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i-did-not-mean-to · 1 year

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ℍ𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕞𝕒𝕟

The people have spoken in this poll.

Here is the Bonus chapter to my TSF (S)wiped out.

True to the spirit of the story, the title is a song title. (Honest Man by Ben Platt)

Words: 4.8 k (I've tried to make it worth your while)

Characters: Thorin x Bilbo

Warnings: Some internalised homophobia, some insecurity, a kiss

Bilbo looked up in surprise when Thorin ambled into the bar on a Thursday night, dressed to the nines, and holding a pitiful bouquet of daisies in his broad hands.

“Did one of the ladies convince you after all?” he asked and almost set the glass he was drying down beside the counter in his puzzlement; there was a sick, unhappy feeling in the pit of his stomach that he didn’t want to investigate.

It was but surprise, he tried to tell himself. He had been at the garden party, and he had seen the women completely forget about Thorin within half an hour of their arrival.

At least the first date was having a good time, drinking Dwalin under the table, while the sopping wet cat of a lady had been utterly engrossed in telling her whole life story to a very sympathetic looking Ori who had awkwardly patted her hand at regular intervals.

“She’ll get him to marry him before the day is over,” Bilbo had whispered.

Visibly surprised, Thorin had narrowed his eyes and shrugged. “Better him than me, I’d say.”

“It’s not the crystal-peddling one, is it?” Bilbo now asked and shuddered at the thought of the woman who had been kicked out from the festivities after conning Kíli into buying a whole stock of utterly useless stones and oils.

“What?” Thorin blushed; he had not listened to a word Bilbo had said because he was so relieved to see a friendly face. “What about her? I’m sure she’s in jail or in an institution by now—ask me if I care.”

“Do you care?” Bilbo complied with a crooked grin.

“No, maybe the dragon lady can get her off lightly—why are we talking about my failed dates again? It’s done, it’s over—Dís had a funeral for my potential and we’ve all wept.” Thorin gave a short bark of laughter and gingerly put the flowers down on the counter in front of Bilbo.

“Either way, Bofur has invited the last one to an exposition on doilies,” he then explained slowly. “He was so thankful for the introduction that he…his cousin has a restaurant, did you know?”

Sniggering, Bilbo shook his head. He had been delighted to meet Thorin’s friends and family, but he was far from remembering everyone who had attended the garden party, let alone recall what they did for a living.

“So, I’ve got a reservation—very sought after, I’ll have you know—courtesy of Bofur…and I wanted to invite you.”

Picking up the same glass again and polishing exactly one hand width of the rim, Bilbo stared at Thorin in confusion. “Me?” he finally squeaked. “Why?”

“You’re the only good thing that has come out of this ordeal,” Thorin admitted sheepishly. “You had my back through the whole thing, and I wanted to show my…gratitude.” It was but half a lie, a euphemism really, he told himself encouragingly as he saw Bilbo’s face cycle through a multitude of contradicting feelings within a few seconds.

“Would it be too sad to invite your sister for dinner?” Bilbo quipped, but his voice was a little unsteady on the delivery of the snarky undertone.

“Oh, if I have to sit through another evening with a demanding, dissatisfied, disapproving female anytime soon, I’ll run mad,” Thorin groaned, “be she my sister or the currently reigning Miss Universe.”

“All right then,” Bilbo agreed, forcing his cheery nonchalance to the surface with all his might. “I reckon it cannot do me any harm to eat in another establishment for once. When is your reservation? I’ll see if I am free.”

“Whenever you are free,” Thorin replied just a little too fast and too fervently. “I’ve not settled a date yet—I wanted to check with you when you’d be available.”

Bilbo blushed furiously. It hit him like a ton of bricks that Thorin had not invited him because he had not found anybody else to go with him on a particular night—he had wanted Bilbo specifically to spend the evening with him in a fancy restaurant and had taken precautions in his planning of the outing to make it so.

Having watched Thorin jump through every imaginable flaming hoop in the name of being a good date, Bilbo of course knew how dedicated the other man was to these things, but he had never considered the possibility of ever being on the receiving end of such generosity and kindness himself.

“Tomorrow? I can find someone to man the fort for me—I’ve not taken time off in years, I think I deserve that,” Bilbo mused out loud.

“Tomorrow it is,” Thorin said, confident that he’d get a table for the next day. Bilbo could appreciate and even envy that kind of self-assurance and faith.

“Do I meet you there or…”

“I can pick you up here or…”

Lifting a slightly trembling hand to his burning cheeks, Bilbo scribbled his home address on a cocktail napkin and handed it over jerkily—it was surprisingly hard to pry his fingers off the cheap paper though.

“Shall we say 7 o’clock?” Thorin asked, his eyes gleaming with triumph and boundless joy.

Bilbo nodded, feeling increasingly like a wooden doll that had been turned into a real boy unexpectedly.

“Good, I am looking forward to it. Wear something nice!” Thorin chirped and turned to the door without having ordered a drink; usually, this went against the house rules and would have merited a stern scolding by Bilbo but, on this one occasion, the flustered barkeeper decided to make an exception.

“Thorin!” he called faintly. “You do know that I am gay, right?”

There, it was out. Bilbo thought that it had been implied and referenced often enough for Thorin to get the hint, but he wanted to make absolutely sure that neither one of them was misconstruing what would happen the next day.

“Hmmm,” Thorin hummed over his shoulder, winking at Bilbo with a flash of charisma he had not lavished liberally on his female dates. “That’s why I brought you flowers. There are more where those came from, you know?”

“I love flowers,” Bilbo exclaimed passionately before he could remember his good manners and remind himself not to look overeager or spoiled.

“Then you shall have them,” Thorin grinned. “See you tomorrow!”

Bilbo snarled like a feral creature at this wardrobe; the old, weathered wood did not think his frustration worthy of a reply though and merely kept gaping at the fool its owner was making of himself out of its open drawers and doors.

“Wear something nice,” he muttered under his breath as he discarded the cream-coloured shirt he had been wearing for the last 5 minutes—he had given that one a longer chance than the five that had been tried and rejected before.

Picking up the third shirt again, he eyed it suspiciously. He liked the rich green colour and the fabric felt nice under his fingertips, but the cut was rather unfortunate as it would allow Thorin to see the smidgen of pudge he had not been able to get rid of. Pilates and conscious eating be damned!

Thorin was not a monster, he tried to remind himself; he had sat through dates with five women who had looked very different from one another, and he had not cancelled or aborted any of his meetings on account of their appearance.

Surely, he would not hold the negligible lack of perfect fitness against a man he had mainly seen only partially as Bilbo tended to hide behind the bar whenever he got flustered.

Nevertheless, Bilbo wanted to look his best, lest Thorin suspect that he was taking this date less than seriously. Maybe, he thought uncertainly, that would actually be for the better—just in case the brooding beauty had merely joked about the flowers.

Better not get his foolish hopes up! And he should hurry. And he had forgotten to comb his curls after the shower and now they had dried in a tangled mess. And it was almost time. And he had not even started on the trousers…

Just as he was about to have a panic attack on account of all the things he had clearly not considered well enough beforehand, Bilbo was interrupted in his downward spiral by the sound of his doorbell being rung.

Necessity and urgency made him jump into a nice pair of light brown trousers and pull the tight, green shirt over his unkempt head while shuffling towards the front door.

“Oh hey,” he huffed as he pulled it open, feeling like a proper romance novel hero.

Instead of the expected face—chiselled, bearded, and gleaming with mischief—he looked into a luscious bouquet of multi-coloured flowers.

“Good evening. Am I early?”

Checking his wristwatch and suppressing another groan, Bilbo assured Thorin that he was right on time. “I had a hard time choosing what to wear. Is this nice enough?”

The flowers were lowered instantly, and the electrifying glow of those startlingly blue eyes washed over a woefully agitated Bilbo appreciatively. “Absolutely perfect,” Thorin praise and extended his elbow to Bilbo. “Shall we?”

“2 minutes,” Bilbo promised, took the flowers, and dashed into the kitchen to put them into a vase. As he heard Thorin rummaging in the foyer, he allowed himself to bury his face in their fragrant beauty for a short moment before running back out and valiantly trying to slip into both his shoes at the same time.

“Don’t let my eagerness put any pressure on you,” Thorin said kindly. “We have time. I just thought we’d go there early so you can order the most complicated cocktail on the menu and watch someone else make it.”

“I am hardly that pitiless,” Bilbo snorted and shot back up as if pulled by a string. “I am all ready. Let’s go!”

In the end, Thorin did convince Bilbo to order a fancy cocktail while ordering a beer for himself.

“Bottle of that one,” Bilbo tapped the fancy card laid out in front of him, “I’ve seen what you’ve got on tap, and I think this one will be much better appreciated!”

The barkeeper stared at him for a moment before shrugging and complying.

“Ah, to have one’s own barkeeper,” Thorin sighed contentedly. “This is already a better date than any of the others!”

“Glad to be of service,” Bilbo laughed and moved the basket with peanuts resolutely out of Thorin’s reach. “You’re snacking me out of a home,” he explained with a wink, “and we’re here to have dinner, so I won’t let you ruin your appetite by gorging yourself on nuts! They only put those out because they make you thirsty.”

Staring longingly at the snack, Thorin nodded nonetheless and turned his hungry, intense gaze fully on Bilbo.

While waiting for their table to be ready, they talked about their families, their friends, and their plans in life.

“I’ve always wanted to work with people, you know? I love the bar, but it’s not as if that was all I’ve ever dreamed of…” Bilbo said dreamily, berating himself only vaguely for having downed that cocktail much too fast on an empty stomach—he rarely indulged in alcohol himself as it made him emotional and much too honest.

“I know a guy who works in construction,” Thorin replied candidly. “If you ever want to expand the business, I can give you his card.”

“Sure thing,” Bilbo giggled and leaned back, only to realise—a moment too late—that the barstool did not have a backrest. A broad, strong hand kept him from toppling from his chair though and then, Thorin’s warm breath ghosted along the shell of his ear as he pushed a discreet card over.

“That is your card,” Bilbo snorted after a single glance. “Couldn’t you simply have given me your number?”

“After all the time you’ve spend fiddling with my phone, I think you could have simply saved yours in it!” Thorin shot back, a bit miffed.

“How do you know that I didn’t?”

“I’ve checked.”

There was not much Bilbo could say to that. “All right,” he grinned and pocketed the card. “I’ll call you. About the expansion. And other things. Depending on how this evening goes…No, actually, I think I’ll call you anyway, if only to yell at you!”

“Deal,” Thorin quipped and nodded at someone across the room. “The table is ready.”

Surprise and amazement surged within Bilbo as soon as he saw it—there were slim, white candles and pale pink roses. This truly was a table laid for an intimate date rather than a friendly dinner, and he couldn’t keep his cheeks from warming visibly.

For a single heartbeat, the world seemed to stop in its tracks and every truth he had ever accepted placidly slid out of place—Bilbo suddenly longed for more. He wanted to be brave enough to turn around and simply kiss Thorin, in front of a full restaurant and his extended family, he wanted to expand his business into serving real food and maybe even offering a few rooms for rent, he wanted more than the comfortable life of a well-liked bachelor. He wanted this—this table, this atmosphere, this man—forever.

And then, that uniquely fragile and heart-wrenching moment passed, and they went back to discussing everything and nothing.

When the first course was served, Thorin realised that there had not been a single uncomfortable silence in their conversation and that he felt relaxed and happy instead of tense and miserable in a potentially romantic setting which was the first time in long years.

“So, no news from your ladies?” Bilbo circled back to the subject that haunted him.

“Hmmm? Oh yes, some keep me posted about their life. I am a great listener and a cool friend to have,” Thorin replied easily, snatching a piece of bread out of the basket Bilbo had tried to move out of his direct line of sight.

“I know,” Bilbo commented dryly and gave the breadbasket back with an apologetic shrug.

“It’s all the same,” Thorin explained slowly between bites, “friendship and love, I mean. Most of the time, it just doesn’t click and then you’re better off as friends, wouldn’t you agree? No need to throw the baby out with the bathwater.”

Bilbo nodded cautiously. “Do you think the opposite can happen as well? Falling in love with a friend?”

Instantly, Thorin’s eyes lit up like a chemical fire. “Isn’t that the dream? Falling in love with a friend and being loved back? That’s what dreams are made of!”

For someone who had just dragged himself through his dates as if bearing a calvary, Bilbo thought. Thorin seemed very convinced of his theory and enthusiastic about the prospect that such a thing could happen to anyone.

“So, there’s still a chance for some of them?” Bilbo couldn’t believe his own words—why couldn’t he just let it go?

“No way,” Thorin immediately assured him. “Romantic, then platonic, then romantic again? I’m afraid that goes a bit too far. No, I just want to find someone I am comfortable with.”

He should not have agreed to the delicious bottle of wine Thorin had ordered and from which a discreet waiter kept filling up their glasses, Bilbo realised at the very moment his treacherous tongue went off like a shot. “Indeed,” he heard himself say, “I am convinced that you deserve so much better than these women. None of them has even tried to get to know you or has cared even one bit about whether you wanted a refill or were hungry, or bored, or uncomfortable.”

His voice kept growing louder and more animated and yet, Thorin merely grinned at him as if his clumsy rant was pure poetry. He looked so handsome in his white button-down and dark trousers that Bilbo somehow couldn’t stop himself from complaining about how he thought none of the women deserved a second chance as they had failed to express the appropriate level of appreciation for the kind, handsome, and charming man with whom they had had the honour of spending the evening.

“My glass was always full,” Thorin reminded Bilbo gently, “thanks to you. Moreover, you’ve healed my heart by pouring all the compliments you apparently thought I missed out on upon my undeserving head right now.” His sturdy hand came to rest on Bilbo’s pacifyingly. “They are no longer important; let’s talk about something pleasant instead. Did you like your flowers?”

“Of course,” Bilbo replied and nodded his head so vehemently that his curls fanned out like a golden halo. “That was a very nice gesture. What would you like to discuss then?”

Pressing his lips together to prevent any stupid, premature outburst to ruin his chances, Thorin collected his thoughts for a moment; he was astonished and delighted to notice that he had indeed learned something during the martyrdom of his recent dating history.

He also found that he didn’t really care at all—his tense shoulders relaxed, and his smile softened gradually as the stress of the last weeks just melted away. “Anything is fine by me, anything but them. What do you have planned for this weekend?”

“Work,” Bilbo snorted. “As any other day. I’ve thought about maybe trying to get a Sunday brunch thing going.” He tapped a finger against his plush, inviting lips pensively.

Thorin’s eyebrows travelled up his forehead as a new idea took hold in his head. “If I come by to look around the premises and tell you what is possible in terms of expansion, I’d take a test-brunch as my payment.”

“Is that so?” Bilbo cocked his head. “It would only be you and me though.”

“It’s only you and me now,” Thorin commented astutely. “Just the way I like things, as it turns out!”

“Well, then, by all means, be my guest. I’ll prepare a spread for you that you won’t forget!”

Somehow, Thorin did not doubt that for a single second. Bilbo was a man who truly enjoyed food; he had become the mesmerised witness of the profound and otherworldly pleasure his guest could take in a well-prepared meal, and he yearned to see that blissed-out expression on Bilbo’s soft, mobile features more often.

There were many things he longed for, now that he came to think of it: the amused little side-glance Bilbo gave him when he got extraordinarily huffy about something utterly irrelevant, the beaming smile a slightly buzzed Bilbo cracked whenever Thorin said something even remotely funny, and—more than anything else—the quiet gaze of solidarity and affection he had caught from the corner of his eye at times. Somehow, Bilbo seemed to intrinsically feel or know just what was needed to save Thorin from a disagreeable situation or an extended session of senseless brooding.

“Any allergies?” Bilbo asked, interrupting Thorin’s realisation that he could not remember ever having enjoyed a date half as much as this dinner.

“Hmm? No…sorry, I was miles away in my thoughts.”

“I could tell. Are you tired, do you want to skip dessert?” Bilbo asked gently, patting Thorin’s hand to make him understand that he was neither angry nor disappointed. “I feel like I’ve eaten my own weight already anyway.”

“Maybe,” Thorin replied with a wink, “next time? I have been told that Bombur’s chocolate soufflé is to die for.”

Bilbo’s eyes lit up at the word “soufflé” and, true to his nature, he didn’t need any more convincing or coaxing after that.

“By the way, I am not tired, no,” Thorin said when he saw a thickly laden spoon full of gooey deliciousness be ensconced firmly between Bilbo’s lips. “I was just thinking how much I like being here with you.”

“You don’t think I am a gluttonous pig?” Bilbo mouthed around his spoon, his eyes twinkling with good cheer and sugar-fuelled ecstasy.

“I don’t,” Thorin assured him; he had never given the gender of his potential partners much thought before. He had always surmised that he was just the kind of man who was only attractive to a select group of people that kept dwindling fast as the years went by—that set had been comprised of mainly women by chance or accident thus far, and Thorin had had no say in the matter or reason to contest that.

If that was about to change now, he thought placidly, he wouldn’t object to changing his habits and adapt his expectations to the reality of his prospects and desires.

Never in a thousand years would he have presumed to find such a comfortable and yet exciting potential lover in a surprisingly prim barkeeper with a wicked sense of humour and a deep love for flavourful food. Bilbo evidently loved life and—seeing him celebrate others’ successes without reticence or envy—reminded Thorin of how much he had sacrificed throughout his own existence.

“You make me feel alive,” he confessed, “the way you eat, the way you talk, the way you smile at me. It’s as if you could turn back the time and make me believe that it’s not too late for me to be happy. Is that cheesy?”

“Yes,” Bilbo nodded, licking his spoon, “but I love cheese. Actually, the olives they served with the bread. Do you know where they get them from?”

“They pickle or brine or marinate them themselves,” Thorin replied sheepishly. “I do not know. I am a mediocre cook.” That was a bold lie; his cooking was positively awful, but he didn’t want Bilbo to know. After this charming evening, Thorin would crawl to his sister and implore her to impart her valuable wisdom to redress that flaw as soon as he could.

“Hmmm, I wonder if they’d share the recipe,” Bilbo mused aloud. For a moment, Thorin was taken in by his casual musings, but then he realised that Bilbo’s eyes were just a smidgen too feverish now even though his initial inebriation had worn off long since.

“What is the matter?”

“Are you playing me, Thorin?” Bilbo asked in a quiet, shivering voice. “I am not like those women; I don’t put my heart on the line recklessly.”

“I am not. Why do you say that?”

“I’ve watched you go on dates with 5 women in about as many weeks,” Bilbo exclaimed, clapping his hand over his trembling lips when a few other stragglers turned to him in startled surprise or outright annoyance. “I…Do you even…”

“I don’t care,” Thorin said firmly, the conviction that he was on the right track constantly growing within his heart. “I just know that you make me feel good about the world, life, and myself. When you’re around, everything seems a little brighter and less fatal than I’ve always thought it’d be, and I want that in my life.”

“A friend,” Bilbo muttered. “I can be your friend—you’re an amazing person to be around and you’re, as always, too hard on yourself. You’re actually not so bad yourself and you’ve been the only source of entertainment these last few weeks—I really have to get something new going to spruce the old dig up.”

Me, Thorin thought desperately. In his mind, he could see it—a crystal clear vision of perfect bliss. He’d come to the bar after work and sit by the counter, telling Bilbo about his day.

His friends could come, and maybe his disastrous dates could become regulars as well, who knew? He certainly wouldn’t mind keeping them in his life as casual acquaintances.

Saturday sessions on the job site, Sunday brunches. Everything—his plans of letting his nephews slowly take over more important clients and bear more responsibility in the firm as well as Bilbo’s designs for his own place—suddenly made sense.

Despite the late hour, Thorin felt invigorated and refreshed as after a long and restful night.

“Bilbo,” he interrupted the frantic babbling about avocado toast and different swatches of pastel colours gently but firmly. “I am not asking you to be my friend.”

Thorin took out his wallet and left a generous tip, knowing that Bombur would send the actual bill to his office for discretion purposes. “Let’s go; it’s a fine night and I think we could both do with a little digestive walk, don’t you think?”

Nodding dumbly, Bilbo allowed himself to insert his hand into the crook of Thorin’s elbow and be led out of the fancy, by now almost entirely empty, restaurant as if he was indeed the guest of honour of the night. A soppy smile struggled to take hold of his mouth and distort it into an unforgivably silly expression of emotion, but he managed to bite it back just in time as Thorin’s luminous gaze fell upon his face.

“Oh, you were made to be seen under the stars,” Bilbo whispered as all the blues, blacks, and silvers of Thorin’s complexion melted into the background of a starry night sky to create an ephemeral work of art that was painted by the hands of fate just for his own momentary enjoyment. “If only I had known—I’d opened the outdoor seating for your dates.”

“Humbug,” Thorin chuckled. “They’d have fallen ill and I’d have had to foot the bill for their medical expenses. Thank you, but no, thank you.”

Steering Bilbo confidently, he took him to an outlook platform over a small river and they felt the cool night air make their hair dance in the fragrant breeze. The whole scene felt absolutely magical and otherworldly to Bilbo who sighed longingly under his breath.

“As much as I love your bar,” Thorin said in a low, vibrating voice, “there are many places I’d want to take a date outside of it. This is but one of those.”

Bilbo hummed patiently, turning up his face to bask in the beauty of his companion—he had only ever seen Thorin in the pub and, now that he had spent a whole evening with him, he had to agree. Indeed, he himself desired to see Thorin in other contexts: illuminated by flickering candlelight and bathed in the pale gleam of the moon, sitting in the blazing afternoon sun…and waking up to the first, shy rays of the nascent morning.

“I think,” Thorin went on, lifting his hand to grip Bilbo’s chin tenderly between his thumb and crooked index, “that I want to take you to those places. Are you game? You don’t have to…I mean…There’s no need to spare my feelings now out of pity only to break my heart later.”

Instantly, Bilbo’s own heart started throbbing in empathy and affection; Thorin had experienced so much rejection and disappointment lately that he came to simply expect that things would end badly for him.

Nonetheless, he had been brave enough to try something completely different and ask out someone who was not at all in the usual pool of potential partners for him—and he had done marvellously. Bilbo could not remember having ever gone on such a beautiful and utterly bewitching date before, and every fibre of his being dreaded the end of this night.

What if it had all been a dream?

“I’d love that,” he replied breathlessly, resolving to match Thorin’s reckless courage and giving in to foolish hope against all odds.

“Good,” Thorin grinned winningly.

A moment later, his lips—warm and sensual—brushed against Bilbo’s in a tentative kiss that felt like a caress and tasted sweet and refreshing like a splash of spring water.

Damn it, Bilbo thought hazily, and threw his arms around Thorin’s neck, giving his massive frame a vigorous tug until they collided in the stillness of the picturesque night scene like two meteors burning across the endless black backdrop.

Their kiss turned feverish, thrumming with words unspoken and questions unasked, while their hands roamed forcefully and desperately across each other’s backs and sides as if in search of something to hold on to as the world spun out of focus.

“I’ll come by on Sunday,” Thorin promised as he finally pulled back; his face radiated with joy in the ambient obscurity and his thumbs brushed caressingly against Bilbo’s shivering ribs. “And I’ve changed my mind about the price of my consultation. A brunch, yes, but also about two thousand more of these kisses. Generous as I am, I shall let you pay them off by regular instalments."

"Sounds like a deal,” Bilbo agreed, dizzy with relief and anticipation. “How about you come by Saturday night and allow me to make a down payment after closing time?”

“Ah, you’ve got a sound mind for business,” Thorin cackled, pulling Bilbo into a tight, warm embrace and leaning his bearded cheek against the top of the curly head of the shorter man tenderly. “I can see that we’ll get along just fine.”

@lordoftherazzles, @mysandwichranaway thank you for your encouragement and your support.

Lots of love from me!

And all my gratitude to the Bagginshielders for having voted so fervently for their OTP; I hope I could bring this story to a satisfactory close for y'all.

#og post #IDNMT writes #fanfiction #writing #tolkien writing #jrrt #TSF #(s)wiped out #Bagginshield #Thorin x Bilbo #Thorin #Bilbo #romantic #fluff #crack

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enchanted-encanto · 2 years

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La Canción de Mi Corazón / The Song of My Heart—Chapter 50: Life of Our Dreams

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Read this story on AO3 here!

Fandom: Encanto (2021)

Overall Fic Rating: Explicit (for smut)

Relationships: Bruno Madrigal/Natalia Moreno (Original Female Character)

Characters: Bruno Madrigal Natalia Moreno, Original Characters, Félix Madrigal, Agustín Madrigal, Luisa Madrigal, Mirabel Madrigal, Camilo Madrigal, Antonio Madrigal, Dolores Madrigal, Isabela Madrigal, Pepa Madrigal, Julieta Madrigal, "Abuela" Alma Madrigal

Chapter Summary: Isabela shares some exciting news, and Natalia and Bruno experience some milestones with Emilia.

Chapter Warnings: This chapter contains NSFW content! I have put "*************************” at the beginning and end of the adult section of this chapter to mark it in case anyone would prefer to skip those type of sections.

______________________________

Natalia was heading up the stairs in the casita, eating the last of some apple slices she had for breakfast. The bakery was closed that day so Natalia was home, but it was still fairly early and most of the Madrigals weren’t awake yet.

Isabela opened the door to her bedroom, several flower petals floating elegantly outside of the doorway alongside her.

“Morning Isa!” Natalia said, her mouth half full. “You’re up early!”

“Hi Nati!” Isabela exclaimed, her expression more excited than Natalia was expecting. Natalia was surprised to see her at this time at all; Isabela wasn’t a morning person and usually wasn’t fully herself until at least noon most days.

“I was hoping I’d find you!” Isabela continued.

Natalia smiled. “Well you found me!”

“Do you have a minute?” Isabela asked.

“Of course!” Natalia replied. “Bruno and Emi are still asleep.”

“Perfect, come with me!” Isabela said, walking into her bedroom.

When Natalia entered into the room, she saw scraps of fabric, string, flower petals, leaves, and twigs all over the floor.

“Excuse the mess.” Isabela said quickly as they walked through the room. They approached a large beige sheet covering up something underneath.

“I never went to sleep last night, I worked all through the night.” Isabela continued, her excitement clear in her rapid words.

“Worked on what?” Natalia asked, curious.

Isabela smiled, putting her hands on the sheet. “So, you know how I’ve been running my floral business La Mariposa Designs in the Encanto in the years following the reconstruction of the casita.”

“Of course, you’ve been fabulously successful and putting your gift to amazing, beautiful use for so many people in town.”

Isabela’s smile brightened. “You’re sweet, thank you. Well, the experience of doing the floral arrangements for yours and tío Bruno’s wedding gave me a chance to expand my business into larger events. But even that didn’t feel like quite everything I wanted to do with my business. When I figured out what I still wanted to do, it hit me like a ton of bricks and it’s all I’ve been thinking about and working on for the last several months. So, today I would like to introduce you to–“

“Ta-da!” Isabela exclaimed, pulling the sheet away.

Beneath it stood three clothing mannequins, covered in some of the most exquisite outfits Natalia had ever seen. On the far left was an elegant white satin sheath dress, covered head to toe in a wrap of delicately placed white roses and soft organza. In the middle was an edgier piece, a black t-shirt with a spiked cactus design on the sleeves, and distressed blue jeans with various red and black flowers patched on it. On the end was a casual but stunning pink dress, the torso covered in pink and white daisies and the skirt layered with swirling floral designs. Each of the pieces were absolutely beautiful and entirely unique, unlike anything Natalia had ever seen before.

Isabela beamed at Natalia proudly. “These are the introductory pieces of La Mariposa Design’s clothing line!! In addition to my floral design and events work, I decided to throw my hand into the fashion world! Each of my pieces has real floral and/or plant designs woven directly into the fabric, making each piece truly unique.”

“Dios mío, Isabela!!” Natalia exclaimed, running up to hug Isabela tightly. When they pulled apart Natalia continued to hold Isabela by her arms. “They’re all absolutely stunning! This is incredible, I’m so excited for you!!!”

“Thank you so much Nati, that means so much coming from you.” Isabela said sincerely, a warm glow on her cheeks.

“I had absolutely no idea you knew how to make clothing, and my goodness how to make them so well!” Natalia continued. “I knew how gorgeous your floral work has always been but this just takes it to a whole new place. I am so proud of you.”

Isabela leaned over to give Natalia another tight hug.

“Thank you Nati. That means more to me than you know. I learned to sew from my mom as a kid, but I recently dove into some sewing books I found at the Encanto’s library and have been full steam ahead ever since.”

“That’s amazing.” Natalia said.

“And you know, you’ve always been one of my biggest inspirations when it came to this business.”

“Me?” Natalia replied, surprised.

Isabela chuckled. “Yes, you. I see how hard you work in the bakery ever day, how much work and creativity and passion you put into running your business. It’s inspirational. This family is full of so many strong, empowered women that I couldn’t help but be inspired!”

Natalia put her hand over her heart, touched by Isabela’s words.

“That means so much to hear, thank you so much Isa.” Natalia said. “All of you Madrigals have always inspired me, even before I ever met Bruno. I’ve always admired how resilient and driven you all are, it’s made me strive to be the best version of myself I could be.”

Isabela put her arm around Natalia’s shoulder. “You were always destined to be a part of this family, and we’re so happy you are.”

Natalia beamed. “Don’t you dare make me start crying now.”

Isabela laughed. She was several inches taller than Natalia, so she comfortably propped her elbow up on Natalia’s shoulder before speaking again.

“Now, I did have one favor to ask of you.” Isabela said, looking back over at the clothing. “If you’re up for it.”

“Shoot!” Natalia replied.

“I know you’ve got this adorable little baby belly now so it’ll obviously have to wait a little while, but after the new baby is born I wanted to ask you if you’d be up for being one of my clothing models? I’ve already hired Mirabel as my company photographer for my other floral work, so I’ll ask her to photograph you in the pieces as well!

“Wow, I’m flattered that you’d ask me!” Natalia said with a chuckle. “I’m certainly no fashion model but I could definitely give it a try.”

“Hush, none of that.” Isabela insisted. “You’re gorgeous and the most fashionable woman in this household. Many of my designs, both the ones I’ve made and the ones still in drawing form, were inspired by outfits of yours!”

Natalia blushed, sheepish at the compliments. “You’re very sweet to say that, thank you. I’m truly touched that I’ve inspired you in any way.”

“I mean it! I’d be honored to see you in my pieces.”

“And when I’m no longer sporting a baby belly, I’ll be honored to wear them!” Natalia said with a laugh. “Seriously though, I can’t wait. That sounds so wonderful! Who else knows about all this?”

“My parents, my sisters, and Dolores.” Isabel said, chuckling before her next sentence. “Dolores found out first.“

Natalia laughed along with her. “Understandable. Is it okay for me to tell your tío to come by and take a look after he wakes up?”

“Yes of course!”

Natalia walked up to Isabela and hugged her again.

“So proud of you, you’re amazing.” Natalia said, rubbing her hands affectionately on Isabela’s back as they hugged.

“Thanks Nati.” Isabela replied warmly, a glowing smile on her face. “Oh! Here, before you go!”

Isabela waved her hand in front of her and a stunning bouquet of yellow roses, daisies, and baby’s breath appeared in her hands.

“As a thank you for all of your lovely words, and for agreeing to be a model.”

Natalia smiled brightly at her, taking the bouquet carefully. “Absolutely, outrageously, ridiculously stunning as always, Isa. Thank you.”

“No, thank you!” Isabela replied. “Oh, and here’s one last thing.”

She twirled her wrist and a small bundle of dandelions appeared in her hand. She grabbed a piece of twine off of her desk, wrapped it around the stems, tied it with a bow, and handed the bundle to Natalia.

“For Emi. I know how much she loves her dandelions.”

“She sure does!” Natalia exclaimed. “She loves nothing more than watching their petals fly through the air on breezy days. Thank you, she’ll love them.”

“My pleasure! Now, I have to go find some others to show them. See you around later?”

“Yep, I’m home all day today!”

“Perfect!”

____________________

Natalia left Isabela’s room and put her bouquet into a vase with water, leaving it on the kitchen island’s counter so the entire family could enjoy it.

She walked into the nursery to check on Emilia and saw that Bruno was already inside, rocking in the rocking chair with his daughter in his arms.

“Good morning mis amores!” Natalia exclaimed, Bruno flashing her a bright smile as she walked in the door.

“Morning hermosa!” Bruno replied. Natalia leaned over to kiss him, and then kissed Emilia on the top of her head.

“How are we today?”

“Still a little sleepy, but good. I think Emi’s feeling the same way.”

Bruno put Emilia in his lap facing him, and both of Emilia’s parents smiled brightly at her.

“Isabela gave me these for our little miss Emi.” Natalia said, holding out the small dandelion bouquet. She handed them to Emilia and Emilia grabbed onto them excitedly, carefully touching the petals. Bruno and Natalia kept a close eye to make sure that the flowers, as many things in their daughter’s hands often did, didn’t end up in her mouth. Emilia giggled and cooed excitedly at the yellow flowers in her little hands.

“Can you say, good morning Dada?” Natalia said, waving hello at Emilia.

Emilia looked up at Natalia, and then Bruno, before opening her mouth.

“Dada!” She cried out.

Natalia and Bruno looked over at each other and Natalia put her hand over her mouth in joyful shock.

“Bruno, she just said her first word! Our baby just said Dada!”

Bruno was absolutely beaming, and kissed his daughter several times on her cheek before speaking.

“That’s right baby, I am Dada!” He looked up at Natalia, who had happy tears falling from her eyes. “Her first word amor, I can’t believe it. My baby just really spoke to me for the first time. Qué increíble!!”

Bruno reached his arm out and Natalia walked into it, leaving his arm now around her waist.

“Can you say that again, mi princesa?” Bruno asked. “Can you say Dada?“

“Da-da!!” Emilia exclaimed a bit slower, clapping her hands together afterwards.

“Yes!!” Natalia cried out. “Look at you my darling, talking like a big girl!”

“Oh Bruno,” Natalia sniffed. “I’m so happy we were in the same place when this happened. My heart is just overflowing right now.”

“Yo también, mi amor.” Bruno said sweetly, tightening his grip around Natalia’s waist. Natalia leaned down to kiss him, both of their eyes misty.

“Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you chiquita!!!” Natalia said, scooping up Emilia from Bruno’s lap and kissing her on her cheek seemingly a thousand times.

“She’ll being saying Mama in no time now.” Bruno said. “I read in one of the parenting books we bought when you were pregnant with her that D sounds are easier for babies to say than M sounds at first.”

“Surprised you didn’t make a ‘you’re her favorite parent’ joke there, dear.” Natalia teased.

“I was getting there.” Bruno joked back.

“What a remarkable morning it’s been already.” Natalia said, her expression joyful and serene. “I came in here to say good morning, apparently hear my daughter say her first word, and tell you to go find Isabela when you’re up and about for the day. She has something exciting to show you.”

“Okay!” Bruno replied. “Something you already know about, I’m assuming?”

“Only as of about fifteen minutes ago.”

“I’ll find her soon!”

“This’ll be a big day of firsts, now that I’m thinking about it. Tonight’s the first night we were going to have her sleeping in the nursery, no?“

“That’s right! And considering all goes well–“ Bruno said in a softer voice, walking up close to Natalia and leaning into her ear–“I have plans for you tonight, my beauty.”

Natalia felt goosebumps form all along her skin as he spoke.

“Oooh, I like the sound of that.” She replied.

“You’ll like the feeling even more, I promise.” Bruno replied, leaving a fiery blush on her face.

Natalia turned her head and caught him by surprise with a passionate kiss, cutting it just a bit short to leave him wanting more. It worked.

“Until tonight then, Mr. Madrigal.” She said in a low voice, her tone silky and melodic.

Natalia smiled at him as she left the room, Emilia on her hip. Bruno found that he’d heated up about 10 degrees in the last two minutes, pulling his shirt collar out and back a few times to cool himself off.

“Damn, she’s good.” He said out loud, now alone in the nursery.

____________________

Later that evening, Bruno entered into his and Natalia’s bedroom in the casita, closing the door quietly behind him.

“She’s asleep.” He said to Natalia with a soft smile, who was sitting on the end of their bed anxiously. “She only needed a few minutes with me in the room and then she was out.”

“I heard you with her on the baby monitor, so that’s working fine.” Natalia said, motioning to a small baby monitor on the end table beside their bed. “Our little Em, doing so well in her first night sleeping in the nursery. I’m going to try not to be a nervous wreck all night.”

Bruno sat down beside her, putting his hand on top of hers. “I know how you feel, but she’s always been a good sleeper and we’ve spent so much time with her in the nursery that I truly think she feels right at home there.”

Natalia smiled up at him, looking at the empty space in their bedroom where Emilia’s crib used to be.

“Oh!” She exclaimed suddenly. “What did you think of Isabela’s big reveal?”

“The clothes were incredible! I couldn’t believe she got that much work done without anyone in the family finding out before. She’s so talented!”

“Isn’t she!” Natalia exclaimed. “She asked me to model some of her clothes for her after I give birth.”

“Of course she did, look at you!” Bruno said, motioning to her with his hands. “You’re absolutely stunning! I can’t wait to see how you look in her designs.”

“Thank you amor.” Natalia said, a bit sheepishly.

Bruno smiled at her and kissed the side of her head, pausing a moment before speaking again.

“I asked Isabela if she remembered the vision I told her about many many years ago. The one where I told her the life of her dreams was promised to her?”

“Mhm, I remember her mentioning that before.”

“Well, this is what I saw. I saw her thriving as an independent businesswoman, working hard at her company, and I did see her making clothes in that vision along with her flowers and plants. I told her that today. She was really surprised, and happy! I’d left the details out at the time because she was so young and I didn’t want to sway her one way or another. But she’s doing exactly what I saw, and I couldn’t be prouder.”

“Me either.” Natalia said, leaning her head against Bruno’s shoulder.” Our family continues to thrive, it makes me so happy.”

“We’re….actually alone in here at night. At least, until the new baby is born.” Natalia said after a few moments, blinking a few times as if just realizing what she had said. They’d talked about it earlier, but the realization really bit her in that moment.

Bruno chuckled, watching her process her thoughts.

“That baby monitor only goes one way, right?” He asked her, his eyes flickering neon green during his question.

“Yes sir.”

Natalia looked him up and down before he spoke again.

“Lock the door.”

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

Natalia’s heart began to race as she fulfilled his request, and when she walked back she immediately crawled in his lap, putting her arms around his neck. There was a little less room between them than usual because of her recently popped belly. Bruno wrapped his hands around her ass, grinning mischievously at her.

Natalia leaned in and kissed him deeply, giggling through the kiss when he moved his hands up to her waist. Bruno’s head swam listening to her laugh, the sound was truly heavenly to him.

“It’s been so long since we’ve had this room to ourselves.” Natalia breathed into his lips.

“And I know exactly how to use it.” Bruno said in a low voice back at her, her skin heating up by the second.

“And how’s that, my handsome?” Natalia purred. “Since we talked this morning about your plans I’ve been thinking about them nonstop all day.”.

“Well my beauty, to start, I am absolutely starving for a taste of you.” Bruno hummed, making Natalia flush all over.

Bruno pulled Natalia’s dress up and off of her, squeezing and kissing along her breasts. She let out a deep, contended sigh, running her hands along his shoulders.

He placed his hands back under her legs and picked her up, making her squeal with laughter. He set her back down carefully on the bed so she was now laying down, kissing her a few times before moving downwards.

Her skin tingled and her heart pounded watching him work his way down her body. His eyes were bright green by the time he looked back up at her while he took her panties off, and she lost herself completely in their dominant glow in the otherwise dim room.

“You drive me crazy.” She whispered.

“Just you wait, bella.” Bruno growled.

He parted her thighs and Natalia let out a soft moan as he ran his tongue along her, quickly leaning in further to get a deeper taste. He moved his tongue around in ways both new and familiar to her, each motion leaving her breathless.

“Oh my god, oh god Bruno–“ She choked out, her words melting out of her lips.

He felt her entrance become wetter and wetter the longer he pleasured her, and he grinned in between her legs knowing how incredible she’d feel wrapped around him after he’d licked her to her peak.

He sucked with gentle pressure, causing her to arch her back deeply and reach out for his hand. He gave her one of his hands and she gripped onto it, squeezing tighter and tighter as he worked away at her.

“Just like that–right there baby don’t stop–“ She begged, her voice becoming hoarser with each breathy word.

He continued this exact movement like she asked, and after a few more moments her moans became faster and higher pitched and she squeezed his head gently with her thighs as her orgasm throbbed around his lips.

She gasped for breath, looking down at him.

“Are you ready for more?” Bruno asked her, a ravenous look in his eyes as he wiped the side of his mouth with his thumb. Watching him in that moment, Natalia marveled at how unbelievably sexy he looked.

She sat up, grabbing him by his shoulder and claiming his lips passionately with her own. When their lips parted she whispered in his ear, “Fuck me senseless, baby. I need every last inch of you.”

“God, I love you.” Bruno sighed, taking his cheek in her hand and kissing her. She bit his lower lip gently as they pulled apart, his head spinning with need as she helped him remove his clothes and toss them aside.

He leaned down and gave her sensitive, swollen center one more kiss, making her gasp before he slowly put himself inside of her. She was dripping for him, and he shut his eyes as he entered her, the feeling so good that he saw a whole spectrum of colors behind his eyelids.

Natalia closed her eyes as well and leaned her head back further into her pillow, pulling her legs up closer towards herself to let him move in deeper. He was dominating her exactly as she wanted, her mind feeling like it might fizzle out from how good he felt inside her.

“Bruno, Bruno, Bruno, baby–“ She cried out between his thrusts, her breasts bouncing beneath her.

“Keep saying my name like that and you’re gonna make me come–“ Bruno said through heavy breaths. The sound of her begging for him, her cries drenched in desire, was making him reach new heights of his pleasure, drowning in the music of her voice.

“Oh Bruno baby yes, fuck me baby fuck me–“ She moaned. Very shortly after, Bruno groaned rapturously as he orgasmed.

Both of them were panting, and smiled at one another when they made eye contact again. Bruno pulled out of her and laid down beside her, euphoric and exhausted. She took his hand in hers and leaned over to kiss him on his cheek.

“I love you. That was unreal, absolutely incredible.” She said, moving a few strands of messy hair out of her face.

“I love you.” Bruno replied. “Hearing you talk like that, those sounds you make, I’m–I can hardly–just, god.”

Natalia let out a low, sensual laugh, then leaned in close to his ear. “When I’m getting eaten out and fucked by my absolutely ridiculously hot husband as well as he always does, those are the only sounds I can make.”

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

The hair on the back of Bruno’s neck stood up at her words, and he leaned over to her to kiss her deeply once again.

“You are perfect.” Bruno said as they pulled apart.

Natalia smiled brightly into his lips, turning towards him to deepen their kiss further.

“I’m fighting every single urge I have to run and check on Em right now.” Natalia said, wrapping her arm around Bruno’s chest.

“I know, but she’s doing great in there. I promise. Let’s try and get some sleep, okay?”

“Okay.” Natalia said. “What an amazing day today was. Isabela's business, Emi's first word, her first night in the nursery. So much growth for the Madrigal girls!" She sighed, looking up at Bruno lovingly. "This is the life of my dreams too."

“Mine too, my love. I am truly grateful beyond measure, I love you so much.” Bruno replied, running his hand along her arm.

“I love you so much Bruno, good night.”

“Good night, sweet dreams.”

____________________

End Notes:

Spanish translations for Chapter 50:

-Casita: house -Tío: uncle -Dios mío: my god/oh my god _Mi amor/mis amores: my love/my loves -Hermosa: beautiful -Qué increíble: how incredible -Mi princesa: my princess -Yo también: me too -Chiquita: little one -Bella: beauty

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popculturebuffet · 4 years

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Ducktales: New Gods On The Block! Review or THE INCREDIBLE STORKULES: COCKBLOCKER OUT OF MYTH!

We’re back, and i’m doing away with intros, for now, i’m trying to see if offering people a bit of the review makes them more receptive to reading it and now we’re nearing the end of this hellyear, and the trump presdency, i’m going into this one with a ton of energy, so let’s get quackin!

We open with the Scrooge and Kids on a quest to get a golden helmet he’s been after for years and has been one of his lifelong goals using a carefully crafted plan with all the kids skills needed. Okay i’ll admit that last part is unique to this show: given how interchangable the boys are outside of this continuity, I assume he’d just throw them at the monster like Pikmin as a distraction while Donald grabbed the helmet and just grow new ones in his vast venture bro style clone mine if they happen to die. Thankfully there’s no Child Death but there is Child Failure as the team comes back sad and defeated and doubting themselves.. Della having a confetti cannon ready to celebrate dosen’t help. Though it does bring me to the subject of Della being out of focus this season. It’s a mixed bag for me: On the one hand I do get it, as she was the main focus of last season, even more than Louie, and now we’ve gotten to know her, she can sit back and play more of a supporting role, especially since Donald , who himself was more of a supporting character the past two seasons, is now getting more screentime and Beakly’s getting fleshed out more. Their trying to balance a rather massive cast, so it’s natural the one whose already got a ton of focus at this point would take a back seat and all around the show’s done a far better job giving everyone screentime this season. Launchpad has been lacking of late but given a Darkwing Duck spinoff is probably in the cards, and he’s had tons of episodes at this point compared to Donald and Beakly, i’m understanding of it.

On the other.. there’s still a lot of stories to tell with her: We still haven’t had her deal with Scrooge basically erasing her for a decade at all nor Donald hiding her past from the kids.. he had reason and all, but he still made their mother a stranger to them. They had no stories, nothing to really go on for 10 years. That’s gotta have impacted both the kids and gotta hit della hard at some point that her father-uncle and brother both just kinda.. erased her to the kids. Plus we don’t know how she’s been adjusting to have a life OUTSIDE the kids especially since she’s been sitting out so many adventures, likely to let Scrooge have time with them and be a good daughter and mother and what not, but still there’s a LOT of ground to cover they simply haven’t yet. The Donald and Della plot we did get, while glorious, didn’t really add anything to either’s likely strained relationship and it’d be nice to give the two a subplot to work this out. Granted this might all be coming in the Castle McDuck Episode for all I know, but I can’t pin all my hopes and dreams on that one. And this all COULD’VE easily happened off screen.. but it’s something the audience really wants and needs. I’m not sure if we’re getting it and that worries me. But again theirs a large chunk of the season to answer this if this is the last one, and another season possible if it’s not, so i’m willing to wait for it. I’m just getting impatient is all.

That being said this episode makes up for the Della Deficet as she’s one of the main driving forces of this side of the episode. I’ll get into that more in a second but Della’s been on the rare misfire adventure and knows Scrooge’s stages of grief and that he’ll come out of it with a better plan. Unfortunately for the kids that plan dosen’t include them and Scrooge runs off to assemble a better team leaving the kids utterly devastated. One of the other main driving forces besides depressed children and the greek gods is scrooge being really bad with people, but i’ll get to that.

Point is the kids understandable emotional devastation and Della trying to mom for all of them at once because Launchpad had to get to his other job and is taking Beakly this weak to teach him and Drake how to raise a child, is interrupted by said Zeus ASSHAT RAPIST OUT OF MYTH! Along with Storkules COCKBLOCKER OUT OF MYTH and Selene, DELLA’S FIRST TIME WITH A WOMAN OUT OF MYTH! There here because Zeus has lost his powers, as the Gods all collectively decided he was a dick and voted him out of office.. er stripped him of his powers. Sorry an asshole, narcacistic, sociopathic racist getting removed from his position of power happening a few days after the election was called.. the timing just could not have been better. But yeah Zeus is out, roll credits. Join me after them and after the cut for the rest of the review.

So yeah the Gods are fed up with him, and Selene and Storkules are there to pick a worthy inheritor to his Laurel Wreath, his lighting bolts, and his collection of playboys he keeps alphabatized in his mancave.. also his mancave will also go to the winner. Storkules however, having a one track mind, notices Donald isn’t there and goes to find him. The kids are all eager to try but Selene is there for Della, which they all agree makes sense: I mean she has the disposition and sexual appitite of a green god but without all the rampant sex crimes and murder, and given most of them have clearly copped to the times except Zeus, that’s a plus. Plus she and Selene have already been together before so the fact they can smooch into infinity along with all the fun stuff is a nice bonus. It’s not like Storkules isn’t selecting his candiate soley with his 13 inch penis, so ther’es a precident. But Della, seeing the kids clearly need this more than she does, convinces her once and future girlfriend to let them try out. I really do wish we got more of the two this episode but what we get is great, and Selene reluctantly agrees after Della makes the valid point their STILL more mature than her dad. The fact Zeus punctuates this by getting into a “No you” contest with an 11-12 year old probably helped. As for where Donald is he’s preparing for a date with Daisy! Horay. I’ve been waiting for Daisy to come back since the last time she was here, and Donald has naturally been considerate: Setting up a bunch of hearts, flowers, some punch that is likely just box wine and sprite, he has a budget and throwing all his garbage in the pool with bricks because he’s still Donald. Romantic, a good dad.. but still a disaster of a person who dosen’t know quite how to live like an adult... which naturally I immensely relate to and hope i’m lucky enough one day to have a lady or fella to hide all my garbage from. I mean i’m probably dying alone, but that’s likely my old buddy crippling depression talking. Oh you old scamp.. please fuck off an die. But enough chilling looks into my psyche, point is Storkules barges in to ruin it, and eat his carefully made grilled cheese. As though Storkules may be incredible he’s also STORKULES, GOD OF NOT REALLY READING THE ROOM. Daisy comes in, and we find out it’s their second date.. and i’m assuming their first wasn’t that time they ended up in a direct to video sequel to Die Hard that’s still far better than Die Hard 5.. then again a colonoscopy is preferable to that movie so I Dunno. But she’s nice, friendly, if put off by the big sweaty man suddenly in their date. Storkules COCKBLOCKER OUT OF MYTH, does not help matters by, upon hearing that seeing how in love they are, and finding out it’s the second date assumes their getting married and hugs them in THE SWEATY ABS OF STORKULES. Do me next.

Back at the God Tests, god I love a job-ish thing that lets me say that, Louie is up first, and being Louie has thought up a plan that benifets him wether he wins or looses but one that has serious underlying issues he hasn’t thought of. Naturally it turns out to be a gold touch which, as with Midas, works out about as well as you’d expect.. with Dog Murder and mass murder to follow. Selene undoes it, So Louie gets nothing. And yeah this has been a major issue this season that while I talked about it back in “Let’s Get Dangerous” bares repeating: Louie feels like he learned NOTHING from the events of last season. He still likes, he still dosen’t think plans through, and he still cheats. In contrast Dewey DID grow from his season.. it’s subtle, he’s still the same loveable trainwreck and pre-teen Hank Venture he’s always been, but he no longer hides secrets or family stuff and is more of a team player. Still an egotsitical one, but it’s there. But Louie.. hasn’t changed at all. He’s still conviving, still thinks only in short term.. it’s only once or twice like with the Impossibin the events of last year really seem to have sunk in. It feels like the writer’s couldn’t figure out how to write a smarter Louie and just gave up. It’s really disheartning especially when most other character development, subtle and otherwise, sticks.

While Huey sweats over his turn and Della tries to encourage, we cut back to the date which is going okay, Daisy’s trying to roll with it but Storkules, TERRIBLE WINGMAN OUT OF MYTH really isn’t good at talking Donald up or letting them get to know one another. While things breifly get better when Daisy brings up her career and Donald talks it up like the loving soon to be boyfriend he is, Storkules FUCKUP OUT OF MYTH screws things up by saying, when she explains to him she hasn’t made any Toga’s because she works primarily in dresses that she can “work up to them eventually. “ As proof this is the best Daisy she dosen’t dump Donald immidetly despite none of this being his fault and him trying to explain he didn’t invite him, but instead just makes an angry, and understandably so , face and goes to powder her beak.. which is clearly code for “Scream Obscenities into Donald’s Mirror for the next ten minutes”. Which if it already wasn’t abundantly clear they were perfect for each other this would be the clincher. Donald wants Storkules to go and TRIES to tell him, but Storkules just assumes he wants him to make a big romantic gesture for them and goes to “let Cupid’s Arrow” strike her. Donald understandably wants conformation he doesn’t mean that literally. Spoiler alert: He does.

IT’s Huey’s turn next at playing god and he decides to be God of Intuition, gaining future sight so he can know everything and prevent tragedy. We instead get a damn funny scene where after adjusting to his powers he tries to prevent a breakup.. only to play both parts himself and cause it anyway. Just some great acting from Danny Pudi there. We get some more as Huey slowly melts down from the information, traumatizing a kid and nearly getting beat up with a guy who wants to “Beat up the freak for making everyone uncomfortable” which..

Yeah it’s not acceptable for what looks like a grown adult, or even a Teenager if that was an intent, to whale on a CHILD, let alone ANYONE for being “a Freak”. I mean yes Huey did screw up big, not mass murder bit but still.. but he’s still a fucking child. As someone who was prone to breakdowns at that age, and up to present day... I take this personally, especially since I see Huey as high functioning autsitic. So this hits home as i’ve had many people just tell me to get over it instead of trying to help. So yeah fuck this guy, take off that Gizmoduck shirt you do not deserve it. We fans do though, I hope that becomes real merch.

But yeah Huey failed and Zeus is gloating..mostly because in his already considerably warped brain, he thinks that if they all fail he dosen’t get it. Selene explains basic logic to him: If they fail to find a new god here, they’ll just keep looking. Zeus naturally has a tantrum as Scrooge enters, wondering why the kids care about god powers and Della, being a supportive mom, tries to get him to encourage them. He instead focuses on his team. Again, we’ll get to him trust me. Selene also calls her dad out on the fact he hasn’t done anything good since defeating the titans centuries ago. Naturally being THE GREATEST SHITHEAD IN ALL OF GREEK MYTHOLOGY Zeus takes the exact wrong lesson from this and calls his brother Hades to whip up a titan for him to fight because that was her point and not that your an irredemible dick tip who their desperate to replace and who was dethroned because no one liked you, not even your horrible presumibly now ex wife. I mean unlike DC Comics Zeus he’s not planning a cou but only because he has no powers. Hades however is well aware his brother has no powers, as the gods have been talking about it and laughing about it because Zeus sucks eggs. Also Hades has a great goth look and personality here as well as muscular arms to hold my bi ass at night. A-Plus character design. I may also have a thing for goths and emos I never realized I had. Just an observation.

Back at the boat Donald and Daisy are enjoying drinks, which again has to be wine.. I mean again box wine, Donald needs a lot of booze after a hard days nearly getting murdered and Costco has great deals on it, but still booze. They cuddle a bit and it’s fucking adorable.. and Storkules WHO JUST KIDDNAPED HIS COUSIN CUPID AND STOLE HIS SHIT naturally ruins this moment by first trying to fire one date rape arrow at them, then takes donald’s rampant headshaking no as a sign to fire all of the arrows... with Daisy ending up in the water and unsettling the garbage. Granted Donald COULD’VE prevented this by explaning things to her.. but i’m betting he didn’t simply because he’s.. tired of this shit. He’s tired of adventure, tired of it intruding on his life and just hoped Storkules was gone and out of sight and didn’t have a chance to prepare for that till it was too late. NOW Daisy storms off.. but unlike say Cabs Daisy, whose a living nightmare, or Comic Daisy, whose not a great person but has her moments depending on the comic, she has VALID REASON. Donald lied to her about garbage and dind’t just take it out like a normal Duck, and didn’t just outright yell at his friend to leave on their date, a friend who just attacked her and already insulted her. IT’s understandable, especailly given a line coming up she’d WANT to leave and leave Donald behind. Donald however is naturally miserable and it finally gets through Storkules thick skull he messed up and he runs off to cry while Donald miserably floats among the garbage and my heart both relates to that nad breaks seeing it. I mean .. Daisy meant a lot to him: After years of presumibly avoiding dating, or if he did not doing so for long, to focus on the boys, after a year of putting their needs ahead of his and living with his demanding uncle, of being dragged out of a normal if miserable life and into a less miersable but adventerous one he didn’t want, of being stranded in space and on an island wondering if his kids would be okay.. he finally not only has time for himself, and his sister back after years of thinking her dead and thus someone else to take care of the kids needs for a while without feeling any guilt over it or worrying about them, but found someone special. She’s talented, beautiful, charming, and understanding. And most importanlty she LISTENS to him and throughly likes Donald for who he is. And he looses that only PARTLY due to his won incomptence but mostly because someone he already barely allows in his life came in and ruined it. Once again the adventure and everything took something from him and while not nearly as big as loosing his sister, it still fucking hurts to once again have one small bit of something just for himself, one bit of normalcy, one person who loves him for who he is now through and through.. and it’s seemingly gone. It’s why I like this relationship even if this part panes me: Donald can FINALLY be happy... finally have someone who genuinely cares about him. This also boils down Storkules character and why I don’t ship the two of them: He’s a good god, he’s brave, compasionate, carring, and generally wants the best for donald and does genuinely love him.. but he also dosen’t care really what DONALD wants half the time. He’s the embodiment of Donald’s biggest gripe with his life: No one listens to or repsects him or what he wants. Storkules wants Donald the adventurer, Donald the brave, Donald the undaunted, DONALD THE IDEALIZED VERSION THAT ONLY EXISTS IN HIS HEAD. He dosen’t really get Donald isn’t the same person, and even that person wasn’t into him. Not because he’s a man, like his sister Donald could easily be bi or pan.. but because he’s just SO MUCH and Donald’s family is already SO MUCH.. and that was BEFORE the kids and the launchpad. Donald has made peace with adventuring but it’s still clearly not his faviorite thing while for Storkules adventure and experince is his life. Storkules needs someone like him and Donald needs someone down to earth, someone who can HANDLE the amount of chaos that follows him and the famly, but someone whose .. normal. And Daisy is that. If you ship then fine fine, but I just don’t because they just don’t go together and both deserve a partner they can truly be a partner with, not someone they clearly don’t understand or someone they DREAD visiting. They both deserve better than that.

Back on the god plot, it’s Webby’s turn as she becomes Goddess of Friendship. And helps the mood at the pier by spreading sunshine.. and then deals with the pier’s greatest menace and my honorary uncle, because he’s really not much worse than some of my actual uncles...

GLOMGOLD, SCOURGE OF CHILDREN’S KIDDIE RIDES. Because of course a seemingly regular habit for Glomgold is hogging a children’s ride he somehow fits into. Of course it is. It’s cheap and he’s not the best human being but I love him anyway. Webby heats it up to scare him then tries to get the kids to hug before having a breakdown at everyone not being happy. This does fit with her personality.. I didn’t think so at first but thinking back her first response in any friendship crisis is to panic and overreact. Her reaction to her best friend telling her she may have to stop sleeping over with her and her sister/webby’s giflriend because of magic danger is an implied death threat. She’s getting BETTER with people, but she still dosen’t have the life experince to fully deal with it and naturally upon seeing things get worse and worse goes on a lighting filled rampage Selene thankfully stops and likely undoes. Though Glomgold is likely on the moon now. He’ll be fine.

Dewey is last and auditions.. but forgets the god part and fails which fits him perfectly and is a great bit. The kids have all washed out and are depressed about it. While Della is hopeful when talking to Selene, Selene gently explains to her girlfriend she shares with a space alien that the kids just aren’t ready and that maybe the power of a god just isn’t the thing you give to a kid for a self esteem boost. Della MEANS well here, she just wants her kids, Webby very much included, to feel good and get their self esteem back after Scrooge swallowed it whole. But Selene is right that this is just too much power, and given it nearly drove Huey insane and nearly made Louie and Webby murderers, she has a point. It’s a good thought, but Selene needs an actual replacement for her dad. Sadly though this breaks the kids further after this and they slink off and Selene gets she messed up.. while she was right to reject them, she missed WHY Della was trying so hard. However credit where it’s do unlike her brother, while she dosen’t try to fix her issue, it’s likely out of emotional maturity: she knows just saying nice things to the kids wouldn’t help them or would wring hollow and their mom is better for that. IT’s things like this that are going to make her a good step mom.. yeah i’m shiping Della with both her girlfriends at once. Just because I gave up on her and Launchpad dosen’t mean poly’s off the table, and frankly selene is strong enough to win Penumbra’s favor and Penumbra has the kind of pepper and violence a greek goddess likes in her women. They’d be cute all together. I likes it.

Less cute is ZEUS, SCHEMING BOWL OF ELEPHANT PISS OUT OF MYTH!, who realizes his greatest gift isn’t his powers: I’ts manipulating his children.

And since he found a sad STORKULES POOR SAD BOY OUT OF MYTH. , and hears his issue, with Storkules hilarious sitting in his poppa’s lap, he spins it into getting what he wants: Saying since he and his wife, and Storkules mother in this version apparently I dunno, fell in love with battle, summoning Chronos will do just that for Donsy. Granted for most people your dad’s tale about how he met your step mom who tried killiing you a bunch and who he’s cheated on dozens of times would raise a red flag, but STORKULES IS THICK AS A BRICK.. in both senses of the word and calls forth Chronus.

Daisy meanwhile is driving her car away, but is battling with herself. On one hand she doesn’t want to play mother to a guy who can’t dispose his trash or his weird friends. On the other she admits she can really be herself around Donald. We then get the most telling line though.. “You do not need to fall for another man who needs saving!”

That.. is clearly setup for the future. It MIGHT be Gladstone but it could be anyone. Hell it could be someone entirely new. She also could have a kid like we’ve all wanted. We could get a canon version of Juinor.. not named Donald Juinor because 1) He’s not donald’s son and 2) that name’s been forever tainted and we all know which living bottle of axe body spray to blame. I.. genuinely can’t wait to find out who this is and I expect we will before the season’s up and i’ts nice to see Tress, like last time, get to dig into some emotional complexity with the character instead of just yelling at Donald or talking about bows and stuff. Here she grapples with herself as she does love Donald but the past has burnt her a lot. But as a wise pansexual once said “ But I think it's important for us to remember that sometimes, sometimes it does work out. And even though everything inside us is telling us to protect ourselves, when you've got it, don't let it go. And I am telling you, that you have got it, if you want it. “ Love is hard, love is messy, maybe that among many other things is why i’m alone. But it’s worth it when you take the time.. and upon seeing a giant monster heading for Donald’s house, Daisy realizes he is worth it.. or that frustrated with him right now or not she dosen’t want him to die. Either way she’s a coming and i’m gathering hornets in a box in ancipation of finding out who hurt her so I can mail them to him. I popped an H on there so I know it has hornets.

Back at the mansion the mood is bleak as heelllllllllll with Louie ordering pizza minus the toppings and Della’s attempt to give the kids hot choclate just getting an ow from Webby. It does make sense: Scrooge and adventuring are their lives.. if he dosen’t need them.. how would they ever do it themselves? Plus their 11 and 13 and at that age kids are very fragile so having their mentor and grandpa reject them like this really hurts, not helped by Scrooge proudly announcing his new team and trying to awkwardly bounce not getting this is his fault, though Della is staring at him with a look that just screams.

But before Della can stab her Dunkle, we cut to a depressed donald who switches from one natural state, Depression, to another, fearing for his life, as Chronus arrives and Huey rightly wonders how he’s here. The kids all defer to Scrooge while Della continues to just be the best. Seriously for the entire episode her only throught is her kids, and their emotional well being and had this crisis not popped up she probably would’ve stabbed scrooge then yelled him out for hurting her babies. She’s graduated from trying to be a mom but having issues with it due to mentally still being in her 20′s, to genuinely being GREAT at the job. Good on her. Daisy is naturally horrified to arrive to find Donald being eaten while Storkules is overjoyed. I WOULD say his stupidity’s overplayed this episode.. but he’s never displayed good judgement before why start now? It fits his character and his joy turns to distress when Chronus eats donald.. and has a cage in his tummy. with glass walls. I dunno, it’s a cool design. Daisy is understandably pissed and yells at it for eating her boyfriend, which gets an adorable oh boy oh boy from donald> Again love is rough, but one jackass screwing with you does not equate to every man or woman or person you date being a jackass. Daisy has realized this. Storkules is overjoyed, but soon finds himself and his sister fihgting Chronus and honestly both are damn impressive doing so. Seriously when the justice ducks form.. give htem a call. I mean She has moon beams and he’s a greek god.. plus Drake and Launchpad could use a third.. I mean he fits better there and Drake is already dating one manchild, and is one to a smaller extent, another won’t hurt. Just consider it shippers.. or foursies with Morgana because as this episode shows Storkules is bi as he is mighty. he’s Bighty. But the god squad fails, and gets eaten and Zeus’ time to shine predictably ends with an “I’ve failed immediately”, to no one’s suprise.

Scrooge starts working on a plan as he and Della, naturally scale the colossus. We then get the scene that’s been boiling all episode: When Scrooge wonders where the kids are, Della calls him out pointing out they’ve been plauged with doubts about him replacing them.. because he literally was replacing them, and when Scrooge is earnestly suprised by that Della points out the obvious: Their children, as I said their fragile and as Della puts it, Scrooge puts a LOT of pressure on them, something she likely knows from experince. And this is what i’ve been leading up to and putting a pin in all episode: Scrooge himself. It’s something I thought of days ago but this episode hammers in heavily: Scrooge really dosen’t have a ton of personal social skills. Sure he can work a board room pitch, lead a team of adventuerers, and run a vast empire while never forgetting the human element, for a lack of a better term, he’s not lacking in empathy or the ablility to talk to people, but when it comes to reading them it’s just surface level. He’s genuinely been show to struggle with empathy, with feeling someone elses emotions or realizing them till they’ve already been hurt. He spent a good ten years desperatley trying to bring Della back, avoding his pain and guilt instead of talking to Donald and making amends with him. His relationship with Goldie took decades to get anywhere healthy as he just put his walls up and assumed she’d never change when, as we’ve seen now, she always could she just needed a push. And when confronted by the kids he lashed out and then pushed them away instead of mending the wounds he created. Even on a much smaller level, when Lena and Violet ended up along next week he’s utterly lost when Adventure isn’t on the menu and only picks up from being baffled by two normal ish (One’s a parnaomal expert the other is the paranormal) joining him once it’s clear at least one of them fits right in with his intrests. He can deal with people on a problem by problem basis, but he’s just not good at dealing with their emotional needs or opening up. It’s why this works so well: his oblviousness fits. To him and the way his brain works, the crown is just a problem to solve and he just needs diffrent tools to fix it, not realizing replacing the kids for a mission would bother them or they’d ever think they were replaceable. Until now I hadn’t seen much similarity to Huey but both.. are just not great with PEOPLE. They put them in boxes, try to solve problems that way.. it’s just their specific issues that way are diffrent. Scrooge can anticapte the unknown and how people he’s fighting act.. but can’t anticipate personal hurt and pain well because he bottles all his up. When checking off a problem.. i’ts just something he dosen’t consider and thus his biggest blindspot, the thing he has to overcome time and time again: How his family feels and how he can deal with it. Here however he deals admirably.. now he KNOWS there’s a problem, and in a genuine show of character development over the past three seasons, he apologizes fully, saying their the best team he could ask for, better than zeus and don’t need his powers and they can get the helm together. Instead of putting up walls.. he’s letting his in and showing humility, which given Scrooge’s ego.. is a tall order. But for those kids, for his strength, it’s no small feet. Of course said speech gets Him and Della eaten, but the kids, now reinegized, ahve time to plan, with Daisy further stalling by roaring at Chronus to stop. Because she’s fucking awesome and Storkules finally gets that. The kids however take the leaves and breifly retake their powers, Dewey’s is for dance naturally, and use them together to take down Chronus, freeing everyone else, defeating the titan and throwing him back into the pits. Donald and Daisy reunite and get a RELLY sweet moment, blushing and looking lovingly at one another, getting lava on each other, before kissing. STORKULES, DOSEN’T GET THEY DON’T WANT A THIRD PARTNER OF MYTH, of course interrupts and hugs them hostage for the remaider of the episode. I’m assuming Beakly , when she got home, pried htem out and explained them not wanting a third int heir relationship to him, and it’s a weak end to the plot as Storkules learned nothing and one of the weaker parts of this episode. The rest is stronger as the kids and Scrooge plan to make another run at the helmet and Selene wonders off to “use your shower” and then order pizza.. so she basically just asked Della out. And has used her shower before.

I mean again, she can have two partners. This episode alone has earned that and they seem like they’d mesh. Penny would just have to learn some lessons about sharing and godly vagina’s is all. Nothing wrong with that. And what about Zeus.. no one asked but he gets his wreath back only to fall in the pit, with Hades naturally laughing his ass off.. and likely also taking Zeus’ laurel back. So Zeus is trapped in hell with a goth mocking him. HORAY! HAPPY END. Final Thoughts; This was a pretty good one. It does have it’s weak spots: Storkules learned nothing, the kids stories endings were easy to see coming and there wasn’t enough Dellene. But really despite that. .it’s still a solid episode mostly because it’s REALLY damn funny. The comedic timing is just pitch perfect and while like most of the plots I could see the rhythm of the donsy plot, the reasons for it were all funny and fresh and the scene with Daisy in her car was a nice bit of character building/clear setup for the future. And showing off Della’s own character developement and history with scrooge, the latter without ever having to mention it, really brought the episode up, as did the guest cast’s game voice acting and timing. This episode is far from perfect, but it’s still a fun episode that felt needed despite not being tied into the main plot: Bringing back some old friends, and having an intresting story to tell. Plus we got more Donsy so there’s that. Overall while not the BEST episode of the series, it was a funny, enjoyable half hour of television and sometimes, that’s enough. If you liked this review follow me or more, and if there’s an episode of Ducktales from seasons 1 or 2 you’d like me to cover, you can comission it for 5 bucks, 5 bucks an episode, 5 dollars off your order when you comission more than one, via my personal messages. You can also follow me on patreon at patreon.com/popculturebuffet if you want. NEXT WEEK: FLASHBACK EPISODE! BABY DONALD AND DELLA! BRADFORD ORIGIN STORY! POSSIBLE HORTENSE AFTER SO LONG! MY BODY IS READY!

#ducktales #donald duck #daisy duck #donsy #delumbra #delene #della duck #selene #storkules #scrooge mcduck #dewey duck #huey duck #louie duck #hades #chronus #chronos #new gods on the block!#new gods on the block #ducktales spoilers

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waywardnerd67 · 4 years

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TFWB - Chap 14 Knight in Shining Armor

Summary: Jensen receives a frantic call from (Y/N) to come get her. Characters: Jensen Ackles, Reader Pairing: No Pairing Warnings: Angst/Fluff Word Count: 1126 Squared Filled: Hurt/Comfort A/N #1: This is for @spnfluffbingo card

Check out: The Family We Built Masterlist

Flipping to the next page, a shiver ran down (Y/N)’s back. The VIP bracelet from a concert Rachel, Molli and her had attended flooded her mind with dark memories. A picture of the three of them smiling up at her could not wash away what had happened after she had gotten back to her car. The only good memory was Jensen sweeping in to save her.

***

The three girls were laughing and singing after the amazing concert. They were all dressed in their daisy dukes, plaids and cowboy boots for the Mega Country show. Every performer had been great and now they were making their way back to their cars. Rachel and Molli had driven separately so they could head to San Antonio to meet up with Jared and his family. Waving goodbye as they drove off, (Y/N) stood by her car letting the cool night breeze wash over her heated skin.

“Hey there pretty lady.”

The gruff voice startled her as she turned to see a tall man behind, “Uh, hi…” she fumbled with her keys cursing herself for having one too many drinks earlier.

“You know… I think maybe you had too good of a time with your gal pals. I think you should let me take you home.” The man stepped closer to her, his sharp jawline and pointy nose coming into the light from under his cowboy hat.

(Y/N) shook her head, “I’m really fine, but thank you.”

The hairs on the back of her neck and arms stood on end as he continued to move towards her. The smell of beer and smoke heavy on him. A sly smirk curling on his face.

He reached out grabbing her wrist, “I said… You’re. Coming. With. Me.”

Several things happened all at once. He tugged her arm hard pulling her body to his. Her gut reaction had her kneeing him breaking free from his grasp. A slew of curse words escaped his mouth as he lunged at her pinning her to the ground. Her head smacking against the pavement hard to the point of her world going black.

When she woke up, she was laying all alone in the parking lot. Her car was gone along with her purse. Her clothes were torn or beside her as the realization of what happened hit her like a ton of bricks. She reached for her cell thankful to find it and took a deep breath to keep her trembling hands steady enough to dial a number.

“Hey pretty girl, did you go out for an after party?” As soon as she heard Jensen’s voice, she burst into tears, “(Y/N)? What’s wrong?”

She tried to speak, but only anguished sobs kept coming from her mouth. Her body shook as the cold of the night set in. Now her hands were starting to shake uncontrollably where she was losing her grip.

“(Y/N), I’m coming for you right now. Stay right where you are.”

The phone went dead as the last of her battery expended itself. Dropping it to the ground, (Y/N) pulled her knees to her chest wrapping her arms around her legs and continued to cry. She cried until there were no tears left to shed and then the numbness took over. She lost all track of time or reason until she heard Jensen’s soothing voice say her name.

“(Y/N)...”

She looked up seeing his frightened olive eyes staring at her. She went to say something but nothing came out. Slowly, he reached out towards her and suddenly the silent night air was filled with a piercing screeching.

“Hey, hey, hey pretty girl, it’s just me. I just want to carry you to my car.” Jensen’s panicked tone cleared her foggy mind for a moment to realize she was the one screaming, “I got you. You’re safe.”

His warm hands glided over her cold skin awakening her to the reality around her. She reached out grasping his leather jacket as he picked her up. He carefully put her in the backseat and climbed in behind her. She looked up to see Misha in the driver’s seat.

“Mish go to St. David’s Med Center. We need to have her checked out.”

Humiliation flooded her body thinking of everything that happened and fresh tears slid down her face. Jensen held her on his lap humming songs she could not name to her and reassuring her everything would be okay. Once at the hospital, Mish went to the front desk to sign her in as Jensen refused to leave her side. His fingers were laced with hers and his thumb slowly rubbed circles against her palm.

When someone came to take her back, he walked with her becoming authoritative when they tried to stop him, “Listen I’m going back there one way or another. She’s not leaving my sight.”

“Pl-Please, I-I want him with me.” They were the first words she had spoken since everything had happened.

The nurse nodded leading them back to a private room. During the examination, Jensen turned his back like a gentleman but stood right beside her, his eyes never leaving hers. Once every swab was taken, test was run and a statement spoken to the police, she was finally released. Jensen drove her home as Misha had left when they had gone back to the hospital room.

“Thank you.” She whispered as he pulled into her apartment parking lot.

He parked in her assigned spot reminding her that she no longer had a car. When he grabbed a bag from his trunk and started to follow her she stopped.

“You don’t need to…”

“If you think I’m leaving you alone tonight then you’re crazy. I will be right beside you. Always.” The firmness of his statement left her breathless.

She nodded knowing words were not needed. The rest of the night and the next day, Jensen was true to his word. He stayed with her the whole time. Comforting her when she would wake up screaming from a nightmare. Singing or reading to her to help her fall back asleep. Watching her favorite shows and ordering her favorite foods. He worked from her office as she slept and would bring his laptop in her room when she was awake.

Seeing his things with hers and having him there brought a peace to her that she had never felt before. Her aching heart longed for it to stay this way forever, but she knew deep down their friendship would go back to normal. He would go back to his life of a successful, handsome, well off bachelor. She would be back to escaping reality through books. Knowing that is how life was always meant to be.

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#spnfluffbingo #tfwb series #jensen ackles fanfiction #jensen ackles fanfic #jensen ackles #reader insert #angst #fluff #au

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dementian · 5 years

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Downton Abbey Movie Thoughts

So last night I went to see the Downton Abbey movie in an early showing. I took the night and the morning to really think about it, process it, and I’ve got some musings. There will obviously be major spoilers in my comments, so I’ve put everything under the cut.

So first of all, the Downton Abbey movie was roughly two and a half hours. The christmas special was usually an hour and a half, so that’s one hour more than the more lengthier episodes. For this reason, the pacing had to be quicker and the plots had to be more gentle in order to be neatly wrapped out. You can’t ask a fish to climb a tree, so I can’t ask a movie to give me what an entire season could. Do I wish some characters (like Baxter) had gotten more lines/screen time? certainly. Do I understand why they didn’t? Naturally.

The concept of the King and Queen coming to Downton was a solid one, and I really have to hand it to Fellowes for the Branson sub-plot. Alan Leech did a fantastic job during the gun fight scene; some people complain that he’s become a puppet, but I remember Branson when the estate burned to the ground explaining that he’d never been one for violence and he’d never wanted to start the fire. As he eloquently said. He’s the egg throwing type. He’s just tired of throwing eggs. Frankly, the fact that the King was like “thanks bro” was just the icing on top. Branson’s gonna need to take a laxative to digest that one.

The Lucy sub-plot was really quite cute. Any fanfiction I write in future will certainly pair her with Branson, because it’s obvious that she needs a stabilizing force in her difficult life and Branson could very easily be that. He’s pragmatic, solution based, and not afraid to look at things frankly in the face of family drama.

My biggest thoughts lay, of course, with Thomas. No prizes given out for that one, though. He’s my favorite character, bar none, and I absolutely adored his sub-plot. I was surprised when there wasn’t a blow up downstairs initially, but then it hit me why there wasn’t. Thomas has outgrown the blow ups. He’s more mature now, he doesn’t want to fight with the staff. That realization hit me like a ton of bricks, and I almost started crying. He said he’d back down, and he did. That took serious maturity, and my hat’s off to him. That one little barb in the attic was goddamn hysterical to me though, with Carson flustering and Thomas like “Wow this is so sad, Alexa play Despacito”.

And SPEAKING OF SAUCY MUSIC.

That whole bar scene... christ. I have so many thoughts, some of which I don’t want to share because I want to do a huge fanfiction about this. (oh it’s coming believe me). Frankly... Chris Webster was horny on the main for our boy, and he wasn’t the only one. Did you see how many damn eyes followed Thomas when he walked one? They were all looking at him for the piece of ass that he is, and I adored that. Thomas getting arrested was heartbreaking, and Richard getting him out was fantastic-

ASHDFLKJS

RICHARD.

Ooooh I love Richard Ellis. i love him to absolute pieces. Mrs. Hughes said it right in Season 6 when she told Thomas “You just haven’t found your person yet”. I think Fellowes wanted to solidify on that by creating Richard. Richard is Thomas’ person, I feel that almost intimately. Richard is mischievous, intellectual, firm and yet easy going at the same time. I think he sees how absolutely stressed and isolated Thomas is, and he wants to change that. I know for the longest time we were all whining about Jimmy/Thomas, but after seeing Richard/Thomas? Yeah, no. I’ll never write Thommy again. I’m a Barris/Thoris (whatever we’re calling it) shipper till the day I die now.

The ending scene for Thomas where Richard kissed him was fucking PASSIONATE. They locked lips, and I will never forgive Andy for interrupting them-- you little shit, go knock out another boiler. Richard giving Thomas that pendant (not a locket), was really beautiful. Having studied victorian/edwardian history heavily for my own writing purposes (not related to DA fanfiction) I’m almost certain I know what that pendant was. It’s actually meant to go on an albert chain. My partner and I got a good look at it; it has the image of a crescent moon mirroring a sun, along with the monogram of the letter ‘E’ (probably for Ellis). I would assume it’s a family heirloom, probably something that Richard was given by his family (did you notice that he visited his parents on his day off? Because I did) and frankly the fact that he gave it to Thomas is very telling. That’s a courtship gift, meant as a declaration of intent. Fellowes knew that when he wrote it in, and probably so did Alastair Bruce. In other words, our boy finally got his man. I plan on solidifying it more in writing as soon as I finish with a commission.

There were, obviously, one or two things about the movie I was slightly irked by. Mary asking Robert if he’d sack Thomas was really weird, given that Robert outright told her it was unfair of them to tell Thomas that he couldn’t be the butler, and that Thomas is so loving towards George. Mary felt like a whirlwind. There was nothing truly solid about her character in the film. She was stressed, panicking, and it resulted in her acting oddly. I liked how she pulled it together at the end, but her initial nonsense was just... nutty.

Andy needed to pull it the fuck together, and Daisy liking him for breaking a boiler was just... odd. As a woman, if I knew that my partner had beaten the shit out of a boiler just because the handiman was good looking and I talked to him, I would be alarmed and want us to go to couples therapy. I think, more than anything, it shows how very self-concious and afraid Andy is of his own shortcomings (much like when he revealed he didn’t know how to read; he broke a lamp in that scene too).

I truly wish we’d gotten to see more scenes with the downstairs staff, just because I like them more than the upstairs, but that’s a personal preference. Everyone played their parts well. Mrs. Hughes was a triumph, the Dowager slammed it, Lady Merton was the best wingman of all time, and in summary I do think the movie was a success. Do I want more? God yes. Do I think we’re going to get more? Probably not. But it was truly lovely to have, and trust me when I say I’ll be writing plenty of fanfiction based on it (or maybe just one huge long saga, Idk).

And that’s all I have to say about that.

#da movie spoilers #downton abbey movie #downton abbey movie spoilers #thomas barrow #richard ellis #tom branson #dementian

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helloalycia · 6 years

Text

got you back // daisy johnson

summary: after Afterlife blew up, literally, you were taken by the enemy and experimented on. However, after managing to escape, you found yourself on the run and on the verge of dying. That is until Daisy, the girl you thought you'd never see again, finds you.

warning/s: minor violence?

author’s note: In this imagine, your character is supposed to be like how Lincoln was, Jemma isn't taken by the monolith and Daisy wants to help bring the inhumans together

I could feel the shopkeeper's eyes trained on me as I searched the medicine aisle for the strongest painkillers they had. In any other circumstance, I probably would have been invisible and overlooked, but the fact that I was sweating and looked a sickly green colour drew all attention on me. The dark hoodie I was wearing probably also didn't help with me looking like I was about to rob someone.

"Excuse me, miss," the shopkeeper behind the till called, and I bit my tongue to stop myself from snapping. "Are you feeling alright?"

I cleared my throat to rid any soreness and faced the woman, offering a forced smile. "Uh, yeah, I'm doing good. Thanks."

I looked back to the shelves and attempted to ignore the sharp pain in my stomach. I knew that even the strongest painkillers I could find wouldn't make me feel better, but it was worth a shot. I had no other choice.

"Miss, I can call an ambulance if you-"

"No ambulance," I pleaded, instantly facing her direction and outstretching my hand, but I didn't expect the charity box full of money next to her till to fly backwards and smash against the wall, making all the pennies clash against the floor.

The woman let out a screech as she ducked when the box hit the wall, and my eyes widened as I lowered my hand. The woman looked to me with a frightened expression and I knew she was about to grab her phone and call the police. That would be the expected reaction. So, I didn't waste a second as I ran out of the corner store, as fast as I could.

I didn't dare look back, but I could hear the woman shouting something from the front of her store. That didn't go so well with the police car parked out front. After putting two and two together, the police officers dropped their coffees and sprinted right after me.

"Shit," I cursed as I pushed myself to run faster.

The unbearable amount of pain I felt inside of my body was indescribable and I felt tears escaping my eyes as I tried to push it away. I glanced over my shoulder, seeing the police officers nearing me. I rounded the corner of an alleyway and used my gravity manipulation powers to drop some crates leaning unstably against a wall. The crash behind me was promising as I managed to slip out of the alleyway and away from their line of sight.

Unfortunately for me though, using my powers even the slightest bit, intentionally and unintentionally exerted a lot of energy from my already weakening self, so I found my eyesight blurring together, causing me to tumble about and run straight into another figure. The other person caught me and I grunted with pain as I clutched my gut to try to ease the sharpening pain.

"Y/N!"

I recognised the voice that called my name and looked up, only to gasp as I saw Skye. She was holding me upright and had a frantic expression on her face. She immediately pulled me into a bone-crushing hug, earning a loud moan of pain from me. She gasped as she pulled away, her brown eyes filled with worry. Now she must have noticed my sick-looking self, but before she could say anything, we both heard something.

"Over here!"

One of the police officers called out, and I assumed that they had made it past the crates. They were so close.

Skye seemed to know what to do as she momentarily pushed her own feelings aside as she said, "Come on, we need to get out of here."

She led me to a S.H.I.E.L.D. van parked up nearby, but by then, I was long out of it. I so badly wanted to say something – anything – to Skye. I hadn't seen her since Afterlife was destroyed and I never thought I would see her again. This was a miracle.

"Y/N, come on," she began to say, trying to help me into the back of the van, but it was too late because I was soon met with darkness.

***

My eyes blinking open felt like I was trying to lift a ton of bricks, and when they did finally open, I had to shut them again because of the bright white lights shining above me.

"Good to see you're awake," a voice said gently.

I only knew of one person with a British accent and my presumption was confirmed as to who it was when I saw Jemma Simmons sat at a monitor to my right. She gave a small smile when I looked her way, but I didn't know what to do. I had never really properly been introduced to the fellow agent, as we had met under difficult circumstances when Afterlife was destroyed. So this was definitely odd, though I trusted her if Skye did.

"You've been unconscious for almost a day now," she told me, standing up and making her way to my bedside. I noticed the heart monitor beside her and soon realised that many wires were attached to my body. "It's better if I get Daisy before discussing anything further."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Daisy?"

Jemma came to realisation of something before correcting herself. "It's better if I let Daisy explain. Daisy is Skye."

I nodded and she smiled gratefully before leaving the room. It didn't take long for somebody to return because I could hear Skye, uh, Daisy, complaining from down the corridor, and it instantly made me smile.

"Are you kidding me? I sit with her all day and the one time I go to pee, she wakes up? That's totally unfair and–"

"Sorry I woke up at such an inconvenient time for you," I cut her off as she entered my room, my voice croaking and sore because of my dry throat.

I immediately felt happier when she walked in, even if there were tears coming from her eyes. She was here, after so long, and God I couldn't feel anymore blessed.

"You're such an asshole," she got out before racing towards me and embracing me in a tight hug.

I appreciated her warmth and closeness, having forgotten what that felt like for a while now. Smiling into the hug, I pulled her closer when she tried to move away. I heard her laugh as she held me longer, and it sent a blissful feeling in my stomach.

"Sorry, I just really missed you," I apologised lamely when we finally separated. I noticed her hair was shorter now. It suited her.

She kept ahold of my hand as she smiled through her teary eyes. "Don't be sorry. I didn't– I'm glad I found you."

I heard Jemma come through the doorway and when she saw the two of us, she sighed in relief. "Good to see the two of you reunited."

Skye hadn't stopped grinning since she saw me, and a chuckle escaped her lips as she looked from Jemma back down to me. Maybe it was the bright light that shone above her head, but she truly looked like an angel.

"I heard you go by Daisy now," I hinted, wondering what that was about.

"Yeah," she confirmed, a sad smile on her lips. "My dad... he, erm..."

"I get it," I cut her off, squeezing her hand. "It suits you. Though, may take some getting used to. And your hair looks especially beautiful cut shorter."

Her contagious laughter filled my ears and I couldn't help but grin at the sound. A short silence settled between us before I saw her smile fade away.

"...I was looking everywhere for you," she admitted, her glassy eyes never leaving mine as she spoke. "When Afterlife was destroyed, I thought-" she paused, a frown on her lips, and I squeezed her hand again, for reassurance. A reminder that I was still here. Because of her. "The facial recognition software got a hit on you at the store yesterday and I couldn't believe it. I came as soon as I could."

"Good thing you did," I attempted to lighten the mood, and it worked because her frown lifted into a small smile. "Thank you. I didn't think I would see you again."

"You couldn't get rid of me even if you wanted to," she teased, earning a short laugh from me. Her expression however, soon turned serious as she feared asking, "What happened? I looked everywhere for you. I didn't stop looking, but you weren't there. I'm sorry."

"Don't blame yourself for not finding me sooner," I tried to reassure her, though it didn't do much because I could see the guilt reflecting in her eyes. Daisy cared about everybody and would always blame herself for things that she couldn't control. I lifted our intertwined hands and left a gentle kiss on hers. "You wouldn't have been able to find me anyway."

Her eyebrows knitted together, but before I could further elaborate, my face twisted in pain again. The pain inside was stronger this time, eliciting a groan from myself.

"Y/N, are you okay?" Daisy asked, her eyes widening as she looked about helplessly.

Jemma came to my other side, glancing at me worriedly before looking at the monitors next to me. My pain soon subsided and I nodded, hoping to make them feel better.

"Now is probably time to tell us what's going on with you, Y/N," Jemma commented, before giving me an encouraging look. "If you're up to it." I nodded and she continued, saying, "I did some x-rays and took some blood samples, and well, it seems there's something inside of you and in your blood stream. I've never seen anything like it..."

I took a deep breath before speaking. "After Afterlife was destroyed, I had nowhere to go. I tried to escape with some other Inhumans, but a few of us were taken. By Hydra, I think, but I can't be sure."

The two agents shared a look, of which I couldn't understand very well, but I knew it was nothing good.

"The others were-" I paused and closed my eyes, trying to refrain from crying at the thought of losing my friends again. I blinked my eyes open again, only to see Daisy watching me with a soft gaze. "They didn't make it. I was the last to be experimented on, but I left before they could, well, you know..."

My eyes flickered downwards as I fought against the flashbacks that were threatening to return. I never thought I would escape from that wretched place. I never thought I would hear from Daisy again. She was the only person I had left, and I thought I had lost her for good.

"What did they do to you, Y/N? I know it's hard, but we need to know if we're to help," Daisy said, and I knew she hated to push me, but she had no choice but to.

I nodded slowly. "Well, from what I could gather, they wanted to see if they could reverse the process of terrigenesis. I think they wanted to understand how I got my powers, and maybe recreate it. But they couldn't do it and now I'm stuck with something inside of me that I feel is killing me. I only got out because someone on the inside helped me. My powers are... faulty, I guess. They work at random times, when I don't want them to. And when I use them, I feel like I'm going to be sick."

I finally looked up, seeing Daisy watching me with pity in her eyes. I sighed and looked to Jemma, who was pretty much looking the same, though I could see her brain running at a million miles per hour.

"You can help her, right, Jemma?" Daisy asked her friend, a pleading look in her eyes. "You can get this thing out of her, right?"

Jemma looked helpless as she looked between Daisy and I. I knew it was probably impossible for her to help me and I wanted to save her the trouble from admitting that.

"Daisy," I began, resting a hand on her arm, causing her to look my way. "It's-"

"No," she cut me off, shaking her head before looking to Jemma. "You can help her, right?"

Jemma let out a shaky breath. "Daisy, I don't know. I can try, but it will require lots of samples and tests. I need to understand what's going on here-"

"That's fine," Daisy confirmed, nodding her head. She looked to me. "You're alright with that, right?"

I shrugged loosely. "I guess, but-"

“Good! See? She's fine with it," Daisy cut me off again, looking to Jemma again. "Just, please. Make her better."

Jemma nodded her head, a sad smile on her lips. "I'll see what I can do. But for now. Y/N should get some rest."

She fluffed my pillows and adjusted my blankets in a comfortable fashion before giving me a toothless smile and leaving. I appreciated her generosity so much. I may actually get better, and that was hard to come to terms with.

"You didn't have to do that," I said as soon as Jemma left, meeting Daisy's gaze. "If she can't help me, you would have gotten your hopes up for no reason."

Daisy shook her head. "Don't say that. Jemma is the smartest person I know. If anyone can help you, it's her. You deserve that. You helped me at Afterlife, so now it's my turn."

I was ready to argue, but Daisy shook her head. "No more talking. You heard Simmons. You need to get some rest. I'll visit you when you wake up."

I nodded, knowing it was no use. And my tiredness was catching up with me, so I gave in and smiled Daisy's way before closing my eyes. I felt her leave a kiss on my forehead before she left, and I felt butterflies in my stomach as I drifted into my first peaceful slumber in a long time.

***

The following few days were filled with blood samples, DNA samples, x-rays, and everything and anything else that required poking and prodding at me. I was extremely grateful for all of the effort both Fitz and Simmons were putting in to help me, but that didn't make the needles any more bearable.

Daisy did, however. She came to stay with me every morning and left every night. I didn't want to worry her, but I did feel myself growing weaker and I wasn't sure how long I had left, so I was making the most of these times with Daisy. She brightened my days.

"I spy something beginning with D," Daisy said, a childish grin on her lips.

I quirked an eyebrow as I smiled with amusement. "Are you kidding me?"

"Clue: she is the best person one can ever meet," she added, smiling adorably.

I put my hand on my chin, pretending to think. "Hmm, Doctor Simmons?"

Daisy feigned offence and playfully smacked me on the arm. Meanwhile, Simmons, who was on the other side of the room, was laughing hysterically to herself. I chuckled as the biochemist patted me on the leg before leaving Daisy and I alone.

"I hate you," Daisy mumbled.

I smiled teasingly. "Love you, too, Daisy." There was a short silence, before I said, "The last time I saw you, Daisy, you were having troubles with your powers. How are things now?"

Excitement washed over her expression as she looked to me eagerly. "It's going really well, Y/N. Thanks to you and my friends, I've really gained control over everything. I know they aren't a curse now..."

I bit my lip to contain my happiness for her. "Daisy, that is absolutely amazing. I'm so proud of you."

I rested my hand on hers, which took her by surprise for a split second before she widened her smile and enlaced our fingers properly. My heart was bursting at the contact and I honestly wouldn't have had it any other way.

God, I was going to miss this. Miss her. I felt like I was saying goodbye and I didn't like it. I felt a fear that I had only felt when I was with my capturers. What if I never see Daisy again? I wasn't ready to leave. I wanted to do so many things. Live my life. Be with Daisy... I would never suck it up and tell her how I felt and I would never be able to take her out on a first date. I was going. Dying.

"Y/N, what is it? What's the matter?"

I blinked to clear the blurriness from my eyes. I didn't even notice the tears building up there until one of them rolled down my cheeks, causing Daisy to grow concerned and wipe it away. I hated to see her like that.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you."

"No, what is it? Please, I want to help," she almost begged, a frown on her lips.

I tried to laugh, to lighten the tension and make myself look less miserable. But I think that only made it worse. I tried wiping away at ongoing tears to distract myself from having to meet Daisy's darkening eyes.

"I'm scared," I admitted, my voice weak and trembling with a fear I had been trying so desperately to internalise. "I'm scared that Fitz and Simmons won't be able to help me. I'm scared that I'm losing precious time. I'm scared that I'm dying..."

I forced my eyes closed, as if it would make me invisible to the fragile girl before me. I didn't want to make this any harder on her. She had done so much and I wasn't helping.

"No, don't say that," she said, and I opened my eyes when I felt her shuffle forward and cup my face with her hand. "I don't believe that one bit, Y/N. Fitz and Simmons are the smartest people I know and–"

"And I'm not doubting that," I cut her off, sniffling shortly afterwards. I was still to afraid to meet her gaze, but I could feel it burning through me. "But what if that isn't enough? I might not make it, Daisy... I don't want– I don't want to die..."

I inhaled a sharp breath and finally looked up, only to burst into tears immediately. All I remembered was Daisy embracing me in a hug, her arms soft and warm and comfortable. Her hands holding me securely, stroking my hair comfortingly. Her voice whispering in my ear that I would be okay. She would make sure of that.

I had no choice but to believe she was right as I sobbed into her shoulder.

***

"...you don't have to do it if you don't want to, Y/N, remember that," Jemma added onto the end of her short list of precautions. She was explaining the procedure of the surgery that was about to take place. It was now or never.

"The alternative is death, right?" I joked, hoping to lighten the mood, but neither Jemma nor Daisy laughed and I was left struggling to breathe because of how weak I felt.

"Y/N, this is serious," Daisy reminded me as if I didn't already know. I glanced at her and saw that she was just as scared as I was. I was glad she was here though.

"I know, sorry," I apologised, meeting her gaze before looking back to Jemma. "What are the side effects of this again? I should probably prepare myself."

Jemma seemed hesitant. "Well... not much of a side effect, but I can't use anaesthetic during the procedure as it may react with what they've put inside of you. It's running through your bloodstream and I'm not sure what could happen."

"Awesome...," I mumbled.

"Side effects will definitely include immediate withdrawal symptoms as your body has been depending on this chemical in your body for a while now," she explained simply, and I could see her concern despite how much she tried to hide it. "The biggest risk of this is that there'll be a 50 percent chance of you having powers after this."

I released a deep breath as I looked up to the ceiling. Wow. Okay. No powers? I should've been happy, I guess. When I first got my powers, I tried to find a cure for it. As if being inhuman was a disease. But now I'd grown used to them. They were apart of me. Could I really be the same without my powers?

"Even if you have no powers, we can still help you, Y/N," Daisy said, pulling me from my thoughts. I felt her hand lace through mine and looked towards her. She was smiling kindly. "I've got your back through it all."

I returned the smile and nodded my head. I would be okay, no matter what. I just had to focus on surviving through this surgery. I could do that.

I looked to Jemma. "I'm ready, doc."

Jemma seemed confident as she nodded her head, which definitely made me feel better. "Alright. I recommend distracting yourself, but do as you wish."

I nodded and tried to steady my breathing and ignore her zooming around for tools and such. She'd already cleared space for me and her assistants were doing everything they could to make sure the monitors were working and the wires were connected to me right. My shirt was off and there was a dotted line drawn on my torso where I would be cut open. God, I needed to distract myself. Fast.

"Hey, I got you," Daisy's voice rang clear despite the sound of busy doctors and nurses around me. I looked to her and focused her and only her. Everything else was background noise.

"Thanks for being here," I said before I couldn't speak anymore.

"I'll always be here, whenever you need it," she promised, bringing my hand to her lips and planting a gentle kiss on it. "Always."

"Yes, I need it now," Jemma's voice broke through the barrier I had built, and I tried to push it out as I focused on Daisy.

"When we get out of here, I'm finally gonna take you out to get something to eat," Daisy commented, and I knew what she was doing. "Maybe we can make a day of it, y'know? Hit up a theme park. Go on some roller coasters. Haunted house, maybe? Ooh, a water park! It would be awe–"

I scrunched my face in pain as I felt the scalpel cutting through my skin. I tried so hard to ignore the feeling, but god, it was sharp and long and I felt like it was lasting forever.

"I can't wait for you to properly meet everyone," Daisy grabbed my attention again, and as much as she wanted to react to Jemma's steady hand, she held back. "Coulson already loves you. I know you've met him before, but it isn't the same under life-threatening situations. May is awesome. You'll love her. They're my family."

I wanted to respond and tell her I was happy for her. Glad she felt at home with her S.H.I.E.L.D family. But no words came out, only tears.

Daisy bit her lip to stop it from trembling and her eyes darted between Jemma, who I could see in my peripheral vision, and me.

"I started helping new Inhumans since you've been gone," she tried her hardest to continue. "They're new, like I was when you found me. I guess I'm doing okay helping them out, but I'm sure you would've done a much better job. You're good at stuff like that."

I squeezed Daisy's hand, hoping she knew I was listening and cared. She smiled sadly at me as I kept a strong grip on her hand, needing to take my pain out somewhere.

"Got it," I heard Jemma say. "It's right here."

I spared a glance her way and saw she was staring at my stomach, which was now cut open.

"Y/N, love, I've found the source of the chemical they've put inside of you, but it's going to hurt when I remove it," she warned me, sharing a look with Daisy at the same time.

"Mhm," was all I could respond, my insides feeling like they were on fire.

"You're going to feel a strike of pain for only a moment, then this will be over, okay?"

I gulped down the lump in my throat and found myself gripping Daisy's hand. "Yeah. Just do it."

"Daisy, distract her again, this won't be pretty..." I heard Jemma mutter, probably thinking I wouldn't hear.

"This is distraction enough, doc," I joked, though it probably sounded terrible with my state currently.

Jemma forced a smile before looking to Daisy. They exchanged glances before I saw the hacker look down to me with a determined look on her face. I hoped I would make it past this so I could tell her how beautiful she looked today.

"You're fine, Y/N," she told me, and I almost believed it. She looked up to Jemma and said, "She's fine. She's got this."

Jemma nodded and began to grab the tools necessary to remove whatever was inside of me.

"Look at me, Y/N," Daisy called over, and I met her dark eyes to see them glistening with tears. "You're the strongest person I know. If anybody can handle this, it's you."

I wanted to reply, but I couldn't.

"You know why we became friends? Because you're understanding. You listened to everything I had to say and tried to understand, even if you couldn't. It's hard to find that in a person." She smiled and leaned closer, probably to prevent me from turning to look at Jemma.

"I'm not letting you go from here when we're done," she said seriously. "You make me better. You helped me a lot and I want to do the same for you. You've been through a lot and now it's my turn to understand. I'll listen to everything you have to say."

"Three," I heard Jemma say, but it was mere background noise. I was too entranced by Daisy and her words.

"We've been friends for a while now and you're my family, I don't know if you know that." She chuckled dryly. "But I guess I've kind of developed feelings for you."

"Two."

"I don't want to mess up any more of my chances with you," she said, licking her lips. "I can't lose you again. I need you to know how I feel about you."

"One."

"So, I'm just going to show you, Y/N. And I can only hope you feel the same. Or at least don't hate me after I do what I'm gonna do."

As the pain from the extraction took its toll, my eyes widened, but I couldn't exactly react because Daisy had already moved forward and pressed her lips against mine. My mind was confused with the overwhelming pain from my stomach and the passion coming from Daisy's kiss.

I couldn't even acknowledge what was happening because the pain had left soon enough, and Daisy was now sitting beside me as normal, her face flustered and eyes cast down to meet mine.

"She's losing blood, come on," Jemma shouted, but it was distant.

I saw Daisy looking ahead, worry in her eyes. She dropped my hand and began to shout things across the room, but I couldn't understand what. My eyes were fuzzy now, with tears and darkness, and I couldn't focus on the brunette before me. I felt dizzy, like the room was spinning.

I didn't understand what had happened and I didn't get to because I was unconscious in no time.

***

Beep. Beep. Beep.

My eyes flickered open and blinked several times as they adjusted to the bright white light above me. It didn't take long for me to realise where I was and remember all that happened. The surgery. S.H.I.E.L.D. Daisy kissing me.

"Hey, you're finally awake."

I tilted my head to the left, seeing Daisy sat on a chair. The same chair she'd been sat on the last few days as she cured my boredom. She looked tired. Her hair was in a messy bun and her leather jacket was strewn on the back of her chair. Still, she looked beautiful.

"Hey," I barely got out, before a series of coughs rattled my body. I flinched as I moved too harshly for my stomach. I noticed it was bandaged up now.

"Here, have this," Daisy suggested, already helping me drink some water.

I kindly accepted and appreciated the cold water soothing my throat. She set the glass down on the bedside table, and I saw a vase filled with flowers there. Along with a 'get well soon' card. I smiled at the thought immediately, before looking back to Daisy.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, resting a hand on my arm. "Everything went well, so you just need to rest for now."

I felt relief at the sound of my surgery being successful. "I'm good. Just sore, but I don't feel like I'm dying which is good."

As much as she hated my dark humour, I saw a smile erupt on the hacker's face, causing me to do the same.

"Thank you for being here with me," I said, moving my arm from beneath her hand and instead taking her hand in mine. "Throughout the surgery and now."

At the mention of the surgery, I saw her cheeks dust with pink. She obviously recalled the kiss, as did I. Which reminded me...

"I have feelings for you too," I came right out and admitted, taking her by surprise. "I have done for a while now... And I enjoyed your kiss. I honestly thought that was it in that surgery, but I wouldn't have minded if it meant I could kiss you at least once."

Daisy's eyes softened and a toothless smile appeared on her lips.

"Well, there's no need to worry about that because you're alive and not going anywhere, right?" She quirked an eyebrow teasingly.

I chuckled and nodded my head. "Of course, Daisy. Everything went fine and..." My voice trailed off and my smile turned into a frown as I recalled something.

"What's the matter?" Daisy asked, her eyes glazing over with concern.

I breathed out slowly. "My powers... do I still have them?"

From the look on Daisy's face, I could tell she wasn't sure. I wasn't either. Would I have felt the difference without them? Because I wasn't sure how I felt right now.

"Help me up, please," I said, and she did as I asked, though with hesitance.

"Y/N, maybe trying them out now isn't the best–"

"I have to," I said, looking to her with pleading eyes. "They're my powers, Daisy. If they're gone..."

She nodded and squeezed my hand reassuringly before letting go. I took a deep breath before focusing on the vase of flowers beside my bed. My power didn't require much effort before, so I merely flicked my finger and willed gravity to do as I wished.

At first, nothing happened, and I felt a worry building inside as I feared this was it. Daisy was staring at me, furrowing her eyebrows with concern. I wasn't sure it was helping.

Suddenly, though, I felt the familiar tug in my stomach and a single daisy lifted from the vase and floated in the air. Daisy grinned, as did I.

"You still have them!" she yelled, excitedly, staring at the flower in bewilderment. "Y/N!"

I willed the flower to appear in front of Daisy and she looked up from it with a confused smile.

"For you," I said, smiling at her.

She pursed her lips, trying to contain her smile, and accepted the daisy gratefully. "Thank you."

I couldn't have felt anymore happier as I realised I had my powers. And I had her back. And we were both safe and away from the bad guys.

"No, thank you."

#daisy johnson x reader #daisy johnson #agents of shield #aos #marvel #chloe bennet #quake

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cosmicretribution · 5 years

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jon >:3

send me a character and i’ll list:

ok just call me out i guess lmao

favorite thing about them: hes literally just trying so fucking hard like... damn!! give a bitch a break he probably hasnt slept in 2 weeks. i love the contrast between how sarcastic and dry he can be and how genuinely caring he can be and especially how genuinely terrified he can be. he fucks up sometimes but damn hes trying

least favorite thing about them: me chasing s1 and s2 jon around with a broom: STOP BEING MEAN STOP BEING MEAN STOP BEING MEAN STOP BEING MEAN ST

favorite line: oof ok this is kind of a hard one. He says a lot of Deep Shit™ about like, his ever-increasing sense horror and peril for his own personhood the deeper he gets into being tied up in the beholding and those are the lines that always get me most... like I love “because I’m scared, Martin!” when asked why he always acted like statements were fake in s1 and “am I... Elias, am I still human?” hit me like a fucking ton of bricks. I loved the scene where he told daisy that the reason hes so keen to put himself in dangerous situations is because “worst case scenario the world loses another monster” and i love when he asks helen “when does it stop? the guilt. the misery. [...] when does the eye make me monstrous?”

brOTP: JON AND DAISY!!!!!! also jon and gerry!!!!!!!! let jon have friends in general hsdkjsdhf

OTP: ok jonmartin is a given but i also like jonmichael,

nOTP: is jon/melanie a thing because if so then that

random headcanon: i headcanon him as wearing glasses before working for the institute and when he started getting tied up to the eye he actually stopped needing them to see (bc supernatural powers shit) but he just. hasnt noticed that yet. hes just . wearing these stupid glass squares and he doesnt even realize. he wakes up and goes “time to put on my glasses so i can see” and doesnt even notice he can suddenly see perfectly fine without them

unpopular opinion: ive said it before and ill say it again give a bitch a BREAK he has NO fucking control over the circumstances hes found himself in and especially mid to late season 4 it feels like if so much as a book falls off a table everyone gets up to go verbally beat up jon about it like damn!!!! leave him alone

song i associate with them: oog this is another kinda hard one. turn off the lights by p!atd is kinda a mood for him? im about to say some vocaloid shit so forgive me again for having the same taste as 14yo me still but like. for one i like world’s end dancehall for him and martin a bit i know it’s more of a wlw song but there’s Something In The Vibe.... and the one that i really think of for him is outer science? all the like. eye imagery in the vid. the theme of a person who was selected to be some sort of horrible monster, who hates it and is actively trying to escape, pursued by a malevolent power hellbent on forcing them to accept it? very “jon being forced to serve the eye by elias” vibes.

favorite picture of them: this one

#howdy friends #ok disclaimer i dont actually know anything abt kagepro the only 2 songs from kagepro i know are outer science and jinzou enemy #anon

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a-shakespearean-in-paris · 7 years

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How do you start writing? As in your process? Have an idea and run with it or careful planning? #tmi Tuesday

For @preciousdao2i4cargo thought I’d answer here.

I start writing when I have an idea that won’t let go. Like for IWD I just sat and realized Cullen as a character and his relationship with a mage was too compelling for me not to explore. It wouldn’t let go and, now, here I am. 80,000 published words and many more discarded drafts into the very first fanfic I ever wrote. (that is literally no joke.)

Since IWD is a novelization of Inquisition I didn’t start outlining, I just began with the explosion of the conclave. I know certain events are going to happen because of the way the game works and goes, and of course Cullen and Lydia are eventually going to get together. I also knew before I began that certain other things will happen. For example, (spoiler) I knew Hawke would be the one that told Lyd about Cullen’s past, and I knew she would be really pissed off. Sometimes characters surprise me. I didn’t expect Lydia to hit so below the belt during that one chapter when she confronts him. She surprised me, but I knew that made sense for how hurt she was. (end spoiler.)

For other works sometimes I need to outline, but i think my most successful original works have been the result of letting the characters do what they must. For example, I wrote a ten minute play about a writer who has a conversation with the main character of a work he wants to write. Originally I thought of it like a feminist piece of sorts where the character chastises the writer for viewing her as a perfect princess with no flaws. I intended this originally as a piece that critiques the way women are oftentimes symbols in literature instead of actual characters (kinda like Daisy in the Great Gatsby, or Ophelia in Hamlet) BUT when I wrote the piece and sat down, I realized that the writer needed a reason for wanting to make his character so perfect...and the reason why hit me like a ton of bricks.

Long story short, the story I originally thought would be a feminist critique was actually a piece that examined the way we deal with grief. And that ten minute play is very near and dear to my heart.

So...I guess long story short: I need to start with a character and their motivations.

THANKS FOR THE ASK

#tmi tuesday #ask a shakespearean #in waking dreams #writing

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starwarsnonsense · 8 years

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Top 10 Most Anticipated Films of 2017

And here’s my list of the most anticipated films of 2017! There are loads of really exciting films coming out this year, and while my most anticipated film is a no-brainer I hope you find the rest of the list interesting.

Honourable mentions: The Handmaiden, Okja, Mute, Beauty and the Beast, Manchester by the Sea, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Moonlight, Wonder Woman, Kong: Skull Island, Baby Driver, Split, The Book of Henry and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

n.b. I’m in the UK, so several of the films I include here have already has a release in the US. We’re always playing catch-up!

1. Star Wars Episode VIII

Director: Rian Johnson

Cast: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher

Plot: Having taken her first steps into a larger world, Rey continues her epic journey with Finn, Poe and Luke Skywalker in the next chapter of the saga.

Why be excited? I could just write ‘because it’s Star Wars’, but since I believe in putting effort into these things I’ll try to be somewhat more articulate. I really adored The Force Awakens, and it filled me with a sense of wonder and joy I hadn’t experienced in the cinema for a long, long time. I loved the new characters it introduced (particularly Rey, Kylo and Finn) even more than the stalwarts of old, so the promise of seeing their stories continued in the next episode is thrilling in the extreme. I also happen to be a huge admirer of Rian Johnson’s work (I particularly love The Brothers Bloom), so I’m incredibly excited to see Rian’s “weird thing” (imo, the weirder the better!)

2. Silence

Director: Martin Scorsese

Cast: Andrew Garfield, Liam Neeson, Adam Driver, Issey Ogata, Tadanobu Asano

Plot: The young Portuguese Jesuit Sebastião Rodrigues is sent to Japan to succor the local Church and investigate reports that his mentor, a Jesuit priest in Japan named Ferreira, based on Cristóvão Ferreira, has committed apostasy.

Why be excited? I’ve long admired Scorsese and shamelessly stan his editor Thelma Schoonmaker, so am thrilled to see them collaborating on a film that tackles such an obscure and fascinating period of history. The cast is top flight, and the magnificent trailer does a fantastic job of evoking the tension of the scenario. Silence is also Scorsese’s passion project (he’s been trying to get it made since the 1980s), and suffice to say I happen to find passion positively infectious.

3. La La Land

Director: Damien Chazelle

Cast: Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, J.K. Simmons

Plot: The story of Mia, an aspiring actress, and Sebastian, a dedicated jazz musician, struggling to make ends meet while pursuing their dreams in a city known for destroying hopes and breaking hearts.

Why be excited? Whiplash hit me like a ton of bricks when I caught it on blu-ray last year, and it easily has one of the best endings of any film I’ve ever scene. The quality of Chazelle’s previous offering alone would have been enough to get me hyped for this, but it’s also a musical that honours the golden age of Hollywood. That, combined with the stellar reviews, makes this unmissable for me.

4. Mother

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Michelle Pfeiffer, Domhnall Gleeson, Ed Harris, Brian Gleeson

Plot: Mother concerns a couple whose relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence

Why be excited? This will be Aronofsky’s first film since the batshit crazy biblical film that is Noah, and I’m fascinated to find out what the hell Mother even is (seriously - we know much more about Episode VIII than we know about this). All I know is that I will follow Aronofsky’s career for as long as he continues to make movies.

5. The Shape of Water

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Cast: Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Doug Jones

Plot: A Cold War-era fairytale about a mute woman who falls for an amphibious man.

Why be excited? Much like Mother, we know very little about The Shape of Water. I’m very excited for this film for the same reason that I’m excited for Mother - I love del Toro’s work, from The Devil’s Backbone right through to Crimson Peak. Del Toro is fantastic at melding fantasy with real-world struggles (see: The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth), so I’m extremely intrigued to see him returning to a theme that he’s handled with aplomb before. The delightfully surreal synopsis only compounds my excitement.

The list is continued below the cut!

6. Dunkirk

Director: Christopher Nolan

Cast: Fionn Whitehead, Kenneth Branagh, James D'Arcy, Tom Glynn-Carney, Tom Hardy, Barry Keoghan, Jack Lowden, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance

Plot: Allied soldiers from Belgium, the British Empire and France are surrounded by the German army and evacuated during a fierce battle in World War II.

Why be excited? I’m not exactly a huge Nolan-ite (though I respect him and enjoy his work, he’s not exactly one of my favourites), but the preview for Dunkirk that played before my IMAX screening of Rogue One blew me away. The scope and intensity of the preview literally made the auditorium shake, and the cast Nolan has lined up is simply fantastic. While war movies aren’t normally my thing, the spectacle promised by Dunkirk is enough to make me very excited to witness it on the big screen.

7. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Director: Luc Besson

Cast: Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, Rihanna, Clive Owen, John Goodman, Ethan Hawke, Rutger Hauer

Plot: In the 28th century, special operatives Valerian and Laureline maintain order throughout the universe for the government of the human territories. Under orders from their commander, the duo embark on a mission to Alpha, an intergalactic city where diverse species share their technology and resources for the betterment of all. The ever-expanding metropolis is also home to sinister forces that jeopardize the future of mankind.

Why be excited? I expect and need Valerian to fill a Jupiter Ascending-shaped hole in my soul, and it looks set to deliver. The extravagant and bizarre alien worlds depicted in the trailer, along with the cheerfully gonzo pedigree of Luc Besson (the mind behind The Fifth Element and Lucy), make me optimistic that 2017 is going to mark a return to the weird and unrestrained big-budget filmmaking that helped make 2015 such a great year for cinema.

8. Jackie

Director: Pablo Larraín

Cast: Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup, John Hurt

Plot: Following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy fights through grief and trauma to regain her faith, console her children, and define her husband's historic legacy.

Why be excited? The trailers for this film have all been exquisite, and Natalie Portman’s performance has really struck me as powerful and compelling just in the brief glimpses I’ve seen of it so far - I’ve loved her as an actress since V for Vendetta (having previously loved her as a clothes horse in the prequels) and have been following her career closely ever since. The fairy tale of the Kennedys in the White House has always fascinated me, and I’m particularly drawn to this film because it promises a tightly focused examination of how that fairy tale fell apart.

9. Blade Runner 2049

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Cast: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Jared Leto, Robin Wright, Mackenzie Davis

Plot: Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K, unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what's left of society into chaos. K's discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard, a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.

Why be excited? I love the original Blade Runner, and that love would normally make me avoid a film titled Blade Runner 2049 like the plague. However, everything seems to be aligned for this to be a great film: it was co-written by Hampton Fancher, who wrote the original screenplay; the cinematography is by the legend Roger Deakins (who filled the same position on the original); and the director’s chair is filled by the marvellous Denis Villeneuve, whose film Arrival was one of my favourites of 2016. With that team assembled, I have faith that this will be something special.

10. War for the Planet of the Apes

Director: Matt Reeves

Cast: Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson

Plot: Following the events of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Caesar and the apes are embroiled in a war against an army of humans. As the apes suffer heavy losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts as he resolves to avenge his kind. The war pits Caesar against the humans' leader, a ruthless Colonel, in an encounter that will determine the fate of their species and Earth's future.

Why be excited? This new Apes trilogy is shaping up to be one of the best cinematic trilogies we’ve had yet, taking a fascinating concept first visualised in the 1960s and bringing it bang up to date. These films also maximise the potential of mo-cap technology to its fullest extent, and one of the main reasons I’ve loved and admired the previous Ape films so much has been how they manage to get you rooting for the apes far more than the humans. I’m excited to see this story continued, especially with the promise of seeing the apes well and truly inherit the Earth.

#films #cinema #star wars: episode viii #silence #la la land #dunkirk #blade runner 2049 #jackie #valerian and the city of a thousand planets

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