#and very calmly wait for season 2

[redflagshipwriter]

Red Hot Ghouls

Chapter 12 part 2/2

masterpost

Danny leaned forward. “I am listening.” His grip tightened on his drink unintentionally until the plastic creaked. He withdrew his other hand from the bag of chips fragments and rolled the top of the bag shut.

She lifted a finger. “Option one is pretty selfish, in my opinion. But it would work. You could banish him from the Infinite Realms. Assuming he either never dies or dies and does not become a ghost, there are no consequences for this!” She made a cheerful gesture and crinkled her eyes shut along with a grin.

‘She’s so scary sometimes.’

“Assuming he never dies,” Danny repeated incredulously. He put his hands in his hair without even thinking of how he was seasoning himself with salt and vinegar. “Jazz- bestie, I don’t think we should bet on that one. I guess I could ask him if he feels like he’d be really good at not dying?” His voice lilted up. He touched the phone in his pocket, thinking about texting just that. Then he remembered that he was annoyed with Jason for hunting him down as Danny Fenton. He didn't know how Jason did that, but it was rude!

‘Should I tell her that he knows that?’ Danny absently wondered. ‘I don't know what he thinks. It can't be the right thing. Maybe he thinks I'm possessed or something. Maybe disguised, like Sinestra.’

She shrugged unrepentantly. “I said it was kinda selfish. It would totally solve your issue. No connection to the Infinite Realms would mean no channel for the bond between your souls-”

“Ew!”

“Or- okay, how are souls gross?” Jazz demanded.

Danny exaggerated his disgusted face even harder. “Uh, I don’t know, that’s a romantic and unscientific concept that I don’t believe in and feel offended by.” He crossed his arms across his chest to distance himself from that yucky shit. Ugh. Nasty.

“Soul is the literal term used in the reference books, so.” Jazz said dryly, as if that proved a point. Danny rolled his eyes but let it go. “My preferred option is that you marry him properly.”

Danny inhaled once. He steepled his fingers in front of his face.

His sister waited him out patiently, but he could tell that she was internally laughing at him.

“I wouldn't say that's a solution,” Danny finally managed to get out calmly. “Do you see how marrying the guy might be considered an escalation of the unwanted engagement?”

Jazz snickered and held up a hand. “See, that's the thing, you're not engaged. You're fully settled into your current relationship.”

His jaw dropped. “I’m what now?” His stomach lurched violently.

Jazz gave him a little bit of pity but she kept going. “You technically accepted the offering when you took him into your custody.”

Right. He got there and invited Jason into the Specter Speeder. He even took him into the castle. Shit.

‘This is my fault. How can I tell him that?’

He closed his eyes. He took another deep breath and put his hands over his face. “I need a minute,” he managed to get out through his fingers.

‘If I had just left him the fuck alone, I wouldn't have had to deal with this at all. I could have minded my own business. Maybe he would have gotten out of the Ghost Zone on his own, I don't know. I'm not his keeper.’

Oh. Danny winced again and drew his knees up so that he could think his head against it.

He was Jason's keeper. Holy fuckin crap. That weird sacrifice ritual had put Danny in a very real position of both power and stewardship over Jason.

‘I’m missing something,’ Danny realized, and felt like he might throw up. ‘It has to have an impact I don't know about. There's always a catch. But the catch isn't at my expense. What did I do to Jason?’

“Danny?” Jazz had switched to her softest voice. She put a hand on his shoulder. “You've been turtling for a while. What are you thinking?”

Danny bit his lip for a second. He lifted his face a little to watch her face. “There's no way something this messed up doesn't have a serious drawback for Jason. His consent wasn't required at any point. I've got some kind of leverage over him.” He felt a cold dread crawling up his back.

Saying it aloud made him feel like he had a literal rock in his stomach, and he would know! He'd eaten a moon rock before just to see what it was like, and then a few Earth rocks so he could make a useful comparison.

“Oh, Danny.” Jazz tugged him in for a half hug. “Yeah. I know. Do you wanna know the details?”

He drew his shoulders in closer. His chest felt tight. He should say yes. He was a coward for wanting to avoid knowing the details.

“We can come back to that later.” Jazz rubbed at his back. “It's okay.”

“Ahuh,” Danny choked out, thinking about Ember using her hypnotism to make him obsessed with Sam. Thinking about Sam made him think about Freakshow.

He clutched at his chest. It hurt, it felt tight. He swallowed hard. His heart rate started to climb. “I can't do this, Jazz,” he bit out. “I can't- I can't have control over another person like that-”

“Right, right, of course. That's what I mean.” Jazz fully folded him into a hug and pressed hard. He clung to the physical distraction, grounding himself in here and now. “That's what I mean. If you marry him, ghost wise or human side, that upgrades the relationship to one on equal footing. From there, you can dissolve it.”

Danny let out a humorless laugh. “And all I gotta do is get him to marry me, when what he wants is to get away.” He felt a headache coming on. “I think that if I was him, I'd think that was a trick or a trap.”

Jazz winced. “Yeah. Maybe so.”

[weirdly-specific-but-ok]

pt XVI good omens season 2 (still not traumatic) episode 3 EDINBURGH

HELLO IT'S ME IT'S THE OFFICIAL GOOD OMENS MASCOT WHY DO I STILL KEEP INTRODUCING MYSELF IDK. If you don't know who I am, thank God and Satan for their mercy and flee. Also, the day after I post this, I'll be watching the last three episodes on livestream for the first time so. You know. I'm hyped on the energy of this being my last day not enveloped in tears. Take the summary:

Before the episode starts, someone asks why Crowley said in the last episode that Aziraphale couldn't fall because look at him, all angelic when Crowley looked the same as starmaker. I reply that "Crowley thinks he deserved it, he sees Azi as something beautiful and untouched while he probably sees himself as idk marked in some way so god kicked him down."

I am told that I am learning too fast to weaponise the narrative to induce angst. So then I say oh, I go too fast for you. Tears ensue.

The episode begins! Everyone shrieks about Edinburgh, David Tennant, how it is their favourite episode, and SCOTTISH CROWLEY.

We open with lesbians being gay, and then Muriel enters as Inspector Constable! They are very sweet and very determined to do their job right, and they are adopted by Crowley and Aziraphale just like Jim.

Crowley sits on Aziraphale's chair's arm. The maggots all swoon.

Fine, I also swooned.

Aziraphale gaslight-gatekeep-girlboss-mansplain-manipulate-manwhores his way into getting Crowley to give him the Bentley keys (BOUNDARIES. BOUNDARIES.).

WHAT PLENTY OF USE DO BOTH OF YOU GET OUT OF THE BOOKSHOP?

The really ineffable plan is whatever the fuck was happening in Aziraphale's brain when he somehow went from London to Edinburgh via Loch Ness (check the map) and then proceeded to disguise himself as a detective who pretends to be a journalist.

Crowley slays in sleeve garters and a cardigan keeping house in the bookshop meanwhile, does not sell books, instead cleans with Jimbriel and periodically yeets book stacks into corners when distracted.

Aziraphale reads his old diary entries about Crowley, a (6000+) 13 year old with a crush.

MINISODE MINISODE. They are in Edinburgh during the mid 1800s. Victorian outfits, check. Scottish Crowley, check. Capitalist Karen Aziraphale, che-wait what.

Huh. Well. There's a wee bit of body snatchin' going on, to sell to doctors for medical research because there aren't enough murderers, and to make enough money to survive.

Aziraphale channels his inner capitalist judgemental Karen and ruins that plan, come on Aziraphale you have religious trauma but you're better than this, and long story short, Wee Morag dies after Aziraphale realises his error, her friend Elspeth has to sell her corpse for pennies, and is about to commit suicide with laudanum. Azi, oh god. I'm glad you underwent character development at least.

NOW CROWLEY HERE SLAYS. I KNOW THIS IS AZIRAPHALE'S PERSPECTIVE AND IS BIASED. BUT WITH THIS POV, CROWLEY SLAYS.

He calmly educates Aziraphale about how his whole "the poor have more opportunities and you shouldn't give them money or they'll lose the virtue of poverty" is absolute bullshit, and he does this understanding Aziraphale's situation and not losing his temper.

The framing. The framing of the shot when they see Wee Morag and Elspeth sitting down on a step and explaining their situation. Aziraphale stands above, bustling with righteousness, and judges them. Crowley sits down. He sits down next to them, rather than taking the high ground. He meets them where they are and empathises. It is the fact that he is fallen and damned that makes him behave really divine and sorry I wrote a whole hymn on him have it I'll stop rambling just know I love him.

I think his amusement is a facade so hell won't think he's genuinely being good. I think he's morally grey and incredibly brave and kind.

When Elspeth is bouta kill herself with the laudanum, Crowley grabs it and drinks it himself, and grows tiny and then huge, absolutely high off his head. David Tennant takes the opportunity to travel Scotland from east to west in terms of accent variety.

He gives us the good message of NO DYIN'. NO MORE DYIN'. IT'S NOT ON. And then forces Aziraphale (who doesn't want to ruin her virtuous poverty) to give the girl all the guineas he has in his pocket, and tells her to go off and start a farm or something. BUT NOT JUST PRETENDY GOOD, BE PROPERLY GOOD.

He then gets pulled into hell. To be punished for this. Aziraphale is frightened and heartbroken for him, looking around desperately, and we find out that Crowley didn't meet him for a while after. And later he wanted holy water. To protect himself? He got punished by hell. For how long? The whole month in between the incident and the diary entry? There can't be anyone better at punishment and cruelty than hell.

Sorry I'm just screaming here.

Never mind fuck I started this summary really happy and bouncy and listening to a dance playlist. Dionysus by BTS and Italian pop is still playing and now I'm crying.

Is this the natural progression. Fuck I'm crying. Sorry guys something else happens with Aziraphale politely talking to a phone and Crowley smiling really beautifully while unsuccessfully trying to manipulate two lesbians into a relationship and something about a visit I don't care everyone's being morally dubious as usual and then lovely Scottish music outro I CAN'T FUCKING ELABORATE I'M SITTING HERE CRYING OVER CROWLEY.

right summary done, time to go sob, lmao i thought i wouldn't cry today over good omens HAHAHAHA still not traumatic eh HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[garbagechocolate]

WE'RE DONE

Ramble under cut

GUYS I'M ILL

Because there's been hints that what Eclipse has been seeing is possibly the fourth wall, I'm interested what was driving him insane. The fact he was almost reverting to Early TSAMS behavior made me go 😶

Eclipse getting frustrated that no one was listening but also not knowing how to express it in a healthy way so he's just screaming at everyone like a FUCKING CAT. And also Sun stepping in front of Earth when Eclipse threatens them. Very wholesome. (Sun 🌞 wukong...)

Good Eclipse's universe is like a year behind right? Is that why the whole sacrifice thing was there or am I looking too far? But anyway Good Eclipse <33 bbg we love youuu! Moon getting Good Eclipse out of the way was very sweet <3

Eclipse being adamant on being fully capable on his own. Hmmmm sounds like a certain Moon we knew... and him desperately BEGGING to listen to him. Passively suicidal I see.

Solar Flare also pretty calmly telling Eclipse he needs to die, and let go. (Eclipse is actually Cassidy fnaf) And Eclipse.. wants to live??

Anyway season 2 is over, can't wait for Creator to pull some bs

[retrieve-the-kraken]

So after taking some time to clear my head, and letting the wave of relief and closure wash over me, and feeling like someone literally unclogged my brain, I rewatched season 3 of Young Royals, but only finished just the night before I was going away for Easter weekend, so I didn’t have time to write anything.

But now I can finally say this: I liked it much better the second time.

And it wasn’t just the trepidation and anxiety that i had for finding out what happened in the end that kept me from completely enjoying it the first time. It was also that annoying week-long gap that we had to endure before watching the finale.

(I get that they did it for promotional purposes, and it was a lovely thing to be able to have that event for the final chapter, which obviously could only be one chapter, imagine having everyone there for the entire season, everyone watching for nearly six hours… no good.)

That gap, I feel, made it feel like we just landed randomly on an episode that was meant to tie up all the storylines. And of course it is, and of course it still feels that way in regards to some storylines, but wow, what a difference it makes to watch the whole thing as a whole, the way I’ve enjoyed the previous seasons.

I definitely could process it much better the second time around, watching calmly and carefully, and once I jumped straight from episode 5 into episode 6, it definitely felt more cohesive. It felt like it followed the same pattern as the previous seasons, the conflict at the end of episode 5 is very similar in every season, and it felt right.

And the final episode of each season seems to follow a very similar pattern too, except that it shifts a little each time as Wille gains autonomy. In Season 1, the climax was that Wille had to do what the crown said, on the crown’s terms (deny the video, keep August’s betrayal secret, lose Simon), because he didn’t know what else to do, he didn’t have a choice, sad ending. In season 2, he has to do what the crown says (do the speech, play the part of the Crown Prince), BUT he’s doing it on his own terms (telling the truth about the video, being with Simon, even if it means keeping August’s secret), he has somewhat of a choice, bittersweet ending. In season 3… well, it looks like he’s doing what the crown says still… and then he finally realizes that he does have a choice. Sad ending? Nej! He finally gets his happy ending. He has come to terms that the can have a choice.

The second time around, just when we thought we were getting yet another sad ending or bittersweet ending like the previous seasons, it shifted. Plot twist, he’s getting out of the car. Of course there is a lot up in the air (was your first thought also literally “but Wille, you left your bag in the car! You don’t have a toothbrush! You don’t have a phone charger! You don’t have clean underwear!” or are you normal? I am not normal, I have anxiety about things like that), there are many things that will still need to be resolved after the credits roll, but… it felt right.

And of course there are things that got tied up and still felt a bit quick, and things that felt annoyingly left up in the air, but that was precisely what happened each season, things that felt like maybe would get properly addressed the next season, but that’s not how life works. Not everything gets resolved. And it feels a little sadder or more bitter because we’re not getting another season.

But we are. It’s playing in our heads right now. People are writing fanfiction about it. And I can’t wait to absorb it all.

I’m definitely watching the whole season again, and doing a play-by-play analysis like I did for season 2, because I love hyperanalyzing every detail of this show.

Can I just preliminarily warn that I will be gushing about Edvin and Omar, and Nikita and Frida and Malte, so so much? Because the second time watching season 3, I was in awe, true awe, of how good they have all gotten. I mean, they’ve all been incredible from day one, but I feel like there were nuances to their characters this season that highlighted so much how incredible they all are. Particularly my babies, Edvin and Omar, deserve all the awards. Can’t wait to see everything they do.

I will miss them with all my soul. But I don’t have to let go of them yet.

[ashleyfilm]

Seeing Clearly - Chapter 2. Jackson

Please leave comments, I'd love to know your thoughts. And if you feel inclined to reblog, that would be so nice.

Chapter Warnings: cursing, There Will Be Smut, eventually) Minors - DNI

Characters: Jackson!Joel Miller x F!Reader Plus Size. F!OC was recommended to me since there's a lot of description of her but I'm writing her as You (Reader) so hopefully you can still imagine yourself. Black hair, glasses, tattoos, big body, wears dark clothes, won't stop talking. Joel is tv show Jackson Joel.

Story Summary: Joel just saved your life, begrudgingly. He doesn't know exactly why but he brings you back to Jackson and you ingratiate yourself into his very small circle and his life. This takes place after season 1 of TLOU and season 2 doesn't exist in my brain because no.

Chapter Summary: You meet “the miller family” and get your sleeping arrangements. 1K Words.

Chapter 1 Here

Chapter 2. Jackson

Hours later, you approach the giant wooden gates of “Jackson” the community Joel had told you very little about on your journey here. Joel said approximately three sentences to you the entire time and you were so fucking exhausted you stayed quiet too. Surely to his relief. You see guards with rifles at the top of the gate staring you down and some on the other side of the gate as it opens. You look to Joel with fear and confusion in your eyes to which he just nods. What the fuck is all this, are you being walked to your inevitable execution, has this all been a ploy to get you here to use you for public entertainment, gladiator-style. Why did you agree, at least out there you could starve to death in peace.

Once inside the gates, a man with dark black hair, the same shade as yours but without your gray approaches with a charming smile but also a confused look on his face and he speaks with another southern drawl, “Howdy there, honey, you doin’ alright?” Looking between him and Joel, you realize how similar they look and how the younger man seems like the only person around who isn’t terrified of Joel. Who seems like he must be the town boogeyman by the looks on people’s faces with him around. “I’m Tommy, the handsome younger brother of your walking partner, here.” Again, looking at Joel with the mischievous treachery you imagine he did when the two boys were young, and Tommy was trying get under Joel’s skin.

“I’m uh,” you stumble over your words not sure if you should even tell these people your given name, but before you can decide what to say, Joel answers for you. “This is Ash, found her out there starvin’, alone, figured you could help her. Also, saw a clicker out there, took care of it.” You clock that Joel didn’t mention the clicker almost ripped your head off your neck and that he valiantly saved your life. Interesting, what’s his angle, to hold it over your head, make you think you owe him something. But he’s not even looking at you, he's looking down, avoiding you both. Tommy pipes in, “Okay… just out of the goodness of your heart, for me to help, okay, Joel. Well, Ash. Welcome to Jackson.”

He waves an arm out to the side and behind him to gesture to the town. You realize that you hadn’t even taken in your surroundings inside the gates, too overwhelmed by Tommy and Joel and everything you’re learning about this man who saved you. Jackson is a whole ass working fucking town. Lights, wait, LIGHTS? Electricity…is that a dog, like someone’s fucking pet. Oh my god, food, you smell food. Laughing, holy shit, people laughing. People, lots of them, old people, kids? Is that woman fucking pregnant and smiling and walking over here? “Hi, I’m Maria. I see you met my husband, Tommy.” You look at her stomach again, and her smile and her and Tommy’s hands when they entwine them together and your face, you know, is scrunched in confusion bordering on disgust, “I know, it’s overwhelming, take a deep breath, why don’t we get you something to eat,” Maria says calmly looking you over. Tommy let’s out a chuckle at your facial expression and seems to pick up on the fact that you can’t control your face and that it tells your every thought right on the surface. You nod and let them lead you to the dining hall.

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

You’re seated in a relatively empty dining hall with Maria and Tommy, Joel hanging back by the door like a watch dog or bouncer. Is he protecting the town from you? God, as if you could hurt anyone here, a bit outnumbered. Prick.  You try not to eat like you’re as starved as you are but it’s very difficult. Maria and Tommy smile politely like two leaders that get a lot of enjoyment out of this moment, watching someone eat and relax before their eyes, it’s what they get to provide. It should freak you out but it all just feels so genuine. “JOEL! There you are!” A girl, with a low brown ponytail and a hoodie, who could be described as like Christina Ricci in Now and Then that tapes her boobs down and punches boys for sport, runs up to Joel and hugs him tight. Okay, he has a fucking kid. That hugs him like that and he’s still that big of an asshole? “Hey, hey baby girl,” he says softly petting her hair, “I’m okay, just got caught up in somethin’ out there on my way back but I’m okay, everythin’s okay.”  You can’t tear your eyes away from this absolutely shocking interaction and the girl’s eyes catch you and you quickly go back to eating only to see your plate is empty, so you look back up at Joel and the girl. She slaps his arm as hard as she can, “How long have you been back and why didn’t you come tell me you were here, you dick and who is that woman staring at us?”

You cough, panicked, Maria and Tommy still watching you and sharing knowing smiles like they’re watching a damn play. Joel sternly says, “Ellie. Don’t-.” But she’s already stalking toward you, “Hello there, why don’t you take a picture, it’ll last longer.” And you don’t know what comes over you, but you burst out laughing. Like a full belly laugh, tears in your eyes laughing. Maria and Tommy follow quickly and Ellie, eventually starts up to despite trying to act tough moments earlier. Joel makes his way over frowning at all of you like you’ve lost it. Still giggling, you ask, “How the hell do you know that saying it’s from like 30 years ago. People don’t even have cameras anymore; wait, do you guys have cameras here?” Ellie laughs, “I like you, who are you?” “Hi, I’m Ash,” Joel looks up at you when you use his nickname for you, “Nice to meet you. Your dad saved my life from a clicker and brought me here.” Tommy and Maria look stunned at your admission and all three of them whip their heads around to Joel who just clears his throat, frowns and shakes his head.

“He’s not technically my dad but..cool. Well, I’m glad you’re here and not dead,” Ellie smiles big and turns to Joel, shoulder-checking him. “Look at you, ya old softy, saving lives and bringing in newbies, who woulda thought. I’m heading home, see ya later, old man. See you around, Ash!” As Ellie leaves, Joel and you exchange a look, you can’t read exactly what’s going on in those eyes of his but he’s clearly fighting something, maybe he’s pissed you saw him interact like that, soft and nurturing with his daughter. But it wasn’t your fault, you’re just… there. Still feeling his eyes on you is burning you up from the inside, awakening something you haven’t felt in a long, long time. Something that feels an awful lot like desire.

Tommy walks over to Joel and quietly says something you can’t make out. All you hear is Joel saying “No” and Tommy saying “Please” and then Joel sighing, again. Tommy then turns to speak to you, “Look Ash, we’ve got limited space at the moment, we’re working on clearing some small apartments above the shops on main street for people living alone but it’s a few weeks before that’ll be done. For now, we’d like you to stay in the guest room at Joel and Ellie’s. She’s staying in the garage out back so you’ll be in the main house with Joel till we can get you into a new place.” You immediately look at Joel whose eyes are staring daggers at you and if he wasn’t so fucking hot, you might have been scared, but instead you feel the heat of whatever this is between you right at the apex of your legs. Then, your face betrays you, like it always does and all you can do is smirk, you actually fucking smirk at him, and he turns and walks away so fast you almost have to run to catch up.

[dianawinchester03]

Season 2, Episode 13 - Houses of the Holy

Series Masterlist

Author's Note: I just realized that I didn't explain where Quinn (y/n's bike) went in the last chapter. Let's just pretend I added in a scene where she dropped her off at Bobby's house and hopped a ride with the boys lol. Excuse my terrible planning.

Okie, on with the story. Hope everyone enjoys!

________________________________

Third Person POV

Providence, Rhode Island

•One Week Later

The trio had taken up a case in Rhode Island where a woman named Gloria had murdered a man by the name of Carl Gulley. Why were they taking on a murder case you may ask? That was because Gloria claims that "It was God's will" and she was now being held in a psychiatric facility, undergoing treatment.

Sam had taken the liberty of disguising himself as an orderly, leaving Dean and Y/N at the motel due to their exposure during the bank siege in Milwaukee the previous week. In addition to that, y/n's migraines growing worse and worse every night.

Sam took a deep breath, pressing his clipboard to his scrub-clad chest before pushing the door to Gloria's room open. Her back was turnt to him, sitting on her bed while reading a Bible. Upon hearing the door open, Gloria greeted Sam, "Good morning, you're not the usual guy" She greeted him sweetly, "No, uh, just filling in" Sam lied fluidly, before offering her a sweet smile, his eyes darting down to his clipboard.

"So, how you feeling today Gloria?" He asked in a professional tone, "I've never felt better" Gloria smiled as Sam stepped infront of her. "So....No disturbances lately?" He asked warily, furrowing his brows. "You mean, am I stark raving cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs?" Gloria chimed jokingly, this made Sam clear his throat awkwardly.

"I didn't say that" He chuckled nervously, "It's all right. I know what people must think" She assured him with a smile, "What do you think?" He asked curiously. "I think what I saw was real." She responded firmly, her tone now serious. Sam sighed, closing his clipboard before taking a seat on the wooden chair right across from Gloria's bed.

He offered Gloria a sympathetic look, putting on his classic puppy dog eyes. Gloria's face softened as the silence in the room grew stronger, "I'd like to know what you saw" Sam said gently, "It was all over the news. I stabbed a man in the heart" Gloria responded monotone, tears welling up in her eyes. "Why would you do that?" Sam asked softly.

"Because it was Gods will" Gloria said calmly, "Did God talk to you?" Sam's brows shot up as Gloria scoffed at the question. "I get the sense God's a little busy for house calls" She chuckled. "No, he....he sent someone." She explained. "Someone?" Sam questioned. "An angel" Gloria informed him. Sam's ears perked up at the new information, "It came to me in this beautiful white light. And it filled me with this....feeling" She exhaled.

"It's had to describe." She sighed, shaking her head. "And this angel..." Sam pressed, "...spoke Gods word" Gloria finished. "And the word was to kill someone?" Sam questioned. "I know, it sounds strange. But what I did was very important. I helped him smite an evil man" Gloria defended calmly as Sam listened intently. "I was chosen...for redemption" She added.

Sam's mind raced as he listened, trying to piece together the information while also keeping his character composed. He couldn't help but feel a bit...drawn to Gloria story, oddly enough.

"This man you stabbed, did the angel give you his name?" Sam asked but Gloria shook her head. "No. He just told me to wait for the sign. And the very next day, I saw it right besides the man's doorway. And I knew" She explained. "Why him?" Sam asked. "I just know what the angel told me. That this man was guilty to his deepest foundations. And that was good enough for me" She said firmly.

The smile on Gloria's face made Sam unease.

________________________________

"Fuck.." Y/N gasped, throwing her head back into the pillow, Dean's mouth latched onto her nipple.

"See something you like, Winchester?" She teased him. He growled in response.

Y/N sucked in some breath between her teeth when he reattached his lips to her sensitive nun, sucking like a starved man on her tits, "You're so fucking beautiful" He groans in pleasure, kissing down her body.

"Deannn" She moans his name and he snaps his gaze up at her, his eyes clouded with a mixture of lust and love. He felt that, 'Deannn' in the pit of his stomach, and son-of-a-bitch, did he love it.

"Fuck you sound so hot moaning my name" He tugged at her jeans, pulling it down to reveal her lacy black panties.

Dean moans at the sight and she smirks at his reaction. "Fuck, baby. You're gonna kill me" He groaned, trailing his fingers along the slit of her clothed mound. "Oh shit" She gasped, lips parted, as he teased her.

Y/N's eyes suddenly shot open, jolting her from her sleep. A bead of sweat had formed on her forehead, her breathing labored and shaky as she tried to calm her racing heart. She blinked slowly, her brain still clouded from sleep, but the images from her dream still lingered in her mind. The very vivid image of Dean's hands on her body, his lips on hers, repeatedly moaning his name like a prayer, the sound of his voice whispering her name.

She sat up in the bed, her cheeks flushed as she ran a hand through her tangled hair. Squeezing her thighs together, the pooling heat squelching between them as she heaved for breath, the growing pit in her stomach did not help at all. She couldn't believe she had just dreamed about Dean. About them together.

This was really getting pathetic.

"I need to get fucking laid" She huffed to herself, throwing her back onto the bed with a frustrated groan, one hand over her aching head. Her head felt groggy as she rubbed her eyes, adjusting to the sunlight that streamed through the curtains. The previous week had been a blur. Since the night she had spoken to Dean, there had been an uncomfortable tension between them.

They barely spoke, only exchanging necessary words when it came to the hunt. No jokes, no late-night talks, no teasing. Nothing. As she sat up slowly, her head pounding, she could hear the sound of the motel shower running, a clear indication that someone else was up. Sam's bed was empty so she assumed he went to question the murderer they were discussing from the case the previous night.

-

The steady rhythm of the water hitting the tiles echoed in the tiny motel bathroom. Dean stood under the shower head, the hot water beating against his skin. The steam curled into the air, creating a misty haze around him as the water poured over his body, rinsing away shame and pain.

Sam had them on lockdown, especially since the feds are on his tail. The feeling of being useless when it comes to hunting irked him. He sighed, closing his eyes and letting the water cascade down his face. His mind was still a mess. The events of the last week kept playing in his mind like a broken record. The things he had wanted to say. The things he had wanted to do.

What mainly concerned him, is the space between him and y/n. He would hear her groaning in pain during the night from the migraines that were building up in her head, thinking a vision would occur but nothing would come. It worried and pained him inside out that he couldn't do anything to stop it. To stop the pain.

Dean took a deep breath, shoving his hands under the shower stream and letting the water wash away his thoughts as he ran his fingers through his hair. Despite the warm water, he didn't feel relaxed or refreshed. His shoulders were still tense, his muscles stiff.

He had tried to avoid thinking about her, but the thoughts of Y/N's face, the sound of her voice, the way her body would move when she laughed, the way her nose would crinkle when she smiled sometimes, all of it kept invading his mind. She was within arms reach from him physically, but mentally, she was miles away.

Dean looked down between his legs to see his not-so-little Dean growing harder and harder by the second, every second she came to mind. "God damn it. I need to get fucking laid" He muttered under his breath before forcing himself to think of anything to turn him off, then shutting off the water before grabbing a towel to dry himself.

Dean wrapped the towel around his waist, the material a little too small for him, exposing half of his lower back and hipbones that carved a v-line to his pelvis and stepped out of the bathroom, steam following him as he entered the motel room. His hair still damp and dripping water onto his shoulders. He expected to see Y/N still asleep, but as he turned the corner and saw her sitting up on her bed, he froze in place, his heart skipping a beat.

She had a hand pressed up against her forehead, a clear sign of her headache. He couldn't help but stare at her for a moment. Her hair was messy, sticking out in different directions, the sunlight streaming through the curtains and framing her face in a golden light. She looked tired, her eyes rimmed with dark circles, but still beautiful.

Not this again. Grandma's boobs.

Dean forced himself out of his daze and broke the silence, his voice was soft and laced with concern as he spoke "Migraine again?" he asked, stepping further into the room. He could see the way her eyes were closed tightly against the pain, the line of her jaw taut with tension. The sight bothered him immensely.

Y/N jumped slightly, she hadn't even heard the bathroom door open. So focused on the blinding pain that struck across her forehead. "Yeah..." She responded, her voice hoarse, tilting her head up to look at Dean. Her mouth went dry when as she drunk him in for a couple of seconds. Her mind going back to the dream she just had before looking away.

As he stepped closer, he was tempted to reach out and touch her, to offer some small comfort, but he held back. "Any sign of a vision or...?" he asked as he moved to his side of the room to pick out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt from his duffel bag.

Y/N's eyes followed him as he moved around the room, his every movement fluid and precise. She couldn't help but appreciate the sight of his bare torso, the droplets of water still clinging to his skin, making it glisten under the motel's artificial lighting and the rays of sun that peeked through the cheap curtains. Her heart rate quickened as she forced herself to look away.

"No," Y/N finally answered, her voice still a bit strained. "No visions. Just these damn headaches again." She grumbled, her fingers digging into her forehead. She shook her head, before reaching over to the side of her bed, where her duffel bag laid. Digging through it, she retrieved her toothbrush and toothpaste. Without a word, Y/N tossed the thin crappy motel blanket off of her body and made a beeline to the bathroom.

As Y/N walked past Dean, he felt the air between them thicken. The sight of her messy hair and tired eyes stirred something within him, but he squashed it down immediately. His concerned of her ached him inside out, he felt bad that she was in pain, but didn't want to push her buttons any further, reluctantly giving her space.

He watched as she walked into the bathroom, the click of the lock sounding out throughout the quiet room. He wanted to stop her and say something, anything, but the words wouldn't come. The door slammed behind her gently, echoing loudly in the small motel room. As he heard the sink running, he let out a weary sigh, running his fingers through his damp hair in frustration before he began dressing.

As Y/N stood infront of the bathroom mirror, she couldn't help but let her thoughts wander to the dream she had just had a few moments ago. It was as if it had been burned into her brain, every touch, every sound, ever feeling etched into her memory. As she brushed her teeth, she mentally scolded herself, telling herself to stop thinking about him.

But thinking of his lips on her skin, the feeling of his touch, it was all still so vivid. She spat out the toothpaste and rinsed her mouth, trying to shake off the lingering thoughts and the ache in her chest.

-

After a couple of minutes, Y/N washed her face, the cold water helping to calm her flushed cheeks and clear her mind a bit. As she grabbed a towel to dry her face, she took a deep breath, trying to steel herself before walking out of the bathroom.

As she re-entered the motel room, she saw Dean laying on his own bed. His ears plugged with his headphones, she could hear the rock music blasting through it from all the way across the room. His eyes closed as the bed vibrated. The machine operated massager that was attached to the bed, massaging Dean's back. He had a content smile on his face, practically giggling from the soothing feeling.

Y/N snorted at the sight, before moving back over to her bed, returning her toothbrush and toothpaste to her bag before pulling out her pack of cigarettes. She strode over to the motel window, opening in and pulling the curtains aside. Taking a seat on the chair next to it.

Y/N stuck her cigarette, between her lips, shielding the naked flame with a cupped hand as she took a deep breath, the smoke filling her lungs. The nicotine felt good, and she closed her eyes for a moment, trying to relax. She exhaled a cloud of smoke, watching as it swirled upward before vanishing. Her headache was brooding but manageable.

It was a small moment of peace, but she knew it would be short-lived.

-

Soon after, Sam returned from the hospital. Y/N's head was now pressed to the table, folded into her arms. Sam raised a brow at his brother who was enjoying the vibrating bed a little too much as he walked over to his best friend.

Sam glanced over at his brother, with an eyeroll as he watched him blissfully enjoying the massager. He then turned his attention to Y/N, noting the way she had her head against the table, her body looking smaller than usual. He could tell the headache had taken its toll on her.

He put his hand on her shoulder, gently rubbing it as he spoke. "Hey, how you holding up?" He asked, his voice soft. Y/N lifted her head from the table, blinking slowly at Sam. The throbbing in her head had lessened, but the fatigue in her eyes was evident. "Hey, I've been better," she replied, her voice a little hoarse. She let out a sigh, rubbing her fingers against her temples in a useless attempt to soothe the ache.

Sam could see the exhaustion and pain in her face but he knew she was too stubborn to admit it. So he didn't push. Instead he leaned against the table beside her, crossing his arms over his chest before fishing out a bottle of Tylenol from his pocket.

"I know these don't do much....but it's worth a try" He handed her the bottle, and she took it without protest. Popped open the cap and took two of the pills, swallowing them dry before handing the bottle back to Sam. She leaned back in her chair, her eyes fluttering closed as she tried to rest her aching mind.

Sam's concerned eyes never left her. He wanted to do more to help because he knew exactly how she was feeling, but other than the painkillers, there wasn't much he could do. There wasn't exactly a 'How to cure psychic's migraines that are attached to a demon' section in John's journal or at the pharmacy. So Tylenol had to do for now.

"Thanks, Sammy." she murmured, closing her eyes for a moment, hoping the pills would kick in soon. He nodded with a sad smile before turning to his brother, who was still unaware of his presence. "Hey" He called out to his brother. Dean still didn't hear him so with a roll of his eyes again, Sam paced over to Deans bed, smacking his shin harshly. "Hey!" Snapping Dean out of his daze.

"Hey, man. You gotta try this. I mean, there really is magic in the magic fingers" Dean chuckled, taking out one of his earbuds, twiddling his fingers. "Dean, you're enjoying that way too much. It's kind of making me uncomfortable" Sam cleared his throat, looking away from his brother before settling on his own bed. Y/N snorted at this, chuckling before groaning slightly when the pain struck in her forehead.

"What am I supposed to do? I mean you've got us on lockdown. Here, I'm bored outta my skull" Dean defended, his eyes flicking over to y/n, a pang of concern and hopelessness in his chest. "And y/n can't even see clearly with how she's feeling" He added in a low tone. "Hey, you two were the bank robbers on the 11 o'clock news, not me" Sam sassed, "He's right man, we can't risk walking into a government facility" Y/N chimed in, defending Sam's point.

Dean just rolled his eyes at her, before plugging back his headphone. "Hmm" He hummed nonchalantly. Y/N scoffed at this, leaning into her chair as Sam waved his brother off at his arrogance before walking over to the bathroom. The bell then dinged on his bed as the water ran in the bathroom sink, Sam washing his hands. The bell ding indicated the massage session was over.

"Aw, fuck. That was my last quarter" Dean groaned, pulling out his earbuds again. "Hey Princess, you got any quarters?" Dean flashed Y/N a cheeky smile. Y/N rolled her eyes at him before pushing herself out of the chair, strolling over to her duffel bag, she pull out her hand wallet. Opening it up, she shook out a few quarters and then reached across to him and dropped them into his awaiting hand.

"There, you happy?" she teased as she returned back to her chair by the window. Hoping he'd respond in the way he usually does. Deans eyes followed her as she made her way back to her seat, the small smirk on his lips growing. "Very" He chuckled before feeding the coins into the machine and started it up again, "Thank you, sweetheart" He leaned back, grinning like a Cheshire cat as he let out a content sigh of satisfaction.

He leaned his head back in ecstasy, a small moan escaping his lips, "God I could stay here all damn day". Y/N chuckled as she lit another cigarette, shaking her head at his dramatic display. She couldn't help but watch him as he enjoyed the bed, his muscles relaxed and his face showing pure bliss. Her eyes roamed from his arms, admiring the strength that was hidden within them, down to his-

Woah, creepy much dude? Her internal monologue stopped her from ogling Dean.

Sam rolled his eyes at his brother's exaggerated reaction as he exited the bathroom. "You really need to get laid" he commented under his breath. Y/N bursted out laughing at this, "Burn!" She exclaimed, putting up her hand for Sam to high five. Sam snickered at her reaction, high fiving her as he sat on the edge of his bed. He shot a look at his brother, who huffed out a sigh before shooting a death glare at the both of them.

"You two aren't funny. You're just jealous cause I'm enjoying myself more than either of you. At least I'm doing something productive instead of just... sitting there" Dean retorted, gesturing to Y/N who was enjoying her cigarette. "Oh excuse me for not feeling like doing something...productive because my head feels like Andre the Giant is tap dancing in it" She sassed, dusting the ash into her ashtray.

Dismissing Dean before turning to Sam, "So, did you get in to see that crazy hooker?" Y/N asked, changing the subject to the hunt, "Yeah. Gloria Sytnik. And I'm not so sure she's crazy" Sam began, getting straight to business. "So she seriously believes she was touched by an angel?" Dean scoffed at the idea. "Yeah. Blinding light, feelings of spiritual ecstasy, the works" Sam nodded as their brows furrow at this.

"I mean, she's living in a locked ward and she's totally at peace" Sam explained, "Oh yeah, you're right. Sounds completely sane" Dean muttered sarcastically, "What about the dude she stabbed?" Y/N asked, "Uh, Carl Gulley. Said she killed him because he was evil" Sam explained, tossing his legs up his bed, leaning back on the head frame. "Was he?" Dean questioned, closing his eyes as he bit his lip from the 'magic fingers' massaging his tense back.

"I don't know. I mean, I couldn't find any dirt on him. He didn't have a criminal record, he worked at the campus library, had lots of friends. He was a church goer" Sam sighed as he listed off. "Hmm, so the Gloria's just your standard-issue wacko" Y/N suggested, leaning forward as she crushed her burnt out cigarette bud in the ashtray. Dean nodded in agreement, "I mean, she wouldn't be the first nut job in history to...kill in the name of religion, know what I mean?" Dean chimed in as the machine bell dinged.

"No, but she was the second in town to murder because an angel told them to. A little but odd, don't you think?" Sam defended. "Odd, yes. Supernatural, maybe. But angels, I don't think so" Y/N scoffed, shaking her head in skepticism. "Agreed" Dean pumped his fist in the air at this. Sam's brows furrowed at his brother and friends disregarded at the possibility of angels existing, "Why not?" He questioned.

"Because there's no such thing, Sam" Dean said as if it were obvious. Sam scoffed at the irony, he knew that Dean and Y/N had a history that led to a lack of faith, but with the things they've been though. You'd think they'd believe a little more by now. "Guys, there's 10 times as much lore about angels as there is about anything else we've ever hunted" Sam defended, pushing himself up from his bed.

Sam rested his hands on his knees as he faces his brother. Y/N found herself fiddling with the charm bracelet Dean gifted her for her 21st, a little lost in her own mind but she quickly snapped out of it. Looking back up at the boys.

"Hey, you know what, there's a ton of lore on unicorns too. In fact, I here that they ride on silver moonbeams and they shoot rainbows out of their ass" Dean sassed his brother. Y/N feigned a confused look at this, pouting her bottom lip, "Wait, there's no such thing as unicorns?" Dean's expression softened a bit as her untimely humor as Sam snickered.

"That's cute. I'm just saying, guys. There's some legends that you just....You file under bullshit" Dean shrugged. "Amen, hallelujah" Y/N agreed, Sam rolled his eyes at the irony of her statement. "And you two have got angels on the bullshit list" Sam scoffed. "Yep" Dean and Y/N muttered in unison. "Why?" Sam narrowed his eyes at them. "Because we've never seen one" Dean defended.

"So, what?" Sam huffed exasperated. "So, I believe in what I can see. In what we all can see" Y/N added firmly. "Y/N/N, you are literally a psychic. You sense spirits and maybe even demons. Your fucking eyes flash white and your fingers turn blue when you move shit with you mind, dude. And you have the gall to say that?" Sam exaggerated. Y/N huffed at Sam, she couldn't argue with that.

"That's different" she muttered under her breath. "Yeah, those are real. And they can kill you. I'm skeptical about it too, I don't wanna believe that there's the possibility of angels. Because if there's angels, then there is a God. And if there is a God, what kind of sick God watches his children suffer tremendously?" She added firmly. "I mean, wars? Plaques? Diseases? Genocide? I'm not gonna serve a God or even believe in one that watches this kind of bullshit happen. Thus, he isn't real and neither are angels" She rest her case.

Sam's eye practically twitched at this, hating the fact that she had a good point. "Right, then so neither is Harry Potter" Sam rebutted. "Hey, you leave Harry Potter out of this" Y/N warned, pointing a firm finger at him. Sam shook his head at her before turning to his brother. "Dean, we have all seen things most people couldn't even dream about" He pressed, defending the possibility of angels existing.

"Exactly. With our own eyes." Dean pointed to his eyes with his fingers. "We've seen y/n/n use her mojo and that ESP thing was proven to be right. That's hard proof. Okay? But in all this time, I have never see anything that looks like an angel" Dean defended firmly. "Now don't you think if they existed that we would've crossed past us with them or at least know someone that crossed paths with them?" He further attempted to prove his point.

"No. This is a demon or a spirit and y/n/n can figure that out for us with her woo-woo feelings and crystal ball" Dean argued, gesturing with a wiggle of his fingers before, pointing at y/n. "Hey, my feelings are not 'Woo Woo'. And I don't use a crystal ball" Y/N scowled, crossing her arms as her eyes narrowed at the elder Winchester. "You know what I mean, and you know I'm right" Dean said to her, as if she was a petulant child.

Y/N flipped him the bird at this, "Hey, I'm not some supernatural mood ring or some human EMF meter" She protested. Sam sighed heavily, not believing that they were actually arguing for such nonsense. He loved them both dearly, but they could be insufferable at times when they were both being stubborn. And this was one of those times.

The tension between the two was noticeable from miles away. He had no idea what had them on edge like this, they had been cold to each other since the bank incident but that was not a can of worms Sam Winchester was willing to open. Nope. Nuh-uh.

"Guys, you're arguing in circles here" Sam stated through clenched teeth. Y/N and Dean glared at each other for a few more seconds before Y/N finally huffed and turned her gaze away from him. Dean puffed air out of his nose and rolled his eyes at her.

"Whatever" Dean huffed, waving Y/N off before turning to his brother. "These things, they find people a few fries short of a happy meal and they trick them into killing these randoms" Dean finished his argument as Sam sighed, shaking his head again at them for the umpteenth time. "Maybe" He sighed, not bothering to argue with them anymore because it was no use.

"Can we just-? Man, I'm going stir crazy here" Dean rambled, getting up from his bed to pace the room. Y/N's eyes followed him as he did this. "Hey, let's go by Gloria's apartment, huh?" He suggested but Sam scoffed, shaking his head. "I was just there. Nothing. No sulfur, no EMF." Sam informed them. "You didn't see any fluffy, white wing feathers?" Y/N sassed, earning an eyeroll from her best friend and an amused snort from Dean.

"But, Gloria did say the angel gave her a sign. Right beside Carl Gulley's doorway" Sam said, ignoring her comment. "Could be something at his house. It's worth checking out" Dean raised his brow.

________________________________

The Impala drove down the streets of Providence, Rhode Island before coming to a stop infront of the recently deceased Carl Gulleys house. Y/N's headache had eased to the point it was bearable so she tagged along with the boys. Dean attempted to open the back door for Y/N but she stopped him, "I've got it" She assured him a tad harshly before hopping out and shutting the door to the aged car along with Sam.

Dean felt a tug at his heart by this but swallowed it down forcefully before turning to the house.

Dean's eyes zoomed in on statue of an angel, posted at the front door. "Oh, hey, Sam. I think I found it" Dean poked fun at his brother, referring to Y/N's comment about fluffy white wing feather. Sam scoffed as Y/N snorted in amusement. "It's a sign from up above" Y/N added as they walked up the porch, leaving Sam down the porch with a skeptical look on his face.

The two scanned the area before walking back down. "Well, I think I learned a valuable lesson. Always take down your Christmas decorations before New Years, or you might get filleted by a hooker from God. Ha" Dean chuckled in amusement at his own comment. Y/N shook her head as Sam's face remained unamused. "I'm laughing on the inside" The younger Winchester deadpanned.

Y/N then strolled over to the gate that attached to Carls back yard, pulling it open to see it unlocked. She turned to the boys, shrugging before taking in her surroundings to make sure no one could see them. Walking in, the boys following behind her. They then ended up around the side of the house to see the entrance to an underground cellar.

A thought flashed in Sam's head. "You know, Gloria said the guy was 'guilty to his deepest foundations'" He voiced his thought. Dean and Y/N brows raised at this, both their hands buried in their jacket pockets. "You think she literally meant the foundation?" Y/N questioned.

-

After breaking open the bunker door, the three hunters shone their lights into the dark tunnel, filing in one by one. The bunker seemed fairly normal, weird jars on the shelves with red sludge. But Y/N eyes zeroed in on what seemed like human scratches on the wall, she flashed her light in the direction, stepping closer to it.

Tilting her head, she crouched infront of it. "Fellas" She whispered, "You got something?" Dean asked, crouching next to her. She reached forward and pulled out something that was embedded into the wall. Both her and Sam grimaced, "What is it?" Dean asked, "It's a....fingernail" Sam said as y/n handed it to him. The three share a disturbed look at this as y/n's stomach churned as Dean went to the other side of the bunker. Picking up two shovels, handing one to his brother. The two brothers then started to dig at the rubble and dirt below them.

After a couple of minutes of digging, they uncovered the skeletal remains of a human body. "Jesus, Mary and Joseph" Y/N muttered in disgust. "So much for the innocent churchgoing librarian" Sam perked up with irony. "Yeah, well, whatever spoke to Gloria about this knew what it was talking about. I'll give you that" Dean admitted.

________________________________

The next day, Y/N was on her bed resting her eyes while Dean sat on his bed, listening to a satellite radio. "We got a minor T.A. involving a, uh, motorcycle and a van. This is at the corner of, uh, 28th and Pine. 28th and Pine" The woman over the radio said as Dean glanced back at Y/N, who's face was covered with an old Playboy magazine.

His eyes then went over to the quarter operated massage machine on his bed. "You really don't got no more quarters?" Dean asked y/n hopefully. "Dean, I am flat broke. You dried me out" Y/N grumbled, her words slightly muffled from the magazine. Dean sighed in defeat as the door opened, revealing Sam. "Did you bring quarters?" He asked his brother hopefully, y/n rolled her eyes underneath her magazine at this.

Sam furrowed his brows, his eyes flickered over to the machine, narrowed at it before looking back at his brother. "Dude, I am not enabling your sick habit." Sam sassed, tossing Dean a bag of fries. "You're like one of those lab rats that pushes the pleasure button instead of the food button until it dies" He huffed, settling on his bed.

Y/N giggled at this, removing her magazine from her face. "What are you talking about? I eat" Dean scoffed, offended. "No kidding" Y/N grumbled, earning a glare from Dean, which she responded with a cheeky smile. "And I got news" Dean added. "Me too" Sam said. "Alright, you go first" Dean responded, digging into his bag of fries.

"Three students have disappeared off the college campus this year. All were last seen at the library." Sam informed them. "Where Carl Gulley worked" Y/N pointed out. "Yup" Sam nodded in confirmation. "Sick fuck" Dean grumbled, tossing a fry into his mouth. "So, Gloria angel-" Sam attempted to say, "Angel?" Y/N cut him off with a judgmental look.

"Okay, whatever this thing is" Sam rolled his eyes. "Okay, well whatever it is, it struck again" Dean cut him off this time. "What?" Sam gasped. "Dean was just listening to the police radio before you got here. There was this guy, uh, Zach Smith. Some local drunk. He went up to a strangers front door last night and stabbed him in the heart" Y/N told Sam, pushing herself up from her bed.

"And then I'm guessing he went to the police and confessed" Sam assumed. "Yup. Roma Downey made him do it" Dean confirmed, Y/N snorted at the reference as Sam shook his head before Dean got up, pacing across the room. "Now I uh.." He tore a post it note he stuck on the mirror, "...got the victims address" He smirked, flashing Sam and Y/N a suggestive look.

________________________________

Later they found themselves hopping the fence to the victims house. Sam stuck his knife between the lock for the window, fiddling with it until the lock snapped. Retracting his knife before pushing the window up and open. Sam crawled in first, then Dean and lastly y/n.

Sam took up the liberty of searching the victims laptop and computer desktop while Dean and Y/N searched the downstairs and upstairs.

Sometime later, Sam was still on the computer while Dean strolled downstairs with a catalog in hand. "Find anything, guys?" Y/N asked the boys. "Well, Frank liked his catalog shopping. That's about all I got. You?" Dean responded but she shook her head. "Zilch" She sighed, "You?" She turned to Sam. "Not much here" Sam responded, trying to hack a file.

"Except he's got this one locked file on his computer that I can't seem to get unlocked" Sam grumbled as Y/N peered over his shoulder. "Lemme get a look" She said, pushing his aside on the rolling chair. "Wha- Hey!" Sam huffed, tapping her on her shoulder. "I almost had it. Why you gotta be bitchy?" Sam grumbled. "Why you gotta be so slow?" Y/N quicker back, earning a middle finger from Sam which she snorted at.

Dean shook his head at their antics, still sitting through the catalogs. After a few attempts, she cracked the code. "Got it. Password was 'password'" She smiled widely, pulling a chair to sit next to Sam now as she raised a brow. "You're kidding" He snorted. "Nope" She shook her head, kicking her feet up on the table. "God" Sam groaned as he clicked open other file to see dozens of emails. "What?" Dean and Y/N asked in unison, concerned by his tone.

"Uh, he has all these emails. Dozens. To this lady named Jennifer" Sam informed them as Dean strolled over, leaning down between the two younger hunters to get a look at the emails. He clicked open the emails and upon reading some of it, y/n began to feel sick to her stomach. "This 'lady' was 13 years old" Sam states. She clenched her jaw at the statement, closing her eyes as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"God, I don't wanna hear this" Dean groaned, all feeling sick from the discovery. "Looks like they met in a chat room....These emails are pretty personal guys" Sam swallowed the growing lump in his throat as he continued to read through the emails, he clicked on another file and clenched his jaw with a scoff as he read. "Look at that, setting up a time and place to meet" He shook his head as he continued to read.

"They were supposed to meet today" Dean pointed to the date on the email, the three sharing a look of disgust. "Huh. I guess if you're stab someone, good timing" Y/N commented, feeling less and less sorry for the sicko who got killed, balling up her fists in her lap as Dean got up from between their shoulders to pace the room. "I don't know, guys, this is weird, you know? I mean sure, some spirits are out for vengeance, but this one's almost a do-gooder. Like-like a-" Dean started to say but Sam cut him off.

"Avenging angel?" Sam cut him off, giving his knowing look as Y/N leaned back into the chair, "Not this again, Sam" She groaned, throwing her head back. She didn't want to admit he had a point, she was considering the fact that it could've actually been an angel because from all of the houses they've checked out. There was no EMF, no sulfur and none of that woo-woo feeling she usually gets. Deans words, not hers.

"Well how else do you explain it, y/n/n?" Sam defended as Dean began to search through some of the hard copy files in the victims draws. "Three guys, not connected to each other, all stabbed through the heart? At least two were world class pervs and sickos. And I bet if you dug deep enough of the other guys-" Sam stated the facts.

"Hey" Dean cut Sam's ranting off, "What?" Sam groaned. "You said Carl Gulley was a churchgoer, right?" Dean asked as he held up a flier. "Yeah?" Sam answered. "What was the name of the church?" Dean asked. "Uh...Our Lady of the Angels. Why?" Y/N told him, having remembered it from her and Sam's research. Deans brows raised at the irony as he handed her the flier. "Course' that'd be the name. Looks like Frank went to the same church" He told them, peaking their interest.

________________________________

Soon after, the trio found themselves at the Our Lady of The Angels church. The second Y/N entered that church, she felt the chills rise at the back of her neck. Something she did not miss whatsoever. Yep, definitely a spirit.

"So, you're interested in joining the parish?" Father Reynolds asked them. "Yeah, we just don't feel right unless we hit church every Sunday" Dean quipped up. "Where did you say you lived before?" Reynolds asked. "Uh-" Sam stuttered. "Premont, Texas" Y/N came up with the first place that came to mind. "Yup" Sam nodded, going along with it.

"Really? That's a nice town" Reynolds gasped surprised, smiling as they all walked down the aisle and towards the alter. "St. Theresa's Parish. You must know the priest there" Reynolds said, earning panicked looks from the three. "Sure, yeah. No, it's, uh, Father O'Malley" Dean came up with the first lie. "Hmm, I know a Father Shaughnessy" Reynolds raised a curious eye at this. "Shaughnessy. Exactly. What did I say?" Dean chuckled, feigning confusion.

"You know, we're just happy to be here now, Father" Sam cut in, "And we're happy to have you. We could use some young blood around here" Reynolds nodded. "Hmm. Listen, I gotta as, and no offense, but the neighborhood-?" Y/N questioned curiously. "Well, it's gone to seed a little, there's no denying that. But that's why what the church does here is so important. Like I always say, you can expect a miracle, but in the meantime, you work you butt off" Reynolds said honestly.

"Yeah, well we heard about the murders" Dean added. "Yes. The victims were parishioners of mine. I'd known them for years." Reynolds nodded, his tone sad. "And the killers said that an angel made them do that?" Sam asked curiously. "Yes. Misguided souls. To this that Gods messenger would appear and invite people to murder. It's tragic." Reynolds scoffed. "So you don't believe in these angel yarns?" Dean asked with a shrug.

Oh, no. I absolutely believe in em. Kind of goes with the job description" Reynolds chuckled. Y/N's eyes canvassed the church, her gaze landing on an angel painting, "Father, that's Michael, right?" She asked, pointing to the painting of Michael standing above Lucifer, wielding his sword. "That's right, the Archangel Michael with the flaming sword. A fighter of demons. And a holy force against evil" Reynolds nodded, explaining the history.

"So, they're not really the Hallmark-card version that everyone thinks? They're fierce, right? Vigilant" Sam asked, earning questionable looks from Dean and Y/N. "I like to think of them as more loving than wrathful" Reynolds said before adding, "But, uh, yes. A lot of scripture paints angels as God's warriors. An angels of the Lord appeared to them, glory of the Lord shone down upon them and they were terrified. Luke 2:9" Reynolds quoted the Bible but Y/N's mind was stuck on one thing he said.

Angel of the Lord....where have I heard that before? I've heard that somewhere, fuck where did I hear that? She thought to herself, it was now eating her.

-

"Thank you for speaking with us, Father" Sam thanked Reynolds as they all made their way down the steps of the large church. "It was my pleasure. Hope to see you again" Reynold said kindly as Y/N's eyes landed on what looked like a vigil. "Hey, Father. What's all that for?" She asked curiously, pointing to the candles, flowers and cards on the side of the steps, leading down from the church.

"Oh, that's for Father Gregory. He was a priest here." Reynolds informed them sadly, staring at the vigil. "Was?" Dean asked. "Passed away right on these steps. He's interred in the church crypt" Reynolds explained, y/n's brow shot up at this. Now thinking that it could be his spirit she was sensing, that is, if his spirit was still lingering for whatever reason. "When did this happen?" She asked urgently, "Two months ago. He was shot for his car keys" Reynolds sighed at the tragic memory.

"I'm sorry" Sam shook his head sympathetically. "Yeah, me too. He was a good friend." Reynolds sighed, "I didn't even have time to administer his last rites. But like I said, it's a tough neighborhood." Sam and Y/N nodded understandably at this. "And ever since he died, I've been praying my heart out." Reynolds admitted, "For what?" Y/N asked gently. "For deliverance. From the violence and the bloodshed around here. We could use a little divine intervention, I suppose"

Yep, that'll do it. Y/N thought.

The hunters shared a knowing look at this before Dean turned to him, "Padre, thanks. We'll see you again" Dean said formally, offering Reynolds his hand, which he took, shaking it firmly. Before shaking Sam's and then Y/N's. After Reynolds went back into the church, Dean reached over and picked up the picture of Father Gregory from the vigil.

"Well, it's all starting to make sense. Devoted priest dies a violent death." Dean pointed out. "That's vengeful material right there. And I felt a heavy presence when I was in the church, no doubt that's our Father Gregory leering around." Y/N agreed , "Exactly. And he knew all the other stiffs here because they all went to church here. In fact, I'm willing to bet that because he was their priest, he knew things about them nobody else knew" Dean added as Sam looked hesitant.

"Then again...Father Reynolds started praying for God's help two months ago, right? Right about the time all this started happening" Sam pointed out, making the two roll their eyes. "Oh, come on, man. What's your deal?" Y/N groaned. "What do you mean?" Sam scoffed, raising a brow. "Look, I'll admit, we're a bit of skeptics.." Dean gestured between him and y/n. "..but since when are you all Mr. 700 Club?" Dean argued, making Sam roll his eyes.

"No, seriously, y/n just said she felt a presence and you're still questioning it? She's been right about 90% of the crap we've been through so far." Dean defended. "From the get-go, you've been willing to buy this angel crap. I mean, what's next, are you gonna start praying everyday?" Dean scoffed, this made Y/N's breath hitch. Her mind tracing back to when Dean was in that hospital bed and she prayed for him.

"I do" Sam admitted, his voice low. This shocked Dean when he turned back to his brother. "What?" Dean raised a brow. "I do pray everyday. I have for a long time" Sam told Dean, a questioning look on his face as y/n's gaze was trapped on the ground. "The things you learn about a guy, huh" Dean muttered before turning to y/n.

"What about you, y/n/n? You pray?" He asked her, voice softer than usual, the look in her eye alerted him. Y/N looked up from the ground, meeting his gaze. "Not at all anymore" She sighed, "Last time I did, shit kinda hit the fan" She scoffed, "But when I did pray..." She then gripped her heart shaped locket she wore on her neck at all times. "...I prayed for all of us"

"You what now?" Dean asked, surprised at this. "Mhm" She hummed, her fingers clutching tighter at the locket. "But like I said, I don't pray anymore" She tried to sound casual but there was an edge to her tone. She then opened the locket to show them, inside was a picture of her and the boys in their teens on one side, and another picture of all of their parents. F/N, M/N, John and Mary in their younger days, on the other side.

Sam and Dean could see the nostalgia in her eyes. "Yeah" Dean hummed, looking at the pictures. "Good times" He muttered, a fond smile on his face. Y/N closed the locket up as Sam cleared his throat, breaking the sentimental moment. "I'm surprised you still have that" Sam chuckled quietly, his eyes trained on the locket. Y/N's fingers left the locket slowly, resting by her side. "I don't take it off. Ever." She mumbled softly, trying to avoid the subject.

Deans eyes glanced down to the charm bracelet around her wrist, a tug at his heart ached slightly at the fact that she never took it off either. Always cherishing the little things they all got for each other before he quickly covered it up with a roll of his eyes.

"That's sweet" Dean nodded before his usual sarcasm started to take affect. "Sappy too" He teased, earning a smack on the chest from Y/N. "Shut up, asshat" She huffed, shoving him away. "Whatever, nutcase" He shot back in his usual tone, rolling his eyes. The two shared a heated glare, "Whatever" She grumbled, changing the topic. "Come on, let's go check out Father Gregory's grave" before walking back up the stairs of the church to head to the crypt.

________________________________

Dean and Y/N made their way into the crypt, with her holding the back of her neck, groaning slightly from the chills. Mostly likely from the lingering spirit in the crypt. "You okay?" Dean asked, noticing her rubbing her neck. "Yeah" Y/N nodded, moving the hair from her nape.

-

Sam was a bit behind them, on the other side, looking for the grave when he heard whispering. His eyes darted to one of the angel statues in the dusty hall, widening as it shook. He inched closer to it, confusion etched on his face. Only to dazzled by a white bright light as he turned his head, his eyes widen with awe the light shone over his body.

-

Dean and Y/N ended up finding Father Gregory's grave, his tomb was wrapped in wormwood, proof that they were indeed dealing with a spirit.

"Angel, my ass" Dean snorted as they started at the tomb. "Told you it was a spirit" Y/N scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I didn't doubt you and your ESP thing for a second, princess" Dean smirked, flashing her a wink, earning another glare from y/n. "You see that Sam- Sammy?" Dean started to say but when he looked back, Sam was nowhere to be found. Both Jim and Y/N looked around confused.

-

"Where the hell is he?" Dean muttered as him and y/n looked for Sam in the crypt. "He was right behind us" Y/N told him. "Sam, come on. Get the lead out" Dean shouted when he opened the door, only to see his little brother, passed out on the floor. "Sammy!" Dean and Y/N gasped, rushing to his side. Both shaking him awake, their hearts were beating out of their chest as Y/N leaned down to check if he was still breathing. She gave Dean a firm nod,

"Sam! Hey!" Dean grunted, shaking his brother once more. Sam gasped awake, shooting up from his position. "You okay?" Y/N asked gently, resting her hands at the sides of his face as she checked his body for injuries. "Yeah" Sam grunted, a bit disoriented, his eyes darting back to the angel statue infront of him. "Yeah. I'm okay" He smiled, blinking consistently, earning questioning looks from Dean and Y/N.

"Come on" Dean said, gripping him by his shirt to help him up.

-

Now back in the church, Dean and y/n shared a knowing look as they both held Sam closely. "You saw it, didn't you?" Y/N stated the obvious. But Sam didn't answer. "Didn't you?" Dean pressed, both getting go of Sam. "Yeah. Yeah, guys. I saw an angel" Sam smiled, a sense of revelation in his voice. This left Dean and Y/N flabbergasted. Dean then fished out his flask, offering it to Sam as he took a seat on the pews at the front of the church, near the stage.

"Here" Sam looked at Dean as if he were crazy, "I don't want a drink" He denied the alcohol, Dean just shrugged before offering it to y/n. "Fuck, why the hell not?" She muttered before accepting it, the stress of the situation getting to her. Gulping down the harsh whiskey before handing it back to Dean who took a swig of the alcohol himself. "So, what makes you think you saw a, uh, angel?" Y/N asked, clearing her throat. "It just..." Sam struggled to find the words, a look of awe on his face.

"It appeared before me and just....This feeling washed over me, you know? Like- like peace...Like grace" Sam explained, his voice filled with joy. Dean and Y/N exchanged a skeptical and slightly amused look at this, "Okay, ecstasy boy. Maybe we'll get you some glow sticks and a nice Dr. Seuss hat?" Dean mocked, an amused smile on his face, earning glare from y/n, along with a look that said, 'Too far, man'. Dean's smile dropped before clearing his throat.

"Guys, I'm serious. It spoke to me, it knew who I was" Sam said exasperated. "It's just a spirit, Sam" Y/N tried to assure Sam, this made him glare at her. "Okay? And it's not the first one to be able to read people's minds" She added as she took a seat next to him, Dean then sat besides her. Sandwiching y/n between the two of them. "Okay, let me guess...you were personally chosen to smite some sinner. You just gotta wait for some divine Bat Signal, is that is?" Dean scoffed, pointing out the way the case has been going.

"Yeah, actually" Sam deadpanned, "Great" Y/N muttered, shaking her head. "I don't supposed you asked what this alleged bad guy did?" Dean quipped, "Actually, I did guys. And the angel told me" Sam sassed, "He hasn't done anything....yet. But he will." He added, this made y/n groan, leaning forward to bury her face in her hands as Dean chuckled, getting up from the pew. "Oh, this is- this is- I don't believe this" Dean muttered amused but he was actually scared.

Terrified at the fact that angels could be real, not wanting to believe it as stood infront of them. "Guys, the angels hasn't been wrong yet! Someone's gonna do something awful and I can stop it!" Sam defended, raising his voice. "You know, we're supposed to be bad too, Sam. Maybe Dean should just stop us right now!" Y/N snapped, losing her patience. Getting up to stand next to Dean. Sam narrowed his eyes at her.

"You know what, guys? I just don't understand! Why can't you two even consider the possibility?!" Sam yelled, "What? That this is an angel?!" Dean retorted, saying it as if it's the stupidest possibility ever. "Yes! Maybe we're hunting an angel here and we should stop! Maybe this is God's will" Sam continued to ramble, making y/n roll her eyes, placing her hands on her hips and she shook her head. Dean looked at his brother with disbelief.

"Okay. Alright. You know what? I get it. You've got faith. Hey, good for you. I'm sure it makes things easier." Dean started, walking back over to the pew, taking a seat as y/n sat on one of the steps leading up to the stage. Across from Sam. "I'll tell you who else has faith like that: Mom and Mrs. L/N" Dean added, this made their heads dart to this direction. Y/N's heart skipping a beat at the mention of her mom, her hand reaching up to clutch her locket again.

"She used to tell me when she would tuck me in. That angels were watching over us. Mrs. L/N did the same whenever she would babysit me. In fact...that was the last thing Mom ever said to me" Dean admitted, his voice strained with pain he's desperately trying to hold back. "You never told us that" Sam voiced his thoughts as tears welled up in both him and y/n's eyes. "What's to tell? They were wrong" Dean shrugged nonchalantly but it was just a ploy to cover up the pain.

"There was nothing protecting them. There's no higher power, there's no God." He continued, his tone desolate. Sam looked away, trying to hold back tears as y/n's voice broke through. "There's just chaos and violence" She murmured, her gaze trapped on nothing as her mind swirled with the new information. "Exactly. Random, unpredictable evil that comes out of nowhere and rips you to shreds" Dean added, holding back tears as he held an amused tone but it was failing miserably.

"So you want us to believe in this stuff? We're gonna need to see some hard proof. You got any?" Dean quipped, Sam couldn't answer so he continued. "Well, I do. Proof that we're dealing with a spirit" Dean smirked before pointing to y/n in front of them, this made her roll her eyes once again.

-

They were all now knelt infront of Father Gregory's tomb, which was covered with worm wood vines. "It's looks like-" Sam began, "It's wormwood." Dean cut him off. "Plant associated with the dead. Specifically, the ones that are not at rest" Y/N added as Dean looked around the crypt, "I don't see it growing anywhere else, except over the murdered priest's marker" Dean commented as Sam's face dropped.

"It's him, Sam" Y/N told him matter of factly, but Sam didn't look too convinced. "Maybe" Sam sighed, "Maybe?" Dean and Y/N gaped at his hesitation, "Guys, I don't know what to think" Sam shook his head and y/n narrowed her eyes at him. "Okay, if wormweed and my word isn't enough for you. You want some more proof, I'll give you more proof" Y/N clenched her jaw. "How?" Sam snorted.

"We'll summon Gregory's spirit" She suggested with a shrug, Dean's brows perked up at the idea. Not against it but surprised she suggested it, "What? Here? In the church?" Sam gaped, baffled. "What do you say?" Y/N turned to Dean, who thought about it for a second before saying, "Yeah" He got up, along with the two younger hunters.

"We just need a few odds and ends and that seance ritual in Dad's journal." Dean said as they walked out of the crypt, "Oh, seance, great. Hope Whoopi's available" Sam sassed, amused by y/n's suggestion. "That's funny, actually. Seriously" Y/N deadpanned, glaring at Sam, a bit offended. He turned to her, surprised by her tone. "If Father Gregory's spirit is around, which I know he is. The seance will bring him right to us." She said firmly before adding.

"And if it's him, then we put him to rest" Sam placed his hands on his hips, "But if it's an angel, it won't show. Nothing will happen." Sam pointed out, "Exactly her point" Dean defended, "It's one of the perks of the job, Sammy. We don't have to operate on faith. We can know for sure. Don't you wanna know for sure?" He added. "Y/N gets to practice her ES- OW!" Dean hissed, clutching his arm because y/n, once again, smacked him.

"I didn't say anything!" He defended, his voice going up an octave, an amused look on his face as she glared at him. She knew damn well he was gonna say, 'Y/N gets to practice her ESP thing' and as cute as his teasing was, it was getting fucking annoying. "You were going to" She gritted her teeth at him, a smirk plastered on his face. "I'm right though" He sassed, only for her glare to deepen.

________________________________

"Dudes, alright. I'll admit, we've gone pretty ghetto with spell work before but this takes the cake" Sam chuckled between words as they left the convenience store. Sam carrying a paper bag with the materials for the spell, "I mean, a SpongeBob placemat instead of an altar cloth" Sam cackled, throwing his head back laughing along with y/n, who was nodding in agreement at it.

"We'll just put it SpongeBob side down" Dean retorted amused, making them laugh more as they approached the Impala. Suddenly, Sam's laughter holt, his eyes darting to a man across the street, a white bright light flashing behind the man. "Guys, that's it" Sam suddenly said, "What?" Dean and Y/N questioned in unison, both confused by his sudden shift in mood.

"That's the sign." Sam pointed to them man, "Where?" Dean questioned, both him and y/n turning to the direction Sam was pointing. "Right there. Right behind that guy" Sam said firmly, but they saw nothing. Only the guy on the street, "We have to stop him" Sam said determined, rushing to approach the guy but they quickly stopped Sam as the guy crossed the street. "Wait a minute" Dean whispered,

"What are you two doing? Let me go" Sam huffed, "Dude, you're not gonna go kill somebody because a ghost told you. Are you insane?!" Y/N whisper yelled at her best friend. "Guys, I'm not insane. I'm not gonna kill him, I'm gonna stop him." Sam insisted. "Define stop, huh? I mean, what are you gonna do?" Dean grumbled as they watched the guy hop into his car.

"Dean, Y/N, please. He's gonna hurt someone, you know it" Sam pleaded. Dean and Y/N exchanged a look, a silent conversation between their eyes before nodding, "Alright, come on" Y/N ushered Sam away from Impala as Dean hopped in. Watching the man drive off. Sam assumed they were all gonna follow behind the man but Dean locked the passenger side door. "Dean, unlock my door" Sam banged on the passenger window but his brother shook his head.

"You're not killing anyone, Sam. I got this guy, you and y/n go do the seance." Dean ordered, starting up his car. "Dean, what the fuck?!" Sam shouted but Y/N pulled him back as Dean drove away. Leaving Sam bewildered. "Come on, angel boy" Y/N pulled Sam in the direction of the crypt.

-

Dean followed the man's car to a house. The man got out, bouquet of flowers in his hand as Dean parked a could yards away from him. A woman emerged from the house, the man approaching her. Handing her the flowers, giving him a hug before he opened the passenger door for him. Hopping into his car.

-

Meanwhile, Sam and Y/N were at the crypt. Having already set up the candles on the facedown SpongeBob place mat. Six little white candle were lit, and placed in the center was a large black candle. Sam paced behind y/n nervously, biting his nail. "We would there. That guys gonna do something bad, y/n/n" Sam grumbled, "Can it, angel boy. Dean's got it covered" Y/N said firmly, patting the ground next to her, where she said crisscrossed.

"Sit" She instructed Sam. He opened his mouth to protest but y/n cut him off again, "I said, sit, little Winchester" She repeated in a demanding tone. He let out a frustrated huff, before plopping next to y/n. She then struck a match, the naked flame being one of the only sources of light in the dark crypt before lighting the black candle in the middle of the six small already lit, white candles.

He watched as she pulled a small pouch from her jacket pocket, setting it down next to her. Untying the string around it, "What's that?" Sam couldn't help but ask. "It's mountain mist. Used to help lure spirits" Y/N answered as she took out a few leaves from the pouch. Sam huffed, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, this is really gonna attract a spirit" He sassed sarcastically. "Shut the hell up" Y/N snapped at him.

She then picked up John journal, handing it to Sam and pointed to the incantation, "Now, say these words with me" Y/N instructed gently. Sam looked at her before nodding, ready to do and say anything to prove to her that he was right. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and then extending her hand to him. Sam took it into his, clasping his large hand into hers. She took a deep breath, before follow letting go.

Allowing her energy to flow, then as she reopened her eyes. They flashed its usual white, her hand glowing a light shade of aqua blue in his as both spoke in unison, "Ego vobiscum exaudi. Ego rogare te, Ut adiuva me, Pater, Veni ad me. In nombni Patris, Et Filii, Et Spiritus Sancti." Once they finished the Latin incantation, y/n sprinkled a little bit of the mountain mist using her free hand over the black candle.

Causing it to spark upwards in a large flame, startling them both. Slightly glazing her fingertips. Due to the spark, the two didn't hear the door open behind them. In walked Father Reynolds, absolutely bewildered by what he was witnessing, "What are you two doing?" He gasped, causing the two to become startled again, eyes wide. "What is this?!" Reynolds gaped at the candles as Sam and Y/N, both panicked, hurried to their feet. "Uh..." Y/N muttered.

"Father, please, we can explain. Uh..." Sam tried to explain. Dropping his fathers journal. His eyes darted to y/n who had a look of, 'I don't know what to say, dude!' On her face. "Actually, uh, maybe we can't. Um..." Sam gulped before y/n took initiative, stepping closer to Reynolds. "This is, uh, a seance." She said honestly, "A seance? Young lady, you are in a house of God" Reynolds bellowed disapprovingly.

"It's based on early Christian rites, if that helps any" Sam said sheepishly, stepping closer to y/n. "Enough! You two are coming with me" Reynolds growled, snatching the two hunters by their wrists to escort them out of the crypt. "Father, please, if you could-" "Just wait a second" Sam and Y/N pleaded, their eyes widening in horror when a bright white light emerges from Father Gregory's crypt as the chills in the back of y/n's neck reemerged.

Reynolds turned to face the light, his eyes wide as he gasped, "Oh, my God. Is that- is that an angel?" Reynolds gasped in awe, but Sam's face dropped when he realized Dean and Y/N was right. "No it's not. It's just Father Gregory" Sam said disappointed. A look of, 'I told you so' on her face, but she couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for Sam, his faith and hope that it was an angel was just crushed because the seance worked.

Father Gregory's spirit fully appeared now, the bright light disappearing from behind him. "Thomas?" Reynolds gasped. "I've come in answer to your prayers" Gregory greeted with a smile.

-

Meanwhile, Dean was now following behind the man again in the Impala, down a dark road.

-

Back in the crypt, "Sam? I thought I sent you on a path. You should hurry" Gregory said surprised upon seeing Sam approaching him slowly. "Father, I'm sorry. But you're not an angel" Sam responded, sympathetically. Y/N's face softened at this, "Of course I am" Gregory insisted, and now that....That made her roll her eyes. "No. You're a man. You're a spirit. And you need to rest" She chimed in, "I was a man. But now I'm an angel" Gregory insisted once again.

"I was on the steps of the church. I felt that bullet pierce right through me. But there was no pain. And then suddenly, I could see...everything" Gregory explained the story of his demise. "Father Reynolds, I saw you praying and crying here. And I came to help you." Gregory added, turning to Reynolds. "Help me, how?" Reynolds asked confused.

-

Dean noticed the man pull into a dark alley way. He turned down corner, only to lose the man in the process. "Fuck!" Dean grunted in annoyance, slapping his steering wheel.

-

Back in the crypt, "Those murders....that was because of you?" Reynolds said fearfully as he stepped closer to Gregory's spirit. "I received the word of God. He spoke to me, hold me to smite the wicked. Im carrying out is will" Gregory defined as Y/N glared at him due to his savior complex and Sam shook his head in disbelief. "You're driving innocent people to kill" Reynolds retorted. "Those innocent people are being offered redemption." Gregory stated before turning to Sam and y/n.

"Some people need redemption" he said gently, almost as if he was speaking to them. "Don't they, Sam and y/n?" He said softly, Sam didn't dare look him in the eye. His heart dropping as y/n looked a tad bit confused. Realization dawned on her as guilt weighed on her chest, "How can you call redemption?" Reynolds gasped. "You can't understand it now. But the rules of man and the rules of God are two very different things" Gregory turned to Reynolds.

"Those people.." Sam began in a low tone, causing Gregory to turn to him. "...they're locked up." Sam growled. "No, they're happy" Gregory insisted, shaking his head. "They've found peace, beaten their demons. And I've given them the keys to heaven" He defended, "Well that's a sick way to earn the keys to the golden gates" Y/N muttered under her breath. "What?" Gregory exclaimed in disbelief at Y/N's comment.

"You heard me." Y/N stated, her arms crossed in annoyance. "You heard her" Sam added, narrowing his eyes at Gregory, coming to her defense. "Those people shouldn't be in jail, Father! I don't understand how your god would want them to commit such vial acts of crime" She scoffed. "It's not up to you to understand" Gregory said, trying to stay calm.

"Those people who were sent to damnation, have caused unspeakable harm to good people, that can't go unpunished" He stated. "No. No. This is vengeance, it's wrong" Reynolds shook his head. "Thomas, this goes against everything you believed. You're lost, misguided" He added, trying to reason with Gregory but he simply smiled. "Father, no, I'm not misguided." Gregory shook his head.

"You are not an angel, Thomas. Men cannot be angels" Reynolds stated firmly, "But....but I-I don't understand" Gregory stuttered, turning to Sam and y/n, then back Reynolds. "You prayed for me to come." He defended, "I prayed for God's help. Not this. What you're doing is not God's will." Reynolds further stated. "Thou shalt not kill, that's the word of God" He quoted the Bible, glaring at Thomas.

-

Dean ended up finding the car parked in an alley, he saw it shaking a bit. His brows raising until he heard a scream, instantly bursting into action, he rushed over, drawing his fist back before driving it through the drivers side window. Inside, the man was attempted to sexually assault the woman, wielding a box cutter. As the glass shards pool around Dean, he instantly right hooked the man, off guard.

Before reaching in and hauling him by his collar, driving his head into the steering wheel. Presumably, knocking him unconscious. The woman cried from terror as Dean reached in and unlocked the passenger door, using the button of the drivers side. The woman immediately opened the haul and got out of the car, disoriented and sobbing. Dean slid across the bonnet to the passenger side to aid to the woman.

"Are you okay? Are you okay?" He asked the woman urgently, sick to his stomach, thinking about what that man could've and would've done to her had he not been there. "Thank God" The woman sobbed, nodding shakily as the car restarted behind them. The man narrowly escaping. "Fuck!" Dean cursed, "Are you sure you're okay?" Dean asked her again, she nodded again while sobbing her heart out.

"Do you have a cell phone?" She nodded again while clutching her clothes, which were ripped by the assailant. "Call 911" Dean instructed her before running to the Impala, hopping in and starting her up to chase the man.

-

Back in the crypt, Gregory stared at his tomb before turning to the three, looking absolutely defeated. "Let us help you" Y/N said softly, offering him a small encouraging smile. "No" Gregory sobbed. "It's time to rest, Thomas, to be at peace. Please, let me give you last rites" Reynolds pleaded. Gregory didn't answer as Sam and y/n stared at him, sympathy in their eyes before Reynolds raised his hands to the sky.

"O holy hosts above, I call upon thee as a servant of Christ, to sanctify our actions this day in fulfillment of the will of God" Reynolds prayed whole heartedly, doing the sign over the cross over. Gregory's spirit began to flicker, causing Reynolds to gasp, tears welling up in his eyes as Gregory looked down at himself, his face etched with fear. "Father Reynolds?" Gregory cried. Reynolds smiled tearfully, before raising his palm towards him.

"Rest" He said firmly, this made Gregory drop to his knees. Reynolds placed his palm over Gregory's forehead as Sam and Y/N looked on, their chest heaving. A tear rolled down Y/N's cheek because she could tell that this whole situation was ripping Gregory in two. On one hand, he wanted to continue the work he believed was from God, but at the same, he knew deep down that the things he was doing was wrong.

Sam felt his chest tighten. He felt for the man, the inner conflict, the pain. He felt Y/N's hand on his shoulder, rubbing it in a comforting manner. He closed his eyes, letting out a shaky sigh as his eyes began to well up with tears.

"I call upon the Archangel Raphael...master of the air, to make open the way. Let the fire of the Holy Spirit now descend, that this being might be awakened to the world beyond" Reynolds finished his prayer tearfully, then suddenly, Gregory's spirit burst into a bright white dazzling light, it was almost magical as his spirit disappeared.

The chills at the back of y/n neck subsided, indicating that his spirit was now gone and now at rest.

-

Meanwhile, Dean was practically in a high speed chase with the assailant, chasing after him, his foot heavy on the gas. The Impala roared with speed the tail lights glowing from the pressure of the gas. The assailant's car quickly turned down another back ally, attempting to escape.

"Oh no, you don't you sick fuck!" Dean exclaimed, gritting his teeth, as he followed after him. Both cars maneuvered through the dark streets, weaving around corners, skidding on sidewalks and almost driving into parked cars. Dean was gaining on the man, but the man wasn't going down without a fight. However, Dean was determined not to let him get away.

The man's car suddenly swerved, narrowly missing a parked truck as he tried to throw Dean off his tail. But Dean remained focused, his eyes firmly on the man's car. He maneuvered the Impala through the tight gap, coming perilously close to slamming into the truck as well.

The man kept his eye on the Impala, infront of him was a loading van, packed with wires, metal bars and Woodstock on its tray. The van almost crash into another car, swerving sideway. Only for one of the metal rods to come flying off the van, barreling towards the assailants car and directly through the windshield on his side.

The impact of the metal rod was fierce, going directly through the windshield and striking the man square in the chest, killing him on impact. Luckily, he mashed the brake pedal before he could crash into the car. Deans eyes widened behind him, his foot practically driving through the floor boards with the pressure he put on his brake pedal.

The Impala came to a halt a few feet behind the assailants car. Dean sat there for a few moments, his heart hammering in his chest. He waited a few seconds before getting out of his car and walking over to the other car, approaching it slowly as he kept his guard up. "Holy fuck..." Dean gasped as he leaned down to see the bloody metal rod, peering through the back of the drivers seat.

He moved to the side of the car cautiously, his eyes widened at the sight of the man, his body slumped over the wheel now as the blood-soaked metal rod protruded through his chest. Dean grimaced and swallowed hard. He'd seen a lot, and death was becoming somewhat familiar to him. But the sight of this man, pinned against the wheel by the metal rod still horrified him tremendously.

________________________________

Sam and y/n were now back in their motel room, both silently folding their clothes as Dean opened the door, his keys jingling as he eyed them nervously. "How was your day?" He asked them, breaking the silence. Sam couldn't look at his brother, or his best friend. "You guys were right" Sam croaked, y/n's eyes darted to Sam. A look of sympathy on her face from his broken tone.

"It wasn't an angel. It was Gregory...." he sighed ashamed before turning to y/n, "I'm so sorry for doubting you especially, y/n/n" Y/N looked at Sam, her eyes softening at his genuine tone. She sighed softly, shaking her head. "Sammy, you don't have to apologize," she said sincerely, "We all make mistakes, and it's okay. Really."

She offered him a soft smile, hoping to alleviate some of his guilt. She comforted him, her eyes filled with sympathy and a touch of sadness knowing how torn up Sam was about the whole situation.

Dean scoffed, sighing painfully before taking out his flask from his jacket pocket. He took a swig from it before offering it to Sam. Sam eyed the flask for a moment before taking it from his brother, gulping down a few generous sips. "Thanks," he muttered, handing it y/n as Dean stripped his jacket off. Y/N didn't hesitate to take the flask from Sam, taking a small sip and feeling the strong burn of alcohol in her throat.

She coughed slightly and handed it back to Dean, who took a long swig of it himself, settling on his bed. The atmosphere was tense between them all, "I don't know, guys. I just, um..." Sam sighed deeply as Dean wiped his mouth. Y/N settled on the bed Sam's bed, crossing one leg over the other as sank next to her. "I wanted to believe....so badly that..." Sam's voice was hoarse as he spoke.

"It's so fucking hard to do this....what we all do." Sam spoke softly as Dean and y/n eyed him. Their hearts aching. "All alone, you know" Sam added, this made Dean and y/n glance at each other, Deans jaw clenched as y/n's heart sank further. "There's so much evil out in the world, guys, I feel like I could drown in it. And when I think about me and y/n's destiny, when I think about how we could end up...." Sam's head dropped.

Y/N's blood ran cold. She knew exactly what Sam was talking about, and it chilled her to the bone. She swallowed hard, her heart breaking at the sight of the man she calls her brother so defeated. “We’re not gonna end up evil, Sam” Y/N tried to convince him but deep down, she was worried. She tried to mask it but it concerned her inside out. Sam glanced at her, his eyes filled with worry and exhaustion. "You can't know that, y/n." He said, his voice low.

"Not with everything we've seen... everything we've been through... there's no telling what the future holds for us." She smiled tearfully at his words, “Hey, I’ve got that ESP thing. I can assure you” She joked, attempting to ease the situation with a bit of light humor, nudging him with her shoulder as she glanced over at Dean. Sam chuckled softly, a small smile creeping onto his face.

"Yeah, you're like a discount fortune teller, right?" He teased back, nudging her back slightly. Dean glanced over at Y/N, a small smirk appearing on his face. He chuckled lightly, remembering countless times he had teased her about her abilities and how she always got irritated by it. In fact, just earlier today he was probing her about it, only to get smacked in the process.

“Yeah, well, y’all don’t worry about that, alright? I’m watching out for both of you” Dean assured them softly, y/n smiled at this. Her heart swelling, “Yeah…we know you are” Sam smiled weakly, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “But you’re just one person, Dean” He added, tears welling up in his eyes. Y/N’s head dropped at this. “And I needed to think that there was something else watching too, you know?” Sam poured his heart out.

“Some…higher power. Some greater good” He shrugged sheepishly, trying to mask his pain with a smile and a painful chuckle. “And that maybe I-…” Sam trailed off, staring down at his hands, his words caught in his throat as he attempted to stop himself from crying. “Maybe what?” Y/N asked softly. “Maybe I could be saved…maybe we could be saved.” Sam croaked.

Y/N’s heart broke seeing how vulnerable Sam was in this moment. She reached out and took his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze in an attempt to comfort him. Dean, on the other hand, stayed quiet, absorbing Sam's words and the weight of his guilt gnawing at his chest. He glanced over at Y/N, who was silently consoling Sam, and he felt helpless as his little brother and the woman he loved was struggling right in front of him.

“But, uh…” Sam chuckled tearfully, shaking his head as he clutched onto y/n’s comforting hand firmly. “..you know, that just clouded my judgement. And you guys are right, I mean. We gotta go with what we know, with what we can see, what y/n can feel, with what’s right there infront of us with our own two eyes.” He continued as Dean sighed. “Yeah, well, it’s funny you say that” Dean chuckled humorlessly.

This made Sam and y/n tilt their head simultaneously in confusion, “Why?” They asked in unison as Y/N let go of Sam’s hand. “Gregory’s spirit gave you some pretty good information” Dean admitted, making their hearts drop. “The guy in the car was bad news. I barely got there in time.” He explained. “What happened?” Y/N asked worried, “He’s dead.” Dean informed them, Sam and y/n shared a concerned look at this.

“Did you…?” Sam attempted to ask but couldn’t find the words. “No.” Dean shook his head, making them breathe out in relief that Dean didn’t have that blood on his hands. “But I’ll tell you one thing. If-….” Dean took a deep breath. “The way he died, if I hadn’t seen it with my own two eyes, I never would’ve believed it” This made their eyes widen. “I mean…I don’t know what to call it. But-…” Deans words got caught in his throat as he reminisced on the horrifying accident.

“What?” Sam asked gently, but Dean looked away, his face contorted with terror, “Sweetie…what did you see?” Y/N asked softly, his eyes flickered back up to hers and she could see the anguish piercing through them. “Maybe….God’s will” Dean breathed out, connecting eyes with them. Leaving the two younger hunters stunned by his words.

________________________________

Author's Note: Hi my beauties! I know I know, late update I suck!😭I struggled to finish this episode because tbh it was just one of those filler episodes and these take me the longest.

Buttttttt, Born Under a Bad Sign is next and it’s one of my favorites!!! Definitely in my top 20 so hopefully I finish the next episode soon🥰🥰🥰I’m not gonna make any promises because life can get hectic but hopefully I finish it soon enough.

Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed it! And did you like y/n’s dream? Hehe;)

Taglist: @hjgdhghoe @rach5ive @tiggytaylor @star-yawnznn @quarterhorse19

@deangirl96 @bitchykittenconnoisseur @globetrotter28 @hobby27 @mrsjjkwinchester

@juwu-theliciosa @magiccliopleurodon @nesnejwritings @karrah89 @whattheduckisupkyle

@iloveyou2mia @thelittlelightinthedarkness @lmhf1

Xoxo

[do-androids-dream-ao3acc]

My BuckTommy fics

(NeverlandPoet on AO3)

All the Pain | 13,520 words, T | Angst, Hurt/Comfort And then, another wave of realization, as hard as a tsunami. That's Bobby, isn't it? Bobby kneeling in the remains of Tommy's bathroom, his hands performing rhythmic movements. Textbook CPR, it’s just… on Evan.

Love Can Only Heal [BuckTommy Tumblr Prompts] | 12,817 words, T | Tumblr Prompt fills, 8 individual stories

In the Dark | 14,612 words, T | Hurt/Comfort Tommy is a guy to touch you in passing, not one to throw around pet names. He calls him Evan because that's his name, “Buck is a collective noun for your infamies,” he once said. Buck has already thrown a multitude of pet names at him, trying them out on him like on a blank canvas, calling him honey and darling and love to see what resonates.

Come and Let the Storm Bring us to Life | 2,613 words, E | Helicopter sex A second lightning strike, very close again, swallows his words, and Buck blurts out, "Wanna make out?" Tommy is now used to Buck changing topics at the speed of light. He doesn't bat an eyelid as he remarks, "On the helipad of a hospital?" Hail pours down again, plop plop plop on the helicopter’s roof. "I once did it on the roof of the fire engine," says Buck.

3 Times Buck's Date With Tommy Went Awry – And The One Time It Didn't | 7,954 words, M | Awkward dates "So," he says with relish, "that's a proper date. Just you and me and no disasters in sight." Buck sheepishly clears his throat. "I might stab myself in the eye with the fork," he says. "Well, at least not with the knife, I pre-cut your meat," Tommy returns calmly.  Desert Dreams | 4,691 words, T | Whump, Helicopter Crash "We crashed," Buck explained, "and it wasn't my fault. I mean, uh, that's probably important for insurance or something." "Are you saying it was my fault?" Tommy asked, blinking. "What? No, no way, right before the crash you said something about the engine... wait, y..you're kidding? Now?" "Now is as good as any time, Evan," Tommy said softly, and Buck's heart went into a big but very pleasant stumble.

Simply the Best, Reprise (Simply the Beast) | 2,304 words, E | Semi-Public Sex, Frottage

And How My Heart Sang True That Day | 2,309 words, T | Friendship, Character Study I am the broken, I am the wound  | 3,935 words, T | PTSD

"We're doomed." | 2,609 words, T | BuckTommypositivityweek (2), day 1: Season Opening Disaster

Wann (When?) | 1,952 words, T | BuckTommypositivityweek, day 2: Nicknames and Terms of Endearment

Has Anybody Noticed That The Sky Is Falling? | 3,427 words, T | Hurt/Comfort, Anosmia

Whisper Your Desires, And I'll Teach You How To Feel | 2,921 words, E | First Time Fic

Watch Me Burn | 3210 words, E | Kitchen Sex, POV Tommy Kinard

I'll Be Your Hero | 1,562 words, T | Shovel Talk

Set It Off Tonight, Baby, Just Like Fire & Gasoline | 3,378 words, E | First Time Fic The Day Conny Kramer Died | 3,889 words, T | Crack Fic Let's be a miracle | 992 words, T | Domestic Fluff

Tevan ficlets 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

[starstruck-flames]

Please… don’t remind me. - Geto Suguru

A fluttering, pleasant memory… and a harsh, bitter reality. The call of a man long lost brings me to you, and you can’t say no, can you? Let me pretend for just a moment that you could be happy.

No… please don’t reignite that memory within me.

Content includes: Implied stalking? Somewhat, he finds where you live. POV from Fem!reader. Possible/implied non con, called off engagement.

Authors note: Hello gamers, it’s been a while huh? Warning for spoilers that are approximately discussed in season 2 of JJK. (I read the manga and now I’m waiting for all of season 2 so my partner will sit down and watch it with me!)

Song for your mood?

Times in the inner circle of Jujutsu sorcery was incredible, it felt like being in an entirely different planet than any other human being.

And ironically enough?

It was the largest curse you’d ever had to carry the burden of.

Growing up in a larger family, having the privilege of learning from your very birth… it’s a prestigious place to be. Even as a child, you knew this. It was hard, and you grew in every single way possible. As a woman? It was almost as if you had to work twice as hard to prove yourself.

Especially in the shadow of your at the time fiancé.

Suguru had always been a kind man, he was never the one you had to prove yourself to. In fact he had welcomed the engagement with open arms when it was announced to you both as teenagers. It almost felt like a classical romance story, he had never touched without asking. Never yelled, never even furrowed his eyebrows at you. He had been perfect, a daydream of a short lived relationship.

Then Riko Amanai happened.

Did you blame her? Not at all. No one was to blame, it had been a gut wrenching process to digest as your former fiancé explained everything to you in a new light. In a new, devastating way that made both of your lips curl ever so slightly in response to what had been aired out.

“Join me,” He stated calmly, no expression. Not even that smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I trust you, we’ve known each other for a decade now. Even before our engagement, I know how vital you could be.”

A pause.

A long pause.

“…” A glance away from his eyes as you consider everything. The danger, the fact you will always… always be avoiding either of your families. The fact that this could be a new start.

A normal woman.

No fight for power, your problems could now become meaningless.

And that…

That made your chest feel lighter.

He hadn’t taken your answer with anger, you had told him should the time come? You would return, for him. However? You wished to become a phantom, to slink away into a new life that could perhaps grant you some happiness. True peace, perhaps.

He gave you a real smile, one last time before wishing you luck with this new chapter.

And then you were both gone.

Unlike Suguru, you moved away. Far, far away. Out into the countryside. It was peaceful and quiet, religious, yes but it was a town full of the elderly. They took a liking to your politeness, something you’d learned to turn on masterfully with your family. You took up a simple life, working from home and gardening on weekends.

And this year was no different.

And you hadn’t even been told of what happened to Suguru.

~ ~ ~

Kenjaku had been feeling a memory from Suguru’s body, a familiar scent that awakened a thought into a new entity. He knew it was important, as it sent a shiver up Suguru’s spine. It drove him crazy sometimes, fleeting reminders of your memory would make the body he’d taken feel all fluttery and strange. Unsure if it was a positive or a negative emotion… he decided to investigate in the small amount of Suguru’s belongings he had kept.

Rifling through the small box, (he always kept mementos of his victims lives) his hands accidentally cut themselves against a small polaroid photo. The body flinches, but his face doesn’t react.

Picking up the photo… he can feel what’s left of the man react to what is a photo of the two of you as teens, sitting together.

“Oh.”

~ ~ ~

The spring had settled into your village quickly, the late morning sun basking your features as you smile softly. Small wrinkles forming under your eyes as your mundane life continued to give you such small pleasures. The small garden around your property beginning to bloom with colour as your bare feet pad against the wooden flooring.

The screen door left open as the scent of herbal tea wafts through the home.

Meanwhile the town below your home, at the base of the little hill that sprawled across the country side had felt shrouded in darkness in comparison. The older folks mumbling amongst themselves that they couldn’t help but feel something was going to happen. Simply superstition, that’s what you would have probably told them.

Suguru Geto holds a thin sheet of paper between his finger tips. Eyes roaming past the cosy town and its wary people to see your home, or at least what the information he’s tracked down to be your home.

His geta clicks softly against the aged stone stairs that will lead him to you. Expression blank as even Kenjaku feels a strange sense of… anxiety. It’s only because he wants this feeling to end.

No matter the cost.

He can’t help but chuckle as he sees the open screen doors, reckoning you’d grown too comfortable thinking no one would ever find you. Or perhaps you’d have thought yourself too clever to be tracked down?

The smell of herbal tea briefly hits his nose, and that’s it.

That’s you.

He openly lets himself onto your property, careful of the intricately planted flowers blooming around his feet but not quite careful enough to bother with another route.

The home feels like what he had expected. Stepping up onto the wood panels your bare feet had just recently sprinted from to ensure you had that same tea he could sense before him. Willingly walking through the open doors, he sees the colour of your hair. Nothing had changed, only the very slight aging of your features. It made you look more mature from what small memory Kenjaku had access to.

He watches quietly at the grip on the tea pot in your hand strengthens for just a moment. Wide eyes taking in his vision. Almost as if he were a holy figure, though…

Suguru perhaps certainly thought himself as one.

“…I…” Comes a quiet stammer as you slowly approach, placing down the teapot gently. “it’s been-“

“About ten years.” He answers without much thought, he could feel the core of the soul he’d hijacked quake with the memory.

You falter for a moment, not even questioning his features. His new aura, the scars across his forehead.

You can’t help but fall for the fact your ex fiancé now stands before him, willingly throwing yourself against his chest. He almost falls, surprised by your reaction but feigns a delighted expression as he wraps his arms around you. It would almost be sweet, almost.

“…I’ve missed you.” He said quietly, as he feels your body move just a little bit slower.

You take a step back, regaining your composure as eyes run up his body. Almost like your judging his attire, but then.

Your eyes fixate on his forehead.

It’s like watching the gears turn in your pretty little head, like your logical side is very slowly pulling back your emotions. It’s fascinating really.

“…Why are you here?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” He asks, feeling the core of his body try to resist the dark urges Kenjaku forces upon it. Feeling the soul fail to control any remaining sense of self.

“I need you.”

[febelinlove]

I was missing because of coursework, but What doesn't kill us — makes us stronger! The same goes for Season 2 of Good Omens.

However, not about this, but about love!

While waiting for S3, I was looking for something cute in S2 and found —

Crowley flirts like snakes, he literally tried every kind of snake flirt on Aziraphale. But you know what reveals much more about their relationship?

Aziraphale flirts like a rabbit. Yes, no matter how strange it may sound, especially when you realize that Michael put a lot of himself into playing the character, but it’s sooooo true

Look, what we know about small furry cuties is that with trust and comfort, they behave passively and calmly, or, on the contrary, excitedly -you can check the box

They are very tactile, when they particularly like someone, we remember all those precious shots with touching or just closeness - you can put a tick

Yes, I certainly don’t deny that he is the most teenage girl of all who twirls her hair on her finger

[beauty-and-passion]

I think I perfectly know what you’re talking about, so let me tell you some trivia.

When someone acts very defensive about something, in Italy we say that they have “la coda di paglia” (which can be translated as “they have a straw tail”). This saying comes from an old tale of a fox, whose tail was cut off by a trap. The animal was so ashamed, that its friends decided to give it a straw tail, so beautiful that anyone could never have suspected it was fake.

But one day a rooster let this secret slip away and once the peasants knew about the straw tail of the fox, they lit fires near the chicken coops, so that the fox could no longer steal their chickens anymore: straw catches fire very easily and so the fox was forced to stay away.

From this story comes the expression “having a straw tail”, which means fearing any kind of criticism for a behavior they are well aware of. If you have a straw tail, if you have bad behavior or did something wrong, you know it. And so, you act defensive to hide it.

Thomas is doing exactly that. He’s getting very defensive over simple questions, he’s making childish excuses in a desperate attempt to show how good he is, but all he’s doing is showing us he knows he’s in the wrong.

So here are the tweets you (probably) wanted me to talk about and yes, I will talk about them both (special thanks to @transfemlogan​​ who posted them on Tumblr first).

Those are both very recent tweets, but let’s start with the first one dated October 2022:

Okay, let’s recap everything Thomas did wrong here.

1) That person was not pressuring nor threatening him. They asked a simple, genuine question and they did it very politely and very calmly. This wasn’t an angry fan. And yet, Thomas went in full passive-aggressive mode, as if that person was insulting him. This is the best example of what “having a straw tail” means.

2) “Keeping people posted” means giving real updates, not a vague “working on the script” written months ago. It means telling people how much has been written, if he’s close to the end or not, how long he thinks it will take to reach the end, what his plans are, even if he’s just working on the actual script or not because he’s doing other stuff. Those are updates.

3) “Updating to the extent that I feel comfortable doing” is just a more convoluted way to say “I do not have any real update, so I am giving you crumbs, because this is all I have”. But he’s hiding it behind the excuse of “I’m taking care of myself”, which could’ve worked years ago, but after three years it’s not so convincing anymore.

4)  Pressuring someone to deliver content is not healthy nor productive, but if someone is clearly doing nothing, some pressure makes the work done. As a writer, I learned long ago that, if I want things to get done, I have to do them. I won’t enjoy the whole process and there will be times I don’t really want to do it, but it’s the only way to do stuff. You can’t wait forever for the inspiration to come because, flash news, it won’t magically fall from the sky.

And sure, taking care of yourself is important too, but using your well being as an excuse to always postpone is just laziness.

5) Since Mr. Sanders is thirty-three years old and not five, I think he is old enough to accept someone asking him what is going on with the season finale and not overreact like he did. I could understand if he was a teen, but when you’re 33 you’re old enough to deal with something as simple as a question.

Oh and since I’m here talking about this post and since Mr. Sanders didn’t do it, I would like to formally apologize to the person who wrote that question. You did nothing wrong, dear. Your question was valid and polite and I am sure that another, more mature person would’ve given you the proper reply you deserved.

And if any of you is curious, would you like to know what the real answer to that question was? “The season finale is not here at all, because I am barely working on the script. And I am barely working on the script, because I don’t know how to handle it. And I don’t know how to handle it, because I am not a writer - but I want to write it anyway”. Here’s your answer, you’re welcome.

Believe me, I hope to be proven wrong, but this is what I got from Thomas’ over-the-top reaction. And if any of you think I am too hard on him, then sorry again, but it pisses me off to see a grown-ass man whining like a child because someone just asked him something he doesn’t want to talk about.

And here is the second tweet, dated December 2022:

Not only this is another textbook example of what “having a guilty conscience” means, but Mr. Sanders’ reply is - if possible - even more childish: I work very very hard! See how hard I work? I am right and you are wrong! And If you keep saying these bad things, I will tell mom.

In addition to that, he wasn’t even clever enough to turn the topic away from him. That person said that his supporters got nothing in turn and are more excited than him? He could’ve said that this was offensive towards his supporters, because if they are trusting him it’s not because he’s forcing them to do it, but because they like what he’s doing and want him to create these things he’s passionate about. But nope, he was too butthurt and he clearly knew that person was right, so he overreacted like a child.

This also proves that, sadly, he doesn’t believe his supporters are following him out of trust or because they like everything he’s doing. He’s probably very aware that the reason most people are following him is Sanders Sides - and that puts him in a difficult situation.

Why? Because he’s not able to handle the series. And he's aware of it: he knows he’s taking too long with the script, he knows there are no real updates, he knows he has nothing to give. And yet, this series is his main income: there are people, merch, contracts. He can’t just drop or cancel it.

And so he keeps everything as vague as possible. If everything is vague, people will still trust him, they will think he’s working on the series and patiently wait for the next episode.

This can work with kids. But when kids grow up or teens grow tired, they start to rightfully ask questions. And if you don’t have answers, you end up replying like this - thus involuntarily showing how aware you are of your situation.

And now, let’s take Sanders Sides out for a moment, because this isn’t about the series, but about him.

This behavior is very, very disrespectful. Adults should be an example for younger people, they should be someone the next generation will look at and take inspiration from, to grow into even better adults. We can’t pretend kids are better than us, if we are not the first to show them how to be better.

Thomas isn’t just an adult, but a public figure, so he’s not just an example for his friends or relatives: he’s an example for a lot of people. He should show them what a proper, mature, adult reply is. What he did instead was attacking with a lot of passive-aggressiveness an innocent fan who just asked a question and a more sarcastic one, who just poked him.

Do you know what he could’ve done instead? Not reply at all. Or just grow a pair and reply like an adult. He could’ve thanked the first fan and said that, unfortunately, there are no real updates on Sanders Sides for now, because he’s working on other stuff - and added that he hopes they will like this stuff too. While to the second person, he could’ve said that people are following him for more than just Sanders Sides and that he’s sorry that person thinks he did nothing, because he worked on different things. Was it so hard to do?

This is not a good way to handle criticism. And I hope he will grow up a little: all he did now was showing us how long his straw tail is and how easily it catches fire.

[amelia-jane-writes]

Sometimes I'm okay pt1

Sorry if this sucks, it's my first work on here. Also its set during that episode in season 2 where Derek's in jail.

tw: swearing, jail, mentions of death ig

Derek Morgan was in deep shit.

First off, he had been in Chicago for the past few days and hadn't came to say hello to you at all. In fact, he seemed to have been avoiding your area of town all together. Secondly, he was sat in a prison cell.

The first point could be explainable. You'd had an argument before he left last year. You weren't in the wrong, but maybe you hadn't been in the right either. He just wanted you to move with him to wherever it was that he lived. To this day you still didn't know why you'd said no.

You had walked very calmly -not at all- right up to where Carl was conversing with the detective.

"Where in the hell is he?" You asked. The detective didn't like me much, but he didn't like many of the kids in the area.

"Alright, just wait one second lady, you can't just storm in here and start demanding things."

You just rolled your eyes, knoeing that the detective owed you. "I want to see him."

Carl spoke up. "I understand that you're upset, we all are. I mean, Derek never seemed like the kind to do this."

You stared at him for what felt like a god few minutes but in reality was just a couple of seconds.

"Carl you listen to me, you are ten times more likely to have murdered those boys than he is." You turned back to the detective, ignoring the burning feeling of eyes on your back. "And I said that I wanted to see him."

"I'll see what can be done."

He walked away, using his brain for once. You turned towards the group of people eying your back, not at all in the mood to be dealing with cops.

"The hell are you staring at?"

A few of them made themselves look busy, as if they hadn't been staring. A tall lady with dark hair came closer though, and asked, "Do you know Derek Morgan?"

"You could say that. Why? Who are you?"

"I'm Special Agent Emily Prentiss, I'm on the same team as Morgan in the FBI. If you could tell us anything that would help with proving his innocence then that would be amazing."

"I can't tell you anything darling, just that the detective knows damn well that it wasn't Derek."

Anything she would have said then was cut off by the detective returning, grabbing you arm and saying, "Five minutes. Make it fast."

You stepped into the interrogation room, it was a few degrees colder than the outside, and spotted Derek sat against the wall.

"Derek." It would've been comical how he jumped but instead it was just concerning since he was FBI. He quickly stood up and came towards you, but stopped himself before he got too close.

"(Y/N)," He said and you couldn't tell if the tone in his voice was one of relief or something else, something more panicked. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Better question Derek, why are you sat in a cell? And I only have five minutes so you better make it fast."

He sighed running a hand across his face. "They think I killed those boys. Happy? Now get out."

"No. I also want to know why the hell you've been coating me for the past year. Like I know that we argued but Jesus."

"I was busy. The FBI doesn't give many days off. Besides im sure this placce hasnt been too bad. How's life treating you here in dear Chicago baby? Hmm? Bet you wish you'd taken me up on my offer now."

You took a step closer to him. That hurt a bit. He knew exactly why you needed to get out of here and it was the people. You hated them. In truth, you did wish that you'd moved wish him and away from here, but you would never admit that.

"You're being very mean to me today Derek. Why's that?"

He just sighed again before coming closer and whispering, "Come on, you know that that detective will spin anything he can to get you arrested. This? You're plotting what to do since I got caught."

You didn't speak for a moment, no words were needed. Then, "Who do you think it was?"

He just looked at you in a way that told you everything you needed to know. "They're trying to dig into my past baby. You can't let them."

You hesitated, tripping over your words and bringing up a hand to rest on his cheek. "Maybe, just maybe, it'll help."

"(Y/N). Please. Help me out here."

"So what do you want me to do? Stick around or get out of here."

He smiled even though it wasn't funny. "Just stick around. Ask them if you can help then go home. I'll drop by when I get out. I promise."

"You gotta pinkie promise or it isn't trustworthy."

He grinned, this time he seemed happier, and held out his hand with an extended pinkie and you hooked mine with his. Then a guard came back into the room and told you that you had to leave.

You smiled back at Derek then followed the guard, with a backwards glance to try see him through closing doors.

Pt2 soon

[rabbit-harpist]

O Segredo Na Floresta (episodes 1 and 2)

Thoughts on a first-time view of OSNF

To start I’d like to say that I’m just an English-speaking gal and the only Ordem knowledge I have is from osmosis and Quarentena. Which I loved, so I’m trying to get into the subtitled seasons of Ordem Paranormal now.

I did not watch the first season (subtitles take a lot of brain energy and I heard OSNF was more settled into the flow of the series) but I did watch an ‘Ordem Paranormal but very very fast’ animation!

-It was interesting that Mr. Verissimo is an actual guy they can just talk to? It felt like he was going to be much more mysterious, or a symbol for the order, or perhaps a late-revealed villain. He still could be, I really don’t know.

-It’s been a bit since I watched the first episode, but I liked the characters. The dynamic between Cesar and his father is so interesting—Christopher can’t stop him from joining the order; he’s his own person and he can make his own decisions. But he knows that this isn’t safe and he doesn’t want his son near it—I want to see them be forced to understand each other better.

-Also, that overenthusiastic police guy. He was funny. It’ll be great if he comes back later and gets immediately killed off. Talking to him also helped make me feel how remote this place is—it makes sense that something paranormal could be hiding out here.

-What happened to the first investigation team? They couldn’t have gone through the sanatorium—all those monsters will still trapped and waiting when the player team came through. There’s so much story waiting to be uncovered and I’m fascinated by the planning it takes to make a campaign like this work.

-The sanatorium was very gross. Worse than everyone kept saying Christopher was. And very creepy. It’s awful what they were doing—the critical mass it takes to get a paranormal meltdown so bad that everything is transformed must be hard to achieve and they did it without even meaning to.

-the discovery of the fused women and the spiral goop! the sequence as Liz unconciously reached for it, began tracing out the symbol, felt as if she was regaining health only to be revealed she was losing sanity—so good!

-I love Cellbit as GM:

‘Wait a minute, I’m taking out my /list of mental diseases your characters can develop/‘

The noises! He narrates calmly but any battle scene must be acted out with full monster noises and impassioned gestures. it’s one of my favorite things about this honestly

the other noises too. In the subtitles it’s all rendered as (punch sound) (growls) (sound of door opening) and it’s all him doing it

-Jyoui and calling Liz Liz-senpai and being so happy when she gives him any kind of compliment. it’s sweet. he’s great. I want him to be okay at the end of this.

-Christopher’s bad english accent. I find this funny because I cannot pick up on it (I’m bad at recognizing accents even when they’re /in/ English) but it was the focus of multiple scenes

-that moment when, after the defeat of an enemy near the end of the second episode, Jyoui, overcome by admiration for Christopher, asks to take a picture of him (holding up his phone in real life.

cellbit, very seriously, asks for a photography test. Jyoui takes an okay picture. Christopher rolls and fails horribly. He is the worst model possible.

it was just very funny after a lot of tense fighting and I really liked it.

-also the ‘gods of death eat apples’ because I got the reference and also duolingo is doing something! I know ‘eat’ and ‘apple’!

-I like this! it’s difficult to find time when I’m able to focus on reading subtitles but when I am watching they don’t impact my enjoyment much. I enjoy the characters and the vibes and I’m really interested in what’s going to happen in all the many episodes. I’ve only seen quarentena, I’ve got no idea how that works.

so cool. it’s so cool and I just want to record my thoughts to go back to. when I’ve finished the next episode (could be awhile) will record more thoughts

Thank you so much subtitle people!!!! If you ever see this I’m so grateful <3

[laxmiree]

[CN] MLQC Season 2 Chapter 43 Translation

⚠️  SPOILER ALERT  ⚠️

This post contains a VERY HEAVY SPOILER for the chapter that has not been released in EN yet! Feel free  to notify me if  there are any mistakes in the translation~

IMPORTANT!!! to fully understand the story, prior knowledge of previous S2 chapters are needed. Before, I made a short summary that i should update explain those chapters. I hope this can help :D

“...Ares?”

“I-it's really Ares!!”

“You see, I found Queen! I know you have the authority in the organization, so please, you must restore my identity…”

“Do I need to repeat myself a second time?”

As the words were spoken, several sharp and thin icicles suddenly appeared and were placed directly against the man's throat.

Previous chapter-> [Here]

[Chapter 41-1 & 41-2 tid-bits]

Xiao Yue leans back in his office chair. The bright white light turns his hidden gloomy expression even more indifferent.

"Overlapping Worlds", "CORE", and "Comet Doomsday"… These words are scribbled on the notebook spread out in front of him.

He writes "didn't happen" next to "The New Year Change Incidents" and puts a question mark beside it.

The fuzzy information that suddenly appears in his mind is fragmented, familiar and unfamiliar, like his own experience but he has no memory of it.

??(Lucien): Mr. Xiao.

An unexpected person knocks on the door, Xiao Yue closes his notebook and raises his head.

Xiao Yue: Professor Lucien, you must have a certain reason for coming today. Is there a new development in the CORE experiment?

Lucien: It takes time to slowly infiltrate a powerful force. Mr. Xiao is too impatient.

Lucien: Focusing too much on one thing and neglecting other critical information isn't worth the trouble.

Xiao Yue squints his eyes and leans back in his chair, silently hiding the scrutiny in his eyes.

Lucien: Does Mr. Xiao notice any changes in himself?

Lucien gently points to his own temple. Seeing Xiao Yue's eyes slightly change, he calmly waits for a reply.

After a short while, Xiao Yue asks Lucien to sit down.

Xiao Yue: I would like to hear more about it.

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The buzzing phone wakes me up with a jolt. I look at the notebook spread out on my desk, my heart still pounding.

The pain from getting hit by a falling billboard feels real, I take a deep breath and realize that my palms are full of cold sweat.

MC: …A dream?

Although the weather outside is perfect, I inexplicably feel a sense of chill.

Every detail of the dream remains vivid in my mind, the smell of the rain and the loud crashing sound seems to linger in my perception.

MC: Precognitive dream...

I suddenly feel a little bit of panic for no apparent reason. Could this be caused by CORE's awakening, or was it something else? Is this precognition giving me a hint of something?

No, maybe I'm just overthinking it and it's just a simple nightmare.

I shake my head, trying to dispel the chaotic thoughts in my head. I grabbed my phone and saw an unread email on the screen.

Lucien: "The good news is that the effective drug for blood disease has passed clinical evaluation and follow-up monitoring. It is estimated that it will be available for sale soon. You can rest assured."

MC: !

His straightforward and simple message disperses all of my earlier worries right away. I immediately cheer up and reply to Lucien.

MC: "Many thanks to Professor Lucien for the great news OvO!"

Lucien: "This great news is the result of your own efforts ^_^"

((the way they reply each other with kaomoji is so cute :’))

I unconsciously curl the corners of my mouth and lean back in my chair. The setting sun cast the office in a warm orange color, and I feel that all the gloom in my heart has been lifted.

With the joy of this good news, I finished my work for the day and stepped out with the last light of day.

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ANYWAY, a lot of things happened after this, but just for background info:

MC's precognitive dream is back.

It turns out that MC and the boys aren't the only ones who remember their past lives in S1.

Leto, in particular, is very interested in this phenomenon, in chapter 41 he meets with MC as the representative of the City Hall. He tells her that he's looking forward to their future cooperation (a very important detail!). He also tells her about his dreams' where he fight MC and lost his life in it. MC brushed it off as nothing, and Leto seems to be not fully convinced but decides to not dwell on it.

Some people are trying to kill/kidnap MC after discovering she is Queen/CORE.

In chapter 43-1 she learned from Shaw that many people have been inquiring about her recently. She proposed to join in his information exchange, Shaw sent her an address. MC left her home after disguising herself, but then she met Lucien on the first floor.

The elevator slowly descends with a mechanical hum, and with a ding, the door slowly opens up.

I press the brim of my hat and move forward, but the person in front of the door doesn't move at all. I suspiciously tried to move around, but a gentle voice rang in my ears.

??(Lucien): I seem to rarely see you in this kind of outfit.

I froze for a moment and look up to see Lucien standing outside the door. He's looking at me with a little hint of curiosity.

MC: You're home early today! Is your work at the research institute over?

Lucien: Not yet. I just forgot to bring some documents, so I came by to pick them up. How about you? Is this-

MC: I...

I hesitated for a moment, and when I was about to explain, Lucien laughed again.

Lucien: Are you going undercover?

I let out a sigh of relief and nodded unconsciously. I suddenly think of something and speak with chagrin.

MC: Looks like there are still many flaws in my disguise. How could you recognize me at a glance!

((because she's the only color in his eyes :”’ how can he not recognize her at a glance-)

Lucien: No, your disguise is very successful. It's just that I'm familiar with every little thing about your demeanor and habits.

As Lucien spoke, his eyes inadvertently shifted to the entrance door.

Lucien: Seems like it's going to rain. Just to be safe, it's better for you to bring an umbrella.

I blink and belatedly glance at my empty hands.

MC: Thanks for the reminder Professor Lucien~ It's perfect. We can go up together.

I said and pressed the floor button, but Lucien just stood outside the elevator without moving.

Lucien: You go up first. I just received news from the research center. I'll call them back.

He waves his hand and moves aside to take out his cell phone. I whispered, "I'll go up first" before pressing the button and letting the elevator doors block my view.

After packing the umbrella, I return to the first floor but don't see Lucien's figure anymore.

He probably went back to the research center…

I reluctantly walk out of the apartment building and stop a car on the side of the road.

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

Just like that, he’s gone to the research center while MC continued meeting with Shaw.

When Lucien left the research center, he noticed a black car parked on the side.

When walking out of the research center, Lucien sees a black car parked on the corner.

He calmly opens the car door. A familiar figure sits in the left seat and nods at him.

Leto: Professor Lucien.

Lucien: This is an unexpected meeting place.

Leto: There are a lot of people and eyes watching. Besides, this can save a lot of time.

(Leto: *gets shot by sniper Lucien two times in two separate timelines*, Also Leto: this guy totally can be trusted)

The barrier between the front and back seats was lowered, and the car window showed the flowing street scenery. In silence, Leto opens his mouth.

Leto: I remembered something that was forgotten.

Lucien: So, what do you want to do now?

Leto: ...You really do know about this.

Leto said, withdrawing his gaze from the window.

Leto: I need a group of even more elite people. As for how to pick them, I would like to leave it to Professor Lucien.

Leto: Of course, I will pay you with an equal reward.

The sky is gloomy, and there is a faint smell of the approaching storm in the air. Lucien turns off his phone and speaks indifferently.

Lucien: I’m looking forward to it.

*insert Shaw and MC shenanigans here.*

In the morning, Anna suddenly calls MC, telling her that the TV Station wants to talk to her about a project. It's something that struck MC as odd because usually, the TV Station always produces its own program. Even though there is some external cooperation, it's usually not THIS easy and straightforward. The program is about a social education program, and in addition to funding, the TV Station will support them in terms of venue and so on. This cooperation can be beneficial to her company if it's successful.

In the meeting room, MC meets with Gao Xin, the program director of the TV Station. The theme of the show project is the current phenomenon of "overlapping memories". Because this phenomenon caused minor panics and might cause even worse things, the TV Station wants to work with her to eliminate the negative effects.

MC notices that the project commissioner is The City Hall, which means that Leto may be behind this. But since stopping the phenomenon from causing even more chaos is more urgent right now, and TV stations have more power to influence people, she decided to consider it for now.

[Chapter 43-9]

After the meeting, MC sits back at her desk and opens the submission mailbox containing emails from people affected by this phenomenon.

MC sorts and reads the submitted email individually, realizing the phenomenon's effect is more severe than she imagined. If it doesn't get dealt with in time, the chaos will only snowball, affecting more people. She then clicked the next email from a Loveland University student.

MC: "... I have been doing a theoretical study on the properties of topological semimetallic materials with my roommate."

MC: "But now, because of an unexpected memory, my roommate suddenly said that our research is destined to lag behind others… And there is no way out."

MC: "So, he wants to quit halfway through…."

I blink my eyes and unconsciously fiddle with the mouse.

College students are always a good subject and may be a good entry point.

With that in mind, I sent an email asking if it would be convenient for him to be interviewed. After about ten minutes, there is a new message in the mailbox.

MC: "I'd be happy to do an interview, but my schedule is very full today, and I'm only free around 3:00."

MC: "If you are coming, please find me in room 407 in the Physics Department of Loveland University. Contact information..."

I look at my phone. There are less than two hours before 3:00 p.m., there is still enough time.

After briefly packing the necessary materials for the interview, I message the student about the appointment and go to Loveland university.

Perhaps it's not easy to get a cab because of the rainy weather.

Ten minutes later, after watching another occupied cab whiz by, I take a deep breath and look at my phone.

Less than an hour left before the meeting time. If I take a shortcut, walking to Loveland University is not impossible...

MC: ...?!

A sudden chill comes across the back of my neck. It's as if some kind of grim creature is staring at me.

I step into the alley, quickly turn around and look back.

The rain curtain hides the traffic, the pedestrians come and go in a hurry, and nothing looks different.

MC: ...

I've experienced this feeling many times.

I hesitantly exit the alley when I suddenly hear a hoarse voice.

??: There you are.

MC: ....!

I automatically look for the source of the voice, only to see a slightly hunched man with his hands folded, half leaning on the ramp railing and staring directly at me.

His eyes are black with faint bloodshot in them, his pupils flashing with abnormal excitement.

??: You look the same as the one in memory… So, what I have in my head is not a hallucination?

??: It turns out that my life can be like that… It's so interesting...

There is a mixture of excitement and despair on the man's face as he mutters incoherently, letting the raindrops slide across the throbbing veins of his forehead.

Suddenly, he seems to have figured something out and gives me a creepy smile.

??: Hello, Miss Queen.

My heart nearly stops for a split second. The memories of BS and the long-unheard name swept over me without warning.

I don't answer his words and slowly take a half-step back. I quickly scan the surroundings from the corner of my eyes.

There are not many pedestrians on a rainy day, and the neighborhood is a bit deserted. Just a few steps away, a CCTV mounted on a pole is silently watching us.

Seeing that I didn't respond, the other party straightened up and walked towards me step by step, with fanatical earnestness in his tone.

??: I won't harm you. Just think of it as a favor…

??: You may not remember me, but it's okay. I remember you, I really remember you….

MC: ...Sir, you don't seem to be in good condition. Please calm down.

I gulp and quietly reach into my bag while keeping my distance from him.

Calling for help isn't the best option now because it might anger him. But if I can bring him into the CCTV field of view, I may be able to attract the attention of security personnel.

Even if I get caught, the videos captured by the CCTV will be enough to identify him at first sight…

The moment my fingertips touch the taser and about to pull it out, a voice abruptly comes from the side.

??(Lucien): I think the lady has already said it clear enough.

Holding a gray umbrella in his hand, Lucien cut through the thin rain curtain and unhurriedly walked towards me.

It isn't until he gets closer that his eyes sweep past me and look at the man. The color of his dark eyes is like a deep pool covered with thin ice, revealing a few hints of coldness.

??: ...Ares?

The man freezes for a few seconds and suddenly becomes excited.

??: I-it's really Ares!!

??: You see, I found Queen! I know you have the authority in the organization, so please, you must restore my identity…

Lucien frowns a little as the man becomes more incoherent in his wording.

Lucien: Do I need to repeat myself a second time?

His indifferent words seem to carry a heavy pressure, forcing the other side to stop.

Lucien: I'm not sure why you're so insistent on memory with no basis or corroboration...

Lucien: But there is one thing.

Lucien: I'm afraid you won't have a chance to leave with any decency if you keep dwelling on it.

As the words were spoken, several sharp and thin icicles suddenly appeared and were placed directly against the man's throat.

Our surrounding temperature suddenly dropped. Tiny raindrops turned into cold white ice shards and slowly fell.

The man opens his lips, and his body trembles unconsciously, seemingly thinking about something. His flickering gaze locks with Lucien's momentarily and then falls on me again.

At the same time, my palm is being gently stroked. His gentle touch is in contrast to our surroundings, making my heart skip a beat.

I take a deep breath, put on a similarly vigilant and cold expression, and lift my chin at the distant surveillance.

MC: Just a reminder, your every move has been recorded since a while ago.

MC: You don't think that you really don't have to pay any price for continuing to mess around like this, do you?

In the silence, there is a rustling sound of ice falling on the ground like a silent surge of undercurrent.

After a while, the man drops his head in defeat.

??: I...probably just misremembered...

Even though the man said so, the pace of his departure was languid. I watch tensely as he slowly walks to the alley entrance and then suddenly looks back.

An icicle suddenly burst from the ground near his feet, menacingly obstructing his sight.

Lucien: (coldly) Still want to continue?

The other party turns his head away in shock, and his body disappears completely in the rain.

In an instant, the alley regains its silence, and I finally breathe a sigh of relief. Lucien turns around, takes the umbrella from my hand, and then slightly bends down to me.

His fingers that had just touched my palm slipped to mine and gently clasped my hand.

The reassuring warmth from his fingertips gently softened my knuckles, that was stiff from tension.

Those dark eyes look at me questioningly, with a hint of helplessness.

Lucien: Were you scared?

[Chapter 43-11]

Honestly, I wasn't scared that badly. After all, I'm not the same weak little girl anymore and have experienced even more dangerous situations before.

But Lucien's tender and mellow voice carry a natural comfort that makes me instinctively want to get a little closer to him.

I squeeze his hand, rest my head on his shoulder, and nod vigorously.

MC: Yup, that just scared the hell out of me.

Hearing the exaggeration in my tone, Lucien can't help but laugh.

Lucien: (chuckle) It seems that our smart and brave Miss Nox can be a little delicate every once in a while?

MC: Because you are here, I want to be "delicate". Can't I do this?

(T/N: 娇弱 means soft and delicate, mostly referring to women who provokes pity)

Lucien: Of course you can.

Lucien: But I think you would still do the right thing even if I weren't there, wouldn't you?

MC: Yeah, after all...

I paused, thinking for half a second, and then decided to confess.

MC: In fact, some people have already come to trouble me, so I've done a lot of preparation now.

MC: (smiles) There are taser, a portable safety alarm… If there is an emergency, my mobile phone will make an emergency call to you!

I look up at Lucien and wink at him.

MC: But today it's all thanks to Professor Lucien that I could "defeat the enemy without a fight".

Lucien: Thanks to the Great Producer, we can work together seamlessly.

Lucien slightly shifts the umbrella towards me and sweeps a glance at the neighborhood.

Lucien: Where are you going now? I'll give you a ride.

MC: I'm planning to go to Loveland University…

I stopped talking and raised my head after realizing something.

MC: By the way, how did you appear here? It can't be another coincidence, can it?

Lucien calmly turns his head to look at me. There's a hint of seriousness in his tone.

Lucien: Of course it was "pre-planned".

MC: Eh?

Lucien lets out a long sigh, but his eyes show a little smile.

Lucien: My plan is… I miss you, so I really want to see you.

Lucien: I couldn't get a car because of the rain, so I took a shortcut.

Lucien: But I'm glad I made the decision, because it allowed me to meet you earlier.

He cunningly and frankly said his plan, with a smiling face that made my cheeks blush.

MC: I thought a busy person like Professor Lucien wouldn't have time to think about me…

Lucien: I'll always find time, and now haven't I just managed to spare half a day?

Lucien: But it seems like you have other plans for this afternoon?

I nod somewhat helplessly and tell Lucien about the circumstances that led up to the interview.

MC: My company received a submission about a student who wanted to abandon ongoing academic research because of the overlapping memories.

MC: So I'm going to interview them and find out what's actually going on.

Lucien seems to remember something, nodding thoughtfully

Lucien: Mm, I don't think that's an exaggeration. I did hear other professors talk about a similar turmoil.

MC: Similar?

In other words, there has been more than one of this kind of situation…

I give a soft "ah" and sigh with a bit of a headache.

Lucien: You don't have to sigh. You're going to Loveland University to solve this kind of problem, right?

I nod, and as we walk, I gently poke Lucien's shoulder with my finger.

MC: Don't forget to lend me your "Visiting Professor of Loveland University" status later!

Lucien: Sure, I'd happily "lend" everything I have to you.

Following the address in the email, they entered the Physics department and entered the fourth-floor hallway. They meet the email sender; he's surprised when seeing MC comes with Professor Lucien. Because the hallway isn't a convenient place to talk, he brings MC and Lucien to the balcony.

The sound of the operating instrument disappears, replaced by the sound of rain. I take out my notebook and notice the faint eyebags under the boy's eyes.

MC: Looks like… it's been a rough time?

Student: Yes, it goes without saying that the research is at its critical stage.

The boy said, smiling bitterly and rubbing his eyes.

Student: The situation was better when I worked with my colleague.

MC: Have you worked on this project with him for a long time?

Student: Yes, it's been about a year. Although there are no final results yet, the data is steadily progressing.

Student: That's why I found it hard to accept when he suddenly came to me last week and said he decided to quit.

Lucien: What's the reason?

The boy looks sideways in the direction of the laboratory and speaks after a long time.

Student: He said he saw our research's future in that abrupt memory.

Student: ...After investing a lot of time, we still lag behind others and end up with no results.

His voice is clearly lowered. I paused my writing, and saw the boy purse his dry lips and speak in a low voice.

Student: "Our current efforts are like throwing stones into a dry well and getting no response"… That's what he said.

Student: I wanted to persuade him to give it some more thought… We all are scholars, and giving up research for a memory that came from nowhere is not sensible.

Student: But now he refuses to communicate with me, resulting in…

Lucien: Your research is in danger of being discontinued.

With difficulty, the boy slowly nods, and his complexion becomes gloomy. I stop my writing and let out a light sigh.

I've seen Lucien stay up all night in front of the data countless times and how the light in the research center stays on all year round.

Academic devotion is a path of lonely pursuit. Even though I haven't been deeply involved in the field of research, I know how much work goes into a research project every day and night.

Anyone would feel reluctant to terminate a project that has lasted so long because of such reason…

I felt a little saddened. I was carefully choosing my words when I suddenly heard Lucien speak.

Lucien: Have you ever thought that maybe his choice is not wrong?

MC: ...Lucien?

The boy's eyes widen a little in disbelief. I look up with equal confusion, unable to believe my ears.

As a scientist, he obviously knows better than me what it means to abandon the project...

I unconsciously lift my hand to pull his sleeve. But Lucien still calmly looks at the student without seeming to be moved in the slightest.

Lucien: If you follow scientific research news, you should be aware that there are countless terminated studies every year.

Lucien: Out of hundreds of projects, only a few of them can produce results at the end.

Lucien: Misdirection, theory stagnation… There are many projects that have invested more than yours.

Lucien: What if this study turns out to be as hopeless as he claims?

[Chapter 43-12]

The boy's face shows a little struggle, and a few moments later, he clenches his palm.

Student: ...No, that will not happen.

Student: We did thorough research before starting the project and confirmed the feasibility with our supervisor.

Lucien: ...So what?

Lucien's voice was not high when he asked the question, but there was a compelling coldness.

Lucien: Every researcher goes through this process at the beginning of a project, and you are not an exception.

Lucien: The supervisor's permission only confirms the research value but is not a guarantee of results.

The boy opens his lips and then purses them in silence.

The atmosphere is a little dull for a while. I instinctively want to comfort, but when the words come to my mouth, I fail to say them.

It is easy to say and pretend everything is going well.

But I'm well aware that even though there are some deviations in this world, the direction of most people's lives does not make much difference.

So the experiment may indeed be the same as that memory, and no results can be obtained.

In the suffocating silence, the boy suddenly moves his body.

Student: ...When I chose to study for a Ph.D., my supervisor told me that every effort does not equal a harvest.

Student: Very often, it takes a hundred percent of effort to knock on the door of science theory.

Student: But… Professor Lucien, as long as the possibility still exists, it is worth the effort, isn't it?

The boy's speech speed is getting faster and faster. Lucien is unmoved as he looks at him. His eyes are still indifferent and cold.

Lucien: But you can't force others to hold the same point of view as you.

Student: I know… So, I just want to fight one last time too.

Student: If he insists on not coming back, I won't force it. I will move forward on my own, even if it takes more time.

Tiny raindrops hit the glass, and the sounds of distant instruments seemingly mix with the silence.

The boy faintly clenches his fist, not avoiding Lucien's gaze. I feel a little shaken by the scene in front of me.

I have seen this kind of perseverance more than once.

I have seen a similar light in Lucien's eyes and those of the scientists in the research institute, the laboratory, and the underground mines before the doomsday.

It's the same perseverance of exploring unknown areas with your whole life.

Lucien's expression visibly loosens a little.

Lucien: The struggle you are experiencing now won't be the last.

Lucien: Scientific research is never a straight path that gets smoother and easier. The deeper you dig, the more bottlenecks and confusion you will face.

Lucien: When you feel that you are unable to move forward, I hope you will remember today's words.

Student: Well, that's my commitment to science and myself.

His firm words echoed through the balcony, like a vow cutting through the rain curtain.

I write down the last sentence with a sour heart, and speak to the boy.

MC: Although a bit of work may not equal a bit of harvest, I think every step taken won't be a let down.

MC: Even if it doesn't reach the finish line, the effort will bear fruit elsewhere.

Student: That's what I'm hoping for. If there is a breakthrough, I hope to hear from you again.

MC: Definitely.

MC: Thank you, my interview is over. Professor Lucien and I will convey everything you want to say to him.

As the bell rings, Lucien and I walk down the stairs of the physics department. The students noisily pass by, laughing and smiling.

The outline of the school building is fading away, but the boy's words still remain in my mind. I look at Lucien, who is at the bottom of the steps, and can't resist speaking.

MC: Lucien, why did you just ask him a rhetorical question about his point of view?

Lucien raises his head a little and looks at me. Amidst the crowd of people, his gaze seems extraordinarily calm.

Lucien: Because that's the norm in research.

Lucien: With the exception of a few miraculous discoveries, science has been progressing slowly. Many people have been unable to make a single advance in their lifetimes.

Lucien: Not a few people regret it after spending years of their lives.

Looking at Lucien's quiet profile, I suddenly realize something.

MC: ...Did you test him just now? To see if he is really that persistent?

Lucien doesn't deny it. His gaze passes behind me and looks towards the yard where the bell rings in the distance.

Lucien: In order to be deeply involved in the academic field, persistence after seeing the reality is as important as the love for science itself.

Lucien: Life is vast, and academia is not the only path they can take. For him, this is also an opportunity to choose a way of life.

MC: And have you ever had any regrets?

He doesn't seem to expect my question. Lucien ponders for a moment.

Lucien: When it comes to research, I've never had one.

Lucien: The direction of each research is the result of careful consideration. Even if I were to do it all over again, I would make the same choice.

MC: What about things other than research?

The figure in front of me seems to pause for a moment. Lucien's eyes fall on me as if looking into a distant past.

 Lucien: (quietly, with the loneliest tone you've ever heard-) ...I have.

This time, I get taken aback. I blink and curiously ask after him, stopping him in his tracks.

MC: Hmm? What was the situation?

As if being pricked by a dark hidden thorn in his heart, Lucien's eyelashes trembles and he answers in a quiet voice.

Lucien: …When I thought you were gone forever.

I freeze, suddenly remembering the memory of the scattered capsules and his bloodshot eyes.

A small sourness wells up within my heart. I reach out and hug him as if wanting to erase a memory that hurts so much for both of us.

MC: It's all in the past. I'm still alive and standing in front of you now.

Lucien wraps his arms around me, and his chin gently rests on the crook of my neck. His voice is gentle and firm.

Lucien: Um, I can feel it.

Lucien: So it will be the one and only time.

Afterward, Lucien and MC interviewed the student's classmate who decided to quit. When facing the boy's question of whether one should continue when knowing there's no hope, Lucien pointed out that things aren't always predictable. There is some scientific breakthrough caused by accidents.

Lucien invited MC to share her thought. And she frankly expressed her feelings about it.

Lucien: Every exploration is approaching the truth through twists and turns. Seemingly hopeless trial and error often accumulate possibilities for the emergence of "unexpected factors".

Lucien: In this regard, Miss Producer also has her say.

I blinked, and when I met Lucien's quiet gaze, I suddenly understood what he was referring to.

There were countless nights when I thought I might not be able to keep going.

But I still gritted my teeth and struggled towards that tiny hope until the end.

And not only has he accompanied me in every difficult step, but also clearly recorded all the past for me.

MC: ...Um, when difficulties surrounded me, I also hesitated to keep moving forward.

MC: But now, I'm glad I didn't stop there. Otherwise, I would have really given up the last possibility of luck coming to me.

The boy didn't say anything, but the indifference on his face was gradually replaced by contemplation.

I close my notebook and follow Lucien to leave the room at a lighter pace.

The weather has cleared, and the sunlight leaking through the clouds shines on the rain-soaked road.

I'm holding Lucien's arm, walking down the stairs filled with flower petals step by step.

The silhouette of the school building gradually shrinks behind me. I withdraw my gaze and speak thoughtfully.

MC: I feel as if the boy is not as unattached to the abandoned project as he said he is.

Lucien: Mm, he probably needs a few days to clear his mind.

Lucien: But like what you said, everyone has their own choices. We are just slowing down the decision-making process and giving him more time to think about it.

I drop my gaze thoughtfully, and my pace gradually slows down. Lucien also stops walking in response and looks down at me.

Lucien: What's wrong?

MC: I'm thinking of…. I've been wondering if I should make a show on the theme of this returning memory.

MC: The actual situation obviously can't be revealed to the public, but denying means concealing...

I said and looked up at Lucien. As my eyes become a little brighter, my inner thoughts also grow firmer little by little.

MC: But when I heard you ask them just now, I also clearly thought about something.

MC: The right to believe or not is up to the audience. What we have to do is to provide them with the necessary psychological support.

Lucien lets out a low laugh while watching me pull his hand and gently shake it.

Lucien: Turns out there was more than one student in that classroom just now.

MC: It was initially unfamiliar, but I became skillful later on. Anyway, it's not like I've never "freeloaded" on your class before~

Lucien lets out an "oh", and his eyes fall on the corners of my already curved lips.

Lucien: You already "borrowed" my status as a professor for the interview, and yet MC still holds my hand and acts coquettishly. Do you have any other requests?

MC: As expected of Professor Lucien, your intuition is very sharp!

I said as I looked up, then grinning and cheerfully say.

MC: I want to make this program into the stone that breaks the situation.

MC: So, Professor Lucien, can I invite you to be my guest?

[Chapter 43-13]

The light from the shadows of the trees swayed on the person in front of me and settled into his deep eyes.

Lucien: If it's an invitation...

Lucien: Then, before I say yes, I need to know how the show is going to be prepared.

MC: I will always welcome Professor Lucien's field visits- Why don't you come back to the company with me later and watch my work~

Lucien: There's no time like the present.

Lucien arches his eyebrows in a very good mood, holding my hand down the stairs.

Lucien: (chuckle) After all, it's been a long time since I've seen Miss Producer at work.

I took Lucien out of the elevator lightly, and just after walking a few steps, everyone looked in unison.

Several colleagues exchange glances, and Anna is the first to speak with a smile.

Anna: Professor Lucien, you're here. Let me get you a cup of water.

Kiki: Woah! Is Professor Lucien wants to join our program?

MC: Not sure yet... I'll show him around first!

Lucien takes the glass of water, smiles, and nods beside me.

Lucien: Um, I just came to see what you all have prepared. There is absolutely no such reason as wanting to see your boss or anything like that.

Amidst the snickering of my colleagues, I blush and pull Lucien to my desk. I make him sit on my chair by pressing his shoulder.

Facing the gossiping gazes around me, I clear my throat and begin to introduce the progress to Lucien in a serious manner.

Lucien looks through the various materials I handed him, occasionally nodding to affirm my words.

MC: ... This is the information so far. As for the direction of the program, I have two considerations.

MC: The first one is a social education program that follows the tradition of serious science and explains examples of the submissions.

MC: And the other direction is light-hearted and casual, enhancing the watchability of the program through activities.

MC: However, I'm still a bit torn about which one to use.

Lucien: If choosing is difficult, why don't you listen to other people's opinions?

MC: …Other people?

Lucien: Yes. After all, I'm only here to "investigate" the project today.

Lucien: Your colleagues' opinions regarding the program's production should be more informative than mine.

As Lucien said that, he slowly and carefully picked up a glass of water, showing a relaxed look. I can't help but pout.

MC: Hmph, you are really "investigating" seriously.

Lucien: Uh-huh.

(the way he says 'uh-huh' is so cute and irritating at the same time lmaoo)

They discussed it with her other co-worker. Willow suggested a serious science program, while Minor suggested a more entertaining program. MC proposed a debate program between the scholar and the viewer

MC: How about a fun debate style?

MC: In each episode, a scholar is invited to speak on the pro side, and four or five audience members take turns speaking on the contra side.

MC: This way, both sides of the argument can be fully expressed.

Anna: It's a good idea. Since we are inviting scholars, why don't we ask Professor Lucien what he thinks?

MC: Indeed~ when it comes to his field of expertise, Professor Lucien won't be able to resist, right?

Lucien puts down his glass of water and looks at me a little banteringly.

Lucien: Pitting one against many. Doesn't it seem very demanding for the pro side?

MC: That's why the first episode needs a powerful guest~ After all, knowledge is the best weapon.

Lucien: (chuckle) In that case, this powerful guest wants to add to his argument by using other methods.

Lucien smiles and bites the words "powerful guest", but still refuses to take the bait. But I'm not discouraged and continue to ask him questions.

MC: So, let's hear what Professor Lucien is going to say?

Lucien slightly raises the corners of his lips. The shadow of the tree outside the window flickers in his eyes, making it hard to see them clearly.

Lucien: Perhaps we can conduct a social psychology experiment for the first episode.

MC: A social psychology experiment?

Lucien: Mm. The more affected a person's life is, the more convinced they are of the authenticity of the overlapping memories.

Lucien: I think there is no better way to sway their opinion than to create a false memory on the spot.

Anna: However, the risk is very high. If you get caught before the announcement, it will be difficult to turn public opinion, right?

Lucien: Rather, I really hope to see such a person appear.

Lucien: After all, that makes the show so much more interesting, right?

As Lucien spoke, he raised his eyebrows a little and revealed a smile of interest.

I write down a few ideas in my notebook. After thinking for a moment, I nod my head.

MC: Considering the advantages and disadvantages, this is a good plan that can be adopted into the planning proposal.

Willow and Anna are looking at each other, coughing and speaking.

Willow: Boss, since the style and format of the program have taken shape, can we consider collaborating with the TV station…?

MC: Not yet.

As I spoke, I turned my head and solemnly looked at Lucien.

MC: Because the show's esteemed guest has not been decided yet. I can't afford to make this call if he doesn't nod.

Lucien lowers his eyes and puts one hand on his chin.

Lucien: Let me think about it... I really like this topic, and the program's format is also very interesting.

Lucien: However, it seems that the days when the show will be filmed coincide with the completion of my current project.

MC: …And so?

Lucien looks at my expectant eyes and opens his mouth with a smile.

Lucien: So I'll be working intensively these days to complete the work on the research center.

Lucien: Looking forward to working with you. I'm glad to be your first guest.

After finalizing the other details, MC calls the TV Station to express her willingness to cooperate. The other party happily agreed and only proposed that the submission should be submitted to the TV Station for review.

MC gives the coordination work to Kiki while she is interviewing people about the recent phenomenon.

MC: What do you think about the recent "overlapping memory" rumor?

Passerby A: I've never cared about it, but doesn't it sounds like some multi-channel network hype to scam money?

Passerby B: This hysteria has ruined my son... he now stays at home all day in disbelief, and his homework has been neglected for days!

Passerby C: This must be God's instruction! It points the way for our future!

Questioning, admiration, disdain, curiosity. The different attitudes make me feel that this incident's scope seems more significant than I imagined.

As if there's an invisible string that is constantly tightening, and it will break if you don't pay attention.

While MC is sorting through the interview, Kiki suddenly calls her because there's an emergency. And then, MC finds out that the TV Station returned the submissions that have too much contrast between memory and reality.

MC: Thank you for your hard work. But, I would like to clarify why some of the submissions were rejected after being screened by my company?

As if anticipating my arrival, the other party speaks without haste.

Staff: The contrast between their previous and present lives is too apparent.

Staff: Look, the former starlet is now a common seller; the well-known boss is now retired to their family...

Staff: Their attitudes and words carry a strong sense of resentment and discontent.

MC: But the essence of social education programs is to fully reflect the true picture of society.

MC: I disagree that the focus is only on those who have a stable life.

Staff: Miss MC, forgive me for reminding you once again.

Staff: The program's original purpose was to promote social stability to support the city's redevelopment plan.

Staff: As for other things, if it can be achieved along the way then it'd be the icing on the cake. But if it can't be achieved then we can only give up.

I grip the script a bit harder, and the suspicions in my heart gradually become clear.

The TV Station's position is clear enough.

What they want is to put a specific person in the spotlight rather than expose the truth.

With the same approach as the City Hall in the redevelopment plan, they wanted to hear only words of obedience, not voices of other opinions.

Instead of wasting time on unnecessary negotiations, it is better to retreat and try to gain the initiative in other ways.

After thinking about this, I speak in a calm voice.

MC: We respect the station's arrangement. But this is collaborative filming, not an outsourcing project.

MC: My company must also have the opportunity of expression, and can not be pushed around in everything.

Staff: It's only natural that we won't interfere too much with the rest of the show. Please don't worry.

The business-like tone is also a concession. I can't say anything else except respectfully nod my head.

[Chapter 43-15]

So, just as the staff from the TV Station said, the process besides the submission review goes much smoother. MC secretly tells Kiki to 'fix' the wording of the contrasting submission so it won't get rejected. Once the schedule is set, they start to finalize other show details.

A week passed, and soon came the day of the program recording. MC dials Lucien's phone.

MC: I'm really sorry, I may be a few minutes late…

Hearing my anxious tone, Lucien's voice carries a touch of reassurance.

Lucien: Don't rush. Just take your time. I'll be waiting for you in the backstage lounge.

??: Professor Lucien, have some tea!

I froze momentarily as a cheerful and attentive stranger's voice came from the other end of the receiver.

MC: Is there someone meeting you already?

Lucien: Yeah, we had a nice chat, don't worry about it.

MC: Okay then, I'll see you later~

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I hung up the phone with a bit of confusion. I hastily stop a taxi and rush to the TV station. When I arrived backstage, I saw Kiki standing outside the lounge, and she immediately approached me.

Kiki: Boss, all the guests have arrived and are chatting with Professor Lucien inside!

MC: Wait, it's the guests who are meeting with Lucien?

Kiki: Yeah, they were having such a good time, we couldn't even get in the conversation!

MC: Haha really, then I'll go and take a look. It would be best if you told people to get ready~

I pretend not to be surprised and laugh. Today's guests have the impression that they don't have a good personality to get along with, and Lucien has always disliked polite social interaction, so how can they…

At the same time, I push open the lounge door, and a polite question comes into my ears.

??: …So, Professor Lucien, what could be the reason for my grandson's sudden change in temper since his parents took him away?

I lighten my steps and see a few guests sitting on the couch, listening intently.

Lucien is wearing a polite smile on his lips, accepting the cup of tea handed to him by the old man. And as if noticing my movement, he looks at me through the crowd.

I wink at Lucien and naturally sit next to him. Lucien casually puts the tea on the table, then turns his head to the old man and explains gently.

Lucien: In developing children, their mirror neurons* are more active than adults. So, they're physiologically more susceptible to the influence of their surrounding environment.

(T/N: Mirror neurons are a type of neuron in the brain that fires both when an individual performs a certain action and when they observe another individual performing the same action. In other words, when you see someone else performing an action, your mirror neurons "mirror" that action in your own brain, as if you were performing it yourself.)

Lucien: If there is a sudden personality change, perhaps it is because there is someone in their new environment who has problems managing emotions. You can pay more attention to it.

Old Man: ... Indeed, his father brings people home twice a day to play mahjong! So that's where the root is!

Old Man: I've already lived two lifetimes combined and yet still don't understand how to raise children...

I pour another cup of tea, hand it to Lucien, and smoothly take over the conversation.

MC: How can you have two lifetimes?

Old Man: Just a few days ago, I got several years' worth of memories in my head!

Old Man: The neighborhood, hospital, and the central plaza where I walk through…. Each and every aspect of the picture is clear!

Lucien picks up the teapot and fills up a cup of tea for the old man.

Lucien: When it comes to the central plaza, I also have some impressions.

Lucien: From that memory, it seems that its clock tower was damaged by accident.

The middle-aged man is rubbing his glass of water, seemingly recalling something.

Man: Why don't I remember much about it…

Like throwing a stone into the lake, the crowd is either murmuring or pondering at the same time, I look at Lucien, and my gaze collides with his.

I understand what he is trying to do, and I pretend to be confused.

MC: If I think about it, I do remember a bit.

MC: The clock tower… It stopped working for several days before someone came to repair it, and there were complaints.

Noticing our conversation, the old man taps his cane and speaks in a definitive manner.

Old Man: Yes, I remember it clearly too!

Man: That being said, it seems to be the case…

My cell phone suddenly vibrates twice and makes an unnoticeable buzzing sound. I sweep a glance, secretly squeeze Lucien's palm, and then smile and get up to open my mouth.

MC: It's almost time to shoot. Please move to the dressing room and get ready for the stage~

MC: If there's anything else to discuss, let's save it for the stage.

The lighting lights up the big space, soft leather sofas are placed opposite to each other, and the right armrests are put next to the standing mic.

Lucien sits alone on the other side of the table and quietly listens, looking a little powerless. And the six guests seated on the opposite side are chatting together, showing relaxed laughter from time to time.

After the person next to them finished speaking, they began to share their "past life memories".

After 20 minutes of talking about his experience of living under a bridge, he put down his mic.

Middle-aged Man: My mouth is dry from talking… Okay, I've finished my speech. Professor Lucien, do you have any rebuttal to this?

Lucien lightly responds his fingertips gently tapping on the table.

Lucien: Interesting perspective indeed. But I wonder if that memory is all true…

Lucien: Because then the society we "experience" should also have the same details.

A girl sitting on the left side of the front seat is impatient and speaks up.

Girl: The mall I used to go to has changed half of its brands!

Lucien: But it is difficult to make reference to experiences that are too personal. Is there any evidence that is more general in nature?

Lucien cleverly pushes the argument back again. After contemplating for a moment, the girl hesitantly opens her mouth.

Girl: In the memory from that time, it seems that there was not so much Evolver as there is now, so should this be considered social evidence?

Lucien: Can you please describe it in detail?

Girl: Everyone lives a normal life, going to and from work every day, and we never heard of Evol or anything...

Lucien: Well, wasn't Evolver's existence hidden from the public eye until a few accidents exposed it?

Lucien said, carefully closing the documents in his hand.

Lucien: Most of the literature written on the theme of "Evol doesn't exist" has gone in that direction.

Lucien: I just looked at the pre-show questionnaire and see that you and everyone else on the other side of the table have seen or read similar works.

Lucien: So how can you be sure that your subconscious is not being influenced by the novels?

Lucien's words promptly cause a small discussion on the spot. The girl grits her teeth, unable to refute for a moment, but the old man beside her speaks with certainty.

Old Man: I can give you another example.

Old Man: In our previous life, the clock tower in the central plaza was shut down for several days because of an accident. Ask anyone else, and they'll remember it.

Old Man: This one should not be related to any novel!

Several other people at the guest table are showing their support, and Lucien even nods affirmatively.

Lucien: Indeed, this example can eliminate the baseline factor of cognitive formation based on past experience.

Lucien: But it also confirms that the anchoring effect* can influence judgment.

(T/N: The anchoring effect is a cognitive bias that causes people to rely too heavily on the first piece of information they receive when making decisions or judgments. This initial information serves as an "anchor" that influences subsequent thoughts and judgments. People tend to adjust their subsequent judgments from the initial anchor rather than starting from scratch, even if the initial information is irrelevant or arbitrary.)

Lucien: When acquiring information, people always use the information they hear first-hand as an anchor point, but rarely confirm its authenticity.

The old man heavily taps his cane and frowns.

Old Man: So many explanations. Are you trying to say that I also remember it wrong?

Old Man: Professor Lucien, don't you also remember this very well?

Lucien: What if I say that actually, it doesn't happen?

Lucien said, glancing at me off-stage. I pick up my walkie-talkie and whisper a few words to the director.

The screen at the back of the studio immediately displays a video.

"Why don't I remember much about it…"; "If I think about it, I do remember a bit."

On the screen, the discussion before and after the recording is replayed in its entirety.

Lucien's sight falls to their puzzled expression, and he lifts up the mic on the table. His deep voice is clearly transmitted to everyone's ears through the loudspeaker.

Lucien: (chuckle) I'm sorry, but what you all just described is a false memory.

Lucien: In fact, the recording had already started in the longue.

[Chapter 43-16]

The recording site suddenly goes into an uproar.

Some people stare blankly at the screen as if they haven't reacted; while others look at Lucien and retort in incredulous whispers.

After a few moments, the guests who finally understood the situation exchange glances in astonishment, then can't help but speak up.

Middle-aged Man: Professor Lucien, what do you mean by that?

Lucien adjusts the mic with his fingertips and calmly leans over.

Lucien: As you can see, the "clock tower failure" is just an event that the Producer and I made up on the spot using psychology.

Lucien: You have demonstrated that under herd mentality*, individuals will give up their own opinions and conform their behavior to others according to the group's influence.

(T/N: Herd mentality is a term used to describe the tendency of people to follow the behaviors, beliefs, and opinions of the group they belong to or the people around them. In other words, it refers to the way individuals are influenced by the actions and decisions of their peers or the majority, rather than making their own independent choices.)

Lucien: In the process of subconsciously transforming the collective memory into a part of their own memory, the present "overlapping memory" is formed.

After looking at each other, the girl in the guest seat slightly raises her voice.

Girl: B-but I have a picture of the clock tower failing in my mind! Because of the accident, the businesses near the clock tower were also closed for several days-

Lucien: -and during that period, many people in the neighborhood complained about the inconvenience of living there, didn't they?

Lucien spoke as if he had predicted the scene in the girl's memory.

The girl hesitantly nods her head. My eyes widen in astonishment behind the camera, and I silently mouth the word "amazing" to Lucien.

A little brilliant smile appears in his eyes. Lucien immediately turns his head and gives a gesture at the distant director. In the next second, the 3D image of the human brain suddenly emerges on the screen.

Everyone's gaze instantly converges on the screen. Lucien naturally moves closer in my direction and explains in a calm voice.

Lucien: Memory is not a single, continuous image but rather a collection or composition of multiple images.

Lucien: When the memory fragments are incomplete, they are automatically completed in the hippocampus according to the recollector's logic and beliefs.

Lucien: In other words, our memory isn't inherently infallible.

As the words were spoken, our distance was reduced to arm's length. Lucien extends his hand to me in the audience.

Lucien: In order to support this view, I have conducted a survey in advance.

Lucien: Can I ask Miss Producer to cooperate with me and distribute it to all the guests?

He said and held out his hand to me, his eyebrows slightly bent. I glance down at the script.

In the original setup, there is no such thing as a guest inviting a producer to the stage.

I let out an inaudible hmph, take his hand, walk up to the stage, handing out the survey files to the guests, and hear Lucien speak.

Lucien: Before this experiment, I also asked several staff members around me if they had seen this image in their memory.

Lucien: However, the results also confirmed that none of them had any impression of it.

Lucien: I think this should be enough to prove that the "clock tower failure doesn't actually happen" is not a one-sided story.

There are other low murmurs from the guests. A young man who looks like a college student takes the information I handed out and scans it, frowning at the refutation.

Student: But memory error is merely an individual phenomenon.

Student: As you mentioned earlier, other staff members are also experiencing new memory images… What is the explanation for this city-wide memory phenomenon?

Lucien gently shakes his head.

Lucien: I can't give a definite conclusion on this.

Lucien: There are various factors that influence memory. Maybe it comes from the comet, and maybe it's the influence of the overlapping city or something else we don't know yet.

Lucien: But from a neuroscience perspective, I can offer a direction to explore… Have you ever heard of the Mandela Effect?

Several guests shake their heads, looking a bit confused. Only the student thinks for a moment and then speaks first.

Student: You mean a collective memory that doesn't match the facts?

Lucien: Correct. It is possible that someone's memory is biased, and the wrong information is passed on by word of mouth.

Lucien: After a period of time, it became widely spread in society and created a large-scale false impression.

Old Man: ...This so-called Mandela effect sounds very mysterious. How can it be so easy to believe what others say?

The middle-aged man beside the old man tugs his sleeve and hurriedly whispers a few words.

The old man then remembers something and coughs embarrassedly.

Lucien meets the old man's gaze and smiles a little.

Lucien: As you have said, ideally, people would make judgments about the information they receive. However, when dealing with people we trust, we often unconsciously let down our defenses.

Lucien: Without the camera recording, perhaps the "clock tower failure" would have become a new Mandela effect.

The studio falls silent for a while, and many people look thoughtful. Lucien withdraws his gaze and turns his head to look at me.

Lucien: This concludes the arguments of the opposing side.

I take the microphone and look over to the other side of the room.

MC: Are there any more "contestants" on the other side who would like to present a rebuttal?

Student: Although I have no more argument backed up, I still feel unconvinced…

MC: That's fine. The contestants on the opposite side can keep their opinions to themselves.

I said, walking to the middle of the studio and speaking without haste.

MC: While this debate will have winners and losers, it does not mean that there is an opinion that is superior or inferior.

MC: The main purpose of this episode is not to draw conclusions about this phenomenon but rather to offer more possible explanations.

MC: Whether you think it's a deviation, an overlap, or even a migration...

MC: In the end, this is just a picture that suddenly appeared in the mind, and how to interpret it is a matter of personal freedom.

Some of the guests are in thought, and others are unconvinced as if they want to argue something.

My gaze falls to my side, and I see Lucien nodding imperceptibly.

The light shines on his face, making me clearly see myself in his deep eyes.

My originally nervous heart instantly calm down a bit. I withdraw my gaze and speak firmly.

MC: While choosing whether to believe in it or not, I hope you won't forget this.

MC: The most important thing is to hold the present life in your hands.

[Chapter 43-17]

A few days pass, and soon it's the day of the show's premiere.

My colleagues and I sit at our workstations and watch the reactions in the comments section with the utmost attention.

-I have reservations. I still can't accept the theory explained by Professor Lucien…

-I've wanted to say for a long time that giving up reality for an inexplicable picture is basically like putting the cart before the horse*, no?

(T/N: 本末倒置, literally means putting the cart before the horse is an idiom that means ignoring the actual important thing and instead focusing on the insignificant thing)

I exhale softly and hand the document back to Willow.

Even though the negative impact has not completely dissipated, there are more different voices than the previous one, which tended to be panic-stricken.

MC: Let's start preparing for the next episode. We can invite experts in physics to explain it from the perspective of another discipline.

MC: With the three days of time as focus, continue tracking the reactions in the comments section, and put together the top ten pages of comments.

MC: After all, the audience's reaction is the best choice to adjust the program's direction.

Willow: No problem, I'll get in touch now.

Willow takes the folder and leaves in a hurry. I get up, loosen up, and turn around a few times before picking up the phone on my desk.

The program is a big success, and it's time to tell Lucien the good news.

My phone suddenly starts ringing. Seeing the name appearing on the screen, I can't resist bending my eyes and happily picking it up.

MC: Good evening, Professor Lucien~

Lucien: Has something pleasant happened to you?

MC: The audience's response to this episode is better than expected~ it's all thanks to Professor Lucien's work!

Lucien: In that case, I'd like to ask the Great Producer for a small reward.

Lucien: If you have time, can you go to a banquet with me tonight?

MC: Then I have to look at my schedule first-

I pretend to do so, but his familiar figure suddenly enters my sight.

Lucien is standing downstairs, his black suit outlines his slender figure, and when he raises his hand, I can see the smooth lines of his shirt.

MC: …You sneak up on me!

Lucien: (chuckle) Can't I sneak up on Miss Producer?

A soft laugh comes from the other end of the phone. I laugh along with him, quickly pick up my bag and run downstairs.

I'm about to pull open the car door when I suddenly realize something.

MC: Wait, if I want to accompany you to the banquet, do I also have to go home and change my clothes…

Lucien: Don't worry. I've got you covered.

Lucien said while turning his head, motioning for me to look at the exquisite gift box in the rear seat.

Lucien: You can change in the car. I'll wait for you outside.

Such thorough preparation is indeed Lucien's style. I get into the back seat and open the gift box.

(T/N: I subtitled this bit bc the sexy voice and bgm is just so!)

*insert sexy shower bgm*

The delicate fabric, the fit, everything is impeccable, but the narrow space makes it impossible to tidy the tiny accessories behind me.

I bite my lips and finally knock on the car window for help.

MC: Lucien, my zipper...

Lucien's figure outside of the car pauses a little, turns around to look at me, and smiles.

Lucien: (chuckle) Let me help you.

The car door opens and closes again, and with a slight rustling sound, the cold touch of metal slowly climbs up my spine.

My heart beats a little faster. I hear Lucien's hoarse voice coming from behind me.

Lucien: (with THAT hoarse voice) Isn't it strange why I suddenly invited you to a banquet?

MC: Yes, a little… but whatever the reason, I'll say yes.

MC: After all, you've helped me a lot with this show.

Lucien: (whisper) Is that all?

A low whisper brushes my ear, like some kind of enticement. I clutch the hem of my dress and softly speak.

MC: And because I trust in you unconditionally.

The light of a passing car flashes through the window, illuminating the silence inside the car for a moment. Lucien's fingertips linger on the back of my neck, stirring up subtle tingles.

He speaks softly.

Lucien: (chuckle) …You look good in this.

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The car runs across the long road, drives through several streets, and finally stops in front of a mansion.

I take Lucien's hand and get out of the car, walking along with the crowd to the inside.

The interior of the spacious hall is brightly lit, with gentle music flowing. I suddenly think of something and poke Lucien, who stands beside me.

MC: Speaking of which, what's the theme of this banquet? I don't know the identities of the other people yet.

Lucien takes a glass of white wine from the waiter's hand, and his lips curl slightly.

Lucien: (chuckle) There are no influential people here today, just ordinary citizens. As for the theme, can I keep it a secret for now?

I narrow my eyes when I see how frankly he is trying to keep me in suspense, and I cooperate by picking up another glass of wine from the tray.

MC: Of course, it's useless to hide it from me. After all, I can find out within ten minutes.

Lucien raises his eyebrows with interest and takes a shallow sip.

Lucien: Then I'll look forward to how you solve the mystery.

MC: I won't let you down.

I said and gently clinked my glass with him. I straighten my dress and walk naturally toward the crowd, sweeping my eyes covertly over everyone I pass.

An office worker in a suit with dark circles under his eyes; a young girl with bright makeup, taking selfies in the corner…

My gaze slips through the crowd, and I feel even more puzzled.

The people here are of different ages and backgrounds and don't even seem to know each other… For a while, I hardly find any common ground.

Why does the person who holds the banquet gather them together?

I walk while thinking and slowly paying attention to the conversations around me.

Old Man: ...I was telling my neighbor about my past life when I got the invitation, and I didn't know what I was being invited to…

Girl: …Me? I remember I was a starlet. How can I stand at the counter all day long like this…

Middle-aged Woman: …I should put my career first. If I grit my teeth and insist, now I'm sure I'll be a small boss…

The vague exchange of voices comes to my ears, and I can't help but be struck by them.

These experiences… I think I've seen them in the rejected submissions?!

Lucien walks to my side at some point. I come close to him and lower my voice.

MC: The people here should be those who have a great contrast between their previous and current lives.

MC: We've received submissions from some of them before.

I said, make a great show of being in earnest and tugging at the hem of Lucien's coat.

MC: Lucien, is this the secret of this party?

Lucien's gaze indifferently sweeps through the crowd and slowly falls back on me, with a hint of intrigue, gently shaking the glass in his hand.

Lucien: Hmm… only 30% of the guesses were correct.

MC: I can't believe it's only 30...

Before I can finish my sentence, a strange and unfriendly voice suddenly comes from behind me.

Man: ...Oi! Hey! I'm calling you!

I turn around suspiciously and see a strange man in a suit standing behind me without me knowing, his eyes darting back and forth over my body.

I'm a little displeased to be called out so rudely and to be gawked at in a blatant manner.

MC: Sir, I think you are mistaken…

Man: I think I've seen you somewhere before!

He suddenly clapped his hands and loudly interrupted me.

Man: You're the Producer of "Miracle Finder", right?

Man: In that memory, I was interviewed by you and Professor Lucien!

[Chapter 43-19]

My eyes linger on the man for a few seconds, and I speak hesitantly.

MC: ...I'm sorry, we've interviewed a lot of guests, but what do you mean by "that memory"?

Man: Don't play dumb with me. Remember the elevator malfunction? You approached me to talk about it!

MC: Elevator malfunction…

My hand holding the wine glass tightens slightly, searching for information in my head, and finally, a blurred face emerges in the depths of distant memory.

=Flashback Start=

MC: Hello, I'm a reporter for Miracle Finder. Today I'd like to interview you about the elevator malfunction incident.

Elevator operator: Miracle Finder? Are you talking about that silly program where they go lookin' for superpowers?

Elevator operator: What do you guys know! What do you know?!

Elevator operator: I'm not like you two. I've never used this power! I'm just a normal person. This power has no use to me at all!

=Flashback End=

The air seems to freeze for a moment, and my heartbeat suddenly quickens a little bit.

....The elevator malfunctions incident did occur in Loveland city before it got restarted.

At that time, Lucien and I were following this clue and found Dr. Song, which led to the subsequent events related to the BS.

The person in front of me is actually the elevator operator who was interviewed in that incident...?

A little bit of uneasiness suddenly surges in my heart. I subconsciously look at Lucien beside me and meet his gaze.

He doesn't say anything and just quietly looks at me. A delicate light flows at the bottom of his quiet eyes, inexplicably calming me down.

I take a deep breath, turn to the man, and speak.

MC: I'm sorry. I can't remember which episode I worked with you on, but thank you for your cooperation in the past.

MC: We do often invite passersby to share their views on camera.

MC: I just heard you mention "that memory"…

MC: Coincidentally, our recent program is based on the theme of "memory overlap".

Man: I know, the Mandela effect, right?

Man: My wife and kids think it makes sense, but I don't believe it! That memory is definitely real!

MC: Isn't it a bit too arbitrary for you to say that?

MC: Well, if you don't feel convinced by the perspective of neuroscience, you can follow us later on at…

Man: No need to wait until later. I want to discuss it with you now!

MC: …

Seeing that many people nearby already have eyes on us, I have no choice but to give in.

MC: Well, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

The man licks his lower lip and gestures a little excitedly.

Man: Here's the thing, I always thought my Evol was useless. Until I saw in "that memory" that it could be very strong.

Man: I was skeptical at first, but after using it frequently, as I remembered, my Evol has really improved a lot.

Man: If the memory is truly false, why does it work?

His question is not difficult to explain with Lucien's theory. I ponder for a moment, rub the wine glass and open my mouth.

MC: All abilities can be enhanced with regular use, and Evol is no exception.

MC: Now, there are many TV shows and novels with Evol as the theme. Maybe the images that facilitate your power as you say…

MC: Is it actually the unconscious psychological suggestion from these sources?

Facing my question, the man seems to be momentarily taken aback.

Finally, there is some room for maneuvering in the tense atmosphere. I feel slightly relieved and look at Lucien.

He's looking at me with a faint smile but doesn't approach me. He expresses approval, but it's also as if he's observing something.

A few doubts arise in my mind, and I suddenly hear a cold snort from the man. In the next second, the glass in his hand suddenly floats up.

I instinctively take a half step back as I see the man heavily swing his hand. The glass shot down violently, denting the hard marble floor!

MC: ...!

A sudden sharp sound shatters the tranquility of the hall and quickly ignites the hidden fires surrounding it.

Guests: There are other people here. Can you watch out?

Guests: These Evolver are just too arrogant! If it's anything like that memory-

The man turns a deaf ear to the exclamation around him and just provocatively looks at me.

Man: If it is an ordinary enhancement, you can still use your theory to muddle through.

Man: But my Evol is exactly the same as the picture in my head, no matter the scale of control or the effect… What's going on?

As soon as the man's voice falls, the chatter around the room grows even louder. Countless curious or questioning gazes and whispers almost pin me in place.

Man: Say, Producer, how do you explain this?

My heart surges with a little trepidation. I brace myself and open my lips.

MC: I...

??: If Miss MC doesn't know how to answer, why don't you ask your program consultant to help you explain?

A strong voice abruptly comes from the side, and Leto, dressed in a tuxedo, slowly walks towards me.

MC: What are you doing here…

In the blink of an eye, I always feel that something has gone off the rails where I can't see it, and now I can only watch it continue to move forward.

After Leto finished speaking, Lucien stepped forward, standing and blocking a little in front of me.

Lucien: You just said that Miss Producer and I came to interview you together, right?

Man: Yeah, what's the matter?

Lucien: I remember the first thing I said to you was-

Lucien: "You're just gonna walk away from the problem and abandon your family?"

Lucien cautiously examines the man's eyes and suddenly smiles.

Lucien: It seems that this time, you have a much better life than you remember. I guess you don't have to worry about the compensation anymore.

Along with Lucien's words, the man's eyes grow wider, and his lip trembles.

Man: Professor Lucien, are you telling me that…

Lucien: Yes, what I'm trying to say is that the memory that we all have in our minds is indeed real.

[Chapter 43-20]

Guest A: That memory is real?!

Guest B: ...So that means I can turn over a new leaf?

There was a moment of silence, and then a muffled exclamation of surprise erupted. This time, it was even louder than when I saw the man hit the floor with Evol.

MC: Lucien...?

I widen my eyes in disbelief, looking from Lucien's side profile, slowly fall to the ecstatic crowd, and finally stop at Leto's smile.

What's going on?

Why would Leto come here, and why would Lucien suddenly say such things to everyone when the show is trying to turn the tide?

MC: That's not right! I…

The words that are about to come from my mouth are stopped by a hand. Lucien uses the hand hidden behind him to squeeze my wrist with a firm grip.

And the man, after the initial excitement, raises a new question.

Man: Professor Lucien, why did you give another set of explanations in the program?

Lucien: Well, I would like to ask Mr. Leto to answer this question.

Lucirn raises his other hand to make a gesture of invitation, and the hall is surging with applause. Leto doesn't refuse, smiling, and comes to the center of the crowd.

Leto: Because in this society, only a small percentage of people have brains - that is, those of you whom I have invited to this banquet.

Leto: For most people, life just needs to be stable. As for what the truth is, they don't care about it.

Leto: The TV station and her company have partnered on that program to meet this demand and allow them to move on with their lives peacefully.

Leto: In contrast, you have the power to manipulate society because you have superior information and judgment.

Leto: Everything in the future will depend on your wishes.

Leto: As for what you all are going through, I had the general picture before I came here.

Leto: Please rest assured that I will do everything in my power to help you restore your former lives. The future of this city needs your strength to help build it together…

Under the reflection of the crystal lamp, Leto looks calm and powerful, making people subconsciously want to listen to his words.

As I look at the thunderous applause of the ballroom, I can't stop feeling chills around my body as if an invisible shadow is quietly coalescing.

The attention focus of these guests is no longer on me and Lucien as they surround Leto after he finishes his speech-

After all, in their eyes, Leto is the one who can give them a future.

Looking at the ridiculous scene in front of me, I stiffly raise the corners of my mouth and drink the wine in my glass.

Lucien: (whisper) Your glass is empty. Would you like some more?

I deliberately ignore his words, but my gaze is unrelentingly fixed on him, which in turn makes him chuckle lightly.

Lucien: I hope Mr. Leto is the cause of your anger and annoyance, not me.

He said aggrievedly as if he was being wronged and gently squeezed my fingers. I vent on him by pinching the palm of his hand, and I take a step closer to him.

MC: Are you not going to explain anything?

Lucien: I was going to.

Lucien: I was going to say, if I've upset you so much, would you be willing to give me a chance to explain? At least for the sake of working on your show this month?

MC: Okay, so you have to explain it well.

Lucien deepens his smile. He clasps my hand and pulls me to the corner of the hall.

When the hidden curtain slightly covers the two of us, he speaks in a low voice.

Lucien: I'm sorry. What I just purposely said to that person was a way to reduce the trouble.

MC: Reduce what trouble? It's clearly making more and more trouble…

I still can't understand it, and I turn my face away a little angrily.

MC: You clearly know that…

MC: In addition to solving social problems, I actually want to use the influence of the TV station…

MC: To make people who know Queen's identity doubtful about their memory and won't try to find me.

MC: If these remarks from Leto get out, my previous efforts may be in vain, both for me and for the program…

Lucien puts down his wine glass and approaches me, his body enveloping me from behind.

His cold fingertips gently touch my cheek, silently signaling me to turn around as if to guide me to re-examine everything in front of me.

Lucien: He won't pass it on because he doesn't have the ability to do that yet - and your presence here is proof of that.

MC: And what about the others?

Lucien: These people? You should've found something in common with them.

Lucien: There is a huge difference between their past and present lives.

Lucien: And these people are subconsciously unwilling to accept reality. They will firmly believe that what is in memory is the life they should have.

Lucien: This is human nature. A person instinctively prefers to blame other factors for failure rather than acknowledge it.

Lucien: Whether it's other people, timing… or fate.

Lucien's tail note is slightly raised. All kinds of countenances passed in front of his eyes like a grand farce.

Lucien: Therefore, there is no amount of arguing that will sway them from their point of view. From the very beginning, the outcome of your argument with them is already predetermined.

I open my lips. I always feel that I can't be fully convinced.

It is true that these people already have a predetermined stance. And if I insist on refuting, perhaps just like what Lucien said, it won't change anything…

But at least in front of us, there is another choice than to add fuel to the flames...

Thinking of this, I can't help but look up and stare at him with some annoyance.

MC: So, is this the secret of the banquet that you want to show me?

Lucien: No. At least not exactly.

Apart from a faint smile on Lucien's face, there was also a hint of helplessness.

He slightly leans over and raises his hand to bring my hair to the back of my ear.

Lucien: I want you to see that not everyone has the same stance as you.

Lucien: Different stances pursue their own interests, and from these interests, motives are created.

Lucien: For those who desire peace, there will certainly be those who want to create as much danger as possible. After all, it is in the chaos that many possibilities can emerge.

Lucien: Holding the power that everyone secretly covets and fears, you are bound to become a target.

Lucien: Rather than letting you get hurt and suffer afterward, it is better for you to discover these unsheathed blades in advance.

The distance between us is so close that I can almost see my reluctant expression in Lucien's eyes.

MC: It's my inescapable destiny… Is that what you think?

Lucien: A person's talent will arouse the envy of others. It's not your fault, nor is it the power's fault.

Lucien: But as CORE, you have to face the truth.

Lucien's words were as precise and cold as a scalpel, but his warm fingers kept rubbing my fingertips reassuringly over and over again.

MC: I have one last question… How did you get the invitation to the banquet when Leto doesn't invite irrelevant people?

Lucien: You already have a guess, don't you?

MC: You're working with him?

Lucien: No, it's just a mutual borrowing of "power".

Lucien: Just like how I produce a program with the help of your identity. Except that his ambition is going to be even greater.

I stiffen and raise the corners of my mouth.

MC: It seems that stance is not so important as long as it is useful to you.

Lucien's voice sounds soft as if it is trying to bewitch.

Lucien: That's the more common rule in the shadow of the world.

Lucien: Besides themselves, all a person can rely on is their power.

Lucien: Like being CORE. It is more than a target, it can also attract people to follow behind you.

Lucien: If you take one small step forward, all the dangers now and then will no longer be a threat.

Lucien: Because you can achieve far more than that.

The moonlight is gentle. A thin curtain suddenly fluttered between us, separating our eyes from each other.

I can't see Lucien's face clearly, but I can feel that he is staring intently at me as if waiting for an answer.

Will it be a passive struggle? Or should I take the initiative to get into the center of this vortex?

After a few moments of silence, I raise my hand and brush away the curtain. I take half a step forward and approach Lucien, meeting his gaze straight on.

MC: ...Those who will follow me, will that also include you?

Lucien's voice softens a little.

The moonlight on his face transparently outlines a sense of danger, making it impossible for anyone to move their eyes.

Lucien: (softly) I've been following behind you since a long time ago.

[Lux’s Rambling Corner]

Okay, before I start rambling a little, can I point out how his last sentence is directly referencing this part-

Lucien, a character who usually acts as a guide, letting her to take the lead and makes the decision because he trusts her is always :"""".

I’ll only ramble a little bc Lucien already explains his point, and this official summary already explains it well enough ahah- but I think this is a pretty fun and fluffy chapter. There’s one single knife when MC asks him about his regret, but that’s it~

This batch of chapters opens with Lucien talking with Xiao Yue, which can foreshadow future main story updates.

I love how the first part of the chapter already foreshadows his plan, like MC ‘borrowing’ Lucien’s identity/status. And their talk with the physics student. You can force everyone to have the same point of view. In addition to people wanting peace, some simply want chaos and danger. MC’s program won’t 100% work because they’re trying to hide the truth.

Lucien is very aware of the possible dangers, so he approaches Leto. Offering cooperation so he can have some kind of control over the situation rather than let it develop quietly like what happened in S2 ch 13-14 ((honestly,,,, Leto is a bit dumb for not thinking that MC’s program can be used to filter people LOL)).

In this chap, everyone basically used each other (mutual “borrowing” of power). Lucien used MC’s program to filter out those people and hold his end of the bargain; MC used the TV station’s influence to also protect herself in addition to solving the social issues; and Leto used MC’s program to stabilize the situation. Lucien cooperates with both sides, and they all get what they want, but I think it’s obvious whose side he leans on ahah. After all, even though he appears to support Leto in the banquet, his actual intention is to make her prepare for danger in advance (and lol, the ‘elite people’ that Lucien filters are a bit half-assed >_> 9 out 10 of them feel like they’d easily betray someone if they can).

In terms of dealing with the danger surrounding MC, I think he never really changes from season 1. He consistently advocates taking the first initiative to walk into the game. He trusts that she’s powerful enough to fight the danger. Power isn’t a bad thing, but since it attracts danger, it’s better to change from passive to active. And he always asked her choice again and again whether she wanted to face the truth calmly or to be fully protected by him. Since she chooses the former, he’s willing to accompany her choice by following from behind and becoming her ‘strength’.

[coffee-in-that-nebula]

TOW Neelix nearly murders everyone with ice cream

Fandom: Star Trek Voyager

Summary: My response to the @flashfictionfridayofficial prompt!

It takes place in early season 2. It's been 1 year since the crew of Voyager got stranded in the Delta Quadrant, and everyone feels upset. Neelix tries to cheer them up by making some special gelato for them. It's silly, funny, and I loved writing it. No-beta though. Not an English speaker, but I believe I'm good.

Rating: G

Thank you, @pc-corner for your help!

When Chakotay, Tuvok, and Kathryn entered the mess hall, everyone else was already seated. Neelix rushed toward them with an enthusiastic grin swept across his face. He opened his arms when he reached them as if to embrace them. The command team instinctively took a step back , but Neelix, in his eagerness, didn’t even notice it. 

“Welcome,” he greeted them in a cheerful voice. “We’ve been waiting for you! Follow me, please!”

Without waiting for a response, Neelix led them to the only empty table that stood in the center of the room covered with a gleaming white cloth. Tom, Harry, B’Elanna and the Delaney sisters occupied the table right next to them. Harry  stood up abruptly to salute his superior officers, but Tuvok’s stern glare and Chakotay’s silent laugh made him sit back down. He was confused. 

“We’re off duty, Ensign. No need for salutations. Just enjoy your time off,” Kathryn informed him trying to hide her amusement. 

Harry nodded. “Thank you, Captain.” Tom couldn’t hold back a laugh. 

Neelix clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention. “The celebration can begin!” he announced, and a few crewmen, who had volunteered to help him, started serving sundaes to everyone. 

“What are we celebrating anyway?” Chakotay murmured. 

“We’ve been stuck in the Delta Quadrant for an entire year. Isn’t that reason enough?” Kathryn responded sarstically. 

Tuvok intervened, even though both the captain and the first officer were ignoring him.  “Mr. Neelix confided to me that he has recently overheard many crewmen talking about the negative feelings they have been experiencing realizing that it has been already a year since we got stranded in the Delta Quadrant. He said he had a surprise to cheer everyone up, so I gave my permission.”

“He’s a morale officer who takes his role very seriously,” Kathryn observed raising her eyebrows. 

Chakotay nodded. “Everyone has been upset - he’s right about that at least. Maybe that’ll be a good distraction.”

Then, a crewman approached their table and placed a sundae in front of each of them. Much to their astonishment, they saw the most vibrant pink ice cream that anyone could ever imagine. 

Tuvok was about to make a question, but Neelix’s voice interrupted his train of thought. 

“Before you all enjoy my creation,” he started in an exciting voice, “I’d like to inform you that this is NOT a common ice cream. This is authentic Italian gelato,” he emphasized. 

Kathryn and Chakotay exchanged a confused look. Tuvok raised an eyebrow and fixated his eyes on the ice cream. He was clearly examining it. 

“Why is it pink?” Tom asked uncertainly. “Didn’t you say it’s the authentic recipe?”

“It does look a little… different,” Harry confirmed.

“The authentic, yes, but with a few tweaks of course! You know how creative I am,” Neelix exclaimed. “About the pink color… I used a very special sugar substitute. I’m so excited for everyone to try it!”

“Have you tried it?” B’Elanna inquired. 

“Of course,” Neelix confirmed, “It’s delicious!”

Over the next few minutes, the mess hall went silent as everyone started eating their ice cream. However, the room soon became uncomfortably quiet. Some crewmembers started discreetly scratching their arms and legs while others’ faces seemed unusually flushed. Tuvok started looking around him. He could hear nothing but whispers, and most of the dishes were still half-full.

“Something is wrong,” he stated calmly, but thoughtfully. 

“What are you talking about?” Chakotay wondered as he ate another spoonful of ice cream. His dish was almost done. “It’s not tasty, but it’s not the worst thing I’ve eaten either.”

“I loved it!” Tom exclaimed. Tuvok noticed that he’d actually finished his ice cream. “It wasn’t exactly tasty, but it was interesting. Its color brought me an odd sense of nostalgia, and its texture was at least intriguing.”

Kathryn shrugged, barely touching her ice cream. She didn’t have much of a sweet tooth.

Harry was one the one who broke that unsettling silence. “Ah!” he yelped in pain. 

His tablemates were immediately concerned. 

“What happened?” B’Elanna asked. 

"I... don't... know," Harry muttered, still holding his abdomen. "I'm in pain! My stomach hurts so bad."

"It must be the ice cream," Megan pointed out, grimacing as she looked at her half-finished dish.

"No way!" Tom protested. "I loved it. It's not bad either; it barely smells like... anything."

"I'm going to die," Harry murmured, looking paler than before.

Suddenly, Tuvok, who had overheard everything, stood up and took Kathryn's sundae from her hands. Kathryn looked astonished.

"Captain, this ice cream can lead to critical conditions. Therefore, you will not have any more."

Kathryn was confused. "What are you talking about?"

“Ensign Kim is in pain,” he informed her indicating Harry’s direction. Harry had just stood up with Tom’s help and he was almost doubled over in pain. 

“What?” Chakotay squeaked. “And you let me eat all of it?”

“You are not the captain,” Tuvok answered sternly. “Also, you’re too gluttonous,” he observed with a raised eyebrow. 

“Everyone stop eating,” Tom yelled, “The ice cream is dangerous! Harry is dying!”

Neelix rushed toward them. “What happened? Captain, commander…Mr. Tuvok… I’m so sorry!I…I don’t know…”

“I need to use the restroom,” another crewman exclaimed and ran past them. 

“You certainly distracted the crewmen, Neelix. Don’t use anymore of that sugar substitute, though. Alright?” the captain said letting out a chuckle.

Neelix nodded with his eyes wide open from concern.

Chakotay let out a sigh as he stood up, and made a face. 

“The Doctor is going to be busy tonight.”

Tuvok nodded in agreement. "I will notify him immediately," he responded, and struck his combadge.

Also on ao3:

[michelleelizabethtanner]

Am I the only one who felt sad when Rio used Beth's family to threaten her in S4E8? I remember when he hid his gun because Dean came out with one of their kids back in season 2. He must have been really frustrated by that point to have to use them to get Beth to cooperate. Do you think it was out of character?

Anon, love this question! I’ve been thinking about it, trying to find a way to put ✨vibes✨ into words. Because so much of 4.08 seems confusing unless you read into all of Rio’s motivations for the entirety of season 4. I have no idea what the writing actually intended, but I will never view Rio as someone who kills or even scares children. Just like you said, he hid his gun so Emma wouldn’t be frightened.

The Brio conversation at the bar is very specific. They have an entire pitcher of beer between them. And half of it is gone. She has her bourbon that looks barely touched. This just seems to be a thought out meeting where Rio maybe sat for a while and waited for her and contemplated his best approach. This wasn’t an emotional conversation where he, in his frustration, behaved out of character. This is a calculated maneuver in which he said what he needed to say to make the events of 4.08 happen.

I think one of the most telling pieces of dialogue in the entire episode is how Rio begins this conversation. “You and me, we got a real opportunity here.” You and me! For all the flack Rio gets for his poor communication skills, he outright told her. You and me. We. We can do whatever we want.

Of course, Beth being Beth, she never understands when he speaks. And doesn’t trust his judgment. To be fair, he was being vague and not telling her his whole plan. (And I’m in the camp of “Rio planned his own arrest” which you kinda have to be in to agree with any of this.) This entire conversation was Rio calmly and patiently trying to maneuver her where she needed to be. He needed her to play the snitch. She was doing it anyway. So he was giving her room to do her thing and he would use it to their benefit. She was just being confrontational, understandably, so he had to say some things… Look how he looks at her so seriously at the end. “You feel me?” Get it, Elizabeth??? Just do it. Play your part and stop arguing.

I don’t think he liked saying it. There was no real malice in his eyes in this scene. He just seemed resigned. Tired even. Quiet. Like he’d gone over all of it and this was the only way. He even comforted her in the end, because he knew he’d scared her. But he needed her motivated. Incentive.

The heartbreaking thing about this episode is that they both sat around contemplating how to choose each other. Rio over his pitcher of beer, Beth in her hot tub. And they each tried. The problem is that Rio never knew how she tried. He didn’t see how despite him threatening her children’s lives she STILL tried to choose him and protect him. And I understand how Rio’s emotions seem all over the place in this episode, but I think that makes sense with the decision he ultimately made. Just because he chose her doesn’t mean it wasn’t difficult to do. Doesn’t mean it wasn’t still hurtful to know she would never reciprocate what he was feeling and what he was willing to do for her. He didn’t think he’d ever be her choice and even though he thought he was prepared for it, it still broke his heart when it happened.

I will NEVER get over this shot. My favorite shot of the entire series.

But he knew what he was doing. Had he wanted to kill her family, he could easily have done it. It wasn’t what he ever meant to do. He just needed her to play her part, be her usual selfish self, and not choose him. So he could keep choosing her.

“You and me, we got a real opportunity here.”

“We can do whatever we want.”

😭😭😭

His plan worked. Almost. Until Nick got involved.

(Also, was that the first time he’d been in her bedroom since they had sex in it? Because some of his uncharacteristic vulnerability was probably triggered by what that space meant to them. “You should go.”)

[toujokaname]

Just As I Am / Episode 2

Author: Kanata Haruka

Characters: Tetora, HiMERU

"Whew… I'm coming back to life! The cold water feels so good~!"

← Previous ✧ Directory

Season: Winter

Location: Seisoukan Dorm Room

A few days later.

Tetora: (This isn't good... I still can't come up with a good idea even though it's just before the deadline~!)

U~myu... What am I gonna do—

HiMERU: —Exactly how many times does HiMERU have to hear that strange groaning sound?

Tetora: Uwaah?! I'm sorry, HiMERU-san!

If I'm bothering you, I'll go outside right away...

HiMERU: Go outside? But it's already quite late for you to be out.

Tetora: Eh, is it already that late? It looks like Narukami-senpai hasn't come home yet, though...

HiMERU: Narukami-san mentioned working overnight this morning.

Tetora: Come to think of it, I think I heard something like that... Ahaha.

HiMERU: Well, you seemed to be lost in thought since the morning.

Narukami-san said she would wait to hear it from you, but HiMERU has reached his limit.

If you have any worries, please talk about them. HiMERU will help you.

Tetora: ...That's unexpected. That HiMERU-san would try to interrogate me on my troubles.

HiMERU: HiMERU will be unable to sleep if this continues. And it would feel unpleasant to kick you out.

Tetora: Uu... Well, you're right.

But this time, I want to come up with a definite answer all on my own...

HiMERU: So nothing is progressing in the current situation.

HiMERU believes that wasting time without being able to resolve it is pointless, though.

Tetora: Ugh... HiMERU-san's words are like a stab in the heart...

HiMERU: HiMERU has no desire to force you into anything, but you should calmly judge whether your situation allows you such a luxury.

Tetora: ...You're right, HiMERU-san. The deadline is just around the corner, and I still haven't come up with a proposal at all.

I'm just being stubborn. It's not good for Anzu-anego either.

I understand... HiMERU-san, can I ask you for some advice?

HiMERU: —Very well. HiMERU understands the details.

However, are you unable to determine the direction of the "Feature Live" you would like to have?

Tetora: When I had Anego make the personalized outfit for me, I asked for something slightly more mature and adult-like, reaching a bit beyond my usual style.

I wanted it to be a reflection of my feelings of "I want to work hard and grow," and "I want to grow into a person who is worthy of this outfit."

Those feelings haven't changed. I want my fans to see me continue to work hard and grow.

But I don't think I can say I've "grown" if my answer is the same this time...

HiMERU: —Isn't it already good? Just as you are.

Tetora: Eh? Are you seriously saying that?!

HiMERU: You should thoroughly express that instead. If that is indeed your ideal.

Tetora: To express it thoroughly... But how do I do it?

HiMERU: You don't need to think too hard. Just show them your true, honest self.

Even if it's reckless, keep moving forward anyway. Strive relentlessly to reach your ideals.

That's the stylish, cool image you want to show to your fans, isn't it?

If that's the case, then it's fine to not try too hard. If you can "charm" your fans as your true self, that's enough.

Especially for this "Feature Live", they will be taking candids for the pamphlet.

Doesn't it align well with the project's concept?

Tetora: I see. I admit that I hadn't thought of that...

HiMERU: —HiMERU will say this beforehand, please don't think that you're being coddled by his proposal.

If it weren't someone who consistently strives for self-improvement, HiMERU wouldn't make this kind of suggestion.

Tetora: ...HiMERU-san, does that mean you think that way about me?

HiMERU: Although it's been a short period of time, we have lived together in the same room.

HiMERU sees your daily efforts, even when he wouldn't like to witness them.

Tetora: "Even when he wouldn't like to", that's a strange way of putting it...

HiMERU: You'll occasionally grasp a hand grip while getting under the covers.

Have you noticed that it makes a surprisingly loud clinking sound?

Tetora: Ah, ahaha... I'll be careful from now on.

HiMERU: It's fine. HiMERU is also impressed by your attitude toward improving yourself as an idol.

Now then, HiMERU is going to bed soon. Nagumo, make sure not to overexert yourself either.

Tetora: Roger that! Thank you very much for your help!

Tetora: (Just as I am... The real me... huh.)

Alright! I'll put together a proposal and call Anego!

Location: Yumenosaki Academy Grounds

Tetora: Ah! He~ey, over here! Anzu-anego! You made it~!

Hold on a sec! I'm heading over right now~!

Haah... Huff... I kept you waiting, Anego. Sorry for calling you out so early in the morning.

...Sorry, Anego, can I have some water first?

Tetora: Thanks a bunch. I ran as fast as I could this morning and got thirsty...

Whew... I'm coming back to life! The cold water feels so good~!

Ahaha. I was in a bit of a good mood, so I overdid my morning practice!

Also, Anego, are you taking in enough water?

Don't hesitate to grab a drink if you're feeling thirsty!

I've properly hydrated, so I'm full of energy now! With this, I can keep up with my training and keep running!

Tetora: Oops. Before I run, I have to explain why I called you, Anego.

"Have you decided what kind of live you want to do?" Ahaha, Anego can see through anything, huh.

In this "Feature Live", I want to show my fans the real me.

I usually try hard to be a man among men.

In this pamphlet, I'm thinking of focusing on my everyday efforts as the main theme.

No... I want to be the kind of idol that makes all my fans feel that way.

That's my proposal... Is it a bad idea?

"Well then, let me take a picture right away."? Did you already have your camera with you, Anego?!

I called you in the morning 'cause I wanted to share the image of the pamphlet ASAP, yet I didn't wanna shoot it right after!

But, something this sudden might be a good way to show my usual self, I guess ♪

Understood! If I don't show my manliness here, it'll only be a distant dream to be a man among men, right?

But still, being on the training grounds with Anego reminds me a little of the sports festival.

I kinda miss the time when I did the Two-Legged Race thing with you.

Hehe... Will you run with me from now on like you did then, Anego?

What, I'm just kidding. I mean, it's more like a metaphor.

Tetora: Anzu-anego, I have yet to reach my ideal self.

I still don't think I'm confident enough to say that I'm a man among men.

That's why I hope to have that confidence someday. I'll keep working hard from now on.

I just wanted to say that I want you to watch me as much as possible.

"I'm always going to do that." Haha, Anego's so encouraging. Really, thank you so much.

Well then, Anzu-anego. We're about to start shooting, I'll be in your care!

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