyCharity: As if grieving over the death of her husband wasn't hard enough, Jane has to deal with Thor's angry, bitter, emotionally shot little brother. Rec: This is literally all pain but god it is so good. You can feel the love binding Jane and Loki and Thor and it is so, so well written. Holy shit. | Content Warning: Major Character Death | 12k

the universe in your hand by amonkeysue: For the free day of Fosterson Week 2019, Thor's finally taking the right chance to propose to Jane. Rec: an adorable little bite-sized proposal fic. | <1k

Who Lives, Who Dies by MissChrisDaae: When the dust settles, who is left? Rec: Post-Infinity War, semi-kidfic. Pretty cute, and brings Jane into the story like she should’ve been. | 1.2k

Morning by MissChrisDaae: Thor and Jane's morning is interrupted by their kids. Rec: Fluffy fluffy FLUFFY Jane and Thor with a whole gaggle of children. | <1k

Trending by MissChrisDaae: Jane and Darcy's work session gets a little derailed. Rec: For the Social Media day of Fosterson Week, a fluffy and silly bit, and feeds into the 2012 Avengers Fic nostalgia. | <1k

ever on and on by often_adamanta: Darcy has to correct three separate people at the reception about their relationship, not younger cousin or sister, but college professor and boss and finally best friend. Jane thinks about their surprise, the second glances they give her, and wonders. Rec: Jane deals with the implications of immortality. Her friendship with Darcy is so potent and real in this. | 3k

Before the Thunder Shook Us by niobium: #6, “Is there a reason you’re naked in my bed?” #14, “Hey, I’m with you, okay? Always.” Rec: This is such a wonderful canon-insertion/canon divergence. Just enough fluff and bittersweetness to seem real. | 1k

Private Jokes by MissChrisDaae: Before his return to Asgard, Thor and Jane have a talk. Two years later, Thor misses a chance and Jane has to carry on. Rec: An AOU coda and a Ragnarok fix-it all in one. Feisty Jane and apologetic Thor. My bbs. | 1k

On the Physics of Magical Space Hammers by shinyopals: ‘So what does it mean to be “Worthy”?’ Jane asked. Jane doesn't mind sharing her life with Mjolnir. She just wishes she understood it a bit better. Rec: We’ve all wondered about Mjolnir and worthiness. Jane finally takes the initiative to find out with amazing results. | 4k

Fives Times Jane and Thor Broke Up and One Time They Didn’t by shinyopals: I didn’t know you were in the country, Jane,’ said Jane's grandmother. ‘Of course, nobody tells me anything.’ ‘It’s just a very last minute thing,’ said Jane, which Thor knew to be a lie. ‘I only arrived yesterday-’ another lie, ‘and I’m just on the way to work and thought I’d stop by and see Mom.’ This too was not true. ‘This is my friend Thor,’ she added, almost casually. ‘He’s been helping me with some work so we’re driving into the university together.’ This seemed the most flagrant of all the lies, but Thor decided not to let it show. It's not always convenient to be a relationship, so sometimes Jane and Thor have to make sacrifices. Rec: A giant SUCK ON THIS FEIGE that takes the “Jane and Thor break up” concept to the best possible places. | 12k

Hours Long and Short by shinyopals: The first night, Thor does not sleep. (Written for a post-TDW prompt for Fosterson Week 2017.) Rec: A really wonderful slice of life fic post-TDW. Deals with their trauma so wonderfully, and includes some lovely soft moments. | 4k

#7Days7Hobbies by shinyopals: Thor wants to try out some of Midgard's finest hobbies and turns to Twitter for suggestions. Jane isn't really sure how this is now her life. (Prompt for Day 4: Domestic, for Fosterson Week 2017.) Rec: One of my favorite things that’s ever been submitted for Fosterson Week. I love reading about Thor fully embracing Earth customs, particularly social media, which opal KNOWS is one of my weaknesses. | 5k

A Question of Honor by shinyopals: ‘Paintball?’ said Steve. ‘We could do… that…’ ‘What is that?’ asked Thor. He nuzzled into Jane’s hair. His mead-breath was giving her a headache. ‘It’s a thing- a game… thing. With paint.’ ‘Rogers, stop explaining stuff to Thor, you’re embarrassing me.’ Tony’s voice was remarkably coherent. Must have been drinking sensibly. Bastard. When it comes to deciding whether Earth or Asgard has better warriors, the stakes are high, and Jane is wishing she'd kept her big mouth shut. Rec: TEAM BUILDING EXERCISES FOR THE WIN. | 8k

The Gift Horse by fartherfaster: Sam and Darcy are formally introduced for the first time. Sam says “formally” with some flexibility. And a couch. A couch and a great deal of flexibility. Nevermind, he’s said enough. They met, is what he’s trying to say. Or, Sam's early days with the whole gang. Rec: Mostly a teamfic from Sam Wilson’s POV, which is awesome because how often do you see that. Fosterson is mostly background, but it made me smile so much. | 3k

on the verge of understanding something extraordinary by dirgewithoutmusic: “Jane, you’re an astrophysicist, not a storm chaser,” said Erik Selvig, and he was wrong. She was just an astrophysicist too. (A Jane Foster character study) Rec: I’m relatively certain I read this before and loved it, only it somehow didn’t make the reclist. An amazing, touching, wonderful, stunning portrait of Jane Foster. | 9k

starlight in her eyes by jdphoenix: “You,” she says, voice strong with accusation. “You’re the one who attacked me!” Thor really must laugh at that. “You are the one who attacked me. Or is it considered polite among stars to crash into one another?” Rec: A really awesome take on a Stardust fusion AU. Full of inquisitive Jane and cocky Thor. It gave me really hard vibes from the first Thor film. | 1.2k

a true lady of Asgard by jdphoenix: It's not uncommon for Jane to fall asleep working when she's chasing a new theory or hunting down evidence but the middle of a battle for the future of Asgard is not the time. Rec: Jane becoming a fixture of sorts in Asgard is one of my kinks. Also Jane being friends with Thor’s friends and the people of Asgard. Kink. | 3.5k

Afterwit by RC_McLachlan: Good with patients, bad with relationships. That's what she told Thor before she ripped the name tag from the shirt in his hands and crumbled it in her palm, relishing the way the sticky back clung to her skin before she threw it in the waste bin. She'd never been so right in her life up to that point—the rightest she's ever been was when she decided to offer the crazy blond guy a ride to his mysterious non-satellite in the desert. Or, the one in which Jane and Thor run into Donald Blake. Rec: I am such a sucker for the “running into the shitty ex with the New and Improved Partner” trope and this is that. All of that to such a wonderful degree. | 2.7k

drabbles by freshexes: Rec: Some really fantastic little bits of prose. Great voices of Thor and Jane. Some fluffies, some angst. | 1k

The Good Times are Killing Me by alwaysaprilia: Rec: Modern royals AU. Jane and Thor are perfect in this. The dialogue is sublime, and the interactions made me squee really hardcore. I only wish there was more. | 3.6k

College AU by anthropologicalhands: Rec: It’s kinda more meta/heacanon, but it’s really adorable. | 1k

all’s fair (in love and war) by sweetwatersong: This is what you fight for. This is what you yearn to feel: this moment, this passing of every second, this rush of life and the indomitable strength of the present. Thor is a warrior, born and bred, and he is glad of any battle - and yet, as with all things, even this can change. Rec: A Thor introspect and a really well done second person perspective. | 1k

Five Times Thor Gets His Shirt Off FOR GREAT JUSTICE And One Time He Doesn’t by shinyopals: Sometimes Thor’s armour is more useful when not being worn by him. He definitely doesn’t end up in these situations on purpose. Rec: Please bury me in every single five times fic shinyopals has written. This one might be my absolute favorite. So many fantastic interactions for Thor, not just with Fosterson (which is BEYOND perfect), but the whole team. Plus: naked Thor fighting bad guys in an apron. Also the SamSteve is so strong and I’m in love. | 9.8k

A Discussion of Hypotheticals by shinyopals: Jane and Thor talk about their future. Hypothetically. Rec: I am so glad we’ve made Fosterson Week a thing because this fic is WONDERFUL. Great communication makes me weak, and also so many squee-worthy moments. | 5k

Jane Foster Versus the Internet. Or: Five Times Jane Allegedly Dated An Avenger And One Time She Apparently Did Not by shinyopals: Jane discovers that the internet is The Worst. Rec: It’s the thing I loved so much I made graphics for it because it’s so good. Jane’s interactions with all the Avengers are delightful, not to mention her steady relationship with Thor that is so grounded and real. It’s also freaking hilarious. | 10.4k

Untitled by polyamoryavengers: Rec: Angst and fluff and Jane comforting Thor. *cartwheels into the sun* | 1k

Sexiest ‘Something’ Alive by Niobium: Tony is bound and determined to make sure a human is awarded the title of Sexiest Man Alive (he even has a solid candidate in mind); Jane just wants media outlets to get their science right. Rec: This is absolutely fantastic. Just the right kind of blend of humor, sweetness, and meta criticism ever. | 7.5k

The Hours Filled by websandwhiskers: Ritual and comradery are basic human needs. Rec: Focus on Jane, not a ton of Thor, but pregnant Jane is always a delight. | 1.7k

First Dates? by hariboo: Jane’s not really sure what her and Thor’s first date is? The party or the barbecue? In end does it matter? Rec: I am not a big fan of high school AUs, but if they float your boat, this is definitely worthwhile. | 1.4k | Part of Let’s Be Young Forever series

Of Car Crashes and Coffee by hariboo: “you bumped my car and I’m so piss- oh wow no you’re hot let’s go for a coffee” au prompt. Exactly what it says on the tin. Rec: This made me giggle. Super duper cute. | 1.3k

Tactile Perception by RC_McLachlan: “The day I met you, I knew you would see me.” Her hands find his face, sliding over his jaw, his cheeks, and she brings their foreheads together. “The day I met you, I hit you with my car. Twice.” Rec: *dies quietly* Teasing and cute story telling and just so many good things. | 2k

Clarke’s Third Law by shinyopals: “Of all the people to knock down the stairs, she would pick the practically-seven-foot-tall son of the Minister for Magic who just happens to be the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain.” Jane’s just trying to read every single book in the Hogwarts library in between classes, and she’s not quite sure how Thor happened to her. Rec: I never read Harry Potter but damn it this makes me want to. I just love this. So much. I don’t know how but it happened. I actually really wish there was more? | 3.8k

The Most Daring Prophecies–Dr Jane Foster at TED Talk by Rozilla: A transcript of Jane giving a TED Talk on her experiences of crossing the cosmos, Asgard and her hopes for the future of interstellar travel - as reported on WHIH. Rec: I can’t tell you how badly I wanted this to be real. Fosterson is mentioned a bit, and it makes me smile a lot. | 5.1k

Paradigm Shift by jdphoenix: “Jane’s implementing a ‘new organizational paradigm.’ She does this like once a year, usually when she’s extra stressed. Like after that time your brother messed up NYC.” Rec: cute domestics plus Jane is worthy. | 1.5k

Raging Storm by jdphoenix: Thor knows the moment he touches the hammer that it is not Mjolnir. Rec: A brilliant continuation of Paradigm Shift (above, previously recced) wherein Jane bests Loki and is worthy, plus Jane talking down berserker!Thor. So many of my Fosterson hot buttons. | 4k

Overlap by littlestardust: A moment between Thor and Jane. Alternative summary: Thor is respectful of Jane’s life choices, and also there is cuddling. Rec: Teeny tiny fic, but super cute. | <1k

amazed & confused by tashlae: Dating an alien/god/man who fell from the sky isn’t something to take lightly. Rec: Jane/Darcy centric with lots of talk about fosterson and a kinda sweet moment at the end. | 1k

untitled by ifilovedyouless: jane/thor, modern royals. Rec: Oh my god, the sweetness overload was too much. Also YAS Thor in military uniform. | 1k

Fosterson - dancing by batsonthebrain: Rec: Introspective, sweet, and with a heavy dose of mutual respect. | <1k

Unplanned by hariboo: The first person to hear Jane is pregnant isn’t Thor. It should be, but extenuating circumstances. This happens a lot when it comes to living in Stark Tower. Rec: Very much toeing the crack line. Baby!fic, obviously, plus fabulous Clint, and a semi?redeemed Loki. | 1.2k

clash of the (scientific) titans by anthropologicalhands: Thor brings Tony to meet Jane. Thor admits he probably could have thought it through a little better. Rec: this fic always makes me giggle. Fosterson is mostly background, but the interactions between everyone makes this worth it. | 1k

Through Doors by nayanroo: The Jedi Order knows a good team when they see it, but unfortunately even the best-planned missions always have something go hilariously wrong. That’s when the true strength of any bond is shown. Rec: A Star Wars fusion is always a good idea. The way Jane and Thor play off each other and their bond through the Force is lovely. | 4k

Straight On 'Til Morning by arsenicarcher: Thor and Jane are having a baby. Tony’s conflicted about the whole thing. Rec: Kinda Tony-centric, but I’m always up for a fosterson baby. | 4.4k

hard to keep the rainclouds out by veliseraptor: Rec: A unique view on Thor’s grief and Jane’s struggle to be there for him. Very lovely, very angsty. | 2.1k

Perils of an RPF Life by hariboo: Look, it isn’t that she isn’t excited for Jane, sure she is. But Darcy wonders if Jane ever thinks about that. The fact she’s dating the sexiest E.T. ever. Rec: Darcy’s voice in this is hilarious and touching all at once. Jane and Thor’s caring for each other is so clear and endearing I audibly squeed a few times. | 2k

amazed & confused by tashlae: Dating an alien/god/man who fell from the sky isn’t something to take lightly. Rec: Jane and Darcy friendship is a lot of fun. Jane’s pondering of their relationship seems very characteristic of her. | 1k

On The Unsubtle Nature of Fish Ties by Niobium: Fancy clothes shopping for your alien boyfriend should be easier than this. Or, how Thor got his red velvet jacket. Rec: Fosterson is mostly background, but cute Jane/Darcy/Pepper interaction. | 3.3k

Be Safe by MissChrisDaae: Thor and Jane have a contingency plan for emergencies. Rec: Speculation/AU for Age of Ultron. Baby!fic, and is just so damn cute. | <1k

It All Happens Here by MissChrisDaae: Her very first year of teaching, Jane Foster gets an unusual bonus in the form of one of her students’ extremely attractive father. Single dad and his daughter’s kindergarten teacher au. Rec: super fluffy and just adorable. | 7.5k

Remembrance by Are_you_ever_not_going_to_fall_for_that: Thor and Jane take a walk and come across something that sparks memories. Post The Dark World. Rec: Jane and Thor talk about Loki, and the lack of heavy angst is refreshing. | <1k

Traffic jam by kes: When you’ve been fighting omnicidal aliens and the bureaucracy, a getaway is in order. Unfortunately, flying from A to B isn’t always possible… Rec: domestics. cute domestics EVERYWHERE. | <1k

nothing is ever convenient (except to make things uncomfortable) by anthropologicalhands: After Thor returns, there is still the matter of responding to Richard. Rec: The awkwardness of dealing with Richard made me smile. A very smile inducing fic. | 1.3k

Jane on Top by Rozilla: Jane Foster is asked to lecture at the SHIELD Academy, but she feels her old anxieties and worries begin to creep in- but it’s okay. Darcy has her back, not to mention it appears she has a fan club at the Science and Tech Division of the SHIELD Academy! Rec: An unapologetic Jane-fest, which is my favorite kind of party. Fosterson is background, but very relevant. Darcy is a cool friend. | 4.1k

leave this star crossed world behind by anthropologicalhands: Sif visits Jane with an offering. Rec: Jane/ Sif friendship, and they talk about immortality. Great interactions and insights on fosterson. | 2k

Measured Uncertainties by plushbug: Gap-filler, applying to the 2011 Thor movie. A shot at what might have gone missing from the rooftop scene between Thor and Jane Foster, after his 'rescue’ from the SHIELD base. Fits between “…and Asgard. That’s where I come from.” and “Thank you, Jane." Rec: A good fill for the movies, explains some comic-verse continuties. Curious Jane is a lovely person, and Thor relishes in giving her knowledge. | 4k

halfway between the gutter and the stars by verity: Thor pulls his phone out of his pocket and lifts it above them to capture a picture of the moment, their hair lit by the sun, Jane’s soft smile next to his beaming grin. The Rise filter suits the image perfectly. “I shall title this 'THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE,’” Thor says, typing carefully on the touchscreen. “With the small image of your planet, flanked by sparkling stars." "Well, we abandoned a geocentric model of the galaxy hundreds of years ago,” says Jane. "'THE CENTER OF MY UNIVERSE,’“ Thor says. He amends his caption and selects the options to crosspost from Instagram to Twitter and Facebook. Rec: Okay I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this. So much. I love the world-building that Avengers + social media allows for. Also, cute Thor and Jane and team stuff plus Neil Degrasse Tyson and George Takei. So much good stuff. | 2.2k

Catalysts by Niobium: Meeting people winds up being a catalyzing event in Jane Foster’s life more often than not. Rec: Well-written Jane, and super supportive boyfriend Thor. I love it when he treats her like a genius. | 2.1k

The Reconstruction of the Mind by Niobium: Jane Foster’s introduction to astronomy doesn’t start with a backyard telescope or a shooting star or the arm of the Milky Way strewn across the nighttime sky, but with an Alexandrine woman named Hypatia. Rec: Jane-centric, and very well done, as per usual with this author. Fosterson is more background, but they have some lovely moments. | 4.6k

Asgardian Cautionary Tales for Young Maidens by Niobium: Jane discovers that Asgardian love stories aren’t exactly romcoms. Rec: Jane and Thor sharing love stories. I audibly squeaked at their cuteness. | 2.3k

the new millennia by hoosierbitch: Thor’s life was measured in centuries, not days. Rec: Post-Dark World, very Thor oriented and introspective. Jane helps him through his grief over Loki. Angst on angst. | 1.1k

the drumming inside her by hariboo: she can feel everyone looking at her, waiting for her to break or give up. they don’t understand. she made a promise too. Rec: oh my god Jane being determined, Thor pining a bit, Heimdall being awesome, and a super sweet reunion. | 1.3k

Starchild by empyrean: One night Jane teaches Thor the basics of Western astronomy, and Thor tries to describe Asgard. Then the Bifröst breaks, and Jane isn’t having that. Rec: Jane and Thor bond over the stars, and Jane doesn’t take it sitting down when the Bifrost breaks. Love the simplicity and the power in this. | 1k

There by Barkour: Jane has found Thor and in the finding, she has gone somewhere she’d never dreamed she’d see. Rec: Jane geeking out over Asgard, plus some really cute banter, and Thor being a gent as always. | 1.9k

Numbers and Lines by Sheeana: Jane Foster visits Avengers headquarters to help install a program she designed, and gets caught up in helping with their latest problem. Rec: Jane and Natasha get some great action together, and the Fosterson is handled well. | 4.9k

Important Meals of the Day by hariboo: or alternatively: Five Breakfasts With Jane and Thor and them feeding their family and friends. Which sometimes lately seem to be the same thing. Rec: domestics! Fluff that makes me want to stay there forever! I love this author’s way of writing fosterson. Also Darcy is so great in this. | 6.2k

Fire in the East by Maat: He finds that there are sweeter things than mead and glory and the fierce bright colors and rich textures of Asgard. Rec: Best Thor-being-on-Earth-longer fic that I’ve read. Short, poignant, sweet, and painful. This is beautifully written and left me wishing this was how the canon story could have gone down. | 1.1k

Few So Generous by galaxysoup: After Odin falls into the Odinsleep, Frigga takes up her husband’s spear and the rule of Asgard. Rec: Jane and Thor from an outside perspective, and a different version of events. Though the focus is not on fosterson outright, it is still a very good fic. | 2.7k

we fall like stars by jadeddiva: All that is left of him now is the extra chair pulled up to her makeshift fire pit, which she never sits in and hasn’t had the heart to move. Jane, and the search for Thor and a greater understanding of herself. Rec: A character study of Jane and how Thor affected her life. Lovely and poignant. Fluid writing style. | 3.1k

Not "Functional” or “Elegant” by Niobium: Jane Foster has worked some bad jobs in her career; working with Stark Industries’ R&D is a vast improvement. Rec: Jane-centric, and gives her a great backstory. She and Thor are adorable as always. The author clearly respects Jane as a scientist, so that shows through a lot, which is amazing. | 1.6k

Jane Foster’s High School Reunion by Niobium: Jane Foster has a high school reunion to go to. Rec: Jane and Thor are adorable. Thor is a gentleman, and Jane gets to laugh in the face of a jerk. Very satisfying. | 5k

Nature and Nurture by nayanroo: What’s better than solving a physics problem that may well get you another Nobel Prize nomination? Having a baby on the same day. Rec: Part of an amazing series (full rec with multichapter fics below) but can be read as a standalone. Featuring pregnant!Jane and adorable and far-too-accurate expectantfather!Thor. The fluff is lovely. Features all of the Avengers with some lovely domestics. | 7.4k | Part of in progress series, The Kingsverse

don’t we all want happy endings? by hariboo: Thor is thinking about Jane, Steve cares (because Steve has Feelings about Lost Lady Loves*), and in the end it’s a team effort. Rec: We get the closure on Thor contacting Jane after the events in New York. Sweet and painful and just lovely. | 3.4k

Legacy by me: A generation later, a budding social scientist tries to figure out Jane and Thor. Rec: Because it wouldn’t be a true reclist without a self-plug. Both Jane and Thor have passed away in this fic. | 2k

Rated T

**Heed the Signs by igi_pigi: Thor wakes up from a nightmare. Is it just a dream, or something more? [Post Thor2, Pre Thor3.] Rec: A heavy, meaningful setup to a Thor 3 that never was. | 4.8k

**Heartless by igi_pigi: Everything reminds her of him, it's funny. Wherever she looks, whatever she thinks of, usually and especially to get her mind off him, will eventually lead to him. [Set the night before Jane's date with Richard in Thor2.] For Day 6 of Fosterson Week - 'things that make you think of them' Rec: A really interesting and fabulous rumination from Jane about Thor’s impact on her life. | 1.4k

**Her Healing Touch by igi_pigi: Jane doesn't really realise that the Aesir are a bit relaxed when it comes to physical hurt. And freaks out over what Thor thinks are just petty bruises of battle. Ending with a little confession from Thor. [Set after Thor2] Rec: A neat take on Asgardian culture, love the way Jane’s care connected to Thor’s past. | 2.5k

**Qeryana by Domenika Marzione (domarzione): Thor and his efforts to live on Midgard, as opposed to just defending it. Rec: Thor’s visceral struggle of living in a culture not his own, but is ultimately still hopeful and positive. | 3k

**First and Foremost, Red by RC_McLachlan: There's a reason Jane and Thor break up. It's not a great one but it's the right one. In the year that follows, Jane carries on, doesn't win a Nobel Prize, defeats Thanos and saves the universe, and finally allows herself to be a little selfish. Rec: YAAAAAS I want ALL the Jane Saves Everything in Infinity War/Endgame fic. ALL OF IT. It’s so satisfying and good. | 9.7k

**Gangráðr, Faðmbyggvir Friggjar by tsukinofaerii: Less than a week before her wedding, Frigga warns Jane of ancient Asgardian rituals she and Thor must undergo before her marriage ceremony. Jane and Thor call on their friends for help as they face what might be the challenge of their lives. Rec: Just an absolute fucking delight from start to finish. Hilarious and amazing. Absolutely the best of the 2012-era Avengers fics. | 19.1k

The Courage of Stars by always_a_queen: Half the universe turns to dust. Thor goes to find the one person who is his whole universe. Thor/Jane Post-Infinity War and during/after Endgame. Spoilers for both movies and Ragnarok. Rec: god this is so heartbreakingly perfect. A wonderful fix it that gives a perfect little taste of what we might’ve had if Jane had been rightfully included in these movies. Jane does pass away at the end of the fic. | Content Warning: Major Character Death | 4.3k

Family Values by shinyopals: ‘It would have been kinder to leave me dead,’ Loki informs her one day. Jane Foster, who’s just revoltingly kissed Thor goodbye, told him she loves him, and called him a disturbing pet name, snorts derisively. ‘He brought you lunch; quit whining,’ she says. Loki isn't sure how he feels about his family, these days. Rec: The best take on Loki ever. His relationship with Jane is fabulous, and the interplay between him, Thor, and Jane is AMAZING. What a freakin treat this fic is. Post-Infinity War AU. | 3k

The Second Law of Thermodynamics by shinyopals: ‘What have you done?’ he asks. He still attempts to sound grave, but with Jane it is hard not to give into smiles.‘Done? I haven’t done, well. I mean. I have done some things. But it’s not bad. I was just curious! And nobody stopped me. I mean, they even welcomed me. So. I didn’t do-’‘Jane,’ he interrupts, laughing and leaning down to plant a kiss on her mouth. ‘You are absurd. I missed you. Tell me.’ Rec: Pardon me while I try to physically scream this fic into existence. It’s perfect. Jane loves science, and Thor loves Jane. Post-Thor 2. | 1.8k

Storm Warning by shinyopals: Then he strides to her and presses a kiss to her lips, taking her face in his hands as he does and holding her close. ‘You planned this?’ he asks. ‘Your morning’s work was not astrophysics, then?’She gives a guilty smile. ‘I wanted to, you know, surprise you.’ Thor gets ~romanced. He kinda likes it. Rec: GOD THE FLUFF. THE. FLUFF. PURE AND GOOD. | 3k

Sakaar by MissChrisDaae: Jane's been stuck on Sakaar for a year and a half. So Asgardians are a welcome sight. Rec: A really original way to get Jane involved in Ragnarok. Jane + science for the win. | 1.3k

Lab by MissChrisDaae: Thor likes spoiling Jane. Rec: For the Jane on Asgard day of Fosterson Week, a short and sweet lil tidbit! | <1k

Domesticity by MissChrisDaae: Little moments around Avengers Tower. Rec: I literally gasped in delight with how much this made me nostalgic for the fluffy Avengers Living in the Tower fics of 2012. | <1k

The Prince(ss) and Me by asoulofstars, MissChrisDaae: Prince Thor of Asgard just wants a little time to feel normal before he has to marry the mysterious Princess Jana of Ameos. So, he runs away from home and enrolls at Harvard University as Donald Blake, where he meets Jane Foster. Jane is clever, kind, and everything he wants, but can never have.Princess Jana of Ameos has spent her whole life studying incognito, getting the best global education possible under the alias of Jane Foster and trying not to think about romance, or the fiancé waiting for her back in Europe. Then Don Blake comes along and throws that plan out the window. Rec: A funky Modern Royals AU. Charming in some nice ways, and I like the slow-building tension. | 17k

Misunderstandings by writerblocked: She looks up at Thor, who grins warmly at her, and looks at their surroundings again. “This isn’t my apartment,” she says. Thor’s grin grows wider. “I know,” he says back. Rec: Newlywed!Fosterson fluff. | 1.8k

Turtures in Aeternum by shinyopals: ‘Legend tells that some unlikely souls are known to pause in their work for reasons of leisure,’ deadpans Thor. ‘History does not say what trials they faced.’ Asgardian science is giving Jane a headache. Thor persuades her to take a break to see some of the sights with him. Rec: Asgardian worldbuilding (literally) via Fosterson field trip. I love everything in this. | 5.5k

Five Times the Bad Guys Interrupted Thor and Jane's Date Night and One Time Tony Freaking Wishes They Had by shinyopals: ‘I have told Steve,’ Thor says to Tony as he’s leaving to go back to his rooms, ‘but I thought I should tell you also. Jane and I plan to institute the ritual of ‘Date Night’.’ As always, Thor sounds like someone’s severely uncool father trying to be hip when he uses any slang invented since the Civil War. Tony's been an Avenger long enough to avoid deliberately tempting fate, even if he doesn't actually believe in fate. The universe is just plain cruel. That's why he knows to be prepared for the worst Hydra can throw at them whenever Thor and Jane make evening plans. Rec: IT’S SO FUDGING CUTE. I CAN’T. IT’S CUTE AND HILARIOUS AND PERFECT AS ALWAYS. | 4.7k

Unexpected Arrival by shinyopals: ‘Jane-’ Thor cut himself off, opening and closing his mouth without managing words. Her name on his lips sounded so familiar; warm and deep and like nothing else mattered. An undercurrent of nerves there that she could still hear after all this time, that she didn’t think anyone else would be able to. She wanted to run to him, bury her face in his neck and jump back in time. Back before the break up - not enough time for each other with the universe in peril. Back before the baby. The baby she still sometimes wondered if she should have terminated to save them both this moment. Rec: The angsty and painfully yearning babyfic that you never knew you needed. | 2k

Steadfast as the Stars Above by jdphoenix: It was not meant to be like this. With him so small and weak, fighting every second to find purchase on a tiny world that spins faster than he can fathom. He wanted to be strong for her. Rec: A fabulous use of the Soulmate AU that completely slots itself perfectly into canon. | 8.3k

too poor for silver, i have a copper tongue by venndaai: “Maybe you don't have the perfect words all the time but, you always have something to say, right? You never have to, have to stop and think about it, and you never stumble over your words or anything.” He squinted at her. “I thought such things simply aspects of Midgardian speech, which you know I am not well versed in.” Jane sighed. “They're not supposed to be.” Rec: A story featuring an explicitly autistic Jane Foster. So wonderfully done. Full of empathy and love and kindness and warmth. | 1.3k

Gift by spikewriter: Jane looked at the brightly colored rug on the floor of the farmhouse in the Hudson Valley they were still moving into. “I like it,” she admitted with a bit more enthusiasm, picturing how her six-year-old self would have run screaming around the room in glee at such a gift. Rec: Some post-TDW fluff with bonus Darcy inclusion. | 1.5k

to candle incandescent as you pass by sweetwatersong: The legacy of King Tristan and the Star Queen Yvaine is not a mere tale in Stormhold, a fantastical portion of the kingdom's history. It lives and breathes in the blood of their descendants, in their long lives and graceful aging, in the ruling King Odin and his son, the Crown Prince Thor… Rec: A Stardust/Huntsman/Thor fusion that isn’t so much a full fic as it is, as the author describes, “a sketch.” Still a really lovely read, a great blend of the films. | 5k

Raiment of The Gods by randomcelt: They say the clothes make the man ... or the god. But sometimes, they do the most for his friends. (Or, a tale of all the times someone else wore Thor's clothes and the adventures necessitating such a development.) Rec: A great Thor character piece. A heavy emphasis on Thor + the team which I love. Runs you through the full gamut of emotions in the best way. | 10k

How to Quantify by Rozilla: It turns out Jane has a personal top ten list of favourite equations - and a nice expanse of hot Norse God to write them on. Rec: Super sweet and also contains the phrase ‘who said science never got you laid’ so. Yep. | 2k

this new bravery by hoosierbitch: For alfadorisawesome, who requested Thor/Jane “about to hook up with someone who doesn’t know.” This is my favorite piece so far. <3 Rec: Incredibly well done Trans Jane Foster. I am such a sucker for open lines of communication between partners, and that’s exactly what this is. Thor is incredibly sweet, and this story establishes his very nonbinary opinions on gender which I LOVE, but he still makes an effort to understand Jane’s experience. I love this fic so much. | 1k

The Hammer and the Ice by grav_ity: In the course of her short and mortal life, the heart of Jane Foster has been twice touched by the sons of Asgard. Rec: I adore AUs where Jane was in the Avengers. This is a short flashfic, but really lovely. | 1k

A Royal Wedding by MissChrisDaae and Science_Thunder_Lightning_Love: After three years, ten months, an alien invasion, a cosmic event, and a baby, Thor and Jane finally make it to the altar. Rec: Ridiculously cute fluffies. | 7.5k | Part of the Convergence series

The Thunder God Job by fuzzy_paint: Jane and Thor are thieves. Rec: Oh lawd, the AU I never knew I needed. Beautiful characterization with a rich world they’re placed in. I only wish it was 200 chapters. | 16.2k

there was a star danced by tosca1390: This is the familiar rhythm of her days; the coffee shop until one pm, five days a week, then class and the lab, then home or the library. Here, in her last year with a future dark ahead of her, she doesn’t see anything to change her ways. Jane and Thor, meeting at a coffee shop. Rec: College/Coffee Shop AU. Bless the AU gods. Sly little Shakespeare references. Thor and Jane being cute, sweet idiots. | 6.2k

Proximity Alarm by fayedartmouth: Thor comes back to Earth. Jane thinks it’s great. Except all the times it isn’t. Rec: It’s a great writing style. Jane and Thor are awkward, adorable, and passionate in a realistic way. Them navigating how to be together is a challenge that not all authors can rise to, so this is a great piece. So much yes. | 13.7

Never So Empty by iwillavengeyou: Thor has traveled the nine realms and seen many things in his centuries of godhood. What could possibly make everything seem so empty? Rec: Wow, just no. This hurts. This is not cool. Ow. Ow. Transcends angst and ends up somewhere much worse. Read if you’re into self-flagellation or are making a reclist. I literally yelled “Wow rude” at the conclusion of this fic. Major Character Death | 1.5k

An Ancient Gesture by Niobium: Jane and Thor come up with a tradition for dealing with situations where a social function gets to be a little too much for either of them. Rec: Super smiley, stomach flutter inducing fic. Fluff upon fluff, but also Asgard culture/worldbuilding! Yay! | 2.8k

Five Times Jane Kinda Sorta Accidentally Slept With An Avenger, The One Time She Didn’t, And the Many (Many) Times It Wasn’t Even a Little Accidental by shinyopals: Some people collect Avengers trading cards. Some collect action figures. Jane Foster, almost entirely without meaning to, has them all beat. Rec: If you’re not convinced by that title and summary, I’m not sure I can help you. Hilarious, in character, and kinda cute. | 9.3k

Well Remembered by Rozilla: Jane’s met Tony Stark before. Rec: Cracky and hilarious. | 1.1k

you may end up wanting more from this life by tosca1390: Everything is cold where it was once warm, and Jane is at a loss. Rec: Not sure why I haven’t put this beautiful thing on here yet. Deals with their separation, and a great character study of Jane. Angsty. | 1.6k

The Hearts of Stars and Thunder by MissChrisDaae, Science_Thunder_Lightning_Love: Rec: A Snow White and the Huntsman/Thor fusion. Really great use of characters, and all of the medieval battles and fosterson abound. | 7.7k

You Get One Phone Call by MissChrisDaae: Following the Battle of Manhattan, Jane gets a phone call. Rec: Post-battle strain, but then suddenly fosterson cuteness hits you like a wrecking ball. | <1k

Abs of Thunder by Unknownnobody32: During a flight on-board Stark’s jet, Jane learns how turbulence, pasta sauce, her Thunder god boyfriend, and his rock hard abs can soon become a recipe for embarrassment all thanks to bad timing. Rec: Takes washboard abs to another level. God, this is just too funny. | 2.1k

London, underground by Maybug: Clint Barton meets some familiar faces and has a very bad day hunting the jotunbeast left behind in London after the convergence. Rec: an awesome outside POV on fosterson, plus badass science Jane and her science assistant Thor, and awesome Clint. | 2.6k | Part of the Fosterson Files series

We have loved the stars to fondly by Maybug: Jane and Thor are up to something on the roof of the Tower. Tony thinks he knows what it is, but doesn’t see why he should be the one to tell them to stop. Rec: Outside POV of fosterson. Basically Thor does cute/dangerous things for Jane’s happiness. | 1.8k | Part of the Fosterson Files series

change places by coffeesuperhero: Jane and Thor get in the way of a Stark experiment. This goes about as well as you might expect. Rec: Body swap madness. So many cute moments though, plus some implied sexytimes with swapped bodies “for science.” So much yes. | 3.1k

Slowly, We Adjust by katsumi: Jane Foster leaves the lab on Friday exhausted, overworked, and petrified that she won’t get the grant proposal for her wormhole experiment finished in time to get funding. So, of course she gets rear-ended, because that’s just the kind of week she’s having. Rec: Protective/Worried Thor is best Thor. Reassuring Jane is best Jane. So much angst/cute. | 1.4k

Put a Ring on It by fuzzy_paint: Jane makes Thor a wedding ring. Rec: What it says on the tin. | 3.9k

The Pretty Birds Have Flown by beanarie: "Jane never pukes, not when she first wakes up, not at any other time of day. She has a cast-iron stomach and wicked stable inner ears, and morning sickness doesn’t stand a chance.“ The one where Thor knocked Jane up that night they chilled on the roof, and offscreen Frigga swore Heimdall to secrecy in the interest of protecting everyone involved. The All-Father’s house has a lot of enemies, okay. Rec: Heartbreaking, fluffy, and feelsy. Batten down the emotional hatches. | 2.2k

Jane Foster and the Impossible Library by Niobium: Jane, Darcy, and Thor find a peculiar library, and their afternoon takes a turn for the bizarre. Rec: This one’s wild from start to finish (I say that lovingly), but as always, Niobium delivers on fantastic characterizations. Not super-duper shippy, but so worth the read. | 12.4k | Part of the Jane Foster Works series

Northern Climes by Tyranusfan: Six months after the Avengers saved New York from the Chitauri invasion, Thor must convince Odin to return him to Earth. Rec: Jane and Thor doing cutesy couple-y things. The author captures well the eager awkwardness of a new couple while remaining true to their characters and story. | 4.3k

nowhere to go but up by anthropologicalhands: It is not uncomfortable, waking up with Thor’s arm draped over her waist, their legs entangled under the sheets. It is inconvenient when she wants to get out of bed or, at the very least, look over last night’s data. Rec: So very fluffy it makes me want to roll in it. Adorably domestic, too. Jane at her scienceing finest. | 2.3k

Late Night Waiting by hariboo: Jane didn’t often get home late. Rec: A very sweet and simple Jane/Thor that makes their relationship seem very grounded and real. Also, it is so sweet it makes my teeth hurt, and then I just want more. | 2.1k

Uru by sheffiesharpe: Thor cannot look after Jane, no matter how he wants to. Hogun offers a solution. Puente Antiguo receives another unexpected visitor. Rec: The author makes a really strange concept work brilliantly. Jane and Thor’s pining is frustrating and well-written, and the writing sizzles with unresolved sexual tension. | 6k

Star-Crossed by websandwhiskers: A vignette taking place during "Avengers”, after shawarma, before Thor returns to Asgard with Loki. Thor and Jane have their reunion, and discuss their future. Rec: Jane is an awesome person, and Thor respects the hell out of her. One of the best portrayals of Jane Foster that I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. | 1.7k

The Morning After by fuzzy_paint: "I can’t believe we’re doing this,“ Jane says. "Can you believe we’re doing this?" Rec: Even without much in way of dialogue, Jane and Thor’s devotion is plain. We get a little view of domestics, too. | 1.7k

The Observable Universe by Sarea Okelani (sarea): As an astrophysicist, Jane studies the observable universe for work, but in her free time what she likes to study is a bit closer to home. (Or: Jane has a low tolerance for stupidity. Clint and Natasha take exception to being called stupid.) Rec: Not a ton of overt Jane/Thor, and is mostly an outsider POV on Clint/Natasha, but there is lots of team shenanigans and there is definitely a lot of affection for Thor from Jane’s POV. | 10k

Deal by GreenVelvetCurtains: Jane introduces Thor to the great Midgardian tradition of being made to remove your clothing when you lose a hand of poker. Everybody wins! Rec: I got a huge kick out of this one. Toeing the line of becoming crackfic. Oh, how I wish there was a smutty follow up. | 2k

Before the Fall by verily-thor: Jane helps Thor prepare for Ragnarök. Rec: Oh god, if you’re in the mood for some sadness, come on in here. Tragic without being grotesque, stripping it down to the bare emotions, and two people who love each other more than anything. | <1k

top gun is not a movie; it’s a lifestyle by hariboo: jane and thor got that loving feeling. Rec: an AU that is reminiscent of Top Gun, which is a fab movie. Awesome Jane, and adorable Thor. | 2k

A Brief Introduction to Asgardian Dinner Parties by jonesandashes and pentapus:  This is the first Earth-Asgard bonding opportunity since that time Loki punched interstellar relations in the face, twice, and the king and queen of Asgard are here, and they are her boyfriend’s parents. Jane is absolutely not going to get drunk at this party, is the point. Rec: This fic makes you smile, then laugh, then cringe, then do it all over again. | 4.5k

Destiny, Disrupted by me: Loki never sends the Destroyer to Midgard. Rec: Because it wouldn’t be a true reclist without a self-plug. | 3.5k

Rated M (these won’t contain the smuts unless otherwise noted)

**The Teardrop by igi_pigi: Post-Infinity War reunion of Thor and Jane. Forewarning - heavy angst. [Set right after the movie] Rec: Angst, melodrama, and desperation ahoy. Contains some smut | 4.2k

all the best distractions by fuzzypaint: They've found a rhythm when they share Jane's lab, Jane with her science and Thor with his own work, and though it is easy to be distracted by each other, usually they're both very capable of avoiding such things. Usually. Rec: Cunniligus in the lab ;) | Contains smut | 1.8k

Patience and Poker by Rozilla: Jane and Thor sneak off from one of Stark's parties for a quiet chat. Nope, just kidding, hot tub sex. Snarky hot tub sex. Best kind. Rec: What it says on the tin and it’s delightful. | Contains smut | 4k

A Deal with the Duke: An Epilogue by hariboo: Thursdays were busy days around the house, but today was the first day of winter much. Thankfully, the skies were clear, without a hint of storm, but the wind was sharp and bit into his cheeks. He was looking forward to a warm meal and seeing his wife, curling around her in bed for rest of the evening. Rec: Historical romance AU. A nice slice of life bit. Contains minor smut | 2.8k

Ray of Light by evieeden: To Thor, Jane shone brighter than any star in the sky. Advent fic for 18th December. Rec: A sweet, introspective fic from Thor’s POV. | 1.5k

just memories to hold by tosca1390: When the dust and light and smoke clears, the roof of Stark Tower is still intact. Jane can still feel the surge of power in her fingertips, thinks she could hear the songs of Asgard, feel the chill of Jotenheim, as the bridge built itself through Yggdrasil, Thor calling her name across realms. And then, a shadow falls over Jane. Rec: A really, really great post-Avengers reunion fic. Contains some smut | 3.6k

set with the stars by hariboo: jane tries to teach thor earth’s stars. tries, being the operative word. Rec: Jane and Thor getting distracted by each others’ sexy is my favorite thing. Contains some smut | 1.5k

It Could Be Sweet by hariboo: Jane and Thor traverse their last year of high-school. However, they didn’t expect it to be together. Rec: I am not a big fan of high school AUs, but if they float your boat, this is definitely worthwhile. Contains some smut | 7.8k | Part of Let’s Be Young Forever series

Thunder Whispered Low by Niobium: Rec: I love it when Thor talks about his magic, and the bridge that makes between him and Jane. Contains minor smut | 1.5k

Specularity by Niobium: Jane’s bad day improves significantly with a little reflection. Rec: A great slice of life fic, really, really nice interactions. Contains very minor smut | 3k | Part of the Jane Foster Works series

My Blood is Singing by Niobium: Sometimes Thor pushes a storm a little too far. And, sometimes, the storm pushes back. Rec: Jane and Thor at their domestic finest, with some internal angst and the simple comfort found with another person. Contains smut | 2.9k

All my faces are alibis by agirlnamedchuck: Thor is strong and stubborn and she thinks she could be a good king. Maybe even a great one. Besides she’d never seen herself as queen anyways. Rec: Genderswapped Thor. Fosterson is minimal, but amazing insights into Thor’s character. | 6.5k

Leaving On An Airship by Rozilla: To escape to a better life, Jane Foster, maid to a cruel villainous Baron, must leave her lover and disguise herself. But not before one last goodbye. Rec: *cartwheels into the sun* FOSTERSON STEAMPUNK WITH SMUT AND FEELINGS OH GOD SEND HELP. Contains some smut | 2.6k

Unrememberance by letthesongtakeflight: Before he became the Huntsman, he was a prince. Rec: Marvel/Snow White and the Huntsman fusion. Prequel of sorts to SWatH. Angst on angst. Major character death | 1.2k

steal my heart 'til kingdom come by tosca1390: Her eyes stray over reading upon reading; she thinks she can taste the tang of energy and ozone even now, and that strange sense of pine and smoke that she associates with Thor. Rec: AU post-Avengers where Thor goes to visit Jane who has remained in New Mexico. Yay for a great collision of two characters who absolutely did not prepare for any of this. Contains some smut | 2.1k

fingerprints that leave me covered for days by tosca1390: It is not all lost, to be stranded here. Perhaps, he could make something of it. Rec: Another AU in which Thor is on Earth longer in the first movie. Great development for Thor, and the relationship he has with Jane feels very real. | 5.5k

journeys end in lovers’ meeting by tosca1390: Solitary moments in snow; it sounds conducive to rest, to a time of rejuvenation before her research resumes. Rec: A really cute AU based on the movie The Holiday (which I’ve never seen before). Just adorable holiday fluff wherein Thor is human. Contains some smut | 19k

Bound by Medie: It was ironic that his and Loki’s greatest mistakes had led to her. Rec: Some tame bondage featuring dom!Jane. Contains smut | 1.1k

Rated E (these will contain the smuts unless otherwise noted)

**Ambush by orphan_account: Jane isn't into violence, but there's something about those SHIELD debriefings, something primal and raw about hearing how the bad guys got their asses handed to them by the good guys, something that inspires her to act on instinct alone. Rec: If you’ve got a thing for Thor’s armor.... mmmhmmm. | 1.1k

Is This More than You Bargained for Yet by Anshin Archives: Thor and Jane's first go at sex. Jane's expecting Thor to have a cock, and is surprised when he doesn't. It doesn't take her long to adjust. (Pure porn for the excuse of writing Thor with a vagina.) Rec: Genderfluidity and completely accepted queerness for the win. | 2.5k

When Jane Pegged Thor by waldorph: They raise them slutty in Asgard. Rec: What it says on the tin. Pretty damn hot if pegging is up your alley ;). | 1.4k

Practical Magic by Rozilla: Freya’s flowers can do funny things to you. Rec: Roz is the queen of smut so this is amazing. Kind of a play on sex pollen, but takes it in a totally new, refreshing direction. Asgardian sex magic for the win. | 2.8k

built on the old rivers by fartherfaster: You catch her wrist and delicately kiss the bone of it. “Nothing to be sorry for,” you tell her. She composes her reality in absolutes and theories and the true phenomenal names of things. Colloquial language is not her means of communication. You like her hard lines, her curiosity, her determination. Jane would never call Mjolnir just a hammer, and that puts a small, needy part of you to rest. There is a storm in the desert, and Thor comes to terms with all of his changes. The one where human-Thor has Lichtenberg figures. Rec: Incredibly poignant and the author makes a second-person POV work incredibly well. | 3.3k

Tell Me Something New by hariboo: "Compile the data of the reading we took during Convergence. The gravitational–“ She trails off, can’t finish the sentence out loud or in her mind, her voice catching on the words as Thor’s mouth latches onto her throat. Rec: Cute and hot and perfect because smart Jane is Thor’s biggest turn on. | 1.5k

On the Throne by murdur: His insistence that she should sit on the throne had been in jest and merriment, but the sight of her sitting upon the seat now makes his heart beat quick and steals his breath. Rec: Oh my god, Thor goes down on Jane while she sits on the throne of Asgard. I have nothing else to say. *dies* | <1k

Experience Counts for Something by Rozilla: Jane was surprised at Thor’s new female body- but pretty keen to explore it. Rec: Bisexual Jane and Genderfluid Thor are great. Some hot femslash fosterson. | 2.3k

Just Get In The Van by paxnirvana: Written for a prompt on Anenko’s Bad Sex & Awkward Romance: a comment-a-thon that got away from me. Rec: All first time sex is gonna be awkward, friends, even if you’re Jane and Thor. Might as well enjoy the ride. | 6.3k

close your eyes and count to ten by fuzzy_paint: Post battle, Jane and Thor make sure the other still lives. Rec: Reassurance of safety sex is hot. Sue me. Still manages to be angsty too. | 2.4k

We Woke Up In The Kitchen by hariboo: He didn’t think he could miss someone as he missed her, but there is something singular in Jane that pulls at him and threatens to overtake him. Rec: post-TDW sexies that are adorable and awkward and hot all at once, plus some really nice conversation at the end. This author just really gets Jane and Thor in a way that is always awesome to read. | 3.7k

A Helping Hand by fuzzy_paint: Jane can’t sleep. Thor has a solution. Rec: Some nice, cute sleepy!smut to help Jane to relax and stop thinking. | 1.5k

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[rocksandrobots]

Of Rocks and Robots Ch. 23 - Presents and Portals (Part 2)

Hiro, Varian, and Fred stood inside BH6's headquarters and watched surveillance footage of a recent robbery with Sirque. She threw the metal balls into the air and then jumped through a portal that appeared between them.

"It's an interesting idea," Varian mused as he cupped his chin in thought,"but it doesn't look very practical. You'd eventually run out of those magnets like that."  

"It's also not very stable." Hiro added. "Remember this is based off the Silent Sparrow project, same as your work. Every time Krei's portal tech has been used, it's resulted in either a blow back or someone getting trapped in the void. If Sirque keeps using these portals it's going to cause another implosion, even bigger than the last one."

Fred picked up one of Hiro's electromagnet gloves and began to play with the magnetic balls. They strung together as if on some invisible string. "So what's your idea?" He asked them.

"I could use my electromagnetics to stabilize the portal but that requires finding a way to follow her." Hiro replied.

"I might, could whip up my own portable portal, but I'm having trouble getting the coordinates right on just the stationary one. I doubt she has any directional controls on hers either." Varian said.

"So no way to track it then, and no way to reliably follow her using our own portals." Hiro hummed in thought. "I guess I could follow after her directly if I added rocket boosters to my suit."

"What!?" Fred dropped the magnets in shock. "You can't go back in there!" He protested.

"Why not?" Asked Varian.

"Look with rocket boosters I could maneuver through the void." Hiro argued. "Not unless you got any better ideas."

"The void? You mean where Abigail got trapped?" Varian started to understand Fred's protests.

"I am receiving a call from Gogo." Baymax interrupted.

"Put her on." Hiro answered.

Baymax casted a video call to the viewing screen upon the wall.

"Guys, we have a major problem." Gogo said with deadly spaciousness.

"Wasabi and Karmi's gone missing." Honey Lemon cried over Gogo's shoulder.

Hiro's stomach dropped. "What do you mean?"

"We found the destruction of another implosion. We asked around and someone caught the event on their phone." Gogo held up a phone, the screen facing her own phone. The guys could just make out the blurred images of a green car being sucked into a portal.

They all stood still as fear gripped them.

"I'm going ahead and building the rocket attachments." Hiro finally said in determination.

"And I'm going to study these portal magnets to reverse engineer them." Varian added.

"And I'll… I'll…" Fred faltered as he couldn't think of what to do.

"You'll keep watch of the viewing screens as you and Baymax scan the city for any odd energy spikes or anomalies." Hiro told him. "Gogo, you and Honey Lemon keep patroling the city and be on the lookout for Sirque. When she shows back up, notify us. She's the only hope we have of saving Wasabi and Karmi right now."

With their orders known the team dispersed to take care of each of their tasks.

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

"We got an energy spike in front of the art museum...wait no...hold on…it's now in front of the bank in downtown." Fred announced.

"It must be Sirque. She's using the portals again." Hiro replied as he screwed in the last repulser onto his suit.

Gogo called in.

"Sirque just appeared at the first national bank. She's busy robbing the place, so if you've gotta a plan, now's the time to come on over."

"We'll be there shortly, but don't engage Sirque until we get there. Only intervene if she starts to leave before we arrive." Hiro ordered.

"Got it." Honey Lemon confirmed and the two girls ended the call.

"I wish we had more time to field test this stuff." Varian said irritably as he scooped up the portal magnets and placed them in his coat pocket.

"I know, me too, but we gotta take this opportunity while we have it,"and with that said Hiro began to put on his new rocket suit.

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

Hiro and the rest of the guys joined Gogo and Honey Lemon on top of the roof of the bank. Varian rode on Baymax's back while Hiro took the opportunity to test out his rocket boosters.

The flight over had been easy enough, after some quick adjustments to the stabilizers, but the landing was a little trickier. Hiro couldn't stop himself from falling flat on his butt after cutting off the replusers.

"Ooof."

Fred was seconds behind him and helped to hoist him back up. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Hiro answered.

"Well you better be," Gogo chimed in, "cause Sirque just scared off the last of the police. She's about to leave."

They all peered over the edge to see Sirque throw her customary magnets into the air and then jump through the writhing window that appeared.

"Okay. Here I go." Hiro steadied himself and with a deep breath, turned the rocket boosters back on.

"Be careful!" He heard Honey Lemon call after him as he flew down and dove into the portal before it closed.

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

The first thing Hiro noticed was not the void, but a shop sign. Sirque's portal had cleaning transported them on a street corner. Where, he didn't know.

Sirque turned around and gave an annoyed scowl upon seeing him. She threw another hand full of magnets into the air and jumped through yet another portal.

And so the chase began. Portal after portal, Hiro flew after her. However, each subsequent gateway was less stable than the last. After about the fourth or fifth jump, Hiro finally found himself inside the void that haunted his nightmares. The exit portal rushed up to meet them and Sirque flew through it, barely registering the change. But Hiro kicked back his thrusters to halt his momentum. He desperately looked around.

Fortunately he spotted Wasabi's car floating nearby. He flew over to it hoping against hope that his friends were alright.

They were. Wasabi had the forethought to convert his vehicle into its submarine mode once it flew into the void. It was air tight, and while no doubt uncomfortable, he and Karmi remained safe. He waved to Hiro through the windshield and excitedly woke up the sleeping Karmi seated next to him.

Hiro sighed in relief and thanked the stars that he and Gogo had installed the sub feature months ago. He used his electromagnet whips to latch onto the car and used his rocket boots to pull them towards the exit.

It was slow going but ever so surely they inched their way along. However, to Hiro's horror he saw the portal shrink and then close.

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

Sirque wound up right back where she started from, in front of the bank. She looked back to see if the annoying superhero had followed her yet again, but he made no appearance.

Confident that she had finally managed to shake her pursuer, she turned around only to be greeted by more armoured vigilantes.

She rolled her eyes in exasperation. She just couldn't catch a break today.

"Hold it right there, circus lady!" The one dressed like a lizard yelled.

She took a defensive stance, but soon all were distracted by the tall armored girl who let out a scream.

"Noooo! The portal!" She yelled.

Sirque looked behind her and saw the portal close. She didn't understand what the big deal was about the portal shutting down. It'd be more of a problem if it hadn't done that.

She shrugged and while they were still fretting over the lost gateway, she attempted to make her escape.

She cartwheeled away and threw some more magnets into the air. Once again, she made herself ready to jump into the portal, but this time something went wrong.

The swirling blue vortex turned red and the electricity that connected the magnets twisted and writhed. The wind picked up and started to suck things into the portal. Soon she felt her own feet give out from under her and she was lifted off the ground.

She would have been sucked into the void if not for the yellow suited girl who tackled her and then pulled her out of the way of the gaping maw.

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

Hiro saw a second portal open up just to the right of him and he turned and started heading towards that one instead. Only something was wrong.

Debris was flying through the opening and Hiro felt a strong force of wind push him and the car back. He tried to divert power from the lights of his helmet to give the rocket boosters on his boots more thrust, but it didn't help.

They were still being pushed back. Hiro had to pull them out of the way of the portal or risk being swept away into the void for good.

"What'll we do?" asked Honey Lemon frantically. "Can Hiro make it through the other portal?"

"No," yelled Varian over the howling wind,"that portal is too unstable. It's sucking everything into it. He'd have to fight the current to get out."

The portal crackled and fizzled and the gang felt the earth tremor underneath them.

"Okay, that didn't sound good." said Fred.

"It is the portal." Sirque warned with a heavy French accent. "It's deteriorating. If it does not close soon, the portal will implode. We must leave."

"Not without Hiro." Gogo said, still holding tight to Sirque so that she couldn't run away.

"But… but I do not have a way to shut it down!" She protested.

"You mean you didn't build an off switch!?" Fred yelled incredulously and all Sirque could do was look sheepishly at him. She had been so sure of her skills and her tech that she hadn't anticipated this problem.

"Fortunately, I did." Proclaimed Varian as he finished fishing out the last of the portal magnets from his coat pocket. He threw them into the air and then pulled out a controller that he'd built for them. He pressed the button on the remote and the magnetic balls began to spin in the air as they linked up with one another.  He adjusted a dial and a portal began to open.

At first the portal showed only the other side of the street, at the stoplight just a block away. The gang could see it's mirroring window shimmering off in the distance. Varian turned the dial once more and the scene changed again while the exit portal at the end of the street disappeared. This time the portal showed a cafe, they couldn't tell where exactly,  but sunlight streamed through the opening out into night filled street, as the cafe's patrons scattered away in fright of the strange sight.

Varian readjusted the dial once more and finally the formless colors of the void appeared. And there was Hiro pulling along Wasabi's car.

"You did it!" Honey Lemon cheered.

"You used centripetal force to steady the portal." Sirque said, clearly impressed. "What did you use for navigation?"

Gogo shut her down. "Save the physics questions for another time."

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

Hiro glanced back over his shoulder desperately to see if his friends were still alright. Karmi silently met his gaze. Her eyes wide with worry and fear. He gulped as he racked his brain for a plan.

Just then Hiro spotted another portal opening off in the distance. He quickly changed course and started yet again to pull them all out.

While it remained quite a distance away, the new portal held a steady shape and offered no resistance winds. Hiro couldn't help but give a smile when he looked up ahead and saw Varian on the other side intently looking at a remote control. This was his work, Hiro knew, and he'd never felt so relieved to see the goggle-wearing teen.

"There he is! I see them!" Fred joyously yelled.

Baymax ignited his thrusters and dove into the portal to assist. It took a minute, but the robot finally reached them and went behind the car to help push it along faster. Though they still had a ways to go.

Just then the controller in Varian's hands began to admit smoke.

"Oh no. This is bad." He warned.

"What is it?" Gogo worried.

"The device is overheating. The magnets can't stand the friction much longer. They need to get out of there quicker before the portal breaks."

Honey Lemon ran up beside him and pushed some buttons on the side of her purse. Out popped two red balls. She smashed them together and when they pulled apart they created a goopy, sticky, stretchy rope like substance. She threw one end to the ground and hurled the other end into the portal. It attached itself to Hiro's waist. She then repeated the process two more times, attaching those ends to the car. Once secured, she grabbed the ropes and started to pull.

Fred joined her in her efforts. While Varian tried his best to keep the portal going, desperately fiddling with remote. Soon Gogo let go of Sirque to help her friends.

Sirque paused for a moment. She was free to leave, and that would have been the smartest course of action, but she found herself running over to help the struggling group of heroes anyways.

Never let it be said that she didn't pay her debts, Sirque thought to herself as she grabbed hold of the rope as well.

Finally, after much effort, Hiro flew out of the portal followed closely by Baymax who carried the car that held Wasabi and Karmi.

"They made it!" Varian whooped which then quickly turned into an "ouch" as the controller he held caught fire. He tossed it to the ground and the magnets sparked, slowed, and then fell away as the portal died.

Baymax and Hiro gently lowered Wasabi's vehicle, which was now out of its submarine mode, onto the ground below. As soon as the wheels touched the pavement, Wasabi jumped out of the car, got on his hands and knees, and kissed the street, just thankful to be out of void and finally on solid ground once more.

Karmi's reaction was far less dramatic. She stumbled out of the car and simply stood there, reassuring herself that there was ground underneath her feet and that she was indeed back. She looked shaken but otherwise unharmed.

Hiro couldn't rush to her to comfort her in that moment though, for as soon as he touched ground himself the earth began to tremble violently.

There was still the other portal to take care of.

Hiro rushed over to the gaping maw that hung the air. It wiggled and writhed, the electric currents that connected the magnets twisting into erratic shapes. Hiro launched one of his electromagnetic whips to latch onto one of the magnets, then another and another, until all four 'corners' of the portal were secured. He then started to pull with all his might realigning the magnet balls into their proper positions.

As he did this the portal slowly changed from its angry red to a more calm blue. Yet the wind only picked up more speed and Hiro found himself lifted off of the ground. His friends rushed to him to grab him. Together they formed a human chain holding him in place as he finished fixing the portal. Even Karmi and Srique joined in.

Finally, with great struggle, Hiro pulled the last of the magnets into place and the portal calmed down once more. The wind died and Hiro found himself falling to the ground in a heap. His friends closest to him following after, suddenly losing their balance without any wind to fight against.

Sirque took this opportunity to break away from the group and ran towards the portal. She only stopped long enough to give a little wave and yell "Au revoir" before backflipping through the shrinking window. Once through, the portal disappeared and the deactive magnets fell to the ground.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Yes, Sirque had gotten away, but everyone was safe and the deadly portals had been dealt with.

As Hiro picked himself up and dusted himself off he heard Karmi yell his name.

"Hiro!" She shouted before rushing to him and flinging her arms around his neck.

Hiro just stood there in shock. She'd just called him by his actual name, not 'Captain Cuite', not 'Big Hero Six', but Hiro .

He pulled away from her embrace and stared at her. She stared back in equal surprise as if suddenly realizing what she'd just done.

However, before either could say anything to the other, they heard sirens blare as law enforcement and other emergency vehicles began to arrive.

Everyone scattered. Varian hightailed it back to the car, dragging Wasabi along with him. Gogo and Honey Lemon frantically skated away while Fred bounced his way up the side of a building. Hiro hopped on to Baymax's back and held his hand out to Karmi. She took it and crawled onto the robot's back as well, sitting right behind Hiro.

"Hang on tight." He told her and off they flew before the police could stop them.

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

Hiro flew Karmi back to the dorms. His mind was racing. He couldn't wait to land and get some answers from her. Yet he also didn't want to face the inevitable awkwardness that would follow.

So he took his time, sweeping across the city's rooftops. He couldn't help showing off just a little bit; making sure to take a more scenic route that displayed the beautiful cityscape. Nor could he resist pulling a few trick maneuvers with Baymax.

He felt a giddy thrill whenever Karmi would gasp in awe or giggled with surprise as he took her past a towering landmark or pulled off an impressive dive. He also couldn't help but notice that every time she did this she would also grip his waist just a little tighter. Which only furthered encouraged his antics.

Finally the dizzying flight came to an end and Hiro landed them on the grass within walking distance of the dorms. Karmi slid off and made a show of smoothing out the bottom of her skirt, refusing to look at Hiro.

Hiro also dismounted and steeled himself for what was to come.

"So how long have you known?" He asked.

Karmi paused in her preening but still didn't look directly at him nor did she give an answer.

Hiro removed his helmet and continued his prodding, "about me being with Big Hero Six."

She finally looked at him unable to ignore him now that he had his helmet off, as if he had removed the last vestige of whatever fantasy she'd held in her mind. But still she wouldn't answer, only biting her bottom lip in response.

Hiro gave a deep sigh. "Did Wasabi tell you?"

"No." She said and she turned her head away from him, hugging herself with one arm.

"Then, how?"

"You told me; remember?"

Hiro did remember. Karmi had taken his photograph while he had been fighting some supervillain or other. He had agonized over it until confessing to her the truth, but she had only scoffed at him and refused to believe he was the famous superhero.

"I didn't want to admit it." She continued."I mean, I saw the photo and I know you told me outright, but I was just too embarrassed and angry to accept it. You'd seen my notebook, with my drawings, and...and well….sometimes you're just the most annoying jerk, not superhero like at all."

She stamped her foot at that, as if it was all his fault for not living up to her imagined expectations. Yet, she couldn't hold on to her anger. She sighed and continued on.

"But you also saved me from Liv, or Di, or whatever she calls herself. I could still hear you fighting with her. I just couldn't control what I was doing.. When she… when I was… like that ."

Karmi grimaced as she remembered how her former employer had turned her into a monster. A freakish science experiment, just to lure Hiro into a trap.

"Hey, no. You weren't responsible for what she did to you." Hiro placed a comforting hand onto her shoulder and Karmi finally looked him in the eye.

"I still didn't want to admit it even then, but here you are saving me yet again." She gave him an apologetic smile. "You may be a jerk sometimes but you really come through whenever I need you to."  

With that she gave him another hug. He returned it this time.

"Hey no problem. What would Capitan Cutie be without Lab Lady ." He teased into her ear.

She backed away quickly as her cheeks grew beet red and she covered her face with her hands in embarrassment. She then peeked through her fingers and groaned.  "Oh my gosh. You must think me soooo stupid. My fanfiction is total cringe."  

"Ehh..a little cringe," He admitted, "but no, I don't think you're stupid at all. You're a great writer, and for what's it's worth, I enjoyed your essay at least, and the other research papers you've posted."

"You...you read those? I thought no one saw them. I just threw them up on the student website."

He nodded, "Yeah, you should try submitting some of them to like a science journal, or something. They're really good."

Karmi finally lowered her hands from her face and looked at him guiltily. "I promise no more fanfiction. I'll take it all down. I..I didn't mean to … I didn't.. It's not like I actually thought of you, when writing that… well I mean sort of you.. But not you , you."

Hiro had to smile and shake his head at seeing the normally so self-assured Karmi fumble with her words. He interrupted her ramble by pushing a stray strand of her bangs out of her face and tucking it behind her ear. He then immediately stopped and jerked his hand away as soon as he realized what he was doing. He feigned a cough and awkwardly rubbed the back of his head as she looked back at him in surprise.

"You don't have to stop writing fanfiction completely, just maybe a different subject." He suggested. "Like, I don't know, something not real life related. I know Honey Lemon will appreciate not being called 'Tall Girl' anymore." He joked.

Karmi rolled her eyes at that. "Then why does she wear those platform heels all the time?"

"Who knows." He shrugged and they both broke into snickers.

Once the laughter subsided Hiro spoke again. "You..you won't tell anybody else, will you? About us being Big Hero Six?"

"No, of course not!" She scoffed. "What do you think I am? A snitch?"

"No.. I didn't mean it that way." Hiro tried to protest but Karmi interrupted him.

"Hiro Hamada, you're really the most aggravating person ever. Like I'd tell anybody that I wrote fanfiction about you of all people. You know, for a genius you sure are dense sometimes."

With that she turned on her heel and started to storm off, leaving Hiro utterly confused as to what had just happened.

She'd only made it halfway across the yard though, before stopping. She turned around and flashed him a huge grin.

"I'll see you at school tomorrow." She shouted before sprinting the rest of the way to the dormitories. She paused again once she had reached the front door, smiled, and waved goodbye to a dumbstruck Hiro before leaving for good.

Hiro stood there for a few moments looking at the place where she had stood. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears and his mind tumbled with confusion. What the heck was that? Did she just flirt with him or did they have another fight? And why was his cheeks feeling flushed again?

To his embarrassment, Baymax answered that last question for him without any prompting.

"You are experiencing an increase in heart rate. A scan indicates that this is being caused by a sudden release of hormones, including testosterone…"

"Yes, Baymax! I know!" He interrupted the robot. "Let's just get home."

He climbed upon Baymax's back again, but he couldn't help but steal another glance at the door Karmi had entered through and smiled to himself as they took off.

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

Hiro finished hooking up Baymax to his charging case and the robot powered down for the night. Hiro stretched and yawned. He'd had a long day and was ready for bed himself. However, before he could crawl under the covers Varian showed up at the door carrying several presents in his arms.

"You didn't get a chance to open these." He said as he came in.

"Oh yeah, I forgot." Hiro remembered the implosion from earlier today and how his party had been interrupted. "I guess I could open them now real quick."

"Well you were in the middle of opening this one first." Varian handed him a half unwrapped gift.

"It's from Karmi." Hiro sat on the edge of his bed, tore the rest of the package open, and pulled out a phone case. It was solid white but she had drawn the image of Baymax on the front with a black marker. It was kind of cute, he thought. "I'll have to thank her later."

"And this one is from me." Varian announced with a confidante smile as he handed  Hiro the next gift.

Hiro opened it to find a spray bottle full of some sort of light purple goop.

"What's this?" He asked as he held it up to the light to inspect it.

"Magnetic spray paint! I invented it myself. It's made of an adhesion of iron, and other pliable ferromagnetic metals that should, once sprayed upon any surface, adhere to the electromagnets in your suit. I call it… Hironite!"

"Why not just call it metal paint?"

"Cause Hironite is cooler."

"Yeah, I'm not ever calling it that."

Varian placed his hands upon his hips in a huff. "Fine, don't appreciate having a cool new compound named after you."

Hiro laughed. "Well I'm sure I'll appreciate it more when I'm out in the field actually using it. Thanks, man. This should come in real handy."

He went back to inspecting the strange substance but was interrupted when Varian spoke back up.

"Oh, and...there's one more gift."

Hiro looked at him confused as Varian handed him a small package with an envelope attached that read 'Happy Birthday Hiro' on the front. It was Tadashi's handwriting.

"I found it a couple of weeks ago when I was moving in. It was hidden in the bottom drawer of the dresser. I held on to it and was just going to put it with your other presents on the table."

Hiro didn't answer him, he was too busy staring at the gift in his hands. Varian went on, apologizing for not giving it to Hiro sooner.

"I didn't know who it was from until you mentioned looking for it earlier today, and by then I didn't know if telling you about it would've helped or not." He sheepishly admitted. "I figured you'd rather open it without everybody else looking on so I kept it and figured I give it to after the party. But then all this happened and.. and well…"

Varian sighed in frustration, feeling like he had once more intruded upon Hiro's grief and accidently trampled all over Tadashi's memory without meaning too.

"It's okay." Hiro assured him, but his own voice sounded far away and his eyes never left the package in his hands.

Varian stood there for a few moments more, swinging his closed hand against his leg unsure what to do.

"Well, I'll…give you some privacy then." He suddenly said and then turned to leave, but was stopped by the sound of Hiro's voice.

"I don't know if I should open it." He whispered, eyes still never leaving the gift.

Varian paused and looked at Hiro questingly. Hiro looked back up at him, finally tearing his gaze away from the present.

"If I open this, it'll be the last thing I'll ever get from him." Tears filled his eyes. "That'll be it. He won't come back. I'll never see him again, or hear from him, or … or … he's gone I know, but for a while there I could pretend like he was just on a trip or something. Like the presents and video footage he left behind, or the delayed messages that would pop up on my phone or his Twitter account were just gifts he sent from wherever he was." He swallowed hard. "But opening this makes it all real, somehow. I won't be able to just go on ignoring it like I have been."

Varian didn't know what to say to that. He could on some level understand Hiro's grief. He knew what loss felt like, but he'd never had the luxury of pretending as if things were still normal. Not with his father's corpse displayed in the middle of his laboratory constantly reminding him of what was at stake if he failed. Accepting that his dad was gone for good was just not an option to Varian's mind, and so he couldn't imagine what kind of pain Hiro must be going through in this moment. All he knew was that he hated being left alone when grieving; so he stood by patiently, hoping that just being near would be of some help.

"You open it." Hiro suddenly said and Varian was taken aback.

"What? I can't do that. It's meant for you"

"I can't do it on my own." He pleaded. "But I also can't leave it lying around unopened. It'd drive me nuts."

He held the gift up for Varian to take it. "Please, just unwrap it for me?"

Varian sighed in defeat. "Okay, but you gotta be the one to read the card."

Hiro nodded his agreement and Varian took the present from him. He unwrapped it and the lid to the box fell away. Varian peered inside confused.

"Well, what is it?" Hiro asked with baited breath.

"Well, it'll go real well with the gift I got you." Varian stifled a snicker and held the box up for Hiro to see. "It's a magnet."

It was a simple hand made device made from a large battery and a long iron nail. There was copper wire wrapped around each and attached to a simple switch made of plywood and a misshapen paperclip.

Hiro looked at it in surprise before bursting into both laughter and tears.

"That sentimental dork." He laughed through his sobs."That's the first magnet I ever made. Tadashi showed me how to build it when I was like, five. He probably meant it as a joke gift."

He broke down into more giggles and even Varian could help but chuckle.

"Sounds like a funny guy." He quietly said.

Hiro wiped his eyes as he tried to gain his composure. "Oh boy, he'd be so smug right about now. I wasn't expecting that. He got me good." He laughed again and went to open the envelope.

He pulled out a birthday day card and started to read it out loud.

"Dear Hiro, happy 15th birthday. I'm so glad that you decided to make something of yourself and to further your education. So assuming you don't do anything stupid and land your butt in jail again between now and me writing this, you should undoubtedly be finishing your first year in college. Never mind, we both know you'll do something stupid anyways, but hopefully is won't mess with your grades. You're super smart. The smartest guy I know, and I'm sure you'll make it into the program. So to commemorate the occasion I dug up your very first invention from the attic. That way you can look back and see how far you've come. I'm proud of you. From your best brother ever, Tadashi. P.S. There's probably a real gift for you as well. I just don't know what yet, as I haven't bought it. Just nag future me for it instead of getting mad, okay?"

Hiro gave one more breathless laugh which quickly turned into a sob. Oh how he missed Tadashi's stupid irritating face and dumb jokes. But mostly he wished his brother could really see him now, see how well he was doing, see how much he had accomplished, see how he had done something truly worthwhile with his life.

He cupped his hand over his mouth as he stared out into the distance while silent tears rolled down his face.

Finally he inhaled deeply and slowly exhaled as he tried to let go; let go of the tension in his body, let go of the pain, let go of the distant fading hope that one day Tadashi would suddenly appear as if he had never left. He sniffled and wiped his nose with the back of his hand. Then he turned to look back at Varian who just stood there with worry in his eyes.

Hiro couldn't help but chuckle dismissively. "It's okay. I'm okay. You don't have to look at me like that."

Varian straightened as if caught doing something wrong. "Well if you don't need me for anything else, I guess I'll go on to bed. I got a test in the morning."

He laid the gift on the bed next to Hiro and started to leave once more. Hiro chased after him.

"Hey, thanks." He said. Varian paused and turned to look at him. "Thank you for finding Tadashi's gift and thank you for helping me open it. And just...thank you for just being there. I know people mean well, but so often they just stumble over themselves trying to be comforting and it just makes you feel uncomfortable sometimes, you know. Like you feel guilty for being sad and making other people upset. But you never do that. You're just... well you're just there, you know, and I'm really glad you came to stay with us."

Varian blinked in surprise. He didn't know how to respond to that. He had always thought that Hiro was annoyed with him for living with them. He sniffled back his own tears and gave Hiro a small smile.

"Well, I'm..glad I could help."

Hiro returned the smile, also unsure how to carry on the conversation.

"Well, good night and good luck with your test in the morning." He nervously said, now feeling self conscious about his recent confession.

"Night." Varian relplied and turned around once more, but stopped at the top of the stairs, "Oh, and happy birthday, Captain Cuite." He smuggly called afterwards before dashing down the stairs as Hiro half heartedly threw a pillow at him.

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

Sirque stood nervously inside a well furnished room. The large office space was decorated in expensive decor from around the world. Ancient artifacts and historic weaponry lined the walls and display shelves. From the vaulted ceiling hung decorative tapestries and the desk at the front was placed upon a raised dais. So that it’s occupant could better look down upon its visitors.    

“As you can see, the tests were not fully successful, but I’ve learned a great deal from the experiment and was able to procure some interesting stuff for your collection, no?” She smiled hopefully as she placed an ornate dagger on the desk that she had stolen from the museum. Her employer was known to enact harsh punishment for failure, but Sirque hoped that the offering would appeal to the crime lord’s expensive tastes and buy her some lenacy.

The figure behind the desk was shrouded in shadow, save for a withered and gnarled hand that impatiently drumed its fingers upon the desk.

Sirque gulped. Flanked behind her were two muscled guards who stood at attention next to the door, blocking her escape. They were smartly dressed in business suits and wore sunglasses to help hide their eyes. They looked unarmed, but Sirque knew better. She might, could out maneuver them, but not a bullet.

“So my dear patron, if you could afford me a little more time and resources I’m sure I could have a working portal for you as per your request.” She shifted her weight from foot to foot and gave a small nervous laugh when her boss failed to give an answer. “Hee, you wouldn’t want to miss out on the opportunity of being the owner of the world's first working portal would you?”

The ageded hand paused in its drumming and then gestured for one of its guards to come forward. Sirque stiffened with fear. The muscled bound goon loomed over her and she backed away quickly. He reached into his jacket and Sirque closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable. But it never came. Instead of a weapon the bodyguard pulled out a stack of money and roughly shoved it into her chest which she adjusted quickly to catch from falling.

“My master would like for you to continue with your experiments, and so long as you’re able to fulfil your lofty promises there will be more payment forthcoming.”

Sirque looked down at the pile of cash cradled in her hands in surprised delight.

“Why, yes, but of course!” She gained composure long enough to give a respectful bow towards the podium and it’s resident.”Merci, patron. I shall not disappoint.”  

Smiling to herself, she counted the dollar bills as she left. Yes, her tech hadn’t worked as well as she had hoped, but it had worked; and her run in with Big Hero Six had only given her some even better ideas. The next time she met with those meddlesome heroes, she’ll be able to show them up instead.

[rootiebaga]

im also sorry for uploading this twice-

sorry for not doing much

B U T- i have ideas for abnormality ocs, these are mostly related to nursery rhymes and stories i remember,

these might not be original ideas so,, bear with me

(tiny tw for: murder, death, comas and mass disappearances,)

just a reminder i dont know what these guys risk classes would be, so bear with me on this one

so lets start off with the story one, more specifically, the pied piper

so i read an article of its disturbing truth and its said that the piper is the personification of death, you know what that means?

i make the piper a gentleman with a wife and 2 sons who are twins (isabel and gregory, see? their important) named mori (”i apologize to my sons that i couldn’t control myself, i hope you two are doing well,”)

mori’s life before his death basically played out like the pied piper, but it took a much different turn

he decided to put the rats who were infesting the town into an abandoned clock tower, before they all starved and died, some of the rats, with all the strength they had left, formed 2 rat kings that were both merged together, (fun fact: this is another abnormality i thought of thats well- a clock filled with undead and decomposing mice, you probably know where im going with this)

what happened to the children? (except for his two sons) he murdered them and he went insane and murdered himself aswell, the police found the children and also his body many months later, and he moves on as a restless spirit, if any children have been bad a snake-like spirit with an angler fish’s face will rise up from their bodies, these guys dont do much harm, (theres a 30% chance that a plague (i thought inner demon was kinda cliche so uh) will rise from an employee’s body after they were killed) (tiny little thing i wanna add but i may not, if there are 5 plagues then they’ll merge with mori, making him even more dangerous) (also off topic to the story but mori himself wasn’t diagnosed with anything before he died, he didn’t have any mental trauma, in fact, he was generally a nice person to talk to, but rumour has it the flute might’ve caused this murders to happen)

he was basically locked in the cabin for well- months, until someone (isabel who was training to be a flute player) played the song his father usually plays on his flute every new year

that was.. a bit dark, holy shit-

heres the next one for this post

you know the nursery rhyme hey diddle diddle?

well i thought of 4 different abnormalities for this one, that usually switch randomly from one abnormality to another every day, reset, or if you had them first in one of the departments, every memory repository

the least harmful (dammit, accidentally put harmless instead of harmful) one is the laughing dog (”with every cry the spirit made, the kingdom’s castle broke more and more, until the residents of the kingdom disappeared, even himself.”)

basically its a regular pet dog but its in a jester outfit like its halloween or something, the dog was said to be a reincarnation of a medieval jester

basically, kinda like crumbling armour except with attachment, if you do attatchment, you’ll get a gift that gives you more work success

but, dont get your hopes up! if you do attachment too much the person with the gift will laugh until they cant breathe and eventually die (hi yes i didn’t notice that library of ruina has a jester related abnormality, im not kidding. i really didn’t know that it already existed)

the next one is moon jumper (”who knew the moon orbiting the earth would also have something orbiting it? it would seem pretty crazy to believe!”)

this guy is an astronaut with cow horns that hasn’t succumbed to space even though the glass thats protecting their face from space, has cracked a little, they were found circling the moon for some reason and even trying to jump over it

when they breach, they do it passively, usually, everywhere they go theres an effect that causes the room to have the gravity of the moon, meaning abnormalities (even himself) including employees go very slow (heres a thing i added, sometimes an employee may float upwards, they will soon fall down. the fall causes red damage, because you know- they fell-)

moon jumper can be very helpful when suppressing abnormalities due to this power, and after a few minutes he will slowly walk back to his containment

the next one is the cat’s fiddle (”people have thought the instrument was a curse made for the person wielding it,”) a lady with cat eyes, if you zoom in you can hear the sound of someone playing the fiddle. theres a new special work for this abnormality called “trade” for if the person wants to trade their weapon for the fiddle for a while, if you forget to bring it back by the end of the day, dont worry as the weapon that was traded for the fiddle will return back to the employee the next day, if the person wielding the fiddle ever goes insane, they’re eyes will become cat-like (mostly like the woman’s) and they’ll begin slicing the throats of people.

and the last one from the hey diddle diddle gang is the dish that ran with the spoon, (”wake up! please! its not over yet..”) it is a widower who sees illusions of his wife and the wedding disaster, he usually thinks his wife is still breathing. what this wedding disaster means is unknown.

when he breaches his illusion (aka his wife) will appear from another department, on top of a random department’s room will be a wedding ring, they are harmless at first, but if they finally see each other, and the wedding starts, the wedding will abruptly end with the wife’s neck bleeding, her falling onto the floor and fading out of existence, and the widower quickly snapped back to real life, with the realization that his wife is long gone, madness takes over him and he starts to attack the guests that partook in the wedding

next one! its another nursery rhyme related abnormality,

old man coma! (”whatever they said, whatever they tried to do, they couldn’t save him from eternal rest, I already took his last moments away.”)

basically its an old man, who appears to be sleeping in a bed.

his qliphoth counter is at 2, when its at 1, (either bad result, prudence level 3 and lower or repression work, it’ll also go down if the person was damaged by white damage in any way the day they’re working on old man coma) the containment will start to glitch a bit, likes its slipping back into reality, when its at 0, a flat-line can be heard, the containment will change again and the old man will now be lying in a hospital bed thats right next to a heart monitor,

the actual abnormality is his condition, which takes the form of a shadow with bleeding eyes, although its sort of calm, its violent to those who had previous head injuries, (example: hitting your head on things) since head injuries remind it of the old man

when it escapes from the containment it will search for employees with prudence 3 or lower, after it finds one it will soon go into the employee’s brain and make them pass out by just bumping either an employee or an abnormality, they will stay passed out till the end of the day, they will only go for one person, then they’ll be back in containment, but that doesn’t mean the employee will still live! at the next day the employee will be missing, and a notification will pop up that the employee is dead.

i keep getting alot of ideas so heres the final one: missing persons busride! (its based off of glitch in the matrix stuff,) (”so.. this is the thing that caused the mass disappearances?”)

this is a tool abnormality i thought of. like the name says its a bus with grayscale colors,  when an employee gets onto the bus (aka uses it) it’ll drive to a portal and come back. there is a chance that the employee will get a work speed boost, but theres also a chance that the person will go missing, you’ll know this if the person comes back as a sorta visible glitchy shadow, there will be no notification specifying the person’s death, and if they are gone, they are gone forever, even if you try to reset or memory repository, they will still be gone. you will have to create the employee again if you want them back.

so thats all for now! i hope that this is alright,

[jennifercrowart]

D&D Diary - The Yawning Rodent, 7

Refresher: Our adventurers Lugs (grung barbarian), Lurk (grung rogue), Aelia (tiefling cleric), Valas (drow sorcerer), and tagalongs Meepo (kobold) and Deku (ratfolk cleric) were ambushed by members of the Goblin Gang! Deku, looking after an unconscious but stabilised Meepo, was badly wounded by an arrow and knocked out. His Rat King holy symbol amulet began to glow, and his body disappeared in a beam of light!

Confused and concerned, but having to move on with an unconscious Meepo and Calcryx in tow, the party began moving back towards the Kobold Gang's territory on their way out of the citadel. Along the way, they stopped in a magically locked room they'd passed by earlier to fight some skeletons and loot their altar, before running into some Kobold Gang guards.

Sunless Citadel spoilers!

While Valas keeps watch on the hallway where Billy - the kobold guard - went down towards their leader, Yusdrayl's room, the rest of the party sneak Calcryx past the guardroom. Lugs is carrying the front of her body, but Aelia, carrying the back, slips and drops the dragon's tail with a thud on the floor. Luckily, the guards don't reemerge to see what the noise was, after already talking to Valas and Lurk about how the party was going to be passing by.

Having made it through, they continue on towards the Sunless Citadel's exit. Lurk goes on ahead, checking for any traps they might've missed earlier. In the circular entrance room, he finds an odd brick sticking out of the wall that he hadn't noticed before. He pulls on it, and gets a small needle trap to the hand for his troubles.

Suddenly, the wall ahead of him trembles and moves, the brick lever having opened a secret door. Inside is a pocket chamber once used for archers to shoot outside the citadel through slits in the walls, and three skeleton warriors from that age immediately stumble to life, attacking Lurk. Having been right up in their faces, Lurk - who was already wounded from previous battles - gets knocked out by an arrow. Aelia uses up the Cure Wounds Lv2 spell scroll to heal him because she's been long out of spell slots, while Valas and Lugs are able to defeat the skeletons. From their remains, they're able to scavenge a few unused +1 magic arrows and some gold.

Lurk, once recovered, finally disables the trapdoor at the entrance to the Sunless Citadel, so Aelia and Lugs can safely carry Calcryx outside. They begin the 2 hour trek back to the Rat's Nest through the caves, left alone by twig blights this time.

During the walk, Lugs feels the weight in the barrel on his back shift, and a muffled voice cries out. The lid pops off, and Meepo sticks his head out, confused about what's been going on since Calcryx nearly killed him several hours ago.

Valas and Aelia talk to him about how the party decided to take Calcryx to the Rat's Nest, because he and the Kobold Gang weren't treating her well, and that being in the Kobold Gang isn't good for Meepo either. Lurk adds that he makes more money by not being in a gang. Meepo goes quiet.

They reach the Rat's Nest, and, as it's still very early in the morning, most shops are still closed. Surprisingly, some lights are still on in the church, the blacksmith, and a library they haven't been to yet, as well as in a new tent that's been pitched in a darker corner of the large cavern. They head over to the church first, where Lulu is cleaning up. She's surprised to see them, and looks tired, but greets them warmly. When they tell her that they've brought a dragon wyrmling here, she runs off to get her sister, Candice, to help.

They take Calcryx down a long side tunnel away from the Rat's Nest main cavern that leads to two cell rooms, there in case of emergency. While the party is unsure about putting Calcryx back into another cage, Lulu kits it out with some more blankets and cushions from the church, making it more comfortable, at least. They set Calcryx - still unconscious - down inside, and Lulu stays to tend to her wounds, while Candice accompanies the party to the Yawning Rodent tavern; the dragon wyrmling looks very malnourished and thin. She can't be released back into the wild in this state. Meepo wants to stay with her, but the party decides it's best if Calcryx doesn't see Meepo when she wakes up.

Beni - the barkeep and cook - greets the adventurers warmly, having not seen them since the first day of their journey. They book a deluxe inn room with a massage for themselves, while Candice takes some fresh produce back down the elevator to the Rat's Nest for Calcryx. The rest of the night passes as the party rests, a lot more comfortable than when they were for the sleep they had in the citadel.

When they rise in the late morning, the party has a hearty tavern breakfast of cinnamon apple pancakes and scrambled tofu with avocado on toast. Lugs and Aelia buy some apple ciders to take with them when they go back to the citadel, as the good food, drink, and sleep has the adventurers feeling much more ready for what lies within the Goblin Gang's territory. Over the rest, they identify the green flame candle and torch they found, as well as the Night Caller whistle; they find that the candle and torch have been lit with a Continual Flame spell, and the whistle is an uncommon magic item that can cast the spell Animate Dead.

Back in the Rat's Nest for some refuelling and shopping before they head back to the citadel, they stop by Big Oak's Blacksmith. They find Boak working with some strange items like gemstones and herbs at his workbench, but before they can react, Deku eagerly greets each of them with a big hug! He explains that the Rat King holy symbol he and the other ratfolk wear protects him by automatically teleporting him back to Lulu's church and stabilising him if he were to get close to death. Lulu was able to treat his wounds and clean him up overnight, so he's feeling much better, and he'd like to accompany the party back to the Sunless Citadel so he can help rescue the humans they're looking for (and find his missing library book).

Boak, while at first hesitant because Deku returned to the Rat's Nest essentially by way of magic ambulance stretcher, thanks the group for freeing him from the Goblin Gang's dungeon. If they hadn't reunited Deku with his belongings, the Rat King amulet wouldn't've been there to save him if things had gone wrong. Aelia hints that she wants the rescue reward money, and Boak explains that, since Deku arrived last night, he's been hard at work working on being able to offer the group enchanting services for their benign weapons, armour, and trinkets. As he's an armourer artificer, he's been experimenting with small enchantments for a while, but to make ones more useful for adventurers, he'd need more enchantment formulae. For now, he can only offer them Alchemist's Arrows by combining his enchantment talents with Benni's Alchemist's Fire potions, and the fletcher Lydia's arrows. He offers to take the reward money off the price of their first enchanted item. Deku, who had been researching in the library last night following his recovery, also found them an enchantment formula called the Blasted Recipe, that would make them able to cast the spell Shatter centred from the weapon (without destroying the weapon, thankfully).

Before deciding on what they want, the party has a look at Clara's Commodities, selling a lot of the treasure they found - gemstones, the ornamental dagger, and so on, which gets them quite a lot more gold.

They then head to the strange new tent in the Rat's Nest, which has an A-frame sign out the front that just reads 'OPEN' in red paint, with the simple logo of an open eye. Inside is the dalmatian ratfolk called Pink Gold Peach (or, just Peach), with one black eye and one ruby eye, dressed in heavy purple robes with gold trim and the same eye logo on the hood. She stares at them, unblinking, and only when they awkwardly ask what her deal is, she asks if they are here to trade. On offer, she can cast spells like Sending and Clairvoyance, and sells things like vials of poison and forgery kits. Amongst her wares are two enchantment formulae; one called the Flock Recipe that would summon a swarm of ravens at the trinket wearer's command, and one called the Haunted Recipe that would trap a vengeful spirit inside the weapon and deal additional necrotic damage on each hit. Lurk decides to sell the Night Caller whistle to Peach for a hefty sum, who - still staring at them like a creep - seemingly makes the whistle vanish into her big sleeves. The party eagerly buys both formulae, and they head back to the blacksmith.

Aelia spends most of her gold on a better, sturdier set of armour, and Lurk orders a batch of Alchemist's Arrows. He also hands over a silver ring he found in the Sunless Citadel, asking Boak to enchant it with the Flock Recipe with the money earned from selling Night Caller. The enchantments will take several hours to complete, so they won't be ready until nightfall; they will have to pick them up when they're next in the Rat's Nest.

Finally, the group returns to where they'd left Calcryx with Lulu, still leaving Meepo behind in case Calcryx sees him and flies into a rage again. They find the both of them sleeping - Calcryx in the cell, and Lulu in a bedroll outside it - and Aelia gently wakes the ratfolk woman up. Lulu, although exhausted, happily tells them that she was able to calm Calcryx down.

"It's a good thing I can cast healing magic on myself, as she bit me at first!" Lulu says, "thankfully, I think she was too hungry to resist cooperating in exchange for some good food."

They notice that Calcryx has woken up and opened one of her cold blue eyes into a slit, studying the party that knocked her unconscious just the day before. Glaring, she snorts, and, in Draconic, asks why they're here - she doesn't want to be in another cage. Deku answers her, explaining that they're only keeping her here until she's recuperated enough from being in the negligent and abusive Kobold and Goblin Gangs' captivity. Once she's recovered and in a healthier state, they can let her go free on the surface. Calcryx snorts again, and lowers her head back down, her tail no longer flicking in agitation despite still glaring at the adventurers.

About to leave for the Sunless Citadel again, Meepo asks the group, "what are you going to do now?".  While not entirely sure yet, they say they'll keep lying to Yusdrayl and the Kobold Gang if Calcryx comes up by saying they're still looking for the dragon in the Goblin Gang's territory. Meepo is scared of how Yusdrayl could react if she finds out the truth, saying she's strong and that the group shouldn't fight her, but the party isn't worried. They have another talk with Meepo, with Aelia and Valas trying to convince him that he shouldn't rejoin the Kobold Gang; he should stay here with the kinder ratfolk, and that he may be able to get a job or apprenticeship with one of them if he wants to, as it's a better life than cruelly mugging and capturing tourist adventurers and getting involved in territory disputes with the gang. Meepo begins to agree, saying he'll stay at the Rat's Nest for now and have a think about things.

Lighting the way with their green Continual Flame torch and candle, the adventurers set off back down the tunnel towards the Sunless Citadel once again.

[holyfuckthisfishcandrive]

Cat ears and Scrapes

First, Previous chapter (chap. 22), Ao3

Word count: 2004

Warnings: panic, destruction, mild injury

Janus woke up to a loud crash

They sat up in alarm and looked around their room.

Nothing unusual.

Outside something else crashed.

Janus frowned.

Mafia, gang or supervillain? None were good options.

They got up and quickly pulled on a shirt and jeans. Just in case someone came into the house. Just in case they'd have to leave suddenly.

"Mum," they called as they stepped into the hallway.

"Janus!" Mum came out of the living room. "Good, you're awake!"

She grabbed their shoulders and pulled them close. She was shaking slightly.

"Mum, what's going on? Is something wrong? What's happening out there?" Janus asked. Mum's fear was making their heart hammer harder in their chest.

"I don't know. There are these... things out there - I don't know what they are - they're destroying everything! You need to go, okay? Go to Patton's house. He'll keep you safe."

"What? What about you and Luan?"

"We'll come later. We can't leave everything behind. Go now. Please!" Mum was terrified. Whatever she had seen out there it had to be bad. Really bad.

So Janus just nodded, mumbling an "Okay".

They grabbed their boots and their coat and slipped out through their bedroom window onto the fire escape.

A sound they couldn't describe caught their attention.

Janus glanced towards the street and froze.

On the road was something that looked like a burn hole or maybe a glitch in the world. It looked vaguely like a person, flickering and unreal.

The street lamp it passed burned out suddenly and with a loud bang.

Another one followed it, dragging a street sign with it like a child might drag a stuffed animal.

There were dozens of them all over the streets.

Janus' phone vibrated in their pocket.

They pulled it out and nearly dropped it.

The screen was filled with text, overlapping, flickering and glitching violently.

Janus could barely make out a few words.

 ...monster...

 ...can't stop...

 ...will kill every...

They supressed a shiver and pocketed it quickly.

Uncle Pat. They just had to get to Uncle Pat's place.

Janus ran up the fire-escape onto the roof and took a running start to leap to the next one trying to ignore the glitch monsters down below.

They spotted a news reporter with a cameraman trying to get the camera to work to report what was going on to the rest of the city and the world.

So the glitch monsters were fucking up all electronics.

Janus ran on.

They nearly lost their footing on a steep rooftop the weightless feeling of falling making them feel sick before they managed to catch themselves, their knee scraping against the tiles and their jeans and the skin underneath tearing open.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!"

They managed to take a deep breath and focused on the next rooftop.

"Okay, I can do this," they whispered to themself.

The further they got the fewer glitch monsters were around. By the time they reached Armstrong Alley, there were none left.

Still, Janus stayed up on the rooftops until they finally reached the alleyway behind the flower shop.

The dozens of cats meowing up at them let some of the fear bleed out of their tense shoulders.

They were safe here.

They rang the two lower doorbells, one for Uncle Pat's apartment, one for the shop. Not because they expected him to be down there but rather out of habit.

The door opened just a few minutes later and Uncle Pat blinked at them in confusion clearly having just woken up. Janus felt a little bad for waking him like this.

"Janus, kiddo, come in!" Patton blocked off a few cats with his feet. "It's freezing out there!"

They only became aware of the cold now that they stepped into the warmer stairway. The adrenaline must've made them numb to it, they guessed.

"Why are you even outside at this time?" Uncle Pat asked leading them upstairs. "Did something happen?"

Janus let themself fall onto the couch.

Their hands were shaking.

"Something happened," they began trying to find the right words.

Uncle Pat sat down next to them and put an arm around their shoulder to help warm them up.

"I'm not sure how to... explain," Janus struggled.

"That's fine. Take your time, kiddo."

"I think it had something to do with a villain."

"Okay," Uncle Pat nodded encuragingly

"I- There were these... things all over the streets around our block. They were ripping everything apart and made the electronics freak out and I have no idea what they were-"

"Shhhh... Breath, kiddo. That's it. Nice and slow," Uncle Pat began rubbing their arm soothingly.

"Mum send me here," Janus continued once they had calmed down somewhat. "She said that she and Luan would come too. They're just getting the most important things to safety."

"Okay," Uncle Pat nodded with a concerned frown. "Then all we can do for now is wait."

Janus frowned at the thought.

"Wait here, I'll just get you a bandaid and some disinfectant real quick."

They watched their uncle go and looked back down at their knee. The wound was about a centimetre wide and was bleeding sloppily.

They frowned at the hole. Those had been their favourite jeans. They could respect someone with ripped jeans but it wasn't really their thing. They preferred to look nice.

Uncle Pat came back and carefully disinfected it. It stung a little but Janus didn't say anything. The bandaid had some pattern on it.

"Thanks," they finally said.

"Oh, of course, kiddo," Uncle Pat smiled at them tiredly. "Do you need anything else right now? If not I think I'll try to sleep some more. You should try to get some sleep too. If you want to I can make you some lavender tea?"

"No, thanks," Janus shook their head. They didn't want to go to sleep. They wanted to wait for Mum and Luan. But they also knew that Uncle Pat wouldn't let them. So, their best option was to pretend to go to sleep and 'wake up' from the sound of the door closing when they came. "I think I'll manage."

"Okay, if you need anything you can either call me or get it yourself, okay? Don't hesitate to wake me up if you need me."

"Okay," they slowly got up and went towards the guest room. "Good night, Uncle Pat."

"Good night, Janus. Sleep well."

They closed the door behind themself and let themself fall face-first onto the bed with a sigh.

They pulled out their phone. It was back to normal now.

Virgil had texted them.

 my uncle just enlisted me in his war against the target on mills str

 he says the others are on thin fucking ice

 says their crimes are numerous and unforgivable

Janus contemplated whether to respond or not. Usually, when Virgil mentioned his 'family' it was best not to encourage him. But right now they needed some kind of distraction and something to keep them from accidentally falling asleep.

 What are you doing against them?

For a while they didn't get any reply so they scrolled around Youtube and watched a video of a guy making a knife out of candy.

In the apartment a door fell shut and Janus perked up their heart rate picking up again.

Were Mum and Luan there already?

They got up slowly and snuck out of the room. They didn't want to risk waking Uncle Pat if he'd fallen asleep by now.

The living room was empty.

"Mum?" Janus whispered into the darkness.

No answer.

"Mummy?"

They felt like a child.

Scared and helpless, praying for their Mum to hear them and come save them from the monsters hiding in the shadows.

Pressure began to build behind their eyes the longer the silence stretched on and they blinked it back.

They felt a breeze around their ankles, coming from Uncle Pat's room.

Slowly they padded towards the door and put their ear against it.

The sounds of the city muted just slightly by the wood.

Uncle Pat didn't like to sleep with the window open.

Carefully they opened the door.

The curtains were blowing in the wind like thin ghosts and the streetlamps outside bathed the empty room in yellow light.

Janus slipped inside and looked around.

Out of the window was a fire escape and they could hear footsteps over them.

They climbed out and watched somebody climb onto the roof.

Either that was Uncle Pat or someone was living in the flat above his after all.

Janus swallowed and climbed up on the railing. It was quicker than climbing the stairs.

The stopped at the top of the stairs and peeked over the small wall at the roof.

The man standing just a few metres away was dressed in blue body armour and grey. He fiddled with something, clicked a button and on his chest a heart lit up, blinking like a steady heartbeat and slowly changing its colour.

Heartrate.

His hood was down, showing messy blond locks.

Janus pressed a hand over their mouth.

Uncle Pat put the mask over his eyes and pulled up the cat-ear hood.

Then he took a running start and leapt over to the next roof.

Heartrate.

Uncle Pat.

Heartrate and Uncle Pat. Were one person.

But-

Janus felt their knees give out and bang painfully against the iron grating of the stairs.

Uncle Pat was Heartrate.

For a moment that felt like an eternity, they remained frozen then they jumped up and ran down the stairs almost slipping and falling twice before they reached the bedroom window and slipped through.

It couldn't be.

Their eyes must've been playing tricks on them. It had been dark after all and they were tired too. They probably had been imagining things.

If Uncle Pat was Heartrate surely there'd be evidence in his room, right?

They just had to look around and they wouldn't find anything and then they'd be able to go back to bed and tell everyone that they'd seen Heartrate tomorrow. Or had dreamt that they had seen him.

They opened a few random drawers.

Underwear (okay, they weren't digging through that), pullovers, socks and pants with some papers and Uncle Pat's passport and social security card hidden at the bottom.

Nothing out of the ordinary.

They looked around some more.

A pen was lying on the floor, half kicked under the bed. It was one of those promotional pens from Grimm Enterprises, who had sponsored the new basketball hoops at school.

They knelt down and grabbed it, before hesitating.

There was a visible edge under the bed.

They reached out and felt along it and managed to wedge their fingers into a tiny gap, pulling out a loose floorboard.

They patted around in it and felt a box.

Janus managed to pull it out and sat up to open it, taking their weight off their knees.

It was mostly empty.

Only two domino masks, a pair of gloves and a few spare batteries.

They picked up one of the masks. It had the familiar sharp edges and the silver lining. So definitely Heartrate's. They put it over their eyes.

It hadn't been made for their face shape, not sitting right over their nose and temple. No, it had been made for a rounder and bigger face. Uncle Pat's face.

They dropped the mask, as if it had burned them, slammed the box shut and shoved it back into its place, putting the floorboard back. Quickly they stood up and ran back to the guest room.

Behind them the wind slammed the door shut just like it had earlier.

When Janus woke up the morning after, Mum and Luan were crammed on the couch fast asleep.

If they hid in the bathroom for a while so no one saw them cry then that was their business and no one else's.

At least Luan wrote them an excuse so they wouldn't have to go to school for the day.

Next

Taglist:

@patton-cake , @isabelle-stars

[whatshername-please]

Out of the Water - Chapter III

Synopsis: You were very proud to be a mermaid, thank you very much. You didn’t want to be where the people were. Actually, you’d rather avoid it. Defending the merfolk was the biggest goal in your life… well, it was until you meet a certain pirate… it seems that your family really had a thing for humans, after all. Not that you’d ever admit it…

Pairing: Harry x reader

Word count: 3564

Part 3 of ?

Warnings: none? Possibly grammar mistakes? Also, some cuss words

A/N: English isn’t my first language, so I’ll probably mess up some tenses, grammar and stuff. Go easy on me, please. Feedback is always appreciated.

_________________________________________

“Maybe it’s contemporary art”

You pointed at the destroyed painting on the floor which made Mal stare at you in disbelief. Ok, maybe now wasn’t the best time for light hearted jokes.

Thus, it was probably better not to say anything about the curtains being all torn up since no one took notice of them…

Ben’s castle was not very different from the rest of Auradon: dead silent and a wicked atmosphere hovered in the air. Well, it was until everyone started searching for the king.

Everyone was calling for Ben but that made absolutely no sense, you thought. If Audrey had gone to the castle, she’d have turned Ben to stone or something, making impossible for him to answer. All the noise would just draw her attention, if she didn’t already know you were there which was very likely, by the way.

Really, why couldn’t she set Ben’s clothes on fire, break his favorite clock, shave his eyebrows? It’d have been so much easier to deal with.

Humans always had to make everything more difficult, hadn’t they?

You had gone through the whole the castle and found no one and also Dude had lost the track of Ben’s scent, the best option now would be to go back to Auradon Prep since it was the last place Audrey was seen at. But of course Mal wasn’t entirely convinced that the castle was empty and you were checking the last room left: it was a large hall full of coats of arms, vitrals and armors.

Why were there so many armors? Questionable decorating choice, if someone asked you. And unless Ben was hiding inside one of them, he wasn’t there either. Coming to Ben’s castle had been a completely waste of time.

“Hey!” someone called you, way too over-excited. “We weren’t properly introduced yet, I’m Gil”

The muscular boy extended his hand smiling widely at you. You shook his hand, presenting yourself.

“Are you a princess?” he asked. While Harry called you a princess with disdain, Gil appeared to be genuily interested in you, then again, he was fascinated by everything in Auradon, from the leaves on the trees to the berries in the bushes.

“I am” you answered him.

It seemed to be physically impossible, but his smile grew even bigger than before.

“I’ve never met a princess before. Your highness” he bowed and then looked at you with gleaming eyes “Have I done it right?”

Gil looked very proud of himself and it broke your heart. It was infuriating to think how many wonderful kids were stuck and forgotten on that Isle. For 20 years no one thought or cared about them, even now most people believed that the Isle’s inehabitants were dangerous and past redemption. You dared King Beast to look in Gil’s eyes and say he was a criminal who deserved to be punished for the rest of his life.

“Yes, you did. But you don’t have to do it, really.” you said and he nodded in agreement. Ok, you decided, out of Uma’s friends Gil was your favorite.

All you wanted to do was to find Audrey and go back home, but what was an already difficult task in itself was getting even harder because of Uma and Mal incessant bickering. You tried to ignore when Mal said she wandered what fried octopus tasted like. One thing that never entered humans’ head was that mermaids and fishes were friends, one day you were hanging out with a squid or a crab and suddenly they were fished and eaten by some unfeeling human. Sebastian still had nightmares about the time he got trapped inside your uncle’s…

Oh, wait. Did that armor just move?

Shit.

Everyone noticed it too, excepting Uma and Mal because they were too distracted fighting with each other.

“Girls!” Harry yelled “We have a situation here”. You wished you had a phone to take a picture of Uma’s face at this moment. She looked outraged by the audacity of Harry to cut her off.

At least now everyone was completely aware of that all the armors in that cursed place were moving towards you and ready to cut you all into tiny pieces. Drawing back wasn’t even an option since you were completely surrounded, the only chance you had to get out of this mess would be to fight.

WHY WERE THERE SO MANY ARMORS? If you survived this, you’d have a long talk to Ben about interior design.

Good thing everyone was optimistic about defeating them because, by your account, you were way outnumbered… not that Uma and Mal seemed to care since they were quarreling again. Evie was the one who got fed up with all the nonsense and stepped in and, while she tried to talk them into their senses again, you took the comb from your hair, ready to make it assume its true form. If Fairy Godmother didn’t have a rule against magic… or weapons being unnecessarialy used, you wouldn’t even bother changing your trident into a hair comb. You looked super badass carrying your trident around like the bitching sea queen you were…

Would be….

Whatever…

“Will you really brush your hair now, princess?”

That.

Mocking.

Tone.

Again.

You could either punch him right now or wait for an enchanted knight to do it…. but you had a better idea.

His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open when he saw the comb that had been in your hand the moment before become an imponent trident. You watched with delight that ridiculous smirk on his face change into a shocked face. It always amazed you the look people made when they realized that your cute hair pin could make someone bleed to death, and Harry Hook did not disappoint you.

That would answer his question about your fighting skills.

The jerk.

But you had no time to think any further about Harry Hook and his pesky presence, the knights were near and you had a battle to face.

————–

It was official, you hated the human world and the ridiculous armors they used as house decoration. If Belle and the Beast (did he even have a name or his name was really Beast? Whatever…) hadn’t decide that every single corner of that castle needed to have a knight’s suit, you wouldn’t have had to be dodging swords attacks coming from every single angle that you could think of. It didn’t matter how hard or fast you hit them or that they were too heavy to react because they were enchanted. They could be slow to strike, but they neither got tired nor hurt, so you could attack them as much as you wanted and it didn’t make any difference, you were just scratching the metal. They were many and you were only 8, this wasn’t a fair battle, at all

“We need magic to defeat those things” you shouted to Mal while hitting a knight right in his chest, he stumbled a little but regained his balance fast enough. At the same time that you avoided another hit, you caught a glimpse of Harry who was close to you and unaware of the armor approachinh him from behind.

C'mon Harry, turn around…

Gosh, you had to do everything.

The knight striked again, but you avoided the blow. Taking this as a cue, you ran towards Harry and, as you did so, you managed to knock down the armor that was ready to attack the pirate. The sound of metal hitting the floor made the boy turn his head, he saw the armour laying on the floor and gave you a surprised look; either the boy didn’t expect you were able to fight or he didn’t expect that you would put yourself at risk to help him.

“You can thank me later” you said already attacking another hellish knight.

Thank goodness Mal had heard you and decided to use her magic against the cursed armors and before you could blink, the knights stopped moving and fell in the middle of the room.

It was about time.

Everyone was celebrating the victory, there were no more Uma’s crew or Mal’s gang, all of them were friends and, well… it ended as fast as it started. In one second they were cheering and laughing and in the other they rememrebed they didn’t like each other. The friendliness lasted two seconds, it was a new record.

Both gangs walked away from each other, Uma and her pirates stood on one side, and Mal and the VKs stood on the other. Celia and you decided to stay away watching them from afar.

Evie, who seemed determined to make everyone to get along, proposed an icebreaker and it took all your willpower to not to laugh at your friends’ faces upon hearing this. You have never heard so many groans or seen people looking away so fast in your life: Uma was probably deliberating all the choices she did in her life and looked like she could use a drink, or five, while Gil was just confused. Carlos and Jay were clearly unconfortable and would prefer to sleep forever than to go through this, and the only reason Mal didn’t shut Evie down right at the spot was because she dind’t want to hurt the girl’s feelings. And Harry…

It was a surprise to you when he didn’t come up with some ironic comment. Actually, he looked rather astonished when Evie complimented him and it appeared he was about to reply her before Uma cut him off.

And then she and Mal restarted their usual bickering.

Maybe the icebreaker wasn’t a bad idea, after all.

“Summer School?” Harry laughed “No wonders she wants revenge”.

Not that you’d ever say it out loud, but the pirate had a valid point.

Finally, they decided on following Uma’s initial plan to the joy of the sea witch’s daughter. Apparently, Audrey was still in Auradon Prep, so the girls would go and check her room for clues, and the boys would look out for Ben.

Everyone was ready to leave, but before the team split you spoke up.

“Actually, I’m going with the guys, ok?”

“Why?” Mal questioned you, raising an eyebrow.

“Because if Audrey shows up it’s better that at least one person knows how to use magic” you explained.

“No, the amber is the only thing that can defeat her, you wouldn’t stand a chance” Mal was clearly annoyed that you were holding them back, but you ignored the whay she glared at you and went on.

“Even so, I may be able to hold her off with my trident. You, Uma and Evie got brains, strenght and magic. Jay, Carlos, Gil and Harry, on the other hand….”

Your eyes lingered on the boys in front of you who, you knew for a fact, would kill each other in the first opportunity.

“Too edgy” you pointed to Jay.

“Too pure” and Carlos.

“Too bubbly” Gil.

“Too…” you looked Harry up and down and shrugged “Honestly? I can’t even describe him.”

Mal went silence for a moment, deliberating whay you had said, while everyone else was staring at you with a look you knew too well. It was the famous “I can’t believe she actually said that” face.

“Fine, you proved your point” Mal finally declared and the ofended look on Jay’s face almost made you laugh. You’d have to apolize to him later… But right now you had a king to find before Mal snapped at you again.

You and the guys left the castle and followed Dude, who had detected Ben’s scent.

“I’m not edgy” said Jay with a pout, looking too adorable to be taken seriously.

“Didn’t you almost break your arm trying to learn R.O.A.R just for the sake of beating Chad? Or what about that time when you got into a fight with a guy twice your size because he said the only reason you won the tourney game was because everybody on the other team was scared to come near a villain kid? ” you asked him.

“Hey! You were encouraging me!” he reminded you, laughing about the incident.

“I was not” you denied, putting your hand on your chest in a mocking manner “How dare you to suggest I’d ever do something like that”. You tried to make a serious face, but broke into a smile in a matter of seconds as you remembered that day. "Did we punch him, though? I can’t recall".

“No, Carlos stopped us… he is too pure” the VK teased, and Carlos didn’t take it kindly. As he passed by the both of you, he hit Jay’s arm hard enough to make his friend yelp.

“Come back here, Carlos” Jay called and ran after him “I was only joking”.

You giggled.

Humans, what dorks.

Minding your own business, you kept walking silently. Your friends were ahead, making sure to not lose Dude from their sight. Things appeared to be safe, at least for now, so you decided to change your trident into its pocket version, and with one quick motion of your hand, it became a hair comb again.

“How do you do that?” it was Gil who asked and he seemed utterly puzzled by your trident.

“Oh, it’s magic.” you said while Gil observed with narrowed eyes you place the enchanted comb in your hair, the boy was staring so intensively at it that looked like he was wainting for the comb to burst into flames or something “It’s no big deal, really”

“Yeah, you’re probably used by it, right? But we don’t have magic on the Isle…” he looked down, ashamed of being impressed by something that was so ordinary to you, and you felt terrible. You didn’t mean to upset him.

“Oh no, I mean… I just never really thought about it…” you tried to explain.

“Of course you didn’t, why do people in Auradon would think how their lives are perfect?” Harry, who had been oddly quiet, spoke. However, if he were expecting you to ague with him, he’d be disappointed. The pirate could get on your nerves but you couldn’t be a hypocrite and deny all the privileges you had just because you were born on the “right” side of the barrier.

Of course Harry didn’t know that was how you felt about the barrier and took the lack of a response as an confirmation.

“How nice it must be to have everything, huh?” he tried to sound cynical, but you could hear the hurt and bitterness in his voice.

“King Triton has a trident too, you know.” Gil said absently, ignoring completely the tension between Harry and you “It was on the Isle two years ago, we almost got it”

“Yeah I know. I nearly killed my cousin when I discovered she messed up with grandpa’s trident” you remembered like it was yesterday. Your cousin Arabella decided she wanted to prove her worth by summoing a storm using your grandfather’s magical trident. If this wasn’t reckless enough, she also lost the trident that ended up on the Isle. Thanks to Mal and her gang the trident was recoreved before your grandfather noticed it was gone.

What a day.

“Wait, your grandfather? Are you…?” Gil’s eyes widened when he realized who you were.

“Yeap, King’s Triton granddaughter, that’s me.” you finished his sentence, very proud of being who you were.

“Then you are a mermaid!” the blond boy’s eyes moved to your legs and he frowned at them, as if he couldn’t understand what they were doing there “If you are a mermaid, where is your fishtail?”

You chuckled and explained. It wasn’t the first time someone asked you that, but you didn’t mind. Actually, everytime you had the chance to brag about being a mermaid, you did it.

“When I need to be on land I turn into a human”

“Uma is Ursula’s daughter, did you know that?” it amazed you how Gil was capable of saying anything in such a light manner. Most people would be very cautious about speaking of the former villain of someone’s family in their presence but not Gil, he definitely didn’t mind bringing the subject up.

If you knew that Uma was the sea witch’s daughter? IF YOU KNEW THAT. You have been talking about this girl for years and, in the past months, you literally hid her in your room. YOU DID KNEW THAT.

This was what you really wanted to say, but instead you laughed it off “I think I’ve heard her name a few times”.

“Is it his trident?” it was Harry the one making a question now and, for the first time, he seemed genuinely curious and not just being sarcastic or cunning.

“Oh no… it was a gift from him, actually. It’s not as powerful as his, though. But it’s good enough” one thing that never ever bothered you was to talk about your life as a mermaid. If someone ever decided to write a tale about you, people would stop thinking that every mermaids’ wish was to become human.

You just loved being a mermaid and nothing would ever change that.

“What can it do?” he inquired, taking a closer look at the comb in your hair. He was wondering about the damage that could cause, no doubt.

“It can control water, for the most part. But is also good to beat the shit out of my enemies”

He smiled.

Harry Hook had sincerely smiled at you.

Maybe people were right, maybe you were born on the Isle and were switched at birth with some kid from Auradon. It would explain your talent for befriending villain kids.

You have never made friends easily, better saying, people didn’t want to be friends with you because of your reputation of being temperamental and moody, which wasn’t entirely true. You just didn’t care about being on the spotlight or doing what people expected you to do. Did you have to to sing along with woodland creatures just because you were a princess? Your area of expertise was marine life, for crying out loud. Squirrels and mice freaked you out! Once, a guy asked you on a date and thought it would be a good idea to go to a sea food restaurant!

You weren’t moody, humans were the ones who had the emotional range of a barnacle.

Also, a lot of people in Auradon were too self-absorbed, they thought everyone had a lovely happy life like them. Everytime you brought the Isle up they said you were overreacting and that it couldn’t be that bad. You wondered if they could see the black clouds that covered the place or if they even remembered that all Auradon’s leftovers were sent there.

You tried to be patiente but sometimes -well, most of times- you could not help yourself and ended up speaking your mind. At least from now on, you could claim that you have never cursed anyone out of spite.

Thanks, Audrey.

“If we’re getting to know each other, I have a question for you” you said to Harry who arched an eyebrow, curious about what you were going to say “Is your accent real?”

He blinked in confusion, not sure if he had heard you right.

“Yes! What kind of question is that?” he was perplexed by what you asked. Harry wasn’t used to people commenting on his accent and the times someone had said something about it, it was always to make fun of him - and Harry always made sure they learned not to do it again. So, he didn’t know if you were serious or simply mocking him.

“I don’t know. I believed you were being dramatic, to be honest. The eyeliner, the coat… The accent could very well be part of your pirate aesthetic” You didn’t want to sound rude or anything, you honestly imagined the accent was only him being theatrical, but since he didn’t answer right away (not even a ironic remark), you added quickly “It’s a lovely accent, it suits you”.

At first, you expected him to shut you down or tell you to fuck off. However, as he didn’t reply anything, you thought you really had offended the boy. You were ready to apologize (you could be the sea bitch, but you weren’t rude…). Instead, he bursted into laughter and you frowned, not understanding what was so funny to make Harry Hook laugh like that.

That boy was completely unpredictable.

“It’s not an aesthetic, lass. I’m a pirate” it was the first time since you met that Harry seemed so amused and it wasn’t at someone’s expanses. “Why did you think this?”

“Well, you do walk around carrying a hook” you pointed to the sharp object he kept holding since the moment you laid your eyes on him.

“And who are you to judge? You have a magical trident in your hair.”

It was your turn to laugh, maybe Harry wasn’t that bad.

“Fair enough, I can’t argue against it” you agreed with him,

Upon hearing your words, his mouth twisted into a smug grin…

“I knew you would warm up to me, princess”

Yeah, you took back what you thought seconds before, Harry Hook was insufferable. You huffed in annoyance and walked away from him and his pompous attitude.

Humans were never worth the stress.

[currentfandomkick]

Bio! Dad Strange Part 9

Jason returns, may be a 2 parter to cover tim getting kidnapped and the aftermath. Will let you know at the end. We are getting to Marinette dealing with Ladybugging soon.

Marinette wasnt sure what to think this year. She met The Barry Allen last year. She also figured out 2 heroes pre-flash revelation and two more after—in her defense Hero Stalker’s old theory on The first Robin did Batman in. it is not her fault 5 founding members have the multiple-persona game of a booger.

She was also Tetch (Mad Hatter. Doesnt deserve the name) and Mr. J’s, Jerimah’s, last victim before they died. Then some idiots revived Jerimah. She hates his cult a lot, okay.

Everyone was on high alert and trying to keep her inside. The thing is, she hates being inside. She’s inside for designing, sure. Research? She’ll live.

But 24/7 inside time?

Never a good combo with her.

Rose’s plants may be snitches, but they seemed to agree on the over coddling. She’s ten, can break phones by tapping them, and is defiantely more off her stickers than on at the moment.

The one on her was uring her into some alleyway. If she was reading the movement pattern right, a gang fight.

Lovely, she usually did these with some sort of supervision but they were all being rude and she needed time outside.

She checked her belt, a few pairs of ball weights tied together with one chain each to make bolas clipped to back. She has a taser in hand, and a few rubber bullet loaded gun on one hip and a stun gun her size in the other. She had a packet of zipties and rope up each sleeve. Easy to giftwrap and humiliate bad people, like Batman does.

She blinked once when she saw—new player? In a bright red full face helmet that looks horrible. And he’s holding that gun make all wrong to max out usage. Ugh, amatuers.

Some part of her groaned about a potential run-in with Batman and his new Robin—she was pissed about Tim not telling her still—and decided this was as good an anger management as any. New vigilante, maybe the sirens would help him find a team.

She snuck up behind a few members, quick to grab the guns and move them out of reach. No need to give anyone playing possum an easy out, right—she saw a mix of her people in with the gang. She needed to teip this guy up before he hurt the RKC street kids and honoraries tangled up in this.

“Hey helmet, if you’re gonna shoot them you’re holding the gun wrong.”

Helmet turned to see her. She didnt grab her usual harley-knock off outfit for helping today. She wanted to be Pixie Pop for a bit. And if the Rogues forgot that she’s Pixie well, better for her, right? Pixie just wore her hair like Tinkerbell and wore a bit of green.

The guy he was aiming at made to run.

Marinette grabbed a makeshift bolas and threw it at his knees. She recognized him from one of the RKC hit lists—human trafficker. He fell with them wrapped around tight and defiantely injured bith his knees with how the weights hit him.

“I, Pixie Pop?” Weird, no one had seen her as Pixie in two years. How’d he know it was her?

“Yeah. Havent been around much lately.” She threw another bola at another guy. “You new?”

“Talk after i kill these guys.”

Marinette rolled her eyes, because really?

She threw a knife to screw his aim into non-lethal on one guy. “Kick their ass first, some RKC are in here.”

Helmet oddly did as she said, switching from guns to—is that. A. Sword?

She twisted to punch the guy sneaking up on her. Helmet threw a sword and landed it in his shoulder.

“Thanks!”

“Holy shot you’re really here this time.”

“Did you get hit with feargas as a baby or something?” Her partner being prone to dellusions and good with weapons was a bad thing.

“Just came back from the dead is all.”

marinette hit the guy going for helmet with her stun gun.

“That’ll do it!”

Helmet turned to one of the guys, gun at the ready. She had a feeling Helmet needed a lot of help, or else one of Rose’s agents would be down.

“If you know about pixies, you should know she got an upgrade to having some trust dust.”

Marinette walked over to the guy, letting her tracker plant take a look. The flower bloomed and he got a face full of ‘filter-less pollen’ that’s as close to a truth serum as Rose could make. After all, people can turn sides.

“Truth pollen?” Helmet was staring at her closely.

“Yep.” Marinette turned to her victim. “Are you helping the traffickers?”

“Does infiltration and killing them count as helping?”

Helmet stared at them then.

“Which team?”

“HKT ma’am. How did you get rose to give you one of those?”

“Think for a minute who she gives these to.”

“Comanding officers of the the RKC reconn and interigation but there’s only 15 and i met them all when i joined in the fall.”

“Im the summer help when theyre not puppy gaurding. Now, i have to do zipties on the traffickers, think you can help?”

“I lost coordination from the pollen.”

“Of course you did.”

Marinette turned to see Helmet staring at her. Like she should be dead, not the new revival guy.

“Good enough.”

“I thought only Poison Ivy could do things like that.”

“I have a badass team, well, when they aren’t going overboard. One week kidnapped and suddenly im made of glass.”

“Pixie you are what, ten?”

“So? Two of my best friends went missing becuase no one stepped up, one of them resurfaced as an idiot a year later but still.”

Helmet stopped then. “Two?”

“Hero stalker went after our big brother vanished.. he came back as an idiot.”

Helmet paused. “Hey, you check the others and i’ll help you drop off the good ones at a doctor or something.”

“Zipties are at the ready. Mind doing your share?”

Helmet did as she asked, working with her until all was squared away.

“Okay, my tracker gave off a signal to the RKC to gather our guys here, and—why are bleeding?”

Helmet looked up at her then. “I am?”

“... you’re coming with me since i dont know if you need a transfusion, but i know a guy who can help.”

“I’m driving.”

“On what?”

“Motorcycle.”

Marinette let him walk her to it, and she got on first. He ‘drove’ them while the plant told her when to turn. They ended up at her dad’s clinic as ‘Mr. Smith’. He was so grounding her.

“Smith, i need help,” she tried.

Her dad came out and paled when he saw her carrying Helmet. Before he passed out he let her take it off. “Red hoodie... oh god he said he was revived.”

Her father worked out the blood bags while she checked the wound, bullet still in there. She got it out with tweezers. No major damage to the muscles and shit. How many scars did he have? Pre or post revival?

When he came to she turned to her father and said one thing.

“So this is my new brother. Dont try to get out of it, he kept me alive when i was comstantly pixie, and you said if he was in a bad place then you’d take him in, no questions asked.”

Strange sighed, nodded, and went back to fixing Helmet up.

The next day he was forced moved into an extra room by hers. Somehow there was already clothes his size and style in it.

“Pixie...”

“Im determined and my honorary aunt is a cat burglar.”

Helmet hugged her.

“So for the documents, what do you want to go by?”

Helmet said he didnt want it to be obvious, given who he was before.

“Its not like you were robin.”

“I was.”

“.... i know two robins now, pre-robining. What is my life?”

“ you are ten, calm down. And you knew dick?”

“Met him as Nightwing, not very friendly. But uh, remember hero stalker?”

“The idiot who followed me and B?”

“Yeah, so funny thing, it was a thing that he wanted to be Robin when you went off from Gotham, and then he somehow managed to convince bats to take him on.”

“That Child is Robin.”

“Will be another hero soon if he knows what’s good for him—he’s too easy to make.”

“Wait, you know who he is-is or—”

“I know 5 secret identities and want to lodge a formal complaint about heroes having no secret identity game.”

“Youre ten. I refuse to let you deal with legal things.”

“But illegal is still on the table?”

“I am a vigilante, of course it is.”

“Good, so can we tlak about how dumb Supes secret id is? I photoshoped glasses on as a joke and looked at my file and knew.”

“Wait have they found you yet?”

“No? I dont think so. Not the mom and step dad or father one yet.”

“But its.”

“I know, but i can keep multiple secret identities. They cant handle one. What is this bull they drop in my lap? No masks for two of them, and the three with cant even manage a basic gait switch?”

“I am so glad you noticed too.”

“Also we need to intervene with Hero Stalker.”

“Does your father know-know or...”

“Knows i know, but knows im not telling even in death.”

“Fair. So, heads up i am going to yell at the JL after killing B for impact.”

“How about beating him up instead and kidnapping Hero Stalker? Bats is fine just needs an adult working with him.”

“Maybe. If my mind wasnt so fucked i’d send the Dick a text or something about this, but i think he hates me so that probably wouldnt work.”

“We have planning time, that’s what my house arrest is good for. Now name.”

“... i want to go by Jay.”

“James work?”

“Sure.”

“James “Jay” Smith then. And we are fixing your vilagante outfit.”

“What’s wrong with it.”

“Your helmet has a nose. And the who this is shit for discreet armour. I’ll get a rant in fifteen on armor history from a fashion obsessed friend and make something for you using that, ok?”

“Do i have a choice?”

“I am your little sister offically. resistance is futile.”

—

So the long awaited return of Red Hoodie/Red Hood/Jason Todd.

For refrence (as age is weird here) Jason looks 14/15 here, but due to dead years is technically 18

Tim is 12

Marinette is 10

Dick is 20something.

Bruce is 30something

Heads up, this will be a two parter for this summer. As i love the next part but need sleep.

@ilovefluffbutsmutisalsogreat @emeraldpuffguide @dast218 @weird-pale-blonde-person @mystery-5-5

[casualneonglitterpainterposts]

Medieval Fantasy AU

“The Enlightened Pain from within my heart”

It had been two weeks since they left the kingdom. The knight squad had been travelling for days upon end, hunting down and tracking a gang of violent and deadly criminals that had been moving from town to town causing havoc, destruction and hurting innocent people along the way. The squad was determined to capture them and bring upon justice and tranquility throughout the lands.  

Although, throughout their travels that wasn’t the only thing upon their minds ….

Sir Atlas and the Princess knight had grown very close to one another ever since they first encountered one another, their feelings for one another were very strong and everyone could see they were meant to be. But one thing stood upon their way, the two had never revealed their true selves to one another, they vowed to one day do so but only when they felt ready. Sir Atlas was so eager to find out who that badass and spunky woman was behind the lilac and purple armour, but alas he was a man of his word and kept his promise. For all he could do now was await that special day …..

Livian herself wanted to show who she was behind the armour, but there one thing holding her back was her own feelings …

Would Sir Atlas still love her if she revealed herself as the princess?.. Could he ever accept her for who she was?...

For now she left it remaining a secret, only hoping that she’d find that confidence to one day reveal herself to him. All she could do now was just dream of who hunky Sir Atlas truly was...

The squad had been travelling through land and forest for hours out in the open blazing sun all day long, the sky now was seeping into dusk. They were exhausted, fatigued and in desperate need of rest. As much as they wanted to ride on through the night towards the town in which  the criminals were located, it was best that they get some rest. So they rode into the closest town nearby, it was a small friendly town and the knight squad was certainly welcomed …

As they came to a halt and got off their horses, the squad were greeted by a friendly wise old woman..

“Dear knight squad, I’m delighted to meet you fine young heroes. What brings you to our small humble town”?  She asked kindly

The princess knight smiled sincerely, shaking the wise old woman’s hand..

“It’s lovely to meet you too mam ,  we’ve been travelling for days on end to seek and capture these dangerous criminals. But for now we have come searching for a place to sleep for the night. Do you know of a local inn nearby?”...

“Indeed I do dear Princess Knight, please follow me”.

Livian smiled and along with the others followed the kindly old woman to the inn. After passing through the busy streets of the small town , they had reached the inn.

“There you go dears, here we are”.

“Thank you very much mam. Please take this as a token of my gratitude”

And with that the Princess Knight pulled out a small bag of coins from her pocket and placed them in the kindly old woman’s hands.

She looked at the Princess Knight sincerely..

“You are too kind dear Princess knight, you truly have a heart of gold”

Livian sincerely smiled back at her politely bowing her head, then as the old woman walked away she waved goodbye to the knight squad. The Princess Knight politely waved goodbye back.

After checking into the inn for the night the squad was split up, the boys all shared one room and the princess knight was down the hall in her own separate room. The boys had settled in already, out of their armour and in their casual wear as they sat down talking for a bit. Sir Pluto, Sir Hercules and The Blue Knight Already knew who Sir Atlas truly was as he had shown them and then made them solemnly swear that they wouldn’t  tell the princess Knight as they would do so themselves when the time was right. Of course though, the three knights had kept their promise and still to this day they did.

Down the hall in her room, Livian was relieved to finally rest though she felt a bit lonely there all by herself. To take her mind off of things she decided to take a relaxing bath to help clear her mind and also because riding all day long out in the warm sun in armour caused her to build up a bit of a sweat. Back down in their room, the boys had been chatting for quite some time. Throughout their chit chat, Prince Daichi sat there with his left cheek resting in his hand and with one thing on his mind, his dear sweet Princess Knight.

Later than evening when the others had fallen asleep, the prince couldn’t help himself but sneak over to the princess Knights room down the hall. Livian was sitting on her bed in her nightgown reading a book by candlelight. As the prince got closer to her room his heart was pounding hard and his face got red and hot, the nerves were kicking in but he shook them off. Taking in a deep breath and slowly releasing, Daichi calmed down, then he leant forward and gently knocked on the door...

“Knock, Knock”...

She perked up a little in surprise, slamming her book shut she jumped off her bed and quickly leant up against her room's door.

“W...Who is it?” she whispered slightly puzzled.

Leaning against the door himself, the prince took a deep breath and whispered back….

“It's me Sir Atlas dearest Princess Knight, I just came to say good night and see how you were”.

Livian with her back against the door felt her face fluster as she slid down to the floor.  Sir Atlas was so sweet and thoughtful for wanting to check up on her, that was one of the reasons she’d fallen for him back when she first met him. Though she felt her heart begin pound, Livian shook it off..

She smiled looking off to the side down at the ground sincerely. Then cheekily replied..

“ That was really sweet of you Sir Atlas, but I think you just wanted some alone time with me again didn’t you, hmm?”

The Prince, leaning against the other side of the door when completely bright red at the Princess Knight’s words. Then his face dropped into a smirk..

“Well my dearest sweet Princess I couldn’t sleep without knowing you were alright. I don’t know what I would do without you. You truly mean a lot to me”.

Livian couldn’t help but sit there and squirm deep down inside. Quickly pulling herself together she softly whispered back..

“ I really like you a lot too Sir Atlas and I still keep my word that I’ll reveal myself to you when the time is right.”

Her words touched his heart, Daichi blushed once more, then sincerely from his heart he spoke….

“ I still keep to my word too. A..anyway sleep well my princess, I’ll see you in the morning”.

She pressed her face against the door and lovingly whispered….

“Sweet dreams Sir Atlas, sweet dreams”.

The prince got up off the ground, all cutesy blushing, warm and happy inside. He looked at her door once more and crept back to his room to get some sleep. The minute his body hit the bed, Prince Daichi instantly fell asleep, he was exhausted. Livian sat there still leaning against her door with Sir Atlas’s kind words still ringing in her mind and her face still quite a little blushie. She loved him dearly with all her heart, but for now she needed some rest- so she got up off the ground and went to bed feeling warm inside.

Dawn soon arose as the night crept away, the knight squad was up bright and early, full armour and all. After thanking the inn owner for their kind hospitality, the squad set off to capture the gang of violent and deadly criminals. Little to their knowledge, The knight squad was being secretly watched by one of the henchmen sent by the gang leader himself. He’d been spilling intel to their leader of the Knight squads journey to the town they were in and of course the gang leader already had everything planned out perfectly in his dark, sick and twisted mind of his. As they rode towards the town, Sir Atlas couldn’t help but occasionally look over at his princess and think about their cute late night convo they had last night. Of course the others caught him cheekily staring at her and quietly snickered a little at him. The princess Knight caught him a few times too and when he saw that she saw, poor Sir atlas couldn’t help but blush a little and look off to the side.

Their two week long travels were soon coming to an end, mid morning came quite fast as the squad had finally caught a glimpse of the town where the gang was last seen. Only a few miles away from the town now, there was something strange in the atmosphere around them- like a dark cloud over their shoulders .…

The Gang were lurking about in the trees behind them, watching and waiting for the signal of attack from their brutal leader. Their cold empty beady eyes just glared down the knight squad as they got closer towards the town. The gang leader from within the bushes smirked when the knights came into his view..

His eyes were like sharp daggers of hell pinpointing their every move. Just as the squad came to a halt, the gang Leader jumped out from the bushes screaming in rage..

“YOU HOPELESS FOOLS, ATTACK, ATTACK THEM NOW!!!

When they went running towards the knight squad, the princess knight just rolled her eyes and shook her head in disbelief...The squad wasn’t completely surprised as this was typical behaviour for the gang to ambush them like this.

“Shall we bring upon justice to them now, my dearest Battle Princess?” Sir Atlas asked with a cheeky sly smirk across his face , pulling out his sword from his belt.

The princess Knight looked at Sir Atlas sincerely with a  cute slight smirk on her face..

“ Of course Sir Atlas , we shall bring upon justice to them like we always do”.

“Alright then you two, if you’re done flirting with each other, let’s go capture some thugs” Sir Pluto exclaimed chiming in with a slight cheeky smile on his face.

The two young knights blushed a little, but quickly shook it off…

Sir Hercules and The Blue Knight were already in attack, slashing down and knocking out a good quarter of the thugs.

The rest of the squad quickly jumped into action.. Swords, shields and all fighting them back with everything they had to offer.

The battle against the criminals was fierce and burning with rage, the knight squad swinging and slashing down the thugs one by one like dominos falling down unanimously. The knights swiftly dogged and dove all their attacks.

Watching his men fall down in failure brought rage out in their leader..

“YOU HOPELESS FOOLS, IF YOU CAN’T TAKE THEM OUT THEN I’LL DO IT MYSELF. STARTING WITH THAT DAMN VIGILANTE RED KNIGHT”  he growled to himself.

So he pulled out his blade and snuck off towards the vigilante red Knight. As the fight between these dangerous but clearly idiotic criminals went on, the Princess Knight continued to swiftly and elegantly glide across the field, taking out her opponents with one swish of her sword. The leader ducked and dodged past his men, getting closer and closer to the Vigilante Red Knight, his eyes lit up with a psychotic rage and he was ready to strike him down ..….

When Livian turned towards Sir Atlas’s direction,  her eyes widened in shock when she saw the Gang leader getting ready to hit him from behind. She Quickly took out the criminals from around  her and ran towards Sir Atlas as fast as she could to stop the leader from causing harm to the man she loved …… The Gang leader was real close now behind the Vigilante Red Knight now and was getting ready to swing at him. The Princess Knight was real close to him too now as well, then she ran at him as fast as she could shouting..

“SIR ATLAS, SIR ATLAS. WATCH OUT”

Livian quickly pushed him down to the ground just in time, but it was too late for her…

“SHING!!!!!”

The gang leader’s blade had slashed her across the arm, it wasn’t fully deep but caused her immense pain and she started to bleed a little..

“Argh” The Princess Knight groaned as she sucked her teeth to hide how much pain she was in.

“My Princess” Sir Atlas cried out in shock…

The others too were stunned to see her struck by his sword...

Livian dropped her blade then and there , quickly covering her bloody arm. The gang leader smirked a little, he might have not knocked out The Vigilante Red Knight but he took this opportunity to get rid of the Princess Knight instead. Quickly signalling to one of his men in the tree, the guy quickly drew the poisoned arrow from his bow..

It flew like a bullet through the air and directly into her arm, she sucked her teeth once more- Livian was in so much pain but she wasn’t ready to give up fighting to protect the kingdom. The adrenaline kicked in real quick and in a moment of strength the princess knight  quickly pulled the arrow out of her arm, picked up her sword and began to fight once more..…

Sir Atlas got up off the ground and joined in attacking the gang of thugs once more as well, though he was still concerned for his beautiful Princess.  As Livian continued to fight in her condition, she felt herself slipping away, getting weaker and weaker- Her head felt like it was spinning, her vision began to get blurry, her completion was ghastly pale and sweat was dripping like rain down from her forehead, more than she already had. The others could see something was wrong with the Princess Knight, especially at times when she held on to her arm…

Just after taking down the hench men surrounding her and charging towards the gang leader to attack once more, Livian’s body gave in and she passed out unconscious in front of everyone ……..

Slightly paler than a ghost, severely injured, poisoned and bleeding.

“MY PRINCESS!!!!!”.....

The others stood there wide-eyed, shocked and worried about their friend. Sir Atlas had thrown his blade down to the ground and quickly ran to her side- he was so worried and concerned for his dearest princess ….

He got down on his knees, then took her into his arms- Sir Atlas’s heart sunk to the ground listening to her heavy faint breathing.  He took off his gauntlet , the minute he touched her forehead with his bare hand his poor little heart was torn and  shattered into tiny pieces. He pulled her in closer to his armoured chest, holding her tight. His eyes began to well up with tears.. His head faced down towards the ground, then he looked up shouting in rage..

“ WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?”.....

The gang leader stood there laughing hysterically ….

“ We just got rid of that goodie two shoes with a bit of deadly poison that’s all”.

Atlas looked down at her arms, he then noticed the small gash on her lower left arm where she was hit with the poisoned arrow…

“Seems the poison has already started to consume her, looks like she’ll be dead by the time the sunsets”

The gang leader snickered proudly , His henchmen chimed in, laughing at his truthful words…

Poor Sir Atlas felt like his heart was completely torn, shredded and beyond shattered. He cradled her closer than he did before to his chest as a tear of heartache and pain tricked down his well sculpted jawline and onto her face-  The minute it hit her burning hot skin, it evaporated into thin air.

As the criminals stood there taunting and laughing their heads off at the sight of the Princess Knight dying, something inside Sir Atlas snapped his shattered hearts pain had turned to rage.. He picked up his beautiful princess off the ground, then gently leaving her sitting upright against her beautiful grey mare Sylvia. Wiping the last pain filled tears from his eyes- Sir Atlas picked up his blade and a burning rage of justice was released from deep within him.

He let out his pain as rage- attacking and slashing out at the criminal gang leader with every ounce of strength he had in his body . Of course, Sir Pluto, Sir Hercules and The Blue Knight could let him be the only one letting out rage- The others joined in and within minutes they had them all knocked out, tied up and cuffed. In his outburst rage, Sir Atlas certainly made sure that the criminal gang leader felt the full wrath of justice- during their fight his blade scraped the gang leader's hideous face, leaving his mark of justice upon it.

Once their glorious battle had come to an end, Sir Atlas ran over to his Princess Knight’s side. She was battered, bleeding and poisoned. Nothing hurt him more than seeing the woman he loved dearly in this state. Sir Atlas knelt down by the Princess knight’s side and cradled her in his arms once more, his eyes began to water again especially when he felt her burning hot forehead against his hand once again, but this time it was hotter. The others stood there only a few feet away, looking down at the two with sorrowful expressions across their faces- It hurt them to see their friend the Princess Knight fade away and they had never seen Sir Atlas so distraught like this either.

The Vigilante red knight laid his princess down gently on the ground, he got up and pulled out an old shirt of his from his satchel, tearing it to pieces and then gently wrapping them around her open blade wounds. As Sir Atlas gently lifted her off the ground and into his arms, he looked down at her pale face and softly spoke…

“ My dearest princess, you were always the only one who had my heart . Why did you have to sacrifice yourself like that, you were always such a spunky and mysterious girl”.

He couldn’t help but let more tears of pain escape his eyes. The others knew how strong their love for one another was and they couldn’t bear to watch the Princess Knight die. That’s when something hit Sir Hercules, he remembered this mysterious mage …. “The Lady of the Lake”.  If anyone could save the Princess Knight it was her. He carefully came closer, approaching Sir Atlas and knelt down beside him…

“Your Highness?”...

Sir Atlas turned his head to look over his shoulder, sniffing back his tears of pain. In a calm subtle tone replied ..…

“ Y..Yeah, what is it Sir Hercules?”...

“I know of someone who can save the Princess Knight”.

He perked up..

“A..Are you serious?  Who?  Who are they, where are they, please tell me”.

“ The Lady of the Lake, she’s this mysterious healer mage, her powers are immense and she has saved many lives before.  I know where she lives, please allow me to show you the way sire”.

Sir Atlas got up off the ground, holding on tight to his poor princess, he looked at Sir Hercules with a sparkle of hope and determination in his eyes..

“ Please Sir Hercules, show us the way. We need to get the Princess Knight there before the sunsets”.

“Very well then your highness, let us head for the lake in the willow tree forest”.

Sir Pluto assisted Sir Atlas and helped him carefully secure the princess knight to his horse, Blue took care of her horse Sylvia, then they all rode off following Sir Hercules lead to this mysterious Lady of the Lake. As they dashed off towards the willow tree forest, Sir Atlas looked at his beautiful battle princess with a small hopeful sincere smile ….

“My dear sweet princess, I’ll do whatever it takes to save your life”...

The mid afternoon was drawing to an end, but sunset was far from nearing. Riding through the lands as fast as they could and hours passing by, they eventually arrived at the willow tree forest. As they rode through the forest, they could all see that the poor princess knight was fading fast- she was beyond ghastly pale. Sir Atlas could feel her body burning like fire against his back as the knight squad made their way towards the lake.

After what felt like endless hours of riding through the willow tree forest, the knight squad had finally made it to the lake. They all got off their horses, Sir Atlas of course carried his princess in his strong masculine arms. As they made their way over to the bridge, a small young magical being was watching their every move and  lurking behind them. This cheeky child got closer and closer, letting out small giggles as he came near..

The knights could hear the spooky laughter of a child, sending chills down their spines.

“W..Who’s there?.. Show yourself as once” Sir Atlas exclaimed with a slight tremble in his tone of voice.

This cheeky magic child had managed to get up real close now to Sir Atlas. Just before they crossed the bridge , the giggling got louder and closer. Then out of the blue the cheeky young child magically appeared before them..

“BOO!!!!”...

“ARGH!!!”...

His sudden appearance had startled the knights, luckily Sir Atlas had a tight grip holding onto his poor princess. The young magical boy cheekily smiled and giggled a little, but when he looked up and saw the poor princess knight in this vigilante red knight's arms, his face dropped into a sad sorrowful expression…

“Come , follow me. Please come now” the child beckoned to the knight squad..

Though they were a little puzzled, they followed the young child across the bridge and into the small cottage nearby. The young child opened the cottage door and cried out to someone..

“Tamami, Tamami come quickly please, this princess lady needs help”.

This beautiful lavender haired woman came running out of the nearby room and over to the knight squad.

Sir Atlas looked at the mage sincerely…

“Please dear healer mage, can you save my princess?”

Tamami came closer and gently touched her forehead with the back of her hand. Then she looked at him sincerely in the eyes..

“Please, follow me, quickly, there is still time for me to save her”.

The others stood back with the cheeky young boy, Sir Atlas followed the healer with the unconscious Princess Knight in his arms, she took him to the small shallow pool of the lake. The healer got into the shallow pool, sitting on her knees ..…

“Please remove her armour and place her here in the water”.

Sir Atlas nodded in agreement. Holding her in his arms, he began to carefully remove her armour. The moment he took off her helmet Sir Atlas’s eyes widened in shock and welled up with tears. He couldn’t believe his eyes.. The Princess Knight was the one woman he had loved dearly all along.. Princess Livian …..

His heart hurt more now knowing the true identity of his badass, spunky battle princess. He had no time to stop and cry now, so he quickly took off the rest of her armour- leaving her in nothing but her leotard and thigh high socks.  He then gently lifted her up and placed her into the shallow pool of water …

He just stood there, empty, hurt and broken as he stared at Princess Livian in the shallow pool of water.

“Your highness please wait out there in the other room with the others, I promise Livian will be fine, I will save her . Please go sit down and rest”.

“Very well then, I shall” he sighed in a sad tone.

As he left the room, he took one last look at his princess only hoping that she’d live again. Once more Sir Atlas met up with the others back in the other room. They could all see how much pain he was in from this horrific tragedy.  He walked over to the large empty log in the corner of the room. As he sat down on the large log, Sir Atlas could hold back his hurt and pain no more, tears trickled down his face.. Flowing and dripping. They all knew how much the Princess meant to him, now all they could do way prey that the healer mage could save her.

In the small shallow pool of water, Tamami gently placed her fingertips on the templet of Livian’s forehead, she took a deep breath in slowly releasing. She closed her eyes, now submerged with the water she used her powers to heal the princesses wounded and poisoned body.  As her power grew stronger in the water, the poison rose out of her body in the form of a mystical dark steam. The blade wounds slowly closed up, though she would still be very sore and bruised slightly. Her temperature dropped back down to a normal rate,  after all her efforts and healing the young mage Tamami had saved the princess' life.

Tamami gently pulled Livian out of the water, she dried her off and dressed her a clean dry nightgown. Then she carefully took her and placed Livian in the bed of one of their small guest rooms throughout her home. By now, the sun had finally set, Sir Atlas had no more tears left inside him to release. He just sat there feeling empty without her princess. Then a moment later, Tamami came running into the room. The vigilante Red Knight sat up and walked over to her, the others stood back and watched…

He looked at her with concern in his eyes …

“I..Is she alright dear healer mage?”

Tamami looked up at him sincerely and nodded her head..

“Yes.. Princess Livian lives, she’ll be a little sore though. But for now she must rest”

The others were surprised to hear that the Princess Knight was princess Livian this whole time.

On the other hand, when he thought he couldn’t cry no more, tears of joy escaped his eyes as he gratefully hugged the healer..

“Thankyou for saving her.. M..May I see my princess? Please?”

Tamami nodded her head and took them all to see the princess. There in the small guest room, the beautiful Princess Livian lay slumbered in the bed, Atlas walked over to her bedside and sat in the chair beside her. He gently held her small delicate hand and sincerely smiled at her sleepy unconscious face. The others too were relieved that Livian was safe and recovering.

Tamami stood in the doorway smiling with her little brother by her side.

“Please dear travellers allow me to invite you to stay here until the princess has awoken and fully  recovered”. Sir Atlas looked up and smiled gratefully…

“Thankyou, thankyou for everything dear healer mage”.

She smiled.. “Please call me Tamami your highness”.

“Very well then miss Tamami”.

“Oh and sorry about my little brother’s cheekiness earlier, it’s just Denkou’s way of making friends” Tamami replied, feeling a little awkward.

“It’s alright, I’m used to that kinda thing” Sir Atlas replied with a slightly awkward expression across his face.

As the night rose, the others settled in for the night and went to sleep in the other guest rooms. But alas, Sir Atlas still sat beside his slumbering princess, looking at her lost in thought- Sir Atlas still couldn’t believe that the Princess Knight was his beautiful princess Livian this whole time. All he wanted now was to see her heart warming smile again.

Over the next few days, Sir Atlas did nothing more than watch over his beautiful princess until she awoke. As he sat there watching over his dear princess, the prince began opening up his heart to her. Sir Atlas told his dear princess Livian how he really felt about her, all the good times he had travelling the kingdom and bringing upon justice alongside her. Sitting there, thinking about everything the two went through together brought tears of heartache to his eyes, they tricked down his beautiful chiseled jawline one more. Sir Atlas gently kissed the back of her  hand..

“ Please Livian, Please wake up. I truly love you with all my heart a..and I just can’t lose you”.

Peeking through the doorway, little magic boy Denkou could see how hurt Sir Atlas was and of course being the friendly young boy he was, Denkou ran over and hugged him to ease his hurt heart. Though a little startled by Denkou’s presence, the prince was grateful for the young magic boy’s kindness. Throughout the rest of that day everyone took the time to check up on prince Daichi, right now he needed all the kindness and support he could get until his princess awoke from her unconscious state.

That night Sir Atlas sat by her bedside no more. He got up and laid beside her, sincerely staring at her beautiful, peaceful slumbered face and gently running the back of his hand down the side of her soft cheek .…

“My dearest princess, please come back. I miss you” the prince whispered softly, falling asleep by her side.

The night crept by and all were sound asleep. Early morning soon arose and as did the princess knight .…

Her arms and legs twitched a little, Livian groaned a little slightly still in some pain. She rubbed her tired eyes to wake herself up. Then as she slowly sat up, the princess studied her surroundings, Livian was a little confused but then it suddenly hit her ..…

She remembered the fight between the dangerous criminals, how their blades brushed the surface of her skin and that arrow piercing her skin and poisoning her.. But she did it all out of love for one man ... …

Then it hit her again. Where was Sir Atlas and the rest of the knight squad.

The princess looked at the chair by her bedside and saw Sir Atlas’s armour- her eyes widened, there was his armour but where was he?..

As she moved her hand leaning on the bed, her fingertips brushed something that felt like an arm …

When she looked down, her eyes widened like she’d just seen a ghost. Her face flustered all rosy and tears of joy and relief trickled down her face..

Livian couldn’t believe it, Sir Atlas was none other than prince Daichi himself. All this time the man she loved dearly had always been by her side protecting her, watching over her and sharing all those special memories they had along their travels too. She couldn’t help herself but let her tears stream down her soft delicate face. Livian leant over his shoulder gently shaking him, whispering in his ear…

“ Sir Atlas, Sir Atlas please wake up, it’s me. Please”.

The prince stretched himself out, moving about and opening his eyes. The minute he heard her sweet angelic voice, Daichi sat up with tears of joy in his eyes.

“L..Livian?  Y-you’re.. You’re.. “

“Uh ha” she mumbled through her tears.

The prince pulled her in close to him, hugging her and never letting her go. He rested his head on her shoulder…

“ I thought I’d never see you again. I thought I’d lost you forever Livian, I sat by your bedside day and night hoping and praying that I’d get to see and hear you sweet voice one last time”.

Livian though still teary herself, gently ran her hand down and over his head. Calming him down and reassuring Prince Daichi that everything was ok now. Her gentle touch was soothing and soon calmed him down, though he still hugged her dearly. Though Livian gently pushed him off, covering her face and feeling ashamed.

“W.What is it Livy?”..

“I.. I’m so sorry for putting you and the others through all this pain. If I didn’t let myself  get hit by that arrow and  his  sword , then none of this would’ve ever happened”.

“My dearest princess, don’t you ever blame yourself like that, you only did what was right in your heart.”

Livian sobbed once more, she looked into Daichi’s eyes sincerely and all blushie, then blurted out…

“I did it to protect you, I couldn’t lose you Sir Atlas, I don’t know what I would’ve done if they killed you.. And ..and…”

The prince’s face went a lovely shade of rose, his eye widened and his heart just about beating out of his chest. He then held on gently to her arms, leaning in forward, Daichi lovingly and passionately kissed her beautiful soft glossy pink lips. With that loving and meaningful kiss, the princess went all red and blushie, but she kissed him back dearly. Their love for one another was finally commemorated and their true feelings for one another were finally revealed.

After the two shared their romantic moment together, they both sat their all cutesy and blushie, drying their wet teary faces. Livian just smiled, resting herself and her head against his warm masculine chest. The prince just smiled back and enjoyed the warm loving embrace from his princess.

Not long after the others came running in to see what all the commotion was about- of course though when they saw that the princess knight was awake and alright, there was a warm happy and relieved feeling all around. The princess was glad to see her friends and how much they really cared about her wellbeing. Livian got up, though a little wobbly on her legs, she ran over and hugged her friends dearly.

Not long after, Tamami and Denkou also came to see how the princess was as well. When they introduced themselves to her, Livian was very warm and welcoming …..

“Thankyou for all your kindness and for healing me, Miss Tamami. I’m truly grateful, I hope we can be friends”.

“It was my pleasure dear princess, I’m glad you're feeling better” Tamami exclaimed, bowing her head.

“Please Miss Tamami, just call me Livian” The princess said sincerely smiling.

“As you wish then, Livian” the healer mage replied, hugging the princess.

Denkou couldn’t help but join in and hug the princess too, Livian just smiled and hugged him back. Later that morning everyone spent the day hanging about together, of course the prince made sure to stay by Livian’s side. Throughout the day she told him the truth about being the Princess Knight and in return he told her why he was the Vigilante Red Knight. Their righteous honesty to one another only brought them closer together. When they told the others, they too were pleased that everything was now out in the open.

That evening, by the edge of the lake outside of the healer’s cottage, Livian sat there peacefully dipping her feet into the beautiful warm water and taking in the wonderful view of the willow tree forest. Moments later the prince came along, sitting besides his lovely lady. Livian smiled and went a little rosy in the cheeks. Daichi went  a little red himself as he gently brushed her fingertips with his hand.

“Hey Livy, how are you feeling?”

She looked off to the side all cutesy and blushie, fiddling with her fingers.

“O..Oh um,  I’m feeling much better now”.

“That’s good to hear my dearest princess”.

Livian stopped fiddling with her fingers, then looked up at the prince- still all cutesy and blushie. She took a deep breath, slowly releasing she spoke softly …

“It looks like the truth is finally out about us now I guess”.

“Indeed my princess, I’m glad it came out”.

The princess then rested her head against Daichi’s shoulder, causing his face to glow all rosy and a warm feeling to arise.

“ I’m glad it came out too because I really care about you .. Sir Atlas” she said with a cute cheeky smile upon her face.

He smirked a little looking down into her beautiful sparkly eyes…

“ Well my dearest Princess Knight, I care a lot about you too”.

And with that he cheekily kissed the top of her forehead.

The princess went red, she squirmed a little and awkwardly fell bottom first into the shallow lake. Poor Livian got all soaking wet, the prince couldn’t help but giggle at his princess’ cute clumsiness and Livian couldn’t help but giggle at herself too. Of course though he helped her up and cheekily carried her back to the cottage bridal style.

That night they spent time hanging about and bonding with everyone, Livian got to know the healer mage and her adopted little brother a bit more too. As the night grew darker, the others soon were sound asleep, well all but the prince and princess. The two sat together snuggling and staring at the stars for a while , they too soon fell asleep snuggling one another.

The next day, not too long after dawn, the knight squad said their farewells to the healer mage and her brother for all their help. Though the healer mage’s cheeky adopted little brother couldn’t help but cheekily pull silly faces at the Sir Atlas again. Livian could help but cheekily giggle at Denkou’s mischievous behaviour, Sir Atlas just pulled a silly face back at him. Tamami and Denkou stood outside by the lake, waving goodbye as they watched the knight squad ride off into the depths of the willow tree forest.

The Knight squad dashed through the forest for hours on end, though they took the occasional break along the way. But they eventually made it back to princess Livian’s kingdom by late afternoon. The squad were greeted by Lady Epsilon, Astro and young maiden Uran.

When they came to a halt, the Princess Knight and sir Atlas took off their helmets, smiling at one another. Lady Epsilon and Astro looked over and smiled at each other- they were glad to see that princess Livian and  prince Daichi had finally told each other the truth. Uran on the other hand couldn’t believe her eyes, her friend princess Livian was the Princess Knight the whole time …

“ Welcome back you lot, did you finally stop the gang of criminals?” Lady Epsilon asked.

“I’m so glad to see you again Eps. Yeah we finally stopped them. The kingdom will be safe for quite some time”

 Livian replied smiling and hugging Lady Epsilon.

“ I also see you came out about you know what too” Epsilon said gently nudging Livian and giggling.

“O..Oh yeah, he he we finally told each other everything” Livian said awkwardly and going slightly beet red.

Uran ran over and hugged Livian excitedly ….

“ You were the Princess Knight the whole time Miss Livian? That’s awesome”.

Livian sincerely smiled and hugged her back ….

“He he yes indeed Uran, I just wanted to keep it a surprise until I was ready to tell everyone”.

“Sir Atlas” stood there staring and smiling at Livian sincerely. Astro looked at the princess, then back at “Sir Atlas”..

“Your Highness?”.....

“Yeah little brother?”....

“I’m glad you and the princess finally came clean about being knights”.

Sir Atlas smiled back.. “Yeah I’m glad too little brother, I’m glad too”.

Then it hit the prince..

“ Wait.. Are you telling me you knew that Livian was the princess Knight this whole time?” He asked, raising one brow and with a slight smirk across his face.

The young advisor stood there in silence, going a little bit bright red and hot under the collar.

“U..Um...Oh I’m gonna go help Sir Pluto.. B.Bye”. And with that Astro ran off over to Sir Pluto before Prince Daichi started interrogating him again.

“Ugh, little brother” the prince  sighed as he shook his head in disbelief.

The Princess and Maiden Uran couldn’t help but giggle at the prince’s and Astro’s little interaction with one another. Livian then looked Lady Epsilon in the eyes sincerely, politely asking …

“ You knew that Prince Daichi was Sir Atlas the whole entire time too didn’t you?”

Epsilon smiled bowing her head ….

“ Indeed I did Livian, but it was best to wait for the both of you to tell each other that yourselves”.

Livian rested her cheek against her hand smiling and  sincerely replied…

“Yeah you’re right and I’m glad you kept it secret, thankyou Lady Epsilon”

And with that she hugged Lady Epsilon dearly once more.

Not long after, the prince, princess and all their friends went back to the castle and enjoyed some time together. They shared stories of theirs from their two week adventure outside of town.

From that day onwards, there were no more secrets hidden between the Princess Knight and Sir Atlas. The two were finally rejoiced and happy being together.  The knight squad finally revealed themselves to the kingdom, everyone was delighted, grateful and cheered. The princess and prince smiled at each other sincerely, they were glad that everyone now knew the people who were always there to protect them.

Soon after Lady Epsilon and young Advisor Astro joined the squad alongside their new friends healer mage Tamami and Denkou the team was now stronger than ever. There was finally peace and tranquility throughout the kingdom, but the knight squad was always there ready for action.

Anyways, I had fun writing this one and I hope you enjoyed reading it. Hopefully soon I’ll work on some more art based off this AU and share it with you guys too ^^

[thinger-strang]

no one dies and everyone's gay au

Nancy finds Barb when she gets stuck in the Upside Down when she's in the forest with Jonathan (don't ask me about the logistics) and so Steve ends up finding Jonathan and Barb in Nancy's room? And he's confused because at first he'd just seen Jon and thought Nancy was cheating but then he saw Barb walk into the room? (traumatic sleepover time! except Jon stays on the ground and Barb and Nance cuddle on the bed bc they're best friends and BARB WAS MISSING FOR LIKE TWO DAYS I THINK? she deserves snugs)

But Tommy and Carol started talking about how Nancy was probably sleeping with both, everyone knew Barb was the biggest d*ke in Hawkins, Nancy probably got curious about the other side!

He doesn't necessarily agree but still doesn't stop Tommy from spray painting the theater (because Nancy still lied to him? Lying generally meant there was something? going on? idk Steve's just confused and a little hurt rn)

The rest of the season goes pretty much the same, Barb's just there trying to not die and trying to help the Gang™ find Will and fight this bitch ass demogorgon (I don't think she's really be part of the Nancy and Jonathan luring it to the house and fighting it, she'd help with set up and the plan but I think she'd fuck right off when it comes down to facing it, she's had enough monsters for one life time thx)

But she'd so wanna help get Will out so she's there with Joyce and everyone talking to El while she's in the bath finding Will and talking Hop and Joyce about the Upside Down

(and she's been to the hospital, she didn't get a face sucking monster thing so she recovered quicker? idk don't ask logistics again lmao)

But she and Will end up getting along and sometimes when she's hanging out with Nancy and the party comes over she'll say hi to Will and like ruffle his hair

(also I want a little scene after the big monster hunting trip scene where a) Nancy and Jonathan explain everything to Steve and b) where Steve sees Barb again and pulls her into the biggest hug and starts like apologizing for not paying attention that night and for letting her get taken and even though she assured him it wasn't his fault he still feels guilty about it, it was his house, he should have helped her bandage her hand or something? idk but this right here is the beginning of the Barb/Steve friendship and the start of the "fall of King Steve")

cue s2

and so the four get really close, Jonathan and Steve are actually friends (idk what s2 was pulling but they're friends) and Barb talks to Nancy about Steve and Jonathan and Nancy ends up breaking up with Steve way earlier (bc you know none of that drama would have happened if Barb was there so)

But they're all still good friends, Steve's cool about the break up, and Nancy and Jonathan get together but it's not like right after? so it's all chill and they all went through a dramatic experience together so they remain close knit yeah

and Barb eventually comes out to them (everyone's supportive obviously) and Steve's is ready to throw down with anyone for her

cue Billy

the four of them are sizing up the new guy, Nancy doesn't really care, Jonathan thinks his hair is a little ridiculous (which I mean, that first day? when he steps out of the Camaro? yeah it was a lil rough), Barb can see right through his macho bullshit, and Steve? has a little bi meltdown. bc this kid has definitely had boy crushes before and knows he likes both (kid listens to queen of course he knew he was bi lmao)

blah blah blah s2 happens, Barb, Steve, and Billy have the same English class and Billys generally quiet during school, kinda stand-off-ish, only really bugs people during gym/basketball, but he literally sits in the back and does absolutely nothing during class and still somehow has the highest grade

(FUCK him and Barb get paired for a project and she fucking calls him out? like she's just like you're gay I'm lesbian you can cut the crap around me and they become...not friends? but they have solidarity, they're cool)

and I'm a slut for this trope but BILLY FIGHTS DEMODOGS WITH THEM lmao he hears Max sneak out and follows her and finds her in the junkyard armouring up a bus with fucking Harrington and a couple of nerds? and like the sun is setting and he needs to get Max home so he's like "Maxine! I don't know what the fuck this is and I don't fucking care, we gotta go!" and the four are like yelling at him to either leave or get in the bus! and he's so confused, I'm not here to play games Max! and Steve's running out of the bus with a FUCKING NAIL BAT WHAT THE FUCK HARRINGTON? And Steve's like behind you! and swings at a demodog. Billy has a borderline panic attack before he finds like a fender or exhaust pipe or whatever and starts swinging too

the dogs run away and Billy rounds onto Steve like what the living shit was that? and Steve has to explain everything with Dustin and Lucas interrupting and Max shrugging and trying to understand too? it's a mess

s2 continues with Billy and with HOPPER NOT BEING ABLE TO STAND HIM bc he's caught him speeding and underage drinking and shit and Billy's nervous as hell around cops which makes him mouthy and ITS A MESS

they're all at Joyce's (Barb's there too bc Will's possessed and they need to check up on her too? and she's concerned for Will anyway yeah she's in this too) and El shows up and Steve and Billy are just like what? another one? who the fuck? like Steve heard about her but this isn't a tiny child without hair??? idk it's funny

BILLY WITH AN AXE IN THE TUNNELS

(obviously Steve isn't passed out and the kids don't drive the car, it's Billy's awful impulse control that leads to them going into the tunnels)

okay I couldn't decide where to put Barb here? so I left her with Steve and Billy to babysit and she ends up in the tunnels too? and she's def handling it better than the boys are fuck yeah

Steve has his bat and is in front and Billy found an axe in the pile of shit from the Byers' shed and he pulls up the end

it's awesome

yada yada Steve and Billy end up becoming weirdly good friends by the end and he's good with him and Barb, idk about Nance and Jon but eh

s3 now

Billy ends up getting two jobs; lifeguard and cook at Benny's (bc he's alive too, fight me bitches this is the ultimate fix it) and Barb ends up working as a waitress there too (and working together builds the weirdest bonds so they are besties now)

everything in s3 is pretty much the same but with diner scenes too? and like all the Hawkins moms swarm Benny's too and leave lipstick stains on their kitchen tips and "send my compliments to the chef *wink*"

Billy eats it up but Barb can tell he also kinda hates it bc he's barely 18 and not even remotely into women and it makes him super uncomfortable but publicly he "loves" it (he starts wearing tank tops to the pool and tries to hide out in the kitchen but it really doesn't work)

he still gets caught up with the mind flayer but it's not bc he's about to sleep with Karen bc ew, idk why he's driving out by the warehouse idk maybe he's out on a drive bc he can't sleep yeah

anyway he gets caught up but like he knows, or kind of knows, what this is and calls in sick to both jobs and talks to Hopper bc WHAT THE FUCK isn't the gate closed? I got face fucked my an interdimensional monster so unless you know where the fuck that came from?? and they deal with it earlier (most of the shit still happens but it's less...messy? like Hop and Joyce are more involved in the Billy shit and Steve knows about it?)

Steve still gets caught up with the Russians (I don't think he'd have a chance to tell anyone (specifically Hopper) bc he finds out about Billy then the elevator stuff happens like right after and yada yada)

so for most of the season it's them trying to actually help Billy! and they end up saving a lot of people? (specifically Heather bc she was really nice to Billy and I want he to live fight me it's my au)

but enough people get melted and shit that starcourt still get destroyed blah blah blah!

but Billy makes it and so does Hop and Alexie (no one dies au) and they all end up doing the thing in the mall like they did in the shed with Will? like breaking Billy out? Barb talks about working at the diner and their secret and Steve talks about them hanging out and playing basketball and the tunnels and Max talks about Billy buying her a new board and them scream-singing along to ACDC in the Camaro and the kids mention him giving them rides and shit and yeah! El talks about his mom and that's it! Joyce and Hop close the gate while Billy's holding the one arm (he doesn't get stabbed in the chest, as cool as that scar would be, no...but he gets some on his hands and upper arms and his sides?)

(also Billy's drinking like bleach rn so they try and reverse that as much as possible while he's possessed so that he has a better recovery later bc no! chlorine is not good for you! and Billy tries so hard to not drink it but sometimes he can't fucking stop? idk but he has a support system now!)

and Robin came out to Steve and Steve comes out to her too? like kinda? he alludes to it vaguely bc he's so not ready to be out to anyone FUCK

And Billy comes out to Steve (he was planning on doing it earlier that summer but shit happened)

and Robin becomes friends with everyone (ITS ROBIN X BARB HOURS BITCHES)

(OKAY small like side shit? Benny and Hopper have known each other for years and Benny's like one of the only registered foster parents on Hawkins so he ends up fostering a lot of wayward kids while Hop figures out legal stuff (he hasn't adopted anyone yet but him and his husband (yeah Benny's gay deal with it) really want to? they just haven't yet, all the kids they take care of end up in their care temporarily) BUT Hop finds out about Billy and Max's home life (I know a lot of people write that Neil wouldn't hit Max but...nah son not how that works? idk but he needs to get them out? and Neil's bad to Susan too (he's the worst to Billy but still bad to Max and Susan) anyway Hop helps Susan leave Neil (it takes a while and Billy and Max end up with Benny for a little bit while the divorce is going down and all the legal shit yeah it's safer out of the house rn) long story short Billy ends up staying with Benny after everything and ends up getting adopted (they're like we know you're 18 and you don't need a guardian but if you want we can be your dads? and Billys like yeah sure that'd be nice and yeah) Hop ends up being a weird like uncle figure? idk like I said him and Benny are close and they both adopted kids so yeah? and Billy ends up considering El his little sister and he still visits Max and Susan and yeah?)

ANYWAY everything kind of calms down, Hop and Joyce get together (I just realized I forgot about Bob so...idk I guess this isn't an everyone survives au? no no that's weird um idk him and Joyce end up breaking up idk why) but yeah Hop and Joyce get together and like it's kind of fast but they've been in love for a long time so it's kind of fine? like idk but yeah

Barb and Robin get together (ITS FUCKING CUTE they go to aquariums and have paint dates where they sit on some old sheets and paint while listening to Robin's records ITS CUTE!)

STEVE COMES OUT TO EVERYONE! he definitely cries bc fuck he was scared! bc he likes both and he wasn't sure if that was a thing or whatever for a while and Billy's like oh yeah, like David Bowie or Freddie Mercury? and that's when Steve's cries bc oh thank God you guys get it and you're cool with it oh fuck and YEAH

UM Max is bi too, Will comes out as gay (listen I know none of this is like 80's realistic but everyone's gay and alive and happy, fuck off)

Um it takes forever for Billy and Steve to get together, it's awful. like Barb and Robin have to deal with their pining and shit? and like Robin hears about it from Steve at work and Barb hears about it from Billy at the diner and they put their knowledge together and make a Plan ™

it's like elaborate and dramatic (shut up they're all like 18-19) and shit? BUT LMAO okay one day they're all hanging out at Steve's (bc I've also hopped aboard the neglectful parents train sorry) and idk Steve and Billy are there before Robin and Barb are so the girls walk in on them arguing over whatever and like Billy's talking really fast and Steve's talking with his hands and idk what it's about but Billy ends up yelling that he loves him BUT THEY KEEP ARGUING FOR LIKE A SOLID MINUTE AFTER THAT BEFORE IT HITS THEM and Steve gets all quiet and is just like you love me? and Billy doesn't fucking know what to do?? he's like bright red and frozen and Robin and Barb are by the door trying to not like break the spell (bc it's been months guys) and Billy's like of course I do asshole and Robin thinks Steve's about to have a panic attack but he like rushes forward and cups Billy's face and kisses him senseless and it's like the best thing Robin and Barb have ever seen

and they're resting their foreheads together, Steve's still holding Billy's face and Billy has his hands on Steve's chest it's really tender but Robin's like yeah congrats and shit but you guys ruined our Plan™! and she gives them a long ass rundown of their elaborate scheme and Steve and Billy are like still touching and bumping into each other as they listen and Barb interrupts and says that this was better and Robin rolls her eyes but agrees

and they're watching a movie or whatever, cuddling in their respective couples and Steve fucking jumps up randomly and rounds on Billy like hey woah fuck I love you too, I didn't say that earlier! and Billy's looking up at him like yeah I know that asshole and yeah

[valarhalla]

Sumeria Questions for Avatarsymbolism 

1) since my main character was a wheat farmer, what sort of routine might he have had?

2) how did water irrigation work in sumer?

SO, to combine the first and second questions, I’m not sure of the actual mechanics of how the irrigation systems themselves worked, I’d have to look it up, but the important thing here, perhaps the single most important fact in Southern Mesopotamian Studies, is that Southern Mesopotamia is too dry to grow any sort of crop withOUT artificial irrigation. You can’t do it. Just going out and planting a field without it is impossible. Which makes it all the more amazing that it’s there that Eurasian civilisation got off the ground of all places, and it’s believed they’re connected- the prevailing theory is that the social organisation required for maintaining all these large-scale irrigation projects is what LED to the social stratification and invention of urbanism in the region.

So, on that note, irrigation work is going to be a MAJOR part of any Sumerian farmer’s life. He’s probably got a communal rota with his immediate neighbours if he lives in a small village, PLUS corvee labour for his landlord, city state or local temple, or possibly even all three. Money existed in the region at this point, but an average farmer probably didn’t encounter it much- his payment for temple labour (we THINK) would have been a grain ration in something called a Bevelled Rim Bowl. We’ve found thousands upon thousands of these in temples, and they’re all the exact same size, so they’re thought to have been for paying workers in grain rations. 

So there’s a bunch of texts that go into quite a lot of detail on daily life for farmers I could normally take some photos of for you, but I won’t have access to the book for the next few weeks at least. In the mean time, daily routine is hard to say, but a lot of aspects of agricultural life in this region haven’t changed much until a few decades ago, so you can probably extrapolate from recent accounts about life in Southern Iraq and not be far off. Something I remember is that there ARE a lot of mentions of wives bringing their husbands cold beer at the end of the day when they got back from the fields- it was probably cooled in something called a pot-in-pot refrigerator ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pot-in-pot_refrigerator ) and drunk through a straw. Heat in this region was and is extreme, so people start work at like 4 or 5 am, work until midday and then sleep in the afternoon, if they can. There’s a LOT more information I can give you once I have access to some of my books, but that’s a start.

approximately how big were summerian and assyrian armies and do you anything about how they were organized?

Ok, so there’s over a thousand year gap between the decline of Sumeria and the Assyrian Empire, so the two are basically chalk and cheese. Sumerian Warfare was… probably not as grand as we might picture it. Horses hadn’t been domesticated yet in the region, so rulers rode donkeys, if anything, or rode behind them in carts with wooden wheels that moved at about two miles an hour. Armies were probably a few hundred at MOST, mainly press-ganged, possibly corvee labourers again. The actual ruler probably did most of the commanding/general type stuff, since the armies weren’t very large. And the subject of the conflict was often those irrigation canals- the cities of Girsu and Lagash spent more than eight hundred years fighting back and forth for control of a single canal. There’s a famous piece of art called the Standard of Ur, which is thought to be a fairly realistic depiction of Sumerian warfare, armour and weapons.

(Look up Standard of Ur to see this bigger and in more detail).

By the time of the Assyrians, things had moved on, and the Assyrians really DID have vast earth-shaking armies of thousands fighting huge pitched battles. We know this, because, luckily for us, they produced photo-realistic wall reliefs of their wars and campaigns. And we know they’re photo-realistic because they’ve been corroborated by archaeological evidence- there’s one relief of a siege-ramp outside the city of Lachish, which archaeologists actually found pieces of, decades after the wall-relief was excavated from an Assyrian palace. Look up “Neo-Assyrian war reliefs” on google images, and you’re damn close to having a camera present at some of these events. A lot of what’s depicted is pretty similar to medieval siege warfare, with siege engines, archers, catapults, and ladders going over walls. Neo-Assyrian Warfare is a HUGE topic, so information on it is pretty readily available, if that’s what you’re going for- the British Museum did a big exhibition on it last year with lots of books published. 

4) would it make sense for my character to have eventually join the the army because of factors beyond his control?

YES (I’m actually so glad you asked this), because an absolutely incredibly piece of Sumerian literature called “In the Desert by the Early Grass”, which is a narrative about a mother trying to steal back her dead conscripted son from the underworld. It goes into a LOT of very unpleasant details about the son being quite literally dragged from his house and from his mother’s arms into joining the army, so this was very much a thing. It specifically mentions that shepherds and herders were at particular risk of being targeted, since they tended to work in remote areas outside of city defenses. Also at the end of the poem, the young conscript’s mother and sister are evicted from their home due to no longer having a male relative present to fulfill corvee labour requirements. Again, this text is in a book I don’t have access to and that I can’t currently find online, but it is very much a thing. 

Hope this helps! ;D

[idonthaveanyurlideas]

Hi gang I received exactly one compliment today and channeled that energy to write beaujes fic ft. caduceus and his plant metaphors here we go!!!

Read it HERE ON AO3 or check it out below the read more

The Mighty Nein stumbled into the Leaky Tap, too exhausted to try and make their way all the way to the Cobalt Soul Archive where they’d have free lodging. With all the money they’d received that day, one night’s rent was the last of their worries.

No, they had far more dangerous things to be concerned about, like how an ancient evil assassin of the Betrayer Gods had attacked them in broad daylight, in the middle of the Empire, in an attempt to kill them.

The assassin had retreated for now, vanishing through a wall and not reappearing, and Fjord’s new fuck-you-if-you’re-invisible magic indicated they weren’t hiding around waiting for another chance to strike, and Caleb hadn’t been able to detect any magic, and Jester and Caduceus had both checked in with their gods to see if the assassin was still close by and got a negative answer, but they were all still on edge.

Every other time, they’d been the ones to make the first strike on Obann. They’d hunted him down, or followed the clues to some creepy underground lair, they’d made the first move. Now he was striking back, and it had been brutal.

They paid for their rooms and headed upstairs, Beau drifting at the back of the pack just to make sure nothing followed them, and so no one could see her wince when she climbed up the stairs. The assassin (with the name The Inevitable End, how pretentious and also terrifying) had gotten her good, stabbing through her coat into the side of her back, just above her hip, but it hadn’t been enough to take her down, and in the long run, not as bad as what most of the others got.

So when Jester and Caduceus had called out to know who needed healing immediately after the fight, Beau hadn’t raised her hand. If the assassin came back, that magic could be put to better use.

At the front, Caleb and Nott disappeared into their room almost immediately, both bloodstained and exhausted. Jester was helping Fjord make his way up the stairs, the half-orc limping from the remnants of a nasty gash up his leg that had practically rendered him immobile for half the fight. Jester had one arm around his waist supporting him, the other holding his shoulder, her eyes filled with concern when she looked at him.

Concern and… other things, probably.

Beau tore her gaze away, feeling a swirling in her stomach (or maybe it was internal bleeding) and a stab of irritation at letting her mind drift to that when they’d all nearly died. So Jester was in love with Fjord. So what? It didn’t hurt.

In forcing her eyes away from Fjord and Jester, she looked at Caduceus, who paused at the top of the stairs waiting for them all to get to the top. They made eye contact, and Beau could never tell what was going on in Caduceus’ eyes, but always felt like they were watching, keeping an eye on things. Now it just felt like they were searching, peering straight through her and seeing everything.

And in the corner of her eye, she sees Jester help Fjord to the room he shares with Caleb and Nott, and the wound in her side is pulsing and so she stares down at the ground, focusing on getting up to the top of the stairs without tripping.

Caduceus’ hand, heavy but loose, easy to brush off if she really wanted to, caught her shoulder as she tried to brush past him, to go to the room she shared for Jester. For however much longer that would be happening. If Jester and Fjord got together they’d end up rooming together, wouldn’t they? That would make sense. The thought tasted bitter.

“Beauregard, would you mind helping me for a moment?” Caduceus’ voice didn’t pierce through her thoughts the way Nott’s or Jester’s might have. Instead, it melted through, soft and tired and just a little curious.

“Sure.” Beau desperately wanted to sleep, even though it was still early afternoon. But she followed Caduceus to his room anyway. He used to room with Yasha, while she’d still been with them. She wondered if he missed that. “What’s the problem?”

“If you could just hop me get this armour off, that’d be great.” Caduceus said smoothly, taking off his coat. “It can be hard to get off in the best of times.” And this sure wasn’t the best of times.

“Yeah, sure,” Beau said, following Caduceus’ instructions on where some of the buckles and knots that held his armour together were, pulling it off and laying it on the ground. “I guess this wasn’t so useful against that knife.”

“They likely saved me from even further harm.” Caduceus mused, picking up one of the pieces and examining it. “I would never be able to continue on the way you do, without armour.”

“I’m quick,” Beau said. Even if he wasn’t looking directly at her, it felt like he was. “Don’t need armour if they can’t catch you.”

“Hmm. Would you mind letting me see your injury?” Beau’s eyes widened, and Caduceus turned to look at her.

“Ah shit, this was a trap.” She scowled, only realising after she’d said it that she effectively admitted she was hurt. The corner of Caduceus’ mouth twitched, and he gestured towards one of the beds in the room.

“Yes, it was.”

Beau’s eyes flickered to the door, which was ever-so-slightly ajar, before she finally sighed, slipping off her long coat and dropping it onto the floor so she wouldn’t get blood on the bed, before sitting down. Maybe she’d get blood on the bed anyway. Too late now.

Caduceus circled around until he located the injury, humming to himself. “That looks painful, Beau.”

“I’m still standing, so it probably wasn’t poison, at least,” Beau said, smiling hollowly.

“You know you can tell us you need healing before you’re on death’s door.” That was an annoying thing about Caduceus. He was entirely laidback and chill, and then all of a sudden he’s cutting right to the point while Beau is still dancing around the outside of it and trying to run away.

“I know.” She said, stiffening up as Caduceus carefully poked the area around the injury, probing it. “The others needed it more.”

“We still have bandages, and salves, and other non-magical ways of dealing with this,” Caduceus said, pressing his hand over the wound.

It was always a relief to feel the healing magic settling through, even though Beau was still certain there was a better use for it. “It woulda been fine by morning.”

“That’s not the point, and I think you know that,” Caduceus said, in a tone that could almost be considered snappy.

“No point making Jester fret if she doesn’t have to. She’s got enough to worry about.” Beau frowned, closing her eyes as the last of the healing sunk in. “She’s got… other things to be thinking about. Other people.”

“She’s your best friend. She thinks about you a lot.” Caduceus came back around in front of her, his eyebrows knitting together. “Did something happen between you two?”

“Nothing happened.” Beau scoffed, running a hand over where the injury had been, finding nothing but a raised bump that she knew would be gone by the morning, and half-dried blood. “She’s just… I’m…” Her voice trailed off.

Caduceus stayed patiently quiet, which was very annoying when Beau was trying to wait him out so that he’d let her go without any more awkward questions.

Finally, she groaned. “I just talked to Nott today, right? Because Jester was talking to Fjord, and I was wondering what they were talking about.”

“Oh. Yes, I noticed you all talking to each other earlier today.” Caduceus nodded, and Beau wasn’t even surprised. Of course, he would have noticed.

“Well, did you hear what any of us said? Did you hear what Fjord and Jester were talking about?”

“No, I didn’t pay attention to either conversation. I assumed if it was important you’d tell us all eventually.” How irritatingly respectful of him.

“Cool. Cool.” Beau hesitated for a moment, her hands curling into fists. “Nott said she thinks Jester has feelings for Fjord, and that it’s requited. Which makes sense. Like, Jester flirted with him a lot ages ago but she hasn’t really done it as much recently so I thought maybe she’d kinda moved on. But like, why wouldn’t she fall for Fjord? He’s tall and she met him before she met me and he’s got cool magic and has saved her life a bunch or whatever.”

“I think all of us have saved each others lives more than once,” Caduceus said, frowning ever so slightly. “It’s not an inherently romantic gesture.”

“Yeah, but… if someone you like saves your life, it’s different.” Beau stood up, thinking about all the times she’d come back from unconsciousness only to see Jester’s face above her. Sometimes concerned, sometimes angry, sometimes scared, always beautiful. “And of course Fjord would fall in love with her. She’s amazing, he’d have to be totally stupid not to fall in love with her. Asshole.”

She winced. “I mean, he’s not an asshole. He’s one of my other best friends, he’s great. I’m rambling. There’s nothing wrong here and it’s great and I’m just being weird again and I should be happy for them.”

Caduceus was looking at her and she could practically see the wheels turning in his brain, seeming to come to a conclusion. He cleared his throat, taking a seat on the bed she’d just vacated and holding his hands together like he was praying, but with the top of his fingers pointed towards her.

“Beau…” he began, pausing for a moment to inhale before continuing. It wasn’t the kind of ‘inhale so I can figure out exactly how to tell you how stupid you’re being’ inhale that she was intimately familiar with, but more of a ‘inhale so I can pick the perfect plant metaphor to talk about this situation with, because plants are just that fucking awesome’. “You know there’s lots of different kinds of plants in the world.”

Beau sat down on the other bed in the room, her gaze on the floor. Plant metaphors. Knew it.

“Sometimes plants that you think will grow well together, that come from a similar environment and look great when separated, don’t actually thrive together. You can still push them together, and water them and give them the care and attention they need, but it just doesn’t work. Sometimes some plants do grow well together, but not as well as they possibly could. One might grow taller and steal the sunlight from the other, or one might develop deeper roots and take most of the water. There’s no understanding between them.”

Beau stared, trying to figure out the exact parameters of this metaphor. Was she a plant? Was the gardener involved at all or were they representative of fate or something?

“But sometimes, you can get two plants that come from entirely different places, two entirely different countries. You would never think to put them together at first, but when you do, and you pay attention, you realise they go together wonderfully. Their roots can intertwine, their flowers bloom together, and one could be mistaken for thinking they’re nurturing each other, making up for something the other lacks. But the plants can’t create that connection by doing nothing. They have to reach for it.”

Nodding slowly so that Caduceus couldn’t tell exactly how terribly lost she was in all this, Beau tried to process it.

She’d already practically spelled out to Caduceus that she had feelings for Jester, but she had no idea what he was trying to say about it. Did he think they’d be good together? Did he think she should confess because Jester and Fjord got officially together? Which plant was she supposed to be?

Sometimes, metaphors sucked.

“Right.” She finally said, after a long pause that she assumed to mean Caduceus was finished talking for now.

Feeling restless, like something was crawling underneath her skin, she stood up again, scooping up her coat and heading for the door. “Thanks. I guess. For the healing.”

Caduceus hummed in acknowledgment, wishing her a good night’s sleep as she left the room. As if she’d even be able to get to sleep at all.

She half expected her room to be empty when she got there but no, Jester was sitting on one of the beds, relief washing over her face when she saw Beau walk in, quickly disappearing beneath a tired smile. “Beau! Where did you go?”

“Caduceus wanted me to help him with his armour,” Beau said, dropping her coat on the other bed. She bit the inside of her cheek, and then mumbled an addition, “Also, he healed some injury I had, no big deal.”

“You were hurt?” Jester’s head snapped towards her, frowning. “Beau, you didn’t say you were hurt!”

She scrambled up to look Beau over, squinting at every scar and poking every scratch she could see. “Hiding injuries is really bad for you!”

“Yeah, I already got that lecture from Caduceus, don’t worry about it.” Beau’s mind was spinning, her heart beating like it was going to burst out of her chest, only speeding up when Jester looked up at her.

“Beau, today was really scary. What if you didn’t get it healed and then there was internal bleeding and then you died overnight or something?”

Beau opened her mouth to retort, before dropping her head. “I’m sorry.”

Jester’s face scrunched up a little before relaxing, wrapping her arms around her shoulders in a hug. “At least Caduceus fixed it. But you can come to me, you know?”

“You were worrying about the others. Fjord and whatever.” Beau murmured. “I didn’t want to impose.”

“You’re not imposing, Beau,” Jester said, her brows furrowing together. “What does Fjord have to do with it?”

Shit. Abort. Go back to Caduceus and talk about plant metaphors! “Nothing! He was just- more hurt. You were busy with him! And I get it, you know, I don’t mind, it’s fine, I know how you feel-”

“How I feel?” Shit, she’d said too much- “What do you mean, Beau?”

Wishing the window was close enough for her to jump out of it to escape this conversation, Beau stammered for a few moments. “You know… you… like him and everything. Romantically.”

Jester’s frown deepened, and her arms dropped to her side, leaving Beau standing by herself. “Why- I don’t- Why do you think that?”

Ordinarily, Beau would have expected Jester to blush and giggle at that declaration, maybe deny it. Instead, she just looked confused, and a bit worried. “Because… you were. You tried to flirt with him. All that… that Oskar stuff.”

Now Jester actually grimaced, suddenly entirely uncomfortable. “No, I- I thought I liked him. Maybe I did, I’m not sure- but I don’t anymore.” She scratched lightly at her arms, her cheeks flushed.

“You don’t?” Beau blinked, staring Jester in the eye and suddenly re-evaluating everything she thought she knew about current group dynamics.

“No!” Now Jester actually laughed, curtly and nervously, before trailing off. “Why… why does it matter?”

Beau swallowed her words, the silence after that question hanging in the air like a heavy weight. “I thought… I-”

“Even if I did like Fjord, it wouldn’t change anything! You’re my- my best friend, I like you so much!”

“I like you too!” Beau said quickly, all of her emotions swirling inside her, threading to spill over.  “But I thought you were in love with Fjord and that just- I was jealous! I was jealous because I’m in love with you!”

Jester’s eyes widened, and suddenly Beau was frozen. For a few moments, there was nothing but the sound of quick breathing and muffled city sounds that felt a million miles away.

Beau hung her head, her face and neck feeling like they were on fire. Jester took a step forward, then another, until she was just in front of Beau, so close she could feel her breath. “You love me?”

She just nodded, and then there was a finger under her chin, gently tilting her head upwards until she was looking at Jester. Her eyes were shining, and then both her hands cupped Beau’s cheeks.

“Jes?”

Without another word Jester stood up on the tips of her toes, pulling Beau down at the same time until their lips met, eyes squeezed tight. Beau started with surprise and almost pulled away before stopping herself, leaning in the cool touch of her skin, all thoughts of jealousy and plants and blood suddenly insignificant in the fact of this moment. She closed her eyes too and kissed back, passionately for a second before it faded and they pulled away, staring into each other’s eyes.

“You love me,” Jester repeated breathlessly.

“Yeah.” Beau felt numb, a part of her in disbelief this was happening. Maybe she had fallen unconscious, and this was all an elaborate dream. “Do you love me?”

“I think so.” Jester’s eyes flickered down to Beau’s lips, her mouth curling upward. “Might… might need another kiss to know for sure.”

Beau couldn’t help a short laugh, reaching her hands around Jester’s waist and pulling her in close. “Happy to oblige.”

[blancheludis]

Tagging: @tokky231

Fandom: Marvel, Avengers Characters: Tony Stark/Steve Rogers, James Rhodes, Pepper Potts, Bruce Barton, Steve Rogers Chapters: 25/?, Words: 138.273

Summary: Tony meets his soulmate under the worst possible circumstances. It is not just a kidnapping gone wrong. It turns out Steve and his gang picked him on purpose and they want some personal revenge. If only he had managed to say the words written on his soulmate’s arm before they threw him back out into the streets.

—

Darkness meets Tony when he blinks awake, shooting upwards with a breathless yell on his lips. He was running, his heartbeat matches the pace. Something was following him. Something large and gruesome, calling Tony’s name like a curse, like judgement.

Sweat clings to his skin as he sits, afraid to look around, afraid to find the thing hunting him. He can still feel it coming closer, reaching for him.

Tony glances at the ceiling, which he deems safe, only to recoil as he recognizes Obadiah glaring down at him. He does not look like Tony remembers him. Blood-shot eyes, a sneer pulling at split lips. Two holes are in his chest, too bright to ignore, pointed at Tony with stinging accusation. The dripping of blood is deafening.

Tony knows that, if he looks down, he will find a gun in his hand, the barrel still hot to the touch. He killed Obadiah. He killed his godfather. Two bullets and the wish for peace did this to him, turned him into a murderer.

Obadiah looms closer and brings the scent of blood with him. Death clings to Tony’s shoulders now and all the clever reasons he had dissipate like they never existed at all. He tastes iron and is certain he will never get rid of it again.

“I’ve got you,” someone murmurs, far enough away for Tony to think he is not being haunted. “You’re home, Tony. It’s over.”

The voice sounds like Rhodey and then like Steve and Thor and Pepper all blended together. He wants to believe them, but Obadiah is right there, lurking in the shadow over Tony’s bed, looking down at him with a smile Tony knows not to trust anymore.

“You’re safe,” the voice says, and Tony turns towards it. He reaches out and warmth meets him, engulfing him almost like armour.

He blinks and when he focuses back on the dark ceiling, Obadiah is gone. His heart keeps racing, but his breathing calms and he feels himself sinking deeper back into sleep. He lets himself fall, held by the voice. Obadiah is dead. He is too tired to keep fighting.  

---

Tony wakes up with Rhodey in his bed, already awake and reading something on his tablet, while fresh coffee is waiting for them on the nightstands.

“You can’t come running every time something shitty happens in my life,” Tony murmurs, not quite fully present. He guesses that substitutes as a thank you.

For good measure, he stretches and then curls himself against Rhodey’s side, indescribably glad to have someone who lets him close without seeing anything strange with it. Rhodey shifts and puts his arm out, pulling Tony closer in a sort of hug.

“You will see that I can,” Rhodey argues in the same calm voice he always uses when Tony is being irrational. “Although I think it’s high time that these things stopped happening.”

They have talked the night before. Tony probably said too much, his brain-to-mouth filter more non-existent than usual, thanks to the exhaustion and the aftereffects of being drugged. With anybody else, he would worry about that. Rhodey knows him, though. They have grown up together in a dorm room at MIT. They have talked through dozens of drunken nights. Tony trusts Rhodey, and he is gladder than ever that he can.

“How long can you stay?” Tony asks, despite being slightly afraid of the answer.

A big unknown is looming ahead of him. The future of the company and his personal life are undecided, just waiting for him to get on his feet and sort them out.

“As long as you need me to. I will definitely not disappear while you take a shower,” Rhodey replies dryly. His eyes are serious, showing that he knows exactly what Tony is thinking. “Pancakes all right?”

Pancakes from Rhodey are the ultimate comfort food. They are definitely worth getting up and testing how badly his body is aching this time. It is not too bad while he is lying down, but the bed is warm and his body is relaxed thanks to him feeling safe. As soon as he comes out from beneath the blanket that will change. It is nice to pretend for a moment longer, however.

“With chocolate, please,” Tony says, daring to smile. There, the first hint of pain as his lips are stretched, tugging at where they were split.

“I’ll drown them in it,” Rhodey promises and puts down his tablet to get to work. He knows that, if he does not move first, they will spend the entire day here.

Tony is not ashamed of showing weakness, but crawling out of bed when he does not know how terrible it will feel, testing his bruises and aching joints while Rhodey’s worried eyes follow his every moment is not going to happen. He has a little bit of pride left and that means he is going to let a hot shower loosen his tensed muscles enough that he will be able to move as close to natural as he can get.

Tony watches Rhodey walk out of the room and immediately feels the loss of him. Just a moment before, he was warm and strangely content despite what happened the day before. The weeks before, really. Now, it is as if a curtain has been lifted in the back of his mind, allowing all the bad things to spill forth.

Pain and Steve and Obadiah and his weapons in the wrong hands and mistakes and betrayal. The list is endless.

Biting his lip right over the cut, Tony makes himself focus and get out of bed. He is standing before he deigns to listen to the aching protest of his body. It could be worse, he decides. His ribs are screaming anew with every movement, and his head is still pounding slightly. Other than that, he just feels sore. Nothing that he does not have experienced a hundred times before. Obadiah’s goons did not have a lot of time to rough him up before they were interrupted.

With an abrupt movement, Tony turns towards the bathroom. He does not want to think about the blood spraying out from the sudden hole in the man’s neck or the gurgling sound he made when he fell. He does not want to think about the sounds of gunshots ringing through the air, or how terrifyingly familiar the weight of the weapon has felt in his hands. None of the targets he has shot at before has ever moved. None of them has been his godfather either.

Death has always been a part of Tony’s life but he was never that close to it, has never seen the panic in another person’s eyes while their life was leaving them.

Concentrating on his steps as if his brain has ever stopped racing just because he wanted it to, Tony walks to the bathroom, where he strips without looking at himself in the mirror before stepping into the shower.

He is afraid of what he would see. Last night must have left its traces. Perhaps he is as wild-eyed as he feels, perhaps the bruises on him are forming a distinct accusation. Perhaps he looks unchanged, and that might be the worst possibility after all.

The water is nice and warm as it runs over his skin, an impersonal touch but a gentle one. Without thinking, Tony turns the temperature up until it becomes almost scalding. This is not punishment, he tries to convince himself. This is just to cleanse him. A feeble attempt, really.

Only Rhodey and the promise of pancakes get him out of the shower at all. Again, he does not look at himself as he dresses, making sure to cover as much skin as possible without being too obvious about it.

Before he leaves his room, he plasters a smile of his face. Something small and harmless. Rhodey will know it is fake but he will not comment on it. They both know there are some things Tony will always cling to. When he cannot build his way out of a situation, he will at least appear like nothing is wrong. Clenched teeth are easily hidden and Tony is experienced in smiling through pain.

---

Pepper interrupts their prolonged breakfast not even an hour later. She was there the night before too, checking in on Tony before she went right back to saving his world. She kept the police off their back and probably already handled a press release to avoid the news getting out on their own.

Pepper knows. He has not told her but Rhodey did while he was pretending to be asleep. It is not so much that he could not bear watching her expression change but that he could not have told it a second time. One of these days, he will have to arrange himself with the fact that he murdered someone. He has to if he wants to go on with his life. Or, at least, if he wants to salvage what is left of it and shape it into something new.

All the family Tony has left is in this room now. Rhodey and Pepper. This is it.

It hurts. Tony is sure it will do so for a long time. Home does not quite feel so safe anymore, now that he has come back changed.

It is impossible for Tony to hide through all this, however, so he is not surprised when she appears in the door to the kitchen, looking as immaculate as always, even while Tony can see her fraying at the edges.

“Agent Coulson is here,” Pepper says. There is a hint of an offer in her tone like she is fully prepared to stall for him if he needs more time. They both know that would ultimately only make things harder on all of them.

So Tony nods and gets to his feet. “Have a pancake,” he all but orders, worrying about Pepper’s tendency to never take a break.

People always believe that, just because he is pampered and incapable of taking care of himself, he is also blind to other people’s needs. He is not, and if he has to personally push Pepper down in a seat and feed her the first piece of a pancake to convince her this is what she needs, he will do so.

“I can come with you,” Pepper offers quietly, not moving from her place in the door.

She looks sincere, and he knows she would take over for him. If anyone could handle Agent Coulson, who always seems to know too much, and get all of them out in one piece, it is Pepper.

“You’ve done enough already,” Tony says and smiles at her, gratefully. “And things will stay crazy for a while, so take a breather and eat Rhodey’s delicious pancakes.” When she does not move, he adds, trying for humour, “They’re the only reason I didn’t starve in college.”

Pepper’s expression does not relax at all. It was perhaps too soon to mention his possible demise, even if it has been some years since they were at MIT.

“They are also the only reason I could sometimes get him to eat an apple if I made sure they were sufficiently hidden inside them,” Rhodey says smugly, rightfully taking pride in getting Tony through his college years.

Everything was still so simple back then. Especially before his parents died. Before they were murdered. Immediately, Obadiah’s ghost is back, leaning over Tony’s shoulder to stare at him.

“This looks more like you were trying to drown yourself in chocolate,” Pepper comments dryly, nodding with slight disgust at the mess on Tony’s plate.

“Don’t judge. I was shot at yesterday.” Even while he says it jokingly, that sobers them all up again.

Tony was shot at yesterday and the matter is not over yet. Reminding his friends of that only serves in eradicating all the hard-won amusement. He should have just kept his mouth shut and left.

“What were you thinking?” Pepper asks, steel in her tone that stands in stark contrast to the way her eyes glisten with sudden wetness.

“About what?” Tony counters to buy himself some time.

He has been awake for nearly two hours now. It is remarkable that nobody breached this topic already, possibly the night before even. That does not make it easier to meet his friends’ stares and tell them that he would do the same thing all over again. That he would have acted even sooner had it been either of them out there in the parking lot with him instead of Thor.

“I’m not in the mood for games, Tony,” Pepper snaps. Her entire body is coiled as if in preparation for a hit. “Why would you do something so stupid as handing yourself over to people shooting at you?”

Put like that it does sound bad, but Tony still has the sound of gunshots in the ear and cannot erase the sight of blood on Thor’s shirt from his mind or the gaping fear of losing a friend out there. How could he make them understand that losing someone else would have been so much worse than whatever was going to happen to him? That is still true, even with Obadiah’s words weighing heavy on his mind and his hands dipped in red.

“Thor was hurt and nobody was coming,” Tony explains in a reasonable tone that seems to go right over Pepper’s head. “What else was I supposed to do?”

Pepper and Rhodey both look like they are utterly unconvinced by his reasoning.

“Anything but to go with someone who wanted you dead,” Pepper says, voice growing thinner with every word.

She is pale and on the verge of trembling as if she has seen his ghost the way he is followed by Obadiah’s. It is not so hard to understand where they are coming from. They are family and Tony could have easily died the day before. The mere thought of losing them leaves him nauseous. Thor has found his place in Tony’s heart too, though.

“I couldn’t have Thor’s death on my conscience,” Tony says, hoping that is enough to make them understand.

“It’s his job,” Pepper counters with a stubbornness usually reserved for difficult board members.

Tony is lost, standing in front of the breakfast table, defending his decisions. At least they picked the only one he is still certain he would make again. He is not sure he could bear them asking about Obadiah.

“Did you really just say that?” Tony asks, rolling back on the balls of his feet as if to bring more distance between him and her words.

Job or not, nobody deserves to die for another man’s feud.

“Yes,” Pepper answers, although she looks slightly uncomfortable about it. “I’m glad he’s alive, but what’s the use of hiring a bodyguard if you end up taking the fall for him?”

A smile pulls at Tony’s lips, fragile and lopsided, because she has put her head on the chopping block for him a dozen times, even if under less deadly circumstances. That was always more than her job required of her too.

“Perhaps the point was to protect a friend.”

Pepper winces slightly before she catches herself and says, almost warningly, “Tony.”

But this is enough. It is done and Tony would do it all over again. He is home and safe.

“No, I don’t want to hear it,” he says, glancing back at Rhodey too, to make sure they know he is done with the topic from both of them. “Maybe we could have held out longer. Maybe they wouldn’t have overrun us and Thor wouldn’t have bled out.” Maybe Obadiah would not have planned to program Tony’s pacemaker to kill them. Maybe there was a way to resolve all of this without bloodshed and Tony just did not see it. Still does not. “It doesn’t matter because it happened, and I’m fine, and Obie is – he’s not a problem anymore.”

Tony looks down at his hands, biting his lip against the pain of saying his godfather’s name. He wonders how long he will have to carry that, how long until this betrayal has become just another part of life instead of weighing him down to the point where he is not sure he can keep breathing.

“It’s the principle –” Pepper tries to argue, but Tony’s head whips up as he cuts her off.

“It’s not,” he says. This is the only thing he is certain about at the moment. “Unless you know someone else who wants me dead, this isn’t going to happen again. So could you please stop yelling?”

Pepper’s face softens, even if the worry in her eyes does not dissipate. Later, he might appreciate her single-minded care for his well-being, when his own guilt has alleviated a bit.

“For the record,” Rhodey says from the side, happy to draw some of the fire to give Pepper more breathing space. “I totally agree with her.”

Tony nods, even as he sighs. “Of course, you do.” He turns to smile at Rhodey, glad that no other argument is forthcoming. “And I appreciate that you let me have my pancakes first before berating me.”

He is not angry with them for wanting him safe, but despite what most people think of him, Tony is not just out to save his own hide. His friends are all he has. It is sometimes hard to forget that he is all Pepper has, too, and that Rhodey makes no distinction between his blood family and Tony.  Straightening, he walks over to the door, not without gesturing pointedly at the table to get Pepper moving. She knows he would not mind having her with him and would likely feel much calmer, but this is his fight. At least he got some breakfast into him before he has to face the cavalry.

Nobody says anything more before he leaves. At the door, he pauses and puts a hand on Pepper’s shoulder. She leans into the touch and offers him a watery smile. They will be all right.

 ---

Thor waits for him outside the elevator doors, wearing a suit and looking like the day before never happened. Tony’s eyes immediately fall to Thor’s side, almost expecting fresh blood to stain his shirt.

“Shouldn’t you be in the hospital?” Tony asks, wondering whether he has slept for more than one day or whether Thor is even more careless with his own health than Tony.

“Probably. I’m fine, though.” When Tony just looks at him in disbelief and refuses to move, Thor adds, “I had surgery to get the bullet out. It didn’t hit any major organs. I didn’t have internal bleeding. They told me I was lucky, gave me some pills, and didn’t protest too much when I checked myself out.”

Tony’s scepticism only increases at that. Surgery means Thor should at the very least still be under observation. “Which means you basically slipped out when no one was looking,” he concludes. He has been there before, after all. He has spent altogether too much time in a hospital because of his heart to ever needlessly prolong any stay there. “What is Bruce saying to that?”

Thor’s mouth tips downward for a moment, utterly unamused with Tony bringing up Bruce. “He knows me,” he says with a shrug. “He made me promise to stay in bed and do everything else he says.”

Like Rhodey and Pepper, Bruce is probably aware that no amount of threatening or reasoning will keep them in bed if there are still important things to do. Faced with someone this stubborn himself, Tony at least feels sympathy regarding his friends’ burden for the first time.

“Then what are you doing here?” he asks, deciding he has to at least try to talk some sense into Thor. “You should be in bed. I know I want to be and I wasn’t shot yesterday.”

Thor looks like he has several counterarguments depicting that Tony, while not having been hit by a bullet, had his own ordeal to go through the night before. Then, though, he simply shrugs. “Agent Coulson wants to talk to both of us.”

“Screw him,” Tony blurts, even though he is immediately relieved not to have to face Coulson on his own. That leaves them with fewer chances to contradict each other. “I can handle this. You have already done more than I ever could have expected from you. And no,” he adds when he sees Thor opening his mouth, “this is not part of the job.”

Not that Thor really feels like an employee anymore anyway, never did really. They immediately skipped that grey zone of being uncomfortable around each other, and Tony is glad for that.

“I’m here now,” Thor says. “No use in turning back.”

A better person would have argued, but Tony just nods. “Bruce is going to murder both of us for this,” he says, too cheerfully by far.

“I think Bruce is still happy that we both survived this,” Thor argues with a smile, “so there will be a little maiming at the most.”

“Right, perfect. Just what I need to spice up my post-apocalyptic morning.” They should get going, but Tony hesitates, mindful of them being right out in the open. “Now, do we have a plan?”

There are so many things they cannot say and Tony has a feeling that lying to Agent Coulson is not a particularly smart idea. The least they should do is know what the other will say.

Thor shifts easily back to business, immediately growing more serious. “Just what we decided on yesterday. I called in Steve when they took you and we overwhelmed the kidnappers. We didn’t want to shoot Stane but he got into the crossfire.” He grimaces slightly, obviously aware of the glaring holes in their story. “The fewer details we offer, the better. You’re still in shock and I’m on pain medication. That might help us later if Coulson comes back.”

He says if like it is a definite when, and Tony fears he is right about that.

“It will help that neither of us is in their right mind at the moment?” Tony asks, only half-joking.

“I have no doubt that your brain is more than up to the job,” Thor reassures him easily. “And I haven’t yet taken my pills, so I’m all here with you.”

That, at least, distracts Tony a bit from the problem at hand. He has never been shot in the abdomen, but he imagines it hurts. He has taken something to dull the pain of his ribs when they were first broken and even then every movement hurt. He is not sure whether he should admire or chastise Thor.

“Do you have them with you? Because I’m going to make you swallow them while I watch,” Tony says firmly. The moment Coulson is done with them, he will send Thor home. “I’m not going to explain to Bruce why I let you get shot and then let you die because you couldn’t be bothered to take your medication.”

Thor’s expression softens. “Pain isn’t going to kill me.”

“Then it won’t be a problem to take the pills,” Tony counters immediately, knowing Thor’s side of this too well to let himself be lulled in.

Humming somewhat noncommittally, Thor slowly starts to move. “Perhaps we shouldn’t let Agent Coulson wait any longer.”

Tony nods, smoothing his face into something more serious without having his expression look pained. Bantering with Thor felt so easy right now. Too easy, considering everything that happened. He does not want to think about Stane, does not want to go through the day before with an agent who knows too much and is probably ready to throw himself at any irregularity.

They are almost at the meeting room when Tony reaches out and holds Thor back for a moment. “Thank you,” he says, voice thick. “For last night. And everything else.”

He knows Thor is not just going to accept it even before he opens his mouth.

“That’s my job,” Thor says, although not as lightly as he could have. He is not refusing Tony’s gratitude.

“Protecting me was,” Tony argues. This is important to him. “Not coming after me with a group of vigilantes on your heels.”

For a moment, it looks like Thor is going to protest again, but then he inclines his head. “You’re welcome. But, if there ever is a next time, you let me do my job right before it comes to involving the Avengers.”

“Let’s go,” Tony says instead of promising something he knows he would not be able to keep. Then he starts moving before his legs decide to give out under him. This is going to be another long day.

 ---

Agent Coulson is waiting for them in one of the smaller meeting rooms, nursing his coffee like he does not have a care in the world. He gets up when Tony and Thor filter in, smiling that noncommittal smile of his.

“Mr. Stark, Mr. Odinson, good morning,” Coulson greets, sounding like he has done every other time they have met, almost as if nothing has changed. “How are you doing?”

The question has Tony wanting to laugh, although Coulson appears serious. How are they doing? Fantastic. Better than ever. He is one godfather short now and Thor is one hole in his body richer. Normal Tuesday evening, really.

“As I am sure you are aware, Mr. Odinson was shot yesterday. We’d be grateful if we could keep this short. He should not be walking around at all,” Tony replies, managing to quell his impatience. He does not want to have this conversation at all, but the waiting is definitely the worst part.

“Of course,” Coulson says. Nothing changes in his expression. “This is mostly a formality.”

That is a surprise. “A formality that couldn’t wait?” Tony questions, fully expecting that this is simply Coulson’s way of putting them at ease before he starts interrogating them.

It is certainly the old We just want to talk shtick the police love to pull.

Coulson cocks his head to the side, looking at Tony with something like amusement in his eyes. “Some people at the office are suspecting foul play. I thought it in your best interest to deal with that quickly.”

Tony is not sure whether that is a threat. Coulson’s face is calm in a calculated way, merely hinting at the intellect laying underneath. No matter what it is, Tony is tired of waiting.

“All right, let's get this over with.”

They sit down, Tony and Thor on one side of the table with Coulson facing them. Tony keeps his back straight despite his aching ribs, readying himself for whatever – possibly true – accusations Coulson is going to throw at them.  

Depending on how this conversation goes, they are going to be in a wholly different world of trouble, one equally impossible to deal with as a traitorous godfather but perhaps a little less deadly. Tony wishes he would have had JARVIS go through whatever data the FBI collected on this case, just so he would know what to expect.

Coulson takes his time rearranging the files in front of him without actually opening them. They will probably not like what is in them. Then he looks up, directing his attention on Thor, first.

“Mr. Odinson, instead of alerting us after Mr. Stark was kidnapped, you went after him on your own with Mr. Rogers, is that correct?”

What little relief Tony had at not being singled out first vanishes immediately. Coulson seems to not be wasting any time before going for the throat.

“We did not have time,” Thor answers calmly, taking over seamlessly. He does not appear surprised that they are not going to cover the events of the actual kidnapping first. Perhaps they already put that to protocol the night before.

It sounds wrong to hear Steve’s name spoken so casually by a federal agent. Tony wishes Steve would have left with the others the night before. They would still have to lie then, but not like this. They would not have to actively spin the story in a way that leaves the Avengers out of it. If the FBI were starting to look into Steve, they would surely find irregularities. They would find his friends. Tony cannot load that onto his conscience on top of everything else.

“We also did not know who to trust,” Tony adds, keeping his growing desperation out of his voice. Instead, it comes out just a tad accusatory.

Coulson turns to him with surprise on his face. “Pardon me?”

Tony is not entirely certain that it is the best idea to go on the attack, but he has already made the first step and it is better than showing any vulnerability for the FBI to exploit.

“I’m sorry, Agent Coulson, but finding out that my godfather betrayed me in such a fashion has made it very difficult to trust anyone,” Tony explains, his voice tight. “I thought it suspicious that he could simply vanish without a trace and the entirety of your bureau could not find him. I’m not saying I had a concrete suspicion that you or any of your employees were on his side, but I am glad that Mr. Odinson did not take any chances.”

That is not even a complete lie. Tony did not suspect the FBI to actively collude with Obadiah, but he definitely did not trust them either. Still does not. It is not their job to be on his side but to find out what happened.

“Going after you with just one person as backup appears to be taking chances to me,” Coulson replies, not showing what he thinks of Tony’s accusation. That, in itself, could be a bad sign. “Then again, they are both very skilled, right?”

That is a tricky question, and one that sounds like it has only wrong answers.

“We are both certified bodyguards,” Thor takes over, still appearing unfazed, not at all rattled by what Tony thinks Coulson is implying. “We met while we were still in the military and kept in touch over the years. I trust him to have my back.”

Tony’s heart goes out to Thor at that moment. It is not Thor’s job to lie for him. He cannot help being curious too, however, because while he was undeniably glad to have been rescued by friends, he has not yet asked why Thor thought to call in the Avengers instead of going the official way.

“As someone experienced in such things, he surely must have wondered why you were going in on your own,” Coulson says, merely implying a question.

“He trusts me too,” Thor answers without hesitation. “We decided to prioritize stealth and a quick response over waiting for your backup. If Mr. Stark had not been taken right in front of my eyes, which betrayed a certain urgency of Mr. Stane’s to get rid of him, we would have naturally relied on you.”

Despite the situation, Tony is impressed that Thor manages to remain completely untouched by Coulson’s questions, almost as if they actually had time to think all of their decisions through and calling in the Avengers was the sensible option. Some of Tony’s worry dissipates, only to come back with a vengeance when Coulson smiles.

“There is a lot you aren’t telling me, right?” Coulson asks, mostly rhetorical. “It is a shame that we won’t be able to interrogate Mr. Stane.”

The words hit Tony like a punch to the gut. Obadiah is dead. Really, irrevocably dead. And at Tony’s hand. He has not even begun to process that, and he dreads the moment he is left alone with his thoughts.

“You’ll excuse me if I don’t think that taking out a direct threat to Mr. Stark’s life is something I would consider a shame,” Thor replies, still calm but with steel in his voice. “But you are right, under different circumstances, finding out the extent of Stane’s treason would have been important. Although I suspect it would have been a trying endeavour to find the truth amongst the lies he told every day.”

For one, horrible moment, Tony is glad that Obadiah cannot spin any more lies or try to tear him down. He feels ashamed right afterwards, although the deed is already done.

“Did Mr. Stane reveal anything to you, while you were in his presence, Mr. Stark?” Coulson asks, not showing what he thinks of Thor’s answer.

He killed my parents, lies on Tony’s tongue, but he manages to swallow it. Nothing good could come from revealing that, nothing but more questions and an ongoing investigation. Another scandal heaped upon the ones the company is not yet done surviving.

Obadiah is dead, Tony is clinging to that truth. Nothing would change if he told Coulson about the other atrocities Obadiah has committed. His parents have been dead for years. His mother, at the very least, deserves to rest in peace.

“I don’t think he told me anything new,” Tony says, allowing some of his exhaustion to show on his face. “He was going on about how he would pin the weapons dealing on me. How he would turn right back to making weapons, too. He was convinced he could go right back to his old life once I was out of the way.”

Which is ridiculous, considering that Tony is at a loss how he is going to go on, and he has arguably been in the right this entire time.

“So he attempted to kill you?” Coulson asks, sounding impassionate even while his expression has softened somewhat.

“Yes,” Tony says, his voice flat. He somehow manages to hold Coulson’s gaze. “He had two of his men rough me up, but he wanted to manipulate my pacemaker into causing me a heart attack.”

It is not a secret that Tony has a pacemaker. When he had first spent so much time in hospitals as a child, the press loved to run stories about the youngest Stark’s fragile heart. Nowadays, people always seem surprised that his heart is still giving him problems when it comes up. Tony does not mind everyone forgetting about it. He has enough baggage without it.

“But he did not manage to manipulate your pacemaker before Mr. Odinson and Mr. Rogers appeared at the scene.”

Since Tony is still sitting here with them, the question is moot and Agent Coulson seems to realize this because he does not seem to expect an answer. He is looking down at the file he brought, and Tony just knows he is not going to like what is coming next. The entire conversation has been rather civil up to this point instead of accusatory as they expected.

“Just one more thing,” Coulson says and it is suddenly him who sounds slightly hesitant. “Mr. Odinson, did you or Mr. Rogers have a bow on you at the time of the attack?”

It is a good thing that Coulson’s attention is completely on Thor because Tony is sure his expression slipped into one of pure horror for a moment.

“A bow?” Thor echoes, full of confusion. He must have expected the question, otherwise, he could not have remained that calm.

“Perhaps a crossbow,” Coulson amends amicably as if he does not have them by their throats. “Some of the wounds, while somewhat masked, seemed to have been made by arrows instead of bullets. Or so the autopsy report tells me.”

Of course, they would do autopsies. Of course, they would realize that an arrowhead looks distinctly different from a bullet. Of course, their entire house of cards is coming down around them.

“I can’t say that I know anyone capable of shooting with a bow and arrow,” Thor says, still remarkably unfazed, no hint of panic in his voice or posture.

Tony, on the other hand, feels hot and cold at the same time, going very still in his seat. He knew that Barton and his bloody arrows would put them into trouble. How could they have been so stupid to bring such an antiquated weapon to a fight? Did they expect that would not raise questions? The Avengers might be used to making any suspicious dead bodies they caused disappear, but that was never an option here.

Coulson studies them for a long moment, giving no hint what he is thinking, although that is obvious from Tony’s point of view. He is gathering the holes in their story and spins them together into a noose to hang them with.

Yesterday, when that bullet hit Obadiah, Tony thought this could be over now. They could go back to something resembling a normal life. He could rebuild his company and avoid dealing with his emotional baggage until he could sleep again at night without problems. This was supposed to be the end of it. Now, though, they are in a whole new world of trouble.  

Coulson taps the files in front of him almost absentmindedly before he nods to himself. “Do you know a group going by the name of Avengers?”

If possible, Tony becomes even tenser while still clinging to a normal expression, no matter that he is sure he does not succeed. He wonders whether he is so out of it that he said some of his thoughts out loud, but Coulson sounds simply curious, not yet condemning. More so, he seems to have come here with that question weighing him down, and all the others have just been a distraction.

“Is that another terrorist cell my godfather has been selling weapons to?” Tony counters, his voice too flat to sound natural. He has to at least try to salvage this, though.

Coulson’s lips twitch, although Tony cannot tell whether it is with amusement or displeasure. “I realize that you are trying to protect members of –”

“I’m not trying to protect anyone,” Tony interrupts quickly. He is aware that he is not making himself appear less suspicious, but he needs to stop Coulson from saying something out loud that he will never be able to hide from. “What my godfather did was terrible and I’m not trying to shirk responsibility. We are working on getting all my weapons out of the hands they were wrongfully given to.”

If he is going to stick to his godfather’s crimes, stubbornly ignoring that his own innocence is being questioned, this might all go away.

“I know some of their work,” Coulson says steadily, never looking away from Tony.

“Of my weapons?” Tony asks, even while he is painfully aware that this is not what Coulson is talking about.

Leaning back in his chair, Coulson appears utterly comfortable with himself and where this conversation is going. “I have never met any of the Avengers in person, but I know Hawkeye and Black Widow.” This time, there is no doubt that he is smiling. “We have an agreement of sorts.”

Tony gives up. He glances helplessly at Thor, who is staring right ahead with an unreadable expression. There is no getting out of this. Coulson knows what he does and he is not going to let it drop. The only question is where that leaves them.

“Why are you telling us this?” Tony asks, wondering whether agents have already been sent out to look for the Avengers. Perhaps someone is waiting right outside the door to take Tony himself in. He has been withholding information about criminals, after all, and helped them too.

“The next time you see Hawkeye, please tell him to stick to weapons a normal person would use,” Coulson says, a sigh hiding right beneath the words, belying his nonchalance. “It’s going to take a lot of paperwork to make this go away.”

Thor startles, and Tony is glad that he is not the only one not knowing what is happening here.

“I don’t understand,” he says, putting in some effort to keep his voice steady. “If you know of – a hypothetical group of people working outside of the law –”

He trails off, really looking at Coulson for a moment. The agent’s shoulders are straight, hiding a tension that, up until now, seemed just a formality. This is risky for all of them, Tony realizes.

“I’m not going to prosecute them,” Coulson says in a measured tone while still sounding urgent. “Not as long as we are all sticking to some principles and they have yet to disappoint me in that way.”

Tony wonders whether Coulson knows about his first meeting with the Avengers and whether that would change his opinions about letting them run free. Although he guesses he should not assume the world turns only around him. So what if he was hurt? Everybody else seems to think the Avengers are otherwise doing a good job. Mistakes are common, and this one, at least, did not end in the worst possible way.

“You have made some loyal friends,” Coulson continues when neither Tony nor Thor says anything.

A short bout of laughter tumbles over Tony’s lips, barely amused. “I don’t know about that.”

Friends is such a deceptive term. For a short while, they had a common enemy. Some amount of guilt perhaps helped in making them decide to aid him. Other than that, they are at most fleeting adversaries. And whatever loyalty is between them is built on necessity.

“I believe you don’t see the world in just black and white, Mr. Stark,” Coulson says softly, as if he knows about the struggles Tony has gone through over the past weeks. “From what I know of them, they are good people. And they have come promptly to your rescue.”

People keep saying that. That the Avengers are good. That they only want to help.

“How do you know they are good if you have never met them personally?” Tony shoots back, getting tired with being told who is or is not good for him.

He wishes Thor would come to his rescue, would say anything or direct the conversation back to safer topics. At the same time, he understands why Thor does not. If the FBI knows about the Avengers, Thor needs to find out everything he can to protect Bruce. So he sits as calmly as if that man before them does not have his soulmate’s fate in his hands, and listens, almost like he has nothing more than a passing interest in the discussion.

“I have come across Black Widow during one of the first cases I’ve ever worked,” Coulson says, appearing almost amused, which leaves Tony at a loss. He cannot imagine anyone disturbing Natasha’s work could get away with it and then speak about the incident fondly.

“And she took them down before you could?” Tony guesses, having an idea of how efficient Natasha is.

To his surprise, Coulson shakes his head, still with that small smile. “No. The man is in jail despite Widow’s efforts otherwise.” He shrugs, making the entire matter appear less miraculous than it is. “We earned each other’s respect back then and we’ve started to occasionally work together.”

Tony does not even attempt to hide how incredulous he finds this, but Coulson simply cocks his head to the side as if to say what can you do? All he knows is that this is their silver lining. If Coulson knows about the Avengers and truly does not want to bring them in, they might be in the clear. The official investigation still has to be wrapped up, but they might not be entirely alone in having to keep some things quiet.

“But you don’t know the rest of them,” Tony states more than asks, needing to find out how much Coulson knows.

Next to him, Thor leans slightly forward. Not enough to attract attention, but showing his interest.

“Well, I know of Hawkeye through a similar matter as Black Widow, and I assume Mr. Rogers is part of the group,” Coulson replies evenly, offering his information like a hand for them to shake. “And I’ve kept an eye on them generally. I’m not going to look the other way if they start swaying from their path. But I trust them for now.”

Unable to help himself, Tony looks at Thor. It is not hard to see the relief swimming in Thor’s eyes, even if the rest of his expression shows only polite interest. This is better than they could have hoped for. Their story has enormous holes. If they do not have to come up with plausible answers for them because Coulson can fill them himself, that is an ideal outcome.

If they can trust Coulson. Tony needs to talk to Steve to confirm Coulson’s side of the story. For now, though, it seems like they do not have any other choice than to go with it.

“I am going to give Hawkeye your message,” Tony says, all but admitting that he is in contact with an illegal group of vigilantes.

All Coulson does at that is smile. “Thank you,” he says and, rather abruptly gets to his feet. “Well, we’re going to wrap this up and then you can have your tower back. Call me if you need anything.”

Tony stares, unable to believe that this is it, that they are going to get away with their lies and their secrets and all Coulson is going to do is smile at them and reassure them that everything is all right.

“Thank you, Agent Coulson,” Tony hears himself saying as his body takes over where his mind is trying to catch up.

He stands up, registering that Thor does the same next to him, looking slightly baffled as well.

“You’re welcome, Mr. Stark,” Coulson says as they shake hands. “Do take care of yourself.”

They watch him leave, his back straight and his steps unhurried, almost as if this was an entirely normal conversation. Silence shrouds them until Coulson has vanished out of sight and even then they take a moment to just breathe.

“That was real, yes?” Tony asks, turning around to face Thor, desperate to find out that he is not the only one disturbed by what happened. “I did not just imagine an FBI agent telling us he knows about the Avengers and will keep quiet about it.”

Incredulity is pouring from his voice and Thor’s expression mirrors that. What a pair they make, utterly floored by things not being incredibly difficult for once.

“It seems so,” Thor answers quietly, still staring at the door. “I will have to call Bruce.”

Of course. They not only have to believe Coulson, but they also have to tell the Avengers. Possibly before they do something rash to cover up their own actions.

“Great. You can do so from your bed,” Tony decrees, remembering that Thor is hurt. He made a promise earlier to send Thor right back to resting and he is going to stick to that. Much quieter, he adds, “And then I guess I’ll call Steve too.”

He is not sure what to feel about that. His memories from the evening before are blurred, but he remembers Steve’s kindness, remembers feeling safe. And instead of crowding Tony or insisting on taking care of him himself, Steve had called Rhodey.

“You don’t have to,” Thor interrupts his thoughts, looking at him with knowing eyes. “I can explain everything to them.”

It is tempting, but Tony shakes his head. “That’s kind of you, but you’re not here to clean up any more of my messes,” he says, managing to sound firmer about his decision than he feels. “I think I need to talk to Steve anyway, to see where we’re going.”

“You should take your time, however much you need,” Thor says, and Tony is glad for his calming presence.

“I will,” Tony promises. That is all he can give for now.

With a nod, Thor seems ready to leave. Now that Coulson is gone, he looks tired, and more like a person who has been in a fight the night before.

“Call if you need me,” Thor says, ever dutiful, making Tony wonder how he deserves to have someone like Thor thrown into his life. People like that are rare.

“Funny, I was just going to say the same,” Tony replies and even manages a smile. “I’ll make sure you’ll get regular meals.”

“I can –”

“I know you can,” Tony cuts him off gently. “But you got shot while protecting me. Now let me do my part.”

Looking somewhat less reluctant, Thor smiles back at Tony and makes his way out of the room, hopefully to be sensible and get some rest. Tony thinks he should probably do the same.